# 7-28-23 - Congress Talk UFOs, Interest Rate Spikes, & Religion vs. Community

An episode of [Pray News](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1697158801), 28 Jul 2023, 16 min.

Audio: https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/ce9a673d-e313-4c0a-9df4-b4d6010c32c6/405c57ed-07f0-4a9f-ab94-b4d7002666eb/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=992944cf-642c-431f-a11e-b4d6010c32cd

This is PrayNews, your beacon of hope in the stormy seas of current events. Sign up to receive PrayNews in your inbox every weekday: https://www.praynews.com/ Today’s News at a Glance: • New testimonies about UFOs have Congress shaken. • Interest rates are rising, but we’re being told it’s fine. • Religion is taking a dive in people’s interests, but interest in community is skyrocketing. Is this a bad thing for the church or an opportunity? Download the Pray.com app and make prayer a priority in your life. Watch and listen to inspiring sermons, dramatized Bible stories, and relaxing Bedtime Bible Stories at Pray.com, the digital destination for faith. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

## Transcript

[0:00] Speaker 1: God thunders marvelously with his voice. He does great things
[0:04] Speaker 1: which we can't comprehend. Job 37, 5. Dear Lord, we
[0:09] Speaker 1: stand in awe of your mighty power and limitless wisdom.
[0:12] Speaker 1: We marvel at the way your voice thunders through the universe,
[0:15] Speaker 1: commanding the stars, directing the winds, and bringing life into being. Yet,
[0:21] Speaker 1: your voice also whispers gently in our hearts, guiding us,
[0:24] Speaker 1: comforting us, and leading us closer to you. We acknowledge, Lord,
[0:28] Speaker 1: that your ways are far beyond our understanding. Like Job,
[0:33] Speaker 1: we often find ourselves puzzled by the complexities of life
[0:37] Speaker 1: and the vastness of your creation. Yet we trust in
[0:40] Speaker 1: your wisdom, goodness, and perfect plan. Help us to see
[0:43] Speaker 1: the great things you do in our lives and all
[0:46] Speaker 1: around us. Open our hearts to your guiding voice and
[0:49] Speaker 1: strengthen our faith when our understanding falls short. Thank you
[0:53] Speaker 1: for the wonder and mystery of your creation. and the
[0:56] Speaker 1: privilege of being part of your grand design. May we
[0:59] Speaker 1: continually marvel at your works and seek your wisdom in
[1:02] Speaker 1: all we do. In Jesus' name, amen. Welcome to Pray News,
[1:06] Speaker 1: where hope is our only bias. Today's news at a glance,
[1:09] Speaker 1: new testimonies about UFOs have Congress shaken. Interest rates are rising,
[1:14] Speaker 1: but we're being told it's fine. And religion is taking
[1:17] Speaker 1: a dive in people's interests. But interest in community is skyrocketing.
[1:22] Speaker 1: Is that a bad thing for the church or an opportunity?
[1:24] Speaker 1: Today's stories remind us that life can often be confusing
[1:27] Speaker 1: and mysterious. Some things seem one way but turn out
[1:31] Speaker 1: to be wildly different than we anticipated. That's why we
[1:34] Speaker 1: try and approach the news with some humility, knowing that
[1:36] Speaker 1: things are continually changing around us, but the love and
[1:39] Speaker 1: truth of the gospel remains the same. We'll get to
[1:46] Speaker 1: today's news after a quick word from these sponsors. Our
[1:50] Speaker 1: first story of today is, pun intended, out of this world.
[1:54] Speaker 1: On Wednesday, a congressional committee gathered to discuss everyone's new
[1:57] Speaker 1: favorite acronym, UAP, which stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. We
[2:04] Speaker 1: laymen traditionally know them as UFOs. Congress held a hearing
[2:08] Speaker 1: where David Gersh, a former military intelligence officer turned whistleblower,
[2:12] Speaker 1: spilled some cosmic beans. Gersh, a decorated, incredible Air Force
[2:17] Speaker 1: and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency veteran... claimed that the executive
[2:22] Speaker 1: branch has been pulling the alien wool over Congress's eyes,
[2:26] Speaker 1: keeping them in the dark about these mysterious objects for years.
