Nicolette Manglos-Weber

May 24, 2024 | christiancentury.org | William H. Willimon |Javier Viera |Nicolette Manglos-Weber |Marc Roscoe Loustau

In April 2023, 30 priests and pastors, dressed in heavy boots and military fatigues, gathered in the sanctuary of Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral for a special ceremony. As they bent their heads to receive the priest’s blessing, the group of clergy from across Ukraine’s Christian denominations—not only Orthodox but Protestant and Catholic, too—became the first ever class of chaplains inducted into Ukraine’s armed forces.

May 24, 2024 | christiancentury.org | William H. Willimon |Javier Viera |Nicolette Manglos-Weber |Heidi Neumark

When the bishop first broached the idea of my serving as a “missional coach” with a six-church parish in upstate New York, his expectations didn’t sound high. His assistant promised that if it wasn’t working out, I could give them a month’s notice. I drew a line on a map connecting the six different villages. It traced a question mark, which is perfect because all I have are questions. At the first parish board meeting I attended, the bishop talked about how great I am.

May 24, 2024 | christiancentury.org | Robert Saler |William H. Willimon |Javier Viera |Nicolette Manglos-Weber

To receive these posts by email each Monday, sign up. For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century. The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus features one of my favorite moments of Jesus subtly correcting an interlocutor in all of scripture.

May 24, 2024 | christiancentury.org | William H. Willimon |Javier Viera |Nicolette Manglos-Weber |Pauline Mumia

In Namibia, the San people have often been regarded as primitive hunters and gatherers whose lifestyle hinders development. Now, through an initiative with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) and community representatives, a group of San people in the Mangetti Dune village have embarked on a project to empower young people.

May 24, 2024 | christiancentury.org | William H. Willimon |Javier Viera |Nicolette Manglos-Weber |Fiona Andre

On May 21, a US District Court ruled in favor of WallBuilders, a religious nonprofit banned from displaying its ads on Washington, DC, buses, in its lawsuit challenging the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s advertisement policy. In its lawsuit filed in December, WallBuilders claimed the WMATA’s ad guidelines discriminated against certain opinions and violated the First Amendment.