• On Saturday, June 20, The Court for the Trial of a Bishop posted a notice dated June 19, 2026 that postpones the date of the trial to October 26, 2026 “to better fulfill its goal of providing a full and fair adjudication of the allegations in this matter.”

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The Golden Result is a corollary to the Golden Rule, which calls us to do to others as we would have them do to us. The Golden Result says that people will usually treat us as we treat them. If we blame others for a problem, they will usually blame in return. But if we say, “I was wrong,” it is amazing how often the response will be, “It was my fault too.” I have seen this result in hundreds of cases over the past twenty-one years. Whether the dispute involves a personal quarrel, divorce, lawsuit, or church division, people generally treat one another as they are being treated.

When one person attacks and accuses, so does the other. And when God moves one person to start getting the log out of his or her own eye, it is rare that the other side fails to do the same. The Golden Result occurs most often with people who understand and cherish the gospel. When we admit that our own sins are so serious that Jesus had to die for us, and remember that he has forgiven us for all our wrongs, we can let go of our illusion of self-righteousness and freely admit our failures. When we do this, we experience the wonderful gift of God’s forgiveness. And in many cases, he will be pleased to use our confessions to help others see the logs in their eyes.

Ken Sande, The Peacemaker (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991)

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy holy martyr Alban triumphed over suffering and was faithful even unto death: Grant to us, who now remember him with thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

22 June, @churchofengland remembers #Alban, first Christian known to have been martyred in British Isles. A pagan, he had been led to Christian faith by a fleeing priest & gave himself up in the man’s place. @StAlbansCath is on the site of his burial place. #StAlbans #martyralban pic.twitter.com/zOTAssItCR

— Revd Nicholas Pye (@RevdPye) June 22, 2026

Almighty God,
you have broken the tyranny of sin
and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts
whereby we call you Father:
give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service,
that we and all creation may be brought
to the glorious liberty of the children of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Good morning from the Applecross area in the northwest Highlands of Scotland. The Isle of Skye is over the water. Weather is set fair, and I’m in landscape heaven. Have a lovely Monday wherever you find yourself today.#MondayMotivation #MondayVibes pic.twitter.com/aBwZo27Q0c

— Kate Sheehan-Finn🇮🇪🇪🇺✍️📖🏛🏺 (@KatesfWriter) June 22, 2026

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people; but Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.

–Matthew 19:13-22

News 8 Sunrise 😎@Brennan_Somers @OranSpitzer @JamesGilbertWX pic.twitter.com/j7PZ4s6vQa

— Jeff Nasca (@JNasca) June 22, 2026

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sunrise on the longest day of 2026 #summersolstice across the Forth Bridge #Scotland @bbcweather @BBCWthrWatchers @stvweatherwatch @SeanBattyTV @JudithRalston @krobertsonitv @StormHour @VisitScotland @ThePhotoHour pic.twitter.com/dIEiYb77fX

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) June 21, 2026

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.”

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

–Acts 15:1-12

In Alaska, the summer solstice doesn't just bring the longest day-it delivers the midnight sun, where daylight stretches nearly 24 hours, painting the mountains and forests in endless light. pic.twitter.com/0pJFw2NKMh

— Carrie (@Carriebou50) June 21, 2026

Almighty Father who guided Saint Fáelán from Ireland to Scotland to live a life of prayer, hospitality, and quiet devotion: by your Spirit teach us to walk in his footsteps by embracing simplicity, serving others with love and grace, and trusting steadfastly in Your divine plan, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, ever one God. Amen.

June 20: Feast of Fáelán (Fillan) (6thC). Holy man whose cult was centred on Glen Dochart, Perthshire, the upper part of which was known as Strath Fillan by the early 14thC. King Robert I invoked him at Bannockburn. Crosier and coigreach of St Fillan 📸National Museums Scotland pic.twitter.com/gkEtY7iifR

— North Ages (@NorthAges) June 20, 2026

Faithful Creator,
whose mercy never fails:
by your Spirit deepen our faithfulness to you
and to your living Word,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen (slightly edited; KSH).

Good Rainbow Morning
🌈#weekendvibes #StormHour #rainbow #jefinuist #outerhebrides #Scotland pic.twitter.com/3z4WwSShQX

— DaliMach (@frenchscotjeff) June 20, 2026

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan; and large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ”˜For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.”

