Hello World, 
Well, this week in church news has been a doozy…and it kind of reminds me of the lyrics in Prince’s song “Controversy.” Below is an excerpt of the lyrics…
I just can’t believe All the things people say, controversy Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay? Controversy…
And Prince even references “The Lord’s Prayer” in the rest of the song…And this verse also reminds me of a few verses in Matthew 10.
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
In this verse and the verses that follow, Jesus basically says that your faith in God will cause you to be involved in some controversy and with this in mind, a run-down of the controversial church news of the week…
1. We’ve all heard about the Chick-fil-A controversy…Here is one take on it…“Eat Mor ChiKin’: Black Church Group Comes Out to Support Chick-Fil-A” (Politics365)
2. Some church controversy is happening over in Jackson, Mississippi too…“Black Couple Says White Church Banned Wedding: Crystal Springs Mayor ‘Heartbroken'” (ClarionLedger.com)
3. All is not awry in Mississippi…The state’s first black bishop in the United Methodist Church has been named..“Methodists Laud 1st Black Bishop” (ClarionLedger.com)
4. Contraception controversy…“81 Percent of Blacks and Hispanics Say They Can Hold Different Opinion on Contraception Than Church and Be Considered Good Christians” (Huffington Post)
5. More controversy on the black church and AIDS…“Maker of film on the black church and AIDS probes tension between faith and knowledge” (Washington Post)
6. In more “first black” news, some racial controversy at Duke University…Well, this is not a controversial story, but it would have been years ago as Duke University named its first black dean of its chapel…“Duke Names New Dean of Chapel” (Newsobserver.com)
7. Church Kidnapping Controversy…“Fake Church Kidnapping: Pennsylvania Pastor, Church Charged With False Imprisonment” (Huffington Post)
Yes, it was definitely a controversial church news week…Let the church say amen!
Any thoughts?
As far as the Chick-Fil-A issue goes, they have ALWAYS represented as a Christian owned and operated business, and they have the right to run it however they want! They aren’t discriminating against gays.
What the heck is wrong with that couple in Mississippi? Why would they want to be married in an all-white church to begin with? As the old saying goes, “Go where you’re celebrated not tolerated.”
I would definitely want to be married where I feel love for sure…And with Chick-fil-A, I’m not sure why people are so surprised by their views…They have always seemed very traditional to me…