Cody Benjamin
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Articles by Cody Benjamin
The Lost Luggage Afterlife Begins in Alabama
In 1997, employees at a warehouse in Scottsboro, Alabama, uncovered the remains of a four-foot-tall animatronic dwarf in the back of a tractor trailer. The white-haired, radio-controlled puppet, whose name is Hoggle, had last been seen in Jim Henson’s 1986 film Labyrinth. Packed away and lost for nearly a decade, it may not have been discovered at all if it weren’t for Unclaimed Baggage.
Where Do Christian Filmmakers Go from Here?
James Stewart is returning to the big screen, and director Aaron Burns has a Christian magazine to thank for it. When Burns was researching for Jimmy, his upcoming biopic of the late Hollywood icon, he had plenty of help, including from Stewart’s daughter, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt. While editing, he even had Stewart’s own Academy Award in his office. But his biggest inspiration was the actor’s essays for Guideposts.
The NFL Quarterbacks Who Found God in Defeat
On February 4, 2006, the night before Super Bowl XL, assistant coach Jim Zorn gathered his men after a chapel service. “Isn’t God so good?” he said, beaming. He was looking into the eyes of the Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks—especially those of Matt Hasselbeck. The next evening, Hasselbeck was to start in the Seahawks’ first ever NFL championship appearance, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The Ham Loaf Is Plenty. The Workers Are Few.
Eleven minutes before the start of lunch service at Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall, a woman inside the screened-in cafeteria orders a girl to make sure all six tables get a final scrubbing. “Get off your phone,” the woman says. “We are a church, so hospitality is top of the line for us.” A few steps away, at the front of the little, blue-roofed building, four teenage boys take orders from a line that wraps down a sidewalk and into the grass.
Died: Wendell Berry, Kentucky Poet and Novelist Who Loved God’s Creation
When Wendell Berry’s despair woke him in the night, he would go and lie down in the “peace of wild things,” he wrote. He’d find a wading duck, a feeding heron, and a stream of rushing water and “rest in the grace” of creation. To counter the world’s troubles, he engaged the earth itself. Berry, the revered poet, novelist, and Kentucky farmer, died on Monday, August 31, at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky. He was 92.
The Chef Who Flies in Lobster to the Farmlands
In this series Introduction The Work of Their Hands The Chef Who Flies in Lobster to the Farmlands He remembers his first big gig vividly: chicken breast in a mushroom cream sauce, mixed greens with Gorgonzola cheese and raspberry vinaigrette, lemon-roasted red potatoes, lyonnaise green beans, and homemade dinner rolls. The Albert Lea hockey arena in Minnesota was packed for an all-class reunion, and John Lowery was there to debut Conger Inn Victory Catering.
The Ball Boy Who Evangelized LeBron
Saturday was approaching. The Los Angeles Lakers were coming to town. And Jordan Bach could see an opportunity. Basketball superstar LeBron James was due to warm up beside him on the Moda Center court. Bach, 21, was no stranger to larger-than-life athletes as a team attendant for the Portland Trail Blazers. “Ball boys” like him, mostly part-time workers at modest pay, assist the NBA’s game-day operations behind the scenes, doing laundry, cleaning courts, and running player errands.
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Newly Found Augustine Sermons Explore Saul’s Necromancy
King Saul famously courts a medium in 1 Samuel 28, summoning the ghostly figure of the departed Samuel in a moment of distress and disconnection with God. This summer, German researchers summoned new insight on this mysterious passage after uncovering medieval sermon notes from Augustine of Hippo, one of the defining voices of the early church. In 2024, Paul Nebauer, a historian in northeast Germany, contacted Latin scholar Christian Tornau with a request.
The Christian Colleges Welcoming ‘Socratic Bots’
Dave Mulder catches himself apologizing to his dishwasher. Sometimes he closes the door a little too hard and out sneaks a little “sorry.” He doesn’t like that he does this. Machines are machines, and they don’t need his human sympathies. Mulder, 50, is the chair of the education department at Dordt University, a Christian college in Sioux Center, Iowa. He’s fond of the old-school classroom. He taught his first classes in 1988, when he had no computer, just a chalkboard and overhead projector.
