The resurrection-focused film “Risen,”directed by Kevin Reynolds hit theaters Feb. 19 of this year. According to the film-information website Box Office Mojo, the production budget from the Sony-owned production company Affirm Films sat at a solid $20 million for the film. With fierce competition in the theaters from other films such as “Deadpool” however, “Risen”only garnered about $12.5 million in the box office in the film’s opening weekend. One of the larger budgeted religious films since ‘Passion of the Christ” in 2004, this film appears to be representative of a growing favoritism toward faith-based films in Hollywood.
Washington (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was remembered Saturday as a man of faith, family and the law in a funeral marked by church ritual and pageantry for the conservative jurist whose larger-than-life personality dominated the high court for nearly three decades.
According to a research study done in January by the Pew Research Center on public approval ratings for news media and religious organizations, “Millennials’ rating of churches and other religious organizations has dipped by 18 percentage points. About 55 percent now say churches have a positive impact on the country compared with five years ago, when nearly three-quarters (73 percent) said this.” Over the course of five years (2010-2015), this 55percent represents an all-time low for Millennial approval ratings of religious organizations. In contrast to the other generations, which all showed increased positivity toward churches and religious organizations, the Millennial Generation was a stark contrast of decline.
Warsaw, Poland — Hundreds of letters that the Polish Cardinal who later became Pope John Paul II wrote to a woman philosopher document a “difficult” and “courageous” friendship of 32 years and suggest she could have been in love with the Catholic Church leader, the head of Poland’s National Library said Tuesday.
At a time when our nation is the process of choosing a new leader and violent extremists seek to harm the citizens of Western civilization at home and abroad, even the most apathetic Americans have cause for concern. In fact, it may be correct to say that few times have been more stressful domestically and internationally for our country. In the midst of such troubles especially, it is easy to lose sight of the trust we need to place in God. However, one of the most important places of refuge open to all Christians during these times of trouble is prayer, if only we are willing to use it.
With all the details that go into organizing a once-in-a-lifetime party for 50, 100, 200 or more of your nearest and dearest, it’s easy to forget that life goes on after the big day is over. Even if you dated for years and/or lived together before the wedding, the weeks and months that follow can sometimes be a bumpy road. But planning for the potential downs should make them a little easier to manage.
Houston (AP) — For the most part, the oldest landmarks are gone. The bayou-side brush arbor never was meant to last, and the old “Baptist Hill,” site of a wooden box-like chapel, now is occupied by the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
God’s work calls people of all backgrounds, cultures and skills. Pastor Jonathan Arneault of The Rock United Pentecostal Church in Gulf Breeze and Pastor Jim Whitten of the Momentum Church in Gulf Breeze are two such extraordinary men who found themselves called to ministry in service to their local congregations. In terms of skills, both of these men have shown prowess in the field of big business, while also acting to serve others.