[2:30] Speaker 1: The internet is flooding with Men in Black references as
[2:33] Speaker 1: new reports compile. During his tenure investigating UAPs, Gersh said
[2:38] Speaker 1: he got wind of a, quote, multi-decade UAP crash retrieval
[2:43] Speaker 1: and reverse engineering program, unquote. Unfortunately, he got a resounding
[2:48] Speaker 1: access denied when he tried to dig deeper. Then things
[2:52] Speaker 1: got even more sci-fi. Gersh claimed to have interviewed officials
[2:55] Speaker 1: with direct knowledge of aircraft with non-human origins. When pressed
[3:00] Speaker 1: further about the pilots of said aircrafts, Gersh clarified that
[3:04] Speaker 1: there was non-human biologics found in the recovered craft. To
[3:08] Speaker 1: be fair, non-human biologics could mean anything. It can mean
[3:13] Speaker 1: an animal, a rat, or a bird that somehow scurried
[3:16] Speaker 1: into the wreckage. However, the tone doesn't suggest that. The
[3:19] Speaker 1: tone of the entire hearing suggested that this was an
[3:23] Speaker 1: extraterrestrial biologic. Meanwhile, the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office has
[3:29] Speaker 1: been busy probing about 800 UAP reports. The office denies
[3:34] Speaker 1: any knowledge of extraterrestrial materials or reverse engineering programs, but
[3:39] Speaker 1: some lawmakers are not buying it, suspecting the military knows
[3:43] Speaker 1: way more than it's letting on. The panel also heard
[3:46] Speaker 1: from former Navy pilots Ryan Graves and David Fraver. They
[3:50] Speaker 1: echoed Gersh's concern about inadequate reporting systems for UAP encounters.
[3:55] Speaker 1: Graves shared some close encounters of his own, describing unknown
[3:59] Speaker 1: objects as, quote, dark gray or black cubes inside of
[4:03] Speaker 1: a clear sphere, unquote. These types of sightings have been
[4:07] Speaker 1: typically dismissed when reported by civilians, but these are decorated
[4:11] Speaker 1: naval pilots and intelligence officers. Congress has become increasingly frustrated
[4:17] Speaker 1: at the stonewalling it has received from parts of the
[4:19] Speaker 1: executive branch and intelligence agencies, leading to some intense moments
[4:24] Speaker 1: during the committee gathering. This situation seems like the beginning
[4:27] Speaker 1: of a sci-fi comedy movie, but the tone on Wednesday's
[4:30] Speaker 1: hearing was far from comedy. As Congress pushes for UAP transparency,
[4:35] Speaker 1: the hearing has set the stage for increased scrutiny from
[4:38] Speaker 1: the federal government. There's even an amendment in the works
[4:42] Speaker 1: calling for executive branch agencies to cough up the UAP records.
[4:47] Speaker 1: Here are a few details to keep in mind. No
[4:50] Speaker 1: direct eyewitnesses of Biologics gave testimony on Wednesday. Gersh is
[4:55] Speaker 1: giving second-hand testimonies of people he has spoken to. Now,
[4:59] Speaker 1: that begs the question, why aren't the direct eyewitnesses giving
[5:03] Speaker 1: their testimonies? Well, there's speculation of a cover-up happening. These
[5:07] Speaker 1: people aren't able to give classified information. Gersh cannot actually
[5:12] Speaker 1: give some of the exact names or locations of his
[5:16] Speaker 1: sources by public. He is bound by law and could
[5:20] Speaker 1: be arrested if he discloses some classified information. However, he
[5:25] Speaker 1: said that he can give exact names, dates, location, and
[5:29] Speaker 1: details in an official classified meeting from Congress. Now, members
[5:34] Speaker 1: of Congress have requested access to interview Gersh in a
[5:37] Speaker 1: classified setting, but they have once again been denied by
[5:40] Speaker 1: the executive branch. Turning to a Christian perspective, how do
[5:44] Speaker 1: we even begin to look at something like this? Well,
[5:47] Speaker 1: the existence of UFOs or extraterrestrial life can be a
[5:51] Speaker 1: challenging thing for people to reconcile with their beliefs. After all,
[5:54] Speaker 1: the Bible doesn't necessarily say anything about alien species or
[5:59] Speaker 1: life outside our planet. However, as Christians, we should remember
[6:02] Speaker 1: that our understanding of God's creation is continually growing as
[6:05] Speaker 1: we discover more about the universe. With each new discovery,
[6:09] Speaker 1: we become more in awe of God's power. Job 37.5
[6:12] Speaker 1: reminds us, God's voice thunders in marvelous ways. He does
[6:16] Speaker 1: great things beyond our understanding. Whether we find life in
[6:19] Speaker 1: outer space or not, it doesn't diminish the glory of
[6:21] Speaker 1: God's creation by... but rather adds to its wonder and
[6:25] Speaker 1: mystery and complexity. As we explore the vastness of the universe,
[6:30] Speaker 1: we should do so with humility, not really claiming to
[6:33] Speaker 1: know much of anything, since we are continually discovering new
[6:36] Speaker 1: and amazing things, more reasons for us to worship God. Now,
[6:40] Speaker 1: seeking knowledge with the spirit of curiosity is good, not fear.
