Monthly Archives: November 2011

Shouldn’t we go to church on Christmas Day?

Posted on November 30, 2011 by John Hilton

Christmas falls on Sunday this year for the first time since 2005. Given that most of us will attend services on Christmas Eve — the most popular day of the year in the pews — do we really need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Worship | Tagged | 1 Comment

Rev. Rooney to retire from Christ Lutheran Church in York

Posted on November 28, 2011 by John Hilton

The Rev. Patrick Rooney, senior pastor at Christ Lutheran Church, is retiring. Rooney turns 64 in January and will leave his post at the end of that month. He has led the church for seven years. “It’s a little earlier … Continue reading →

Posted in Local events | Leave a comment

A day in Catholic Church

Posted on November 28, 2011 by John Hilton

It’s been an incredible experience to visit many different churches every Sunday in search of news. From the come-as-you-are relaxed atmosphere at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York to the thunderous gospel sounds of Friendship Baptist Church to the little, … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholicism | Tagged | 3 Comments

My day at an African-American church

Posted on November 22, 2011 by John Hilton

I attended my first service at a traditional African-American Baptist church Sunday. Friendship Baptist Church services began at 11 a.m. By 11:10, the church was alive with a live drummer backing a rousing sing-a-long praising Jesus. Congregants clapped, sang, swayed … Continue reading →

Posted in Worship | Tagged | 2 Comments

Better off without religion?

Posted on November 21, 2011 by John Hilton

Would the world be better off without religion? That provocative question was the subject of a Nov. 15 Oxford-style debate moderated by ABC News’ John Donvan. A journalist, screenwriter and director, Matthew Chapman, and A.C. Grayling, a British philosopher and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheists, agnostics, doubters, Culture wars | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Lighten up on Tebow

Posted on November 16, 2011 by John Hilton

Tomorrow night, quarterback Tim Tebow will take the field for the Denver Broncos against the New York Jets. Few athletes generate as much controversy as Tebow these days. As he continues to win, critics bemoan the fact that he doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrities, Culture wars, Sports | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Pregame prayer strikes right chord

Posted on November 14, 2011 by John Hilton

Heard much about Penn State the past couple days? Oh sure, there was a football game Saturday and news continues to trickle in here and there. But didn’t it seem like the confusion and outrage we felt most of last … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Sports | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

GLAD concert planned

Posted on November 10, 2011 by John Hilton

Grace Fellowship Church in Shrewsbury recently announced its Christmas concert featuring the a cappella sounds of the singing group GLAD at 7 p.m. Dec. 3. Here is the group’s press release: In the 1970s and ’80s, their “elegant vocals” were … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Churches warned to report suspected child abuse

Posted on November 9, 2011 by John Hilton

Double blogging today! Just a note on how the Penn State scandal is on the church radar. Of course, many have noted the parallels between the alleged PSU coverup and the Catholic church sex abuse scandals. In fact, I blogged … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

‘Personhood’ not the way to go

Posted on November 9, 2011 by John Hilton

Just a quick note today to follow-up on a blog post from last week. Mississippi voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution Tuesday that would have defined life as starting at conception, and outlawed abortion and many forms of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture wars | Tagged , , | Leave a comment