Alabama’s “Roll On, Highway” seems like an appropriate theme song for this edition of the Friday Five.
I spent a big part this week in an 18-wheeler working on a Christian Chronicle story about a Tennessee-based disaster relief ministry delivering emergency food boxes and supplies to victims of Hurricane Michael in Florida.
Look for a hurricane-related faith story (but not mine, since it hasn’t been published yet) as we count down the Friday Five:
1. Religion story of the week: Speaking of Hurricane Michael, the Pensacola News Journal had an excellent, detail-packed overview of the somber and hopeful worship services after the storm.
2. Most popular GetReligion post: For a while, it seemed like a post related to the fall of Cardinal Donald Wuerl was our most popular item every week.
Well, here we go again: Editor Terry Mattingly’s commentary titled “As Cardinal Wuerl steps down (with a papal salute), 'Uncle Ted' McCarrick is way out of sight” occupies the No. 1 most-clicked spot this week.
3. Guilt folder fodder (and more): Wait, CNN religion editor Daniel Burke said what about Ed Stetzer?
In case you missed it, Burke interviewed Stetzer about the popular evangelical writer and theologian’s new book “Christians in the Age of Outrage.” The best line: Burke wrote that Stetzer “looks a bit like a Metallica roadie who found Jesus.”
Nailed it!
4. Shameless plug: Stetzer, as you might know, is extremely quotable. He figures this week, too, in tmatt’s nationally syndicated religion column headlined “Probing the ‘81 Percent of Evangelicals Love Trump’ Stat.”
“Trump voters are not Trump, and that’s certainly true for most evangelicals,” Stetzer tells tmatt in the column, which is full of insightful expert analysis.
This week’s “Crossroads” podcast is also on this topic. Click here to tune that in!
Did you know GetReligion has done 100-plus podcasts in recent years? You can get them on iTunes or just click here and start listing.
5. Final thought: WWJF?
That is, who would Jesus follow?
Apparently, the answer is: Washington Post religion writer Michelle Boorstein. LOL.
Happy Friday, everybody!
Enjoy the weekend!