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The Weekend – 12-27-25

December 22, 2025
December 22, 2025
CT Weekly

This edition is sponsored by Aspen Group

weekend reads

On the desert plains of New Mexico, astrophysicist Deborah Haarsma stood bundled against the cold wind, staring at a carpet of stars, as her colleagues in a control room scanned a telescope’s data for hunt for gravitational lenses: “places in the universe where space itself is curved.”

“If the heavens are unfathomable in their greatness,” she reflects, “then the truth is even more stunning: The Creator of the cosmos chose to become incarnate here. When God became man, he came to a planet that is but a pinprick in the emptiness of space.”

“The Bible’s cosmic claims are timeless, yet they carry more heft when considered alongside the discoveries of modern science,” she concludes. “The God who brings out the starry host one by one, calling each by name, can do this for billions upon trillions of stars, not just the few thousand we see at night (Isa. 40:26). The inconceivable vastness of the universe does not diminish God—it shows us more of his greatness.”

The Incarnation Sheds Light on Astrophysics

weekend listen

Spend this Christmastide weekend catching up on some of our favorite 2025 podcast episodes from CT Media, including conversations about AI, immigration, the Satanic Panic, and the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

CT Media’s Favorite Podcast Episodes of 2025

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editors’ picks

Ashley Hales, editorial director, features: We’ve been listening to Andrew Peterson’s new tribute album: A Liturgy, A Legacy, and the Songs of Rich Mullins.

Alex Wooten, senior copyeditor: One of my favorite YouTube channels is Warehouse Games. It’s surprisingly entertaining to watch a bunch of average dudes play gym-class sports they made up. The content creators/athletes are a little foul-mouthed, but they’re experts at embodying sportsmanship and putting on a show.

Caroline Fea, associate engagement editor: One of my favorite books I read in 2025 was Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, inspired by the diaries and life of 18th-century midwife Martha Ballard.

Because Christ Reigns, The Church Can Flourish

Isaiah tells us of the coming Messiah, “Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.” At Christianity Today, we believe that because Christ reigns, the Church can flourish—even in a world that still aches for His peace.

Through in-depth journalism, redemptive storytelling, and resources that disciple believers, CT helps the global Church live faithfully in this “already and not yet” Kingdom—seeing the world through the lens of Christ’s truth and hope.

As one reader shared, “CT helps us learn to be faithful and see the world in a faithful way.”

prayers of the people

more from CT

Big CT Stories of 2025

Ten of our most-read articles this year.

Christianity Today’s 10 Most-Read Book Reviews of 2025

Women in ministry, Christian summer camp, Tim Keller, and what the church has always said about sex.

What Rosalia’s ‘LUX’ Reveals About Religion Today

Young women score higher in “spirituality” than young men, but they’re leaving the church in droves. That comes through in recent releases like this one.

My Top 5 Books on Christianity in East Asia

Insights on navigating shame-honor cultural dynamics and persecution in the region.

IN THE MAGAZINE

In this issue, you’ll read about how a monastery on Patmos offers quiet in a world of noise and, from Ann Voskamp, how God’s will is a place to find home. Read about modern missions terminology in our roundtable feature and about an astrophysicist’s thoughts on the Incarnation. Be sure to linger over Andy Olsen’s reported feature “An American Deportation” as we consider Christian responses to immigration policies. May we practice hospitality wherever we find ourselves.

THE WEEKEND FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY

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