“The Cost of Community is more than just a re-examination of a medieval saint who modeled what it means to take Christ’s words literally and live them out. It is also a moving record of how some Christians have endeavored to re-embody the Franciscan movement in the twenty-first century. This book deserves two thumbs up from any who read it.”

Shane Claiborne, author, activist and recovering sinner, www.thesimpleway.org:

“In the middle of holy wars and prosperity preaching, Francis of Assisi said no to a Christianity that had grown sick, and he said yes to Jesus. He heard a little whisper from God say, “Repair my church, which is in ruins.” His life is as prophetic today as it was eight hundred years ago. Jamie Arpin-Ricci’s book invites you to follow Francis as he follows Jesus–away from the war drums and shopping malls, and into the streets and slums. It is an invitation to live daringly–to love the earth and all God’s creatures, to care for the poor and suffering, and to consider the innocence of the lillies and the sparrows. It is an invitation to strip off all the clutter and truly be free.”

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From IVPress:

Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .

So begins the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ great message to everyone with ears to hear. St. Francis of Assisi heard its message and challenged the church and empire of his day by ordering his life around it–giving up his power, wealth and privileges; claiming the poor and powerful alike as his brothers and sisters; and loving Islamic neighbors even as his church and state waged war on them.

Centuries later, Jamie Arpin-Ricci and his friends and neighbors in the new monastic community of Little Flowers in urban Winnipeg likewise heard Jesus’ message and ordered their lives around it. This book is Jamie’s field report, offering surprising insights about what life together in the spirit of Jesus’ teachings offers us, and what it demands of us.

The sermon still rings out today, offering perplexing encouragement and at times daunting challenges to us and our neighbors. Will you hear what Jesus has to say?