–Matthew 19:1-12

🌹🌿Guten Morgen, ihr Lieben 🌿🌹
Ein wunderschönes Wochenende zum Wohlfühlen und Entspannen, wünsche ich euch. 🌹🌿 Eine angenehme Arbeitszeit für alle, die Dienst haben. 🌹🌿 pic.twitter.com/E0Fyd0bRKg

— Brigitta Neurauter (@BrigittaNeurau2) June 20, 2026

Dear God our Father,

Grant us by your Holy Spirit grace to contend fearlessly against evil and to make no peace with oppression.

Help us, like those generations before us who resisted the evil of slavery and human bondage in any form and any manner of oppression.

Enable us to use our freedoms to bring justice among people and nations everywhere to the glory of your holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (modified form of a prayer from the Evangelical Lutheran Church Association–KSH.)

19 June 1865. US government announced the abolition of slavery in Texas and for slaves in the former Confederate States. It’s now known as “Juneteenth Independence Day” or “Freedom Day” and is an American holiday observed in 45 American states. pic.twitter.com/qht8fZxC5b

— Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) June 19, 2026

Assist me, mercifully, O Lord,, in all my supplications and prayers, I may not draw near to Thee with my lips while my heart is far from Thee. Give me a hearty desire to pray, and grace to pray faithfully, that I may live under thy most mighty protection here, and praise Thee hereafter; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

—Give us Grace: An Anthology of Anglican Prayers, ed. Christopher L. Webber (Harrisburg: Morehouse, 2004), p. 314

Halnaker tree tunnel in Sussex is a hollow way, or just Holloway

Created by 2,000 years of traffic on the original Roman Road from London to Chichester

Stane Street is the modern name of the road from Londinium (London) to Noviomagus Reginorum (Chichester) pic.twitter.com/F4SrJvQWST

— The English Oak Project (@TheKentAcorn) June 19, 2026

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

–Matthew 18:21-35

#FlowersonFriday Positano, Campania pic.twitter.com/sdnZ7dIDmJ

— Margaret Gray (@graysing) June 19, 2026

Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are twice as likely to die from the Ebola virus as adults, because many are already severely malnourished and battling other infections, aid agencies have warned.

Save the Children has analysed data emerging from the new outbreak, in which there have so far been about 808 confirmed cases and 192 confirmed deaths, the World Health Organization reports. Save the Children said that, although cases in children were currently lower than in other age groups, existing data suggested that the infection was more likely to be fatal. Aged 14 or under, they were more than twice as likely to die after contracting the illness than the 15-to-44s, Save the Children said.

At least 52 children, including 16 toddlers and infants, have contracted the virus. Nineteen of them have died.

The outbreak has spread to Uganda, with 19 confirmed cases and two deaths. The current outbreak, the 17th in the DRC, is already the third largest on record.

Read it all.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that the #Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC could become the worst on record if not urgently contained. Over 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, including 192 deaths, have been… pic.twitter.com/EH0tHuPwL7

— TV One Uganda (@Tv1uganda) June 17, 2026

As riots triggered by migrant attacks convulse the UK, the debate over immigration in Europe is reaching a fever pitch. The same question is asked, time and again: If nobody voted for this, why does it keep on happening? In the past two years, migrant violence has been recorded—and in some cases triggered violent public backlash—in Germany (a toddler and man stabbed to death by an Afghan); Belfast (a man stabbed in the street by a Sudanese refugee); France (a deadly stabbing by an Algerian in Mulhouse); as well as Poland, Sweden, and Spain, among others.

By contrast, the steep rise in anti-Christian hate crimes, meticulously tracked by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, has gone largely unreported. In May alone, OIDAC Europe reported 37 hate crimes targeting “Christian places of worship, religious symbols, religious spaces, Christian institutions, and Christian individuals,” including:

• 13 arson-related attacks (the highest in 2026 thus far)
• 10 cases of vandalism
• 3 cases of deliberate “desecration”
• 3 cases of physical violence
• 3 thefts of religious objects
• 3 cases of “vandalism and violence”
• 1 case of incitement
• 1 case of disruption of worship

Some of the incidents are deeply disturbing. A Polish nun was attacked both physically and verbally at a bus stop, with the cross around her neck torn off. The windows of the Holy Spirit Church in Hanau, Germany were shattered after attackers fired steel balls through the window while hundreds of worshippers were inside. Two Catholic students in Austria were attacked and badly injured by “alleged left-wing extremists” in Innsbruck.