He Scouted Supermodels. Now He Sells a Christian Phone Plan.
On January 13, 2018, Paul Fisher’s phone blared with an emergency alert: A ballistic missile was inbound to Hawaii. “THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” the message declared. Panic ensued across the Aloha State as local radio and TV stations relayed the news. People ran through Honolulu seeking shelter. Parents tucked kids into basements, bathtubs, and, in at least one instance, a storm drain. Rumors spread that North Korea had launched a nuclear attack.
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Night of the Soul
If Christopher Nolan knows how to do one thing, it’s to make films that feel important. The rare contemporary director whose movies are sold by his name alone, he champions the theatrical experience and all its old-school techniques—location shoots, practical effects, ensemble casts, years-long productions—that his peers have neither the stomach nor the bankroll to embrace. I’m a fan. Nolan’s The Dark Knight (2008) was one of the first blockbusters to draw me back for multiple showings.
Steve & Lisa Cuss: When Jesus Meets the Judgmental with Listener Questions, Matt Smallbone, & Jenny Brown
Subscribe to this Podcast Hosts Steve and Lisa Cuss address listener questions about navigating judgmental believers, generational anger, and caregiving burnout. They encourage listeners to define their own positions without trying to change others, explore emotions beneath anger, and build connections through small, consistent moments.
A Pastor and a Salesman Get into an Uber
Every time Bryan Sands got into his Dodge Grand Caravan, he prayed to God with a few requests: “Keep me accident-free, ticket-free, and grant me good conversations.” So he certainly wasn’t planning to cut off a cop in Hawaii. According to Sands, the patrolman walked to the window and announced his body cam was rolling. Sands had been speeding and made an illegal lane change, the officer told him. “You can pick the one you want,” the policeman added—an $80 fine, or a $150 one.
Review: ‘Young Washington’
Early in Young Washington, the new biopic from Angel Studios and Wonder Project, George Washington is told he has neither the wealth nor the résumé to become a royal officer for the British Crown. “Imitation of great men,” a red-coated commander scoffs, “does not make you one.” The stage is set for a founding father underdog—er, origin—story.
Five Movies That Celebrate America
Films double as prayers, Martin Scorsese has proposed. Sometimes movies reflect life, and sometimes they ignite our longings for depth and transcendence. As with churches, movie theaters are one of the last places in an increasingly digital, distracted world where we quiet the noise and submit ourselves, alongside others, to bigger stories. As America celebrates 250 years, films give utterance to many “prayers” for the United States.
How Focused Writing Happens in Our Distracted Age
Trying to pinpoint a “focused writing time” in the year 2026 is a bit like trying to hit a moving target. As nice and stately as it sounds to nestle into a candlelit library, dipping the quill into ink for a whole evening of undistracted penmanship, it’s just not reality. Granted, others may be more regimented with their work. I do consider myself an organized person. But I find that my most focused writing is rarely planned; it just happens once I’m abruptly careened into storytelling mode.
This Year’s World Cup Is Supersizing Evangelism Efforts
On Sunday, June 7, Heather Reddy was at home in Florida and logged into a webinar with 250 people from around the world. For an hour, the group prayed for boldness, courage, unity, and humility. Then they prayed for what was about to kick off four days later: the World Cup. When the United States last hosted the tournament in 1994, it drew a record 3.6 million spectators. Since then, the competition has all but doubled in size, spreading 104 matches across 39 days starting on June 11.
14 World Cup Stars Who Follow Jesus
A.RICARDO / Shutterstock.com The FIFA World Cup is back, and it’s bigger than ever. Four years after Argentina outlasted France to win the world’s top soccer competition, the 2026 tournament will feature a record 48 countries squaring off in 104 matches, which will span three nations over more than a month. The United States will do the bulk of the hosting, alongside Canada and Mexico, with Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia among 16 cities slated for games.
