This book is written by a pastor who grew up as the son of LGBT parents. As a youngster, with his parents, he participated in LGBT events and experienced, firsthand, the hatred and lack of grace from individuals in the Christian community.This book is a combination of memoir and a guide for relating to diverse people, specifically with LGBT people, with grace and truth. This author is senior pastor of Discovery Church, in Sim Valley, CA. He speaks widely on LGBT issues, sexual differences, and faith to people regardless of where they stand in this debate. This book contains a forward by Kyle Idleman, author of NOT A FAN. The book contains twelve chapters, many with subheadings. Kaltenbach ends MESSY GRACE with A Final Word to wrap up his points. He provides acknowledgements of those who made this book possible and provides notes to cite sources that his research is based on. He ends it all by listing suggested books for further reading.
I devoured this book, reading it in three days. It was a rough ride emotionally, though it was very readable in a literary sense. It hurt to read about how people who professed Christ as Savior treated the parents of the author, in blatant and in subtle ways. I found that I was triggered emotionally by stories in the book that were not mainly about LGBT issues. The author reserves his strongest words of rebuke for "conservative Christians" who are devoted to advocacy for traditional Christian values, and he includes many stories from the LGBT community, from his own life and from the lives of others, that show that LGBT people have long felt rejection, mean-spiritedness, bullying and plain coldness from the Christian community. This hurt, as I am identified with this community. My feeling is that much of this is that many pastors, famous Christian leaders and Bible teachers, and conservative-leaning media, such as one national TV Network, are complicit in this, in inciting and encouraging such attitudes in churchgoers by their own examples. I have LGBT people in my own life. They are all such caring, decent people that it is tough for me to view them as people who have adopted lifestyles that displease God. A family members said, the other day, "Gay parents take excellent care of their children." My first remembered account of encountering an openly gay individual is when I went to college. This person was an outspoken, strong advocate for the LGBT community. Most of those in the Christian community, whom in know, are silent on this issue and fear "to go there." I wish the author had addressed the reality that more and more whole denominations are formally approving homosexuality as morally acceptable for followers of Jesus, ordaining gay pastors, and marrying gay couples--and how this causes the Christian community to compromise with the culture. He did not discuss that, except to put out questions for local church fellowships to discuss. I like how he left room for disagreement with him, unlike many authors who are opinionated in their presentations. It was sad how this author grew up hating the Christian community and that it was through searching the Bible, not through encounters with the Christian community, that he changed his mind about LGBT issues. I got the sense that he saw, as the greater sin, as the tendency to speak truth without enough grace, than speaking grace without enough truth. This is a compelling book and this author has a unique story.
I recommend this book for every pastor and lay leader in every local church fellowship, whether conservative or progressive. It will give them the tools to preach on this topic with an equal balance of truth and grace. I know that many pastors do not feel equipped to discuss this controversial topic ans so they remain silent on it. I do not recommend this book for followers of Jesus who are new to the faith, for they they need to get grounded in basic truths before tackling this controversial issue and being sound enough in faith to reach out to those who are seen as radically unlike us. I do not recommend this book for LGBT people who are bent on pursuing that lifestyle and have no interest in spiritual things. I do recommend this book strongly for all LGBT people who are interested in spiritual things or are reconsidering their beliefs or may be confused by them. I also strongly recommend this book for any Christian who struggles with same-sex desires. I strongly recommend this book for all Christians who want to know how to relate to the LGBT community. I think he should write a version for young people, as this is very much an issue and many LGBT young people are victims of homophobic bullying.
I received a complimentary, advanced reading copy of this book (which is not scheduled for release until October 2015) through Blogging For Books, in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.
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