The Bride(zilla) of Christ


I think everyone's been in a situation where they've either been hurt by another Christian, a particular church, or the church at large. That's why Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin's new book, Bride(zilla) of Christ, is so relevant for today. I was interested in reading it not only to heal from my own past experiences being hurt by other Christians, but also to help others who are troubled by this. No Christian is perfect, so this is something that can apply to just about everyone, and is an important topic to discuss. The book description says:

"Sometimes, Church Hurts

The Church, the Bride of Christ. That description conjures up images of radiant white bride, eyes sparkling with peace and harmony, right? Maybe that’s why it’s such a gut-punch when that Bride behaves more like a grade school bully or a hot tempered drill sergeant.

What do you do with that reality, a reality that sometime hurts? Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin aren’t interested in 140 characters of tweetable comfort. They’d rather share their own stories of being both the wounded and the wounder. Plus they offer practical, yes-you-can-do-this steps to moving forward in those times not if, but when the Church hurts.

Bride(zilla) of Christ is a verbal I.V. dripping with the mercy found only in Christ. Though you’ve been wronged, or perhaps wronged another, there is cause for great hope. The hurt is not the deepest thing. Grace is deeper still."

I really enjoyed the Bride(zilla) of Christ. Many people are afraid to tackle this issue and Kluck and Martin do so in a sensitive but honest way. With humor and candor, they offer practical tips and advice. It doesn't feel good to be hurt by the church or the people in it, but if we're honest we have to admit we've more than likely hurt others in the church body as well. The authors use their own powerful stories, examples, and illustrations to help us get through either side of this thorny problem. This book is a must-read for all church members. I found myself thinking of the oft-repeated quote while reading this book, "Our idols will always break our hearts". We should always look to Jesus for comfort and hope, and realize that the bride of Christ is made up of sinners, and none of us are perfect.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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