Some religious leaders have embraced ChatGPT as part of their efforts to engage with communities in innovative ways. In Germany, a Lutheran church recently offered a service created mostly by an AI chatbot. People packed the pews to listen to the experimental service, which was led by an avatar on a screen above the altar.

Religious organizations and leaders in the United States have utilized the emerging technology to a lesser degree. Rabbi Yonatan Dahlen, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Michigan, says some of his Christian counterparts have used it for correspondence, marketing, and social media content.

At the same time, many spiritual leaders are wary of AI and believe it has limitations. Mr. Dahlen says he once tried using ChatGPT to write a D’var Torah, a short teaching about a passage of the Torah. He feels that a good D’var Torah comes from vulnerability and human experience. “AI can’t do that,” Mr. Dahlen says.

Dayal Gauranga is the executive director of Manhattan’s Bhakti Center, which represents Hinduism’s tradition of Bhakti Yoga. “What makes something powerful is when there’s a lived experience of something,” he says. “You’re not going to get that just by generating a message about it.”

Read it all.

Are AI-generated sermons the future of faith? With religious attendance falling, faith groups are turning to new technologies to attract members. https://t.co/yS4RtyE4pM

— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) July 18, 2023

As recently as 2021, the southern India state of Karnataka recorded more than 30 cases of violence against Christians and their property. As recently as 2022, its government used a legislative loophole to pass an anticonversion law.

But this month, Christians are rejoicing after a newly elected state government has announced a significant financial investment in the community and promised to repeal the anticonversion law.

“There is evident change in the approach of the government,” said Atul Aghamkar, the national director of the Evangelical Fellowship of India’s National Center for Urban Transformation, based out of Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka. “That will make a big difference.”

Read it all.

“We are looking forward to improvements in education opportunities, health care, employment, and overall advancement.”https://t.co/r2t9KK5HUU

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) July 19, 2023

Merciful God, who didst call thy servant Macrina to reveal in her life and her teaching the riches of thy grace and truth: Mercifully grant that we, following her example, may seek after thy wisdom and live according to her way; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Orthodox calendar
July 19
Venerable Macrina the Sister of St Basil the Great; Venerable Dius the Abbot of Antioch; Uncovering of the relics of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarovhttps://t.co/peo08MVmtq pic.twitter.com/wTMislkzHo

— Basilica.ro (EN) (@BasilicaNews) July 19, 2023

O Lord Jesus Christ, into whose death we have been baptized: Grant, we beseech thee, that like as thou wast raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we may walk in newness of life; that having been planted in the likeness of thy death, we may be also in the likeness of thy resurrection; for the glory of thy holy name.

Happy #RoseWednesday to one and all! I hope the weather is less unpredictable where you are; enjoy your day pic.twitter.com/lJiLSLjt1I

— Rich Pickings ️ (@richpokers) July 19, 2023

Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him and could not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesare’a, and remained there. Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and they came to him in a body, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them. And the people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark.

–Acts 12:18-25

Sun “Light” #ogunquit #maine #sunrise ⁦@StormHour⁩ pic.twitter.com/6D15OSDFwW

— Realtor Rick 💙 (@rick03907) July 19, 2023

Bishop Paul said: “It has been a huge privilege and honour to serve all the people of Durham Diocese for nearly 10 years. Being called here was an unexpected, and challenging, step. Rosemary and I have loved the variety, beauty and challenges of this diverse Diocese. It is my hope and prayer that my ministry has helped God’s church truly be a blessing to our communities for the transformation of all from the Tyne to the Tees and the Dales to the Sea.

“When we move away at the end of February next year we will miss the people and the places deeply. Yet we know the Diocese will be in good hands and that God will uphold and guide for all that lies ahead.”

Bishop Paul was installed and enthroned as Bishop of Durham on 22 February 2014, succeeding Justin Welby, now Archbishop of Canterbury. He was previously Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, 2010-14 and had also been Suffragan Bishop of Southampton in the Diocese of Winchester from 2004 – 2010.

Read it all.

