Podcasts about Congregation

Thom and Jess interview Mike Stadelmayer of Church Growth Services. In this episode, they discuss how to reconnect your congregation to the vision through generosity. The post Reconnect Your Congregation to the Vision through Generosity: An Interview with Mike Stadelmayer appeared first on Church Answers.

Thom and Jess interview Mike Stadelmayer of Church Growth Services. In this episode, they discuss how to grow your congregation in the grace of giving. The post Grow Your Congregation in the Grace of Giving: An Interview with Mike Stadelmayer appeared first on Church Answers.

Philippians 3:7-11 Printable Outline:    5-18-25     Sermon audio:    5-18-25     Sermon video:

Check out the Video of this Episode Here! EPISODE 364 Another dry spell is broken as the High Priests return to review and discuss the latest two issues of Moon Knight! The Congregation are still on the run, but they've got a new way to take down Fairchild and his drug cartel... Fist of Khonshu Vol. 1 #6-7 "Shame" (#6) "Pool Party" (#7) Release Date March 5, 2025 - April 2, 2025 Cover Date May, 2025 - June, 2025   Writer(s) Jed MacKay Penciler(s) Domenico Carbone Inker(s) Domenico Carbone Colorist(s) Rachelle Rosenberg Letterer(s) VC's Cory Petit Editor(s) Devin Lewis   Shine those idols, and dust off the cape....IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR KHONSHU ON! SHOW NOTES: Fist of Khonshu #6 Fist of Khonshu #7 New Sideshow Moon Knight Statue   WHERE TO HEAR US: Podcast Page Podchaser Apple Podcast Google Play Music Spotify Overcast SoundCloud Stitcher Tunein Podbean Into the Knight RSS Feed YouTube DROP US A LINE: Website: itkmoonknight.libsyn.com Email: feedback@itkmoonknight.com FB Page: Into the Knight- A Moon Knight Podcast Page FB Group: Into the Knight- A Moon Knight Fan Base X: @ITKmoonknight Instagram: ITK Moon Knight Discord ITK Server: ITK Server   CHECK OUT THESE OTHER SHOWS I CO-HOST! Sons of the Dragon - An Immortal Iron Fist Podcast DCAU - The DC Animated Universe Podcast  Capes & Lunatics Sidekicks To Know Her Is To Fear Her: The Spider-Woman Podcast Predator & pREY - a Yautja Podcast   OFFICIAL ITK MERCHANDISE @ TEE PUBLIC - BUY HERE! Thinking of starting your own podcast? Check out our special offer from Libsyn!   CREDITS: ITK Logo Graphic Design by The High Priests of Khonshu ITK Graphic Design produced and assisted by Randolph Benoit ITK Opening Sequence for video by Chris Kelly Music Written, Performed and generously provided by Deleter Co-Producers Wayne Hunt Josh Johnson Anthony Sytko Matthew Howell Jonathan Sapsed Dan Newland Executive Producers Justin Osgood Derek O'Neill Daniel Doing Mario Di Giacomo Odin Odinsword Produced by Reynaldo Gesmundo The music for this episode contains excerpts from various songs and music copyrighted by Deleter and Brian Warshaw. The music agreed for use on Into the Knight - A Moon Knight Podcast is licensed under an Attribution License;

Driving Question. Where is true life found? Main Idea. By His grace, true life is found by hoping in God and guarding His gospel. 1. By hoping in God, not earthly wealth (17–19) Two warnings of wealth. i. (17) Danger of haughtiness. ii. (17) Danger of false hope. Helpful and hopeful reminder. "but [set your hope] on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy." Matt 6:19–21 Jn 10:10 Application. [Two indications that you're trusting in Christ and storing up treasure]: i. Thankful to God and rightly enjoy what he provides (17). ii. Be rich in good works, generous and ready to share (18). 2. By holding-fast God's gospel, not man's knowledge (20–21) Paul gives three final pleads to Timothy to have a faithful pastorate. i. A careful ministry (20) ii. A blameless ministry (20) iii. A graceful ministry (21) Application: i. Do you treasure God's Word as a sacred trust, or treat it as common? ii. Are you proactively guarding your heart and your church from error? iii. Are you more influenced by podcasts, pundits, and platforms than by Scripture? iv. Where might your heart be drifting from the simplicity and sufficiency of Jesus? Three Takeaways from 1 Timothy. 1. The Church exists to protect sound doctrine. Know the signs of false teachers (1:3–7; 4:1–3; 6:4–5, 21) Prayer keeps the church gospel centered (2:1–7) Proper roles rooted in creation (2:8–15) Faithful qualified officers (3:1–13) Teaching right doctrine (1:3–7, 10–11; 4:1–6, 11–16; 6:3–5, 20–21) Faithful living that bears Christ's name (1:3–5; 3:1–16; 4:6, 12–16; 6:3, 6–12) Rich doctrine is found only in Jesus Christ (1:1–2; 3:16, 6:21) 2. The Church is a household with structure. Christ is the head of the church (1:1–2; 3:14–15) Prayer and the Word guide worship (2:1–7; 4:13–16) Led by Elders (also called overseers) (3:1–7) Served by Deacons (3:8–13) The Congregation is a family (3:14–15; 5:1–2) Caring for widows (5:3–16) Supporting elders (5:17–18) Accountable to each other (doctrine, relationships, actions, care) 3. The Gospel is for the nations. Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1:15) Prayer (2:1–7) The glorious gospel itself (3:16) The gospel forms the church in missional context (cf Acts 18:19–21; 19:1–10; 20:17–38)

Guest Preacher: Rev. Steve Shulz, Mission Central    To learn more about Mission Central, the work being done to support LCMS Missionaries around the world, and how you and your congregation can assist in this work, visit: https://missioncentral.us/   Bulletin: Easter 5 Bulletin 25   Congregation at Prayer: CaP, 5/18/25

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Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Podcast! Join Paul and Anna each week as they chat about upcoming church events, the week's sermon, and fun facts about the church. In today's episode Paul-Scott interviews First Pres director of music Pat Rowlett about her upcoming vocal concert!The conversation is followed by the prayers, readings, and sermon from Sunday's livestream service. Recorded live each week at First Pres in beautiful historic downtown New Bern, North Carolina.First Presbyterian Church, New Bern, North Carolina, established in 1817. A Congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Building community, transforming lives, engaging the world.See more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.firstpresnb.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on social media at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/firstpresnb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our streaming service each week at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCKw0GnheJfOUlVv_g5bBrEw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Permission to podcast/stream live music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License A-701790 and CCLI 3202763. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream recorded music from artist.io.

Fáilte ar ais chuig eagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo ar an 12ú lá de mí Bealtaine, liomsa Lauren Ní Loingsigh. I 1978 tháinig nuacht amach nach raibh in ainm a bheith amach chuig an phobail ón rialtas faoi chás á fhiosrú ag na Gardaí. I 2000 bhí an Bank of Ireland ag pleanáil chun 40 áis a dhúnadh ach ní dúirt siad aon rud faoi aon phost. I 1998 stop cluiche I gcoinne Durlas agus Knock de bharr gur bhuail duine réiteoir Michael Webster de bharr gur chuir sé imreoir as an bpáirc. I 2005 tháinig an nuacht amach go raibh The Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary ag aistarraingt óna seirbhís do na daoine le míchumas intleachta ag St Anne's I Ros Cré. Bhí an áis ag soláthair cúram cónaithe agus seirbhís I rith an lae I Ros Cré agus na baile timpeall air. Ag an am bhí 125 áit do chúram cónaithe, 4 áit faoiseamh agus 131 áit do sheirbhís I rith an lae. Sin Britney Spears le Oops! I Did It Again – an t-amhrán is mó ar an lá seo I 2000. Ag lean ar aghaidh le nuacht cheoil ar an lá seo I 1968 bhí Brian Jones le The Rolling Stones don uair dheireanach nuair a chan siad ag ceolchoirm New Musical Express Poll Winners sa Bhreatain. Bháigh é nuair a bhí drugaí agus alcól ina chóras nuair a chuaigh sé I gcóir snámh I mí Iúil 1969. Fuair sé bás ag aois 27. I 2000 ghoid daoine na geataí den Strawberry Fields sainchomhartha ó amhrán ó The Beatles. Fuair siad na geataí ag mangaire dramh-mhiotal sa Learpholl cúpla lá tar éis. Agus ar deireadh breithlá daoine cáiliúla ar an lá seo rugadh Tony Hawk I Meiriceá I 1968 agus rugadh aisteoir Rami Malek I Meiriceá ar an lá seo I 1981 agus seo chuid de na rudaí a rinne sé. Beidh mé ar ais libh amárach le heagrán nua de Ar An Lá Seo. Welcome back to another edition of Ar An Lá Seo on the 12th of May, with me Lauren Ní Loingsigh 1978: Leakage of highly confidential Government papers were to lead to a major garda investigation. 2000: Bank of Ireland was planning to close up 40 branches but was not saying what this wouldve meant in terms of jobs. 1998 - A junior hurling league game between Thurles Fennelly's and Knock was abandoned after Referee Michael Webster was struck as he sent off a player.  2005 - The Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary would withdraw from the provision of services to persons with intellectual disability at St Anne's, Roscrea. The headquarters of the service, known as St Anne's Service, provides residential and day services in Roscrea and the neighboring towns. St. Anne's service provides 125 residential places, 4 respite places, and 131 day places.  That was Britney Spears with Oops! I Did It Again – the biggest song on this day in 2000. Onto music news on this day In 1968 Brian Jones made his final live appearance with The Rolling Stones when they appeared at the New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, England. Jones drowned while under the influence of drugs and alcohol after taking a midnight swim in his pool, on 3rd July 1969 aged 27. 2000 Thieves stole the gates to Strawberry Fields the Merseyside landmark immortalised by The Beatles song. The 10' high iron gates were later found at local scrap metal dealers in Liverpool. And finally celebrity birthdays on this day – Tony Hawk was born in America in 1968 and actor Rami Malek was born in America on this day in 1981 and this is some of the stuff he has done I'll be back with you tomorrow with another edition of Ar An Lá Seo.