[6:44] Speaker 1: As Psalm 19.1 states, the heavens declare the glory of God,
[6:48] Speaker 1: the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Truthfully, the
[6:52] Speaker 1: Bible doesn't speak about life on other planets, and I
[6:55] Speaker 1: think that's purposeful. The story of God seems much more
[6:59] Speaker 1: concerned about how we glorify and worship him where we are.
[7:03] Speaker 1: The world beyond Earth that we should be most concerned
[7:05] Speaker 1: about is heaven. Stories like these are intriguing and worth
[7:09] Speaker 1: our attention because they showcase government transparency, national security, and
[7:13] Speaker 1: scientific discoveries. However, we can tend to get obsessed over
[7:17] Speaker 1: stories like these. May stories like UFOs never distract us
[7:22] Speaker 1: from the mission of making disciples here on earth and
[7:26] Speaker 1: bringing the kingdom of heaven here on earth. So, with
[7:30] Speaker 1: that being said, let's lift this entire story up in prayer.
[7:34] Speaker 1: Dear Lord, as we venture further into understanding your infinite creation,
[7:37] Speaker 1: keep us humbled and guided by your love and your truth.
[7:40] Speaker 1: As mysteries unravel, may we remember that you are the
[7:44] Speaker 1: source of all wisdom and knowledge. May we not get
[7:46] Speaker 1: distracted or deterred from the mission you have put right
[7:49] Speaker 1: in front of us. Whether life exists somewhere or not
[7:52] Speaker 1: is irrelevant. Help us to never lose sight of your
[7:55] Speaker 1: glory displayed throughout the universe and our duty to spread
[7:58] Speaker 1: your love here on this planet. So we pray these
[8:01] Speaker 1: things in Jesus' name. Amen. Our second story of today
[8:05] Speaker 1: has to do with rising interest rates. In what feels
[8:07] Speaker 1: like a political performance of Hamlet, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome
[8:11] Speaker 1: Powell has once again raised interest rates, leaving the audience,
[8:15] Speaker 1: actually the market, on edge about whether another act will
[8:19] Speaker 1: follow in September. Think of it as Hamlet's to-be-or-not-to-be monologue,
[8:24] Speaker 1: but with a lot less existential dread and a lot
[8:26] Speaker 1: more boring numbers. The Federal Reserve, or as we call
[8:30] Speaker 1: it here at Prey News, America's national bank account, lifted
[8:33] Speaker 1: interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point. has
[8:37] Speaker 1: an apparent tactic to return inflation to a cozy neighborhood
[8:41] Speaker 1: of the 2% target. It's the 11th hike in the
[8:44] Speaker 1: last 12 meetings. The overnight interest rate is now in
[8:48] Speaker 1: the 5.25% to 5.50% range, a level we haven't seen
[8:53] Speaker 1: since the housing market crash in 2007. Don't let it
[8:57] Speaker 1: scare you, though. Powell assures us that there's a method
[9:00] Speaker 1: to this economic madness. Should we take his word for it? Maybe. Mr.
[9:04] Speaker 1: Powell is staying mum on whether another rate hike is coming.
[9:07] Speaker 1: He's promised to keep an eye on the economic horizon
[9:09] Speaker 1: for signs of, quote, below trend growth, a necessary condition,
[9:14] Speaker 1: according to him, for inflation to fall. Now, let's take
[9:17] Speaker 1: a look at this through the eyes of an economist.
