"In 1978, when Matthew Paul Turner was five, his family became sold-out members of an independent Baptist church, joining without any firsthand knowledge of Christian fundamentalism, only his parents’ sincere desire to follow God. In Churched, with wit and careful observation, he reveals the tenderness and grace that managed to seep through the cracks and a young man who, amidst the chaotic mess of religion, falls in love with Jesus." (From the publisher.)That description intrigued me. Many of us who grew up "in the church" could write our own memoirs, detailing the journey with insight and plenty of hilarity. With that in mind, I wondered what Matthew Paul Turner had to say about his own experience, and, more curiously, how he decided to resolve it, remember it, and move on from it.
At the end of the chapter called "Prelude," Turner remembers telling a man that his (the man's) church "'might have a little baggage.' [Turner's] grin faded. 'But who am I to judge? I'm still unpacking my own.'" Readers should take this as a warning sign. Churched is a memoir, and leaving that jewel at the end of a prelude only means one thing: Turner is about to unpack all over you. And he does, with wit, humor, and at times a necessary seriousness.
Churched is a quick read, filled with remembered thoughts of what it was like to be a young boy and then a young man growing up in a rules-oriented church, trying to figure out what Christianity is really all about. I enjoyed it from that aspect, that we all must, at some point, look back on our own journeys (though maybe not write a book about them). As I approached the ending, I was ready to see how Turner had used all of this life stuff to become the man he is today. That's where things took a turn.
In the final chapter, I hoped that Turner would tell readers that he decided to dive into his Bible and discover what church is supposed to be about, and then headed to church to help others form a more Christ-like view of church as well. Unfortunately, it seems that Turner's journey taught him to be more laid-back, but perhaps too laid-back. Instead of turning to Scripture (something he is unsure about anyway), Turner decides to go with his instincts and feelings, to appreciate his un-afraidness at the new church he and his wife joined.
Is that bad? Not really. But in an age when church brings a wash of strange feelings over every person who grew up in one, I expected a memoir about church to be more conclusive. Maybe that just shows that people still can't figure it out; I'd venture to say, that people still can't come to their senses and turn to the Biblical definition of church.
Churched is certainly a thought-provoking, laugh-inducing, sentimental memoir of "One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess," as the subtitle says. But don't look to it for answers on how to unpack your own church baggage, or you may be greatly disappointed.
To read an excerpt from Churched or to buy the book, click here.
To learn more about author Matthew Paul Turner, click here.
Notice: I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah. I was not paid to review this book, and all opinions of this book are my own.
