Author: Gordon Govier

Church partnerships can mean many things: a commitment to shared mission, denominational ties, shared space in a building. The partnership between Life Center Madison and Eglise Francophone de Madison—the French-speaking congregation of Madison—is remarkable in its origin and how it has transformed both congregations. Originally called Evangel Life Center, Life Center is located on the southeast side of Madison and is known for its diverse ministry and involvement in the community. Eglise Francophone de Madison had its beginnings in the Ivory Coast.

For the past 12 months, the threat of COVID-19 has forced the faithful to find creative solutions for practicing religion. Now, with Holy Week underway, ending with the arrival of Easter on Sunday, the area’s Christian community is drawing on that experience to uphold long-standing traditions, offer a variety of safe alternatives to adherents and — at some churches — host the first in-person services in more than a year.

MADISON — Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops have issued a letter urging the faithful to actively oppose H.R. 5, a federal bill that if signed into law would dramatically limit First Amendment freedoms, especially the free exercise of religion. Known as the Equality Act, H.R. 5 would alter provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act, adding “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as categories of people protected from discrimination. The Catholic bishops of Wisconsin affirmed that “every person is made in the image of God and must be treated with respect and compassion. Individuals have a right to live free of discrimination or…

MADISON — “If you want to drain Christianity of its power, drain Sunday of its meaning and practice.” Recently Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison has urged us to reclaim Sundays as a day for us to spend time nurturing our relationships with God, family, and friends. As the bishop says, they are meant to be “days free of servile work, dedicated to worship, prayer, time spent with family and friends, rest, study and works of charity.”

Bring your journey through Lent to a meaningful close by experiencing the events of Jesus’ last days. “Traveling with Jesus: Holy Week Drive Through” is a Covid-safe adaptation of our traditional Holy Week observances where you can drive your car through Bethel’s parking lot and see eight tableaus telling the story of the passion narrative in Mark’s Gospel.

As an institution, the Black church is the space in which we found a brief sanctuary from the ravages of slavery. It helped to secure living wages for us in urban centers at the turn of the 20th century. And it served as the headquarters for the Civil Rights Movement. However, in the last several decades, there have been attacks on the church that have been anything but harmless and good-natured. For years, the Black church has been the target of attacks in this country.

Over the course of the six hours of the Kingdom Justice Summit on Feb. 27, there were powerful expressions of lament about the experiences of Black people and other people of color. There were stirring challenges to action. Within those moments, though, there were also ideas for what churches and individuals could do to move the community closer to the kind of justice God envisions for our world. Here are a few of the ideas.

Many people who have suffered economically over the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic are not, unfortunately, a priority when it comes to receiving assistance and relief. With that in mind, Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Madison’s south side has launched a “COVID-19 Relief Stimulus” fund to support those that have been affected by COVID-19 due to being furloughed or having their hours and pay reduced. “I have been hearing from my [church] members quite a bit and people have been telling me, ‘There has been a reduction in my job hours’ or ‘I’m only working three or four…

Pastor Karla Garcia of S.S. Morris Community AME Church did not know Pastor Marcio Sierra, Jr. of Lighthouse Church, but she felt a nudge from God to reach out to him. S.S. Morris had been struggling with a deteriorating roof for several years. Now it was at a crisis point and the cost of fixing it was in the $50,000 range. Garcia was at wits end about what to do. “The Lord said, If you contact him, he will know what to do,” Garcia explained of the impulse to contact Sierra. So in September, she sent him a long message on Facebook. This…

Sprinkled over the head, like pixie dust, says Father Christopher Arnold from Trinity Episcopal Church in Oshkosh. That’s how some Christian clergy will be delivering ashes to believers on Ash Wednesday, as they recite the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day season of prayer and reflection for Christians leading up to Easter. For many, the worship tradition includes receiving the mark of a cross, drawn on their foreheads, using ashes made from palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. This year, the ongoing pandemic has…