Despite almost no mention of God or religion, the filmmakers of "Groundhog Day" made one of the more spiritual films of the era. “You can argue about whether it is a Buddhist, Christian or Jewish movie — but it is deeply religious,” said author and Boston University religion professor Stephen Prothero, who has shown the film in his classes.

A survey from the global marketing firm Ipsos found many Americans think the meaning of the season is lost.

In the past, Hall's church, a fundamentalist congregation that opposes critical race theory, had stood behind its controversial pastor.

Lyell, a former vice president for Lifeway Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist publisher, whose life and career fell apart after she made her abuse experience public, doubts anything will change, even after the report. Lyell supported the abuse investigation but said it revealed only the tip of the iceberg.

As congregations shrink and close, church leaders must decide whether to give their buildings a second life.

For songwriter and storyteller Mark Lowry, the song's success is a miracle, three decades later.