Jersey Magazine – John Scheinfeld’s New Film “Baseball: Beyond Belief”

For Easter Sunday morning here on Jersey Magazine, Jim Monaghan's guest is filmmaker John Scheinfeld whose new film Baseball: Beyond Belief takes a unique look at some of the surprising similarities between baseball and religion.

For those who refer to Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season as a "High Holy Day," the movie explores how sports, and baseball in particular, has saints and sinners, requires belief in something we very often cannot see, and brings so many of us together in one place at a time when our country seems to be divided beyond repair.

The film premieres Easter Sunday on FS1 and FS2 (check your local listings) with repeat showings during the month of April.

Mioshi Moses is the Vice President of Volunteer Programs at AARP Foundation about free tax preparation this year.

Free tax assistance is available this tax season for people who need help navigating the filing process, especially older adults with low to moderate income. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free in-person and some virtual tax preparation and filing services now through April 15, helping taxpayers understand their returns and avoid the cost of paid tax preparation.

Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program. IRS-certified volunteers are trained each year to prepare most federal tax returns, including most Form 1040 returns. Though focused on older adults with low to moderate income, the service is available to anyone of any age whose tax return falls within the IRS guidelines Tax-Aide is authorized to handle.   AARP membership is not required.

Jesuit priest and New York Times bestselling author Father James Martin recently published his new book, Work In Progress - Confessions of A Busboy, Dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, Factory Worker, Bank Teller, Corporate Tool, and Priest.

In this candid and often humorous memoir, Father Martin reflects on growing up as what he calls a "lukewarm Catholic" and the many jobs he held before becoming a priest — from restaurant kitchens to corporate offices — and how each experience shaped his understanding of purpose, ambition, failure, faith, and identity.

The conversation explores the universal theme at the heart of the book: none of us arrive fully formed. Whether in career, relationships, or spirituality, we are all, in one way or another, works in progress. Father Martin speaks openly about setbacks, doubts, unexpected turns, and the surprising ways ordinary work can become a path to deeper meaning.

Father Martin has a very active presence on social media where he is, among other things, an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ community.

It’s an engaging discussion that will resonate not only with people of faith, but with anyone who has ever wondered how their life’s twists and turns fit into a larger story.

Check out some of the Easter-season family events in our area courtesy of Chris Swendeman.