Wednesday's News & Ideas - 4/12/2023

There’s a reason every hit worship song sounds the same
Religion News Service: A new study found that the most popular worship songs come from a handful of megachurches with a knack for writing pop songs about what God will do for you.

ChatGPT can write sermons. Religious leaders don’t know how to feel about it
CNN: The future of artificial intelligence promises technology with a human touch. But is it human enough to deliver a convincing spiritual message?

L’Arche’s new chapter is about interdependence
Sojourners: I am still a part of L’Arche — an organization that was founded by a man who caused great harm — and I have to go about my work knowing that the injustice Vanier perpetrated happened alongside the goodness that L’Arche has brought into the world.

The white church still owes “Letter from Birmingham Jail” an answer*
The Christian Century: King’s letter is so soaked in U.S. history that 60 years later we almost forget it was addressed not to the nation but to specific Christian pastors.

Youth pastors ditch gross-out games and help student ministry grow up*
Christianity Today: Today’s groups are becoming more integrated with the rest of the church.

The Spark

The problem America cannot fix
The public supports many sensible gun measures, but flaws* in our democracy make us unable to adopt them, says The Atlantic.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers