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cosmicbookworm's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.25
Sarah Bessey combines theology and storytelling in a second memoir.
I greatly appreciate her work. She has gone through the same kinds of thought shifts that I have but comes from a different place than I am and is in a different place than I am now, simply because she grew up Pentecostal and speaking in tongues. That is an experience that I can't relate to.
As the book unfolded, it veered slightly from its central theme. It was heavy on the memoir side for my liking, but Bessey's gentle style and emphasis on loving those with differing views resonated deeply with me. This is a valuable lesson for those of us who are in a period of reevaluation and facing resistance from those who feel threatened by our evolving perspectives.
This paragraph in chapter 4 resonates with me: "But I had to learn that taking the Bible seriously doesn't mean taking everything literally. I had to learn to read the whole Bible through the lens of Jesus, and I had to learn to stop making it into something it wasn't—a glorified answer book or rule book or magic spell. I had to stop trying to reduce the Bible to something I could tame or wield as a tool. I had to let the Bible be everything it was meant to be, to cast away the idols of certainty, materialism, and control."
readingafrica's review against another edition
4.0
With this book, Sarah brought life to some questions that I didn’t even know I had, and I found myself agreeing with her on a lot of things. While the book doesn’t provide concrete steps on how to find peace in Christianity, just reading Sarah’s struggles gives readers the reassurance that they aren’t alone in their questioning faith. She squashed the belief that true believers shouldn’t question the Word, and opined that questioning is part of the journey towards a better faith. Aside from personal musings, Sarah inserts quotes and theories from other theologists to provide a more nuanced exploration of the different stages of faith.
I ‘read’ the audiobook version of this novel, mainly because it was the only version available in my library, but I’m glad I did it. Joell A. Jacob did a really good job narrating the book. I usually don’t like listening to audiobooks that aren’t read by the author because I always sense some detachment from the words. I was already halfway through the audiobook when I discovered that I wasn’t listening to the author’s voice, and by then I was already hooked! The book deals with some really personal topics, and I’m glad that the narrator was able to convey the emotions accordingly.
I ‘read’ the audiobook version of this novel, mainly because it was the only version available in my library, but I’m glad I did it. Joell A. Jacob did a really good job narrating the book. I usually don’t like listening to audiobooks that aren’t read by the author because I always sense some detachment from the words. I was already halfway through the audiobook when I discovered that I wasn’t listening to the author’s voice, and by then I was already hooked! The book deals with some really personal topics, and I’m glad that the narrator was able to convey the emotions accordingly.
ejpreads's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes you pick up a map to plot a course to your destination. Other times, you find yourself somewhere, and you turn on your GPS to get confirmation that you aren’t lost. Just to make sure. Because you haven’t come exactly in this neighborhood from this direction before, but you are pretty sure you recognize the street names and some of the landmarks. Out of Sorts is like a map book for me. With every chapter, I saw where I have been but from a slightly different angle.
My relationship with the Body of Christ has grown more and more into a journey, rather than a destination. Out of Sorts is a journey story and in the pages I found a companion walking alongside me.
Out of Sorts is not a how-to book. It is not a devotional book. It is not an exercise in theology or Bible study. It will not give you black and white - because SB respects her readers and Jesus so much. Through the chapters of Out of Sorts, I got to witness Sarah Bessey’s wholehearted and honest journey with God and his Body.
Sarah Bessey writes her journey in such a way that you get glimpses of yourself and your own journey in the words and the white-space. You will laugh and you will cry. Sometimes you will feel exposed and other times you will feel drawn into tender comfort. I can’t recommend this book enough.
My relationship with the Body of Christ has grown more and more into a journey, rather than a destination. Out of Sorts is a journey story and in the pages I found a companion walking alongside me.
Out of Sorts is not a how-to book. It is not a devotional book. It is not an exercise in theology or Bible study. It will not give you black and white - because SB respects her readers and Jesus so much. Through the chapters of Out of Sorts, I got to witness Sarah Bessey’s wholehearted and honest journey with God and his Body.
Sarah Bessey writes her journey in such a way that you get glimpses of yourself and your own journey in the words and the white-space. You will laugh and you will cry. Sometimes you will feel exposed and other times you will feel drawn into tender comfort. I can’t recommend this book enough.
ajcain92's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
allisonh59's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
meginhumboldt's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Really appreciate her candor and sense of love and messiness
juliasilge's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Sarah Bessey's first book [b: Jesus Feminist|17570843|Jesus Feminist An Invitation to Revisit the Bible's View of Women|Sarah Bessey|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401057157s/17570843.jpg|24510358] and this is another warm, hopeful, gentle exploration of what it means to be a follower of Jesus at this particular time in history, in a cultural context that is quite similar to mine. Bessey's writing and perspective makes space for people like me who have grief and a lot of complicated feelings around our faith journeys.