Tuesday's News & Ideas - 2/15/2021

Ash Wednesday rituals tweaked for coronavirus as Christians are reminded of death*
The Washington Post: Once hospitalized and fearing for his life, the Rev. Timothy Cole, who was the first known COVID-19 patient in the District of Columbia last year, will soon remind the parishioners of Christ Church Georgetown of their own mortality.

John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church postpones event after health officials balk
Religion News Service: The Shepherds’ Conference, scheduled March 3-5, typically draws men from as far away as Florida and Pennsylvania.

How Christian bookstores survived 2020
Christianity Today: Optimism, adaptation, and increased Bible sales carried retailers through pandemic shutdowns, industry surveys report.

The many ways Muslim prisoners are denied religious rights in prison
Vox: Muslims are overrepresented in state prisons, making up 9 percent. The significant presence of Muslims in prison stands in stark contrast to Muslims’ share of the US population as a whole, which is just 1 percent.

What does a seminary education prepare you to do?
Christian Century: Six of Jason Byassee’s Duke Divinity students, ten years later.

The Spark

In a year without parades, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is all about house floats
The house floats movement was born on Nov. 17, 2020, the same day the city announced there would be no parades during the upcoming Carnival season due to the coronavirus, NPR says.

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