What does it look like when one church intentionally makes space for multiple languages, cultures, and styles of worship? In this episode, we're joined by Scott Holman, lead pastor of Butler Church in Fresno, California—a truly multi-congregational church made up of four distinct communities under one roof.Scott shares the beauty and complexity of leading a church that includes services in English and Spanish, along with a long-running Lao congregation. We talk about what unites these groups, how they make decisions together, and what it takes to build a culture of mutual respect, collaboration, and shared mission. Whether you're navigating cultural diversity in your own church or curious about what true unity in the body of Christ can look like, this conversation is packed with honest insights and hopeful vision.

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter Lectionary: 280The Saint of the day is Our Lady of FatimaThe Story of Our Lady of Fatima Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children–Francisco and Jacinta Marto and their cousin Lucia dos Santos–received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia. Mary gave the children three secrets. Following the deaths of Francisco and Jacinta in 1919 and 1920 respectively, Lucia revealed the first secret in 1927. It concerned devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell. When Lucia grew up she became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at the age of 97. Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See's Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a “bishop in white” who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this vision to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church's worldwide calendar in 2002. Reflection The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary's request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia agreed that Pope John Paul II's public consecration in St. Peter's Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary's request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000, document explaining the “third secret.” Mary is perfectly honored when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the Church's teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with the bishop of Rome. Click here for more on Our Lady! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

What does it mean to be "free" in a Lutheran context? Join us as we explore that question with President Micah Hjermstad of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. President Micah Hjermstad shares the history, structure, and vision of this distinctively autonomous Lutheran body. The conversation explores how congregational freedom and collaborative ministry can flourish together when centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ.• History of the AFLC traces back to Norway in the 1800s as a reaction against state church control• AFLC formed in 1962 when 40 congregations chose not to merge with the American Lutheran Church• Now encompasses over 250 congregations across 26 states with international ministries• Unique polity based on 12 fundamental principles that establish congregational autonomy• National offices support rather than govern congregations through five separate corporations• Congregations answer only to "the Word and the Spirit" without hierarchical authority• Vision focusing on maintaining biblical authority while leaning into "the freedom of the gospel"• Leadership development primarily occurs at the congregational level with new national initiatives• Majority lay representation required on all national boards• Creating environments for gracious disagreement while maintaining unity• Lutheran theology "embraces tension" rather than forcing artificial resolution of biblical paradoxes• Different Lutheran denominations reach different people with the same gospelSupport the showJoin the Lead Time Newsletter! (Weekly Updates and Upcoming Episodes)https://www.uniteleadership.org/lead-time-podcast#newsletterVisit uniteleadership.org

1 Corinthians 16:13,14 Printable Outline:    5-11-25     Sermon audio:    5-11-25     Sermon video:  

Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Podcast! Join Paul and Anna each week as they chat about upcoming church events, the week's sermon, and fun facts about the church. In today's episode Paul-Scott and Anna talk about Anna's professional development and the fun challenge that is Children's Sabbath! The conversation is followed by the prayers, readings, and sermon from Sunday's livestream service. Recorded live each week at First Pres in beautiful historic downtown New Bern, North Carolina.First Presbyterian Church, New Bern, North Carolina, established in 1817. A Congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Building community, transforming lives, engaging the world.See more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.firstpresnb.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on social media at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/firstpresnb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our streaming service each week at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCKw0GnheJfOUlVv_g5bBrEw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Permission to podcast/stream live music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License A-701790 and CCLI 3202763. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream recorded music from artist.io.

Sermon at 15:50.   Bulletin: Easter 4 Bulletin 25   Congregation at Prayer: CaP, 5/11/25

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Third Week of Easter Lectionary: 278The Saint of the day is Saint Damien de Veuster of MolokaiSaint Damien de Veuster of Moloka'i's Story When Joseph de Veuster was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, few people in Europe had any firsthand knowledge of leprosy, Hansen's disease. By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. They knew that human compassion could soften the ravages of this disease. Forced to quit school at age 13 to work on the family farm, Joseph entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary six years later, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after arriving in his new mission, Damien was ordained a priest in Honolulu and assigned to the island of Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the Hawaiian government's leper colony on the island of Moloka'i, set up seven years earlier. Part of a team of four chaplains taking that assignment for three months each year, Damien soon volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people's physical, medical, and spiritual needs. In time, he became their most effective advocate to obtain promised government support. Soon the settlement had new houses and a new church, school and orphanage. Morale improved considerably. A few years later, he succeeded in getting the Franciscan Sisters of Syracuse, led by Mother Marianne Cope, to help staff this colony in Kalaupapa. Damien contracted Hansen's disease and died of its complications. As requested, he was buried in Kalaupapa, but in 1936 the Belgian government succeeded in having his body moved to Belgium. Part of Damien's body was returned to his beloved Hawaiian brothers and sisters after his beatification in 1995. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, it selected Damien as one of its two representatives in the Statuary Hall at the US Capitol. Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009. Reflection Some people thought Damien was a hero for going to Moloka'i and others thought he was crazy. When a Protestant clergyman wrote that Damien was guilty of immoral behavior, Robert Louis Stevenson vigorously defended him in an “Open Letter to Dr. Hyde.” Love the saints? Check out these six titles on Catholic saints! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter Optional Memorial of St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai, 1840-1889; joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and was assigned to the Hawaiian Islands; in 1873, he went to the government's leper colony on Molokai, and volunteered to remain permanently, caring for the people’s physical, medical, and spiritual needs; Damien contracted Hansen's disease--i.e., leprosy--himself, and died of its complications Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/10/25 Gospel: John 6:60-69

It's Friday, May 9th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Second anniversary of brutal violence in India Christians of Manipur State, India marked the second anniversary of the brutal ethnic violence that erupted on May 3, 2023, reports International Christian Concern. Shockingly, 258 people were killed, 1,000 injured, and 60,000 people were displaced. Plus, 4,786 houses were burnt and 386 religious structures were vandalized, including temples and churches. India is the 11th most dangerous country worldwide in which to be a Christian. Cardinals selected first American Pope On the fourth vote, the College of Cardinals, referred to as the Papal Conclave, chose the first-ever American Pope.  Robert Prevost has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Born in Chicago, educated at Villanova University, and a missionary to Peru, Prevost selected the name Leo for a reason. On ABC News, Catholic Pastor James Martin said this. MARTIN: “Historically, it's a name that would signal his alignment with workers, labor, and the poor.” Catholics claim that Peter, the fisherman disciple of Jesus, was the first pope. In fact, Scripture does not teach that Peter was in authority over the other apostles at all or over the church. Indeed, Ephesians 2:19 says, “So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” Catholics also claim that the pope is infallible when he acts or speaks as Christ's representative on Earth. That assertion is not Scripturally supported either. Pope critical of Trump/Vance, pushed COVID vaccine, & removed conservative bishops In terms of positions on the issues, Prevost has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump's administration and has consistently used his X account to promote material hostile to Trump's immigration policies.  In one instance from February 3, Prevost reposted an article by the National Catholic Reporter entitled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.” The article criticizes the U.S. vice president for correctly arguing that we owe more immediate responsibility to our own family members and country than to those overseas – a position taught by St. Thomas Aquinas – and reiterated in the “social encyclicals” of the nineteenth- and twentieth-century popes.  As head of the Congregation for Bishops, Prevost was instrumental in the removal of conservative Bishop Joseph Strickland in 2023 from Tyler, Texas, and the removal of the leading French conservative bishop, Dominique Rey, from his diocese of Fréjus-Toulon.   Prevost also reposted a call for the abortion-tainted COVID-19 vaccines to be “available for all” and a United States Conference of Catholic Bishops post that called getting vaccinated “an act of love.”  In 2012, a year before the election of Pope Francis, Cardinal Prevost expressed disappointment that some Western media held “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel,” in particular, the “homosexual lifestyle” and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children.” Trump's trade deal with U.K. nets U.S. $5 billion opportunity On Thursday, President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced they had reached a trade agreement that lifted some — but not all — U.S. tariffs on British goods, reports National Public Radio. Trump said it would give U.S. companies better market access for beef, ethanol, other farm products, chemicals, machinery, and industrial products — new opportunities his administration said were worth $5 billion. 2nd largest automaker making splash in America Speaking of the positive impact of Trump's tariffs, Volkswagen Group, the second largest automaker in the world in 2024, is preparing to join the growing list of automakers looking to re-equip its US factories in response to the tariffs, reports The Daily Mail.  The German automaker's luxury brand, Audi — which assembles most of its lineup in its home country, Hungary, Mexico, Slovakia, Spain, and China — is planning to make some of its crossover and SUV models now in America. ‘Frasier' star Kelsey Grammer regrets ex-girlfriend's abortion Frasier star Kelsey Grammer opened up about his profound regret over his ex-girlfriend's abortion in his newly released memoir, reports People Magazine. This tragedy closely preceded another in the actor's life: the 1975 rape and murder of his younger sister, which is the main subject of his memoir Karen: A Brother Remembers.  In his new book, Grammer wrote, “I know that many people do not have a problem with abortion, and though I have supported it in the past, the abortion of my son eats away at my soul.” Just months before his sister's death, he explains that his then-girlfriend became pregnant and decided to abort their baby. While he said he was “willing” to keep the baby, he “did not plead with her to save his life.” Grammer admits he “volunteered to have my son's body vacuumed out of his mother's.” As Live Action reports, abortionists use “vacuums 10-20 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner to tear (babies) apart alive.”  Grammer added, “I regret it.” Despite his harrowing regret over his own son's death by abortion, the TV star ironically says he still believes abortion should be legal. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Open your mouth for the voiceless.” Over 7,750 baptized in largest single-day baptism in US history And finally, on Saturday, 7,750 people were baptized in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Huntington Beach, California, an event organizers say marked the largest single-day baptism in American history, reports The Christian Post. Hosted by Oceans Church and led by Pastor Mark Francey, the event dubbed "Baptize California" drew approximately 30,000 attendees from more than 300 churches across the Golden State. Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, May 9th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Psalms 133 (Alter)Andrew and Edwin find Jesus in Psalm 133.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=21322The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

