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Lost, Hidden, Small: Finding the Way of Jesus Where We Never Think to Look
The Christian industrial complex teaches us that whatever is centered, celebrated, and large is a movement of God, and that Jesus is at work in existing structures. So why are we surprised that many churches are obsessed with power, size, and reputation—and that people are leaving them in droves?
Jesus warned us not to expect his reign to resemble the empire. He knew it would be hard for us to recognize true faithfulness, so he gave us sacred stories. In parables we learn of lost coins and sheep and people being found, of hidden treasure being uncovered, and of small and weak things that heal and transform. In Lost, Hidden, Small, pastor Kate Murphy excavates the wisdom of Jesus's parables.
She tells stories of failures in the dominant church, of broken places within herself, and of an exploding watermelon that sends her over the edge.
Living faithfully in a culture of violence, hierarchy, and supremacy, Murphy maintains, means following Jesus into weakness, loss, and even despair. But this is not some bitter prescription for a dying church. It's the story of how sometimes what seems undesirable actually satisfies. Sometimes what looks as if it will diminish you ends up being what saves. Sometimes following the way of Jesus means letting yourself be astounded by the authentic grace of what is lost, hidden, and small.
Jesus warned us not to expect his reign to resemble the empire. He knew it would be hard for us to recognize true faithfulness, so he gave us sacred stories. In parables we learn of lost coins and sheep and people being found, of hidden treasure being uncovered, and of small and weak things that heal and transform. In Lost, Hidden, Small, pastor Kate Murphy excavates the wisdom of Jesus's parables.
She tells stories of failures in the dominant church, of broken places within herself, and of an exploding watermelon that sends her over the edge.
Living faithfully in a culture of violence, hierarchy, and supremacy, Murphy maintains, means following Jesus into weakness, loss, and even despair. But this is not some bitter prescription for a dying church. It's the story of how sometimes what seems undesirable actually satisfies. Sometimes what looks as if it will diminish you ends up being what saves. Sometimes following the way of Jesus means letting yourself be astounded by the authentic grace of what is lost, hidden, and small.
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2025
3 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 25, 2025
A wonderful devotional exploration of the Kingdom of God through the lens of Jesus' parables, and a pastor's journey of faithfulness with a small church in a non-glamorous environment.
"Recovering sight is as the very center of Jesus's mission. It's a spiritual transformation he offers all of us, regardless of how well we believe we can see. In fact, those who think they can already see are the ones who need sight recovery most. In restoring the sight of the blind, Jesus is naming the spiritual catalyst that makes all the other things on the list possible." (7)
"An invasive ideology has corrupted the revelation of Jesus. It is identified by many different labels: white Christian nationalism, consumer Christianity, colonized Christianity, empire Christianity, and more.... It teaches Christians that whatever is centered, celebrated, and large in our cultre is a movement of God. It announced that Jesus is at work in the existing dominant power structures and systems of this world. As a result of this invasive ideology, the North American church has an idolatrous obsession with power, size, and reputation. We can't perceive anything else as beautiful." (10-11)
"Church fathers and mothers wrote about Deus absconditus: the fundamental unknowability of the essence of God. This is not the God we would choose. This is not the God we would create. But the witness of Scripture is clear This is the God we have. God is incarnate. God is with us. God is near. And also, God is hidden. God must be sought. God often seems absent." (78)
"The kingdom of heaven entered into history with the birth of the Messiah and began offering citizenship to spiritual refugees with the inauguration of his ministry. Anyone righteous, foolish, or desparate enough to leave behind all they knew, cross the wild seas of unknowing and unlearning, and enter into a new and unfamiliar way of being is always welcomed in. All who inexplicably choose to follow him when he says 'come and see' discover that though his way often feels like death, it is, in fact, the way of abundant life." (155)
"The holy grace of God is corrupting the profane. With the incarnation, the undiluted holiness of grace has been mixed back into the measure of creation. In the former days, leaven was a symbol of the explosive power of death and decay, its mere presence believed powerful enough to desecrate the holy. But in the new realm, it is the sacred that has become infectious." (162)
"Western Christianity has gotten the kingdom of God violently, tragically, and blasphemously wrong.... We looked around and saw the dominance of empires and the power of the cultures of scarcity, violence, and death. We imagined God was at work transforming and harnessing that culture for goodness' sake. We couldn't imagine any other kind of power except the power to kill and destroy anything that would not yield. We couldn't imagine a kingdom built by nourishing and not bloodshed." (163-164)
"Recovering sight is as the very center of Jesus's mission. It's a spiritual transformation he offers all of us, regardless of how well we believe we can see. In fact, those who think they can already see are the ones who need sight recovery most. In restoring the sight of the blind, Jesus is naming the spiritual catalyst that makes all the other things on the list possible." (7)
