‘Sabbath’ debuts this week

COVER STORY—On June 1, filmmaker Martin Doblmeier is debuting his two-hour invitation to Sabbath on public television—at a time when millions of us are overwhelmed with pandemic anxiety, loss of loved ones and fears about the future of our country and our planet’s resources. We all wonder if we’re running out of time.

“Time is our only non-renewable resource,” J. Dana Trent—a pastor, scholar and author—tells us early in this new documentary. Because the film is debuting on public TV stations nationwide starting on June 1, Dana and Martin talked with ReadTheSpirit in a Zoom interview this week.

This Cover Story includes links to view the film immediately online, plus links to educational resource materials and a discussion guide. Please share this link with friends who might be interested in viewing the film with you.

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Holidays & Milestones

Memorial Day

Howard Brown on Memorial Day Memories:
How do our memories shape our lives today?

AUTHOR HOWARD BROWN shares a fascinating story about his grandfather who served with U.S. forces in the liberation of Italy during World War II—and Howard asks a thought-provoking question about how our memories shape our approach to our communities, today.

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Resources for a Memorable Weekend

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the many ways families are celebrating this annual milestone, including helpful links to more than 200 recipes and ideas for family activities this holiday weekend.

In her column, Stephanie Fenton also mentions Pulitzer-Prize-winning Yale Historian David Blight, who has shared his research into the roots of American Memorial Day via PBS documentaries, books and magazines, rewriting our national memories of this observance to honor the courageous former slaves who first decided to honor our Civil War dead. We originally published this story in 2022, and thousands of readers continue to re-read this account of Blight’s work.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• THE MASTER GARDENER—Ed writes, “Knowing that this is a Paul Schrader movie, we expect that, as in his previous films such as First Reformed, redemption will be a major theme in the story. But it will not come with the simplicity found in a faith-based film, but with far darker overtones and twisted, complicated means.”
• AIR—(Streaming) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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We’re excited!

George and Laura share the “unboxing” of two new books!

And we’ve officially got our first cozy mystery ready for your orders!

COVER STORY—Please, take a look at our Front Edge Publishing news this week. We’re just bursting with excitement over these two books that are coming soon. And, yes, you can pre-order both of them right now.

And please—would you also take a moment to do a good deed for our community of authors? After you read this Cover Story, would you share it with friends on social media or via email? Millions of readers love cozy mysteries. Please, help us share our excitement.

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Holidays & Milestones

Memorial Day

Howard Brown on Memorial Day Memories:
How do our memories shape our lives today?

AUTHOR HOWARD BROWN shares a fascinating story about his father who served with U.S. forces in the liberation of Italy during World War II—and Howard asks a thought-provoking question about how our memories shape our approach to our communities, today.

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Resources for a Memorable Weekend

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the many ways families are celebrating this annual milestone, including helpful links to more than 200 recipes and ideas for family activities this holiday weekend.

In her column, Stephanie Fenton also mentions Pulitzer-Prize-winning Yale Historian David Blight, who has shared his research into the roots of American Memorial Day via PBS documentaries, books and magazines, rewriting our national memories of this observance to honor the courageous former slaves who first decided to honor our Civil War dead. We originally published this story in 2022, and thousands of readers continue to re-read this account of Blight’s work.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

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And more from our authors

Larry Buxton

Suffering Vines May Give Us the Best Wine

COLUMNIST LARRY BUXTON—author of 30 Days with King David on Leadership—shares a heart-felt column this week about the ways in which suffering can shape our lives. Larry draws on wisdom that the veteran New York Times wine columnist Frank Prial liked to share with his readers: “Grape vines must suffer to make good wine.” Larry and his wife recently heard that wisdom repeated during a European tour and it sparked this reflection of how much we can learn from those vines planted in hard-scrabble soil.

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David Gushee

Our ‘Devastating Cultural Failure’

CHRISTIAN ETHICIST DR. DAVID GUSHEE—author of the new Introducing Christian Ethics—also addresses a deeply emotional issue in American life today in a column headlined, “Our weekly gun massacres mark a devastating cultural failure.” In this column, Dr. Gushee asks: “Where are the moral forces that once trained people in love of neighbor, the sacred worth of others and self-restraint? What is happening in the souls of people who decide mass murder is the best concluding act for their lives?”

