The contemporary dating scene might, at times, resemble TS Eliot’s wasteland or, worse, a post-apocalyptic landscape punctuated by primeval beings who shy away from light. Apps like ... Read more

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Zendaya and Robert Pattinson were spotted on the set of "The Drama," a new movie filming in the Boston area this fall.

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"The Drama," set to film in Boston throughout the fall, is seeking extras with "distinctive faces" now through the end of November.

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A fine fifth album from the Brighton metallers, set to stand the test of time.

Dexys are back with wisdom and wings. Some of us never doubted.

Seventh album of darkly rockin’ blues from Londoners channelling spirits of New Orleans.

"We're getting there. It's a long journey, it's a long season. Taking care of your body is important."

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An investigation into the incident said the body was that of 86-year-old Susan Lauber.

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Educators in Beverly, Gloucester, and Marblehead are fighting for increased wages and paid parental leave.

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The naturally occurring mineral that causes foundations to crumble could be affecting thousands of homes across the state.

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NOAA advises those who hope to see the northern lights to get away from city lights.

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A top U.S. commercial bakery is pushing back on a Food and Drug Administration warning to stop using labels that say its products contain sesame — even when they don't

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In response to growing customer demand, stores of all stripes are bringing out their festive collections weeks before the Nov. 1 start of the holiday shopping season.

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Some health groups have said it’s time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time aligns better with the sun — and human biology.

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The stars have been spotted around Boston filming A24 movie, “The Drama.”

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Williams also talks Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, and Trey Anastasio in advance of her shows in Medford, Portland, and Providence.

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How do you approach politics on dating apps? Share your experience with us.

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"There's just something about visiting a pumpkin patch, many with hayrides and yummy treats, that puts you in the fall spirit."

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"As I always say, I use this as a microphone not only to give you guys information, but also to talk to the players. So, players, this is how we need to play going forward."

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The former Patriots QB cited McDaniels's halftime adjustments as a major reason for the team's most recent Super Bowl title.

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This marks the first time in the 99-game series history that it will be played in New England.

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In 1878, scientists all over the US witnessed a total eclipse of the sun. After that, American science was never quite the same.

Also: Sona Hosseini learns that being an astronomist….can be depressing; photographer Joel Sartore goes on a quest to take pictures of endangered animals before they disappear; why the American TV drama Twin Peaks took off in Russia; and we remember director George Romero who changed how we think about zombies.

(Image: A total solar eclipse is seen in Indonesia on March 9, 2016. Credit: Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)

It’s the beat that drives the bugaloo and mambo. Ayana Contreras travels to Cuba to understand the clave.

Plus, we go beneath a motorway flyover in Rio de Janeiro, where US hip-hop from the 1990s gets re-imagined every Saturday night; we meet a 9-year-old boy who is preserving his family’s Cambodian history through dance; South African superstar Johnny Clegg tells us how he helped form an interracial dance troupe during apartheid; and we remember Johnny Hallyday, “the French Elvis Presley”.

(Image: Dancers at the weekly Saturday night charme dance in Madureira, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone. Credit: Catherine Osborn)

“What I remember about my dad is that he had this penetrating smile.”

We recall the life of Tony Acevedo; from child of unauthorised immigrants from Mexico, to US soldier in WWII, to concentration camp survivor, to inspirational father.

Also: the daughter of an American spy reveals secrets about her childhood; a father remembers telling his children that he was going to be deported; Vincenzo Bruno, an activist in Costa Rica, comes out as transgender to his son; and Tami Neilson closes out the programme with her song “The First Man.’’

(Image: Tony Acevedo at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's 20th Anniversary Tribute event in Los Angeles, February 2013. Credit: Courtesy of The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

"SNL" returned for the fifth episode of its 50th season on Nov. 2 with host John Mulaney, musical guest Chappell Roan, and a guest appearance from Vice President Kamala Harris.

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The Mass. native got snatched up by Snoop Dogg during blind auditions on the hit NBC series.

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Standup comic and actor Bill Burr will host for the second time with Mk.gee as musical guest.

