City employees in a Milwaukee suburb are no longer employees of “Grinch-burg,” thanks to an about-face by administrators in Wauwatosa, population 48,387.

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On Nov. 9, a deputy city administrator urged workers to “refrain from using religious decorations or [those] solely associated with Christmas (such as red and green colors) when decorating public spaces within city buildings.” Instead, put up “snow people” or use neutral colors.

Liberty Counsel, a public policy nonprofit, blasted the move as “Orwellian and unconstitutional.” After pointing out governing Supreme Court decisions, the city reversed its stance and said workers can enjoy the holidays with the trimmings of their choice.

Franklin Graham prays with Netanyahu

The Rev. Franklin Graham has preached the Christian message all over the world, but he’s also worked for decades to help meet human needs. Along with running the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, he’s president of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian charity.

On Wednesday, he met and prayed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit came one day after he toured a kibbutz in southern Israel attacked on Oct. 7 by Hamas terrorists.

Samaritan’s Purse also donated 21 ambulances — seven of which are armored — to Magen David Adom, the country’s emergency medical charity. 

Of Mr. Netanyahu, the evangelical leader said, “This man needs our prayers. He is facing the most trying time since the birth of their nation.“

Church of England to allow same-sex marriage ‘blessings’

Same-sex couples in the Church of England soon will be able to receive a church “blessing” on their relationship after the group’s General Synod approved a trial run for the ceremony.

While many in the founding body of the global Anglican Communion approve the move, others say it will be a “final blow” to worldwide denominational unity. 

“We do not underestimate the depth of feeling and will reflect on all that we have heard as we seek to move forward together,” said Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell in a statement after the vote.

Here’s the church, here’s the steeple — but with fewer people

Two years after just about every church in the United States resumed in-person worship services — which were blocked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — weekly attendance is just about at pre-pandemic levels, a survey from Lifeway Research found.

About 89% of congregants have returned to the pews, but 11% have not. Smaller congregations recovered attendance faster than larger ones, the survey said.

Christians win second round in Finland’s ‘Bible trial’

Hate speech charges against two evangelical Christians in Finland — a member of parliament and a Lutheran bishop — were dismissed last week when an unanimous appeals court sided with the Christians.

But lawmaker Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola may not be out of the woods yet: a state prosecutor says they’ll appeal the ruling to the nation’s Supreme Court.

““It isn’t a crime to tweet a Bible verse or to engage in public discourse with a Christian perspective. The attempts made to prosecute me for expressing my beliefs have resulted in an immensely trying four years, but my hope is that the result will stand as a key precedent to protect the human right to free speech,” Mrs. Räsänen said after the verdict.

Video: Bible’s end times explained by Iran Alive’s Hormoz Shariat

Christianity is exploding in Iran, and hundreds of thousands of citizens — including government officials — have converted because of the satellite television ministry of Iran Alive Ministries. Founder Hormoz Shariat tells Billy Hallowell how this is happening and how Bible prophecy may be unfolding in the midst of this revival.

In our opinion

Rapinoe vs. Scott. Megan Rapinoe tore her Achilles heel in the final match of her career and said the injury was “proof” there was no God. Around the same time, Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican, suspended his presidential campaign and said he’s looking to the future.

Mr. Hallowell points out that Mr. Scott quoted Romans 8:28 in his assessment: “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

Gratitude, he writes — expressed by Mr. Scott and seemingly ignored by Ms. Rapinoe — makes the difference.

Anchor for storms of life. Houston pastors Ed and Lisa Young were unprepared for grief when their daughter lost her battle with addiction at age 34. Faith saw them through, Mrs. Young writes: “We navigated how to survive our storm through the one anchor that will hold us and never leave us.”

She concluded God’s “purpose is clear. He desires to grow you stronger through your pain, give others hope through your pain, and glorify Himself through your pain.” 

Discussing faith during holidays. Practical strategies can help Christians constructively discuss faith with others during the holidays, contributor Jason Jimenez writes. Citing a new book by Greg Kokul, “Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges,” he outlines some keys to success.

Respect is foundational, and it’s important to learn the worldview of those you engage. Leaning on objective moral values can establish a foundation for future conversations. Asking questions can make others think about their views, he writes.

Mideast history lesson. Clifford D. May draws a map of the long history of Israel and the Mideast that has led to the war between the Jewish state and Hamas.

The Americans marching in support of Hamas and the Palestinian cause apparently know nothing of the Jewish people’s 3,000-year connection to the land and ignore the fact that Hamas has chosen to seek the deaths of Jews rather than improve the lives of Gazans, he writes.

The purpose of higher education. The greatest danger of a “postmodern” college or university is the belief that truth is constructed and not revealed, Everett Piper — our “Ask Dr. E” columnist — writes this week in answer to a reader asking about why such colleges are considered bad.

He writes: “The leaders of today’s academic enterprise sincerely believe that truth is nothing but a social construct and that the business of education is to push political opinions on vulnerable students rather than help them pursue and find what is objectively true, right and real. … Because of postmodernism, the ivory tower has fallen.”