IMAGE CREDIT Yohanes Kwirinus Steviean, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo HARDJOATMODJO: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_suharyohardjomatmodjo_i.html       Ignatius Suharyo HARDJOATMODJO on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2019.htm#Hardjoatmodjo   2012 Synod of Bishops notes (via Zenit): https://zenit.org/2012/10/17/full-text-of-tuesday-morning-interventions-at-synod-of-bishops/    Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo HARDJOATMODJO on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/3272                       Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo HARDJOATMODJO on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bsuharyo.html  Archdiocese of Jakarta on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/jaka0.htm?tab=info          Archdiocese of Jakarta on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/djaka.html 2013 Infovaticana profile of Cardinal-elect: https://infovaticana.com/2013/12/10/10373/  2023 Time article on Nusantara: https://time.com/6329063/indonesia-nusantara-jokowi-democratic-decline/    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Ignatius Suharyo HARDJOATMODJO, who is generally addressed with the Suharyo part, was born on July 9, 1950 in Sedayu, a community right near the middle of the southern shore of the Island of Java. Home to over 150 million souls and therefore the most populated island in the world, Java hosts over half of Indonesia's population, with the remainder spread out across the other 17,000-odd islands that together make up the archipelagic nation, which was newly independent from the Dutch colonizers when Ignatius was born.   More Muslims live in Indonesia than in any other country, leaving relatively little room for any other faith. Christians Make up about 10% of the population, with Catholics in particular being about 3% of the overall total. Ignatius' father had come from a Muslim family, being the only Catholic in the lot, while Ignatius' mother had originally practiced Javanese folk religion with her family, though she later became Catholic.   When Ignatius' convert parents embraced Catholicism, they ran with it, resulting in four of their ten Children entring the Church: two of his sisters became nuns; one of his brothers entered a Trappist hermitage, and of course Ignatius himself, who will be our focus today.   Ignatius' seminary studies were done locally, first at the St. Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Mertoyudan, then at the Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, where he got a degree in theology and philosophy in 1971.   In 1976, Ignatius Suharyo was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Semarang by Cardinal Darmojuwono, who incidentally was the first Indonesian Cardinal. My sources are pretty thin after that, but I assume he did priest stuff in Indonesia until he went off to study in Rome, which I guess still falls under the umbrella of priest stuff. in any event, he wound up with a doctorate in Biblical Studies from the Urbaniana in 1981. When he came back to Java he took on several teaching roles at various institutions in Yogyakarta, eventually becoming dean of Theology at Holy Dharma University from 1993 till 1997.   I did a double take when I saw that name, Holy Dharma. Dharma is definitely more of a Hindu and Buddhist concept. So I took a closer look, and as near as I can tell–there are some discrepancies so take this with a grain of salt– but certainly it looks like the Jesuits are involved, which makes all the sense in the world if you know the Jesuits.   Speaking of Jesuits, in 1997 when Father Suharyo's white phone rang and JPII appointed him the Archbishop of Semarang, it was the Jesuit Cardinal Darmaatmadja, Indonesia's second Cardinal, who consecrated him.   In 2006, Archbishop Suharyo got a second hat when he was made the Military Ordinary for Indonesia, a post he still holds at time of recording. Not much later, in 2009, he was made the coadjutor Archbishop of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, a city larger than New York.   The following year, his predecessor retired and Archbishop Suharyo dropped the coadjutor part of his title, and from here on out he's Archbishop of Jakarta.   There's a bit of an interesting wrinkle though, as Indonesia is actually in the process of moving its capital entirely, off the crowded island of Java–and away from polluted Jakarta–onto the roomier and healthier island of Borneo. Seriously, Borneo is about 40 times less densely populated than Java, though of course the plan is to draw about 1.9 million people to the new scene there, so that's going to put a dent in the ratio.   The new capital, Nusantara, is set to be opened on August 17th, 2024, which is, incidentally, after I'm writing this but before this gets released, so you can let me know how that went. It'll be interesting to see how the Church handles the new arrangement, I expect the new Capital will get its own Diocese in time, but the Church isn't known for turning on a dime, and even after the transition is complete, smoggy Jakarta will still be Indonesia's largest city by far.   In 2012, Archbishop Suharyo was elected President of the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia, a post which he held until 2022, and in 2014 he was made a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.   Archbishop Suharyo, who had been ordained by Indonesia's first cardinal and consecrated by its second, was made Indonesia's third cardinal in October 2019, though he didn't take formal possession of his titular church until August 28th 2022, the day after that year's consistory. Something something COVID, something else something else, when in Rome.   In 2020, Cardinal Suharyo was added to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialog, which makes sense, given his placement in a country where the majority of the population is Muslim. Speaking of, the Cardinal has noted that having prayers available in the vernacular language has a special appeal to Indonesians, as the local Muslims pray in Arabic even though they don't speak it.   Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

IMAGE CREDIT Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons - cc-by-sa-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Kurt KOCH: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_koch_k.html         Kurt KOCH on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Koch      Cardinal Kurt KOCH on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/4021                         Cardinal Kurt KOCH on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bkoch.html    Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d16.htm  Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dxpcu.html Basel Cathedral website discussing the canons: https://www.bistum-basel.ch/news/drei-neue-domherren-eingesetzt La Repubblica 1995 article on Bishop Vogel's resignation and son: https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1995/06/03/il-vescovo-si-dimette-aspetto-un.html  Nostra Aetate: https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html 2012 Catholic News Service overview of Cardinal Koch's comments on conservative Catholics and Judaism (archived via Library of Congress Web Archives): https://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20121205205921/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1202023.htm    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   Kurt KOCH was born on March 15, 1950, Emmenbrücke a town just north of the middle of Switzerland, in the Canton of Lucerne.   Cardinal Koch is the second Swiss-born Cardinal we've met after Cardinal Tscherrig, the Nuncio's Nuncio we met last summer. But at the time we had dozens of countries involved, because, well, nuncio's nuncio, and didn't get a chance to just talk Switzerland.   These days Switzerland is famous for their neutrality, staying out of pretty much every conflict they can avoid. Perhaps that's in part due to the fact that it used to be a battleground, especially in the rolling conflicts between the Popes in Italy and the Holy Roman Emperors in Germany. When the Reformation came, Switzerland was again divided in loyalty between largely Catholic southern Europe and largely Protestant northern Europe. One of the fruits of conflict, for better or for worse, is military skill, which is how the Swiss Guard that still protects the Vatican today came about. Fortunately, like I mentioned, the Swiss came to embrace neutrality, including in religion, with laws allowing for freedom of conscience–first just among Christian denominations and then more broadly. Keep this context  of conflict to resolution in the back of your mind as we go.    Kurt Koch studied Theology at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland, then went to Munich Germany to study more theology, getting a diploma in theology in 1975. He served as a research assistant at the University of Lucerne from ‘76 to ‘81, presumably while studying even More theology, and soon after he was ordained a priest for his home Diocese of Basel in 1982. This is actually the first time I've seen someone ordained apparently without any specific philosophy training, going pure theology isn't as normal as one might expect.   After a period of chaplaincy, his theology studies continued, and in 1987 he wound up with a doctorate in, you guessed it, theology. I expected he'd stop there, or perhaps get another doctorate, but apparently in Kurt's neck of the woods there's another step you can go beyond a simple doctorate, the Habilitation, which basically works out to full professorship. The most surprising thing about this to me is that this is the first time I'm realizing it, it's extremely possible- I would say likely- that he actually isn't our first Cardinal to achieve this level, I just didn't flag it before and my sources described it differently this time. Part of why I love doing this is it lets me learn something every day.   Anyways, after obtaining his habilitation, Father Koch became Professor of dogmatics, liturgy and ecumenical theology at the Theological Faculty of the University of Lucerne from 1989, a post he held until 1996. He was also simultaneously rector for a short time, though that was interrupted by a call. Normally this would be a tongue-in-cheek note about a white phone, but in this case the call was coming from the Cathedral Chapter of the Diocese of Basel, because it was actually their job to elect the next Bishop of Basel and they wanted to choose Father Koch.   Of course, much like my normal white phone joke, this isn't necessarily *exactly* how it went down, since for all I know maybe Father Koch *was* one of the Canons of Basel Cathedral and no phone was needed for the news. But either way, my point is that unlike the typical process for most dioceses, where the relevant nuncio and the relevant Dicastery work with the Pope to figure out new bishops, Basel uses the old Cathedral Chapter model, where there's a local election among the members of the Chapter.   The Cathedral Chapter might have been a little sheepish, because they had actually just elected a new Bishop of Basel, who had found himself under a lot of psychological pressure–being a bishop isn't easy–and had wound up going to an old friend for comfort. A female friend, who wound up pregnant. He resigned, got laicized, and married her. Hopefully he's a better traditional father than he was a spiritual one.   Bishop Koch received his episcopal consecration directly and personally from Pope John Paul II in the Vatican, possibly because everyone was wanting to do things right after the last kerfuffle, though I don't have any source claiming that, just a guess.   The University Of Lucerne made him an honorary professor on his way out the door, a nice gesture, presumably a sort of “you're welcome to come back by any time” kind of arrangement.   Bishop Koch got involved in the Swiss Bishop's conference, serving as their Vice-President for nine years, and as their President for three. Together that represents pretty much his entire time as a bishop in Switzerland, because in 2010 Bishop Koch was called up to the Vatican to head the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, of which he had been a member since 2002. To fit the dignity of his new office, he was promoted to Archbishop and then Cardinal.    Speaking of archbishops, today I learned Switzerland has no archbishops, all six dioceses are immediately subject to the Holy See, meaning if there's something that would normally involve an Archbishop, it goes to the Vatican. But enough about Switzerland, we're in Rome now.   Pope Benedict had Cardinal Koch jump in headfirst, heading a delegation to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew–the leader of the Orthodox,  the largest Christian Church outside of Catholicism, and co-presiding over a meeting of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church with his Orthodox counterpart. In December, Pope Benedict also added Koch to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.   What a difference a year makes, Koch had started the year as a simple bishop, now he was pretty much everywhere.   Cardinal Koch's big Christian unity gig also extends outside Christianity, as the head of that dicastery is also automatically the President of the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. Sometimes the two overlap, like when he's talking with traditionalists who are to varying degrees reluctant to embrace Jews as their brothers. In those cases he points to Nostra Aetate, essentially the Catholic Church's foundational document on religious freedom, which explicitly decries antisemitism, and which Cardinal Koch has called “important for every Catholic”.   In addition to dozens of articles and papers, Cardinal Koch has written at least fifteen books.   Originally elevated as a Cardinal-Deacon, Cardinal Koch exercised his right to become a Cardinal-Priest after ten years of service as a Cardinal.   In addition to the roles we've already discussed, Cardinal Koch is currently a member of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints; the Dicastery for Bishops; and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.   A veteran of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, Kurt Cardinal KOCH is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

