The Importance of a Welcoming Church Environment for Newcomers
Based on the interviews, however, the first and most important activity of effectively evangelistic churches is to offer a welcoming, inclusive environment most importantly on a Sunday morning, but extending into all of the endeavors of the church.
The majority of the answers from previously unchurched participants centered on feeling that the church community genuinely wanted to include them. Ten of eleven of those interviewed highlighted their amazement at being welcomed rather than encountering judgment and prejudice.
Christians, stop freaking out because ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has a gay character
But aside from some subtle longing and and another moment at the end that I won’t spoil, that’s it. There is no gay kiss, there is no LGBTQ wedding, the Beast doesn’t reveal that he’s secretly into gay porn. Very little from the source material is changed, and I would argue that the “change” is actually true to the original character.
The contemporary encounter with the Bible is the product of multiple events of technological de-condensation, whereby the Scriptures were steadily abstracted from the particularity of Christian communities, their life and their practices, from the world of specific objects, from the processes of tradition, from the act of hearing and the unity of scriptural narration. The medieval scriptural book would have, in its artefactual uniqueness, represented the Church’s scriptural task of handing on the text, the particular community’s self-investment in this labour, its intergenerational relationship with God’s Word, the presence of God’s Word in its midst, the embeddedness of the Scriptures in the life of the Church and the immense value accorded to them. The modern Bible cannot really do any of these things effectively.
The Problem of Delaying Marriage
Furthermore, several years ago, W. Bradford Wilcox, relying on research conducted by Robert Wuthnow, argued that the delay of marriage is a primary driver of secularization. This goes hand in hand with the fact that the extension of adolescence comes with vast and often unnoticed effects. Adulthood is meant for adult responsibilities, and for the vast majority of young people, that will mean marriage and parenthood. The extension of adolescence into the twenties (and even the thirties) is highly correlated with the rise of secularism and with lower rates of church attendance.
Avoid These 6 Enemies of Marriage
- Bitterness
- Deception
- Passivity
- Absence of Adoration
- Constant Criticism
- Repeating Destructive Patterns
There’s a Wire Above Manhattan That You’ve Probably Never Noticed
It’s hard to imagine that anything literally hanging from utility poles across Manhattan could be considered “hidden,” but throughout the borough, about 18 miles of translucent wire stretches around the skyline, and most people have likely never noticed. It’s called an eruv (plural eruvin), and its existence is thanks to the Jewish Sabbath.
On the Sabbath, which is viewed as a day of rest, observant Jewish people aren’t allowed to carry anything—books, groceries, even children—in public places (doing so is considered “work”). The eruv encircles much of Manhattan, acting as a symbolic boundary that turns the very public streets of the city into a private space, much like one’s own home. This allows people to freely communicate and socialize on the Sabbath—and carry whatever they please—without having to worry about breaking Jewish law.
Why Typography Matters — Especially At The Oscars
Here’s what should’ve been changed based on the three critiques I just made:
- The logo doesn’t need to be at the top of this card. Everyone knows it’s the Oscars. We move the Oscar logo to the bottom where it’s least important in this context.
- The award category, “Best Actress,” is moved to the top so that it’s the first thing anyone sees and reads. There is no confusion what the category is because it’s clearly stated first.
- Emma Stone’s name is bigger than the title, “La La Land,” because she is the winner of this category. The winner should be the most emphasized thing on the card with all other information, like the film’s title, in a smaller or a less thick font (I understand that the text can only be so big so as to have a consistent look for all the cards, while accommodating longer names).