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"SNL" returned for the sixth episode of its 50th season on Nov. 9 with host Bill Burr playing into his Boston-area roots.

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Plus: A new romance-only bookstore in Cambridge, a dive into SNL history, and the International Antiquarian Book Fair.

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A new ranking by HomeToGo highlights affordable skiing slopes in New England.

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Talking Christmas and Choirs w/Craig Adams, Worship Leader and Creative Director at LifeWay...AAW Podcast, Episode 176!

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Have you heard the news? Christmas IS ON A SUNDAY this year! It doesn’t happen again till 2022 and then again in 2033,2039 and 2050. But like it or not, it’s a reality in the here and now. So what are you going to do about it?

The last time Christmas was on a Sunday was in 2011. Back then a LifeWay Research poll of 1,000 Protestant pastors, 91% were planning on having a service of some kind on Christmas Sunday morning. While 69% said they were also going to have a Christmas Eve service. Of the estimated 9%, who were not planning on having a service, some made national headlines when they decided to cancel.

You might have noticed the term, “service of some kind,” as many churches had modified their regular activities to allow for people to participate in both their family traditions and attend a church service. Many had elected to only do one “family service” (which offered no separate children’s programs) held later in the morning. This was to minimize the demands on volunteers but also to be together on a special day.

This was the approach that my church took in 2011. To say the least, I was a bit skeptical at first. Thinking that few would come and after all the work that goes into Christmas Eve I was not excited about showing up early the next morning. But I can honestly say it was one of the best Christmas’s. First of all, we left everything in place from the night before so we didn’t have to set anything up. Then, like I previously mentioned, the service was later in the day, which allowed for Christmas morning traditions, presents, and breakfast. So that after the wrapping paper had been torn to shreds we actually had something to do. The service lasted about an hour. The worship team did two Christmas songs, we had the kids do a few special songs to tracks, which all the parents and grandparents loved (also brought their family out to church) and didn’t require a bunch of prep or costumes. Our Pastor shared a short message of hope. Not to sound overly spiritual here but it really was a very spiritual moment to be in church on Christmas. After the service concluded we exchanged Christmas greetings with our church family and then headed home to play with new toys, eat again, and spend the day with family.

No matter what you choose to do this Christmas, we just wanted to make you aware it was coming so you could plan. Also wanted to share some thoughts and experiences, but we really wanted to get the conversation started. What did your church do on Sunday Morning Christmas 2011? What worked and what didn’t?  What are you going to do this year?

Leave a comment below or hit us up on twitter.

If you aren’t yet familiar with her, the name to be looking out for in the coming year without a doubt is Dara Maclean. With two studio records behind her, the Lord is paving a fresh path for her ministry that hearts everywhere are sure to resonate with.
 
She’s been singing and doing music and ministry since she was seven years old. In her words, “it was not good sounding by any means. I remember at seven, I ran into my dad’s office and I had a walls of Jericho type song, and he applauded me because he’s a really good dad, but I’m sure it was really rough. But I felt called to the industry from a very young age and that has been everything for me.”

Having grown up in the church, she experienced first-hand that church really can be what you need regarding your maturing as a believer, a worshiper, and a leader. In her community she had “the opportunity to really fail forward in the sense of what not to do as a worship leader or youth leader. That was school for me in a lot of ways. God just knows how He uniquely creates us. I had to learn by doing and was forced into situations where experience didn’t get me there, but only the Lord could do it.”
 
“My parents looked at me and did NOT say, ‘You can be anything when you grow up.’ They said ‘there’s a specific calling on your life, and until you learn to hear from the Lord yourself, we’re going to help you.’ It has never been a question as I’ve pursued that calling.”
 
Some of Dara’s musical influences include Crystal Lewis, Martha Munizzi, CeCe Winans, and Brian & Jenn Johnson. These influences combined with her own experience in the recording industry served as the inspiration behind her and her husband’s heart to be a safe place for creatives to grow and learn and get tools to pursue their passions without having to step outside of the church.
 