“It has been a huge privilege and honour to serve all the people of Durham Diocese for nearly ten years.” @BishopPaulB has today announced that he plans to retire from the role of Bishop of Durham at the end of February next year. Read more 👉 https://t.co/nLLRp2J8AP pic.twitter.com/7RkjjapOBe

— Diocese of Durham (@DioceseofDurham) July 14, 2023

In recent decades, evangelicals have invested a colossal amount of discipleship, activist, and publishing energy toward promoting “sexual purity” and a “biblical” vision for sexuality. Despite this, the pattern of scandal, abuse, and misconduct by men and male leaders makes clear that the purity movement has not solved the problem of unhealthy sexuality in the church. The #ChurchToo movement and related denomination-specific investigations have demonstrated that “sexual purity” is often a mere façade covering up deeper patterns of wickedness.

The crisis of abuse, dysfunction, and sexual violence in the church is downstream from a theologically deficient understanding of what it means to be male. Specifically, we have perpetuated a hypersexual vision of masculinity. These scandals and patterns of dehumanization have infected the church, not despite the purity movement but in many ways because of it.

It’s time to change the way we talk and think about male sexuality. This sub-Christian view of masculinity creates a culture in which men are allowed to wallow in ongoing sexual immaturity. It shouldn’t be surprising when dehumanizing theology leads to dehumanizing—and consequently sinful—behavior.

Read it all.

“If our script of masculinity has become so sex-centric that it excludes Jesus, perhaps it’s due for a revision.” https://t.co/pYUp5X4lIu

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) July 17, 2023

“Although [Freire]’s early work was understandably rooted in an almost exclusive concern with class, many of us realized that it had theoretical shortcomings in dealing with the central issues shaping the multicultural debate,” explained Freire’s closest American collaborator, Henry Giroux. “Many of us began to expand the notion of social justice to include a discourse about racial justice. That is, justice could not be taken up solely in terms of the ownership of the means of production, or strictly around questions of labor or the division of wealth. These were very important issues, but they excluded fundamental questions about racism, colonialism, and the workings of the racial state.”

Echoing Marcuse’s redefinition of the proletariat—the white intellectuals united with the black underclass—Freire’s American disciples developed an elaborate framework for categorization and subversion of the ruling order. Their primary pedagogical strategy was to pathologize white identity, which was deemed inherently oppressive, and radicalize black identity, which was deemed inherently oppressed. In the academic literature, this technique is sometimes referred to as “revolutionary pedagogy,” “critical multiculturalism,” or “decolonization,” which entails ridding the education system of the repressive influence of “whiteness” and infusing it with the liberating influence of “blackness.”

Peter McLaren, another Freire disciple who worked in tandem with Henry Giroux, laid out the mechanics of how this new pedagogy of revolution would work in practice. American teachers and students, McLaren argued, must “[break] the imaginary power of commodified identities within capitalism” and “construct sites—provisional sites—in which new structured mobilities and tendential lines of forces can be made to suture identity to the larger problematic of social justice.”

Read it all.

Stalin once said that “the ‘production’ of souls is more important than the production of tanks,” and today we see his words have come to fruition. | @realchrisrufo https://t.co/DSM9ZfcPNx

— First Things (@firstthingsmag) July 18, 2023

…can A.I. invent?

Legal scholars, patent authorities and even Congress have been pondering that question. The people who answer “yes,” a small but growing number, are fighting a decidedly uphill battle in challenging the deep-seated belief that only a human can invent.

Invention evokes images of giants like Thomas Edison and eureka moments — “the flash of creative genius,” as the Supreme Court justice William O. Douglas once put it.

But this is far more than a philosophical debate about human versus machine intelligence. The role, and legal status, of A.I. in invention also have implications for the future path of innovation and global competitiveness, experts say.

Read it all.

AI seems to have a limitless bag of tricks. But can it invent?

