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

Forward ever, backward never

Three years ago, I had the great privilege of traveling to Ghana, West Africa to preach the Gospel. During my time there, I learned a lot about the history of Ghana. One of the most fascinating aspects was learning about Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah. His presidency ended suddenly in 1966 when he was overthrown by a military coup while he was out of the country. Though he was quite the revolutionary, Nkrumah is esteemed by Ghanians today and many would argue he has left a positive legacy for the country. His best-known saying was, “Forward ever, backward never.” I love ...

The best way to share Thanksgiving

Matthew 6:25-32, 33 A few years ago, an American and a British journalist were discussing Thanksgiving on a British radio program. The American asked if Thanksgiving was celebrated in the United Kingdom. “Yes,” the British journalist replied, “but we celebrate it on the 6th of September.” “Why then?” asked the American. “That’s when you chaps left,” the Brit answered good-naturedly. Well, it is true that Thanksgiving is celebrated as a national holiday primarily in the U.S. and Canada, two former British colonies. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is usually traced to ...

‘World’ — People, theology and worldview

John 3:16 – III For God so loved the world — John 3:16 In our last article, we mentioned the word world (# 2889 Greek Lexicon); now we want to look at the meaning and how that affects our theology and worldview. Is the word world referring to people only, or did God send His Son to redeem all of His creation (the cosmos)? When sin entered into creation, there was separation, anger, and rebellion. The first example we see of this is with Cain and Abel, the anger of Cain is mentioned in Genesis 4:5-6. A lot of people do not like to view mankind as being sinful, depraved, and angry. ...

Spiritual but not religious Americans finding new ways to pursue meaning

By Morgan Shipley Michigan State University THE CONVERSATION According to a recent Pew Center report, American Christianity remains in a nearly three-decade decline. Responding as “none” or “unaffiliated” on religious surveys, people increasingly identify as humanists, atheists, agnostics, or simply spiritual. If current trends continue, by 2070 Christianity may no longer be the dominant expression of American religion. As a scholar who studies alternative spirituality and new religious movements in the United States, I believe the reality of America’s diverse religious ...

A slow-motion schism

United Methodists have for generations been a mainstay of the American religious landscape — one of the most geographically widespread of the major Protestant denominations, their steeples visible on urban streets, in county seats and along country roads, their ethos marked by a firm yet ...