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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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

Click on this movie poster to read Ed McNulty’s review of the new movie, AIR.

Faith & Film

Click on this image to learn about the latest issue of Visual Parables Journal, which includes reviews and discussion guides for many current films.

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.”