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Europe’s Christians: Increasingly Squeezed Between Islamists and the Left

Europe’s Christians are increasingly squeezed between the pincers of Islamist incomers and home-grown leftist extremists. Finland’s Päivi Räsänen has faced 7 years of criminal prosecution for quoting and… pic.twitter.com/sCw4QfgxQE

— Jonathon Van Maren (@JVanMaren) June 17, 2026

The news is full of how an ignominious peace deal with Iran exemplifies a decline in American power. That conclusion could hardly be more wrong. On June 12th the Trump administration ordered Anthropic to block foreigners from Fable and Mythos, its latest and most capable frontier AI models. In an instant, everyone learned that the American government can decide who may use the world’s most important technology. You don’t get much more powerful than that.

The administration was responding to a supposed jailbreak for Fable, meaning a prompt that circumvents defences against uses such as hacking computers or making bioweapons. The chances are that it wanted Anthropic to switch off the models for everyone, and that targeting foreigners was a means to an end. Sure enough, that is what Anthropic did, while claiming that the concern about its model was overblown. The legal basis of the order remains unclear, and the ban seems unlikely to last.

What matters, though, is the demonstration that global access to the best AI may come down to a decision in the Oval Office. The administration showed in March that it is prepared to trample on the frontier AI companies, when it designated Anthropic a “supply-chain risk”. Now it has shown that it is prepared to trample on users, too.

America must decide how to wield this vast new power. The rest of the world must decide what to do about it. Even as it plans for an unreliable America in everything from defence to trade, it now has to cope with a new way of being captive to the world’s biggest economy.

Read it all.

Even as the world plans for an unreliable America in everything from defence to trade, it now has to cope with America’s dominance in AI https://t.co/xrMSKZAFWb

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) June 18, 2026

Two centuries ago, most American magazine and newspaper editors professed Christian faith and wanted their publications to show it—but many lost their audiences when new publications offered street-level reporting that won more readers than literary essays.

That’s important history to understand, but you won’t read about it in Alex Wright’s new book Empire of Ink, a supposed history of American journalism through 1900. Wright amusingly describes antics of The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper, as the subtitle states, but he skips the Christians and in doing so misses the forest for trees, billions of which fell in the centuries when words on paper ruled. 

But just as Wright overlooks something important, so did I—until my research for a history of abortion led me to what Wright rightly calls “racy papers … bearing names like The Flash, The Whip, The Rake, and The Libertine,” bearing “headings like Lives of the Nymphs.” They published detailed and prurient profiles of prostitutes, listing their addresses as a service to readers eager (as one critic wrote) to “fill the paths to perdition.” 

Wright also describes how newspapers first celebrated Charles Dickens when the author came to the US in 1842, then called him “a literary bagman.” Dickens reciprocated, attacking “moral poison” and arguing that “the influence of the good, is powerless to counteract the moral poison of the bad.” My sense is that Wright overemphasizes the bad in early American journalism, but I may have underestimated it. 

Read it all.

(CT) Marvin Olasky–'[Alex] Wright amusingly describes antics of The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper, as the subtitle states, but he skips the Christians and in doing so misses the forest for trees, billions of which fell in the centuries when…

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) June 19, 2026

Almighty and everlasting God, who didst enkindle the flame of thy love in the heart of thy holy martyr Bernard Mizeki: Grant to us, thy humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in his triumph may profit by his example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

pic.twitter.com/Y3WZPLP6lD

— Sister Anna- Francis Askew (@CeciliaTAskew) June 18, 2026

O God, who in thy blessed Son hast prepared for us a rich feast and dost invite us day by day to partake of thy bounties: Grant that neither the distractions of business nor the allurements of pleasure may cause us to turn a deaf ear to thy call, nor to neglect thy so great salvation, which thou hast given us in the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

One of my all time favorites of the Duquesne Incline during a hazy sunrise. pic.twitter.com/BpTXmMVjjT

— Brad (@BBBrad91) June 17, 2026

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman; and they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth. And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in dark speech; and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed; and when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. And Aaron turned towards Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.” And Moses cried to the Lord, “Heal her, O God, I beseech thee.” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut up outside the camp seven days; and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again. After that the people set out from Haze′roth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.

–Numbers 12:1-16

📸 Grote Hegge#MooiNederland🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/9O7a84qZtQ

— Mooi Nederland 🇳🇱 (@pictureofNL) June 18, 2026

There are some difficult-to-perform and difficult-to-witness scenes in Superstar. As a pastor, I found it relatable and moving to see Jesus overwhelmed by the neediness of the poor and sick. As one who prays, I identified with the protestations against God from the mouths of both Judas and Jesus.

