April 16, 2016 Book: Messy & Foolish: How to Make a Mess, Be a Fool, and Evangelize the World Author: Matthew Warner DynamicCatholic.com An Excerpt from the Jacket: Pope Francis says he wants "a mess." Are you foolish enough to make one? We Christians claim to have a great message for the world. But if it's so great, why are more people leaving the Church than joining? The message clearly isn't getting through. We must be doing something wrong. Matthew Warner has spent the last twelve years passionately sharing the life-changing truths of the Christian faith with others. As a student of the Information Age, he is eager to use every means of communication at his disposal to help the Church share her message. In his attempts, he's reached millions of people by developing faith-based websites, blogs, and email lists, and engaging a large audience through social media. And as the creator of his own innovative communication tool used by thousands of churches worldwide, he's experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to evangelization. Messy & Foolish presents a fresh vision for evangelization that will inspire you to quit the lesser pursuits of your life and accept nothing less than the joyful, adventure-fill, contagious life God intends you to live. An Excerpt from the Book: The Work of An Artist Anybody can make a mess. But making a good mess requires the work of an artist --- and you are the artist. Now, by "artist" I don't mean only the obvious kinds, such as painters, sculptors, and musicians. I mean something much more profound. Art, in this deeper sense, is simply the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. It's the work of applying our creativity and imagination to the world, to our jobs, and to our lives. This is art. And you, in everything you do --- especially in your work to change the world --- are an artist. So was Mother Teresa. She was a masterful artist. She saw the world in a special way, and she communicated that through her radical service to others. That was her art. Steve Jobs was an artist. He had a vision for how the world could be different, and he communicated that through elegant, new technology. That was his art. Whether saint, innovator, or ordinary worker, we are all artists. After all, we are made in the image of the Great Artist himself. Table of Contents: Introduction The Problem (and the Goal) It's time to make a mess What needs to change Part One: On Messes (and Thinking Differently about Them) Messes can be good How to make a good mess The work of an artist Where it all breaks down Where the mess must start Part Two: On Foolishness (and What it Looks Like) Why be a fool? A fool's heart What we need The radical life Time to dance Part Three: On Evangelizing the World (When and How to Do It) When you can start So how do we do it? The most foolish act of all What's next?