7 : A book Review with a warning label

I just finished the book 7: an experimental mutiny against excess by Jen Hatmaker.

I'm pretty sure that this is the first time I have ever prefaced a book recommendation with a warning:

If you like the clothes in your closet and the food that you eat and the way you spend your time and money or the way you interact with media, don't read this book.

I first heard about this book via the Flowerpatch Farmgirl blog, which I linked to via my friend Roxanne's blog. You know, one of those "Let's see what's new on the interwebs" ramblings that accidentally changes your life.

Jen Hatmaker lives in Austin, Texas, where she and her husband planted a funky little church in 2008. She has written a number of Bible study books and a couple of other books about their life of faith. I had never heard of her until I wandered through the Flower Patch Farmgirl blog a few months ago and read her review of the book, but as soon as I finished reading the review, I emailed co-conspirator Jackie and told her we should read the book ourselves.

And I did, and now I can't sleep. Thanks, Jen Hatmaker!

Each month, Jen focused on one theme (clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress) and did crazy stuff like eat only 7 different foods for a month or wore only 7 articles of clothing for a month. It sounded a little gimmicky to me at first, but I resonated with the idea that she was trying to explore. She wanted to get a better handle on how all the excess in her life was distracting her from the Lord, and to see if by cutting away the junk to get back to core necessities she might make space to hear Him, and for His work in her life.

I laughed and cried and prayed and got really really marvelously uncomfortable reading this book. Because even though I could lounge back and say "I've made good progress on the green stuff! I'm buying less junk!" Blah blah, the truth is, I have a long way to go. Especially on the Grace part of this G3 experiment. If I'm just buying less stuff to feel better and lighter and to have more space in my apartment or more money for something else, but my heart hasn't changed, then what good is it?

I'm going to be lazy and use the same excerpt that Flower Patch Farmgirl used in her review, because it really sums up the heart of the book and why it shook me so deeply:

7 will be a tangible way to bow low and repent of greed, ungratefulness, ruined opportunities, and irresponsibility. It's time to admit I'm trapped in the machine, held by my own selfishness. It's time to face our spending and call it what it is: a travesty. I'm weary of justifying it. - 7 Jen Hatmaker

Yes. Weary. This book gave hope to my weariness. The months of simplicity and fasting were all challenging and energizing, but the chapter that really smacked me hardest was the chapter on Stress. I wasn't sure how she would approach it through the 7 theme - if I tried to set a limit that I would only engage in 7 stressful things per day, I wouldn't get past 10am at work. But her Stress month was beautiful and dazzling in its simplicity: she practiced a weekly Sabbath and the Seven Sacred Pauses, also called things like the Prayer of the Hours or Liturgy of the Hours. Pausing seven times per day to pray:

The Night Watch

The Awakening Hour

The Blessing Hour

The Hour of Illumination

The Wisdom Hour

The Twilight Hour
The Great Silence

I honestly think I might print out the whole chapter and re-read it every day. It felt like a stack of heavy boxes sitting on my chest as I tried to squirm around in this chapter last night. I cried at least twice. Because I have been wondering what happened to prayer in my life lately, and it was one of those joyful/angsty moments when you sit up and realize that your prayer for a way to get back into prayer has been answered. With a set of prayers written right out for you. And a list of times to pray them.

You want to get in shape? This chapter on stress actually swooped into my life like a hand-delivered meal plan and exercise schedule for my flabby faith. I couldn't sleep last night because I wanted to get started. With prayer.

Now that I've read this book and Radical, I'm a little afraid of what might happen. Les is going to start 7 next if I ever let him have the book. Even now that I've finished it, I want to carry it around and read it again. Beware, friends, what could happen when you read books that scramble your lazy brain and slam you into reading the Bible and praying. Crazy shit could go down.

I'll keep you posted.