Megachurch Pastor David Platt took to the pulpit to stress the importance of mission work in communities that have never heard the Gospel, especially the 3-plus billion worldwide who are "unreached." Drawing on Matthew 28:18-20, which is commonly referred to as the Great Commission, Platt explained that the term "unreached" did not just mean being an unbeliever, but rather that it meant that it was a community where the people had no access to the Gospel. "People are just as lost in Kentucky and the places where most all of us live as they are in Yemen. The difference is there are churches in Kentucky and all the places where most of us live. Gospel-preaching churches," he said.

On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, a lawsuit involving a Washington State assistant football coach who was punished and subsequently fired in 2015 for praying on the 50-yard line after games. While the district argued Kennedy's actions crossed a line because they were "audible prayers" that included student participation, his attorney, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, maintained the coach's prayers were "doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses" of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

The Satanic Temple filed a civil suit against Northern Elementary School in Pennsylvania just days after the Dillsburg-based Northern York County School Board rejected the establishment of an After School Satan Club at the school. The club, which officials rejected in an 8-1 vote, was proposed by a parent who wanted a secular alternative to the Joy El Christian club, which operates in nine of 16 of the county’s school districts and offers off-campus activities. Meanwhile, two sets of parents in Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against several school officials at Baird Middle School for allegedly encouraging their children to adopt new gender identities without the parents' knowledge or consent. One of the sets of parents claims they informed the school they would provide their daughter with the help she needed from a "mental health professional" and requested the school refrain from discussing the issue with their children to allow the parents to "direct the mental health care of their children," but stated they believe the school disregarded their instructions.

Meanwhile, several universities also hit the news. Yale Divinity School broke its centuries-old tradition on Sunday, holding its first-ever non-Christian service. Student Tasha Brownfield, who led the event, criticized the lack of worship spaces for "people who fall outside a very particular Protestant lens" and told the Yale Daily News she is trying to launch and curate "pantheistic mysticism" as a religious practice. The University of New Mexico agreed to pay a six-figure settlement to the family of a woman who died following an abortion she received at a clinic she was referred to by the university. And finally, Jemar Tisby, a well-known Christian author and president of The Witness, a multimedia platform about race, religion, politics, and culture, chided leaders of Grove City College in Pennsylvania for calling a decision to allow him to speak in the school’s chapel about race in 2020 "a mistake." The school's comments came in a report that condemned critical race theory and its promotion on their campus.

On the entertainment front: Capitol CMG artist Anne Wilson released her debut album, My Jesus, and the moving story of her family grappling with grief and drawing closer to God following the tragic death of her brother resonated with readers. Wilson wasn't the only artist to discuss their faith. Actor Neal McDonough talked wrestling with God after being blacklisted in Hollywood for several years because he refused to perform sex scenes. The actor, who was eventually presented with a new opportunity from actor and screenwriter Graham Yostwho, ultimately realized he had much to be grateful for, saying, "God has given me so much. We all experience challenges in our lives. I should be grateful—and thankful—for all the blessings I’m given."

Final Thoughts ...

Our CP Voices contributors had much to say as cultural and legal issues continued to dominate the news throughout the week. As we head into the weekend, we’d like to leave you with this thought from CP contributor Sarah Freymuth:

"God is constant and unchanging, and the way He views us is enough. He has chosen you to be His son or daughter, and in His eyes, when you come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ, you are forever on His team and accepted into His family. You were created to belong in this family. There is more to your life than you can ever imagine. God created you for a purpose that is part of a much larger plan than what you can see in front of you."

At a time when media trends suggest that our worth be based on popularity, level of "wokeness" or a perfectly crafted digital persona, may we choose instead to focus not on how the world rates our worth but on how we are viewed in the eyes of our Creator.