Right now Dara is in the process of writing for a live worship record. It’s something that she is taking her time with in order to make it the very best it can possibly be. “For me personally I had to get off of the pump-out-a-record-every-two-years train. I could never take away from what the Lord had done on my journey, but I just had to stop and say ‘this project is worth it, I want more, I want another level, and that just takes time.’” Also around that same time, Dara married her husband Donnie Petty, so her life focus began shifting dramatically.
 
Leading up to the live recording, they have been and will continue to release one single at a time as a build up to the full project. Blameless was released in the fall of 2016 and then her latest song, Ashes, hit the scene just in time for Easter this year.

Along with being a songwriter and recording artist, Dara and her husband serve at a church in Fort Worth, TX. When it comes to balancing a music career and pastoring in the local church context, Dara says that it’s not something she did very well for a long time. “I became very overwhelmed. In the past I’ve been an all-or-nothing person and the Lord has helped me tremendously. I had to learn to not be a perfectionist when I didn’t need to be, and to stop carrying the weight of things I didn’t need to carry. I was putting all of that pressure on myself, so the balance began to come when I sort of ‘got over myself.’ God is perfectly faithful and fit and He has qualified us for what He has called us to do. Not by might and not by power, but by the Spirit. When working in the first two only, you grow weary in well-doing.”
 
The story behind her most recent release, Ashes, is a very personal one. Dara takes songwriting very seriously and carries the full weight and responsibility of her name being attached to anything. So when she walks into a co-write, nine times out of ten she already has a theme in mind, if not a full set of bones for an idea. But this particular session with Travis Ryan (We Believe) happened to be the last of a week straight of two co-writes per day. “I walked in and Travis had this concept of Ashes, and we knew immediately ‘God You just have just given us a gift.’ We definitely should not be focusing on this just for Easter, because victory of death, what a revelation! There are definitely areas of my life that have died . . . full on valley of dry bones. Jesus did not die so that things in me would remain dead. He longs to show off in the marriage that is dying. For those who struggle with self-harm issues, fill in the blank . . . we need Jesus. The goal is to prophetically proclaim this over people because I’ve needed it myself. The reality is, there is stuff in our past that needs to remain dead. But shame and condemnation is trying to keep dead that which God said ‘I gave that to you as a gift of life’. I believe those things, through the power of revelation, can be resurrected and that will lead people to the Lord. That’s huge!”
 
One thing is for sure; this sister has a gifting and a message from the Lord that will not easily go unheard. And the soul in her voice only solidifies the power behind the words she is singing. So if you haven’t already, check out her music today.
You can get Ashes here and keep up with what Dara is up to here.

Today, we're excited to introduce you to someone on the front lines of worship every single week at a local church, just like you!  He's a worship leader, pastor, husband, father and a good friend of the ministry: Jordan Merritt.

Jordan is currently serving as Worship Pastor at Embrace Church in Sioux Falls, SD, one of the fastest-growing churches in the country.  In addition to leading worship, he is a gifted songwriter. He co-wrote the Newsboys single, “You Hold It All,” and he has written songs for multiple projects with artists including Newsboys, Selah, Travis Ryan, and others. Jordan’s desire is to see the Church equipped, refreshed, and reminded of God’s promises through worship.

Thank you to Jordan for taking the time to sit down with us!  We hope you are encouraged by a "fellow soldier in the fight", who is leading worship in a local church every week.  Be encouraged and be confident that God has put you on mission as a worshipper in your church ... to restore the honor of God, to restore the People of God and to bring His presence into your services each and every week. 

Have a great week!

All About Worship talks with The Belonging Co. worship leader, Hope Darst about leading teams and showing true character through hard times.

She voices the story about writing the song “Peace Be Still”, as it evolved into one of the breakthrough worship songs of 2018.  Enjoy this week's sit down with Hope Darst!

