Issues, Etc.

Will Whedon, assistant pastor and liturgy/worship leader who hosts a daily 15-minute Bible study, explores Philippians 4:8. He discusses Philippi’s Roman-colony imagery and Christian virtues. He argues for beauty as objective, connects art and worship, urges surrounding yourself with beauty, and reflects on strength in weakness and practicing these virtues in divine service.

Terry Mattingly, Senior Fellow on Communications and Culture at St. Constantine College and author of the Rational Sheep newsletter, discusses coverage of the Georgian Orthodox patriarch's death. He explores the patriarch's global influence, his role in boosting Georgia's fertility, diplomatic leadership during the 2008 invasion, the 2017 autocephaly, and how U.S. media framed the story.

Lisa Cooper, campus ministry leader and writer who studies religion and culture. She talks about how smartphones and short-form content shape Gen Z women’s attention. She defines influencers, maps different Christian online voices, and explains why many young women overtrust online figures. She outlines questions for evaluating influencers and stresses grounding discernment in Scripture and church accountability.

Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief of The Babylon Bee and commentator on satire and free speech, discusses Christian news satire and its mission. He talks about satire in an absurd age, how satirical headlines sometimes predict reality, and clashes with platform moderation and mainstream media. He also explains making fun of Christian hypocrisy, using humor to encourage believers, and resisting cancel culture.

Pr. Ben Ball, Senior Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran in Hamel, IL and LCMS Second Vice President, offers theological teaching and liturgical insight. He explores why Matthew centers Palm Sunday, describes historical Jerusalem processions and the Palm procession format, maps the Gospel pattern through Holy Week, and ties Palm entry to the Passion as one continuous salvific narrative.

Peter Bender of The Concordia Catechetical Academy Concordia Catechetical AcademyThe post Looking Forward to Sunday Morning According to Luther’s Catechisms: Palm Sunday and Sunday of the Passion – Pr. Peter Bender, 3/23/26 (0822) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Audio Open Lines The post Responding to Listener Email and the Issues, Etc. Comment Line, 3/23/26 (0821) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Dr. J. Budziszewski of the University of Texas Pandemic of Lunacy: How to Think Clearly When Everyone Around You Seems Crazy “Revenge of Conscience” by J. Budziszewski “What We Can’t Not Know” by J. BudziszewskiThe post The Case for Commonsense Sanity – Dr. J. Budziszewski, 3/20/26 (0792) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Dr. Aaron Moldenhauer of Concordia University Wisconsin The post The Role of Pastors and the Laity in the Church – Dr. Aaron Moldenhauer, 3/20/26 (0791) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch The Tragedy of Islam: Failure and Excuses Intifada on the Hudson: The Selling of Zohran Mamdani Antisemitism: History and Myth Muhammad: A Critical Biography The Critical Qur’an Jihad Watch Did Muhammad Exist?: An Inquiry into Islam’s Obscure Origins―Revised and Expanded Edition The Critical Qur’an: Explained from Key Islamic Commentaries and Contemporary Historical Research The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS The Complete Infidel’s Guide to Free Speech (and Its Enemies) Confessions of an IslamophobeThe post Comments from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Radical Islam – Robert Spencer, 3/19/26 (0783) first appeared on Issues, Etc..