Recently in one of our “Evening Meditation” (video) Bible Studies … we came across this verse in John, in John’s Gospel. First, the context. The “Jews” (leaders in Israel who were also nonbelievers in Jesus, in fact, enemies of Jesus) were trying to sow animosity (discord) between John the Baptist and Jesus! They merely mentioned […]
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40 Days and 40 Nights of Gospel Music is currently on at the Ark Encounter (and Wednesdays at the Creation Museum) through September 10, 2022.
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The fantasy role-playing game's theological dimensions can be spiritually formative.  In my four years of teaching theology at Wheaton College, one of my most memorable meetings was with a student wanting to know how best to defend Dungeons & Dragons to skeptical relatives.Students ask me all kinds of things during my office-hours appointments, but this was a first. I was aware of D&D’s role in the satanic panic of the 1980s, but I assumed most suspicion toward the game had disappeared now that cooler heads and more informed minds had prevailed.Unfortunately, I was wrong.Dungeons & Dragons is the oldest commercially available fantasy role-playing game. Now in its fifth edition, D&D has been around since 1974 when Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson published their first set of rules.Though it’s been played for almost half a century, we’ve witnessed something of a revival in recent years, spurred by the success of Stranger Things, D&D web series like Critical Role, and the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s also a whole field of interdisciplinary scholarly research on role-playing games (RPGs) of all kinds.I started playing D&D a few years ago, motivated largely by a desire to connect with my adolescent son. Eventually, our whole family joined in the fun.The first lockdown of the pandemic soon turned our family’s occasional dabbling into a weekly commitment. As I’ve written elsewhere, my family has survived the pandemic by both praying together and playing together—D&D has become for us what soccer or tae kwon do might be for others.I’ve spent most of the past couple years serving as the game’s facilitator or narrator—referred to as a dungeon master—but I have also played in a few short-lived campaigns as one of ...Continue reading...
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Unlicensed production prompts cease-and-desist letter from Broadway musical.  When offered a chance to save his soul at a Texas church this past weekend, Alexander Hamilton did not throw away his shot.During a slightly adapted production of the hit musical Hamilton at The Door Church, a large, diverse congregation, the main character bowed his head, closed his eyes and gave his life to Jesus.“What is a legacy?” the actor playing Hamilton said, according to a recording of the show obtained by Religion News Service. “It’s knowing you repented and accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ that sets men free.”There was just one problem. The church did not have the rights to perform Hamilton or post videos from a performance online.“Hamilton does not grant amateur or professional licenses for any stage productions and did not grant one to The Door Church,” a spokesperson for the musical told RNS in an email.After learning about the unauthorized performance on social media, the producers of Hamilton sent a cease-and-desist letter to the church, instructing them to remove all videos and other images of the August 5 performance. The producers did tell the church it could go ahead with a performance on the following day, provided the performance was not recorded, no images of the event were posted online and no additional productions would be staged.According to a statement from the producers, they planned to discuss “this matter with the parties behind this unauthorized production within the coming days once all facts are properly vetted.”Written by actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton reimagines the early days of the United States with a diverse cast and a hip-hop inspired score. The musical debuted in 2015 and became a pop culture juggernaut.A staffer ...Continue reading...
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JOHNSON CITY, TN – IMC Concerts President, Landon Beene is please to share the exciting news that the 2023 Gospel Music Celebration Hawaii Cruise is no longer restricted by required vaccinations. This news comes as Norwegian Cruise Line announced on August 8, that starting in September, the Cruise Line will end its vaccine requirement for Read More
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