Why has God not answered my prayers? What should I be praying for? If everything I prayed for came true, would I be ready?

In this spiritual classic, Eberhard Arnold mines the riches of biblical teaching on prayer and the example of Jesus, the Hebrew prophets, and the early Christians to point us back to the prayer that pleases God most - prayer that has the power to transform our lives and our world.

In a new reflective response, much-loved author Richard J. Foster relates Arnold's words to our contemporary reality.

In this time-honored manifesto, Arnold and Merton add their voices to the vital discussion of what real community is all about: love, joy, unity, and the great "adventure of faith" shared with others along the way. Neither writer describes (or prescribes) community here, but they do provide a vision to guide our search.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus puts aside his usual parables and speaks plainly in language anyone can understand.

Like Francis of Assisi and others, Arnold chose to live out Jesus' teachings by embracing their self- sacrificing demands. In this collection of talks and essays, he calls us to live for the Sermon's ultimate goal: the overturning of the prevailing order of injustice. In its place, Arnold writes, we must build up a just, peaceable society motivated by love.

The 40 short, pithy meditations in this collection witness to the fact that the birth of Jesus is more than history for those who feel their need of him.

Christmas is the season of joy for good reason: it is the news of a savior being born, of light breaking into darkness, of God's peace and goodwill to all. But joy is more than merriment. For those who only want to have a good time or a feeling of togetherness, Christmas brings a temporary feeling of cheer. But for those who feel bankrupt, without real meaning or hope - either for themselves or for the world - Christmas can...