It is not so easy to make connections with Pilate, but his self-awareness of his own lack of ability to follow rather than lead is perhaps a lesson about the holding of positional power. We all squirm at the jaunty Herod scene, with its easy-to-enjoy but difficult-to-think-about mockery. The everyday cruelty of mockery is something that I drew attention to in the pamphlet.

The central section, and the most difficult to write, was an attempt to distinguish the love at the heart of the Christian gospel from the romantic and erotic love of the stage — and indeed of much popular culture. The question what it means to “love him” is still a difficult and perplexing one, as the English language collapses all the nuances of attraction, affection, commitment, and care into a single word.

When Superstar was first staged, many Christians protested and boycotted the theatre. Now that it is being revived, there is a chance to embrace it as an accessible and engaging retelling that can prompt deep and enriching theological explorations.

Theatre, even musical theatre, can be a gift to mission and theology if we approach it not through the lens of doctrine or accuracy, but with imagination and curiosity.

Read it all.

"An engaging retelling can prompt deep and enriching theological explorations."

As a production of #JesusChristSuperstar returns to the West End in London, Stephen Cherry recalls the impact of an earlier staging
https://t.co/A5rYlQlgHM

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) June 14, 2026

Is it ethical to alter the genetic makeup of children? Should we create children with three parents? What about creating sperm from female stem cells to the end of creating a child with two biological mothers? Is it ethical to incubate a growing baby in an artificial womb? Could a womb like that end the perceived need for abortion?  

These questions might seem like science fiction, and indeed they were when Aldous Huxley, an agnostic, published his dystopian novel Brave New World nearly one hundred years ago. Huxley wove a fictitious world in which progeny were designed and grown in laboratories, children were raised by the state rather than in families, promiscuity was encouraged and monogamy considered grotesque, and the government endorsed self-medication with a “harmless” drug that kept its users in a placated state. 

Yet these are the questions up for debate in today’s public square, as evidenced by a recent debate hosted by The Free Press: “Is Designing Babies Unethical—Or a Moral Imperative?”  

All things considered, one has to wonder if Huxley wasn’t more a prophet than a novelist.  

Read it all.

https://t.co/vb0gflsCQ0 The elimination of suffering will not produce joy. If we seek to be truly free, we must acknowledge our responsibilities to one another. We will flourish to the extent that we all can flourish.

— Public Discourse (@PublicDiscourse) June 14, 2026

A proposal that would require ordained clergy to be monogamous is on the docket at the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s general assembly this summer.

The overture, CON-10, has generated strong reactions online but has not yet earned broad support from PCUSA groups. A separate proposal, highlighting the denomination’s commitment to the inclusion of different familial realities, asks for theological studies on gender and sexuality, life-giving relationships, and the Christian vocation of family. Together, these overtures show that as polyamory gains visibility in broader culture, it may have policy implications, especially in theologically progressive Christian denominations.

“I think it is the next big conversation that most mainline denominations will have,” said Claudia Aguilar Rubalcava, director of engagement for the LGBTQ-affirming nonprofit More Light Presbyterians.

The board and staff of More Light Presbyterians released a statement last month, saying the proposal on monogamy targets queer communities.

“It centers a single model of relationship as the only faithful expression of Christian life, ignoring both the breadth of biblical witness and the lived realities of many faithful people,” the statement says. “Scripture speaks richly about covenant, mutuality, justice, and love but does not prescribe one uniform relational structure across all contexts.”

Read it all.

(RNS) — A separate proposal calls for a broader theological framework on human relationships. https://t.co/EqBtKfvcmn

— RNS (@RNS) June 9, 2026

The Christian faith is by nature conservative—in a theological sense. The Scriptures are replete with verses pointing to the unchanging and enduring nature of God and the Bible. Revelation 1:8 says, “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty’” (ESV throughout). Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” These verses do not mean that the biblical text cannot be distorted or manipulated by self-serving people, but it does mean that the Bible is not a party platform that gets updated every four years.

Thankfully, there are countless others who are faithfully preaching and teaching God’s word. These congregations are often small and do not receive any media attention. Many are led by pastors more concerned with preparing their members for eternity in heaven than getting souls to the polls on Election Day. Some of these churches have vibrant ministries for men, women, and families. They are committed to remaining faithful to biblical ethics regarding sex, sexuality, marriage, family, and the sanctity of life without any concern for whether elected Democrats—or Republicans—agree.

