Despite the world’s dangers, ultimately, ‘we all stand on human ground.’

COVER STORY: Readers who have been enjoying Greg Garrett’s moving and thought-provoking fiction and nonfiction through the years will not be surprised to learn that his dramatic new novel, Bastille Day, turns on one particular broadcast by a cynical TV reporter and one particular sermon by a compassionate pastor. These are worlds Greg has bridged in his long career as a media personality, theologian, scholar and author.

Please enjoy our cover-story interview with Greg in which we will take you to Paris, where Greg was poised for the launch of his exciting and inspiring new novel. In fact, Greg helped us illustrate this cover story with an array of colorful photos of locations from Bastille Day.

And, if you enjoy this story, please take a moment to share this story with friends via social media or email.

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From Our Writers—

Laura Elizabeth

Want to meet this cozy author?

COZY MYSTERY NOVELIST LAURA ELIZABETH has more than a dozen events already scheduled for the launch of Volume 1 of her new mystery series. Some are for private groups; many are open to the public. Especially if you might find yourself in Georgia or the Carolinas in coming months, please check out this listing of Laura’s events, so far.

Want more information about visiting the island that inspired Laura Elizabeth to create the fictionalized setting for her cozy series? We just learned that the Daufuskie Rental Group, which has a great vacation-oriented website, is going to be providing copies of Laura’s book to some of the first families to book accommodations on the island in coming months. Thank you Daufuskie Rental Group for supporting this creative project to entertain readers and shine a light on this wonderful, historic island!

We know you’ll enjoy this novel, so you could also preorder your copy right now from Amazon.

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Howard Brown

‘The story is the great equalizer’

THIS WEEK, Howard Brown introduces us to his own speaking coach Rina Rovinelli, founder of Speaker Slam.

They talk about how Rina got started as a speaking entrepreneur and how people can learn to become effective public speakers even if they are afraid of the idea of standing up in front of people.

“The story is the great equalizer,” Rina says in this podcast and that’s a theme we celebrate here at our publishing house as well.

You can listen to this latest podcast right now by clicking on this link to visit Howard’s own Shining Brightly website. (His podcast links are in the center of his home page.)

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Holidays & Milestones

Taking Steps Toward Father’s Day?

ARE YOU PLANNING FOR FATHER’S DAY? Stephanie Fenton’s column is helpful reading! Her column tells the fascinating story of how long it took to reach a national consensus on this holiday. Plus, as always, Stephanie offers some links to some fun Father’s Day activities as well as great recipes for this special day.

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Juneteenth

Celebrations are starting earlier in June

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the ever-expanding awareness of our national holiday Juneteenth in 2023. As usual, she’s got links to fascinating resources, including some great 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:

• MAID—Ed McNulty writes: “This 10-episode series about an abused wife and mother has more heart and insights than a hundred super hero epics. The series is based on the memoir by Stephanie Land Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.”
• TED LASSO, Season 3—Ed loves this popular TV series and now offers his own faith-and-film reflections on the series.
• SABBATH—Ed McNulty offers his review of Martin Doblmeier’s documentary Sabbath, starting with a detailed look at the first part of the national broadcast. For more on this inspiring documentary, you also may want to read our Cover Story interview with Martin, which is headlined: “Do you know it’s healthy to observe ‘Sabbath’?“
• THE STARLING GIRL—”Writer and director Laurel Parmet explores faith, paternalism, and sex in this tale set in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky.”
• THE LITTLE MERMAID—”Any questions I had about the wisdom of remaking the classic film that revived the flagging Disney studio back in 1989 were quickly dissipated when Halle Bailey appears as Ariel, the unsatisfied daughter of underseas King Triton (Javier Bardem).”
• MEMORIA—”Acheampong Weerasethakul, who often goes by the name of Joe, teams with Tilda Swinton to tease our minds with a most unusual cinematic experience.”
• ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET—”The film, directed and written by Kelly Fremon Craig, follows the novel very faithfully, with every member of the excellent cast contributing to the humor and insights, so that I think fans of the iconic book—it sold 90 million copies!—will agree that the long wait has been well worth it.”

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Does our headline sound pushy?