Psalm 133 (The Message)Andrew and Edwin discuss Mt. Hermon, Mt. Zion, their distance, their dew, and what we learn about unity from all this geography.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=21296The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Rev. Dr. Kristen Bentley joins Kara and Shellie to talk about her research regarding bivocational ministry. Contrary to common understanding, it has been quite common in the history of congregations. Rev. Bentley discusses how this model can benefit congregational life. Resources Bivocational Ministry: Field Notes for Congregations and Ministers by Rev. Dr. Kristen Bentley (book) Bivocationalism Has Historic Roots and Modern Benefits (article) Bivocational Pastors on PBS (video)

Matthew 9:35-38 Printable Outline:    5-4-25     Sermon audio:    5-4-25     Sermon video:  

If your church feels disengaged during worship, the problem probably isn't your setlist — it's the relationship gap between the stage and the seats. In this episode of the MxU Podcast, Spencer and Dillan break down why relational leadership before the first song is the real key to engagement. You'll learn how to use the margin after soundcheck to connect with your church in simple, powerful ways that build trust and transform the room. Worship leadership doesn't start on stage — it starts in the lobby.FREE RESOURCES

Take-Home Notes for the Congregation:1. God's Love Is Relentless and UnconditionalJust like the mother bunny in The Runaway Bunny, God's love follows us wherever we go. Nothing can separate us from it—not fear, failure, distance, or doubt.2. The Good Shepherd Leads—He Doesn't DriveSheep follow the voice they know. Jesus doesn't push us forward; He goes ahead of us, calling us to follow Him in trust and love.3. God Comes to Find Us, Not Just Wait for UsThe gospel isn't just about a light on a distant hill—it's about the God who leaves the fire, steps into the cold night, and brings us home.4. The Image of the Shepherd Is a Comfort—And a CallJesus seeks the lost and brings them home, but He also calls us to do the same. We are invited to follow Him by becoming shepherds—agents of love, compassion, justice, and healing.5. Our Response Is to Follow and Reflect the ShepherdTo live as Easter people is to go where Jesus goes—into the valleys, into the suffering, into the lost places—bringing the light of God's love with us.Reflection Question for the Week:Who in your life might be longing for the warmth of God's love? How can you reflect the heart of the Good Shepherd to them this week?

Deacon Dan Diesel proclaims the Gospel (John 20:18-31) and special guest Father Peter Prusakiewicz breaks open the word on Sunday of Divine Mercy. Father Peter, a Michaelite Father, has dedicated his life to spreading God's love and the message of Divine Mercy to people around the world. Raised in Poland, Father Peter is part of the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel. Words for your Way from Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, California. 

