Embracing the Mess: A Look at 'A Beautiful, Messy Life' by Shane St Reynolds

Content warning: If you are in crisis, please use the support resources at the end of this post.

A brief announcement

Today is the author’s birthday — and after many years carrying this story, Shane St Reynolds is releasing his eleventh book, A Beautiful Messy Life: The Discipline of Resurrection. The book will be published by Saint Publishing Australia and is scheduled for release on 9 November 2025 (ISBN: 9798272939036). Written from the middle of recovery work, it reads like a map home from the wreckage — honest, unvarnished, and faith-rooted.

Why this book matters for progressive Christians

This is not a tidy spiritual manual. It’s testimony: a lived account of hitting rock bottom and learning that wreckage can be reclaimed. 

For progressive Christians who value vulnerability, social accountability, and a theology that honours human brokenness, this book offers:

• A theology of resurrection that takes scars seriously rather than erasing them.
• Honest stories that destigmatise mental-health struggles and addiction.
• Practical spiritual and emotional disciplines for rebuilding a life with integrity.

What’s inside

• First-person accounts:  journals, the work of making amends, and practical steps taken on the road to recovery.
• Faith-informed chapters exploring “rock bottom” as a starting place for spiritual formation and the day-to-day discipline of showing up for life.
• Journal entries and concrete resources for ongoing recovery.
• A refusal to gloss over pain, paired with a hopeful frame that sees resurrection as communal and restorative.

All net proceeds will be donated to the Black Dog Institute — a clear sign that the project is oriented toward public care and mental-health support.

How you can help

• Read, pre-order, or share if you’re able — proceeds support mental-health work through the Black Dog Institute.
• If this resonates, tell someone who might need to hear it. Honest conversations save lives.
• Share the book with your community, congregation, or support groups; leave a review when you can.

Connect with the author and resources

• For coaching, speaking, or direct connection: www.shanereynolds.com.au
• Additional resources compiled by the author: thegoodnewsblog.org

Pre-order the book

Click the link below to pre-order your copy of A Beautiful Messy Life.

Pre-Order Now

A note of gratitude

This book is an invitation to live honestly in the mess, to practice resurrection together, and to hold one another as God redeems.

Crisis & support (Australia)

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14 (24/7) or text 0477 13 11 14
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
QLife (LGBTIQ+): 1800 184 527 (3 pm–midnight)
If anyone is in immediate danger call 000.