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Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith

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I've had the privilege of watching Jen and her husband, Brandon, work their way through the worldview transformation detailed in this book and I can tell you that it is most definitely, sincerely God-ordained.
If you are or know one of those folks who ever marched out of a spiritual development class with the intention of talking people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, then encountered only confusion, indifference or even hostility in response to your best efforts, this book is for you.
If you are or know one of those folks who has found the American pursuit of prestige, prosperity and preferential treatment to be an ultimately hollow undertaking, this book is for you.
If you are or know one of those folks unsettled by churches that pour millions into buildings and thousands into helping the least among us, this book is for you.
In the spirit of sacrifice, humility and generosity that informs this brilliant book, don't buy just one copy for yourself. Buy ten or fifteen and give one to every person you know with a rusty, moth-eaten faith. (Just don't tell them that's your opinion...) It's that good.

My favorite piece of summer reading so far has been Jen Hatmaker's latest book, "Interrupted." It's Jen's personal account of how God shook up her & her husband's faith and started steering them to interact with & befriend "the lost, the least, and the last" in this broken world.

They've been church-going people since they were kids & vocational ministers their entire adult careers... yet in 2007 they couldn't shake the lingering question inside their heads "God, isn't there more?" She prayed and asked "God, raise up in me a holy passion." And God responded.

"Interrupted" puts words to an inner angst that has gnawed at my insides for almost 2 years now. I have been a Christian just long enough to have gotten a good hold of the "routines" of American Christian life-- I go to church weekly, pray & read the Bible almost daily... I have attended plenty of "Bible Studies" and classes on what we think, I've studied theology, I've read a billion Christian books-- I have learned plenty (that is NOT to say I know it all, or even anywhere close to it). But at the end of the day, what was I doing with any of it? Mostly just talking to other church people about it.

I feel sometimes like we are all just "playing church", and that can be a suffocating place at times (just being honest) because... well, here's the way Jen put it: "Why did I spend all my time blessing blessed people who should be on the giving side of the equation by now?" (p. 21) Answer: because its safe and because its comfortable.

This book resonates because I am hungry. Hungry to serve outside the four walls of the church. In Austin. My city is full of poor people, hurting people, hungry people, beaten-down and broken people. Do I know any of them? Do I spend time with them? Do I know their stories? Have I listened and loved well? How much of my life (my time, my energy, my money, my sleep, my home, etc) have I sacrificed in order to love them well?

I am increasingly wondering... not just "have they HEARD about Jesus?" but "have they SEEN & EXPERIENCED Jesus through MY interactions with them?"

This book will challenge you to live beyond Christian comfort and mediocrity. It will tempt you to be crazy enough to actually DO things Jesus talks about in the Bible.

Most of Jen Hatmaker's books make me laugh and then slap me up side the face. This one punched me in the gut. I finished it within 24 hours! Through Jen, God is really working on me regarding what I can do to make a difference for him outside the walls of my church building. I want EVERYONE I know to read this book! Be prepared to be humbled!

A little about the book: What happens when Jesus interrupts the average life? Interrupted encourages believers to ask if their lives bring integrity to the gospel. Follow the faith journey of author and fellow disciplemaker Jen Hatmaker and rediscover Jesus among the least of us.

My thoughts on the book: From the introduction this book had me. Imagine a book opening that tells the story of renting a house to a murdered and how your neighborhood would react. Well that is how this book opens. Jen has quirky stories woven through this book, but is not lacking in a substantial story to fill up the book with meaning.

This book tells a story of a person who left comfort and everything they knew in search of a bigger God. The god left behind was the one we want to box up and put beside our bed and pull out in times of trouble and what was found was the true God. The true God who cares for the poor and broken. Jen lays out the story of her journey (along with her husband) to this unsafe God that rattled her world. Join her on the journey and take the first steps toward being interrupted. (and maybe read a few funny stories along the way...my favorite was about a banana)

Who this book would be good for: church planters, people who like to laugh and want to see God in a different way, church workers, people who attend a church plant

More about the author: Jen Hatmaker is the author of A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study: A Refreshingly Unique Way to Look at God's Word and A Modern Girl's Bible Study Series. With a heart for the women of her generation, she speaks at retreats and conferences around the country. Jen resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Brandon, and their three children. Brand and Jen are pastors of Austin New Church
Additional Resources:
http://jenhatmaker.com/
http://www.austinnewchurch.com/

Using all of the same doctrines and principles that have been taught in church since I was little, Jen puts it all into perspective as she points out all the ways we don't really practice what we preach. Bringing to life practical ways to practice serving people who can not serve you back, she demonstrates what Christ really taught in His time on earth. Amazing book! Buying it for my mom and sisters, too!

