By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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11.01.24
One of our Facebook friends, with whom I served on a church council, posted an invitation to visit his church on October 20th for a “politically” themed sermon. Oh, that can be dangerous.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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10.28.24
It’s that time of year. Most children in Illinois will parade through the streets on October 31st begging for treats instead of tricks. The truly savvy candy hunters know exactly which neighborhoods hand out the best of the best. And there is a ranking system, as all parents likely know.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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10.14.24
“Will Your Presidential Vote Send You to Hell?” It was a bit of a startling headline. But that, of course, is the idea of such a tease. I love the challenge of headline writers.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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10.04.24
I can’t recall who first added a wonderful challenge to the old adage about “two things we should never talk about…religion and politics.”
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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09.20.24
Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance found himself in trouble when he said that our nation was being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable with their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.” That was likely not the most gentlemanly thing to say.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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09.13.24
Because of the dramatic skills demonstrated at every Olympics, it is hard not to cheer on our champions. I love the display of American flags and the playing of our national anthem when medals are being placed around the winners' necks.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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09.06.24
As life would have it, I’m color blind. At least as far as my eyesight is concerned. It’s more properly called “color vision deficiency.” So I’m a bit deficient. I know that.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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08.15.24
Dr. Larry Poland was laid to rest in Wheaton, Illinois at the age of 83 in April of last year. He passed at his home in nearby Carol Stream having retired several years earlier. Larry had a remarkable Hollywood career. If you’ve never heard of him, I would not be surprised.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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08.02.24
Oxford languages: “Deep State: a body of people, typically influential members of government agencies or the military, believed to be involved in the secret manipulation or control of government policy.”
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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07.19.24
The marketing of Jesus knows no bounds. I speak of that which I know. Hear me out. In my work history, I was employed by multiple stations that self-identified as “Christian radio.” All along, these stations SHOULD have been saying, “Christian formatted radio.” It might seem like a small distinction, but much that appears under a marketing banner of “Christian” could be easily challenged.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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07.11.24
A former Chicago radio producer and friend of mine has established quite a reputation for alerting us to the myriad of ministry leader “missteps” surfacing in recent years. On one hand, it’s important for us to be aware of such mistrusts and to know that we must never elevate anyone in ministry beyond what they are: human vessels intending to accomplish what God has apparently called them to do.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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07.03.24
Would you agree with this statement: “Patriotism is a hot button issue in schools.” My personal reaction is, “You’re kidding!!” Well, maybe in the late 1700s.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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06.28.24
Who among us wants to feel “excluded?” From the time we are children we want to be picked for “the team.” As teens, there is a longing to be part of a clique—the inner circle that sets you apart from the masses.
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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06.21.24
The parties shall remain nameless, but since both are now deceased, I feel at liberty to repeat this story. At the wedding rehearsal the evening before the big event, the bride and groom were practicing their traditional vows. Apparently, the groom was unfamiliar with the term “troth,” an old English term meaning “my word”...
By Mark Elfstrand, Cultural Affairs Writer
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06.16.24
Here comes another Father’s Day. A relatively minor blip on the annual calendar compared to Mother’s Day. No need to explain why that is, right? What does it take to become a “father” or “dad?” Biology tells us that a boy barely entering his teenage years is quite capable of impregnating a female and voilà—the baby arrives nine months later. Welcome to the world of fatherhood—and motherhood.
