Final Thoughts on Messy Spirituality

I finished reading Messy Spirituality today. It was probably the fastest book I’ve finished besides “The Barbarian Way” by Erwin McManus. I could have finished it a couple of days ago, but I have been delayed from reading it over the past few days due to my schedule.

Here are my final thoughts from chapters 3-8. I have selected random quotes that stood out to me during my read. There were more than this, but I only have room for a select amount:

* “Christianity shows itself most powerfully in the unnoticed life, the inconspicuous servant, the unrecognized saint, the invisible disciple.”

* “The body of Christ can be mean.”

* “It’s ironic: we stumble into a party that we weren’t invited to and find the uninvited standing at the door making sure no other uninviteds get in. Then a strange phenomenon occurs: as soon as we are included in the party because of Jesus’ irresponsible love, we decide to make grace “more responsible” by becoming self-appointed Kingdom monitors…”

* “Religious people love to hide behind religion. They love the rules of religion more than they love Jesus. With practice, Condemners let rules become more important than the spiritual life.”

* “Rejection. The paralyzing experience of disapproval, repudiation, exclusion, ostracism. Religion has been good at rejection. Rejection keeps us at arm’s length and stamps us with the label “loser.” Which should be good news for you and me because, guess what? Jesus is attracted to losers. Jesus’ losers are great candidates for spirituality.

Continue reading “Final Thoughts on Messy Spirituality”

Messy Spirituality Thoughts on Chapter 2

Here are some quotes from Chapter 2 of Messy Spirituality that stuck out to me or spoke to me:

* Sermons are not always amazing masterpieces of truth, wit, an insight. Sometimes the sermon just doesn’t work, doesn’t connect.

* Pretending is the modern grease for non-relationships…People who pretend have pretend relationships.

*Jesus understood un-finishedness very well, which is why he was comfortable leaving eleven unfinished disciples. When he died, the disciples were confused, depressed, afraid, and doubtful.

* Jesus cares more about desire than about competence.

* Christianity is not for people who think that religion is a pleasant distraction, a nice alternative, or a positive influence. Messy spirituality is a good term for where desperation meets Jesus.

* It’s amazing how few of us believe in the unqualified grace of God. Oh, yes, God loves us, as long as we’re clean and whole and fixed. But it turns out that what disqualifies you and me from “spirituality” – the mess of our lives and our crippledness – is what most qualifies us to be chosen by Jesus.

Messy Spirituality

Photobucket

I was going to start with Holy Discontent, but I had Messy Spirituality on my reading list, so I started it.

It looks like it will be a quick and easy read. However, it is very timely. I got a MySpace message from an old student’s mom that he was in jail for the second time. I hate news like that! I sat down and wrote him a letter today and simply shared how much Jesus loved him and wanted his heart and love back. I also shared how he is already forgiven and that God has a huge plan for his life. I really didn’t know much more to say.

I am going to try and take him a paperback copy of the PD Life, make sure he has a modern translation of the Bible and visit him. Besides prayer, that is the best thing I can do right now, but I believe the book is fitting. I am sure I will share some of what I learn throughout the book with this student in other letters.

I have a strange bond with this student. I was the one that caught him and a friend doing cocaine in the parking lot of my former church. I was there as the cops took him away, but I have never judged him and have accepted him as I have all other students…I wonder if that is why he asked his mom to have me writet him a letter? If you read this and you are a prayer…please pray for this student. I am not sharing his name for privacy to him and his family. God knows who he is. And God will use this teen, messy and all.