If you know me, you know that I am a fan of Jen Hatmaker’s writing. In the last two years, I have read Interrupted, Seven, and her latest, For The Love. It was that last book that created a chain reaction of new opportunities and adventures with ladies across the country. I have found friends that are fierce women of God that I would never have met if it wasn’t for a rejection letter for Jen’s launch team and a hashtag that started a rogue tribe with a passion for books, lifting each other up, and worshiping the Lord.
As Jen’s book launched, her husband Brandon watched as this group of rejected women supported and launched the book anyway. He saw the commitment and community that was formed. And he saw an opportunity. You see, he had a book in the works. He approached the group with a proposition. As a result, this group of rejectees were asked to be a part of his launch team. Which is how I ended up with an Advanced Reader Copy of Brandon Hatmaker’s new book, A Mile Wide: Trading a Shallow Religion for a Deeper Faith.
Brandon is a pastor at the Austin New Church and the founder of the Legacy Collective, which is a “Giving Community focused on partnering, pioneering, and funding sustainable solutions to systemic social issues.” His previous book, Barefoot Church, emphasizes service to the least, calling today’s church to social renewal and service as Jesus’ command for Christianity.
His new book, A Mile Wide, hit my mailbox at just the right time. Using the Platte River as a metaphor for faith, Hatmaker delves into the murky waters (see what I did there) of transitioning from a wide and shallow practice of religion to a faith that runs deeper. Divided into two parts, the book explores how the Gospel is in us and how it is served through us. This book’s timing was good because I was starting to feel spread thin. So thin that I wasn’t really sure of my relationship with God. I began to feel disconnected. I recognized that I was beginning to resemble the Platte River.
One chapter in particular focuses on community, which I am discovering is more and more important to me. Brandon writes of finding a “community groove,” recalling how they sought out the “perfect” church or “perfect” bible study. But communities are full of broken people looking for the same thing. As a result, they are perfectly imperfect. And they serve as a “perfect” place to practice discipleship and personal growth, which leads to the depth we desire in our faith.
“In order to exchange a shallow religion for a deeper faith,
we need to return to the beautiful journey
of searching for the heart of God,
of seeing through His eyes.”
– Brandon Hatmaker
A Mile Wide is currently available for pre-order through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and officially launches on Sept. 13th.
Love, Grace, and Friends 