Supreme Court Halts Execution of Inmate Ministry Leader
The Supreme Court on Thursday, June 11, prevented Alabama from executing a man who became a Christian ministry leader during his 26 years on death row, deciding that killing him using nitrogen gas was unconstitutional. Jeffery Lee, who is imprisoned for the murder of two people, elected in 2018 to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia over lethal injection.
Décès : Dale Rhoton cofondateur discret d’Operation Mobilisation
Peu avant minuit le 4 janvier 1988, le navire à passagers Logos s’échoua en naviguant dans le canal Beagle au large des côtes de l’Argentine. Le navire de 2 319 tonnes heurta un rocher et commença à couler avec 141 membres d’équipage et bénévoles à bord. La marine chilienne dépêcha des vedettes lance-torpilles, qui sauvèrent toutes les personnes à bord. Le Logos resta à moitié submergé, perte totale, ballotté par les vagues pendant des décennies.
Décès de Lamar Hardwick, « le pasteur autiste »
Le révérend Lamar Hardwick, militant pour les droits des personnes handicapées, auteur et prédicateur surnommé « le pasteur autiste », est décédé le 22 mai. Il était âgé de 47 ans. « C’est avec le cœur lourd que nous souhaitons partager que Lamar nous a quittés après son combat contre le cancer du côlon », a déclaré son épouse, Isabella Hardwick, dans une récente publication sur Facebook.
Los jugadores del Mundial que siguen a Jesús
TEl Mundial de la FIFA está de vuelta, y es más grande que nunca. Cuatro años después de que Argentina se impusiera a Francia para ganar la máxima competencia futbolística del mundo, el torneo de 2026 contará con un récord de 48 países que se enfrentarán en 104 partidos, que se disputarán en tres países a lo largo de más de un mes. Estados Unidos será el principal anfitrión, junto con Canadá y México.
14 estrelas da Copa do Mundo que seguem Jesus
A Copa do Mundo da FIFA está de volta, e maior do que nunca. Quatro anos depois de a Argentina superar a França e conquistar o título da principal competição de futebol do mundo, o torneio de 2026 contará com um número recorde de 48 países e 104 partidas, que serão realizadas em três nações, ao longo de mais de um mês.
14 stars de la Coupe du monde qui suivent Jésus
La Coupe du monde de la FIFA est de retour, et elle est plus grande que jamais. Quatre ans après la victoire de l’Argentine face à la France dans la plus grande compétition mondiale de football, le tournoi 2026 réunira un record de 48 pays qui s’affronteront lors de 104 matchs, répartis sur trois nations pendant plus d’un mois.
Study: How Kids Feel the Love of God
It may be important to teach children theology, but kids are much more likely to experience God and his love through something simpler: the presence of caring, trustworthy adults. That’s according to a new study from World Vision, which surveyed more than 4,600 children across eight countries in partnership with researchers from Harvard, Duke, and Claremont Graduate University.
14 World Cup Stars Who Follow Jesus
The FIFA World Cup is back, and it’s bigger than ever. Four years after Argentina outlasted France to win the world’s top soccer competition, the 2026 tournament will feature a record 48 countries squaring off in 104 matches, which will span three nations over more than a month. The United States will do the bulk of the hosting, alongside Canada and Mexico, with Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia among 16 cities slated for games.
Died: Lamar Hardwick, ‘The Autism Pastor’
The Rev. Lamar Hardwick, a disability activist, author and preacher known as “The Autism Pastor,” died on May 22. He was 47 years old. “With heavy hearts, we want to share that Lamar has transitioned after his journey with colon cancer,” Hardwick’s wife, Isabella Hardwick, said in a recent post on Facebook.
Died: Dale Rhoton, Quiet Cofounder of Operation Mobilisation
Shortly before midnight on January 4, 1988, the passenger ship Logos ran aground while cruising through the Beagle Channel off the coast of Argentina. The 2,319-ton vessel struck rock and began to sink with 139 missionaries and crew onboard. The Chilean Navy dispatched torpedo boats, which rescued all onboard. Logos stayed half submerged, a total loss, rocked by waves for decades since. Most of the 100 tons of Christian literature on the ship were also surrendered to the elements.
