What are these people celebrating this week?
After a 25-year journey toward inclusion—now, you can become a part of this inspiring story.
OUR COVER STORY THIS WEEK springs from the celebration of 25 years of inclusive ministry in a church called Sanctuary in Iowa City—a congregation whose reputation for faith and hope and compassion is inspiring other people coast to coast about the possibilities for truly welcoming Christian congregations. This is the book that national experts are urging people nationwide to read for an honest understanding of both the challenges—and the powerful rewards—if traditional churches dare to tackle the risks of inclusion.
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Want to learn more about gender and orientation?
MSU’s Bias Busters team has the books for that!
IN OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING column, this week, MSU Bias Busters Director Joe Grimm explains why his team at the School of Journalism decided to publish two books—one about gender and a second one about sexual orientation.
As thousands of congregations nationwide move toward inclusion, these handy guidebooks answer common questions and help all of us navigate these new relationships in a cooperative and compassionate way.
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Our Writers on—
Wrestling with American Values
LAST WEEK’S SPECIAL ISSUE of ReadTheSpirit magazine featured four columns from our writers reflecting on the American values we all are wrestling with related to headline news events—from debates over military service to the upcoming retirement of President Joe Biden. Here is a link to that issue of our weekly magazine. All week long, we received encouraging notes from our readers. In fact, more of our writers wanted to weigh in on timely themes.
THIS WEEK, we are featuring two of our writers with additional columns about the values that sustain us—
Ann Worley—
Suddenly, our disability challenges pop up in national headlines
TEXAS-BASED ANN WORLEY—and many parents like her of neurodivergent children nationwide—are celebrating the rising tide of national support for families after conservative political activists attacked Gov. Tim Walz’s family for young Gus Walz’s emotional response to his father. As a leading advocate for families with neurodivergent children, Ann writes about what it’s like for parents and kids who felt like they were right there in the cross-hairs of the mean-spirited response to Gus last week. In a remarkably graceful column, this week, Ann writes, not out of anger, but out of a generous desire to help other Americans learn the language they need to welcome and support such families. Please read Ann’s column and share it with others.
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Larry Buxton—
When the most powerful leaders decide it’s time to surrender
THAT’S THE COURAGEOUS MOMENT LEADERSHIP COACH LARRY BUXTON examines in his column about the humbling decisions made by President Joe Biden recently—and the great King David thousands of years ago.
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Holidays & Festivals
Jain festival of Paryushan Parva
HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS columnist Stephanie Fenton writes, this week, about the annual Jain period of fasting and reflection known as Paryushan Parva. Although this is a time of fasting and self-denial, Stephanie also offers a link to delicious vegetarian recipes that are themed to this season’s special dietary restrictions.
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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 this movie poster to read critic Ed McNulty’s review of ‘The Fabulous Four.’
Faith & Film
Click on this poster from the PBS documentary to begin reading Ed McNulty’s series of columns, which he has collected from his original journals of that landmark 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi. As of this week, Ed has posted 4 parts of this series marking this 60th anniversary: First, here is Part 1; then here is Part 2; followed by Part 3; and then Part 4.
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 film reviews and discussion guides. This resource is used nationwide 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 FABULOUS FOUR—Ed tells us this movie is pretty much just one more installment in the recent series of comedies about “rambunctious senior citizens.”
- IT ENDS WITH US—“Director/star Justin Baldoni’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel starts as a passionately romantic tale that turns into a dark cautionary tale.”
- COUP—”Written and directed by Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark, this tale of class warfare takes place in a time that was as deadly as our recent Covid Pandemic, the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.”
- TRAP—“I kept thinking of the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyder as I watched writer/director M. Night Shyamalan’s suspenseful film unfold.”
- SHOGUN—It’s so mesmerizing, Ed writes, that it encourages binge watching.
- WIDOW CLICQUOT—“Director Thomas Napper’s debut feature film could serve as a feminist tract celebrating the heritage of a strong woman in early 19th century France.”
- MY PENGUIN FRIEND—“I love interspecies films such as Fly Away, and Brazilian director David Schurmann’s film is a delightful addition to the genre.”
- SING SING—This inspiring film is based on a true story of prisoners producing an annual theatrical production at Sing Sing prison..
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