a lesson in discernment

A few weeks back The Rev took a chance and bought me a new book based solely on Amazon's recommendation. That's a pretty big deal in our house. We own hundreds of books. They're spilling out of several very large book cases and pile up on just about every flat surface in the house - but they're almost always endorsed by someone we trust. So, reading this book was an exercise in discernment. It's a good exercise that we should all probably take part in more often. Left without use this muscle will atrophy and we can fall into the trap of mindless consumption, swallowing everything whole without question. It's often easier to read something that was heavily endorsed by Grudem, Mahaney, Piper, etc.

The book was just released and is called "The Missional Mom" by Helen Lee. I thought that it was going to be more about how being a mom is mission. That's something that I've been thinking about quite a bit. I still reference this article by Jani Ortlund whenever I start to get down on myself for not taking part in any "official" ministry. She lays out clearly that being a mom IS ministry. This book took a different direction and focused almost exclusively on being missional outside of the home. One of the only exceptions is the chapter where she shares about her journey to homeschool. I think that both types of mission are necessary so it was good to read about how other moms do ministry outside of the home.

My biggest complaint about this book is that Lee focuses too much on "causes" and doesn't clearly connect how taking part in a cause is related to the gospel. Anyone can fight for social justice, serve the poor, and feed the hungry. We as Christians, however, are called to do it for a different purpose than the world. I feel like she missed the mark here. She says that "our primary calling is to be withGod," but I think that our ultimate purpose and calling is to glorify God. Maybe that seems picky, but words have meaning and when you're talking about something as big as your purpose in life I think it's best to be clear.

That being said, there were some really great things about this book and some not so great things. She does a wonderful job of challenging readers to evaluate their gifts and passions and to use those to be missional. The beginning is kind of clunky and reads a bit like a research paper because Lee included so many quotes and referenced the many interviews that she conducted. Overall, it was a worthwhile read. I was challenged in some areas and pushed to think, which is a victory in itself :) I've had some great conversations about the book and have processed through some of its content with wonderful friends. I think I'd better communicate my thoughts on it in person, so if you're really interested in more of the content let's sit down and chat :)