This got The Guy to thinking about how much we’re missing on TV and religion. Leave aside fictional entertainment, which when religion turns up in the plot too often causes anybody who knows anything about religion to cringe. And let’s not get into the fare transmitted by paid-time preachers.

Eastertide or Christmas may bring seasonal documentaries, often over the years sensationalized attempts to debunk the church or the Bible. David Gibson’s 2015 archaeology series on CNN, “Finding Jesus,” was an exception.

But what about intelligent treatment throughout the year of news and ideas in the world of religion, which interests masses of today’s viewers just as it has gripped imaginations across human history?

Read it all.

Islamic State said on Monday its fighters had carried out an attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma, where dozens were killed, thousands displaced and some remain missing.

Islamist insurgents hit the town, adjacent to gas projects worth $60 billion, with a three-pronged attack on Wednesday. Fighting continued on Monday, according to a security source directly involved in efforts to secure the town.

The government confirmed on Sunday that dozens of people had died, including seven when their convoy of cars was ambushed during an escape attempt.

Islamic State claimed the attack via its Amaq news agency, saying its fighters had taken control of the town after days of clashes with security forces.

Read it all.

Islamic State says its fighters had carried out an attack on the northern Mozambique town of Palma, where dozens were killed, thousands displaced and some remain missinghttps://t.co/i4ECMCkSAH

— WION (@WIONews) March 30, 2021

Across the world we look towards the promise of the vaccine, and rebuilding society after the tumult of the last year. We take our places as salt and light in the world, remembering that, as Christians, we are called to keep our eyes fixed not on ‘normal’ life, but on the eternal life Jesus promises us in His Kingdom. That is our ultimate hope and our salvation. May we find comfort and hope in the God who died for us, and may we proclaim His name in the confidence that He is risen indeed.

Read it all.

Christians in Lagos yesterday joined their counterparts in parts of the world to celebrate Palm Sunday amidst pomp and fanfare. Men and women, old and young held palm fronds in their hands while some used palm fronds to make a cross as necklaces.

At Archbishop Vining Memorial Anglican Church, Oba Akinjobi Way, Ikeja, Diocese of Lagos West, one of the churches that celebrated the event, the Dean, Venerable Ebenezer Adewole, who presided over the service in his Palm Sunday message described the celebration of Palm Sunday as one of the key events of passion of Christ that the church celebrates every year.

“There are three core lessons attached to Palm Sunday. Firstly, it is a reminder of the triumphant entry of our Lord Jesus to the city of Jerusalem.

“Secondly, as we waive the palm frond, we are involved in praises to Christ who is our King. Whatever we are doing today, we are praising Christ who reigns and lives forever. We are engaged in an act of praise….

Read it all.

Bishops’ powers will be passed to trained “diocesan safeguarding officers”, who will be able to make decisions “independently of clergy” and will be supervised centrally.

The church said that bishops still have an “important role to play” in promoting the importance of child protection policies, but added that they “should not hold operational responsibility” for decisions about abuse cases.

The church also gave its backing to the creation of an independent body to oversee the work of its national safeguarding team, which will be the first time that an external watchdog has been set up to police abusive priests.

It will consist of a board with a “majority of entirely independent members” to provide “independent scrutiny and feedback”.

Read it all.

Independent watchdog to police abusive priests | News | The Times https://t.co/8S7j9PM7Gq

— Alan Collins (@abuse_justice) March 30, 2021

The Church of England has…published its detailed responses to the recommendations of the IICSA report from October. As the report stated, the Church of England failed to protect some children and young people from sexual predators within their midst. While the Church will continue to apologise, the main focus is now recognising the distress caused particularly to victims and survivors and acting to improve its safeguarding structures and to change its culture.

Read it all.

Patti and Bruce, feeling a tug from Jesus, welcomed a four-year-old foster child into their home. Originally the child welfare organization told them Jonathan would be staying with them and their four other children for about a month. Five months later, after a couple of attempts to place him back with his mother, he’s still living with Patti and Bruce.

The process has been messy and complicated. This little boy is sweet, charming, and winsome at times, but angry and confused at other times. So sometimes he cuddles and hugs, but other times he acts out: yelling, scratching, hitting, and even biting.

My friends have loved this child, even as he tries their patience, even as they sometimes despair over the difficulties his birth family faces: poverty, illness, and so on. When they tuck him in at night, they ask him, “Jonathan, when God looks at you, what does he say?” And they have taught him to answer, “He says, ‘I sure do love that little boy!’”

When Jonathan first came to them he did not know the answer to the question. In fact, in his little four-year-old heart, perhaps Jonathan’s circumstances caused him to assume that if God even looked at him at all, God would have said “there’s a bad boy, so bad his mommy had to send him away.” But that is not true. And so Patti and Bruce have taught Jonathan to replace the lies with the truth. And the truth is, God sure does love that little boy.”

–Keri Wyatt Kent, Deeply Loved: 40 Ways in 40 Days to Experience the Heart of Jesus (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012), pp.1-2, quoted by yours truly in the Sunday sermon

As in this week we keep the special memory of our Redeemer’s entry into the city, so grant, O Lord, that now and ever he may triumph in our hearts. Let the King of grace and glory enter in, and let us lay ourselves and all we are in full and joyful homage before him; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Hello sunrise my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. A familiar sight I know, taken from Glastonbury Tor at sunrise but sure seems like a while for me. pic.twitter.com/PAPOhYmb6N

— Michelle (@Glastomichelle) March 30, 2021

Let those of us who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.

–Philippians 3:15-21

Good morning pic.twitter.com/vwJy8DhAJ6

— new timeline (@DavidSo24206464) March 30, 2021