Is your God dead?

Nice guy or tough guy? The two faces of Pope Francis
Religion News Service: To the vast majority, Pope Francis is the compassionate face of Catholicism today. But he also has another side that has been on display in recent days: A willingness to flex papal muscle and lay down the law.

Is your God dead?
The New York Times: If your God is dead, the possibility for a resurrection might be found in attending to the pain and sorrow of the image of the divine there on the street.

Faith and family, in transition
The New York Times: An evangelical minister reassesses his Brooklyn ministry when his father, also a minister, comes out as a transgender woman.

Many faith leaders are unprepared to help people make peace with death
Deseret News: Many faith leaders are uncertain of when aggressive treatments should be traded for hospice care and confused about palliative care.

The history of pews is just as terrible and embarrassing as you'd imagine
Christ and Pop Culture: Seating in churches didn't really become a thing until parishioners got bored enough to wish they were sitting down -- that is, about the time of the Protestant Reformation.