A group of legal experts are now pressing patent agencies, courts and policymakers to address that question. https://t.co/zq9yWs8soY

— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 15, 2023

Eternal God, we offer thanks for the witness of Bartolomé de las Casas, whose deep love for thy people caused him to refuse absolution to those who would not free their Indian slaves. Help us, inspired by his example, to work and pray for the freeing of all enslaved people of our world, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who livest and reignest with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

#TalDíaComoHoy de 1566 falleció Bartolomé de las Casas, religioso dominico español. Hoy destacamos esta biografía, disponible en #Simurg, para saber más sobre su vida y su obra, ‘ Oeuvres de Don Barthélemi de las Casas, évéque de Chiapa…’
▶️https://t.co/pILcTitFPb pic.twitter.com/oExXQ5tO9m

— Red de Bibliotecas y Archivos del CSIC (@bibliotecasCSIC) July 17, 2023

Let your merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of your humble servants; and, that we may receive what we ask, teach us by your Holy Spirit to ask only those things that are pleasing to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the same Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.

"Rhododendron and Waterfall"#WestVirginiaStateFlower #AlmostHeaven #WestVirginia #Highlands #ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/PvkLSgSx69

— Thomas R Fletcher (@ThomasRFletcher) July 18, 2023

And when he returned to Caper′na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

–Mark 2:1-12

Schönen guten Morgen
Ich wünsche euch einen wunderschönen Dienstag mit vielen schönen Momenten☕️☀️🌺😊👋 pic.twitter.com/WACgToMy1S

— Jeannette Zust🇨🇭🇺🇦 (@jeannette_zust) July 18, 2023

Commenting on his appointment Lee said:

“I am humbled and delighted to have been appointed as the next Dean of Newcastle, and am looking forward to working with Bishop Helen-Ann, Cathedral Chapter, Bishop’s Staff Team and colleagues in Newcastle Cathedral and Diocese as we seek to further God’s mission in our communities – not least by becoming ever more outward facing, younger and more diverse.

“This is an exciting time to be joining the Cathedral and Diocese. The Cathedral has recently completed its own refurbishment, which has already opened up new opportunities for it to engage with the City and beyond.

“Whilst I am new to the North East, I already feel a sense of connection with the core values of the Cathedral as a place of radical welcome which, through offering inspiring worship and other activities, seeks to empower worth. I look forward to playing my part in building on all that has already been done to make these values a reality – particularly through the Lantern Initiative and partnership with the Oswin Project.

“I give thanks to God for all the blessings I have received as a priest in the Diocese of Chelmsford, and am grateful to God for the call to continue my ministry in the Diocese of Newcastle.”

Read it all.

Bishop Helen-Ann @BishopNewcastle is extremely pleased to announce that the Revd Canon Lee Batson, currently Team Rector of the Epping Team Ministry in @chelmsdio , is to become the next Dean of Newcastle. Read more 👉 https://t.co/rqnhgptEQv pic.twitter.com/C9qaBU4v6D

— Newcastle Diocese (CofE) (@NclDiocese) July 14, 2023

An industrial arms race is under way. America welcomes it, saying the world needs green technologies and a diversified supply of chips. It is true that an ocean of public money is bound to accelerate the green transition and reshape supply chains in ways that should increase the security of democracies. Alas, the accompanying economic benefits being promised are an illusion. As we report this week, governments that subsidise and protect manufacturing are more likely to harm their economies than help them.

In ideal conditions, promoting manufacturing can add to innovation and growth. Towards the end of the 20th century South Korea and Taiwan caught up with the West thanks to the careful promotion of manufacturing exports. In industries like planemaking the enormous costs of entry and uncertain future demand can justify support for new firms, as when Europe backed Airbus in the 1970s. Likewise, targeted help can boost national security.

But today’s schemes are likely either to fail or to prove needlessly costly. Countries subsidising chips and batteries are not pursuing catch-up growth but fighting over cutting-edge technology. The market for electric vehicles and batteries is unlikely to become an Airbus-Boeing style duopoly. In the 1980s protectionists argued that Japan would dominate the strategically vital semiconductor industry, owing to its subsidised mastery of memory-chip making. It did not turn out that way.

Read it all (registration or subscription).

Governments are not wrong to pursue good jobs, the green transition or national security. But the potential for the manufacturing obsession to backfire is enormous https://t.co/BXCCBI1Ls0

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) July 16, 2023

Meg Munn criticises the Council, not for pulling the plug on the ISB, but for not doing it soon enough. She singles out Justin Welby as the one who has undermined her role and not been robust enough with the other two members—something confirmed by Justin’s extraordinary distancing himself from the Council’s decision during Questions, giving the clear impression that he was throwing the rest of the Council under the bus in the face of negative publicity. Her comments about Steve and Jas are damning:

Read it all.

