By Stan Friedman

CHICAGO, IL (December 5, 2014) — Many Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos with one another that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.

What Does “Prepare to Receive Christ” Mean Anyway?
Pastor Beth Merrill Neel writes, “On Sunday I heard myself say in my sermon something about making our hearts ready to receive the Christ Child this season. I said it as I have said it every Advent for the last 21 years. And later while I was doing the dishes I realized that I haven’t the foggiest idea what I mean by that.” I think that is probably true for a lot of the declarations we make in the church.

Your Top 10 Fictional Robots
Fictional robots have become more a part of our culture than I ever knew. As people are either excited or anxious about the potential of real robots in the future, what do fictional ones reveal about how we view the world? Who would be your favorite?

The Phenomenology of Gratitude
Do you need to believe in some sort of higher power in order to be grateful? Why should gratitude be at the core of living, especially if you don’t have a religious faith? Good questions. This article offers some answers—unconvincing though they may be. What’s the point of being grateful for anything if you don’t believe in God, unless it’s just some evolutionary survival mechanism?

Waiting for Justice in Central African Republic
This is the first of a series of stories that explores more deeply the root causes of the horrific violence that has ripped apart this country. Covenant missionaries Roy and Aleta Danforth continue to minister in the country.

Simple Flowchart to Tell If You Are Being Persecuted This Holiday Season
Here’s the gist. People jailed or killed for their religious faith are being persecuted. Store employees told to say “happy holidays” are not.