This past summer I took my family to Disney world.  It is supposedly a magical Kingdom.  I can tell you that none of my dreams came true when I visited Disney World.  I wished for a hover-board that would take me around the park.  I wished for an endless supply of free food and drinks.  I wished for lower ticket prices and for at least half of the million people that were in that park to disappear... and nothing.  I knew who was to blame for all of this craziness.  It was not difficult because his statue was right in the middle of the park.  It was none other than Walt Disney himself.  

In ancient days, Kings would put a statue in every corner of his empire to let you know whose kingdom it was.  When you saw this statue, it was a constant reminder of who was ultimately in charge. Have you ever considered that God made you in His image for the same reason?  He wanted to place you in position on the earth, so you could reflect His holiness and brilliance.  Isaiah 61:3 says you will be “a display of His splendor.”  1 Peter 2:9 says...

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  

Did you get that?  We are called to be a Kingdom of priests that declare His praises.  We reflect a Holy God to the world around us. People make judgments on God based on the actions of those who call themselves Christians.  Because of this, it is imperative that we set Him apart in our own lives.  When people look at your life, what do they believe about God?

Jesus told us to pray that the Kingdom of God would come on earth as it is in heaven.  Part of that prayer is your responsibility.  If you want the earth to look like heaven then, as a Kingdom of priests, you need to do your part.  We get a glimpse of it in Revelation 22:3-5.

The Throne of God and of the Lamb is at the center. His servants will offer God service—worshiping, they’ll look on his face, their foreheads mirroring God. Never again will there be any night. No one will need lamplight or sunlight. The shining of God, the Master, is all the light anyone needs. And they will rule with Him age after age after age. 

You become what you behold.  You reflect what you worship.  

To access the rest of this devotional series by Dustin, search for Here Be Lions on your YouVersion app, or follow this link on your computer - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/12000. 

On today's podcast, we're sitting down with some powerful women in the faith - Krissy Nordhoff and Amanda Blankenship.  We're talking about an important subject for church leaders in general, but especially Worship Leaders, the motivation of ministry.  Enjoy!

The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey).

Subscribe to the podcast:
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Today's podcast is a car ride talk with one of our favorite people in the world - Michael Farren.  We're talking about the dangers of isolation ... it's a sneaky weapon of the enemy uses (many times) against creatives and leaders alike.  When you don't know you're isolating yourself from people and relationships, you need an answer; A shift.  Listen in to find out what that shift was for these guys, and what it might be for you too. Enjoy!

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The Worship Podcast is powered by All About Worship (Dustin Smith & James Galbraith) and WeAreWorship (Wisdom Moon & Morgan Shirey).

Subscribe to the podcast:
theworshippodcast.com
linktr.ee/theworshippodcast 

You can also connect with The Worship Podcast on social media:
The Worship Podcast on Facebook
The Worship Podcast on Instagram
The Worship Podcast on Twitter

I am going to do something that I rarely do.  I'm going to give you a practical tip for building a worship team.  One of the reasons that I tend to lean away from giving practical tips is because there are so many great worship sites out there who already lean on the practical stuff, that it can just get lost in the sea of information. But what I am about to tell you is something that you will very rarely hear anyone say.  The reason you won't hear it is because it does not have an immediate payoff and unfortunately we live in a microwave culture. If you can't heat it up and have it ready for consumption immediately, then we don't want it. The problem is that we have focused on our immediate needs so long that we have forgotten to build for the future.

If you have a large church or you are building a church from the ground up, here is my advice.  Work for today, but build for tomorrow.  I know that sounds simple and you think you are already doing it, but I'm not talking about working for Sunday and building for Monday. I'm talking about working on the immediate but building for the future.  Instead of just considering what your service will look like this week, consider what it will look like in ten years if you continue to do things the same way you always have.

I find that most leaders are so consumed with their weekly commitments that to think beyond next week is overwhelming.  I believe this is one of the reasons that the average lifespan of a worship leader at one church is about a year and a half.  We have focused on the short term so much that we have forgotten to make an investment in our future. When you are dealing with your finances you don't start over each day.  You take into account what you have and then you use it each day accordingly. But you also think ahead to future purchases, trips, family growth, etc. Most people are not choosing to invest in their ministry.  They are just running their ministry. Or their ministry is running them.

