“It’s not the prospect of failure that is frightening. What, God forbid, if one should succeed? Imagine a dozen people believing whatever you tell them to believe; imagine a thousand, ten thousand, a countless following. How many times in the wilderness did Moses wonder if that burning bush had just been desert heatstroke?

“Consider the television preacher and how fearfully he is made. I do not abuse him for being on television–it is the highest hill around. I do not complain that he asks for money–he has many barns to build. I allow him even his politics and prejudices (even as I wince when he makes them God’s) because I have politics and prejudices as well. But I do stand amazed at one thing. Where, someone tell me, did he get this burning confidence? Not his confidence before men and women–the psychology of that I can understand–but this confidence before God. Did he talk to a burning bush? Is he certain his sacrifice is not a stench in God’s nostrils? Why are there no signs of ashes on his head? Why does he seem unconcerned with such questions? Even ’send me’ Isaiah despaired of his unclean lips.”

I doubly love this passage: First, because it’s simply great writing, and second, because it’s exactly how I feel when standing or sitting to speak of or for God. Whether writing or teaching, this is the battle in my mind. How can I do this with any measure of certainty? And yet, how can I not?

Taylor concludes, “And yet there are reasons to speak, even a responsibility to do so.”

And so we speak and teach and write for God, but we do it trembling.

“Apparently Darth Vader’s real problem was that he lacked a good therapist, say French psychiatrists and psychologists who, instead of working with an actual patient, used their diagnostic super powers to divine that the Dark Lord may have had a borderline personality.”

Click here for the full article. Definitely worth reading.

Each of you helped raise awareness about a serious mental illness that affects 19 million people in the US every year, and you offered hope to those afflicted by spreading the word about Losing God. As one who has battled the nearly-tangible darkness of depression, again, thank you.

If you could not participate on May 10, no worries. The date doesn’t matter. Make today a day for Losing God. Tell a friend about the book. Blog about it. Order copies cheap, cheap, cheap online. Become a fan of Losing God on Facebook to hear about future events. And of course, visit my website often for the latest news on Losing God, When Answers Aren’t Enough, and future books. Oh yes, I suspect there will be others!

Click here for the full story from msnbc.com.

1. Order Losing God online today. (Amazon is likely cheapest.)

2. Encourage your friends to do the same.

3. Post this as your Facebook message (or tweet it): “Losing God today. You should too. http://www.mattrogers.us/losing-god-on-may-10/2010/05/03/”.

Remember to include the link so people know what you’re taking about. And thank you for your help with this. Every year in the US alone 19 million people battle depression. Thirty thousand commit suicide in the US each year. Let’s bring those numbers down.

Click here for the full history. Doesn’t take long to read, and worth the time. Note, especially, Anna Jarvis’s attention to grammar and punctuation: It’s Mother’s Day for a reason, not Mothers’ Day or Mothers Day.

Monday is closing in. Get ready to spread some hope by ordering and telling others about Losing God. If you haven’t already, invite your friends to the Facebook event, “Losing God on May 10,” and then on Monday …

1) Order Losing God online.

2) Use your Facebook status (and tweets) to tell others about the event.

Have a great weekend, and pray for my head.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting today that a new study in which 190 depressed patients were given electromagnetic stimulation over three weeks found that 14 percent experienced remissions that often lasted several months. Fourteen percent probably isn’t the number researchers had hoped for, but it is certainly some hope for patients who can find no other relief for their dark moods.

Read the entire story here.

Click here for “Woman Wearing Red Coat With Hood”

Click here for “Approaching Storm Over Pacific”

Other questions I receive:

Q: Did you design the cover?

A: Already gave this one away. Matt Smith at InterVarsity Press is the genius.

Q: Did you get to approve the cover?

A: No. The right to approval was not in my contract. I had that right on When Answers Aren’t Enough, not on Losing God. InterVarsity Press did, however, kindly show me the cover ahead of time, just to make sure I didn’t hate it.

Q: Do you like the cover?

A: I love it. I think Matt Smith did a terrific job. He had a tough task, depicting the malaise of depression without making the cover itself depressing. In my opinion, he succeeded brilliantly. Everything about the cover seems to work. The book is a simple story of one man’s journey. The cover art, likewise, is simple–not too busy, and with no fancy fonts. The dim, gray clouds are perfectly offset with a splash of bright red from the rain coat, drawing your eye to the book and preventing the cover from feeling oppressive or bleak. Compare Losing God’s cover with that of many other books on your shelf–Losing God pops. It stands out.

I can’t wait to see the cover for the Korean translation that’s in the works right now. I’ll let you know when it releases.

1. Order Losing God online on May 10.

The 2008 book about depression and doubt is a great resource whether you’re struggling with depression, know someone who is, or just want to educate yourself about this terrible illness. I know some of you already own the book. If so, do you know someone you could get a copy for? Or would you consider buying another copy just to have on-hand (and to encourage the publisher to keep producing books like Losing God)? You can get the book wherever, but Amazon is probably cheapest, around ten bucks.

2. Invite your friends to take part in “Losing God on May 10.”

Pass along the link to this post, or click here to join the Facebook event and invite your friends.

3. Use your Facebook status on May 10 to spread the word.

Post this as your Facebook status on May 10: “Losing God today. You should too. http://www.mattrogers.us/losing-god-on-may-10/2010/05/03/”. Make sure you include the link to this post so people know what you’re talking about. You can also tweet this if you have a Twitter account.

Thanks so much for your help. As one who struggled for years with the awful despair of major depression, I know there are people out there who will hear about Losing God through your efforts and finally find some much-needed solace. Thank you for being a part of that.