Anne Jackson, Permission to Speak Freely: Essays and Art on Fear, Confession, and Grace (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010). $16.99, 224 pages.

In 2008, Anne Jackson posted the following question on her blog (FlowerDust.net): “What is one thing you feel you can’t say in church?” Her new book, Permission to Speak Freely, provides answers to that question based largely on her own life experience, but also on the replies to her blog post she received from others. Her life experience provides the essays and their replies provide the art that make up the book’s content.

Most people don’t feel they can speak freely in church because of fear. Fear of judgment and rejection drives them to keep quiet about their sins, hurts, and weaknesses. Fear prevents them from experiencing the grace of God that forgives, heals, and empowers.

Jackson candidly narrates her story of finding grace after growing up in and growing cold to God because of spiritually toxic churches. Hurt by Christians, abused by a youth pastor, addicted to porn, Jackson ran from God and from church, but God won her back. Rather than hiding her struggles, Jackson began to share them with others, finding that they struggled too. And with that confession came grace, friendship, and change.

Many people, hurt by spiritually toxic churches, have left the church behind entirely. Not Jackson. Nevertheless, this candid memoir challenges the way many churches do business. They fear confession because they want to avoid the messiness sin and addiction wreak on people’s lives. But a church that is closed to confession cannot be open to grace.

To find out how openness to grace may change your life and the lives of others, read this book. Then give others permission to speak freely.

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Check out my video interview with Anne Jackson here: