Derek Olsen

"The world is aching. It is you who will show all of Greece the Way." These words, from a mysterious martial arts master named Zhang, transform the life of a soul-searching, unemployed doctoral graduate, Cassandra Yin. Her family knows the aching he speaks of-having immigrated to Athens from Xi'an, China when Cassandra was twelve-they now find their world threatened by a new wave of Greek ethnic nationalism. But when Master Zhang disappears without completing her training, Cassandra finds unexpected help from a stranger being pursued by kidnappers-Adrian Loukas, a Greek-American painter with a talent for replicating sacred religious icons. Joining together, they discover that the saints of Greek Orthodox Christianity and the Taoist masters of ancient China have more in common than either one would have expected-and that only a living knowledge of both East and West can bring peace and harmony to their aching world. Image and Likeness is a spiritual time-travel adventure with a message relevant to our times-blending yin with yang, philosophy with fantasy, and mythology with travelogue. Other books by Derek Olsen: The Clepsydra (2018)

As terrorism sweeps the globe, religious differences seem impossible to reconcile. Spiritual leaders of the Islamic and Christian worlds are turning to time-altering water clocks to restore the peace between faiths that once existed in medieval Spain. Among them are the Tejedors--a progressive Muslim family from Andalusia who believe the solution is to hasten the flow of time towards Islam's prophesied Last Day--and the Order of the Libraries--a rogue band of Christian nuns who slow down time for their salvation. While both faiths are intent on defeating terrorism, their time-altering tactics fundamentally clash, drawing the attention of a spiritually advanced First Nations tribe in North America who believe they are the guardians of time. The Tejedors' only hope to turn the hands of time in their favor is to find Tariq Kamal--a Pakistani-American linguist born to create the ultimate message of reconciliation--and to locate the Clepsydra--a 1000-year-old technology capable of broadcasting Tariq's message across space and time. Finding the Clepsydra, however, will require a revelatory journey into Spain's mystical past.

Have you ever wondered if there was some kind of guide to living a deeper, richer spiritual life that seamlessly incorporated scripture alongside the wisdom of the Church? There is--and you can find it in a pew rack near you The Book of Common Prayer is more than a service book; it is a map to a deeper relationship with God, a framework for developing a more intentional and rewarding life of faith. Scholar Derek Olsen explores liturgical spirituality and how the prayer book serves as a repository of Christian wisdom and spiritual practice stretching back to the beginnings of the Christian movement. Focusing on three key elements--the Calendar, the Daily Office, and the Eucharist--he discusses the spiritual principles behind them and provides clear, practical, easy-to-follow explanations of the services. These patterns of life laid out in The Book of Common Prayer serve as a guide to the spiritual life, so that we might connect back to the God who calls each of us by name and that we might love as God loves us.