The Surprising Grace of Disappointment, by John Koessler

In his new book The Surprising Grace of Disappointment, John Koessler, chair of the pastoral studies department at Moody Bible Institute, has said out loud what many of us feel but would not be willing to voice: sometimes being a Christian is a disappointment.  Sometimes Jesus is a disappointment.  I know I have felt like that.  I hear about revivals in the past and pray for revivals in the future, but long to be there when it happens.  I hear stories of miracles, manifestations, visions and dreams, visitations, but they always seem to happen to someone else.

All Christians long for, or should long for, intimacy with Christ, but we sometimes use language that is reserved for physical intimacy rather than that mediated by the Holy Spirit.  While I have no doubt that Jesus manifests himself in tangible ways, to expect that he does all the time is to set oneself up for disappointment.  We might prefer that, and even expect that if only we had better spiritual discipline we would have a deeper experience.  But we "should not turn to the mechanics of the spiritual disciplines hoping that they will generate a sense of His presence."

When we hear stories in the Bible or from the experiences of other Christians about healing or miraculous provision, it's tempting to think that is the normative way God deals with us.  But "there are some things God will not normally do except through the ordinary means of human effort."  Sometimes we have to take action; it may be that Jesus would say, "Do all that can be done first, before you come crying to me."

We are also sometimes tempted to think that when things are going well in our spiritual life, we'll be happy; if someone's not happy, clearly it's because they are not right with God.  Not so fast: "The pressure for Christians to present a bright and cheery face to the world does not come from God.  If you doubt this, read the Beatitudes."

Keossler's writing is pastoral, scriptural, and reasonable.  I just wonder if he undersells the Christian life.  He says all the right things, about submission to God, God's sovereignty, righteousness, and faith, but I was left wondering if it's really better to be OK with disappointment, or to continue to long for more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!