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[Episcopal News Service] The sermon’s duration was less than 15 minutes. Its theme – a call for unity grounded in faith at a time of political division – was hardly out of the norm for a post-inauguration service at Washington National Cathedral, which has hosted similar services 10 times before. It was the sermon’s final four minutes that struck a chord. Washington Bishop Mariann Budde issued a final plea directly to President Donald Trump as he sat in the front row, a moment that would generate national headlines and intense reactions, both positive and negative. Her calm plea to the president: “Have mercy.” Later in the day Jan. 21, Trump made clear his distaste for the sermon when asked about it by reporters, saying he “didn’t think it was a good service.” Then early Jan. 22, he amplified his complaints with a social media post that demanded Budde and “her church” apologize. Without using Budde’s name, the president labeled her “a so-called bishop” and a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” whose sermon was “ungracious” and “nasty in tone.” Budde, in her sermon, had asked Trump to show mercy to “the people in our country who are scared now,” and she specifically held up the fears felt by many LGTBQ+ people and immigrants at the start of Trump’s second term. A day earlier, after his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump had issued a series of executive orders, including several intended to address what he declared was a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border. During the campaign Trump had promised to enact mass deportations, and in his social media post about Budde’s sermon, he added, without evidence, that a “large number of illegal migrants” had entered the United States and killed people as part of a “giant crime wave.” Budde’s plea to Trump: ‘Have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared’ Episcopal News Service sought comment from Budde for this story, which will be updated upon receiving a response. The bishop, whose diocese includes the United States’ capital city and part of Maryland, discussed her sermon in an interview with CNN that aired Jan. 21, after Trump’s initial comments but before his demand for an apology. Budde confirmed she was looking directly at Trump while speaking to him from the pulpit. “I was also, frankly, as you do in every sermon, speaking to everyone who was listening, through that one-on-one conversation with the president, reminding us all that the people that are frightened in our country … are our fellow human beings and that they have been portrayed all throughout the political campaign in the harshest of lights,” Budde told CNN. “I wanted to counter, as gently as I could, with a reminder of their humanity and their place in our wider community.” She later told NPR’s “All Things Considered” that she didn’t see a need to apologize. “I regret that it was something that has caused the kind of response that it has, in the sense that it actually confirmed the very thing that I was speaking of earlier, which is our tendency to jump to outrage and not speak to one another with respect,” she said. “But, no, I won’t apologize for what I said.” However gentle, her sermon set off a firestorm on social media and a flurry of emails to church officials. The ENS story posted to Facebook had generated more than 600 comments as of midday Jan. 22, many of them thanking Budde for upholding Christian values and others strongly criticizing her – some even going as far as calling for her removal. ENS also received more than a dozen emails about the sermon, some supportive, many of them outraged. Some suggested Budde’s message to the president was better delivered in person rather than from the pulpit. Kathleen Kinsolving, who identified herself as the granddaughter of the Rt.  Rev. Arthur B. Kinsolving, bishop of Arizona from 1945-1962, shared with ENS a letter she had addressed directly to Budde. “It was extremely inappropriate for you to use the pulpit to lash out at President Trump during today’s service. This is completely unbecoming conduct, especially for a bishop!” Kinsolving wrote. “You should always treat every member of your congregation with the utmost respect, no matter who they are.” Trump, though not a member of the Washington National Cathedral, had attended the cathedral’s Service of Prayer for the Nation with his family and members of his new administration, including Vice President JD Vance. An Episcopal Church spokesperson released a statement Jan. 22, saying that Budde has been a “bishop in good standing” since her consecration in 2011. “She is a valued and trusted pastor to her diocese and colleague to bishops throughout our church. We stand by Bishop Budde and her appeal for the Christian values of mercy and compassion.” Some critics of Budde’s sermon argued it was inappropriate for her to preach directly to Trump – or to any individual member of a worshipping community. ENS posed this scenario to the Rev. Ruthanna Hooke, a professor of homiletics at Virginia Theological Seminary, who noted preachers commonly address individuals in other types of services, such as weddings, baptisms and ordinations. A post-inauguration service isn’t just about the president in the same way that an ordination is about the ordinand, Hooke said, though she thought Budde “built the case carefully” to justify the direct plea to the president. The first part of Budde’s sermon was rooted solidly in Scripture, Hooke said, specifically the passage from the Gospel of Matthew about “a wise man who built his house on rock.” “When people are going to preach a sermon that might be controversial in this context, basing it firmly on Scripture is the solid ground, to use that same metaphor,” Hooke said. The preacher’s message may not reach every member of a congregation immediately, but “sometimes a sermon is planting seeds that are going to grow and sprout much later.” Some […]