Liberation-minded pastors who reject the biblical definitions and descriptions of sex and marriage are incapable of doing the work needed to rebuild the Black family. They fashion themselves as brave prophets, but they make race and politics twin idols that draw their hearts—and pulpits—away from God.

Christians are often told to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing. That is wise counsel, but what’s even more dangerous is a wolf in shepherd’s clothing. The former can devour a few sheep before the others scatter, but the latter can lead an entire flock over a cliff.

One ray of hope is the biblical theme of God’s mercy on those who turn from their wicked ways and trust him. The pattern in both the Old and New Testaments is quite familiar. God’s people rebel. He rebukes them. They reflect on their sin and repent. He restores them. This is my prayer because the Black family needs the church to function in its God-given role now more than ever.

Read it all.

“Instead, liberation theology has transformed the Black church from a religious institution dedicated to the pursuit of righteousness to the religious wing of the Democratic Party.”https://t.co/Bh1V8SBXWw

— TheQueenofLA 🇺🇸 (@Queenofla2) June 17, 2026

To the cynical eye, the first felt ever so slightly soft. Lionel Messi’s effort was good, rather than great. It was not quite in the corner. As he dived, Luca Zidane, the Algeria goalkeeper, seemed to have it within reach, only to misjudge his timing, his stretch, or possibly his chosen profession. The ball brushed his fingers as it sailed past.

The second, too, was a bit of a gift. Zidane failed to hold Alexis Mac Allister’s stinging shot. The ball squirmed away from him, and there was Messi again, ambling in, dropping his shoulder so nonchalantly he might almost have been bored, and effortlessly leaving Zidane – yes, son of – stranded with the rebound.

If you were that way inclined, it would still have been possible at that stage to believe all of the things we have decided we know about Messi. This is a World Cup too far. He has been in a “retirement league” since 2023, going through the motions. He is nearly 39. At his age, he is a cross between Argentina’s mascot and a very convincing tribute act. Like all living things, his genius has tended toward entropy. 

And then he scored the third. The third was the Messi goal, the one that he has been scoring for 20 years or more, the one that is so familiar it is almost a waste of words to describe it. Messi has the ball 25 yards out from goal. Messi takes one touch to set himself, a second to open up his body, and a third to whip a shot past Zidane’s outstretched arms. 

Read it all.

🚨 Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Lionel Messi's goal against Algeria:

🗣️ Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

I don't think there's a goalkeeper in the world saving that finish. When Messi decides that's where the ball is going, it's over.

People keep asking how he's still doing this at his age. My… pic.twitter.com/PwfRkGZQmd

— Sage (@Sage_FCB) June 17, 2026

O Lord, from whom all good proceeds: Grant us the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may always think those things that are good, and by your merciful guidance may accomplish the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Morning everyone I hope you are well. A slight detour and a very tricky scramble down to capture Dungeon Gyhll Waterfall. There are some falls further down, but apparently, this is true waterfall. Certainly an effort, but worth it. Have a great day. pic.twitter.com/DibXF6tsma

— Rod Hutchinson (@lakesrhino) June 17, 2026

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who do such things. Do you suppose, O man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume upon the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

–Romans 2:1-11

A beautiful good morning all my friends and people in the world 🌍🍀💝🙏🤩🥰🌹 pic.twitter.com/eJbgkuhJ1S

— edita hangonyiova (@EHangonyiova) June 17, 2026

A ban on social media for under-16s, announced by the Government this week, will not guarantee child safety online, Bishops and safeguarding specialists have warned.

Two C of E Bishops — one in favour of the ban and the other opposed — nonetheless agreed this week that a ban in isolation was not enough, and that both scrutiny of big tech social media companies and investment in youth services was essential if children are to be protected from harm.

The Children’s Society warned against letting the tech companies off the hook, while Jim Gamble, the chief executive of INEQE, the safeguarding group currently auditing all Church of England dioceses and cathedrals, said that, while well intentioned, a ban was not practical.

Read it all.

A ban on social media for under-16s, announced by the Government this week, will not guarantee child safety online, Bishops and safeguarding specialists have warned#socialmediaban #under16s #churchnews https://t.co/Os2gr5VbRw

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) June 16, 2026