Book Review: Messy Spirituality

I heard my friend Mark mention Mike Yaconelli's Messy Spirituality (2002, Zondervan) a couple of times and I liked what he mentioned. I stumbled upon a basically new edition of the book in a local used bookstore, pulled out my 2 bucks, and went home with my purchase. It was 2 bucks well spent; even the listed cover price would be appropriate for this gem.

Messy Spirituality is not a book for those who have it together in their spiritual lives. It is not for those who are pretty good at Christianity. It is not for straight-laced, well-behaved people who like their Christianity easily definable and controllable. Rather, it is a book for sinners, wretches, and rogues who have no hope apart from Jesus who loves them and lavishes them with grace.

This book will make a lot of people uncomfortable, especially the new radical believer who thinks that now that they are saved it will be all good days ahead and sin won't really be a problem anymore. A few years ago, I suspect it may have unsettled me.  If I am honest, there are still parts of what Yaconelli writes that make think, "can that be true?" Regardless, reading this books message of amazing grace makes me want to dance with joy. Yaconelli demonstrates how radically loving Jesus is right in the midst of our mess.