TCRA

“I think I lost hope in the church,” I confessed, brokenhearted, to a friend. I will never forget her response. “No, you haven’t lost hope in the church. This is the church.” At that moment we decided to stop complaining about the church we saw, and we set our hearts on becoming the church we dreamed of.
-Shane Claiborne, Irresistible Revolution

Jenny and I have started to read the book Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, and I just can’t wait to share it with you guys. We haven’t finished it yet, however is is so phenomenal I can honestly say it is a must read. The book was written by Shane Claiborne, a man who got fed up with the church and decided to leave and become the church, and he wants us to follow.

He asks all the important questions that will turn your world upside down. What if Jesus really meant what he said? How would that look? How would we change? “Sell your possessions and give to the poor.” - Luke 12:33. “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” - Mathew 25:45. He asked these questions and decided to take action. He slept with the homeless, he loved the sick. He even spent the summer living in Calcutta with Mother Teresa, touching and giving medicine to the lepers. He saw Jesus in the eyes of the lepers.

I carefully began dressing the man’s wound. He stared at me with such great intensity that it felt like he was looking into my soul. every once in a while he would slowly close his eyes.

When I was finished, he said to me that sacred word I had come to love: “Namaste.” (I honor the holy one that lives in you.)… He saw Jesus in me. And I saw Jesus in him.

So far this is an incredible journey that speaks directly to the heart. It opened my eyes wider and wider to what God is asking of the church. He is asking all of us to be ordinary radicals. No, we are not all called to Calcutta, or to live on the streets with the homeless. But there are so many ways we can show Jesus through ourselves, get your feet dirty and go out there. Once again, I highly recomend this book to anyone that wants something more from “church”, anyone who has “lost hope in the church.” And even if that does not describe you, read it and you will leave every chapter wanting more.

EDIT: Ok I just re-read this, I am sorry it’s kind of choppy and boring, IMO, so I apologize. I was sick last night and apparently I was not completely with it. So I will Do a full post on the book when we finish it.