[Episcopal News Service] The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City is featuring an immersive traveling exhibition on 850 years of Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris’ history, using augmented reality. “Notre-Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition,” is an example of technology being “put to very good use,” the Very Rev. Patrick Malloy, dean of St. John the Divine, told Episcopal News Service. The exhibition will remain in the Chapel of St. James through Jan. 31. “St. John the Divine has always, from its very beginning, seen itself not only as enshrining ancient truth and reality – ancient truth and tradition – but also trying to see the best of contemporary society and to celebrate it,” he said. “Notre-Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition” combines virtual reality technology from Histovery, a French educational tech company, to showcase illuminated photo panels, 3D models and life-size sculptures of the Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral, including a full-size chimera and other famous grotesques, and its statues of the Twelve Apostles and other biblical figures. Visitors use a touchscreen tablet, called a HistoPad, to scan designated “portals” to view the exhibition, which also features key events in Notre-Dame’s history, including its construction, St. Louis IX of France bringing a venerated relic of the crown of thorns, Napoleon I’s coronation, and restoration work after a structural fire in 2019 burned the cathedral’s roof and flèche, or spire. Visitors can choose from a dozen available languages to experience the exhibition. “This tool really allows you to explore at your own pace. …You could spend hours in the exhibit taking in all the information, or spend an hour finding what you’re most interested in, whether it’s the architecture or the history of the people who have come through Notre-Dame or the people who are responsible for building it,” Laura Bosley, executive director of cathedral programming at St. John the Divine, told ENS. Bosley said more than 2,150 visitors have viewed the Notre-Dame exhibition at St. John the Divine since it debuted in November 2024. Launched in 2021, the international exhibition is running simultaneously in Tokyo, Japan; Melbourne, Australia; and Hong Kong. It was previously at Westminster Abbey in London, England; São Paulo, Brazil; Shanghai, China; New Orleans, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; Dubai, United Arab Emirates and other cities. The most famous of the world’s medieval Gothic cathedrals and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Notre-Dame de Paris, French for “Our Lady of Paris,” is the seat of the Archdiocese of Paris and its archbishop, the Most. Rev. Laurent Ulrich. The cathedral, located in Paris’ 4th arrondissement, also is the setting of Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.” Construction on the cathedral began in 1163 on the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine and the first settlement, and was considered finished in 1350. The cathedral rose on the site of two earlier churches. Before those churches, the site held what was believed to be a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter, the god of the sky and thunder. Some of the Roman ruins can still be seen below the cathedral. About 12 million people visit Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in France. The cathedral houses some relics of Christ’s crucifixion, including the crown of thorns and remnants from the True Cross – a wood fragment of the cross and a nail. In December 2024, Notre-Dame reopened for the first time since the fire broke out under the eaves of the cathedral’s roof on April 15, 2019. The incident occurred one day after Palm Sunday, when a separate, unrelated and much smaller fire broke out in an art storage room in St. John the Divine’s basement crypt. Some art, including an icon, a 16th-century chair and some prints, drawings and carvings were destroyed, but overall, the fire at St. John the Divine was much less devastating than Notre-Dame’s. “An American Gothic cathedral and a European Gothic cathedral … there were many, many bits of overlap,” said Malloy, who pointed out that St. John the Divine was built by hand like Notre-Dame, despite having more technologically advanced equipment available when construction began in 1892 in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, a couple of blocks south of Columbia University. It is one of the world’s largest cathedrals, even though construction remains unfinished today. For these reasons, Bosley said that, in a way, St. John the Divine being a host site for “Notre-Dame de Paris, The Augmented Exhibition” is a mark of solidarity. “That cathedral-to-cathedral connection just makes the most sense … and it’s very popular among both adults and children. The appeal is cross-generational,” she said. “When people walk into the doors of St. John the Divine, their jaws drop because they’re so in awe of the craftsmanship that has built this building, and the way the light dapples off the pillars. Notre-Dame is like that, too. You don’t need to be Episcopalian or Catholic to appreciate these incredible structures.” Tickets for the exhibition can be purchased either online or in person. The $25 fee includes tourist admission to St. John the Divine, which supports building maintenance. –Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.

