Roundup: Materialism, Easter light, Pete Rollins, global unity, My World, religion and society,

We worship materialism at our peril

Too many of us spend too much time working and making money, and too little time enjoying the company of family and friends.

Letter to a pastor with cancer

Tonight I saw death’s shadow and was not afraid. The light I saw in your eyes was Easter light, my brother, and to the God of Easter morning I will pray.

Passing the mantle

In gratitude for the work and witness of the Rev. John Hirt.

Pete Rollins: Christian from a distant shore

I’m arguing that religion isn’t in the business of holding up the sacred to be grasped like a product that pops out of a machine. Religion helps us see the depth and beauty of creation, even in our brokenness.

New heads of global unity commission

The Church of Ireland bishop of Down and Dromore, the Rev. Harold Miller, and the Rev. Professor Robert Gribben from the Uniting Church of Australia have been elected co-chairs of the Anglican-Methodist International Commission for Unity in Mission (AMICUM).

Now you too can vote on post-2015 goals

The United Nations has ramped up its efforts to shape a post-Millennium Development Goals framework by this week launching the My World survey. Offered in ten languages, the survey asks citizens from all over the world to share their thoughts on what priorities to include in the global development agenda beyond 2015.

What role should religion play in modern society?

Should religions focus on preaching issues of morality? Or can major religions become a voice for the voiceless and speak up for the most vulnerable in our society?