Messy Spirituality

My friend Jess has given out a bunch of these books and challenged her Bloggy friends to write a review... so here's mine!! ;)

I'm a mess, you're a mess, we're all messes...

That is the concept of the book Messy Spirituality, by Michael Yaconelli. No human on this earth is perfect. We all have flaws we all make mistakes but though God wants us to strive to be more like Him, He will accept us even when we faulter.

Yaconelli tells stories and draws parellels between biblical men and women, people in his own life, and stories that he has heard from others. He uses all those examples to show what a honest messy walk with Jesus looks like. It's the alcoholic husband choosing to follow God and love his wife, it's when your child survives cancer and your only response to why she lived is "I don't know," and it's those days that though you want to give God 100% you only have 70% to give but He recognizes your growth.

Reading the book really made me appreciate the churches and people I have meant along my Christian walk. I didn't become a Christian until college, got plugged in right away to great churches, bible studies, and friendships. At no point did I ever feel unwelcome or out of place. I have never regularly attended a legalistic, it's all about the rules church. Jeans have always been acceptable attire to the services and an un-tucked shirt, uncombed hair, or even blurting out during a service never caused a stir. So in reading this book I had a hard time relating to those who felt condemned and unaccepted by others in the church. Though I do know it exists in todays churches. We need to move beyond the worlds mold, the standards, peoples view of us, how the world wants us to act, and hand the chalk to Jesus so He can replace any incorrect perceptions with how He views us, and wants us to act ALL with an out pouring of His love.

"The mess of our lives and our crippledness is what most qualifies us to be chosen by Jesus."