Isn’t that the way you feel some days? A Perfect Mess?
It’s how I often feel after leading weekend worship for the 300-1000 people at either of our two church campuses. I plop down in my car, peel off my nametag, and rehash all the mistakes that happened during the worship experience. “What a mess that was today,” I think, wondering if anyone could have possibly encountered Christ in the midst of my failed cues, mispoken words, and flat jokes. But as I turn on some Remedy Drive/David Crowder/Miles Davis to drown out my sorrows, I remember the person who came up to me after service and shared with me something that they were struggling with and how the music/Scripture/message/communion really encouraged them today. In the midst of this ‘Perfect Mess’, our God – Father/Son/Holy Spirit – came to them and built them up.
That’s the way it is, isn’t it? God comes to us in the midst of this perfect mess!
If you’re looking for a short read to help you reflect on God’s presence in our chaotic mess of a world, pick up Lisa Harper’s A Perfect Mess. Lisa uses the greatest of Scriptural music, the Psalms, to remind the harried and time-starved among us that God is continually using all of our imperfect pieces in His perfect plan. Picking out 12 of the greatest Psalms, Lisa weaves spiritual truth in between hilarious stores and Scriptural study.
I was a bit reticent in reading A Perfect Mess because of its soccer mom packaging, but Lisa’s stories and reflections on the Psalms are too funny to pass up. As my wife and I read this book together, we often said to one another with a knowing smirk, “Did you get to the ____ story yet?”
Give A Perfect Mess a shot. It’s short, light-hearted, and soundly Scriptural. It’s a perfect summer read!
I would highly recommend this book to small groups looking for a fun, light read. Inviting discussion questions are included at the end of each chapter (I’d recommend 3-4 chapters per session).
Tags: bible, christianity, Psalm, Religion and Spirituality