Wasabi Gospel: The Startling Message of Jesus [Paperback]

Shawn Wood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2009

Have you ever eaten wasabi? That dainty green blob on your sushi plate may look pretty tame, but take a taste--or even a whiff--and you'll find that little dollop packs a powerful punch to your senses!

Jesus also looks pretty innocuous at first glance. He's the Good Shepherd, after all, the Prince of Peace. "Love your neighbor," he says. "Forgive others." If we take a closer look at those red-lettered words, however, we'll find that some of the most tame and sappy-sounding things Jesus said actually pack the most punch.

Wasabi Gospel brings seven well-known gospel passages to life, unpacking their real significance and exploring what life would really look like if we lived out those seemingly-subtle commands of Christ. Jesus' words were radical for his audience and still are for us today, giving us a metaphorical punch to the gut and challenging us to the depths of our souls to change the way we live, love, and look at the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shawn Wood is the Experiences Pastor and a Teaching Pastor at Seacoast Church, a trendsetting multi-site church with thirteen campuses across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and on the web. Seacoast is ranked among the top ten most innovative churches and the top ten most influential churches, as well as in the top 100 fastest-growing churches in America. He is the author of 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One and Wasabi Gospel. You can find out more about Shawn on his blog at www.shawnsblogspot.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (August 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426700504
• ISBN-13: 978-1426700507
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shawn Wood is the Experiences and Creative Communications Pastor and a Teaching Pastor for Seacoast Church, a trendsetting multi-site church with 25 weekend experiences at 13 campuses across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Seacoast is ranked among the top ten most innovative churches (Outreach magazine) and the top ten most influential churches (Church Report), as well as in the top 100 fastest-growing churches in America, with over 9000 worshipers each weekend and around 2000 more participating in worship online.

Through his work leading a team of designers, videographers, communications professionals, and many other very talented people, Shawn helps campuses create compelling experiences in the areas of weekend, web, and word-of-mouth to help people become fully-devoted to Christ.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very insightful and creatively written, August 28, 2009

By 

Shane Hart "Hartlife" (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wasabi Gospel: The Startling Message of Jesus (Paperback)

I have been following Shawn Wood on Twitter for several months and enjoy his insights. When I started seeing the ramp up to the release of his book Wasabi Gospel, I decided it would be a good thing to check out. I was not disappointed.

There are a couple of things that stand out about this book that are refreshing. One is the interweaved story of "Laura" in the form of diary entries. The raw reality and emotion of working through life change is captured very well using this method. It adds to the draw to continue reading. So many books that are written on Christian life have great information, but lack something because they don't tell a story at the same time. Not having a story or stories tied to what is being presented can leave some very good teachings and valuable insights a little dry. Shawn does a great job keeping the insights fresh and connected with the reader. "Laura's Story" is a big part of that.

There is another aspect of this element that I very much appreciate, but I hesitate to mention because it could be a bit of a spoiler to someone who has not yet read it. Hopefully this is a good compromise: the way Shawn leaves Laura's Story is well done as it matches the raw reality of the whole.

Another thing that stands out about this book is the no holds barred honesty that Shawn uses to address each of the sayings of Jesus that he chose to address. Right off in chapter one Shawn shares of a time he was going to speak on a part of the Sermon on the Mount. As he was preparing, he was hit hard with the reality of what Christ was saying. Here are a couple of excerpts from that chapter (pages 7&8):

"I have a long standing rule against lying when I preach. So, in an attempt not to go get myself struck by lightning, I read over and over the statement above [Matthew 5:7] and asked myself the hardest question that someone can ask themselves when studying the Bible: 'How can I live this out?' ...
"Suddenly, God placed a name in my mind. It was the name of someone who had hurt me and many people whom I love very much in the worst kind of way. ...
"I had to be honest. Not only did I not want to give this person mercy and forgiveness, I wanted to hurt this person back."

He goes on the chapter about how he did manage to work through that and gives some great insight into forgiveness and mercy.

Each chapter is like that. It will cause you to think and evaluate. If you will be honest and allow the experiences Shawn shares along with the very pointed statements of Jesus that are addressed in this book to get a hold of you, you will be forced to repent and change at least once before you reach the final page of the book. The words of Christ are powerful and they bring us closer to God. But, that process requires humbling ourselves, realizing our faults and shortcomings, and moving forward with resolve to let those words shape us.

While the length and format of this book lend it to being called an "easy read", it only qualifies as that if you read it thinking about how someone else needs to read it so they will change. The book is easy to read, the truths take effort to apply and live out. If we all lived out the words of Jesus the way He intends for us to, well, life would be much different and this world would be turned upside down.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh Air, August 28, 2009

By 

J. F. Bryant (East Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wasabi Gospel: The Startling Message of Jesus (Paperback)

After reading 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One, I fell in love with Shawn Wood's writing style. It's friendly and enjoyable. No sitting on the fringes and observing as you read this, you're invited right in, escorted to and joined at the table for a conversation you'll never forget.

In Wasabi Gospel, Shawn draws us into a woman's struggles with a gospel so simple, yet so misunderstood and explains his own coming to grips with that simple gospel. His depictions of love and grace in the Bible and in his own realm of influence are the kind that never leave your mind. Rather, they leave you wanting more.

I highly recommend everyone who has any question about the Gospel of Jesus Christ read this book. It's not the normal read. It's not churchy, it's not "normal". It's real.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Startling?, July 22, 2010

By 

Old Coot - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Wasabi Gospel: The Startling Message of Jesus (Paperback)

Obviously written by a generation X'er. It did raise some good issues for discussion. Although,I would dispute the "startling Message" tag.

Old Coot