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• AIR—(Streaming) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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You’ll enjoy this multimedia collection of George A. Mason’s inspiring wisdom for our times. 

George Mason embodies great courage and graciousness
Brian McLaren, best-selling Christian author

COVER STORY—Today, our publishing house is honored to reveal the cover of George A. Mason’s new book, The Word Made Fresh: Preaching God’s Love for Every Body. This week, readers can begin pre-ordering copies of this inspiring and thought-provoking book, which they will receive from Amazon upon the book’s release in June. Please, read our Cover Story this week about this unique multimedia book—and, please, take a moment to share the news with friends and family. So many people will welcome hearing these words of hope and faith.

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From our authors

Col. Clifford Worthy

Receives a Quilt of Valor

ALL OF US are celebrating with retired Col. Clifford Worthy as a veterans’ group honored Cliff with a beautiful red-white-and-blue Quilt of Valor. And we want to thank Ham Schirmer for sending us the report you can read this week. Our story also includes a link to Col. Worthy’s historic memoir, The Black Knight.

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Bill Tammeus

Threats to Religious Diversity Circle the Globe

IN HIS VERY TIMELY COLUMN about the persecution of religious minorities and religious dissent around the world, journalist Bill Tammeus actually uses stronger language. You can read this important column, headlined “Religious liberty is being crushed around the globe,” over at Bill’s website. This isn’t just Bill’s viewpoint. His column focuses on the newest annual report from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom—and you can read that full report via a link Bill provides.

But, wait! There’s more! Bill doesn’t just leave readers mourning the abuse of religious minorities. In his book, Love Loss and Endurance, available from Amazon, readers find an entire section of practical steps to help our world “unplug extremism.”

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Holidays, Festivals & Milestones

Feast of the Ascension

AS CHRISTIANS MOVE TOWARD PENTECOST, the Feast of the Ascension on May 18 this year marks the Christian tradition that Jesus ascended into Heaven. Holidays & Festivals columnist Stephanie Fenton writes about this worldwide observance.

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And Speaking of 18—

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE NUMBER 18 reminds Jews and Christians of auspicious possibilities in life? It’s true and Howard Brown explains the importance of appreciating such reminders that come our way. He tells the story of 18 in this episode of his Shining Brightly podcast.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• BILL W—(Streaming) Ed writes, “This is a respectful portrait of the man whose work saved millions of lives, but not a whitewash of his faults.”
• HIS ONLY SON—(In theaters)”Writer/director David Helling tackles one of the most difficult stories in his first feature film, the Genesis story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.”
• THE BLUE CAFTAN—(In theaters) “Moroccan writer-director Maryam Touzani handles as difficult a question for Muslims in his new film as it is for Christians—the love between members of the same sex that their culture condemns.”
• AIR—(In theaters) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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‘Empathy is the innate trait that unites us in our common humanity’

NEED SOME GOOD NEWS TO MOTIVATE YOU THIS WEEK? We welcome author and empathy researcher Anita Nowak this week to ReadTheSpirit magazine for an interview about her remarkable new book Purposeful Empathy. Among other things, Anita shows how good it feels to practice empathy each day! Please, read this Cover Story and share it with friends, this week—as you practice empathy in our troubled world.

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From our authors

David Gushee

Speaking of Empathy …
‘Love should be Christianity 101’

THAT’S WHAT DAVID GUSHEE writes about in his Baptist News Global column this week. That emphasis on loving one another—especially love expressed “as care for those who are vulnerable, wounded, hurt”—should be a universally agreed-upon truth in any congregation calling itself Christian, Gushee writes. And yet—he writes—far too many religious leaders and their churches have forgotten that central calling that comes from Jesus himself. Please, read Dr. David Gushee’s column and share it with friends, this week.

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Daniel Buttry and Dámaris Albuquerque

Honoring the global influence of Dr. Gustavo Parajón

THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE UK! This week, our publishing house and co-authors Daniel Buttry and Dámaris Albuquerque are thanking UK author and broadcaster Malcolm Doney for his enthusiastic review in Church Times of their book, Healing the World: Gustavo Parajón, Public Health and Peacemaking Pioneer. It’s an honor for all of us to read about the enduring importance of a Baptist peacemaker like Dr.Parajón in one of the worldwide Anglican Communion’s most important magazines.

