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** Last words and sermon titles
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People have long found last words fascinating. I once received as a gift a book that collected famous people’s final statements before they died. They ranged from silly to profound, but somehow they all carried unseen weight. I’m not sure if the same applies to last sermon titles, but as Isaac Villegas notes in a new essay ([link removed]) , Martin Luther King Jr.’s (for a sermon he never got to preach) was “Why America May Go to Hell.”
And I must say, that feels pretty prescient. But here at the Century, we are not giving in to despair. We will cover important developments in this hellscape—like proposed bills that would require the 10 Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms ([link removed]) —with groundedness. And of course there is still an important place for humor and essays about the value of rambunctious kids in a church service ([link removed]) .
Our video of the week features a philosophical chat with David Dault, who answers my questions about Mr. Rogers, French philosophy, and John 8 ([link removed]) . Plus scroll down for plenty of other great new content!
Jon Mathieu
Email me (mailto:
[email protected]?subject=Interpreting%20the%20headlines&body=Jon%2C%20) : Which philosopher (or TV show personality!) helps you make sense of current events?
Click to schedule ([link removed]) a Friday lunch chat with Jon
Click to find Jon ([link removed]) on (X/Twitter alternative) Bluesky
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** American hell ([link removed])
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“On April 4, 1968, hours before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. phoned the office at Ebenezer Baptist Church back home in Atlanta. It was a Thursday, and he had to let the church secretary know his sermon title for Sunday’s service: Why America May Go to Hell.”
by Isaac S. Villegas
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** Ten Commandments, zero context ([link removed])
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“Will those Christians who cherish these commandments enough to have them displayed in every public classroom also submit to their prophetic call?”
by Mark Glanville
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** Can philosophy help us process horrifying headlines? ([link removed])
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Jon chats with David Dault about Fred Rogers, Gilles Deleuze, and Jesus—and how they can help us read the news.
** In the Lectionary for April 13 (Palm C) ([link removed])
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When we cannot praise, the rest of creation carries the song.
** In the Lectionary for April 13 (Passion C) ([link removed])
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What do we do with our powerlessness?
both by Jasmin Pittman
Lent Palm C archives ([link removed])
Lent Passion C archives ([link removed])
Get even more lectionary resources with Sunday’s Coming Premium, an email newsletter from the editors of the Christian Century. Learn more ([link removed]) .
** In praise of unruly children in church ([link removed])
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“Kids who can’t behave in church are a sign that God has not yet abandoned us.”
by Phil Christman
** A mother-son road trip across the divide ([link removed])
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Jedidiah Jenkins recounts a long drive with his conservative mother—and his attempt to navigate their complicated relationship.
review by Virginia Monroe
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