Beloved Mess by Kimm Crandall

Life is messy. Yet the pressure to appear to others as though you’ve got it all together is a powerful force. We strive to act morally, look good, and set a positive example. After all, as others may tell us, we’re the only Jesus some people see–so we better make him look good. That’s a heavy burden.

But the Christian life is not about being less of a mess. It’s about admitting that we need to be saved from trying to clean ourselves up. In Beloved Mess, Kimm Crandall frees you to live with the assurance that God loves you right here, right now. He’s not waiting for you to clean up your act before you’re worthy to come to him. In fact, he wants you to stop trying to fix the mess and allow him to wash it away.

(excerpt from back of book)

Have you ever read "one of those books". 

The type of book that pops up in your head repeatedly even though you finished it ages ago. 

The type of book that you're out with a friend and can't resist sliding it into the conversation. 

The type of book you put on your "must read" shelf.

For my summer, that book was Beloved Mess by Kimm Crandall.

In my opinion, Kimm's book  revolves around the premise that we've shifted the law and made it gospel thereby squeezing grace and Christ out of their rightful place. Over the course of the book readers are invited to explore the far reaching ramifications of that shift in both personal and communal faith.

Kimm's book really resonated with a lot of issues I've been struggling with. I loved her chapter on doubt and the honesty which resonated out of each page. The use of scripture was well placed throughout the book and Kimm's own commentary really helped bring passages to light in a new way, especially regarding the concept of the "light burden" which so often comes across as an exhausting effort these days. I loved that her book helped find peace between law and grace once their proper order was re-established and that each page held the law in its place while pointing firmly back to Christ.

I also appreciated the format Kimm chose to present her book. It's one of those easy to read, harder to apply books that is written in accessible language without sacrificing the heart of the message. I love when I find a book that I'd feel comfortable suggesting to an audience with a wide variety of backgrounds and Beloved Mess  is one of those books that has the added benefit of being extremely re-readable.

5 out of 5 stars.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."