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Howard Brown

Meet two power-house women who help people find their purpose

THIS WEEK, Shining Brightly author Howard Brown introduces us to two power-house women—authors Nim Stant and Orit Ramler—who have developed unique approaches to helping people find their purpose in life. They both are successful leadership coaches whose methods include what Nim Stant calls “Go All In” and what Orit Ramler calls “The Book of Life.” Intrigued? Read Howard’s short introduction to Nim and Orit, then you can listen to his podcasts with Nim and Orit on this same page.

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William Byrnes

Baseball as a family ritual

THIS WEEK, we are bringing our readers a link to a new friend to our community of writers: William Byrnes. We met via our connections in the Goodreads community. (Care to connect with David Crumm on Goodreads? Here’s the profile page.)

For years now, our ReadTheSpirit magazine has published popular columns about sports—as sports relate to family, spirituality and American culture—by two of our authors: Benjamin Pratt and Martin Davis. One of Martin’s most popular columns was headlined A Spiritual Revival in the Field of Dreams. Among Benjamin’s most popular columns was similarly headlined Field of Dreams: In October, our ‘American Odyssey’ calls us home. In addition, Martin went on to interview coaches nationwide and write 30 Days with America’s High School Coaches.

So, when this new friend we met via Goodreads, William Byrnes, invited readers to check out his own wryly titled collection of columns and book reviews, a website called Coots Review, we were intrigued. Then, Will demonstrated what a kindred spirit he is with our colleagues Martin and Benjamin by sending a link to: “Rituals” a column Will wrote some years ago about the legacy of baseball in his own family. Please, enjoy Will’s story over on his website.

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Holidays & Festivals

Ready for Mother’s Day?

“DID YOU KNOW? Mother’s Day yields the highest U.S. church attendance after Christmas Eve and Easter,” writes our Holidays & Festivals columnist Stephanie Fenton. Stephanie’s column is packed with lots of other fascinating background and even some links to Mother’s Day treats and programs that you may want to check out.

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• BILL W—(Streaming) Ed writes, “This is a respectful portrait of the man whose work saved millions of lives, but not a whitewash of his faults.”
• HIS ONLY SON—(In theaters)”Writer/director David Helling tackles one of the most difficult stories in his first feature film, the Genesis story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.”
• THE BLUE CAFTAN—(In theaters) “Moroccan writer-director Maryam Touzani handles as difficult a question for Muslims in his new film as it is for Christians—the love between members of the same sex that their culture condemns.”
• AIR—(In theaters) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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‘Love should be the Guiding Principle’

COVER STORY: Americans are experiencing more trauma after three years of the pandemic than ever before and that means our communities—and, in particular, our congregations within those communities—are facing challenges that many religious leaders are not equipped to meet.

And now the good news: There’s help out there. And more is coming! This week, our Cover Story is an interview with Charles Kiser and Elaine A. Heath about their new book, Trauma-Informed Evangelism: Cultivating Communities of Wounded Healers. Think of this new book as a manifesto, a well-stocked toolbox and a seminar-series all packed neatly between the covers of a book.

IF YOU FIND THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL, please share it with friends and colleagues via social media and email.
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From our authors

Suzy Farbman—

Remembering Some of Detroit’s Most Amazing Women

THIS WEEK, SUZY FARBMAN devotes her GodSigns column to remembering some of the amazing Detroit women who she has known—and has covered as a lifelong journalist.

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David Gushee—

‘A Dangerous War of Reaction’

CHRISTIAN ETHICIST Dr. David Gushee writes to his worldwide audience about the dangers of right-wing “Christian” extremism in his latest column for the Baptist News Global wire service.

Dr. Gushee is an internationally respected educator, scholar and Christian ethicist. Care to learn more about how he teaches about this complex and very timely subject? Get a copy of his Introducing Christian Ethics from Amazon, a multimedia book that offers text, audio and video of Dr. Gushee’s talks.

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Howard Brown—

Go Babson!

No. 1 for 30 years!