"An invasive ideology has corrupted the revelation of Jesus. It is identified by many different labels: white Christian nationalism, consumer Christianity, colonized Christianity, empire Christianity, and more.... It teaches Christians that whatever is centered, celebrated, and large in our cultre is a movement of God. It announced that Jesus is at work in the existing dominant power structures and systems of this world. As a result of this invasive ideology, the North American church has an idolatrous obsession with power, size, and reputation. We can't perceive anything else as beautiful." (10-11)
"Church fathers and mothers wrote about Deus absconditus: the fundamental unknowability of the essence of God. This is not the God we would choose. This is not the God we would create. But the witness of Scripture is clear This is the God we have. God is incarnate. God is with us. God is near. And also, God is hidden. God must be sought. God often seems absent." (78)
"The kingdom of heaven entered into history with the birth of the Messiah and began offering citizenship to spiritual refugees with the inauguration of his ministry. Anyone righteous, foolish, or desparate enough to leave behind all they knew, cross the wild seas of unknowing and unlearning, and enter into a new and unfamiliar way of being is always welcomed in. All who inexplicably choose to follow him when he says 'come and see' discover that though his way often feels like death, it is, in fact, the way of abundant life." (155)
"The holy grace of God is corrupting the profane. With the incarnation, the undiluted holiness of grace has been mixed back into the measure of creation. In the former days, leaven was a symbol of the explosive power of death and decay, its mere presence believed powerful enough to desecrate the holy. But in the new realm, it is the sacred that has become infectious." (162)
"Western Christianity has gotten the kingdom of God violently, tragically, and blasphemously wrong.... We looked around and saw the dominance of empires and the power of the cultures of scarcity, violence, and death. We imagined God was at work transforming and harnessing that culture for goodness' sake. We couldn't imagine any other kind of power except the power to kill and destroy anything that would not yield. We couldn't imagine a kingdom built by nourishing and not bloodshed." (163-164)
October 2, 2025
"Lost, Hidden, Small: Finding the Way of Jesus Where We Never Think to Look" by Pastor Kate Murphy presents a countercultural perspective on faith, the church, and Jesus that is both challenging and comforting. This is not a story of how the prosperity gospel comes to fruition, instead the author reminds us of what the ministry of Jesus really looked like and then asks us are we ready to find the beauty in the small, can we be lost, and ultimately can we have faith even when the promise is that He will be with us through the hard times, not that we won't have hard times.
This book challenges us to think and act differently, and the author's vulnerability in sharing her own human struggles makes the theoretical accessible for the reader. I was especially challenged by the section on repentance.
Reading this book, I thought what a wonderful book it would be for small group faith-sharing discussions, and I found myself highlighting so many paragraphs for reflection, and then I got to the end of the book, where there were excellent reflection/discussion questions.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 5 Star read and I will be ordering additional copies to share with others.
This book challenges us to think and act differently, and the author's vulnerability in sharing her own human struggles makes the theoretical accessible for the reader. I was especially challenged by the section on repentance.
Reading this book, I thought what a wonderful book it would be for small group faith-sharing discussions, and I found myself highlighting so many paragraphs for reflection, and then I got to the end of the book, where there were excellent reflection/discussion questions.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 5 Star read and I will be ordering additional copies to share with others.
September 22, 2025
When Anne Lamott blurbs a book it becomes a must read for me. I have read other books Anne recommends and they resonated. Lost, Hidden, Small resonated less. The parts of the book that resonated the most were when the author shares her personal experiences as a pastor and mother. The book was heavily focused on theological and biblical interpretation. I was hoping for more answers on how to live in this world and navigate the "Christian industrial complex," but I found myself going in circles, unsure of where the journey takes me.
That said, I think this book would be a wonderful choice for a group setting. For the right reader/s, it will be a challenging and insightful read that encourages a deeper understanding of faith. It's still a 5 star book because I think some readers will absolutely find value in the book that really challenges a deeper understanding of the scripture. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prior to publication.
That said, I think this book would be a wonderful choice for a group setting. For the right reader/s, it will be a challenging and insightful read that encourages a deeper understanding of faith. It's still a 5 star book because I think some readers will absolutely find value in the book that really challenges a deeper understanding of the scripture. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this prior to publication.
November 19, 2025
I really loved this book. To think that I lived on the outskirts of Charlotte, NC for 13 years and didn't know about Kate Haynes Murphy or her church makes me sad. I would have happily driven an hour every Sunday to hear anything and everything she'd be teaching or preaching - on any subject. Bottom line, though, I didn't finish this book thinking, "Wow! Isn't Kate Haynes Murphy great!", (although that thought did cross my mind); I finished this book thinking, "Wow! Isn't God great!"
I believe that was the point. :-)
I believe that was the point. :-)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews