♦ "Faith is such a simple thing . . ." See more lyrics from this hymn along with other inspirational quotes about faith in our new 12s gallery. See all the 12s. 

♦ Remembering a Spiritual Master. Angeles Arrien, a treasured member of Spirituality & Practice's Council of Advisors, creator of our Elder Spirituality e-course Becoming a Wise Elder, and admired S&P award-winning author, changed worlds on April 24, 2014. We will miss her kindness, her wise counsel, and her full, open, clear, and strong heart.

♦ May is ritual month. We have looked through our book excerpts, quotes, and practices to find rituals for your use and to spark your imagination as you create your own. A new one is posted on the homepage each day.

♦ A mindfulness ritual. Darren explains how his ritual salon used favorite fruits to explore the five senses. See more blog posts. 

♦ The best television series about Christian ministry we've ever seen. We've watched the first two seasons of Rev. (via Amazon Instant streaming), an enlightening and entertaining look at the life and work of an Anglican priest serving a small parish in London.

♦ More ministers, priests, and nuns on the screen. We've created a gallery spotlighting our favorite films about these religious leaders so you can have your own home film festival.

♦ 23 million people in American prisons. A new report by the National Research Council charts the harm that has been done to society by four decades of imprisoning mostly poor people of color.

♦ Idealism on screen. Belle is a costume drama based on a true story from the eighteenth century. It features a beautiful mixed race heroine, an idealistic law student, and a circle of older English aristocrats whose most cherished traditions are challenged. More films. 

♦ Resilient elders. Still Mine, now available on DVD, is a love story that touches the heart with its uplifting portrait of an elderly couple enduring a storm of troubles with fearlessness, courage, and mutual support. More DVDs. 

♦ New profiles in the Living Spiritual Teachers Project. This project spotlights teachers from different traditions we think you should meet on your spiritual journey, including Catholic theologians Ronald Rolheiser and James Conlon. 

♦ Needed: faith and courage. In Learning to Walk in the Dark Barbara Brown Taylor presents her thoughts and practices for developing this "spiritual skill."

♦ Father-son bonding. Chef is an appealing comedy about food, career transitions, and the bonding between a busy father and his 10-year-old son. Our "Go Deeper" section points to an excerpt on meaningful work from the 20th anniversary edition of Kent Nerburn's Letters to My Son. 

♦ A lonely woman looking for love. Gloria, now on DVD, explores the important role of emotional intelligence in mature intimate relationships. Also see our "Go Deeper" section on "Antidotes to Loneliness."

♦ No need to prove ourselves to others. Zen Master Ezra Bayda's book The Authentic Life challenges us to see life's blows and difficulties as part of our spiritual path. More books. 

♦ The plight of runaway children in Karachi, Pakistan. These Birds Walk, now on DVD, is a chilling and compassionate documentary about an elderly humanitarian who has created centers to look after them.

♦ A madcap comedy extravaganza. Neighbors pulls out all the stops in a story about feuding neighbors and accepting the burdens of adulthood.

♦ A second defense department. Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches From the Frontlines of Homeland Security by Todd Miller is a wake-up call to the work and growth of this agency. Also read an interview with Todd Miller.

♦ A migrant's journey. Who Is Dayani Cristal? is an engrossing documentary that reenacts the tragic attempt of a man from Honduras to cross into the United States. Read "The Migrant's Prayer" in the "Go Deeper" section of the review.

♦ The spiritual energy of generosity. Inspiring Generosity by Barbara Bonner celebrates 14 generosity heroes.

♦ An abundant spiritual formation resource. No Problem: Turning the Next Corner in Your Spiritual Life by Robert J. Wicks contains 20 lessons, 3 doorways, and 30 daily exercises.