From Emily McFarlan Miller in CHURCHLEADERS:
(RNS) — More than 100 churches are suing the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church to immediately disaffiliate from the denomination.
The lawsuit comes amid a slow-moving schism in the United Methodist Church largely over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members.
And, according to the head of a new, theologically conservative Methodist denomination that recently split from the United Methodist Church, it likely won’t be the last.
SUNDOWN, Texas (BP) – Brannon Rodgers knows well how bright the lights burn over football fields in the Texas panhandle. They shine on teenagers barely old enough to drive as the main players on a stage, a stage that even in the smallest of towns, on Friday nights feels like the center of the world.
Rodgers experienced it as a quarterback and safety for the Petersburg High Buffaloes, where his dad, Steve, was defensive coordinator. Now a veteran coach himself, Rodgers has only recently begun to fully appreciate another aspect of the game he loves.
Faith on the Field: Coaches Were Watching Supreme Court Decision Closely
From Jesse T. Jackson at CHURCHLEADERS:
On Sunday (July 17), University of Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh joined his wife, Sarah, and Fr. John Riccardo on stage for a question and answer session during the Plymouth Right to Life dinner and auction. Harbaugh and Riccardo were the event’s keynote speakers.
Harbaugh, who has coached Michigan’s Big Ten football team since 2015 and is Catholic, shared with the sold out crowd that it takes courage to stand up for and follow one’s convictions in today’s culture, which often cancels famous people who go against it.
What defines the idea of ‘the sanctity of human life,’ and how should it impact our relationships with other people?
The sanctity of human life is a core principle for Focus on the Family.
We believe that human beings are created by God in His image. Therefore every person, from conception to natural death, possesses inherent dignity and immeasurable worth—including preborn children, elderly individuals, those with special needs and others marginalized by society. Christians, then, are called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
In short, human life is sacred and respect for human life should be at the center of all we do. In order to put the “life ethic” into words and practice, it helps to consider where it comes from, what it looks like and how can we incorporate it into our daily lives:
The Life Ethic: Where Does It Come From?