Below are this week's Articles of Interest as compiled by Mr. Van Baker. This collection of articles is cultivated by Mr. Baker with the goal of highlighting some of the trends, upheavals, and things to watch for in our society. These articles are not necessarily the express views of the United Church of God, Mr. Baker, or me as the pastor, but they are informative of what is occurring in our nation and culture. In accordance with Christ's warning to correctly discern the times (Matthew 16:1-4), it is wise to be aware of what is going on around us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prayer Works, According to Science – The role of prayer in civil society has emerged in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, and this may be a blessing of sorts amidst the tragedy. This is because scientific research has shown time and again that religious faith and the practice of prayer check pathologies and improve quality of life on almost every level.
https://www.realclearreligion.org/articles/2025/09/05/prayer_works_according_to_science_1133060.html

Embracing the beauty of change in autumn – September has arrived, ushering in autumn. The trees are releasing their leaves, and the crisp air reminds us that winter is on its way. This season carries both beauty and a gentle ache - it’s stunning to watch, yet it whispers of endings and transitions. In many ways, the changing season mirrors our lives. The golden glow and fiery reds of the autumn leaves remind us that transitions, though often uncomfortable or painful, can also be beautiful. Whatever season you find yourself in today - sowing, reaping, waiting, or letting go - be assured of this: God is with you and in His hands, every transition can become something beautiful.
https://christiantoday.com/news/embracing-the-beauty-of-change-in-autumn

A third of American Christians don't believe they're sinners – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” So says Paul in his letter to the Romans, and yet recent research has suggested that many professing Christians do not believe this to be true. Or at least, not true of themselves. A third of [Christian] adults say that they do not sin, but everyone else does, according to the report which was compiled by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.
https://christiantoday.com/news/a-third-of-american-christians-don-t-believe-they-re-sinners

Digital Bible distribution outstrips print worldwide for the first time – For the first time ever, more digital copies of Scripture were shared than print versions, the United Bible Societies Fellowship (UBS) has said. In its Scripture Distribution Statistics report for 2024, UBS said that the number of printed Bibles distributed across the world fell from 24.2 million in 2023 to 22.5 million last year. However, the number of online Bibles distributed was 25.9 million, surpassing physical copies for the first time.
https://christiantoday.com/news/digital-bible-distribution-outstrips-print-worldwide-for-the-first-time

So Many Canadians are Killing Themselves in Assisted Suicides, Doctors Can’t Kill People Fast Enough – According to a recent article in The Atlantic, assisted suicide is now so popular in Canada that doctors cannot keep up with the demand. Appropriately titled Canada is Killing Itself, the article described how Medical Assistance in Dying (or MAiD), passed just 10 years ago, now accounts for about one in 20 deaths in Canada. That number is more than the total number of combined deaths from Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and it surpasses many countries where assisted dying has been legal for far longer. The shortage of “care” is not due to a lack of interest from medical professionals. Doctors are in fact flocking to join what the Atlantic article called “the world’s fastest-growing euthanasia regime.”
https://www.lifenews.com/2025/09/05/so-many-canadians-are-killing-themselves-in-assisted-suicides-doctors-cant-kill-people-fast-enough/

The Coming Psychedelic Moment – The charts make clear the trend: for all kinds of reasons, the inner life of Americans— and especially those under 35 — is a mess. Desperate for solutions to this mental anguish, young people are casting about for answers. And many, it turns out, are increasingly turning to hallucinogenic drugs. There are debts to pay for our blindered insistence on a metaphysics of mere material. We see this already in the rise of open paganism, the New Age movement, and the swell of interest in psychedelics and other phenomena such as UFOs. As we in the West enter a new phase of widespread psychedelic and spiritual experimentation, we might borrow C.S. Lewis’ words and say that it is sure to be just one more chapter in “the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”
https://mereorthodoxy.com/the-coming-psychedelic-moment

AI as an Unexpected Apologist – What has been seen by many as the coming secular triumph over God, is now concluding that in fact, God must exist.
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/chatgpt-and-the-return-of-god-ai-as-an-unexpected-apologist

Scientists Discover Mysterious Freshwater Reservoir Beneath the Ocean Floor – How did freshened water come to be trapped beneath the New England Shelf, how long has it remained there, and what volume does it represent? The salinity levels of sediments below the seafloor are typically close to those in the overlying ocean, yet offshore New England, the subseafloor contains an unusually large reservoir of freshened water.
https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-mysterious-freshwater-reservoir-beneath-the-ocean-floor-how-did-it-get-there/