CHICAGO, IL (October 6, 2016) — Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos 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.

An Atheist Leading a Protestant Church?

The United Church of Canada has discovered that it’s no simple matter to remove a minister from the church. One ordained woman in suburban Toronto proclaims herself to be an atheist and says the church should stop “the idolatry of a theistic God.”

From the article: “It’s become a question of the church’s public integrity,” the Rev. Don Schweitzer, a professor of theology at St. Andrew’s College in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and editor of a history of the United Church, said of the dispute with Vosper. “It’s tough on the United Church because we’ve created this mantra of inclusiveness and now it’s been tested. It goes against the grain to tell somebody that you have to leave.”

Memorial of Joy at the End of Driving Miss Norma Journey

Skipping cancer treatments to see the world may not be right for everyone but we can all learn a lesson from Norma Jean Bauerschmidt’s spunk.

From the article: “Over these past 12 months, all of us have learned so much about living, caring, loving and embracing the present moment. No matter where we are, when asked where her favorite spot has been on this trip, Norma now says, ‘Right here!’ We have also learned so much about the human spirit and the beauty of people from all over the world.”

Paragliding over the Alaska Range

After six years of planning, adventure seeker Gavin McClurg sets out on a 480-mile journey, walking and paragliding the Alaska range. Facing glaciers, bears, rime ice and navigating Denali National Park, he attempts to convince the reader that he’s really not crazy.

From the article: “That’s the thing about setting out to pursue your dreams. When you take the leap and pull it off, it sets a precedent. It builds confidence, and because we are human and are inclined to want more, we want more. Young children think that anything is possible because they haven’t been told yet that it isn’t. They don’t fully understand the consequences. Why not jump? Time and school and adults and society and all the other things that shape us inevitably erode our compulsive curiosity and limitless confidence, and we slip into convention.”

Snap, Crackle, Kale: The Science of Why Veggies Spark in the Microwave

Those iron-rich vegetables your mom was always encouraging you to eat may be the source of the popping noises coming from your microwave. While I am tempted to throw some produce in my new Samsung to test the theories, I’d rather not fry out my microwave.

“As a rule, dark green plants like kale and spinach tend to have more iron,” says Milt McGiffen, vegetable crop specialist and plant physiologist at the University of California, Riverside. “Plants get iron and metallic micronutrients, like copper and potassium, from the soil. They take it up through their roots.” The USDA also called out root veggies as spectacular sparkers.

Why Christians Love the Enneagram

The Enneagram personality test has an avid following, particularly among millennial Christians. Is it just another way to be self-absorbed or does it make us more attuned to others?

From the article: “Author and speaker, Suzanne Stabile hopes teaching people to learn about the way they see the world and the eight other ways people see the world will encourage compassion. “I think we are collectively and intuitively drawn to (the Enneagram) because we’re losing compassion, and I think we know it, and I think we know it is our responsibility to be Christ-like. We can’t do that without compassion and empathy,” she said.”