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Religion

New poll shows about 7 in 10 U.S. adults believe in angel

By HOLLY MEYER The Associated Press Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America. They even get more credence than hell. More than astrology, reincarnation, and the belief that physical things can have spiritual energies. In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The widespread acceptance of angels made sense to one angel expert because they are malleable to an array of worldviews. Angels mean different things to different people. For example, the idea of ...

Europe’s iconic churches struggling to accommodate worship, tourism

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO The Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain — A recent Saturday evening Mass at Sagrada Familia parish had all the hallmarks of a neighborhood worship service, from prayers for ill and deceased members to name-day wishes for two congregants in the pews. But it also featured security checks to get in and curious tourists peering down to take photos of the worshippers from above. The regular Mass is held in the crypt of modernist architect Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece church, one of Europe’s most visited monuments. With tourism reaching or surpassing ...

Congregations combine as era begins

YEAGERTOWN — Current circumstances have led to the closing of an area church. Yeagertown United Methodist Church has merged with Rhodes Memorial UMC as both congregations transition into a new era. According to Pastor Steven Small, the Yeagertown church could no longer keep its doors open due to higher utility costs and an aging, shrinking congregation. The members voted in January to merge congregations with Rhodes Memorial UMC at 500 Highland Ave. in Pleasant Acres and sell the Yeagertown building. The funds from selling the property will help with needed repairs at the Rhodes ...

Religion Briefs

Editor’s note: To submit a nonprofit announcement to The Sentinel’s Religion section, contact Tom Laub at (717) 248-6741 or by email at living@lewistownsentinel.com. Items also may be faxed to (717) 248-3481 or sent to The Sentinel, 352 Sixth St., Lewistown, PA 17044. Items must be received by Tuesday for publication in the Saturday edition. Submissions will be published as space allows. The editor reserves the right to edit all submissions. ••• First Bakers UMC to host Bible study LEWISTOWN — First Bakers United Methodist Church will host a Bible study every ...

Trust in the Lord’s work

Hope is the magic ingredient — Romans 8:18-28 When the obituary for 80-year-old Katie McDonald appeared in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press several years ago, it contained all kinds of praise for her virtues, but it also highlighted some of her eccentricities. One paragraph said: “She was preceded in death by the father of their four children, Charles Alan McDonald, whom she loved to her dying day, and her beloved family pets: Simon the Siamese cat; Peanut, the wiener dog; Sugar the howling dog; Daisy, the very special-extremely-important-stray dog; and most notably, ...

Church groups will travel to the Holy Land

LEWISTOWN – Local church groups are planning two different trips to the Holy Land in 2024. Pastor Stephanie Rupert from Grace United Methodist Church and Pastor Steven Small, who serves multiple United Methodist Churches in Lewistown, will lead the traveling groups. Pastor Rupert will lead the first trip from March 11 through March 20, 2024. “For all who travel, it is a life changing experience any time you travel to another part of the world, but for the Holy Land trip, specifically, it brings our Christian faith to life, reveals deeper understandings of what happens in the ...