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Highlights for May

Scott Gunn
The church is dead. Long live the church!

By Scott Gunn
Several of my church-going friends shared a recent op-ed from Fox News Opinion on their social media, “Church as we know it is over. Here’s what’s next.” The op-ed says that “the church needs to accept the fate of physical church as we know it, so we can move into the next phase of digital church.”

Yes, the old expectations that people will somehow just show up in churches must die. But the replacement is not digital church.

While I love connecting online, it isn’t the same as being part of a gathered community. Church as we know it may be over, but it’s time to reboot church as we know it — and our expectations.

Christians need to go to church. It’s that simple.

I want the whole story:

 

Rooney Mara stars as the title character in the new film “Mary Magdalene” alongside Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus. (Photo/courtesy of IFC Films )
In new film, Mary Magdalene is reimagined

By Cathleen Falsani, Religion News Service
Daughter. Sister. Doula. Repairer of nets. Fisher of men (and women). Revolutionary. Believer. Healer. Baptizer. Companion. Witness. Disciple. Apostle to the apostles.

In the new film “Mary Magdalene,” the biblical character Mary of Magdala is all of these things and more — but not the one role in which she was historically (mis)cast: the so-called “fallen woman.”

Misunderstood, misinterpreted, and maligned, only in recent years has Mary Magdalene’s reputation been restored, both by official religious decree and in popular consciousness.

I want the whole story:

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