Most of us fall into one of three categories: those still on a quest to please God, those who have given up trying because they realized they cannot accomplish what they're being told pleases God, and those who don't even bother trying in the first place because the task seems too daunting. How would each of those groups be affected if we found out those "tasks"—the things we think impress God—actually do the opposite? What if we found out we have the wrong approach? What if our set of ideals has been tainted? What if our perceived sense of righteousness is all wrong? Regardless of which group you find yourself in at this moment, would those realities not cause you to reevaluate everything? After all, this could radically change things, not only in our own lives, but also in our churches and ultimately the world.
In Rude Awakening, Mark Donnelly describes the soul-searching that took place after a near-drowning experience, during which he had a horrific realization that he had completely missed what God really expects. The book is written not as a list of suggestions regarding what the church supposedly needs but rather as a set of confessions about how badly the author missed the mark in his own life. It is not about criticism but rather about a renewal of passion and a regeneration of true, multi-directional love.