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IMAGE DESCRIPTION: By Pufui Pc Pifpef I - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31309211 via Wikipedia LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_burke_rl.html        Raymond Leo BURKE on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2010.htm#Burke                             Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/2334                                                Cardinal Raymond Leo BURKE on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bburke.html                            Apostolic Signatura on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/romancuria/d13.htm   Apostolic Signatura on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dbgch.html 2003 Catholic News Agency bio of Archbishop Burke: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/286/pope-appoints-bishop-raymond-burke-as-new-archbishop-of-st-louis  Merriam-Webster, “Defender of the Bond”: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender%20of%20the%20bond#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20DEFENDER%20OF%20THE%20BOND,the%20marriage%20bond%20in%20suits%20for%20annulment Dead Theologians Society: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/about/  Catholic Herald analysis of Cardinal Burke's 2014 reassignment: https://web.archive.org/web/20160701214308/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/11/10/thousands-sign-petition-thanking-cardinal-burke/  2013 National Catholic Reporter commentary- “I want a mess” -Pope Francis: https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/pope-i-want-mess  2014 CruxNow “Soap Opera” Synod on the Family coverage: https://web.archive.org/web/20141017055135/http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/10/16/synod-is-more-and-more-like-a-soap-opera/ Amoris Laetitia: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia.html  2017 Knights of Malta reshuffle: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-names-archbishop-becciu-as-personal-delegate-to-order-of-malta/  2018 National Catholic Register editorial Reflection on Amoris Laetitia controversy https://www.ncregister.com/news/francis-fifth-a-pontificate-of-footnotes  2016 National Catholic Register coverage of the Dubia: https://www.ncregister.com/news/four-cardinals-formally-ask-pope-for-clarity-on-amoris-laetitia Traditionis custodes: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/motu_proprio/documents/20210716-motu-proprio-traditionis-custodes.html  Cardinal Burke's Statement on Traditionis Custodes: https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/traditionis-custodes The 2023 Dubia (w/Pope Francis' responses): https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-francis-responds-to-dubia-of-five-cardinals.html  National Catholic Reporter coverage of removal of Cardinal Burke's Vatican apartment and salary: https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/pope-francis-remove-cardinal-burkes-vatican-apartment-and-salary-sources-say Anonymous “Cardinal Burke is my enemy” report: https://catholicherald.co.uk/pope-calls-cardinal-burke-his-enemy-and-threatens-to-strip-him-of-privileges-reports-claim/  Where Peter Is coverage of Cardinal Burke's 2024 private meeting with Pope Francis https://wherepeteris.com/cardinal-burkes-meeting-withĥhh-pope-francis/    Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes. The youngest of six, Raymond Leo Burke was born on June 30, 1948, in Richland Center, a small town in sparsely populated Richland County, Wisconsin.   Not too much later, the family moved north to tiny Stratford, Wisconsin, where he grew up.   We've had a *lot*, of midwestern Cardinals, in fact all but one of our 8 American Cardinals so far has been born in the midwest, a percentage I would probably consider shocking if I didn't identify as a midwesterner myself, though technically I'm about as much of a northern southerner as you can get, considering my parents basically moved to Virginia to have their kids and immediately moved back to Ohio once that was accomplished. But enough about me, this is about Raymond Leo Burke, who signed up for Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse in 1962. Later he went to The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he wound up with a masters in philosophy in 1971. After that he was sent to Rome for his theology studies, getting a second masters, this time from the Gregorian. He was ordained by Pope Paul VI–yes, *before* JPII, crazy I know, in 1975 on June 29th, which longtime listeners will probably clock as the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and more importantly the Popeular History podcasts' official anniversary date.   Returning to Wisconsin as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse, Father Burke served as an associate rector for the cathedral, then as a religion teacher at Aquinas High School in town.   Making his way back to Rome, Father Burke returned to the Gregorian to study Canon Law, by 1984 he had a doctorate in the topic with a specialization in jurisprudence.   He came back stateside long enough to pick up a couple diocesan roles back in La Crosse, but soon enough he went back to the Gregorian for a third time, this time not as a student but as a teacher, namely as a Visiting professor of Canonical Jurisprudence, a post which he held for nearly a decade from ‘85 to ‘94.   He wound up becoming the first American to hold the position of Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, as a reminder that's basically the Vatican's Supreme Court.   As for what being a Defender of the Bond entails, it's basically the guy in charge of proving the validity of a disputed marriage, typically–I'd imagine--oversomeone's objections, or else, you know, the case wouldn't have wound up in court.   In 1994, his white phone rang, and it was Pope John Paul II, calling to make him bishop of his home Diocese of La Crosse. Father Burke was personally consecrated by His Holiness in the Vatican.   In ‘97, Bishop Burke became a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, ranking as a Knight Commander with Star automatically by virtue of his being a bishop. The Order traces its origins to the First Crusade, making it one of the oldest chivalric Orders in the world–and it's not the only such order Bishop Burke will get involved in.   In 2000, bishop Burke became National Director of the Marian Catechist Apostolate, something which certainly seems near to his heart considering he's still in the role. Well, international director now, as things have grown.   In 2002, Bishop Burke invited a fairly new apostolate named the Dead Theologians Society to the diocese, which isn't something I'd normally include, but I wanted to make sure it got a shoutout because it started at my parish. Oriented towards high school and college students, they study the lives of the saints, and Cardinal Burke is a fan, saying: “I am happy to commend the Dead Theologians Society to individual families and to parishes, as a most effective form of Catholic youth ministry.”   In 2003, Bishop Burke became Archbishop Burke when he was transferred to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis, where he served until 2008, when he was called up to Rome, to serve as prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, there's that Vatican Supreme Court again, and this time he's running it. And if you're making assumptions based on that appointment, yes, he's absolutely considered one of the foremost experts on canon law worldwide, having published numerous books and articles.   In 2010, Pope Benedict raised Archbishop Burke to the rank of Cardinal Deacon and assigned him the deaconry of S. Agata de 'Goti. Naturally he participated in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis, where I am prepared to guess he was in the minority given subsequent events.   The next year, so 2014, Cardinal Burke was transferred from his top judicial spot to serve as the patron of the Sovereign Order of Malta, aka the Knights of Malta, a reassignment that was generally interpreted as a demotion, given he was going from his dream job for canon law geek that made him the highest ranking American in the Vatican at the time to a largely ceremonial post that was, well, not that.   [All that is nothing against the Knights of Malta, which these days are a solid humanitarian resource and quasi-state trivia machine I'll give their own episode at some point.]   The tension between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis has been fairly clear from the start. They have fundamentally different approaches and styles, and frankly different goals. Cardinal Burke is dedicated to maintaining tradition as the safest route, while Pope Francis has famously called for shaking things up, for example saying:   “What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!”   That's Pope Francis, of course. Just before his transfer out of his top spot at the Vatican's court, Cardinal Burke noted that many Catholics, quote:   “feel a bit of seasickness, because it seems to them that the ship of the Church has lost its compass.”   End quote.   To his credit, Cardinal Burke took the move in stride, which matches up well with his general view that authority should be respected and that, as a canonist, the Pope is the ultimate authority.   Deference to such authority in the context of the Catholic Church is known as Clericalism, and being pro or anti Clericalism is another point of disagreement between Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis, who said “I want to get rid of clericalism” in the same early interview I mentioned before.   Part of what Cardinal Burke was responding to with his “lost compass” quote was the first stages of the Synod on the Family, which veteran Vatican reporter John Allen Jr described as like a “soap opera”, with working notes that were released to the public speaking positively about things like same-sex unions and other relationships the Vatican tends to describe as “irregular”. After the Synod on the Family wrapped up, in 2016 Pope Francis produced a post-synodal apostolic exhortation called Amoris Laetitia, or “The Joy of Love”, which I saw one of my sources described the longest document in the history of the Papacy, a hell of a claim I am not immediately able to refute because it sure *is* a long one, which is primarily known for the controversy of just one of its footnotes, footnote 351.   I'm still making *some* effort to make these first round episodes be brief, but it's important to keep things in context, so let's go ahead and look at the sentence the footnote is attached to, which is in paragraph 305, and Then the footnote itself. If you want even more context, the entirety of Amoris Laetitia is, of course, linked in the show notes.   Here we go:   “Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God's grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church's help to this end.”   And yes, that is one sentence. Popes are almost as bad about sentence length as I am.   Without the footnote, this probably would have gone relatively unnoticed, the Church accompanying sinners is not a fundamentally revolutionary idea. But the footnote in question gets specific and brings in the Sacraments, which is where things get touchy:   “In certain cases, this can include the help of the sacraments. Hence, “I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber, but rather an encounter with the Lord's mercy” I would also point out that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect, but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak”.   For one thing, just to get this out of the way, some of that is in quotation marks with citations. In a document like this that's pretty normal, showing how your argument is based on precedent and authority. Except in this case the precedent and the authority being cited is literally Pope Francis himself. To be clear, this is a normal Pope thing, I found multiple examples of JPII and Pope Benedict doing the same thing, it just amuses me.   Anyways, the idea of people in objectively sinful states receiving communion is hyper-controversial. After all, even as far back as Saint Paul, receiving Communion “unworthily” is an awful thing. Of course, questions have long followed about how anyone can be truly worthy of the Eucharist, with the basic answer there being “with God's help”, but yeah, it's tricky.   We can have an educated guess how Cardinal Burke felt about all this, because he and three other Cardinals--it'll be a while before we get to any of the others–anyways Cardinal Burke and three other Cardinals asked Pope Francis some fairly pointed questions about this in a format called a dubia, traditionally a yes/no format where the Holy Father affirms or denies potential implications drawn from one of their teachings to clarify areas of doubt. In this case, there were five questions submitted, with the first and I daresay the most sincerely debated being the question of whether footnote 351 means divorced and subsequently remarried Catholics can receive communion. There's lots of subtext here, but as a reminder this is actually the *short* version of this episode, so pardon the abbreviation. The next four questions are, to put it snarkily, variations on the obviously very sincere question of “does the truth matter anymore?”   Pope Francis decided not to answer these dubia, which the Cardinals took as an invitation to make them–and his lack of a response–public. Not as a way of outing him after his refusal to answer gotcha questions with a yes/no, not by any means, but because clearly that's what not getting an answer meant Pope Francis wanted them to do.   Now, there's something of an issue here, because we're nearing record word count for Cardinal Numbers, and that's without any real long diversions about the history of Catholicism in Cardinal Burke's area or his interactions with the local secular ruler. It's all been Church stuff. And we're nowhere near the end.   The reality is that I'm painfully aware my own discipline is the only thing that keeps me from going longer on these episodes when appropriate, and the major driving force for keeping them short was to keep things manageable. But now that I'm no longer committed to a daily format, “manageable” has very different implications. And even my secondary driver, a general sense of fairness, not making one Cardinal's episode too much longer than the others, well, the other Cardinals in this batch have had longer episodes too, so it's not as much of a lopsided battle for the First Judgment, and it's not like longer automatically means more interesting.   In the end, with those inhibitions gone, and a sense that this stuff is important and it would be a shame to skip big chunks of it if Cardinal Burke *doesn't* make it to the next round, I'm going to go ahead and keep walking through this so it gets said, and let it take what time it takes. My best guess is we're about halfway through. That way there's no special pressure to make Cardinal Burke advance just to cover anything I felt was too rushed. Don't worry, there's still plenty being left out. Fair?   Fair or not, Let's resume.   In 2015, so after his relegation to the Knights of Malta but before Amoris Laetitia and the Dubia, Cardinal Burke was added to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which is still one of his roles though like other Vatican offices it has since been rebranded as a Dicastery.   In 2017, Burke's posting as Patron of the Knights of Malta, the one I described as largely ceremonial, threatened to become interesting when Pope Francis forced the head of the order to resign over, well, condoms, basically. But as soon as things started looking interesting Pope Francis helicoptered in an archbishop to serve as his “special delegate” and more importantly his “exclusive spokesman” to the Order, which effectively sidelined Burke from a gig he had been sidelined *to* a few years earlier.   Nevertheless, 2017 also actually saw Burke start to bounce back some. I want to re emphasize this is notably *after* the Dubia, when later in the year Pope Francis picked Cardinal Burke as the judge in the case of an Archbishop who had been accused of sexully abusing his altar servers. The Archbishop was found guilty and deposed, and by the end of the year, having gotten his feet wet again, Cardinal Burke was back on as a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature, though, notably, not as its head anymore.   The next major flashpoint came In 2021, when Pope Francis published Traditionis Custodes, a document that severely restricted the celebration of the old Latin Mass.    Long story short, what's colloquially called Latin Mass is the version of Mass that was the main liturgy for Latin rite Catholics for hundreds of years until the Second Vatican Council kicked off serious updates in the 1960s, the most obvious of which is the general shift from Latin to the use of local aka vernacular languages, and the second most obvious is the direction the priest is facing for the majority of the liturgy. There's obviously more detail available on everything I just said, and people have *opinions*, I'll tell you that for sure.   Cardinal Burke's fundamental opinion was and is that the Latin Mass is great and should be maintained and that, in short, Pope Francis may even be overstepping his bounds in restricting it as much as he is with Traditionis Custodes, which is a strong claim given the whole, you know, general idea of the Papacy.   A few weeks after the Traditionis Custodes stuff went down, Cardinal Burke was on a ventilator fighting for his life. We're only doing living Cardinals at this time, so no suspense there for us, but his bout with COVID was touch-and-go for a while there.   In June 2023, notably a few weeks before his 75th birthday and that customary retirement age, Pope Francis replaced Cardinal Burke as the Patron of the Knights of Malta with an 80 year old Jesuit Cardinal. If you're noticing that Burke was relaced by someone who was themselves a fair bit older and also well past retirement age, yeah, you're not alone in noticing that, and you wouldn't be alone in thinking that some kind of point was being made here.   Just a few weeks after that retirement, Cardinal Burke attached his name to another dubia document, this one covering a larger variety of topics and appearing and in the context of the ongoing Synod on Synodality.   Cardinal Burke was again joined by one of his fellow signers of the first dubia, the other two having passed away in 2017, may they rest in peace. They were also joined by three Cardinals who had not cosigned the previous Dubia, though all of those are over 80 and so we won't be covering them for a while.   In any event, this second set of dubia covered a wider range of topics in its five questions, including two particularly hot-button issues, namely the question of blessings for same sex unions, which is something I will refer you to my Fiducia Supplicans anniversary coverage (oops, didn't get that out yet) on for fuller detail, and notion of women serving as deacons, which is still an open question at the time of this writing: as we've discussed previously, ordination has been pretty firmly ruled out, but there may be room for an unordained diaconate. After all, Saint Paul entrusted the letter to the Romans to a woman he described as a deacon.   Pope Francis actually responded to this second dubia the day after the dubious Cardinals submitted it, giving lengthy and detailed answers to all of their questions. Naturally this seems to have annoyed Cardinal Burke and his compatriots, because remember, traditionally answers to Dubia have been yes or no, and so they reframed their questions and asked Pope Francis to respond just with “yes” or “no”. When it was evident His Holiness was not going to reply further, the Cardinals once again took the lack of an answer- or rather the lack of yes/no format answers- as encouragement to publish everything, which was an interesting move since that seems to have essentially set Fiducia Supplicans in motion, as Pope Francis indicated an openness to informal blessings for homosexuals in one of his dubia responses. All of that is in the show notes.   Later in 2023, Pope Francis stripped Cardinal Burke of his Vatican apartment and retirement salary, which I have been tempted to call a pension but everyone I've seen calls it a retirement salary so it's probably safest to follow suit. Officially no reason was given, but I mean, you've listened to this episode, take your pick of tension points and believe it or not I've skipped several chapters of drama real or alleged. Speaking of alleged, this is the Vatican, so anonymous sources are happy to weigh in, including alleging that Pope Francis straight up said “Cardinal Burke is my enemy”. I don't think I buy that he was so plain about it, but I also don't expect Cardinal Burke is Pope Francis' favorite guy.   On December 29, 2023, Cardinal Burke had a private audience with Pope Francis for the first time in over seven years. Cardinal Burke's last private audience with Pope Francis had been back in 2016, four days before the first dubia was made public.   The idea of the two having a little chat grabbed media attention more than any other meeting between a Cardinal and a Pope that I can recall. As is typical for such one-on-ones, no official reason or agenda was given, and it's not likely we'll ever know what exactly was said, but I've got to hand it to Cardinal Burke for his response when Reuters asked him about it:   ‘Well, I'm still alive.'”   Raymond Leo Cardinal BURKE is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2028. “AM I THE DRAMA”? Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers,  and there will be more Cardinal Numbers next week. Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