What has contributed to the lost of trust across the Church of England? How was that evidenced in last week's meeting of General Synod? What can be done to restore the trust we need to work together?https://t.co/dL5ruZuVfM

— Dr Ian Paul (@Psephizo) July 14, 2023

Forbes Health recently compiled a study that analyzed various factors to find the U.S. cities where it’s easiest and hardest to breathe.

In the U.S. alone, 40% of the population lives in areas with poor air quality, according to the 2022 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association. So, which South Carolina city made the cut as one of the most breathable in the U.S.? Charleston earned the ranking of third easiest U.S. city to breathe in, the study shows.

The factors that helped Charleston obtain its ranking include: Ranked 13th in number of vehicle miles driven, Ranked 6th in elevation, and Ranked 28th in population density.

Read it all.

A new study from Forbes Health shows cities where it’s easiest and hardest to breathe in the U.S. https://t.co/gUN5hY2YlE

— The State Newspaper (@thestate) July 12, 2023

O Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion didst raise up thy servant William White, and didst endow him with wisdom, patience, and a reconciling temper, that he might lead thy Church into ways of stability and peace: Hear our prayer, we beseech thee, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that through their ministry thy people may be blessed and thy will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates William White, Bishop, 1836

Philadelphia-born and 1st Bishop of Philadelphia (consecrated at Lambeth Palace in 1787), White was a key architect of the Episcopal Church and its system of government, serving as its 1st & 4th Presiding Bishop pic.twitter.com/4jmk7bti4n

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) July 17, 2023

O God, who hast called us out of the bondage of sin into the perfect freedom of thy children: Grant us grace that we may yield ourselves unto thee as alive from the dead, and our bodily members as servants of righteousness; that we may have our fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The very beginning of a sunrise! #chswx pic.twitter.com/23QcgsNrZ8

— Joey Sovine Live 5 (@JoeySovine) July 17, 2023

To thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in thee I trust,
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
Yea, let none that wait for thee be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know thy ways, O Lord;
teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me,
for thou art the God of my salvation;
for thee I wait all the day long.

–Psalm 25:1-4

Semerwater, a lake in Raydale, a side valley of Wensleydale, Yorkshire Dales National Park. pic.twitter.com/idicSzTv3s

— YorkshireLass (@MaureenPlatts) July 17, 2023

A new name. A new reign. 🇪🇸@carlosalcaraz, your 2023 Gentlemen's Singles champion#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3KNlRTOPhx

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 16, 2023

Merciful God,
you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as pass our understanding:
pour into our hearts such love toward you
that we, loving you in all things and above all things,
may obtain your promises,
which exceed all that we can desire;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

#Ribblehead Viaduct is the most impressive structure on the Settle-Carlisle Railway, with its 24 massive stone arches (104 feet high).

Hundreds of railway navvies sadly lost their lives building the line. Memorials along the line commemorate them.

📸 https://t.co/WLyEMlV9ts pic.twitter.com/68RlNgKdhF

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) July 16, 2023

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them for ever and ever;
he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.

–Psalm 148:1-3

The beautifully bold yellow of cinquefoil💛
Cinquefoil comes from the French for 'five leaves' & it is a popular heraldic flower.#SundayYellow pic.twitter.com/CiVRbvU9uu

— Beatrice Groves (@beatricegroves1) July 16, 2023

Unseeded. Unstoppable.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sgSwIWirDM

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2023

Today is St Swithun’s Day, when the weather-gods obey the saint of Winchester – ‘St Swithun’s day if thou dost rain / For forty days it will remain’, and all that. So let’s look at a few extracts from an Old English homily for St Swithun’s Day, written by Ælfric in the last decade of the tenth century.