Updates from around the globe have personal significance for retired United Methodist pastor. He reflects on how his family has grown during his many years of ministry.

Jason E. Shelton, a sociologist and United Methodist in Texas, writes in his latest book that many Black churches would be more likely to thrive if they find the courage to modernize.

At The Village United Methodist Church in the Dallas area, leaders and members of the congregation are embracing a new, energetic worship service and having success connecting with young people.

<article class="media media--image display--large"> <div class="image-container"> <div class="field field-media-image"> <img loading="eager" width="430" height="323" alt="Rev. John Rozeboom (right) stands with a pastor at the refugee camp he visited in Uganda." class="lazyload" data-src="/sites/default/files/styles/default_mobile/public/2025-01/crc-news-graphics_2025-1-22_revival-in-africa.jpg?itok=RNNJflXA" /> </div> <div class="field field-image-caption">Rev. John Rozeboom (right) stands with a pastor at the refugee camp he visited in Uganda.</div> </div> </article> <br /> A visit to one of the oldest refugee camps in Africa yields warm memories for Rev. John Rozeboom and his hosts, the Ngendahayos.

[Church in Wales] An innovative church project, funded by the Church in Wales, has sparked extraordinary growth in youth ministry, engaging more than 160 children across three coastal parishes. Just a year ago, only two children were involved. The Faith Alive project from Bro Dwylan Ministry Area in the Diocese of Bangor combines regular family-friendly worship with hands-on activities for children and young people. A monthly Kids Club meets at the local community center, offering Bible stories, arts and crafts, games and a delicious picnic lunch provided by volunteers. Alongside regular activities, the project runs seasonal events to involve people who may be new to church. Activities include summer rock-pooling sessions exploring God’s creation, led by the Rev. Andy Broadbent, who is also a marine biologist; Halloween celebrations focusing on Christian traditions; and interactive Christmas activities including nativity displays and craft workshops. Funding has also enabled the creation of a welcoming family space at St. Mary and Christ Church in Llanfairfechan, complete with comfortable seating, a Lego table, children’s toys, library and art area. The impact has been significant. Where previously only two children attended, the Ministry Area now regularly engages with over 160 children through its events, with additional hundreds reached through joint community initiatives. Several new families have become regular worship attendees.

<article class="media media--image display--large"> <div class="image-container"> <div class="field field-media-image"> <img loading="eager" width="430" height="323" alt="Hope Community CRC in Surrey, B.C." class="lazyload" data-src="/sites/default/files/styles/default_mobile/public/2025-01/crc-news-graphics_2025-1-22_pickleball-at-church.jpg?itok=AD3Zs6-B" /> </div> <div class="field field-image-caption">Hope Community CRC in Surrey, B.C.</div> </div> <div class="field field-image-credit">Victoria Veenstra</div> </article> <br /> Hope Community Church offers its building as a place where people can enjoy physical activity away from the rain in Surrey, B.C.

<article class="media media--image display--large"> <div class="image-container"> <div class="field field-media-image"> <img loading="eager" width="430" height="323" alt="Indigenous Family Centre director Shannon Perez (left) with Marlene Wolters, a member of the Canadian Indigenous Ministries Committee. They show off craft supplies at IFC that will be used for summer programming." class="lazyload" data-src="/sites/default/files/styles/default_mobile/public/2025-01/crc-news-graphics_2025-1-22_indigenous-family-center-supports-parents.jpg?itok=AWfPCHCD" /> </div> <div class="field field-image-caption">Indigenous Family Centre director Shannon Perez (left) with Marlene Wolters, a member of the Canadian Indigenous Ministries Committee. They show off craft supplies at IFC that will be used for summer programming.</div> </div> <div class="field field-image-credit">Victoria Veenstra</div> </article> <br /> Every summer the Indigenous Family Centre organizes special programming for the families it serves, helping them step beyond the city and enjoy nature together.