Christ Painted as Approachable, Caring Savior in Author's Debut

Book examines troubling reality of death and the life Jesus promises

Longwood, FL (PRWEB) March 23, 2008 -- From September 11, 2001, to the war in Iraq, from hurricanes to firestorms, death has become a televised and troubling reality for Americans in the 20th and 21st centuries. In our families, we see death on a more personal scale. It can be a struggle to find hope and healing when someone you love dies. Xulon author Alan Sommer's debut, Take Away the Stone (paperback, 978-1-60477-755-0), leads the reader on a journey to grasp the enormous power of the life Jesus brings. It explores the life Jesus promises to all who trust in Him through the personal nature of the Lazarus story rather than the typical thematic format.

Says Sommer, pastor of Light of the Hills Lutheran Church in Cameron Park, California, "Take Away the Stone reveals the power of Jesus Christ to defeat death on behalf of humanity. Readers will grow spiritually so that they can face death with faith, confidence, and even joy, because they will see Jesus as an approachable, caring Savior who personally brings life to them."

Having served as a pastor in a congregational setting for more than 17 years, Sommer has walked with individuals from the time of a terminal diagnosis to their last breath. Additionally, he has helped families face the death of a loved one, preached at many memorial services and followed up with counseling for grieving people, and helped people to see a relationship with Jesus is real and He really makes a difference as we live life and we face death. He hopes his book will help impart this truth on others in similar circumstances.

Xulon Press, a part of Salem Communications Corporation, is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 5,000 titles published to date. Retailers may order Take Away the Stone through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. Salem Communications is the country's leading Christian communications company with interests in radio, Internet, and magazine publishing.

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