An Anointed Mess: life may feel topsy-turvy, but have you ever thought your disjointed chaos could be anointed? Karen Pennington does, and proceeds to help us discover the daily adventure of grace.
Karen Pennington is a podcaster, a writer, and involved in education and ministry. She is passionate about the Bible and teaching. Karen is a storyteller who will link arms with you to unveil “the divine drama of grace.”
Beginning with a great hook, Karen says, “The Bible is the world’s largest anthology of seriously messed up people.” After compiling a long list of dysfunctional characters, it’s easy to see we’re going to connect; we can all relate to things gone awry for people who struggled just like us. Karen promises our worst can “become a catalyst for experiencing God’s glory beyond our wildest dreams.”
Karen brings a fresh perspective to familiar stories. She says, “In the case of Adam and Eve, shame over their nakedness had little to do with their apparent lack of clothing. Rather, eating the fruit made them aware of the mess they had created. They covered the outside as an attempt to shield the inner brokenness. They masked their bodies in an attempt to hide their hearts.”
Another example is from the night Jacob wrestled with an angel. Karen says, “Jacob, the heal grasper, became Israel, the man who ‘struggles with God.’ That night he changed from a man who always grabbed for what belonged to others into a man who reached for that which God had longed to give him all along.”
I am reminded to let go of my illusion of control, and instead, submit to God’s design. “The Lord does not call us to do for God, but rather to be with God, to rest in our heavenly provider’s embrace, and to allow God to do through us. Everything that we do, say, and feel can come as an overflow of the empowerment of God’s embrace and the knowledge that God has things under control.”
When God seems far away, remember your “loving heavenly Father stands, invisible but not unseen, taking care of everything.”
I am giving away a copy of An Anointed Mess to one reader in the continental United States. I know you will love it because the personal illustrations connect you to an author who provides excellent background to Biblical examples. Leave a comment on my blog (at the top of this post, under the title). You will be entered into the drawing to be held Sunday night, July 11. Tell me a verse that endears you to God’s grace. Get an extra chance to win, when you share this post on social media (let me know where).
Sally
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Interview with Athena Dean Holtz, on the “All Things Podcast.”
