FINDING REAL FAITH IN ORDINARY LIFE. So often we think that the spiritual stuff of life happens in cathedrals or chapels; like faith is supposed to have its proper place. But the truth is that you and I are surrounded by moments of great faith all the time. We hardly see them but they are there - in the midst of ordinary life all around us. Catching sight of those moments could completely change the way we see the world. These stories are taken from a very ordinary life. You will laugh at the way that God can be found in simple things like flat tires, crying kids, rock tumblers and cats. You might even cry as you recognize yourself in a story and discover that God is there in the midst of your ordinary life too. Clay Lein is a husband, father and pastor living in Dallas, Texas. He began his career as an engineer with Intel Corporation, completed his MBA in 1990 and in a not so obvious next step became a priest in 1996. His ability to find faith and hope in ordinary life has helped thousands to discover ordinary faith within themselves.

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.

Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth explores how Christian spirituality and practice must adapt to prepare for life on a climate-altered planet. Refugia (reh-FU-jee-ah) is a biological term describing places of shelter where life endures in times of crisis, such as a volcanic eruption, fire, or stressed climate. Ideally, these refugia endure, expand, and connect so that new life emerges. Debra Rienstra applies this concept to human culture and faith, asking, In this era of ecological devastation, how can Christians become people of refugia? How can we find and nurture these refugia, not only in the biomes of the earth, but in our human cultural systems and in our spiritual lives? How can we apply all our love and creativity to this task as never before? Rienstra recounts her own process of reeducation--beginning not as a scientist or an outdoors enthusiast but by examining the wisdom of theologians and philosophers, farmers and nature writers, scientists and activists, and especially people on the margins. By weaving nature writing, personal narrative, and theological reflection, Rienstra grapples honestly with her own fears and longings and points toward a way forward--a way to transform Christian spirituality and practice, become a healer on a damaged earth, and inspire others to do the same. Refugia Faith speaks to people securely within the faith as well as to those on the edge, providing a suitable entry for those who sense that this era of upheaval requires a transformed faith but who don't quite know where to begin.

The Book of Faith: 100 stories of faith from ordinary people like you and me, is a book of testimonials that chronicles real stories of ordinary people who had to step out on faith when it was all they had left. Award-winning news journalist and preacher N.D. Cole is the world's first to personally interview, photograph, and write the testimonials of 100 ordinary people from across the nation and abroad, who had to step out on faith when it was all they had left. The Book of Faith was written to be a modern version of Hebrews Chapter 11 in the Bible, commonly known as the Hall of Faith. Hebrews 11 profiles the stories of great people of faith, such as Abraham and Noah, who overcame life obstacles and various challenges. The Book of Faith profiles regular people in today's time, who just like Abraham and Noah, stepped out on faith and trusted God although they didn't know how things would work out. Hebrews 12:1 declares, "we are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses." The Book of Faith empowers readers with the "great cloud of witnesses" that surrounds them and serves as a resource of faith, hope, encouragement, and proof that you can overcome any and all obstacles in your life by exercising faith in God.

In A Common Faith, eminent American philosopher John Dewey calls for the “emancipation of the true religious quality” from the heritage of dogmatism and supernaturalism that he believes characterizes historical religions. He describes how the depth of religious experience and the creative role of faith in the resources of experience to generate meaning and value can be cultivated without making cognitive claims that compete with or contend with scientific ones. In a new introduction, Dewey scholar Thomas M. Alexander contextualizes the text for students and scholars by providing an overview of Dewey and his philosophy, key concepts in A Common Faith, and reactions to the text.