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51+ min ago (153+ words) NEW ULM " Despite the recent snowstorm canceling preschool classes, the St. Paul's Lutheran preschoolers were able to gather at the school Wednesday for an annual Christmas program. The program began with the children bringing in a manager with baby Jesus on stage and singing "Away in the Manager." Preschool director Heidi Meyer said the preschool performance was a favorite of the parents every year. It was a chance for the children to learn and share the Christmas story. As part of the program, the students recited the story of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and how Jesus was born in a cattle shed and how his birth was told to the shepherds in the field. Meyer said the students were real excited to perform this year. She said their favorite song was "Go Tell it on the Mountain," because…...

1+ hour, 1+ min ago (553+ words) It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go." We all know the famous Bing Crosby lyric. But have you ever paused to ask yourself what, exactly, makes something look like Christmas"? Is it the glow of lights wrapped around lampposts and trees? The barrage of holiday sales and shopping lists? The carols on the radio? The break from school or work? The anticipation of family reunions? These things are lovely. They add warmth and sparkle to December. But if they are all Christmas means to us, then we've settled for the wrapping paper and missed the gift. Because the true heart of Christmas is far deeper, far more beautiful, and far more life-changing. So why do we celebrate Christmas at all? The answer is simple and short: Jesus. The very word "Christmas' comes from "Christ's Mass,' which…...

1+ hour, 7+ min ago (266+ words) In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Aqaba Process, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama organized a summit in Aqaba, Jordan, on December 89, 2025. Religious leaders from the Balkans and the East participated in the event. Participants from Albania included Archbishop Ioannis of Tirana, Durr's, and All Albania; Monsignor Arjan Dodaj, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tirana; and Bujar Spahiu, the Chairman of the Muslim Community of Albania. The following Primates of the Orthodox Churches attended the Summit: Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem; Patriarch John X of Antioch; and Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia. Archbishop Ioannis held meetings with the latter. Representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Romania and Bulgaria, the Archdiocese of Ohrid, and other churches were also present. The Roman Catholic Church was represented by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal…...

1+ hour, 15+ min ago (462+ words) The meeting was described by the Vatican as being cordial and was focused on attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, prisoner exchanges, and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia. The Pope also expressed his willingness to act as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine in any potential negotiations. The Vatican has been outspoken in its calls for peace since the start of the conflict. The late Pope Francis denounced the Russian attack as an "offence against God and humanity" and referred to the conflict as a "war" rather than the term favoured by the Russian government, "special military operation". However, Francis also said Ukraine should have the "courage of the white flag" and have greater willingness to negotiate a ceasefire. He also clarified that he did not mean a simple surrender. In the early days…...

2+ hour, 2+ min ago (207+ words) Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the... "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He." And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them." (John 18:3-5 NASB1995)" "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns…...

2+ hour, 25+ min ago (1020+ words) Saint Daniel the Stylite was born in the village of Bethara, near the city of Samosata in Mesopotamia. His mother Martha was childless for a long while and in her prayers she vowed that if she had a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. Her prayers were heard, and Martha soon gave birth [] Saint Daniel the Stylite was born in the village of Bethara, near the city of Samosata in Mesopotamia. His mother Martha was childless for a long while and in her prayers she vowed that if she had a child, she would dedicate him to the Lord. Her prayers were heard, and Martha soon gave birth to a son, who was without a name until he was five years of age. The boy's parents desired that since he was born through the good-will of God, he…...

2+ hour, 44+ min ago (192+ words) Are we on the cusp of a revival? Rumors of it are premature but persistent. Century illustration (Source images: Getty & Creative Commons) It may be that such a revival is a statistical blip, the apprehension of vibes, a grasping for narrative where there is only noise. Or it may be just a pause in a long-term trend of decline. I've spent my ministry career in rooms with one or two or a few people at a time, in the hope that whatever the larger trend, something in their lives and in mine was still open to change. I have, until now, neglected the harder implication: that if a single life can change suddenly in midstream, there's no reason the whole world can't do it, too." Benjamin J. Dueholm is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas, and author of Sacred…...

3+ hour, 12+ min ago (186+ words) LOOK: The Wise and Foolish Virgins, Norwegian tapestry That's Christ the bridegroom in the upper right. Regarding the headwear, Berlage clarifies: "The crowns the virgins wear are not because they're princesses. There is a special tradition in Norway of wearing a crown at your wedding, which is an ancient nod to the Norse goddess Freja (later said to be an emblem of the Virgin Mary)." Over time, Berlage says, the original meaning of the parable got lost, such that weavers no longer differentiated between the two sets of virgins, for example. She calls this phenomenon "image decay" and compares it to the telephone game. For a shorter, less academic lesson on the ten virgins in Norwegian tapestry, see the six-minute video "Woven Wise and Foolish Virgins" by Robbie LaFleur: LISTEN: "Himmelriket Liknas Vid Tio Jungfrur" (The Kingdom of Heaven Is…...

3+ hour, 44+ min ago (377+ words) I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! "Revelation 1:17b18a Please check back daily during the month of December as through Christmas we'll have an entry from The Heart of Christmas: A Devotional for the Season. Today as we contemplate the mother of all questions, may we evermore be mindful that the Christ born in a manger is the very One who spoke and caused the limitless galaxies to leap into existence. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:1213) In what ways do people misidentify Jesus? What is so significant about Jesus…...

3+ hour, 45+ min ago (453+ words) DRC (MNN) " In a corner of the world where most people run for safety, a small team of Christians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is doing the opposite " running into danger, displacement camps, burned-out churches, and villages scarred by decades of conflict. "The suffering of the people is so huge," says Pastor James Byensi, founder of Rebuilders Ministries, and a partner of'Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). "Someone needs to be there to be alongside and to give hope. Not everyone is supposed to run away." Violence has surged again. The UN estimates around 200,000 people have recently fled M23 fighter attacks in South Kivu province, and at least 74 people have been killed. Rebuilders Ministries launched in 2019 with a simple mission: restore what war has taken. Pastor Byensi says, "In a war-torn country, and especially our country, many churches are being…...