In Jesus’ Name, Market Test That Avocado Ice Cream
The juicer sits on Kayla Hall-Ransom’s shelf like a remnant from an old war. It was the first machine she used to cold-press fruits and vegetables into fresh drinks—with flavors like “cotton candy beet” and “sunshine”—now bottled and sold at seven locations across Tennessee. And it almost didn’t make it. Hall-Ransom, 34, was an educator at the time but had been dreaming about turning her juicing hobby into a business.
What Christian Athletes Can’t Do
It was the night before Easter, and the shouting began to spread. Street preachers had claimed a corner near Auburn University. As video of their efforts circulated on social media, one preacher in particular appeared to drive interest. Tall, with twisted locks and sporting a “Child of God” jersey, the man paced and declared the words of Matthew 5:8 (“Blessed are the pure in heart”). Onlookers quickly recognized him as Jaden Ivey, who five days earlier had effectively been ousted from the NBA.
Mobile Food Ministries Adapt to High Gas Prices
Despite soaring costs, two Christian groups in California persevere-and trust for God's provision Mario Tama / Staff / Getty / Edits by CT When Teena Smith drives her truck around Long Beach, California, she knows it comes at a cost. The Golden State has long been the luxury state when it comes to gas prices, which are routinely more than $1 per gallon higher than the national average there.
Chuck Norris, Icon Of American Machismo Who Returned to Faith, Dies At 86
Even Chuck Norris’s granddaughter bought into the memes that described her Papa as indestructible. He was, as she wrote recently, the man who “counted to infinity twice, the man who got bit by a cobra and the cobra died.” Chuck Norris didn’t do pushups, she added; he “would push the earth down.” Norris, the famed martial artist and old-school action hero, died Thursday, March 19, at the age of 86.
Chuck Norris, Icon Of American Machismo Who Returned to Faith, Dies At 86
2 hours ago Amanda Peet is revealing how she shared the news of her breast cancer diagnosis with her three kids. The actress, who revealed in an essay published by The New Yorker on March 21 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the fall of 2025, spoke with E! News on Tuesday, March 24, about how she …
War Drove Her Out. Now She's Planting a Church.
Displaced from Ukraine, a young immigrant found safety-and mission-in small-town Minnesota. The window in Yevheniia Poliakova's apartment in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, almost shattered when military aircraft rocketed through the city. Debris was falling in nearby fields-shredded remnants of drones and missiles. "You can hear the booms," Poliakova-who goes by Zhenya-recalled of that winter in Ukraine. "I can't really see. I can just hear. It was very loud at night.
Falleció Chuck Norris, ícono del machismo estadounidense que volvió a la fe - Christianity Today en español
La estrella de cine de acción encarnaba el ideal de la lucha entre los buenos y los malos. Incluso la nieta de Chuck Norris se creyó los memes que describían a su abuelo como indestructible. Él era, como ella escribió recientemente, el hombre que "contaba hasta el infinito dos veces, el hombre al que mordió una cobra y la cobra murió". Chuck Norris no hacía flexiones de brazos en el suelo, añadió; él "empujaba la tierra hacia abajo".
Died: Chuck Norris, Icon of American Machismo Who Returned to Faith
The action star personified the ideal of a clear-cut fight between good guys and bad guys. Even Chuck Norris's granddaughter bought into the memes that described her Papa as indestructible. He was, as she wrote recently, the man who "counted to infinity twice, the man who got bit by a cobra and the cobra died." Chuck Norris didn't do pushups, she added; he "would push the earth down." Norris, the famed martial artist and old-school action hero, died Thursday, March 19, at the age of 86.
Column: In Red Wing, kindness is too hard to narrow down
Usually when the server takes a little too long to come back with the check, there’s a problem. Maybe she forgot to bill for the kids’ chocolate milk, or she got held up trying to convince the table in the corner they really can’t swap fries for cheese curds at no upcharge. Whatever the deal was, it didn’t quite make sense this Valentine’s Day, as I sat by myself in the front dining room at Liberty’s. The atmosphere was cozy as ever, the calm of downtown Red Wing just outside our view.
