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By Patricia Anders, Editorial Director, Hendrickson Publishers

“O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed, courage to change what should be changed, and wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.”
—Reinhold Niebuhr

This famous prayer, known as the Serenity Prayer, was jotted down on a piece of paper in 1934 by Reinhold Niebuhr for a sermon he gave at a small church in Massachusetts. Present at this service was his next-door neighbor, Howard Chandler Robbins, dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. When Robbins asked for a copy, Niebuhr handed him the paper and said, “Here, take the prayer. I have no further use for it.” This prayer would go on to impact the lives of countless millions, including military chaplains on the battlefield during World War II and members of the international organization Alcoholics Anonymous, who still use…

By Patricia Anders, Editorial Director, Hendrickson Publishers

Donald Bloesch teaching at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

There are books that ought to be read. And then there are books that must be read. The Paradox of Holiness and Faith in Search of Obedience are books that must be read by those among us who seek to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed in language we can understand—language that has the power to lift up our hearts, encourage our spirits, and strengthen our backbones. These books present us with a vision of God who is truly God; not a hobby or an image of ourselves, but God who—in love deeper, richer, and more demanding than we can imagine—reaches out to embrace all of us living amid the fractures, violence, and heartache present in the world today.

—Frederick R. Trost, President (Retired)
Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of…