“When I have a terrible need of-shall I say the word-religion, then I go out and paint the stars.” -Vincent van Gogh

Not long ago I was attending a ministry conference at a very large church. The setting was impressive by any measure. The mammoth auditorium sat thousands in cushioned theater seats rising heavenward. Wherever I looked a dozen flat-panel displays crammed my field of vision with presenters flashing their high definition smiles. And the stage was alive; a mechanical beast to behold. It was moving fluidly, breathing smoke, and shooting lasers through its digital chameleon skin. The band members were spread across the platform as jagged teeth in the beast’s mouth, and the drummer was precariously suspended from the ceiling like a pagan offering. But even this spectacle…

I just returned from two days in Las Vegas. Brandon O’Brien, Leadership’s assistant editor, and I were there to interview Craig Gross. Craig is the guy who started XXXChurch.com seven years ago. In 2008 he relocated his family and a dozen other people to Las Vegas to launch The Strip Church. (There’s a great NightLine video on the site you should see.)

We interviewed Craig about what it means to be a church and engage God’s mission in a culture of growing addictions and vices. The article will appear in the spring issue of Leadership due out in April. Craig’s vision is essentially to create a short-term missions project where churches from around the country send teams of people to Las Vegas to reach out at the many trade conventions.…

Next Tuesday the new President will take his first drive in his new limousine down Pennsylvania Ave. The recently unveiled custom built Cadillac is described as a luxury tank. It’s not as elegant as the Mercedes-Benz popular with European heads of state, but those cars probably could not withstand a direct asteroid hit either. Here are a few of the more bizarre features of “Cadillac One.”

-Armored doors weigh as much as a cabin door on a Boeing 757.

-Tires are shred and puncture resistant and can still run when flat.

-Night vision cameras.

-Bottles of the President’s blood are kept in the car for emergency transfusions.

-Only the driver’s window can open, and only three inches, to communicate with Secret Service agents outside.

-Armour plated fuel tank with special foam preventing explosion even…

Christians have always been pro-life. During the Roman Empire when infanticide was rampant, it was Christians who retrieved abandoned babies from outside the city walls to raise them as their own. But since Roe verses Wade, the way “pro-life” has been defined by many Christians has been very narrow. It simply meant anti-abortion. But that now seems to be changing. Growing numbers of Christians are embracing a wider ethic of life.Jim Wallis and Sojourners have called for a Christian agenda that is pro-life “from the womb to the tomb.” That means valuing children after they are born, and not just before. It means valuing social justice, equality, education, health care, and human rights. It means fighting poverty and advocating for those without a voice.For a while this agenda…

This morning the most searched term on Google was “John 3:16.” A sudden worldwide interest in the Bible, Jesus, and God’s love perhaps? Not exactly. Last night’s college football championship game saw missionary kid/quarterback Tim Tebow with the biblical reference written on his eye black.

My colleague at Leadership Journal, Brian Lowery, has written a great piece about the story at Out of Ur. Here’s a bit:

Isn’t it awfully telling that people actually had to look up John 3:16 on Google to know what it says? Before you think I’m an idiot, let me be clear that I know America is biblically illiterate. But have we reached a new low? It used to be that you could bank on people knowing at least a few biblical texts, and John 3:16…

Earlier this month National Public Radio discussed the most significant religion stories from 2008. It’s well worth listening to. You’ll find it here.

Some of the topics covered include:

-The failure of Bush and the GOP to maintain an iron grip on the religious vote.

-The broadening of issues among religious voters beyond abortion and marriage.

-Barack Obama’s appeal to religious voters and his selection of Rick Warren to pray at his inauguration.

-Jeremiah Wright and the public nature of preaching.

-California’s vote to ban same-sex marriage.

-Pope Benedict’s visit to the United States.

-Immigration controversies.

-Racial openness growing in The Nation of Islam.