7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess [Paperback]

Jen Hatmaker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2012

American life can be excessive, to say the least. That’s what Jen Hatmaker had to admit after taking in hurricane victims who commented on the extravagance of her family’s upper middle class home. She once considered herself unmotivated by the lure of prosperity, but upon being called “rich” by an undeniably poor child, evidence to the contrary mounted, and a social experiment turned spiritual was born.

7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.

Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Publishers Weekly - The central principles of living a Christian life, like tithing, fasting, and prayer, might get short shrift from some people but not Hatmaker (A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study). The wife of a pastor at Austin (Texas) New Church aims for a more saintly life by cutting back on possessions, food, stress, and other excesses with funny and lively writing that can get overly self-deprecating. Her goal is to convince the reader that a simpler life is a godlier one, which lends a sanctimonious element to some of the writing. Other parts are earnest and moving, such as the final chapter, in which the book drops snarky humor to offer sincere appreciation for prayer, even if the subject matter is divided between prayer and the couple's adoption of two Ethiopian children. For Christians who desire to live out their New Year's resolutions year round, this is worth reading.

 "Jen Hatmaker is a model for her experiment in radical obedience to Christ. May we all be as committed to Jesus' Gospel revolution."

- Richard Stearns, president World Vision US, author The Hole in Our Gospel

About the Author

Jen Hatmaker and her family live in Austin, Texas, where the city motto is “Keep Austin Weird,” and they work hard to do their part. Jen’s eight previous books include Interrupted and A Modern Girl’s Guide to Bible Study. She and her husband planted Austin New Church in an economically and ethnically diverse, socially unique, urban area of the city in 2008. They are in the great- est adventure of their lives, (thrilled to find out where they have planted is known as the “church planters graveyard”) and have made some incredible new partnerships in ministry. They’ve seen their world turned upside down as they’ve considered what it means to ask God how to live and not just what to do. But it’s a good upside down, as part of that discovery will be the addition of two children from Ethiopia set to join the three they already have. Together they will keep Austin weird and seek to glorify God as they do.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: B&H Books; Original edition (January 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433672960
• ISBN-13: 978-1433672965
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (264 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Theology
  • #53 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living

More About the Author

Jen Hatmaker and her husband Brandon pastor Austin New Church in Texas. They pioneered Restore Austin, connecting churches to local and global non-profits for the individual, collective, and social renewal of Austin and beyond. Jen speaks at retreats, conferences, and seminars all around the country. She is the author of nine books and Bible studies, including Interrupted, A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study Series, and most recently, Seven. Jen and Brandon have five children: Gavin - 12, Sydney - 10, and Caleb - 8, and they've recently added Ben - 8, and Remy - 5 from Ethiopia. Drop her a line or check out her ministry at www.jenhatmaker.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

107 of 117 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A really important book written in a really good way January 5, 2012

By Christine Hoover

Format:Paperback

You must read this book! Here's what it's about: Jen (the author) did an experiment in which each month for 7 months, she and sometimes her entire family fasted in an area she felt they were excessive in: media, stress, possessions, shopping, food, clothes, and waste. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that sounds all preachy and super-spiritual and hard and you don't want to read it. Thankfully, it's the complete opposite. It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, totally real-life, 100% empowering, and 0% guilt-inducing.

You must go immediately to purchase this book and devour it whole. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Do not stop to brush your teeth or feed your children. While you're out, buy Depends to wear because you will pee yourself while reading from laughing so hard.

Some other suggestions of how to read this book:
Keep a notepad handy while you're reading to write down notes and thoughts because ideas and action points will come to you like nobody's business.
Do not read this book right before you go to bed because you will not be able to sleep due to the millions of thoughts running around in your brain.
Read this book with your girlfriends.

203 of 252 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed June 12, 2012

By Burgundy Damsel VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This book has been going around book clubs and blog circles for a while now with nearly unanimous positive reviews, yet I was very disappointed by what I found when I picked it up myself.

Mrs. Hatmaker and her friends are clearly passionate, well-intentioned people. Their church focuses on helping the homeless and disenfranchised, many of them are adopting African orphans, and her intentions in the starting this experiment were good.

But honestly I came away from the book mystified, disappointed and having failed to connect. Most of the drama that drove the book was the sole by-product of the author's refusal to plan anything (ever) and compulsive spending habits. She's sadly blasé about the simple things she doesn't know and doesn't consider important to learn (case in point, whether watermelons grow on bushes, vines or stems). It's also hard to be empathetic when so much of what she does either contradicts previous chapters or makes you question other content (if they were so desperately poor early in their marriage, why does she have so few skills in area like reducing waste, careful shopping, and basic mending of clothing in house?). It somewhat strained believability that someone who writes and researches for a living and lives in a notoriously "earthy crunchy" city was only just learning about (and terribly shocked by) the mess of industrialized food, incessant media onslaught, and the perils of vast over-consumption.

Perhaps most frustrating was the reality that she didn't actually learn any new skills or make permanent lifestyle changes. She fasted from things for a set period of time, setting arbitrary rules that fit nicely with the theme of "7" but weren't necessarily related to best practices, long-term growth or sometimes even basic logic. She flexed the rules to best suit her situation, and when the book was written went back to how things were with a slightly fresher perspective and a bonus perk here or there (cleaner house, a garden completely maintained by someone else, a few pounds lost).

If this book prompts you to make changes in your own life or become more aware of your own bad habits, then more power to you. If you're looking to really dig deep and make powerful changes in your life, I recommend looking elsewhere.

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "7" - Like drano for all the clutter in our lives! January 5, 2012

By Damon C. Ward

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jen Hatmaker's "7" is like a voice screaming in the midst of chaos that is the American lifestyle. The message delivery of "7" is atypical of most Christian-based "self-help" or "as Christians we really should be doing X" type books. First of all, the author approaches each topic within 7 from an attitude of repentance and humility that comes across as completely genuine. I don't know that I'd be willing to admit some of the things Jen does. Successes, struggles and failures are laid bare for the world to see, which is very refreshing. There is no condemnation or lofty attitudes from the author that she is better or superior to any average reader.

One of the key words I've seen after someone has read the book is "wrecked". This is a great one-word summary of how deeply these topics should impact each reader. If you're not spurred to some kind of deep self-reflection or action after reading this book, I believe there are only two reasons why - you live an extremely minimalist lifestyle or you live in extreme poverty. Jen humbly points out how these various areas of life have distracted the church from its purpose. We've stopped distinguishing ourselves, we've stopped being all we can and should be as God's hands and feet on this planet.

The truths from God's word and examples from Jen's life are revealed in simple, humorous and refreshing ways. You'll laugh, you'll sob, your heart will break, you'll repent and most importantly you'll be ready to say "I'm in!".

The main concern I had before reading this book was that it would be a book only for women. While there certainly were portions of the book I could not identify with as a male and even found myself rolling my eyes a few times, men NEED to read this book. There are far too many Christian men living life on the sidelines, and the message in this book will light a fire that's been a slowly dwindling ember in so many!