"Thou, Dear God" is the first and only collection of sixty-eight prayers by Martin Luther King, Jr. Arranged thematically in six parts--with prayers for spiritual guidance, special occasions, times of adversity, times of trial, uncertain times, and social justice--Baptist minister and King scholar Lewis Baldwin introduces the book and each section with short essays. Included are both personal and public prayers King recited as a seminarian, graduate student, preacher, pastor, and, finally, civil rights leader, along with a special section that reveals the biblical sources that most inspired King. Collectively they illustrate how King turned to private prayer for his own spiritual fulfillment and to public prayer as a way to move, inspire, and reaffirm a quest for peace and social justice. With a foreword by Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggs, it is the perfect gift for people and leaders of all faiths, and an invaluable resource for spiritual individuals and those who lead worship.

Do you want more joy in life? Make room for a daily encounter with the Lord. In Pause in Wonder, Eddie Ensley recounts stories from his own spiritual journey as a Native American and a Catholic deacon to show how you can experience joy even in the most difficult circumstances. Simple, spiritually sound prayer practices—based on scripture and tradition—heighten your sense of wonder and bring you greater joy in everyday life. “Joy has its tendrils in God,” writes Deacon Eddie Ensley. “It draws on the infinity of his love. Having joy is a matter of being in relationship with the wellspring of joy, not due to our circumstances. God is always available, always ready to touch us. The question becomes: Are we willing to touch him? Do we want to seek deep joy in our lives?” With compassion and wisdom, Ensley draws from his Native American heritage and spiritual journey to the Church to explore joy’s true meaning and how to find it and experience it in both happy and discouraging seasons of life. Combining prayer exercises with his personal testimony, Ensley and his ministry collaborator Deacon Robert Herrmann will help you appreciate in a new way the life-changing power of the sacraments and other riches of the Church, and to be more mindful of the invisible realities all around you. Ensley and Hermann offer step-by-step pointers to help you cultivate practical spiritual habits such as engaging in contemplative prayer and journaling to enrich your prayer life. You will also learn how to: Choose joy, centering your whole being on God Become the custodian, rather than the prisoner, of your thoughts and emotions Experience release from stresses and worries by learning to “sing with the angels” Pour out your joy upon others through the intentional practice of compassion. You will discover how to encounter God in deeply personal yet practical ways. Fresh approaches to prayer combined with scripture and the wisdom of the saints will help you rejoice always and appreciate life in all its messy excellence.

“A dignified and impressive addition to your bookshelf that reveals James’s virtuoso performance in a genre he helped to define, refine and elevate.” — The Commercial Appeal This Library of America volume, the first of five of Henry James’s short fiction, brings together his first twenty-four published stories, thirteen never collected by James. Encompassing a wide range of subjects, settings, and formal techniques, they show the first explorations of some of James’s most significant themes: the force of social convention and the compromises it demands; the complex and often ambiguous encounter between Europe and America; the energies of passion measured against the rigors of artistic discipline. By his mid-twenties, James was a regular contributor to the most prestigious and popular magazines of his era. He is equally at ease writing historical tales, such as “Gabrielle de Bergerac,” a love story set in pre-Revolutionary France, as he is exploring contemporary events, as in the three stories that treat the effects of the American Civil War on civilians. James’s psychological acuity is already evident in “Master Eustace,” a study of the ruthlessness of a spoiled child, and in “Guest’s Confession,” where the comic portrayal of an arrogant businessman hints at his cruelty and self-absorption. In “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes,” and “The Last of the Valerii,” James begins to work with the supernatural and fantastic motifs that would continue to surface in his work. Early examples of James’s lifelong fascination with art and artists include “A Landscape Painter,” about a young painter’s attraction to a seemingly simple family living in a desolate coastal town, and “The Madonna of the Future,” where an aging artist avoids the unveiling of his masterpiece. Adumbrating later triumphs and compelling in their own right, these stories reveal and accomplished and cosmopolitan young talent mastering the art of the short story. LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation’s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America’s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Drawing on the rich resources of the Benedictine tradition, The Glenstal Book of Daily Prayer aims to share with Christians everywhere some of that tradition as it is celebrated daily in Glenstal. This new book has been enriched with more psalms, symbolic material involving the body, and texts from the Churchs Eastern and Anglican traditions. Containing daily Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer, the book also contains a set of prayer-stops for use throughout the day. It provides a wonderful help to praying with the treasures of the Churchs liturgy.

With a wealth of experience as a theologian, scholar, and popular speaker on spirituality, Rev. Gerald O'Collins, SJ, engages the reader by using vivid images and practical ways to deepen one's personal prayer life. Five parts comprise these reflections: Prayer The Coming and Mission of Jesus The Suffering and Death of Jesus The Resurrection and Risen Life of Jesus Our God This book is an ideal resource for contemporary persons who often find themselves preoccupied, distracted, and busy, yet desire a spiritual compass for daily life. Book jacket.

Forty daily Bible readings, meditations and prayers drawn from the synoptic Gospels. Includes reflections for Lent on the teaching of Jesus with both explanatory background and reflective material designed to make them accessible and relevant to modern life.

A helpful volume for clergy or lay people participating in interfaith worship, and for those who want to be able to write meaningful public prayers of their own. The first three sections focus on addressing the holy, creating sacred space with prayer, and closing a prayer, along with suggestions from many sources on how to craft prayers. Includes nearly 80 prayers by Foerster and others, grouped into helpful sections for easy reference: Unity and Diversity, Peace and Justice, Healing and Remembrance, Gratitude and Praise, Dedications and Ordinations.