Contents

Let Us Pray
God knows that communication is key to a healthy relationship. Prayer is God's gift to us, and when we speak and hear, listen and respond, we are changed and so is the world.

Divine Inspiration
Kattie Somerfeld
Nearly half the people in America joke that they need chocolate to survive. Without our Fair Trade purchases, the lives of many cocoa farmers really would be at stake.

This is the Night: The Easter Vigil
Bryan M. Cones
Birth and death are more than the beginning and ending points on the line of our earthly journey. They are moments in our quest to reach the risen Savior.

Our Images of God
Audrey West
The Bible offers us many images of God, from shepherd to mother bear. The way we see God usually comes from our life experiences and may change as we grow.

Is That You, God?
Sue Gamelin
How can you be sure it is God's voice calling your name, God answering your prayers, God showing up to speak to you even when there is a crowd around?

Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation
The Victims among Us
Nikki Massie
An estimated 14,000 to 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year, and 30 to 50 percent of them are children.

Love Your Neighbor: Battling Crimes against Humanity
Terri Lackey
Commercial sexual exploitation includes the businesses of prostitution, pornography, and striping. What can we do to stop it?


Departments
Voices
To Whom We Pray
Kate Sprutta Elliott

Give Us This Day
Spirit Prayers
Marj Leegard

Let Us Pray
To-Do List Prayers
Debra K. Farrington

Calendar Notes
April
Audrey Novak Riley

Bible Study
Hope in God in Times of Suffering
Terry and Faith Fretheim
Session 8: The God to Whom We Pray
Whenever there are pain and suffering, prayers are offered. But how we think about the relationship between prayer and suffering depends a great deal on the kind of God to whom we pray.

We Recommend
Resources for action, advocacy, programs, or further study.

Health Wise
Vision Quest
Molly M. Ginty

Grace Notes
Praying Women
Linda Post Bushkofsky

Amen!
Dreaming and Doubt
Catherine Malotky

Plus...
Directory of Reader Services
Subscription, editorial, and ordering information.