Not praying for Texas Rangers’ wins, but thanking God for them anyway. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle MATANZAS, Cuba — I crouched in anticipation as I stared at the TV. In a dark room with no air conditioning, I ignored the sweat dripping down my face and focused on the screen. A weather warning? A breaking news alert? Nope, a different kind of … Continue reading A baseball blessing in Cuba
For Christians, love transcends any language barrier. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW YORK — I didn’t understand the words as the North Bronx Church of Christ sang in Twi, the native dialect of the Ghanaian immigrant congregation. But the tune was the same as “At the Cross,” making the lyrics easy to translate in my mind. “At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the … Continue reading A blessed visit to a Ghanaian immigrant church
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle About 2,800 miles separate Manhattan, N.Y., from Malibu, Calif. By car that trip would take roughly 41 hours, according to Google Maps. The good news for Christian Chronicle readers: We did the traveling for you. To be totally transparent, we didn’t drive. We relied on commercial flights to carry us to the scene of important news featured in this month’s Chronicle. But the … Continue reading The journey: Reporting the news of our fellowship
Diverse congregation in Manhattan counts members from five continents — but no Jets or Sharks. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle NEW YORK — A rap song by Eminem played in the lobby of a hostel where guests from around the world stay while visiting this city of 8.5 million. In a nearby hallway, the hip-hop beat gave way to the four-part harmony of Christians singing … Continue reading Upper West Side Story
By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged SAN DIEGO — At 8:15 p.m. on a recent Saturday, Texas Rangers catcher Mitch Garver swung and missed at an 86-mph slider from San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader. Garver’s strikeout secured a 4-0 victory for the home team in front of 42,677 fans at Petco Park. Three minutes later, an electric guitarist and a keyboardist from The Rock Church … Continue reading Jesus at the ballpark: Why MLB teams host faith nights
Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan two years ago, an Oklahoma church has worked to serve its new neighbors. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle OKLAHOMA CITY — The chaos at the end of a long war. The frenzy to leave a troubled homeland. The challenge of a new and different culture. Hong Kluver identifies closely with the Afghan refugees she has worked so hard to … Continue reading Sharing love — and Christ — with refugees
A Texas church’s outreach started with one Christian couple compelled to ‘do something.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle AN ANTONIO — Dan and Mary Huber were stuffed. They couldn’t eat any more. Or so they told their friends — an Afghan refugee family who fled their war-torn native land two years ago. “There’s no room,” Mary explained, patting her stomach. The children, who understand English better than … Continue reading How a grassroots ministry to Afghan refugees ‘snowballed’ into something big
By Bobby Ross Jr. SAN DIEGO — My love of baseball is no secret. Nor is my desire to see games at all 30 MLB stadiums. This past week I combined work and pleasure when I traveled to Southern California to work on a story for ReligionUnplugged.com on Faith Night events hosted by a number of teams. I flew into Los Angeles and then drove to … Continue reading Another ballpark checked off my bucket list: Petco Park in San Diego makes 21
The rescued children aren’t the only ones blessed — so are the American supporters who keep returning. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle COZUMEL, Mexico — Scott Eller steered a rented Nissan March through this bustling Caribbean city as his wife, Andrea, talked about their “home away from home.” Driving away from the cruise ships and sandy beaches that draw thousands to Cozumel, Scott … Continue reading In a Mexican resort city, Christians care for homeless ‘angels’
Faith. Family. Fastballs. 