[9:19] Speaker 1: Economists argue that inflation and the labor market are like
[9:23] Speaker 1: two kids on a seesaw. When one goes up, the
[9:26] Speaker 1: other goes down. Currently, key price measures are still increasing
[9:30] Speaker 1: at more than double the Fed's target. despite a low
[9:34] Speaker 1: unemployment rate of 3.6%. So it seems, despite all of
[9:38] Speaker 1: its lifts and hikes, our seesaw is more like a
[9:41] Speaker 1: teetering balance beam. But the Fed's steady hand has seen
[9:45] Speaker 1: some success. Inflation has fallen from last year's highs without
[9:49] Speaker 1: causing any major economic shakeups so far. Powell even hinted
[9:53] Speaker 1: at the possibility of another rate increase in September, which
[9:56] Speaker 1: is pretty much the equivalent of your fitness trainer saying, hey,
[9:59] Speaker 1: we might, just might, have another set of burpees. Yet
[10:04] Speaker 1: the ever-cautious Powell also cautioned against any expectations of easing rates, saying, quote,
[10:10] Speaker 1: we'll be comfortable cutting rates when we're comfortable cutting rates,
[10:13] Speaker 1: and that won't be this year, unquote. So keep those
[10:16] Speaker 1: sweatbands on, folks. Now, here's the thing. From a Christian perspective,
[10:21] Speaker 1: we are reminded of the need to trust in God's
[10:23] Speaker 1: provision and plan in the face of life's uncertainties, including
[10:27] Speaker 1: the fluctuating interest rates. Just as the psalmist says in
[10:30] Speaker 1: Psalm 20, verse 7, some trust in chariots and some
[10:34] Speaker 1: trust in horses, but we trust in the name of
[10:36] Speaker 1: the Lord our God. While some may put their trust
[10:39] Speaker 1: in economic ebbs and flows, we find comfort in the
[10:42] Speaker 1: constancy of our faith and the wisdom it provides. So
[10:46] Speaker 1: while the world of finance continues to sway with the
[10:49] Speaker 1: shifting sands of economic trends, we remain anchored in our faith,
[10:54] Speaker 1: mindful of our responsibility to steward our resources wisely, and
[10:57] Speaker 1: prayerful for those making decisions that impact millions of lives.
[11:01] Speaker 1: The Fed might have the power to adjust the interest rates,
[11:05] Speaker 1: but we know who has the power to adjust our hearts.
[11:07] Speaker 1: And that, my friends, is priceless. Let's love this in prayer.
[11:11] Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, in the face of economic changes and uncertainties,
[11:15] Speaker 1: we are reminded of your unchanging nature and your provision.
[11:19] Speaker 1: Grant wisdom to those making decisions that impact many lives
[11:22] Speaker 1: and guide us to be good stewards of our own resources.
[11:25] Speaker 1: Help us to trust in you above all, above money,
[11:28] Speaker 1: above finances, above our jobs, knowing that our ultimate security
[11:32] Speaker 1: lies in your love, your salvation, and your faithfulness. We
[11:35] Speaker 1: love you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
[11:39] Speaker 1: Our last story of today is based off a recent
[11:42] Speaker 1: Gallup survey. Now, this recent Gallup survey indicates that more
[11:46] Speaker 1: Americans value community activities, hobbies, money, friends, and health over religion.
[11:52] Speaker 1: While family remains the top priority and always has, the
[11:56] Speaker 1: importance of religion has taken a dip by over 7%
[11:59] Speaker 1: in the last two decades. The focus on community activities
[12:03] Speaker 1: has notably risen, with 55% of respondents in the recent
[12:07] Speaker 1: survey marking it as more important. compared to only 32%
[12:11] Speaker 1: in 2002. This data reinforces the findings of several studies
[12:16] Speaker 1: highlighting the decline of religion as a priority among Americans.
[12:20] Speaker 1: The shifting of priorities among Americans could be considered a
[12:23] Speaker 1: cause for concern, especially considering that our Christian faith is
[12:26] Speaker 1: designed to inform every aspect of our lives, from relationships
[12:30] Speaker 1: to occupations. The decline in importance of religion doesn't necessarily
[12:35] Speaker 1: mean they are abandoning faith, though. While church attendance seems
[12:39] Speaker 1: to be declining, reports of people interested in faith in
[12:42] Speaker 1: Jesus have been increasing. Now, how does that work? You see,
[12:46] Speaker 1: this increased interest in community activities and friendships over religion
[12:51] Speaker 1: could possibly be a reason to get excited for the
[12:55] Speaker 1: church rather than discouraged. You see, the body of Christ
[12:58] Speaker 1: is meant to be, first and foremost, a community. People's
[13:01] Speaker 1: disinterest in religion can mean disinterest in a worship space.
