Unleashed, by McManus - The call to barbaric Christianity

Barbarians. People living free and unrestrained. Adults living wild and adventurous. Christians really living...unleashed. McManus is proposing this is really the way of a true Christ follower. And I must admit much of what he says echoes the cry of my own heart this last year. If we really are Christ followers, connecting to an infinite God, then we should live radically changed lives.

There are two specific things I enjoyed about this book: 1. He calls Christians to a different kind of discipleship. He argues, "Discipleship is translated into standardizing everyone into the same pattern... Discipleship has become the mechanism for uniformity rather than uniqueness." And I will admit, I have experienced this to be true. We want to be safe. We want new believers to be safe. And often we quench any "out of the box" ways of living for Christ in the name of "not being led astray." 2. He challenges the boundaries between secular and sacred. Often us church-goers see "worship" as singing quietly (or loudly) in a pew on Sunday. We hesitate to see things like rejoicing in a good book or being in rapture over a powder day at Steamboat as worship. Mcmanus relays a jet skiing experience with his daughter like this, "We were having a blast. Wind in our faces, water breaking in every direction, moving freely at breakneck speed. It was exhilarating. It was nothing less than a worship experience." How refreshing! That we can worship God in really having fun and doing what we love!

If I have one criticism, it is this: Unleashed argues adamantly for the living of a wild life for Christ but gives few examples on how to walk this out. But then maybe that is just me walking in more civilized ways again. I want a 5 step process to being wild and adventurous. How ironic is that?

In this same line of thinking, I would also suggest the book Radical by David Platt. An amazing book, with a specific call to use our money to radically bless others for Christ.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.