I have just discovered Jen Hatmaker through her blog and I was so excited to finally read her memoir. Her account shows true faith and courage when she obeys God's command for her life. She honestly describes her experiences, the good and the bad. I'm looking forward to her next book, 7, which comes out in January.

I have been pestering God for a period of time with the same questions "What do you want me to do" and "Where is my life suppose to go"? Then Jen spoke at our Firewheel Church Women's Retreat, and my prayers were answered, although I didn't know it yet. I had purchased all of her books at an earlier event our church had and was in the process of reading them. I had 2 left, Interrupted and Ms. Understood. I read interrupted 1st. I need to WARN you now, be prepared when you pick up that book! It will change your life and perspective of life. Then I picked up Ms. Understood. This is a MUST read for EVERY girl/women. I feel both of these go hand in hand, especially if you plan to work with God's most deserving. I had so many light bulb moments while reading both of these. A must for summer reading, I read Interrupted in 2 days. I started Ms. Understood last night I can't put it down.

In her book, Interrupted (An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith), author Jen Hatmaker tells the riveting story of the unexpected transformation that took place in her (and her husband, and their life and ministry) after she prayed a dangerous prayer: "Raise up in me a passion."

Early on, the book struck a strong chord with me as she described the tensions she felt as a pastor's kid, Christian college grad, pastor's wife, Christian author, and long-time Christian:

"I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was...something off for me. ...Brandon and I were far too consumed with worthless things. We spent an unhealthy amount of time dreaming about our next house, our next financial increase, our next level of living. Next. We were the opposite of counter-culture. We were a mirror image of culture, just a churched-up version. I was vaguely aware of this, but we had so few around us who questioned the American Dream, it was easily dismissed.

"And yet.

"There were other question marks. Like why wouldn't people commit to our church programs, despite the endless work poured into them? And why did 70 percent of the initial enthusiasts drop out by the end? Why did the same people end up doing everything? Why did so many leave claiming they needed more when we were all working eighty hours a week to meet their needs ? Why couldn't I recall the last person I led to Christ? Why did I spend all my time blessing people who should be on the giving side of the equation by now?
Wow. If that ain't hittin' the nail on the head, I don't know what is."

She goes on in the book to trace her spiritual journey from Churchianity (my word) to the revolutionary call of Jesus. She does so compellingly, yet without applying a guilt trip or formula. And she does so winsomely, with frequent humor. For example, I loved how she lambastes our tendency in the church to make quick assumptions about people instead of settling in to truly know people, long-term. She contrasts several pictures people might have of her based on separate fact groups:

"Here's one set: I grew up in a lower-middle-class, blue-collar town in Kansas; I joined the party sorority in college; and I have a tattoo on my wrist."

Most of us would draw a certain picture of her based on those facts. But then she offers a second set of facts:

"I am a pastor's daughter, a pastor's wife, and a Christian author; and I graduated magna cum laude from a conservative Baptist college."

She makes her point: "We cannot possibly know all there is to know about anyone without digging deep, getting close, and providing a safe place for them to be known." Lord, help us.

I thought the first part of the book, describing the process by which Jesus "interrupted" her life and led her and her family into a more complete and more radical understanding of the Gospel, was much more compelling than the latter half, where she describes the end of one ministry and beginning of another...but it's all worth reading.

When church life becomes stagnant, the prayers become more and more lip service. "Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith" is a guide to revolutionizing one's church to refresh the faith and piety of one's congregation. Revolution restores passion for one's faith, which is important for keeping a congregation together in the long term. "Interrupted: An Adventure in Relearning the Essentials of Faith" is quite the read and a top pick for anyone looking to revitalize their church.

This book is now one of my top 3 all-time books because it does something that most books only dream about - calls you to action (no I mean the real kind where you actually DO something). If you are among the millions of churchgoers who sit in Sunday service week after week feeling uninspired, bored, and confused about what being a Christian actually means - this book is for you. Jen and her husband brought together like-hearted individuals to start a church community of believers who are changing the way people "do church."

How revolutionary to actually "serve the least" just as Jesus tried to teach us through the entire New Testament. Maybe the rampant hypocrisy heard around the world in regard to the Christian church would be stifled if we all took lessons on how to truly help others in need by serving hamburgers to the homeless, renovating classrooms of low-income schools, or donating part of our wealth to help feed, clothe and teach orphans in India. And believe me - we are all wealthy compared to the world as a whole. Not to be a spoiler, but Jen's statistics cut right to the core of the issue -- if you make more than $50,000 annually you are in the top 1% of wealth in the world and that half the world lives on less than $2 a day. And we complain about not being able to afford a $4 latte because of our recent economic downturn? Really?

This is a must-read and an absolute must-share. I have never written a review of anything - hotel, travel, book or otherwise. That's how much this book has moved me. Please read it!