2021 Illumination Book Awards, Silver Medal: Theology God’s presence is not “out there” but right here. We tend to look for God in dramatic or miraculous moments, but such expectations can blind us to God’s ongoing presence. What if God is already with us, in the life we have this moment? When we experience ordinary but meaningful events, such as our first love or a favorite novel, we are in fact encountering God’s presence. As we learn to notice spiritual movement within and around us, we can recognize the many facets of God’s love that touch us daily. “As a priest and spiritual director of many decades, my driving desire is for people to experience God’s limitless love for them and to recognize it when it emerges in what they consider just ordinary life happenings and conversations.” —William A. Barry, SJ Whether we are in pain or crisis, questioning if we are really worthy of God’s attention, or are simply wondering why God would be in the mundane details of our lives, Experiencing God in the Ordinary can nurture our hope—that God is always present and can be found in an ordinary day. Complete with personal stories and various suggestions for prayer and meditation, this book is perfect for devotional reading, retreat, or small-group discussion.

Prayer is first and foremost a personal relationship and that the most fruitful prayer is that builds upon and enhances relationship. It shows us how we can develop an intimate relationship with God.

A modern classic--revised with more than 70 percent new material--is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach Christians how to develop a true relationship with the Creator.

The Scriptures ask us to think about God differently than primarily a miracle worker. They invite us to imagine God's presence and activity in our ordinary, day-to-day lives. To ask, seek, and find God in the most common areas of life is the hallmark of being a believer in God and a disciple of Jesus Christ. The Book of Ruth perfectly demonstrates this reality. It is a beautiful story of regular people finding their way through life on a day-by-day basis. As they live out their days, they discover the presence of God guiding, correcting, and providing for them along the way. God is everywhere in The Book of Ruth, but He never appears. He is a constant redeeming force, but He never speaks. God is the director of this fantastic and crucial story in the Bible, but He never forces anything to happen. He does not command, rebuke, or push. In ways both wonderful and ordinary, God simply allows people to make decisions while guiding them with a gentle hand.

Folding laundry. Weeding the garden. Cooking dinner. Changing diapers. Work in the home can seem so ordinary. Does any of it matter? Is there meaning in our most mundane moments at home? When the work of the home fills our days, it is easy to get disillusioned and miss God's grand purpose for our work. As image bearers of the Creator who made us to work, we contribute to society, bringing order out of chaos and loving God through loving others—meaning there's glory in every moment. In this encouraging book, Courtney Reissig combats the common misconceptions about the value of at-home work—helping us see how Christ infuses purpose into every facet of the ordinary.

Radical. Crazy. Transformative and restless. Every word we read these days seems to suggest there’s a “next-best-thing,” if only we would change our comfortable, compromising lives. In fact, the greatest fear most Christians have is boredom—the sense that they are missing out on the radical life Jesus promised. One thing is certain. No one wants to be “ordinary.” Yet pastor and author Michael Horton believes that our attempts to measure our spiritual growth by our experiences, constantly seeking after the next big breakthrough, have left many Christians disillusioned and disappointed. There’s nothing wrong with an energetic faith; the danger is that we can burn ourselves out on restless anxieties and unrealistic expectations. What’s needed is not another program or a fresh approach to spiritual growth; it’s a renewed appreciation for the commonplace. Far from a call to low expectations and passivity, Horton invites readers to recover their sense of joy in the ordinary. He provides a guide to a sustainable discipleship that happens over the long haul—not a quick fix that leaves readers empty with unfulfilled promises. Convicting and ultimately empowering, Ordinary is not a call to do less; it’s an invitation to experience the elusive joy of the ordinary Christian life.