Rediscover Creative Connections in the ‘Totality of Cooking’

COVER STORY—”The simple acts of preparing and eating fresh produce not only make us healthier, but also strengthen the social bonds that bind our families and our communities together. If that seems like a lot to swallow, chew on this: By almost any measure, Americans are some of the unhealthiest people on the planet.” Those are words from our Contributing Columnist and author Martin Davis, who is spreading this message of simplified, healthy eating far and wide this summer. We appreciate that Marty has written this special column for our Read the Spirit magazine. Please enjoy this cover story and share it with friends via social media and email.

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Holidays & Festivals

HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS columnist Stephanie Fenton reports on the second year that Juneteenth will be an official national holiday across the U.S.

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Father’s Day 1:

An all-too-true story

‘I’M ONLY A FATHER!’ Sound familiar? In this year’s Father’s Day column, by author Benjamin Pratt, he asks all of us whether we’ve ever heard (or said) something like that—humbly expressing the human limits within our families. Please, enjoy Benjamin’s column and share it with friends as the holiday approaches on June 19.

Father’s Day 2:

Consider these ‘best books for Father’s Day’

SUSAN STITT’S FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING COLUMN, this week, highlights great gifts you can have in your father’s hands this week—inspiring books about sports, leadership, peacemaking and military history.

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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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From our Writers 

Jack Harnish

A Global Award in Christian Outreach

THE AUTHOR of our new 30 Days with E. Stanley Jones is honored with a global award in Christian outreach. We’ve got the story.

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Larry Buxton

True Courage May Require Restraint

THIS WEEK’S Leading with Spirit video by leadership coach Larry Buxton may surprise you! “Courage is acting wisely against your instincts for a higher good,” Larry says. “Courage often requires doing that thing you don’t want to do because you know it’s the right thing.” And, Larry says, that courageous choice just might involve restraint! Please, visit Larry’s site for this inspiring 4-minute video that you’ll want to share with friends.

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Bill Tammeus

Still Trying to Break that Stained Glass Ceiling

JOURNALIST and AUTHOR BILL TAMMEUS reports this week on the still-standing stained-glass ceilings in major churches—more than half a century after mainline denominations began ordaining women like the Rev. Margaret Towner (shown in this photo). As always, if you care about this issue, Bill includes fascinating links for further reading in his column.

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Elaine Greenberg

On ‘Guide for Grief’

REGULAR READERS of our online magazine will remember a recent story in which the remarkable musician and educator Elaine Greenberg asked us for help in recommending books that can help with grief. Well, as a result of that conversation, Elaine began reading some of our books and now is sending us columns reflecting on what those books mean to her. This week, she writes about Rodger Murchison’s Guide for Grief.

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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:

• MARIAN ANDERSON—THE WHOLE WORLD IN HER HANDS—Ed writes, “Rita Coburn’s contribution to the PBS documentary series American Masters is more than a tribute to a great American icon; it is also a delightful love story, a glorious medley of music, an historic triumph over Jim Crow, a testament to the power of faith and family, and a recognition that every great achievement is made with the love and support of many others.”
• SUNKEN ROADS—Ed marks the June anniversary of World War II’s D-Day, this year, by recommending a moving documentary film: Sunken Roads—Three Generations after D-Day. You won’t find this film in theaters, but it can be rented for home streaming for $2.99 via Amazon.
• TOP GUN—MAVERICK—”Tom Cruise still exudes the charm that first attracted his fans, mellowed by the years that stripped away some of the earlier arrogance of his character. Little wonder that this has become a box office smash.”
• MONTANA STORY—”Writer-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel set their story in Montana and include a beloved horse, but their film is neither a typical Western nor an addition to the Black Beauty genre. Instead, it centers on the relationship of a brother and a sister, once very close but then ruptured by a terrible event several years earlier.
• ON GUN VIOLENCE—Ed also recommends viewing three films about gun violence in America. First, he reaches back and points out that the 1989 documentary Bowling for Columbine is as relevant today as it was when originally released. More recent is the documentary 91%, which features interviews with a wide cross section of Americans and makes the point that there is nearly unanimous consensus on the need for more effective background checks on gun buyers. Finally, he recommends Behind the Bullet, a documentary that explores the impact of guns from the perspective of people who have fired them.
• DOWNTON ABBEY—Ed writes, “Let me say right up front that this addition to the Julian Fellowes’ franchise ought to please fans of this beloved series. In fact, thanks to the story line unfolding at the magnificent estate itself, it is better than the previous enjoyable 2019 film.”
• SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE—Netflix now is streaming two dozen episodes of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2015-19 TV series, Servant of the People. Ed McNulty writes about the “life-imitates-art” experience of watching this series in the midst of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. There are two parts: Here is Part 1: Ed’s commentary on the opening episodes. Then, here is Part 2: Ed’s follow up, focusing on later episodes.

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