Messy Spirituality

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK "MESSY SPIRITUALITY" by: Michael Yaconelli

"What if genuine faith begins with admitting we will never have our act completely together? Maybe messy disciples are exactly the kind of imperfect people Jesus came to earth for and whose company he actually enjoyed - and still enjoys. If you want to find Jesus today, look from Him in the midst of burned out believers, moral misfits, religious incompetents... men and women whose lives are, well, messy.

"Our churches are filled with people who outwardly look contented and at peace but inwardly are crying out for someone to love them... just as they are - confused, frustrated, often frightened, guilty, and often unable to communicate even within their own families. But the other people in the church look so happy and contented that one seldom has the courage to admit his own deep needs before such a self-sufficient group as the average church meeting appears to be" - Keith Miller

"Spirituality is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives."

"Messy Spirituality has the audacity to suggest that messiness is the workshop of authentic spirituality, the greenhouse of faith, the place where the real Jesus meets the real us"