CHurched Review from Shelly

My friend Shelly won the copy of CHURCHED I had to give away. Below is her review. The notion of God being omnipotent and in control, yet bad things happening...and then what? Why do bad things happen to good people? Does God cause it, or allow it? Does he know all the permutations? Is the outcome static from the beginning or change based on free will? I had a very interesting conversation with close Christian friends who have been through lots of heartache...and they had an author/theologian they had recommended that helped them make sense of the mystery and struggle to get their arms around it. Do you think I can remember now who it was? But I left a message to find out, so stay tuned...what are your thoughts?

Shelly wrote:

I forgot to tell you this morning that I finished Matthew Paul Turner’s book Churched. Two things troubled me (other just the whole premise of the way some churches can put more focus on rules and numbers than accepting people into the fold, flaws and all, and allow God to mold them).

The first was the ending. I would love to know where he is now in his journey and I think, although real as it was, it may not show enough of the loving side of churches. Maybe he had just not gotten to that point in his journey at the time of writing this book to be able to find a church that shows love and mercy, while still teaching the basis of Jesus's purpose. I loved the book and thought it was very funny overall. Growing up in the church, I could relate to some of the things that occurred and it is humorous once you look back. You have to have a sense of humor if you are going to live in this world. I just wish the ending was different. It left me hanging and now I feel the urge to search down his blog and see if I can get a few more details about how things are now and how his view changed. I could have used a few more chapters.

The second was when he said, “People said odd things about God. They said he was in control, but when a teenager was killed in a car accident or a young mother died of cancer, they said that he allowed those deaths to occur so other people would come to know Jesus. That only made me fear God more, not have faith in him.”
You know we say it all the time. God's in control. Just let Him be in control. And then some very horrible things happen. So how can we explain God's omnipotent authority and still encourage faith? When I was diagnosed with cancer, it made me actually feel better to know that God was in control, even if it meant my death. To explain that is very hard. I couldn't even explain it to my husband who maybe lost a little faith along the way, not gained it. I think if I could address just this one sentence in his book, I would be getting somewhere. And so since this has been haunting me, I think this may be God's way of challenging me to look deep inside and search for the answer. I guess that's my homework.

Thanks for the book!
Shelly

Thanks, Shelly, for sharing!

And the Winner is...

Shelly!

Congratulations, you are the winner of MPT's book, CHURCHED!

This was not a particularly scientific or random number generated drawing. My techie inabilities prevented me from doing that. But I did go through all the comments, write every one's name down (except mine, of course) on a slip of paper one for each comment (Katy wins the prize for most comments...don't know what that is yet, but will come up with something!) and had Howie draw.

I asked him to please hold the pose while I ran and got my camera to make sure it was truly a Kodak moment, but he got a little testy (seems my family members are not too excited about having their photos on my blog...) so I deferred. I was going to go for a re-enactment this morning, but left the camera in the car last night and got a little chilly, so it didn't work...lens fogged up. He was relieved to be off the hook.

Congrats, Shelly. Watch for more blog book tours coming in the near future...

Churched...Some Musings...

I have been talking about this book for awhile now, and the author even longer. What I love about his writing is he is real. Just read the subtitle, "One kid's journey toward God despite a holy mess." And he writes about several of those holy messes in his new book CHURCHED.

I remember when I read his book THE COFFEEHOUSE GOSPEL. I was hooked on his humor and candor. Here was someone I could relate to. So I can't tell you how excited I was when I actually met him. He is as real in person as on paper. And I love that.

Now, first, the cover isn't blue. It is yellow. And I have no idea why my computer put it here in blue...And I have to admit I hope I do this book justice; I am a writer after all, so I am feeling a lot of pressure about now to come up with the right words. But just like in prayer, they don't need to be fancy or eloquent, but just the real deal. And I believe that's OK.

So here are my real thoughts about Turner's Faith upbringing and journey. First, it allowed me to re-think my position about wondering why the heck God waited to get a hold of my heart till I was over the age of 40. If I had met God in Pastor Nolan's church I probably would have left. The candor, humor and grace with which his faith journey is told and followed speaks volumes to my heart about a God that loves us through it all and despite it all, and in spite of some well intended, but perhaps misguided representatives. The effect that some legalistic representatives of God had on me in my younger days was to make me run as fast as I could in the other direction. With friends like them who needed enemies? But Turner didn't turn his back and run, but survived and tells the story without condemnation. I love that. To me that is the gift of grace. And we all need more of that.

Turner's ability to weave stories with a strand of resonating self deprecating humor is a gift that I believe will help many find hope and healing in the God that has been there all along, but may take some of us longer to meet or find. I laughed and sighed my way through the book and am relieved there is someone with whom I feel like a kindred spirit. His writing has validated my own faith journey, allowing me to become more confident in the many ways in which we can meet and worship God. We don't all need to fit into a prescribed mold, nor should we have to. After all, we are unique!

God has gifted us with a variety of attributes and talents. I am so thankful that He has chosen Matthew as a scribe to share His love with others in his own style.

