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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is the West breaking up? The war in Iran could be the final straw in the already tense U.S.-European relationship
https://wng.org/articles/is-the-west-breaking-up-1776133640

America Reads the Bible: Christian Leaders and Celebs to Publicly Read Entire Bible for 250th – As America celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, a dynamic event is being rolled out this spring to help people engage with God's Word. It's called "America Reads the Bible." More than 400 Christian leaders, elected officials, and entertainers will read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in 7 days.
https://cbn.com/news/us/america-reads-bible-christian-leaders-and-celebs-publicly-read-entire-bible-250th

Christian Doctrine Threatens ‘Psychological Harm’ to Child, According to Maine Judge’s Ruling – Does the gospel of Jesus Christ pose a serious risk of “psychological harm,” such that a court must protect an 11-year-old girl from going to a church that preaches directly from the Bible? Strange as it may seem, a federal judge in Maine made a ruling suggesting as much in December 2024. The case revolves around the custody of Ava (now 12), the daughter of Emily Bickford and Matthew Bradeen, who had never married. Bickford later started attending Calvary Chapel in Portland. Bradeen objects to his daughter joining her. Calvary Chapel teaches the Bible “verse by verse, chapter by chapter.” The pastor actually believes in God, Jesus, heaven, and hell, and takes salvation seriously. As Maine District Court Judge Jennifer Nofsinger notes, Bradeen was horrified to discover that Ava heard sermons “about warfare, fallen angels, and eternal suffering.” The church “teaches that people can only be saved by meeting God on God’s terms.” (Tellingly, the order actually lowercases the name of God throughout.) [Lawyer Mat Staver] argued the case before the Maine Supreme Court in November, and is still awaiting a decision.
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/04/21/christian-doctrine-may-cause-psychological-harm-child-maine-judge-rules/

Why the book of Acts keeps Israel at the center – One of the quiet assumptions shaping much of modern Christian theology is that Israel has been spiritually eclipsed. The Church, we are told, sometimes subtly, sometimes explicitly, has replaced Israel as the focal point of God’s redemptive purposes. Israel belongs to the past. And yet, the book of Acts refuses to cooperate with this assumption. The Gospel does not bypass Jerusalem; it begins there. It does not abandon Judea; it spreads through it. It does not erase Israel; it extends from it. Pentecost reinforces the same truth. It occurs in Jerusalem. On a Jewish feast day. Among Jewish pilgrims from the nations. With Peter preaching from Jewish Scripture. Proclaiming a Jewish Messiah. When Christians disconnect from Israel, the Bible becomes abstract rather than geographic, the Kingdom becomes spiritualized rather than embodied, and God’s promises become conditional rather than covenantal.
https://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-question-jesus-didnt-correct-is-about-israel.html

Under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Archeologists Found What Could Be the Tomb of Jesus – Jerusalem is a city where archaeology and tradition often clash, where the sacred meets science. Surprisingly, sacred traditions regarding the sites of key moments in the life of Jesus Christ, some being venerated for centuries, turn out to be entirely plausible in an archaeological sense, while others, not so much.
https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2026/04/15/under-the-church-of-the-holy-sepulcher-archeologists-found-what-could-be-the-tomb-of-jesus-n4951810

New search launches for the Bible's Ark of the Covenant – New tech could offer ways to examine labyrinth of tunnels under Jerusalem.
https://www.wnd.com/2026/04/new-search-launches-bibles-ark-covenant/

Are More Americans Attending Church? New Study Questions The Hype – There is a shift happening among young adults when it comes to church attendance, but it’s not Gen-Z men becoming more religious, as some suggest. Instead, young women are leaving the church in droves — bringing them on par with their male counterparts for the first time in American history.
https://religionunplugged.com/news/2026/4/17/are-more-americans-attending-church-now-new-study-questions-the-hype

'Obey God rather than man': Christian teacher fought for her rights and won – Throughout her teaching career, Shawnae Carlisle never had an issue requesting time off for a religious observance. Carlisle, a science teacher at Southeast Elementary School in Salem, Ohio, is a member of The Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA), which has 12,000 members in over 250 congregations worldwide. It observes Old Testament holidays, including the Feast of Tabernacles each fall, along with four other holy days throughout the year. For the entirety of Carlisle’s 15 years in the district, she had requested and received approval for these days off without issue and consistently arranged substitute teachers and ensured full coverage for her classes. That changed in October 2025, when the district denied her request for unpaid leave to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, citing what her legal team described as arbitrary and inconsistent reasons that did not align with its treatment of other teachers. Unwilling to compromise her beliefs, Carlisle took the time off anyway and secured substitute coverage. The district responded by suspending her without pay for five days. Last month, the Salem City School District agreed to accommodate Carlisle’s religious observances going forward. The settlement allows her to take unpaid time off for various holy days in accordance with her faith, reversing the prior suspension and removing any pressure to choose between her job and her beliefs.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-teacher-fought-for-her-rights-and-won.html

Getting Stuck in a 'Boring' Conversation Could Have a Surprising Benefit – We all dread getting trapped in a conversation with that neighbor who won't shut up about his gym routine – but a new study suggests we don't actually hate it as much as we assume we will. In a series of experiments, pairs of people chatted about a variety of given topics. Before each conversation, they were asked to rank how interesting or boring they expected it to be, then afterward they reported how much they actually enjoyed the chat. Surprisingly, it turns out you might be more invested in your coworker's chat than you realized. Participants consistently reported that they enjoyed the interactions more than they assumed they would, even for topics they thought would be a snoozefest.
https://www.sciencealert.com/getting-stuck-in-a-boring-conversation-could-have-a-surprising-benefit

Route 66, a ‘Linear Museum Stretched Across Eight States,’ Turns 100 – This year marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which ran for roughly 2,400 miles, from Chicago to Los Angeles (and, later, Santa Monica), and helped define the American road trip along the way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/arts/design/route-66-centennial-museum-exhibits.html