Cover Story: Rachel Srubas reminds us of the Lenten call toward compassion and community

In Lent, facing our fears helps us return to Christian community

IN AN INSPIRING NEW BOOK, published just in time for Lent 2023, Presbyterian pastor and author Rachel Srubas asks us to confront the overwhelming anxiety so many people feel these days after years of pandemic, global warfare and rising violence. Rachel reminds us that God always is calling us toward compassionate community—especially during the Lenten season that leads toward Easter. Please, enjoy this interview with Rachel about her new book and then share a link to this story with friends via social media and email. Why share this story? Because someone you know might enjoy reading this book along with you during the seven weeks until Easter.

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From Our Community of Authors—

Daniel Buttry on Gustavo Parajón

IN A NEW PODCAST WITH WORD & WAY’S BRIAN KAYLOR, Daniel Buttry talks about the inspiring life of public health pioneer and peacemaker Gustavo Parajón. This is a fascinating overview of Parajón’s life as Kaylor asks Buttry to talk about “how this man was able to navigate all of these very dangerous waters.” You can enjoy this conversation via Spotify.

Or, to get the whole story, you can visit Amazon and order Healing the World: Gustavo Parajón, Public Health and Peacemaking Pioneer in hardcover, paperback or Kindle editions.

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‘5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Professional Comedian’

STAND-UP COMIC BOB ALPER seems to be popping up everywhere in early 2023! Last week, we reported on his latest “Laugh in Peace” Christian-Muslim-Jewish comedy show in New York City. This week, thanks to an interview with Yitzi Weiner in Authority magazine, we’ve got this fun—and very thought-provoking—5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became a Professional Comedian. Whether or not you’ve ever considered trying stand-up comedy, there’s a lot of wisdom for weathering life’s challenges in Bob’s advice, especially the need to laugh along the way. One of Bob’s Big 5 lessons is: “There’s holiness in making people laugh.”

Want to laugh along with Bob anytime? We publish two of his books that collect some of his most popular stories. There’s Thanks. I Needed That. And, we also publish Life Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This.

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Celebrating the ‘International Impact’ of Howard Brown’s work

At Front Edge Publishing, we celebrate when our authors are honored for their good work in the world. We encourage our authors to post such news items on their websites and social media. This week we are celebrating with Howard Brown, author of the new memoir Shining Brightly, who has won an International Impact Book Award.

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Holidays & Festivals

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Holidays & Festivals columnist Stephanie Fenton reports on the many expressions of love circling the globe. This holiday is about far more than candy, Stephanie reminds us. Please enjoy her entire column and share it with friends.

Children’s Valentines Brighten Food Bank Deliveries

Former Read the Spirit contributing columnist Emily Brown now is a TV news reporter for KPAX, a CBS affiliate owned by Scripps in Montana. This week, Emily reported on a special holiday touch that local children added to food deliveries to homebound seniors in that area.

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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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Click on this movie still to read Ed McNulty’s review of The Banshees of Inisherin.

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Click on this image to learn more about the February 2023 issue of Visual Parables Journal, packed with complete faith-and-film discussion guides to movies, including Women Talking, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, All Quiet on the Western Front and A Man Called Otto.

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:

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