What does it mean to pursue truth, compassion, and dignity in our church communities? Author Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez joins us on the podcast to discuss her book Being a Sanctuary: The Radical Way for the Body of Christ to Be Sacred, Soft, and Safe. In our conversation, Pricelis offers a clear-eyed critique of some of the areas where our churches have failed in communicating compassion, then gently offers thoughtful suggestions for ways that we can reform and repair our own hearts and our beloved communities. Pricelis combines spiritual formation practices and an invitational style with stories about justice and a vision for a more reflective church body. Her own personal stories add specificity to her vision, and we’re left with a set of tools for growth and self-examination.

“The biggest thing is to affirm ourselves and not wait for anyone or any room or anyone with any degree or any letters behind their name to affirm our voice and to say that our voice matters. We need to say it to ourselves and for ourselves.”

It takes a fair amount of courage to take a serious look at ourselves, our families, and our communities and ask — how might God be inviting us to be more compassionate? to be safer and softer? to resemble Jesus more closely? We’re reminded of this piece by Laura Meitzner Yoder in which she offers the simple act of eating as a potent prompt for our own self-reflective practices. We can remember in those moments that God loves us dearly, even with our imperfections, and welcomes us as we seek to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“It is the inescapable habit of eating, simultaneously grounding and transcendent, that commends mindful eating as the ultimate prompt to perceive the extraordinary amidst the ordinary.”

You’re Invited!

Pray with us. You’re invited to our online, 30-minute guided prayer meetings on Fridays at 8 am, 9 am, and 12 pm (Eastern). Can’t come? Send your prayer requests anyway by emailing us at wsap@intervarsity.org. Ready to pray? Join the Zoom meeting here for those Friday meetings.

Chat with the author of this season’s book club selection! Join Women Scholars and Professionals on Monday, November 11 at 9 pm (eastern) for an interview with Miranda Zapor Cruz, author of Faithful Politics: Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters. We hope you register today!

IVP Faculty exam copies. Professors can request a free exam or desk copy for InterVarsity Press titles adopted for classroom use up to three times a year. Your free exam or desk copy will be sent to you within four weeks. Register for a professional account to access this benefit!

Are you an InterVarsity alum? Use promo code IVCFALUMNI to get a 25% discount at ivpress.com.

Downloadable Pocket Prayer Card from Graduate Healthcare Ministries. Medical students at Brown asked for a small resource that would prompt them to pray throughout the day. Colleague Renee Nicholas created this card with psalms and short prayers to support them — and you’re invited to use it too! Thanks, Renee!

Calling All Scientists! The American Scientific Affiliation is hosting their Winter Symposium on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT. The topic is "AI & Christianity" and features speakers Joanna Ng and Rosalind Picard. Register for this online event here.

Save the Date: February 21-22, 2025 for Believers in Business. As the largest Christian MBA gathering in the country, the 2025 Believers in Business Conference is a key intersection of the Christian MBA and Christian professional communities. Mark your calendars to join them in New York this February!

Are you a new graduate student? We invite you to subscribe to a unique newsletter from InterVarsity’s Graduate and Faculty Ministries designed to support and encourage first-year grad students as they embark on the next step of their academic journey. If you’re a first-year graduate student, click here to subscribe.

Four More Things We Loved This Week

1. Four strategies for turning around a bad day. (NYTimes, unlocked)

2. “The church is a place where sexism exists, even thrives.” Heather Matthews writes on the difference between “sexism” and “theological differences.”

3. An upside-down approach to voting: theologically-oriented thoughts on the political process.

4. With the weather starting to feel a bit more like autumn, we’re looking for comfort food — and this hands-off oven-baked mac & cheese looks very promising.