Well, consider what early readers are saying about this remarkable book

IN OUR COVER STORY THIS WEEK, we’re sharing some of the remarkable early praise for this milestone book: The Word Made Fresh, a collection of the best sermons by the Rev. Dr. George A. Mason. We’re pretty sure you’ll be surprised that these inspiring, inclusive and thought-provoking sermons came from a Baptist pastor preaching to a large church in Dallas, Texas, over the past 30 years. That’s what early readers are telling us.

Please, read this cover story and share a link to this story with friends via social media and email.

In addition to praise from early readers, you’ll find in this Cover Story some of George’s own strong opinions about the challenges of good preaching, today. What he has to say is likely to spark some discussion among churchgoers. And, in this same story, we discuss with George some of the huge challenges clergy are facing, today. Perhaps some of these challenges are true in your community.

That’s why we’re being “pushy” about suggesting readers buy a copy for themselves and a copy to give to their congregations.

In addition: Learn more about how this unique book was created. This week, our Front Edge Publishing column is a special report from the head of the Wilshire Baptist Church publishing team, Gail Brookshire, who writes about how her team was able to create and launch this book project within one year—a remarkable feat in publishing.

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From Our Writers—

Laura Elizabeth

Have you visited ‘The Island’ yet?

OUR FIRST COZY MYSTERY NOVELIST LAURA ELIZABETH has the welcome mat laid out for readers at her new website: www.TheIslandMysteries.com Plus, for first-time visitors there are fun “extras” available. Come on! We’re all thrilled to be launching our new cozy mystery imprint with Laura’s compelling world of island dwellers, including new arrival Carr who simply hopes to restart her life by opening a bookstore that serves up tea and friendship. We know you’ll enjoy this novel, so you could also preorder your copy right now from Amazon.

But the main destination we hope readers will visit this month? Head to that Island Mysteries website and get to know Laura and the delightfully scenic—and sometimes mysterious—real-life island she has transformed for this new series. And while you’re there, don’t miss the new shop she’s set up that offers beautiful photographs of the island and several island-related ornaments. Do you know what “tabby shells” are? There’s a lot to explore on this island.

 

 

Howard Brown

A Little Fun and a Little Practical Wisdom with Lee Silverstein and Linda Gross

THIS WEEK, Howard Brown serves up two podcasts that range from fun to serious spiritual and practical wisdom.

First, there’s Howard’s conversation with writer and cancer survivor Lee Silverstein. Professionally, Lee is known as a career management consultant, working with professional clients to chart their careers—but, at the same time, he is nationally known as a longtime survivor of Stage IV cancer. That part of his life pushes Lee—like Howard himself—to serve as a patient advocate and to share the hard-earned wisdom about his survival. One of the main lessons both Lee and Howard stress is that, as Howard puts it, “Cancer is a team sport!”

Second, there’s Howard’s conversation with UCLA researcher Linda Gross, talking about her research into the dating and relationship habits of men. In years of research, she conducted interviews with 20,000 men and this episode of Howard’s podcast is called “Why It’s Best to Date Like a Caveman.”

You can listen to both podcasts right here and then it’s easy to share that with friends, if you enjoy what you hear.

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Holidays & Milestones

Juneteenth

Celebrations are starting earlier in June

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS COLUMNIST STEPHANIE FENTON reports on the ever-expanding awareness of our national holiday Juneteenth in 2023. As usual, she’s got links to fascinating resources, including some great 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:

• SABBATH—Ed McNulty offers his review of Martin Doblmeier’s documentary Sabbath, starting with a detailed look at the first part of the national broadcast. For more on this inspiring documentary, you also may want to read our Cover Story interview with Martin, which is headlined: “Do you know it’s healthy to observe ‘Sabbath’?“
• THE STARLING GIRL—”Writer and director Laurel Parmet explores faith, paternalism, and sex in this tale set in a fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky.”
• THE LITTLE MERMAID—”Any questions I had about the wisdom of remaking the classic film that revived the flagging Disney studio back in 1989 were quickly dissipated when Halle Bailey appears as Ariel, the unsatisfied daughter of underseas King Triton (Javier Bardem).”
• MEMORIA—”Acheampong Weerasethakul, who often goes by the name of Joe, teams with Tilda Swinton to tease our minds with a most unusual cinematic experience.”
• ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET—”The film, directed and written by Kelly Fremon Craig, follows the novel very faithfully, with every member of the excellent cast contributing to the humor and insights, so that I think fans of the iconic book—it sold 90 million copies!—will agree that the long wait has been well worth it.”
• 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.”

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‘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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