Pastoring Your Congregation Through Worship with Ben Haley Episode Summary In this powerful session from the Church Front Conference, Ben Haley shares three essential foundations for effective worship ministry that truly shepherds congregations. Drawing from scripture and personal experience, Ben explains how worship leaders must know their hearts, know their Bibles, and know their people to lead worship that transforms lives. Show Notes Key Timestamps 00:00 - Opening quote and introduction 00:59 - Ben shares the moving story of his father's final moments 03:18 - The profound influence of worship music and responsibility it brings 05:35 - What should be the foundation of worship ministry? 06:37 - Foundation #1: Know your heart 11:06 - Foundation #2: Know your Bible 15:35 - Practical tips for selecting and using worship songs 17:44 - Foundation #3: Know your people 21:29 - The danger of prioritizing programs over people 24:27 - Final encouragement to show off God's glory 25:39 - Closing quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones Key Topics The Lasting Impact of Worship Songs Ben's father, despite being sedated and on a ventilator, communicated "It is well with my soul" in his final moments People rarely remember sermon details but often recall songs throughout their lives and even on their deathbeds What we sing has a profound influence on us, creating great responsibility for worship leaders Foundation #1: Know Your Heart Reference to 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely" Cultural conditioning has led us to value competency over character Ephesians 5:18-19 commands being filled with the Spirit before addressing singing Many things can cause us to neglect our hearts: busy schedules, tasks, praise, or personal struggles "If our ministries are to bless the congregations that we lead, then our ministries have to be led and staffed by people who know that we have a great need for Jesus." Foundation #2: Know Your Bible Compare Ephesians 5:18-19 with Colossians 3:16 - singing flows from being Spirit-filled and Word-filled Technological and musical excellence alone don't make disciples "What truly makes disciples is the Word of God revealed by His Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of His people." "The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity." People need biblically rich lyrics to help them through grief, shame, and cultural confusion Practical Song Selection Guidelines Songs should use biblical language and themes Songs should be singable for the congregation Find creative ways to incorporate Scripture into worship times (slides, readings, etc.) Style preferences (old/new, simple/complex, upbeat/slow) are secondary to biblical content "When your people are moved by a melody...make sure that what you are giving your people to sing is something worth singing from the Word." Foundation #3: Know Your People Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 both emphasize singing "to one another" Corporate worship is both vertical (to God) and horizontal (to each other) We need each other's voices when we're struggling to worship Practical implication: music shouldn't be so loud that congregants can't hear each other "The church is Jesus's bride. These are his people. He cherishes them. He gave his life for them." You can't shepherd people you don't know The Ultimate Goal of Worship Ministry Help people do what they were designed to do - worship God Attempts to reform behavior or conform people to church culture will fail "What you win people with is what you win them to." "Use those instruments, use those melodies, use the soundboards, use the lighting controllers to show off God's glory, and give your people the kinds of songs that they will sing on their deathbeds." Memorable Quotes "What we sing has a profound influence on us." - Ben Haley "With great power comes great responsibility." - Ben Haley (quoting Uncle Ben from Spider-Man) "We have been conditioned by our culture to value competency over character. We prefer platform over piety. We choose hype over holiness." - Ben Haley "Great melodies don't make disciples. A brighter projector doesn't make disciples. An online service with better EQ doesn't make disciples." - Ben Haley "The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity." - Ben Haley "Church music is not a one-way street from an individual to God. It's also something we do with each other and for each other." - Ben Haley "Church leaders are not leaders of nobody. We are leaders of people." - Ben Haley "I can forgive a man for a bad sermon...if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my savior, and the magnificence of the gospel." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted by Ben Haley) Scripture References 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely" Ephesians 5:18-19 - "Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" Psalm 146 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul" John 10 - Jesus knows his sheep and they know his voice Resources Mentioned Stephen Miller (author referenced regarding worship leadership) Charles Spurgeon (quoted regarding personal worship) Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted in opening and closing) Next Steps For worship leaders and tech teams wanting to implement Ben's teaching: Evaluate your personal worship habits and spiritual disciplines Review your church's song selections for biblical content and singability Make an effort to build deeper relationships with congregation members Consider ways to incorporate more Scripture into your worship services   Apply to Join Churchfront Premium Apply to Join Churchfront Pro Free Worship and Production Toolkit Shop Our Online Courses Join us at the Churchfront Conference Follow Churchfront on Instagram or TikTok: @churchfront Follow on Twitter: @realchurchfront Gear we use to make videos at Churchfront Musicbed SyncID: MB01VWQ69XRQNSN  

Our special interregnum edition from EWTN studios in Rome: Robert Royal, Father Gerald Murray, Gerhard Cardinal Müller, and Edward Pentin discuss the legacy of Pope Francis, and the upcoming conclave.

The Biblical Blueprint for Church Leadership: Examining Titus and the Qualifications of EldersThis study delves into a discussion on church leadership, drawing heavily from the biblical text of Titus, and exploring the crucial qualifications for elders within a church structure. The conversation touches upon ecclesiology, the doctrine of the church, and challenges contemporary approaches to church governance.The Task of Titus and the Importance of Order (00:00:00-00:05:00)The discussion begins with Titus 1:4, emphasizing the blessing and task of ministry. Paul entrusted the gospel to Titus, with the ultimate goal of God's people following God's plan in peace (Ephesians 2:11). Titus's specific task in Crete was to appoint elders (Titus 1:5-9), establishing order within the church. The selection of qualified male elders is paramount to this structure.Defining "Elder" and "Overseer": Understanding the Roles The terms "presbyteros" (elder) and "episkopos" (overseer/bishop) are explored. The podcast clarifies that these terms are synonymous in the New Testament, referring to the same church official. The discussion contrasts this with the concept of a priestly class, emphasizing the "priesthood of believers" where each believer has direct access to God through prayer. Jesus, as prophet, priest, and king, acts as the ultimate mediator.Church Officers: Elders and DeaconsThe study establishes that the New Testament outlines two ordained offices: elders (responsible for spiritual needs) and deacons (responsible for physical needs). The roles of deacons are clarified using examples from Acts and 1 Timothy, while the role of elders is further examined in 1 Timothy and Titus. The term "elder" signifies spiritual maturity and shepherding ministry, a concept reflected in the term "Presbyterian." Qualifications of Elders: Character Above All Else The study meticulously details the qualifications of elders as outlined in Titus 1:6 and elsewhere. These qualifications are not merely about doctrinal knowledge, but primarily about character. An elder must be above reproach, a husband of one wife, leading a godly family, self-controlled, hospitable, and loving good. The importance of a well-governed family is stressed, as an elder's ability to lead his household reflects his capacity to lead the church. The concept of "above reproach" is defined as blameless and without blemishes on one's record. The discussion also touches upon the role of elders in correcting and protecting the flock, using examples of difficult decisions that were ultimately vindicated.The Dangers of Compromising Biblical Standards The study expresses concern over lowered standards for church leadership, citing examples of unqualified individuals being appointed despite recommendations to the contrary. The dangers of prioritizing popularity over qualifications and the pitfalls of the "seeker-sensitive" church model are highlighted. The Role of the Congregation and the Appointment of EldersThe discussion clarifies the process of appointing elders. While the congregation votes, the ultimate appointment is not explicitly biblical; rather, it's a process of discernment and accountability. The importance of knowing church members intimately is stressed, emphasizing the role of the church family in prayer and discernment. The dangers of importing pastors without proper vetting are also highlighted.Podcast: www.ReformedRookie.comPodcast: https://anchor.fm/reformedrookieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReformedRookie Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYapologistSemper Reformanda!