In 16th year, the people behind CARE Clinic in Red Wing reflect
Disclosure: This story was written by a contributor who has worked in public relations for CARE Clinic. On a frigid night in January 2010, an energetic team of health care providers, first united and inspired by relief efforts in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, stood with anxious anticipation as CARE Clinic was about to open its doors for the first time. It’s a good thing they were ready.
In Red Wing, the Civil Rights Movement echoes through Murtice Aukema
Today, Murtice Aukema’s home is nestled in a quiet neighborhood between Sargent’s Nursery and Siewert’s Towing & Garage, two staples of Red Wing business. But there was a time, decades earlier, when she found herself in a very different — and much noisier — environment. Not because of roaring traffic and booming business, but rather the conflict and commotion of the Civil Rights Movement.
NFL Week 14 playoff picture: Elimination scenarios and key matchups
Getty Images With just five weeks remaining in the regular season, all eyes in and around the NFL are on the playoff picture, and with good reason. The picture is as close and as muddied as it has ever been in recent memory, with some of the closest division races in years and plenty of teams we thought were inner-circle contenders potentially on the outside of the picture and looking in.
What's next for Cowboys? Dallas looks to regroup after damaging loss to Lions
The Dallas Cowboys saw their three-game winning streak end in primetime with a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. The loss was a significant hit to their playoff chances, as Dallas (6-6-1) now sits in 10th place in the NFC standings and is down to a 19% chance to make the playoffs, per SportsLine's projections. Where do the Cowboys turn from here?
It's time for an audible: A farewell to NFL coverage, and what I'm taking away from the game
They say all good things must come to an end, but what if you're not sure the thing was good in the first place? I've spent the better part of the last nine years writing for CBS Sports, primarily covering the NFL, and I can say without a doubt that the strongest audience feedback I've ever received included merciless calls for me to be fired. No, I am not joking. It turns out people really care about Quarterback Power Rankings.
NFL playoff picture: How Cowboys-Lions impacts NFC seeding and wild-card race
The 2025 NFL season has officially reached its home stretch. As we ready for this weekend, only five full weeks of regular-season action remain until the start of the playoffs. The postseason picture is far from finalized, but it's really taking shape -- including in the fight for top seeding -- thanks to late-year contests.
2025 NFL playoff picture: One reason for hope for seven playoff bubble teams
The 2025 NFL playoff picture is finally taking shape. Or is it? As CBS Sports Research notes, we might be in the midst of the most unpredictable Super Bowl race ever, with five different first-place teams holding less than a one-game division lead going into Week 14, plus 10 different teams with championship odds of 20-1 or shorter. In other words, "any given Sunday" truly applies this year. Which means there's plenty of hope even for those on the outside of the current playoff picture.
2025 NFL playoff picture: One reason for hope for seven teams on the bubble, including Cowboys, Chiefs
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Predicting landing spots for top 2026 NFL free agents: Aaron Rodgers finds a new home?
The home stretch of the 2025 NFL season is here, which means we're in the thick of the playoff race. This year's battle for postseason entry is particularly tight, with five different division leaders holding less than a one-game lead entering Week 14. Not every team has the privilege of partaking in the fight for a playoff appearance, however.
Early predictions for top 2026 NFL free agents: Potential landing spots for Aaron Rodgers, George Pickens
Now Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter, members of the football team and even the state’s top public safety officer are challenging the veracity of Lane Kiffin’s portrayal of the events surrounding his departure for LSU. “There’s been a lot of things he said publicly that I’m not sure are …
Maye Leads, Rodgers Dips
Quarterbacks make the NFL world go 'round. If money talks, then the league's biggest contracts confirm it: This position is easily the most integral in every team's hunt for a championship. The truth is a bit more complex: Every signal-caller is often only as good as his setup and situation, though a select few register as transcendent talents. No matter how you slice it, the guys who touch the ball on just about every play make a difference.
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