Brian Kaylor

1 week ago | publicwitness.wordandway.org | Brian Kaylor

On Thursday (June 12), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went to the Western Wall to place a note between the stones. The site, also called the Wailing Wall or the Kotel, is part of the ancient retaining wall built at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Today, Jews (and others) place prayers in cracks between the large stones — with more than a million deposited each year (which twice a year are collected and buried on the Mount of Olives).

1 week ago | publicwitness.wordandway.org | Brian Kaylor

As ancient Israel coronated its first king, the prophet Samuel wasn’t happy. So he decided to rain on King Saul’s parade — literally. Samuel first tried to talk the people out of their request for a king. His speech in 1 Samuel 8 would work quite well today as a negative campaign ad shot in black-and-white and featuring ominous music in the background. Samuel warned that unlike the warrior judges who led the people in battle, a king would instead conscript their sons to fight on the frontlines.

2 weeks ago | publicwitness.wordandway.org | Brian Kaylor

Church services around the world yesterday (June 8) included a reading from Acts 2 to commemorate the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended on the early followers of Jesus. “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

3 weeks ago | religionnews.com | Brian Kaylor

(RNS) — As Mike Johnson ascended to the House of Representative speaker’s chair in October 2023, he quickly showed off his evangelical Christian faith. He led the GOP caucus in prayer at a press conference, declared during his acceptance remarks in the House chamber that God had elevated him to that position, and told Sean Hannity that his position on issues came from the Bible.

3 weeks ago | publicwitness.wordandway.org | Brian Kaylor

One year ago, we gathered online with historian Diana Butler Bass, sociologist Andrew Whitehead, and Rev. Adriene Thorne of The Riverside Church during the official launch event for Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism. It’s hard to believe our little book is already getting a candle on its birthday cake.