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Fellowship, what it means to belong

In her book, Up With Worship, Anne Ortlund compares the average church to a bag of marbles, rubbing together and making a little bit of noise, but not really connecting to one another. Ortlund says the Bible’s image of fellowship is actually a lot more like a bunch of grapes being mashed together to make a great-tasting wine. Modern society often resists connection. Americans have moved from front porch swings and visiting neighbors to back decks and privacy fences. Digital communication often replaces face-to-face encounters. Several years ago, I walked through a youth classroom on ...

Rahim Al-Hussaini is named the new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Rahim Al-Hussaini was named Wednesday as the new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims, following the death of his father. The 53-year-old was designated as the Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, in his father’s will. His father died Tuesday in Portugal. The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated as a head of state. The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community announced earlier that His Highness Prince ...

Historic landmarks in Iraq’s Mosul are reopening as the city heals from Islamic State devastation

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — For over 850 years, the leaning minaret of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri stood as an iconic landmark in the Iraqi city of Mosul until it was destroyed by the Islamic State group in 2017. Nearly eight years after IS militants were driven out of the city, the minaret has been rebuilt as part of a massive internationally-funded reconstruction project in the historic city. Saad Muhammed Jarjees, who lives in Mosul’s Old City, remembered how he used to look at the Al-Hadbaa Minaret from the window of his house every day — and how his heart sank when it ...

Focusing on our differences leads only to friction and division

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs not only fail, they may do more harm than good. That’s the conclusion of a study done by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University Social Perception Lab. For the study, college students were divided into two groups. One group was asked to read a generic essay on U.S. corn production, while the second group read an essay about diversity, equity and inclusion culled from the writings of DEI proponents Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo. After reading the essays, the students were asked to evaluate an (hypothetical and ...

Tens of thousands of Muslims attend annual Biswa Ijtema event in Bangladesh

TONGI, Bangladesh (AP) — Tens of thousands of people gathered on a riverbank near Bangladesh’s capital on Friday to listen to sermons by Islamic scholars at the Biswa Ijtema, or global congregation of Muslim devotees. The three-day annual event will end Sunday when hundreds of thousands of Muslims are expected to join final prayers like every year. This is the first phase of Biswa Ijtema, while the second phase will be held Feb. 3-5. The third phase will be held Feb. 14-16. Biswa Ijtema is one of the largest gatherings of Muslim devotees, held on the sandy banks of the Turag ...