When you dig a bit below the surface, you are likely to discover that many of us who attend church regularly feel we have lost touch with a living experience of God. Indeed, we may find we no longer believe in God at all.

The reasons why faith breaks down are multi-layered and complex, and this sympathetic volume has been written for those who aren't satisfied with pious answers to real questions and disappointments.

John Pritchard draws deeply on his own experience of dark times in order to shed light on what we may be going through ourselves. He then offers starting points from which we might rediscover and re-imagine a more realistic faith in the God who, despite appearances, is ever present with us, whether apprehended or not.

Letters to Marc About Jesus is a beautiful collection of Henri Nouwen's very intimate and very enlightening writings to Marc, his nineteen-year-old nephew, who struggles to find his true path in a world of confusion and apathy. Written with Nouwen's characteristic grace and wisdom, these letters bear witness to his conviction that anyone can find lasting spiritual fulfillment if they simply take the time to maintain a daily awareness of Jesus in every aspect of life. Powerful and profound, Letters to Marc About Jesus is Nouwen at his best--teacher, guide, and mentor--and will provide the direction and inspiration necessary for any believer to change his or her life.

From Christian Piatt: "When I was a teenager, my youth minister threw a bible at my head for asking questions." Too often, for various reasons, people don't have the opportunity to ask the hard questions they have about faith, religion, salvation and the bible. And when questions are left unanswered in communities of faith, people either seek answers elsewhere or lose interest all together. The purpose of the series is to collect the most compelling and challenging questions from various theological areas and pose them to a panel of "experts" who are challenged with responding in two hundred words or less in plain English. This volume addresses challenging or controversial questions about scripture collected from people on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking media. Respondents include theology professors, clergy, lay leaders, liberals, conservatives and voices representing a spectrum of views. The idea behind the books is not so much to provide definitive answers as it is to stimulate thought, reflection and discussion. By offering multiple perspectives, readers have the opportunity to arrive at their own questions. Better, they come to understand that questioning faith is not taboo, but rather that it can be at the foundation of a strong and growing faith. The directive given to each respondent guided them to be concise and to speak in plan language, but also not to rely exclusively on "the Bible says it" justifications, or to wax abstract or overly intellectual. Instead, they write from personal experience as much as possible, and provide real-life contexts that will allow the average seeker or churchgoer to apply such ideas to their daily lives.

Celebrate A Season of Renewal and Reflection The theme of bitterness runs through the Bible as a sour reminder of sin's presence in our world-yet it's because of this bitterness that Jesus' grace is so sweet and satisfying. As we learn to turn from our vices and crave real beauty, goodness, and truth through the pursuit of virtues, we grow nearer to God and become more like who He made us to be. From Tsh Oxenreider, bestselling author of Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent, arrives a devotional to help you meditate and rejoice in the transcendent miracle of Easter. You will... uncover what it means to participate in the liturgical traditions of Lent, from fasting to almsgiving experience artwork and music that illuminate the impact-both personal and global-of Jesus's death and resurrection contemplate the wonder of Christ's redemption of all humankind, especially as this time of introspection reveals your human limitations Starting on Ash Wednesday and leading you all the way through Holy Week, Bitter and Sweet is an invitation to better understand Jesus's sacrifice as you delight in His ultimate love for you.