Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace

If along with most people you've ever wondered what God possibly could do to transform your pitiful attitudes and pathetic lack of alignment with the demands of the commands, this collection of stories from Chicago Sun-Times religion columnist Cathleen Falsani's recent peregrinations will give you hope and keep you keepin' on, since God lovingly reigns with showers of mercy-filled grace, no matter who, no matter what, no matter when. On page 57 Cathleen cites a couple of "grace" examples that especially resonate with me: "Sometimes it's having the guts to rebuild, to take a chance, to follow your nose and your heart rather than your head." "Sometimes grace is finding out that your preconceived notions are dead wrong." "And sometimes it's a bowl of watermelon gazpacho when you were expecting Taco Bell." Discussing the possibility of following precise recipes for spiritual and religious experience and renewal (there aren't any), Cathleen described herself as "rhubarb pie with pistachio ice cream," making me wonder how to describe myself in food, and maybe how I'd describe some of the people I've met. Cathleen's book chronicles God's "audacious" grace, as she sometimes styles it; and in its free, elusive, characteristically unanticipated and unexpectedness, Grace is audacious, bold and wild. But just as much, grace often is physically tastable, audible, visible, aromatic and touchable: incarnate and enfleshed; in that case, where can grace lead us? What is our response in the Spirit to the Divine Image in which we've been created? I predict you'll enjoy this book, you'll recommend it and you'll probably want to read it again!

This book is one of those books that I call a "well duh" book. It re-opened my eyes to the bits of grace all around me. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own little worlds that we miss Grace staring us in the face. Well Duh, of course Grace is there, I just need to wake up. The essays in Sin Boldly are simply beautiful...grace.

Cathleen Falsoni has bravely written her memiors of grace intersecting her own life. Cathleen writes with a nimble style, charged with wit and intelligence. In a variety of settings, from Africa to a reeling New Orleans, Cathleen catalogues her surpising run-ins with God's favor. Some of these encounters are subtle while others are breath-taking. What is always true of Cathleen is that she refuses to protect herself with her writing. Cathleen presents herself fully human so we can appreciate the beauty of God intersecting her life. For me, that transparency provoked a fresh encounter with grace.

Cathleen Falsani's new book "Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace" is the author's journey around the US, Africa and other places where she experiences grace in places both large and small. The author calls it "gracespotting" and whether on the cobblestone streets of Rome, in the halls of Graceland, driving the rainy roads of post-Katrina Bay St. Louis, trekking through the slums of Nairobi, attending a Passover Seder with the only Rabbi in the state of Montana, or curled up with her cat, Ms Falsani finds grace in the unexpected. Grace that she describes as "the oxygen of religious life." The writer is the religion columnist for the Chicago Sun Times and a blogger I read regularly. Her style, exhibits her own uniqueness as a writer, but could be described as Anne Lamott meets David Sedaris. She is a storyteller above all and the stories of the people and places she encounters, around the world, on her quest to find grace are each unique expressions of finding grace when she least expected it or when she needs it the most. For the author grace is the "lagniappe" of life. This lagniappe, a cajun word to describe that surprise bonus given to customers for good measure, is there for each of us every day.

I loved the essays in this book--thoughtful, intelligent, and filled with grace. If you need faith boost (or a total realignment) this is a great place to start.