PARDON OUR CHEERING, this week, but we had to take a moment to stand up and cheer along with author and resiliency coach Howard Brown as his alma mater, Babson College, hit the 30-year mark of No. 1 rankings as a center for entrepreneurial education. Babson stories are among the highlights in Howard’s memoir, Shining Brightly. This is a purely good-news story that’s fun to read and share with friends..

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Holidays & Festivals

 

Cinco de Mayo

Celebrating Mexican Culture

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS columnist Stephanie Fenton reports this week on the upcoming festival of Cinco de Mayo. She explains the historical milestone that touched off the American custom of celebrating May 5 each year—and she shares links to delicious Cinco de Mayo recipes!

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Vesak

Celebrating the Buddha

STEPHANIE FENTON also reports, this week, about the global celebration of the Buddha, known as Vesak or Visakha Puja or Wesak as spellings vary around the world.
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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• BILL W—(Streaming) Ed writes, “This is a respectful portrait of the man whose work saved millions of lives, but not a whitewash of his faults.”
• HIS ONLY SON—(In theaters)”Writer/director David Helling tackles one of the most difficult stories in his first feature film, the Genesis story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.”
• THE BLUE CAFTAN—(In theaters) “Moroccan writer-director Maryam Touzani handles as difficult a question for Muslims in his new film as it is for Christians—the love between members of the same sex that their culture condemns.”
• AIR—(In theaters) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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Spiritually stretching in the spring sunshine!

COVER STORY—Popular author and teacher Jon M. Sweeney turned to writing about the spiritual wisdom of cats several years ago for a series of books for young people about Christian traditions at the Vatican. That’s because Jon’s own life has been shaped by nine cats—who are the spiritual teachers in Jon’s new book for adults, Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats. The book is a delightful journey through feline and human spiritual insights that you will want to try yourself as you read along with Jon’s (and his cats’) adventures.

Please, if you enjoy this cover story, share it with friends this week via social media and email. This is such a fun story that your friends will thank you for sharing the link!

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From our authors

Rodney Curtis—

‘Wishing Mom an Amazing 90th’

PHOTOGRAPHER and AUTHOR Rodney Curtis writes a heart-felt love letter to his Mom as she turns 90 and it’s well worth reading for anyone who wants to experience a bit of awe at the rapid movement of our global culture—and the movements many of us have joined to help shape that culture in positive ways. Within his tribute to his Mom, Rodney writes, “There’s so much to say about Joanne Curtis, but since the lady taught me how to cry, it’s impossible to write more without drenching my keyboard.”

Interested? Go read Rodney right now. And, then, maybe you might feel called to pick up the phone and call your own Mom!

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Howard Brown & Magie Cook—

Need Some Inspiration?

AUTHOR HOWARD BROWN specializes in weekly doses of sunshine in keeping with his life story, Shining Brightly. How does he do it? “It’s all about the relationships,” Howard writes this week in our Front Edge Publishing column. And he demonstrates the power of relationships in his new podcast with the amazing entrepreneur Magie Cook, who survived life as an impoverished street kid and rose to build a multi-million-dollar salsa business—then decided to “give back” herself.

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Bill Tammeus—

‘Why we keep track of violators of religious liberty’

THIS WEEK, author and veteran journalist Bill Tammeus reminds all of us that there are publicly available resources for tracking religious liberty around the world. Sharing information about these reports is one powerful way that everyday folks can help to promote religious freedom and protect vulnerable minorities, Bill writes.

“Religious freedom is guaranteed in our U.S. Constitution, but in a perfect world it wouldn’t need to be. That’s because it should be seen as a fundamental human right. It should be seen as that because it is precisely that—which is one reason our government pays attention to freedom of religion not just in the U.S. but around the world. … Even if most Americans don’t know about these reports, what we do know is that the countries that are violating the right to religious freedom know when one or both of those annual reports names them as perpetrators.”

Please click here to visit Bill’s website and read his entire column on violations of religious freedom.

And, while you’re visiting Bill’s website, you will also want to read his recent column about the Vatican coming to terms with its centuries of blindness toward the rights of native peoples.

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Holidays & Festivals

Cinco de Mayo

Celebrating Mexican Culture

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS columnist Stephanie Fenton reports this week on the upcoming festival of Cinco de Mayo. She explains the historical milestone that touched off the American custom of celebrating May 5 each year—and she shares links to delicious Cinco de Mayo recipes!

