Touchdown! Oklahoman scores with feature on Sooners game combining two faiths
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
If you follow college football, you probably know that Oklahoma opened with an impressive win Sunday night, highlighted by 508 yards of total offense by Alabama transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts.
One game into the season (a small sample size, no doubt), it even seems possible that a different Sooners QB could claim the Heisman Trophy for the third straight year.
To which I say: Boomer Sooner!
Here in Oklahoma, The Oklahoman offered readers a special treat on the front page Sunday: a smart news-feature by longtime sports columnist Jenni Carlson on the Sooners playing on what many consider the Lord’s Day. (FYI: Carlson recently celebrated 20 years with the newspaper, which sparked a tribute column by colleague Berry Tramel.)
I loved the headline, which captures the storyline perfectly:
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In new memoir, Randy Travis goes ‘diggin’ up bones’
Country star baptized in a Church of Christ reflects on his spiritual highs and soul-wrenching lows. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle And it was down with the old man, up with the new. Raised to walk in the way of light and truth. I didn’t see no angels, just a few saints on the shore. But I felt like a newborn baby, … Continue reading In new memoir, Randy Travis goes ‘diggin’ up bones’
In New Mexico town, single parents get free rent, benefits — if they’ll go to church
Faith-based program ties opportunities to behavior. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle PORTALES, N.M. — Biatriz Larez knows what it’s like to struggle to feed her family. A few years ago, the single mother and her three young children made do in a crumbling, two-bedroom mobile home. She worked an hourly, low-wage job as a custodian. “It was paycheck-to-paycheck living,” said Larez, who was born … Continue reading In New Mexico town, single parents get free rent, benefits — if they’ll go to church
After El Paso massacre, one Mexican-American grandmother turns to God for answers and comfort
22 white balloons, ‘Amazing Grace’ and a little hope. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle For Monica Moreno, the first news of the El Paso, Texas, massacre came via social media. A glance at Snapchat drew her attention to a relative’s post warning of an active shooter at a Walmart in Moreno’s hometown. By the time the rampage ended that Saturday, 22 people … Continue reading After El Paso massacre, one Mexican-American grandmother turns to God for answers and comfort
Houston-area Churches of Christ unite to feed the hungry
Organizers eye a single-day meal assembly record, as 1,200 racially diverse volunteers serve at the nation’s largest food bank. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle HOUSTON — A sea of blue washed over America’s largest food bank this past weekend. That was the color of matching T-shirts worn by 1,200 Christians and their friends who showed up Saturday for “Mission Day 2019” — an effort by … Continue reading Houston-area Churches of Christ unite to feed the hungry
From El Paso, a heart-wrenching religion story that might be the best all year
By Bobby Ross Jr. | GetReligion
Los Angeles Times national correspondent David Montero’s front-page feature on the parents of an El Paso, Texas, shooting victim is not perfect.
But it’s pretty darn close.
It just might be — in terms of the mixture of storytelling prowess and attention to faith details — the best religion story you’ll read all year.
However, be sure to grab a tissue before clicking the link and becoming engrossed in the narrative. Trust me on that.
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This journalist got a big scoop, only to watch Fox News steal his reporting — and his traffic
By Kelly McBride|Poynter Institute Bobby Ross Jr. is a veteran religion reporter and a man of faith. He edits The Christian Chronicle, an independent news organization serving the Church of Christ community. It was surprising, then, when Ross took to Twitter last week to call out a Fox News reporter. The cable TV network “aggregated” (Ross will say “stole”) one of his best stories without doing its … Continue reading This journalist got a big scoop, only to watch Fox News steal his reporting — and his traffic
‘We wanted this to be a Jesus crusade’
40th anniversary Crusade for Christ stresses racial unity. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle FORT WORTH, Texas — Emphasizing that Jesus loves all the little children — “red and yellow, black and white” — the 40th anniversary Crusade for Christ put a special emphasis on racial unity. “We didn’t want this to be a black crusade,” Steve Cloer, minister for the Southside Church of Christ in Fort Worth, … Continue reading ‘We wanted this to be a Jesus crusade’
‘Champs’ meet Christ at Croatian camp
In this once-communist nation, non-Catholic believers often face suspicion. But Churches of Christ report progress. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle ZAGREB, Croatia — For nine years, members of Churches of Christ in this central European capital have organized an annual outreach to children known as “Champs Camp.” It’s not every year, though, that the weeklong, Christian-themed day camp mixes Vacation Bible School songs and … Continue reading ‘Champs’ meet Christ at Croatian camp
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 