IMAGE CREDIT MEDEF, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons LINKS Vatican bio of Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_barbarin_p.html   Philippe BARBARIN on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvador Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2003.htm#Barbarin   Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/p/17                     Cardinal Philippe BARBARIN on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbarbarin.html    Archdiocese of Lyon on Gcatholic.org: https://gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/lyon0.htm?tab=info        Archdiocese of Lyon on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dlyon.htm The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Primate” (via newadvent.org): https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12423b.htm Brittanca.com, “Lyon”: https://www.britannica.com/place/Lyon-France  Zenit.org coverage of Cardinal Barbarin's 2013 heart attack: https://zenit.org/2013/07/24/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-suffers-heart-attack/  2020 The Guardian reporting on the Preynat case: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/16/defrocked-french-priest-jailed-for-abusing-scouts-over-20-year-period  2019 France24 coverage of Cardinal Barbarin and the Preynat scandal as it stood at the time: https://www.france24.com/en/video/20190319-pope-refuses-french-cardinal-barbarins-resignation-over-abuse-cover-scandal 2020 La Croix interview with the early-retiring Cardinal: https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/cardinal-philippe-barbarin-begins-busy-early-retirement/12647      Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold!   TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights.   Check out the show notes for sources, further reading, and a transcript.   Today we're discussing another current Cardinal of the Catholic Church, one of the 120 or so people who will choose the next Pope when the time comes.   One of eleven children, Philippe Xavier Christian Ignace Marie Barbarin was born on October 17, 1950 in Rabat, Morocco, located right in the middle of the second big inward curve if you're following the coast coming up from south. Though Morocco is over 99% Muslim, Rabat has popped up on our radar before, thanks to recent Cardinal López Romero winding up as Archbishop of Rabat after his continent hopping journeys. Cardinal Barbarin hasn't gotten credit as Morocco's first Cardinal, when you Google that up you get lots of Lopez Romero. Granted, Philippe Barbarin wasn't born in the modern nation of Morocco, rather he was born in French Morocco, like Cardinal Mamberti, if you remember that. And it's fair to not count colonizers who never really lived the same lives as the locals. I don't know for sure that Philippe actually fits that description, but that's also not the only reason folks might not be in a rush to credit him as the first Moroccan Cardinal… but I'm getting ahead of myself.   After Moroccan independence, Philippe wound up in France, experiencing the joys of military service while also studying a little theology and a lot of philosophy in Paris, getting a licentiate in the former from the Carmes Seminary and a doctorate in the latter from the Sarbonne.   In 1977, Philippe Barbarin was ordained a priest for the young diocese of Créteil, centered on an eponymous suburb southeast of Paris. From 1977 till 1985, he served as Vicar in two parishes: Notre-Dame d'Alfortville and Notre-Dame de Vincennes, Notre-Dame of course being French for “Our Lady”, on the off chance that you got this deep without already knowing that.   From ‘85 to ‘90, Father Barbarin served two parishes and a school simultaneously, as well as an ecumenical role in the diocese. The parishes, if you're wondering, were Saint François de Sales d'Adambille en Saint-Maur, and Saint-Hilaire de la Varenne.   From ‘91 to ‘94, Father Barbarin served as the pastor of Saint Léger Parish and then transferred quite a ways, effectively being loaned out to the Archdiocese of Fianarantsoa in Madagascar, where he taught theology at the Major Seminary of Vohitsoa. Which explains the presence of Malagasy, the dominant language of Madagascar, on the list of languages Cardinal Barbarin Speaks, along with English, Italian, Spanish, German, and of course his native French.   1998 was white phone time, when Father Barbarin heard from Pope Saint John Paul the Second that he was going to be made Bishop of Moulins, back in France. As is so often the case, you can see why the three bishops that consecrated him were chosen for the task: his principal consectator was the Archbishop of Fianarantsoa, who he had been serving under in Madagascar, accompanied by his original bishop in France from Créteil, as well as the Bishop emeritus of Moulins who he was replacing.   Physically located in pretty much the exact center of France, it's worth noting that I simply do not trust the demographic data Catholic-Hierarchy.org has for the Diocese of Moulins. I want to give them credit for their essential work, and it's entirely possible the error is in the sources they're relying on and not some issue on their end, but I don't see how you can have the shifts shown in the period recorded. I'm sure I've missed flagging bad data before, so don't take this as an indication that I'll point it out whenever there's something fishy floating around, but I do what I can and felt I should mention the oddity there. At some point when I get around to it I'll cross reference their source material since they're kind enough to cite it.   In 2002, Bishop Barbarin was chosen as the next Archbishop of the ancient see of Lyon in southeasternish France. Allegedly, Lyon was the Capital of the Gauls back when the Gauls were a thing, and in any event it's pretty universally agreed that it's old enough one of its first bishops was a disciple of a disciple of Saint John, so basically Jesus' spiritual great-grandson, and that wasn't even the *first* bishop there. To this day, the Archbishop of Lyon also carries the title of Primate of the Gauls.   In 2003, that is, at the next opportunity, Archbishop Barbarin was made a Cardinal, which is completely unsurprising given the status of Lyon: every Archbishop of Lyon in the 20th century was made a Cardinal. And as we know, the red hat gets you additional duties: he was made a member of the Congregations for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Of course the most famous duty of a Cardinal is the one he exercised in the conclave of 2005 that elected Pope Benedict, and again in the 2013 election that gave us Pope Francis.   Later on in 2013, Cardinal Barbarin suffered a heart attack while in South America preparing for World Youth Day. An unsourced wikipedia entry states that he underwent a successful triple bypass surgery in Martinique a few days later, and I think it's safe enough to say something like that happened: in any event he did survive.   In 2016, Cardinal Barbarin began to get asked questions about his handling–or lack thereof-of a bad priest, a certain Father Bernard Preynat. Content warning, I'm not going to go into graphic detail but yes we're talking about the abuse of minors here. From 1971 to 1991 Father Preynat abused some seventy minors he encountered principally through the scouting program.   Obviously, and allow me to stress this emphatically, the charge against Barbarin was not the abuse itself, but rather his lack of disclosure of the situation to the authorities. This was very much a charge though, because his lack of reporting was apparently a crime, and as a victim myself- though not of clergy- rightly so. Apparently in 2019 when Cardinal Barbarin was originally convicted of failing to report and was given a six month suspended sentence, he offered his resignation to Pope Francis, who initially refused, speaking of the presumption of innocence, which seems an odd line to take given Barbarin had *just* been convicted, but hey what do I know.   In any event, the next year Cardinal Barbarin's conviction *was* overturned on appeal, so it seems Pope Francis was perhaps wise to wait, but then in March his holiness turned around and accepted Cardinal Barbarin's resignation after all, making him the Archbishop Emeritus of Lyon.    Cardinal Barbarin says he is available for whatever mission Pope Francis might entrust him with next.   Barring a further change in his status, which to be clear I do not expect as I think it would have happened already if it was going to happen, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin remains eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2030.   Today's episode is part of Cardinal Numbers. Stay tuned to see if today's Cardinal gets selected for a deeper dive in the next round! Thank you for listening; God bless you all!

April 29, 2025 ~ Mayor Mike Duggan secured a significant endorsement from over 150 Michigan pastors and community leaders for his run as an Independent for governor. Duggan joins Lloyd, Jamie, and Chris Renwick to discuss the endorsement and his strive to connect with voters all across Michigan.

Colossians 3:5-10 Printable Outline:    4-27-25     Sermon audio:    4-27-25     Sermon video: unavailable at this time

1 And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come.Post haec autem designavit Dominus et alios septuaginta duos : et misit illos binos ante faciem suam in omnem civitatem et locum, quo erat ipse venturus. 2 And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.Et dicebat illis : Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci. Rogate ergo dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves.Ite : ecce ego mitto vos sicut agnos inter lupos. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.Nolite portare sacculum, neque peram, neque calceamenta, et neminem per viam salutaveritis. 5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.In quamcumque domum intraveritis, primum dicite : Pax huic domui : 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.et si ibi fuerit filius pacis, requiescet super illum pax vestra : sin autem, ad vos revertetur. 7 And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house.In eadem autem domo manete, edentes et bibentes quae apud illos sunt : dignus est enim operarius mercede sua. Nolite transire de domo in domum. 8 And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.Et in quamcumque civitatem intraveritis, et susceperint vos, manducate quae apponuntur vobis : 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.et curate infirmos, qui in illa sunt, et dicite illis : Appropinquavit in vos regnum Dei.St Paul all his life had a burning love for Jesus. He founded the Congregation of Passionists. He and his brethren were preachers of "the mystery of the cross and of devotion to the Passion". He died A.D. 1775.