Ælfric had a personal connection to Swithun’s story, and in this homily he adds in one or two comments to remind us of it. Swithun was an obscure ninth-century Bishop of Winchester whose fame is almost entirely the work of Æthelwold, his successor at Winchester more than a century later. Winchester was the royal city of Wessex but it was surprisingly short on saints, so Æthelwold did his best to elevate some of his predecessors to that status, including Swithun and St Birinus (a better-attested saint, though his popularity never caught on as Swithun’s did). On 15 July 971, Æthelwold had Swithun’s remains translated to a new shrine inside the Old Minster, Winchester. Ælfric, who was educated at Winchester under Æthelwold and had a great respect for his bishop, would have witnessed much of this, and by the time he wrote about it, around 25 years later, he had come to see Æthelwold’s time – his own youth – as a kind of golden age for the English church, when the king and holy bishops worked together and religion and peace flourished in the land. By the 990s, with the Vikings suddenly once more a pressing threat, this seemed to him like a bright but vanished world.

Read it all.

Today we commemorate our Father among the saints, the Holy Hierarch Swithun, Bishop of Winchester https://t.co/hz9ltoo2Kp #15July pic.twitter.com/ONexo2Io18

— Twelve Apostles' Church, Eastleigh (@12ApostlesHants) July 15, 2023

Almighty God,
by whose grace we celebrate again
the feast of your servant Swithun:
grant that, as he governed with gentleness
the people committed to his care,
so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance,
may always seek to build up your Church in unity and love;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.

Today marks #StSwithunsDay
One of St Swithun's most famous miracles tells of a simple act of human kindness to a poor woman. When crossing the bridge, she was jostled and dropped her basket of eggs. The saint took pity on her – and made her broken eggs whole. pic.twitter.com/XcaSqeOnUU

— Winchester Cathedral (@WinCathedral) July 15, 2023

Almighty God, who didst give to thy servant Argula von Grumbach a spirit of wisdom and power to love thy Word and to boldly draw others unto its truth: Pour out that same spirit upon us, so that we, knowing and loving thy Holy Word, may be unashamed of Christ and may not sin against the Holy Spirit that is within us, Amen.

Argula von Grumbach (1490-1564) used her unique position (she answered only to the Emperor, within her noble station) to question the church and advocate for others.

All this with four kids in deepest Catholic Bavaria, and amidst constant death threats. #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/PAjqraUhie

— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) March 8, 2023

Almighty God, give us grace to do the work to which Thou hast called us with reverence and Godly fear, not with eye-service as pleasers of men, but in singleness of heart as in Thy sight. Direct, we beseech Thee, all our thoughts, words, and deeds, with the help of Thy Holy Spirit; that we may set Thy will ever before us, and turn away from vanity and self-seeking, and give ourselves wholly unto Thee to spend and be spent in Thy service; through Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Bore da i chi…dachre digon dymunol i’r wîcend peth cynta’ bore ‘ma…joiwch eich penwythnos👍🏼😃

Good morning everyone…not a bad start first thing…enjoy your weekend my friends👍🏼😃@StormHour @ThePhotoHour #WestWalesSunrise

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️ pic.twitter.com/3MoIrFH15k

— Aled Hall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@AledHall) July 15, 2023

And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life.”

–Acts 11:16-18

Golden rays of Avalon this morning. Taken just after sunrise on Glastonbury Tor this morning. pic.twitter.com/YdmYdOtnXY

— Michelle Cowbourne (@Glastomichelle) July 15, 2023

The Consistory Court of Oxford diocese has granted All Saints’, Dunsden, a faculty to install a new window to commemorate the First Word War poet Wilfred Owen (1893-1918), who had had connections with the church and the village.

All Saints’ is an attractive but unlisted village church, and the unopposed online faculty application was made by the Rector and the churchwarden. Owen lived in the village from 1911 to 1913, having come to Dunsden to act as lay assistant to the Vicar of All Saints’ at that time, the Revd Hubert Wigan. Both Owen’s parents and his sister are buried in the churchyard.

The proposed location for the new window is an existing single lancet window in the nave, facing south and next but one to the chancel. It is near to a memorial plaque that was dedicated to Owen in 1978 by the then Bishop of Oxford in the presence of the then Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes. The existing window is to be dismantled and removed, and the glass retained for future use.

Read it all.

Wilfred Owen commemorative window to be installed in Oxford church https://t.co/0yF3rGF4TP

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 14, 2023