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

 

 

 

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• BILL W—(Streaming) Ed writes, “This is a respectful portrait of the man whose work saved millions of lives, but not a whitewash of his faults.”
• HIS ONLY SON—(In theaters)”Writer/director David Helling tackles one of the most difficult stories in his first feature film, the Genesis story of God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac.”
• THE BLUE CAFTAN—(In theaters) “Moroccan writer-director Maryam Touzani handles as difficult a question for Muslims in his new film as it is for Christians—the love between members of the same sex that their culture condemns.”
• AIR—(In theaters) “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”

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Seeing the Wind of the Holy Spirit as the 12-Step Movement Circles the World

COVER STORY—Millions of us know the 12-step movement as a lifeline in our families and communities. This week’s cover story features an interview with journalist and biographer Dawn Eden Goldstein who finally tells the true story of how “Father Ed” Dowling befriended Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill W.—and influenced the global expansion of the 12-step movement. That’s quite an accomplishment, because many errors have accumulated about Father Ed’s life because of the lack of such a thorough biography until now. When Goldstein finished her research and was able to clear away misconceptions, she concluded that Father Ed should be considered for canonization. That’s not hyperbole, and she ends her book with a page explaining how people can help with that effort.

Please, because the influence of this movement is so widespread in our families and communities, share this cover story with friends and family this week via social media and email. You might help someone in a way that you didn’t expect!

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From our authors

Suzy Farbman—

A perfect example of one person reaching out to others

OUR BELOVED GodSigns COLUMNIST SUZY FARBMAN returns this week with a heart-felt ode to her 56th anniversary with her husband—a journey that has included trauma more than once. Please, read her column after you’ve read our cover story because it perfectly illustrates the power of one person to share a story that touches many other lives.

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Larry Buxton—

How our daily lives ‘affect people in a powerful way’

LEADERSHIP COACH and AUTHOR LARRY BUXTON has been exploring this theme of the many ways our everyday behavior—simple acts—shape the lives of others. His earlier “Leading with Spirit” column, The Doctor’s Mocha Medicine, sparked a lot of conversation among our readers.

That led Larry, this week, to write Your Mundane Ministry, which includes a story about U-Haul rentals. This week, both Suzy and Larry are eloquently illustrating a core theme in the new Father Ed biography: “The spiritual callings of lay people are as valuable as any formal vocation to sacred orders.”

If you enjoy Larry’s columns and videos, check out his book: 30 Days with King David—On Leadership.

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Holidays & Festivals

Yom Hashoah and a Recommitment to ‘Never Again’

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS columnist Stephanie Fenton reminds us, in her coverage of Yom Hashoah, about the need to recommit ourselves to combat dangerous bigotry and to protect vulnerable minorities.

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Eid Sa’id!

THIS WEEK, Stephanie Fenton reports on the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in the celebration often known simply as “the Eid.”

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WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

 

 

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Here are some of Ed’s most recent free reviews and columns:

• AIR—(In theaters) Ed writes, “In director Ben Afleck’s fifth film, the race is a heated one—a commercial race between three sneaker shoe companies: Converse, Adidas, and Nike.”
• LET ME HAVE MY SON—(In theaters) “Writer/director Cristobal Kruson’s newest film is a fictionalized story of his own spiritual journey that centers on his son’s descent into mental illness.”
• ON A WING AND A PRAYER—(Streaming on Amazon) “Sean McNamara’s film is based on a true story in which a seasoned pilot of a private twin-engined plane suffers a fatal heart attack.”
• THE LOST KING—(In theaters) “That truth is sometimes more bizarre than fiction is well demonstrated in Director Stephen Frears latest film, a historical detective story.”
• OPERATION MINCEMEAT—(Streaming on Netflix) “For those of us who missed 1956’s The Man Who Never Was, Netflix’s current film will introduce us to one of the great deceptions of WWII.”
• CLOSE—(Streaming) “‘Close’ well describes the friendship of two Belgian boys in Lukas Dhont‘s heartbreaking film.”
• THE QUIET GIRL—(Streaming) “Irish director Colm Bairead, with his co-writer Claire Keegan (author of the book the film is based on) has given us a touching story of a young girl from a dysfunctional family provided a chance to blossom despite her distracted parents.”

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