The “foolish” virgins in this Sunday’s gospel story are turned away from the wedding feast because of their poor judgment. Individuals, community groups, and even some churches are beginning to turn away from some of the nation’s largest banks . . .

Those who are alive when Jesus comes down from heaven will be elevated to “the clouds to meet the Lord,” predicts Saint Paul in this Sunday’s reading from the First Letter to the Thessalonians. In Paul’s time such an event might have involved up to 200 million people, the estimated world population at the time. This week that total passed the 7 billion mark . . .

The psalmist this Sunday speaks of gazing toward the sanctuary to see the “power and the glory” of the Lord. That same sanctuary should be respected as a place of peace, Wisconsin’s Roman Catholic bishops said, urging parishioners not to enter with concealed weapons . . .

The wise virgins described in this Sunday’s gospel made sure they had enough oil to keep their lamps lit. With their gas generators labeled a fire hazard and confiscated by authorities, Occupy Wall Street protestors in New York City’s Zuccotti Park have found a creative way to keep the lights on and laptops humming . . .

“We have confidence that the temperature rise that had previously been reported had been done without bias.”

The Episcopal Church U.S.A. has lost more than 200,000 members and 300 parishes between 2006 and 2010, bringing membership below 2 million for the first time since 1939. If the trend continues, said blogger David Virtue, “in 26 years there will no longer be anyone attending an Episcopal church.”