Here are a couple of ideas to get you started.  These are just ideas. They are not exhaustive by any means, they are simply to stir the pot.  They will get you to think outside of your week, outside of your setlist, outside of yourself.

#1 Instead of spending so much time on your team's musicianship, spend some time on their character.  Patience, excellence, good attitude, and peace will all help you have better musicians. If you focus on developing the music, then you will get better music.  If you focus on developing the people, then you will get better people, playing better music.

#2 While working with your current team, pour into a younger generation.  I am ok with hearing worship leaders frustrated that they don't have a bass player at their church.  What I am not ok with is hearing that same frustration five years later from that same person. What did you do during that five year period to train someone up to play the bass?  Get a bass, hand it to a 12-year-old and get that kid lessons. Then get your youth teaching the younger kids. Create a culture of music so you never have that problem again.

#3 When you hear about a problem, handle it right away.  I don't let problems carry into our future. Some people let things drag on too long because they are only concerned about how they feel right at that moment.  The pain of dealing with the problem seems greater than the pain of allowing it to continue, but that is never the case. Never let situations be in control. As a leader you need to be in control  I have seen too many situations control leaders and their responses. This means that situations are dictating your future because you have allowed it to be the loudest voice.

If you have ever seen a cathedral it is because someone thought beyond a day.  They looked into the future and saw you. They wanted you to know that there were some before you that believed in the glory of God and they wanted to create a place on the earth that testified to His greatness!  May we do the same!

Chicago set the post-1900 record for losses in a season, going 41-121.

According to several reports this week, the Red Sox intend to be serious players in the Juan Soto Sweepstakes. Both the New York Post and ESPN reported that the Red Sox have plans to meet with Soto and his representatives in southern California this week. Both outlets reported that the Sox are among seven or eight bidders for the outfielder, with the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays among others — including perhaps even the small-market Tampa Bay Rays — also in the running.

This week Zorba and Karl discuss new research that shows we age dramatically at two key times in our lives, and they talk about how much water we need to […]

President Trump has come to Washington and is already shaking things up. The Brody File explores his relationship with the media. Jennifer Wishon joins us from The White House and Abigail Robertson reports on what Congress might be able to ...

Nothing in the genre beats David Simon's police shows (The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street, We Own This City). That said - Bosch is as close as it gets - not only in realism and quality but vibe as well! Bosch - a high quality crime solving drama on Prime Video Also don't miss the spin-off Bosch: Legacy which is basically a continuation of the same show.

The newly added "show discovery through AI" (now renamed to Smart show suggestions) got smarter and more useful through a couple of additions: Now it remembers the whole conversation session, so you can iterate on it It knows your ratings so you can use that for more specific recommendations I've added details in the instructions, highlighting more strengths and limitations of the feature You can now find it in the Top section along with the rest of the discovery top chartsI'm still tinkering with it, trying to make it better and faster. Let me know how it works for you now.

I mentioned movies will get the streaming services availability - and it's now done. Here's what's new:streaming services availability was added in all Movies lists (my movies, browse, hot, trending, search)you can now filter these lists by streaming services or "my streaming services" availabilityAlong with these specific updates regarding the Movies section, there are a few general improvements as well:when filtered by a streaming service, what you filter by is first and highlighted - the rest is grayed outmany new countries are now supported so if yours wasn't there before - check again - it most likely is nowPlease let me know how these work for you and if something looks weird on your device/browser. Next - I plan to focus on improving how My Movies looks and works (both on desktop and mobile)

Iran is reportedly preparing for an attack on Israel within days. 2024 is seeing record-breaking early voting as election day approaches. As election day gets closer, one Illinois church wants to encourage the next president -- with prayer. ...

People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during encounters with law enforcement. The NCAA men and women tipped off earlier this week, making it a busy time for sports fans. Last year the Men's championship game ...

Millions of Christians flee danger in Nigeria