Not a spelling mistake, a pun. I do those. Search up "dubia letter" if you're scrathing your head over the title. LINKS Catholic Herald coverage of Cardinal Müller's church split comments: https://thecatholicherald.com/cardinal-muller-warns-church-risks-split-if-orthodox-pope-not-chosen/  Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo (1975): https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/it/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19751001_romano-pontifici-eligendo.html  CNN coverage of Cardinal Becciu situation: https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/23/europe/cardinal-becciu-conclave-controversy-intl/index.html  Cruxnow coverage of Sister Brambilla situation: https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2025/04/francis-legacy-lives-as-top-vatican-woman-gets-accidental-invite-to-conclave  Pontifacts + Popeular History Livestream of Pope Francis' funeral (join Adopt-A-Cardinal in the comments!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cl8ISMTqMA  Novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots: https://www.theholyrosary.org/maryundoerknots/  TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History. My name is Gregg and this is another Conclave special: “Raising the Alarm: Schism by Dubias Means?” Last Thursday, The Catholic Herald ran an article titled “Cardinal Müller warns Church risks split if ‘orthodox' pope not chosen.” Specifically, the Catholic Herald quotes the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as saying “a heretic pope who changes every day depending on what the mass media is saying would be catastrophic.” Which, I hope he's answering a question like “would a heretic pope who changes every day depending on what the mass media is saying be catastrophic”? Because unless that idea is being planted in his mind by the interviewer, it would seem that such a dire scenario is something Cardinal Müller is actively worried about. And if it's something he's actively worried about, well that's got its own gravity. Bottom line, the article raises the potential specter of a schism, a split, in the Church, presumably some sort of major antipope situation where some of the Cardinals decide to reject the conclusion and go off and set up a rival Pope. We've seen antipopes before many times in Church history, though it's been a while since there's been a major one, recognized by a significant number of Catholics, say 5 percent. Or heck, even 1 percent. Longtime Pontifacts listeners will recall Bry and Fry actually interviewed Pope Michael, a modern antipope, back in 2022 shortly before his death. Oh, and thanks recent livestream viewer "Nogah f" for asking their antipope question with a handy definition of “serious” antipope accompanying, that was useful. Attentive listeners will probably know that I'm concerned about the possibility of schism myself, and if the Herald headline about Cardinal Müller is correct, I'm not alone. The reality is that even if the headline is wrong, I am comfortable saying it would be naïve to conclude that the possibility of schism isn't present in the minds of most Cardinals. After all, fundamentally, preventing schism is what the conclave process and ultimately the College of Cardinals is all about. Really, you could take it further: preventing schism is what the Papacy is about, uniting Christians under one clear umbrella. Wait, no, preventing schism is what Christianity is about, uniting humanity in Christ. Wait, no, ending the schism between God and humanity caused by the Fall is what Christ is about. You get the idea: Schism bad. Given that there seems to be more concern about the possibility of schism than usual, as we ramp up towards the conclave, it's worth asking what should be done to reduce the possibility and severity of such a break. Obviously it's pretty presumptuous of me to be talking about this, but I haven't seen it elsewhere, and it needs to be discussed. There are steps that should be taken publicly before the conclave to resolve ambiguities and close loopholes, and I haven't seen them taken yet, which has me a bit nervous, but given the nature of the situation, well, it may simply be that fundamental differences will remain. I'll update the show notes if and when I see updates relating to any of these things, this is obviously pretty cutting edge in terms of events coverage and there's a lot going on. Ok, let me lay this out. First, there are a surprising number of issues relating to who is actually a Cardinal-Elector in this conclave: an unusually high number of points of discussion, but not an unprecedented number, to be clear, since you need to work hard to find truly unprecedented things in Church history. Second, there is a notably strong traditionalist camp who, if I may read between the lines in Müller's statement, is prepared to reject any Pope they do not consider sufficiently orthodox. Let's tackle the first topic first. Probably the single most significant source of uncertainty in this election is the canonical limit of 120 Cardinal Electors, given that this will be the first Conclave to exceed the limit. In fact, there will be more Cardinal-Electors in this conclave than there have ever been, though that may be misleading, after all, how many people tended to take part in the Papal elections of the first millennium where not only the clergy but the people of Rome participated? Rome was smaller then, but it would be difficult to believe it wasn't a healthy crowd. The word “thousands” comes to mind. And yes, I too wonder how many women were in the crowds on those occasions when Popes were elected by acclamation. But then I think of how if it were up to individual voting in any form, even the most popular elections in the Hellenistic world appeared to be sausage fests. The Greco-Roman milieu gave us the Patriarchy after all, and as they say, the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. In any event, the 120 cap being broken isn't too crazy a precedent, as it was only established in 1975 and was ignored at times by two of Pope Francis' traditionally-minded predecessors, Pope Saint John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. But it's also worth noting that Pope Francis ignored the rule so aggressively you might be tempted to think he misunderstood it. Did he think it was a minimum rather than a maximum? By my count, when Francis announced what would turn out to be his final batch of new Cardinals on October 6th of last year, there were already 121 new Cardinals kicking around, and it was only the untimely death of Spanish Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot that made sure there were fewer than 120 electors when the time came for the official elevation of the new batch. During the waiting period, one of the announced new Cardinals–Bishop Syukur of Bogor, Indonesia–declined the honor, and, as if to underscore how determined he was to have a very full College of Cardinals, Pope Francis elevated the Archbishop of Naples in his place, bringing the total number of Cardinal-Electors to a record high 140, which went mostly down to 135 by the time of Pope Francis' death last Monday due to Cardinals reaching the age of 80 and automatically losing their elector status. And yes, you heard that right, the Catholic Church of all places is one of the few organizations in the world with a hard cap on the age of electors. Oh, and yes, I did say the number went *mostly* down, more on that later. In reality, the Pope is an absolute monarch. Sure, the Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo exists and caps the number of Cardinal-Electors at 120 in Paragraph 33, but it's not like that was news to Pope Francis when he was blatantly disregarding It throughout his pontificate, and it's not like absolute monarchs are bound by constitutions–that's pretty specifically what makes them absolute monarchs. In short, it was a bit of a non-issue for him. And I also think it was an occasion where he decided to make things uncomfortable for the cardinals who he critiqued for being too comfortable early on in his pontificate. He famously told people to make a bit of a mess in the Church, and here he made a bit of a mess with the constitution of the college compared to the, uh, well, the Constitution of the College. I think he wanted the Cardinals to *have to * figure it out,  have to be a little uncomfortable with rigid rules. Anyways, in the words of an analysis kindly provided by Gabe over at the Papability Index over on X, quote “The 120 rule is a matter of Ecclesiastical Law, not Divine Law, so the Pope can dispense of it as he sees fit. Those ‘extra' Cardinals have just as many rights as the 120 since the Pope's powers, privileges, and appointments are unassailable as long as he's operating within the confines of Divine Law.”  end quote That makes sense to me, but constitutions are more of an issue for constitutional bodies, which, at the end of the day, is what the College of Cardinals is. I hate to say it, but I am definitely of the opinion that the College needs to address this discrepancy somehow, as this is a loophole that could be used to undermine the legitimacy of the next Pope. Perhaps the safest course would be to ensure the final vote is lopsided enough that a ⅔ majority would be cleared even discounting the “extra” electors, however many there end up being. Really what I think may happen is that this issue will go unaddressed during the sede vacante but may be used by a dissatisfied faction as an excuse to refuse to recognize the result. If this happens, it will be readily identifiable as an excuse because if the faction were really only interested in the legitimacy of the election, they would be objecting sooner, like right now, before any votes take place. To allow the conclave to proceed without flagging legitimate concerns about its, well, legitimacy, would be startlingly irresponsible for any Cardinal, and to follow that up with only rejecting the result and declaring an antipope only after the fact would expose the cynical motives and manipulative nature of such an act. I genuinely hope that doesn't happen, but now is not the time for me to sit back and say nothing about the apparent possibility. There are other smaller-scale eligibility questions with similar solutions and potentially similar outcomes, such as the updated official birthdays of a couple of the African cardinals that have had the result of keeping them eligible. I want to be clear that I, personally, am not questioning their eligibility, nor is this breaking news, this is as publicly available information as the 120 elector limit and everything else I've been talking about. But all legitimately concerned about avoiding schism should raise their objections now. Any Cardinals planning to toss the game board only after they lose need to know that their motives are clear and that this is not a game. And yeah, in case you can't tell, I have a particular concern about this. But it's a general problem, so there's no need to put my case into territory where I could be accused of ad hominem accusations by naming names. Let's just say late challenges here would be doubias at best. There's also the case of Cardinal Becciu, who as I understand it, resigned the rights and privileges of the Cardinalate back in 2020 but who now appears to be arguing that participating in a Conclave wasn't among those rights and privileges that he resigned. I do not expect the other Cardinals to find his arguments convincing. Finally, we have the case of Sister Simona Bambrilla, a female head of one of the Vatican's Dicasteries and more importantly *not a Cardinal* who was accidentally invited to participate in the Cardinals-only general congregations that began last week. I don't expect that to be an actual issue, but I thought it worth mentioning both for a bit of levity and as a reminder of the way women are kept out of places where they really honestly should be if you ask me. Whoops, uh, there went that levity. Ok, so that's my TED talk on the surprisingly fuzzy boundaries marking of the participants in the upcoming conclave. Eventually the “Extra Omnes” will be said and the doors will be locked “Con clave”--with a key, and, well, the “speak now or forever hold your peace” window will have passed at that point. Unless there are significant developments before then, I anticipate only Cardinal Becciu will have raised concerns, and then only for his case if my reading is right. Pro tip: I'm giving plenty of qualifiers when talking about Becciu due to what I perceive as a high risk of litigation. Just in case that wasn't obvious. Anyways, let's shift gears to the second of topic of concern I brought up at the start of this: Cardinals prepared to reject any Pope they do not consider sufficiently orthodox. And really, I can broaden that out to any Catholic prepared to reject the Pope, because the underlying scenario is the same, whether you're a Cardinal or a catechumen. If you reject the Pope, you're not Catholic. Union with the Pope is what defines Catholicism. I know there are those who disagree, I would hope they are not Cardinals of the Catholic Church. They can go play for Saint Louis if they want to be Cardinals while rejecting the Pope. The idea that a Pope can be deposed for heresy has been brought up and refuted time and again throughout Church history. If I need to work up an episode on that specifically I can, but the reality is putting this together has been a lot of work for one night, following up on the two and a half hours I spent livestreaming Francis' funeral at 4 am yesterday. Oh, yes, so if you're looking for yesterday's episode, by the way, look on the Pontifacts feed youtube and get ready to Adopt-A-Cardinal in the comments of the video! In any case, getting away from the self-plug and back to as serious as I have ever been and then some, I'll say this: I will accept whoever the next Pope is as Pope until they die or resign. You'd think Cardinals would be prepared to do this as well, but I've developed a degree of doubt. I want to conclude this episode by encouraging you to join the Vice-Pope and I in a novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots. As you may know, a novena is a sort of nine-day prayer-a-thon for a specific intention: in this case for a successful conclave, defined as one that finds the Cardinals and the whole Church united under the new Pope.  As you may also know, Our Lady, Undoer of Knots was a favorite devotion of the late Pope Francis, himself a noted fan of Our Lady. Since the novena includes a complete Rosary, and it's quite late, I'm not going to accompany you through the actual prayers as we go, just encourage you to consider joining Vice-Pope Mrs Popeular History and I on it in the coming days (and yeah, you can start it whenever, it's not like we have to be on the same timetable or you can't have a similar intention after the conclave wraps up). Fair warning, when I asked Mrs. Popeular History if she was up for this she said, and I quote, “sure, But it's known to end up with things worse before they get better lol” So on that note, thank you all for listening, God bless you all!

Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church, New Bern Podcast! Join Paul and Anna each week as they chat about upcoming church events, the week's sermon, and fun facts about the church. In today's episode Paul-Scott gives a quick intro before we enjoy the Easter Sermon!The conversation is followed by the prayers, readings, and sermon from Sunday's livestream service. Recorded live each week at First Pres in beautiful historic downtown New Bern, North Carolina.First Presbyterian Church, New Bern, North Carolina, established in 1817. A Congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Building community, transforming lives, engaging the world.See more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.firstpresnb.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on social media at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/firstpresnb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our streaming service each week at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCKw0GnheJfOUlVv_g5bBrEw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Permission to podcast/stream live music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License A-701790 and CCLI 3202763. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream recorded music from artist.io.

Sermon at 17:24.   Bulletin: Easter 2 Bulletin 25   Congregation at Prayer: CaP, 4/27/25

The ten largest “megachurches” in the US today, boost attendance figures from 26,000 to 76,000!! Our entire Church organization does not even come close to those figures. Have you ever wondered why we are so small? There is an answer to that question.

Hadith 47 - Isha and Fajr in Congregation by Al-Maqasid

Hadith 33 - Prayer in Congregation by Al-Maqasid

Hadith 28 - Prayer In Congregation by Al-Maqasid

Hadith 29 - Isha And Fajr In Congregation by Al-Maqasid

What do a lip-filled faker in jump shoes, a bike taxi trickster, and a sexy scoundrel entrepreneur all have in common? YOU, because on today's episode, Laci is joined by Arden Myrin (The Righteous Gemstones, Insatiable) for a very special edition of the CONgregation's Confessionals! That's right, after a long search, Laci is cracking open the vault to read your juiciest confessions—previously hidden behind a paywall.As always, keep the scams coming and snitch on your shady friends by emailing us at ScamGoddessPod@gmail.com. Stay schemin'!CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram:Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspodLaci Mosley: @divalaciArden Myrin: @ardenmyrin Confession Stories by the CONgregationCurated By Jessica Cisneros Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

JC Campbell joins Dale on today's 95Podcast to discuss a variety of topics facing the Church. He serves as the Lead Pastor of Greater Hope Church in Evansville, IN. He also serves with the Indiana Center for Congregations as Southwest Regional Director. His passion for the next generation is contagious.Your hope will be built up as you hear JC's vision for a church that is connecting with young families as well as those far from Jesus.Show Notes: https://www.95network.org/ministry-intentionality-w-jc-campbell-episode-282/Support the show

Colossians 3:1-4 Printable Outline:    4-20-25     Sermon audio:    4-20-25     Sermon video:

The whole of Ukraine has been in turmoil for the last 3 years, and we are blessed to get to interview Fr. Vitaliy Novak, a Ukrainian priest with the Vincentian Congregation of the Mission  who has been serving the people of Ukraine both through aid efforts and now as a military chaplain with his mobile chapel.  He is joined by Fr. Tomaž Mavrič the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission. To learn more about the Congregation of the Mission click here: https://cmglobal.org/en/Click here to learn more about supporting the Pontifical Missions Societies:https://pontificalmissions.orgFollow us on socials!https://x.com/tpms_usahttps://www.instagram.com/tpms_us/

Church doesn't have to be boring! In this interview, Phil Cooke https://philcooke.com talks with Executive Pastor Ben Stapley of Zarephath Christian Church to uncover creative, practical ways to revitalize your worship experience. Whether you're running a traditional or contemporary church service, these creative strategies will boost engagement, improve sermon retention, and help your congregation connect with God on a deeper level.