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Pastors’ view: Sermons written by ChatGPT will have no soul

NEW YORK (AP) — Among sermon writers, there is fascination – and unease – over the fast-expanding abilities of artificial-intelligence chatbots. For now, the evolving consensus among clergy is this: Yes, they can write a passably competent sermon. But no, they can’t replicate the passion of actual preaching. “It lacks a soul — I don’t know how else to say it,” said Hershael York, a pastor in Kentucky who also is dean of the school of theology and a professor of Christian preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sermons are meant to be the core of a ...

Religious 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. ••• UMC to host Bible study LEWISTOWN — First Bakers United Methodist Church will host a Bible study every Wednesday at 7 p.m. ...

A Resurrection Reply

In Luke 20:27-40 Jesus speaks of the reality of a resurrection, a resurrection of our bodies. It is true that when death comes the souls of those who die in Christ go immediately to be with the Lord, but their bodies, that shell that was the home for their soul, waits for the resurrection. But we also know that before the resurrection most of us will have to endure death. John Milton said, “Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity.” Christians speak about the death of Christ, celebrate his death, sing about his death, testify about his death, and when we meet ...

Jehovah’s Witnesses return to live events

HARRISBURG — After nearly three years, one Christian organization has made a full return to large events and community outreach programs. In March 2020, Jehovah’s Witnesses suspended their gatherings and all in-person forms of their volunteer work out of concern for the health and safety of the community. “We believe that the early decision to shut down all in-person activities for more than two years has saved many lives,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We’re now ready and eager to reconnect with our neighbors once again – ...

Choosing Christ helps us make better life choices

Romans 6:1-14 Congratulations, today’s your day. You’re off to great places. You’re off and away. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Those words of advice come from the delightful little book by Dr. Seuss titled Oh, the Places You’ll Go! “You’re on your own,” he continues. “And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.” It’s up to us, says Dr. Seuss. The world is ours and we’re free to choose what kind of life we’ll have. He even provides a warning: ...

United Methodist congregations could disaffiliate from church

By Julia Maruca Tribune-Review SCOTTDALE — For more than 100 years, two churches affiliated with the United Methodist Church have held Sunday services in the middle of Scottdale. If each stays on its current path, by the end of this summer, Christ United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church will no longer exist in their current forms. The congregations voted at the end of 2022 to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. They are among more than 260 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church — almost one-third of its ...