Author: Gordon Govier

A fourth-grader at St. Clare’s Catholic School in Edwards asked the Rev. Bob Kinkel for his prayers regarding a troubling matter. The Rockies were on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It might jinx them, Francesca said, referring to the magazine’s legendary curse — the lore that SI profiles ascending sports stars, and then they tank. Kinkel didn’t bother to separate faith from superstition, religion from baseball. That’s hard even if you’re not in fourth grade. Read more of this story.

Madison’s newest radio station is pumping out a 24 hour-per-day stream of rock music onto Madison’s airwaves, with the goal of getting more young people to think about Jesus. The station is heard at 97.1 FM and is licensed to Lake City Church, 4909 E. Buckeye Rd.

I was being interviewed for what would be my first church pastorate, and I was nervous and unsure what to expect. The twelve deacons sat in a row in front of me and took turns asking questions, which I answered as clearly as I could. All went smoothly until they posed this question: "What is your position on divorce and remarriage? Would you remarry a divorcée or divorced man?"Read more of this story.

John grew up Southern Baptist and participated in Sunday school regularly. His family attended church faithfully and was involved in many programs. After high school, John went to college and fell in love with Sharon, the woman of his dreams. But six years into the marriage, John had an affair, and his marriage crumbled. So did John. Spiritually, John walked away from God; physically, he walked away from his family. John quickly fell out of touch with God, the church, and hope.Read more of this story.

Competing against Rusty the narcoleptic dog, comedian Judson Laipply’s evolution-of-dance routine and enough other video vignettes to stretch from here to eternity, Milwaukee Pastor Mark Jeske’s earnestness seems a bit of an odd fit for YouTube.It’s not exactly the kind of digital neighborhood where one would expect to find a conservative Lutheran evangelist hanging out, offering two- or three-minute video messages of faith and hope.But then, normality is a moving target these days.Read more of this story.

Like many athletes who are outspoken about something as personal as faith, Jon Kitna — with his ubiquitous cross hats and constant biblical references — is often dismissed as a loon. But his impact in Detroit is undeniable. He is part of a team prayer group on Friday afternoons and hosts a Bible study for teammates and their wives at his home on Monday nights.More on this story.

WASHINGTON – It was a hot and blazing day, much like 10 years ago, when thousands of men stood on the National Mall Saturday praising God.Despite the scorching rays, their faces looked up to the heavens in remembrance of the holy God they serve and to renew their commitments as "mighty warriors for King Jesus," as popular speaker Dr. Rick Rigsby said.Read more of this story.

BEL AIR, MARYLAND (ANS) — An open letter from a Christian pastor in the US to the Muslim World League in Saudi Arabia has drawn a far greater response than expected. Letters have come in from Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Three Bible Colleges have asked permission to use the letter in their curriculum. Even the chaplaincy of the United States Pentagon responded.Read more of this story.

Washington – Before six of the nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and more than 1,000 other worshippers, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee delivered a homily Sunday at the capital’s annual Roman Catholic Red Mass.Read more of this story.

Sin never goes out of style, but confession is undergoing a revival.This February at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI instructed priests to make confession a top priority. U.S. bishops have begun promoting it in diocesan newspapers, mass mailings and even billboard ads. And in a dramatic turnaround, some Protestant churches are following suit. This summer, the second-largest North American branch of the Lutheran Church passed a resolution supporting the rite, which it had all but ignored for more than 100 years.Read more of this story.