Leave your comment here for your chance to win a copy, or follow the link to www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074711 to order your own copy.

Sex in the CIty, Churched and Hospitality

The following review was posted on a blog that I found through Matthew Paul Turner's blog written by a retired physician now homeschooling mom. The website is http://www.domesticadventure.blogsopot.com/.

Here's some reviews of some books I've been reading lately.Rapture Ready by Daniel Radosh - No, this is not a book about preparing for the supposed "Rapture" of the Church. Actually, it is a book by a non-Christian about his investigation into Christian subculture. He starts with a trip to to a Christian music festival and explored Christian bookstores, The Holy Land Experience, passion plays, Christian children's activities, and even Christian wrestling. This book was often entertaining, but at times disturbing. I wasn't always proud to be a part of this subculture. As Christians, we often put up with poor quality entertainment just because it's Christian. We even accept questionable theology because it is, overall, Christian. Radosh was open about things that bothered him - and they often bothered me, too. For example, a pro-life booth at a Christian music festival had pamphlets that stated that children born by in-vitro fertilization are just commodities. Radosh's children were conceived using this method, and he, quite understandably, took offense at the pamphlet. This is a very helpful book for those of us in the Christian subculture. We sometimes need to see from another perspective. I hope it will also give us an idea of how we can better impact the world around us. I highly recommend this book. A

At any rate, I thought her comments about the Christian subculture were interesting given my experience with hospitality and watching Sex in the City over the weekend, as well as thoughts and reactions I have had to reading Churched. It was the last three sentences that spoke to me in particular. The part about seeing things from another perspective. (Other than the "Christian subculture" perspective.) I see things from that "other pserspective" because I haven't been immersed or swallowed up by the Christian subculture. I love Jesus, but I only got to know him and "asked him into my heart" once seven years ago at the ripe old age of 41. But I also love all kinds of music and will watch an R rated movie.

But because I lived outside of Christianity for such a long time, I know I have lots of friends who are not Christians and I have not been absorbed into the Christian subculture the way some who have always and forever been a part of the church have. I definitely live in the world, but try to follow Jesus. I am by no means perfect. I am honest. And I mess up all the time. But it is really a foreign concept to me when I speak to some of my Christian friends who honestly share that they really don't socialize or get together with any non-Christians. I have lots of non-Christian friends (and relatives... In fact, I am married to one...the most wonderful, giving, caring, servant hearted and humble guy in the world; he just doesn't know Jesus...)

Case in point, I watched Sex in the City, rated R, the other night at a neighborhood girlfriend get together. I found myself wondering what Pastor Nolan, the fundamentalist Baptist Minister whose fire and brimstone antics are vividly recounted in Churched would have to say about this movie. If Rock and Roll were of the devil, then this movie, omigosh would keep the fire burning for ages and ages to come. Can one be a Christian and watch a movie like this? Pastor Nolan would say "absolutely not!" but I say, "certainly."

Yes, there were a couple of scenes that gave the movie its title. Yes, there were loose morals thrown around. Yes, at times I felt mildly uncomfortable. Yes there was infidelity, but there were also the underlying messages of searching for love and offering forgiveness through the journey of life. And isn't that part of the Christian message? After all, if we're honest, infidelity is everywhere, including the church. It doesn't mean we condone it. But it also doesn't mean we act totally horrified and pretend it doesn't exist. Instead we can glean from the very real struggles the characters deal with and do a little honest introspection and see if we either don't relate ourselves to some of their struggles, or at least know someone who does.

I also have to say that the evening gathering where we watched the movie was just a lovely show of hospitality. The hostess went out of her way to serve her guests wonderful treats in a relaxed setting. The food and company were delicious. And she opened her home to her neighbors.

Remember, Your Comments May Win You a Book!

Drum roll...Today is October 1st, so for the next 17 days each day you comment, I will enter your name in a drawing for Matthew Paul Turner's book Churched. I have started reading it and have laughed out loud and moaned to myself several times. So comment away!

Blog Churched Book Tour

I am so, so excited. I have mentioned Matthew Paul Turner and his blog before, but now I want to tell you about a book he has written that will hit the stands on October 7th. The title of the book is Churched, and I am waiting for my two copies to arrive in the mail. One is for me, and I will be sharing my thoughts on it the week of October 13th here on my blog, and the other one is for one of you lucky readers who posts comments to the blog.

Starting October 1st, each time you comment I will put your name in for a drawing for the copy of the book which will occur on October 17th. I will probably have Nicole pull the name out of a hat.

Anyway, I have actually met MPT twice, both times at ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) first in Denver, then in Atlanta. I was so excited to meet him, as I had just finished reading THE COFFEEHOUSE GOSPEL and his conversational and honest appraisal of faith issues resonated with me.

This book promises to be a great read. You can read a sample chapter on his blog at www.matthewpaulturner.com to get a taste for yourself. I love his wit and humor. And also his honesty.

So I run out to my mailbox everyday to see if my books have arrived; frankly I am quite envious (yes, I know, it will rot my bones...) that others have already received their copies... in search of mine so I can immerse myself in the Churched world.