News Of the Day – April 5th
Maverick City Music Makes History As First Christian Performer At Grammy Award Show In 20 Years
Maverick City Music made history Sunday night by winning its first Grammy and also becoming the first Christian or Gospel group in 20 years to perform live on the broadcast. The group won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for Old Church Basement, a live LP recorded with Elevation Worship. The group also received nominations for Best Gospel Performance/Song (Wait on You), Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song (Jireh) and Best Gospel Album (Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition). The group tweeted after the win, “THANK YOU JESUS!” the group’s Twitter account said after the Grammy win. “Everything we do belongs to God! We’re so honored to be a part of what He is doing in the Kingdom!” Read more about the group here.
Franklin Graham Writes Putin And Zelenskyy Requesting Cease Fire During Holy Week
The Rev. Franklin Graham said he wrote to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to ask for a cease-fire in the war in observance of Holy Week in the Western and Eastern Christian churches, which together span from April 10 to April 24. Graham visited Ukraine this week to see the work that his humanitarian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, is doing to aid refugees and other victims of the war. He said he was not confident he’d get a response from Putin but said he viewed the message as necessary. “If they can stop fighting for a week or 10 days, maybe they can stop fighting for two weeks,” said Graham. “If they stop for two weeks maybe they can stop for a month. If they stop for a month, maybe they can stop for good. You’ve got to start somewhere.” Read more about his request here.
NYC Mayor Fires Christian Education Advisor Over her Views On Gender And Sexuality
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has fired an education advisor from the city’s Panel for Education Policy after the New York Daily News reported on some of her past writings on gender and sexuality. The Rev. Kathlyn Barrett-Layne, who leads Staten Island’s Reach Out and Touch Ministries, was initially one of nine appointees to NYC’s Panel for Education Policy (PEP), which replaced the Board of Education in 2002 and is part of overseeing the city’s public schools. Within hours of Adams’ public announcement of the appointment, Barrett-Layne was reportedly asked to resign, due to an article published citing Barrett-Layne’s 2013 book, Challenging Your Disappointments, as evidence for her “anti-gay” agenda. In the book, Barrett-Layne listed homosexuality among other sins, including “fornication, adultery, pedophilia, stealing, lying, envy, and covetousness.” Read more about her firing here.
Metal Detector Discovers Ring belonging To The Sheriff Of Nottingham
A gold signet ring linked to the Sheriff of Nottingham has made £8,500 at auction. Found in a Nottinghamshire field by a metal detectorist, its history may however have more to do with lost Civil War loot than Robin Hood. The ring bears the coat of arms of the Jenison family, one of whom was Sheriff in the 1680s, but later died in prison. Rumors the family made its money from valuables unclaimed after the war were boosted by a silver hoard found nearby. Once it was verified as authentic, it was sent back to the finder, who is now set to make a good amount from his incredible discovery. The find has been described as one the ‘legendary outlaw Robin Hood would have loved’ by auctioneers ahead of its sale. Read more about the discovery here.