[13:06] Speaker 1: But as we all know, the church isn't a space,
[13:08] Speaker 1: it's a people group. Culture is craving community, and the
[13:16] Speaker 1: church has a lot to offer when it comes to community.
[13:19] Speaker 1: Studies have shown that millennials, a generation with one of
[13:23] Speaker 1: the lowest rates of in-person worship, report engagement with digital religion,
[13:27] Speaker 1: making their faith experience richer. At the same time, some
[13:32] Speaker 1: who don't go to church or have never attended church
[13:35] Speaker 1: have found religion in digital spaces. So what does this
[13:38] Speaker 1: all mean? Churches have seen increasing fruit from diving into
[13:42] Speaker 1: the digital world to engage the next generation. Millions of
[13:46] Speaker 1: compelling sermons, commentaries, journals, and devotionals are available online at
[13:51] Speaker 1: people's fingertips to help them learn about the character of
[13:53] Speaker 1: God and apply the Bible to their lives. And the
[13:56] Speaker 1: wealth of information is only increasing. As the digital space increases,
[14:01] Speaker 1: more and more content is flooding into people's lives about
[14:04] Speaker 1: the hope of the gospel, how to change their lives
[14:07] Speaker 1: for the better, how to overcome addiction, how to know
[14:10] Speaker 1: the Bible deeper. The church has an excellent opportunity here
[14:14] Speaker 1: to teach people the good news of Jesus online and
[14:17] Speaker 1: then also addressing people's greatest reported need, which is fostering
[14:23] Speaker 1: a deep and loving community. So there's an opportunity for
[14:27] Speaker 1: the church to pour into digital when it comes to
[14:29] Speaker 1: sharing the gospel. But then when it comes to community,
[14:33] Speaker 1: which people are reporting is one of their biggest needs,
[14:35] Speaker 1: they can share meals together, deep conversations, charitable services, and
[14:39] Speaker 1: life-giving connections. These are things the churches are best at.
[14:44] Speaker 1: Sharing a meal, breaking of bread, being in community with
[14:47] Speaker 1: one another, sharing each other's burdens, uplifting the poor and
[14:51] Speaker 1: the needy. Culture has now expressed a deep and wonderful
[14:57] Speaker 1: need for nurturing community, and the church has this amazing
[15:02] Speaker 1: opportunity to fill those needs. In so doing, we are
[15:07] Speaker 1: in tandem with the heartbeat of the early church, and
[15:10] Speaker 1: we get to fulfill the words of Hebrews 10. Let's
[15:13] Speaker 1: consider how to provoke one another to love and good works,
[15:16] Speaker 1: not forsaking our own assembling together as is the custom
[15:19] Speaker 1: of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the
[15:22] Speaker 1: more as you see the day approaching. Let's close this
[15:25] Speaker 1: story and our time together in prayer. Heavenly Father, we
[15:28] Speaker 1: see a world changing rapidly, seeking connection and community more
[15:32] Speaker 1: than ever. Help us, the church, to be a beacon
[15:35] Speaker 1: of your love and community in these challenging times. Guide
[15:39] Speaker 1: us in reaching out to those who are seeking, even
[15:41] Speaker 1: if they're doing so in digital spaces. May we utilize
[15:44] Speaker 1: these tools to communicate your truth effectively and lovingly. And
[15:48] Speaker 1: as we adapt to these changes, let us never lose
[15:51] Speaker 1: sight of your unchanging word. and the timeless message of
[15:54] Speaker 1: your love and salvation. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
[15:58] Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us today on Pray News. It is
[16:00] Speaker 1: our aim to be informed and transformed. We pray today
[16:03] Speaker 1: you would proceed with hope, love, and determination to be
[16:06] Speaker 1: a force for good. If you've enjoyed this take on
[16:08] Speaker 1: the news, consider writing us a review and share your experience.
[16:11] Speaker 1: You can sign up for our newsletter at PrayNews.com, and
[16:14] Speaker 1: there you will find sources for all our reporting. Be
[16:17] Speaker 1: sure to download the Pray.com app to make prayer a
[16:19] Speaker 1: priority in your life and experience the Bible in new
[16:22] Speaker 1: and exciting ways.

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