Messy Jesus Business podcast and blog

Exploring the mess of Radical Discipleship

Along with an eclectic crew of Gospel-centered rabble rousers, Sister Julia Walsh, FSPA started Messy Jesus Business in 2010. What started as a tiny corner of the internet offering reflections focused on following Jesus in the day-to-day grew to become a community grappling with how messy it is to take Jesus’ teachings seriously.

Here you will find courage, compassion, and reality. Forget the polished and tidy versions of faith. The blog posts, poems, prayers, conversations, and podcast episodes found here don’t hide our doubts, disappointments, and heartache. In our archives you will find the disturbance of confronting white supremacy and misogyny mixed in with the grit of growing our own food, dumpster diving, and protest. 

We believe that radical Gospel living means we have to raise our voices and change our hearts and our lives. Along with Jesus, our main influencers are Saints Francis and Clare and all the other upside-down Franciscan status quo upsetters. We love neighbors, oppose war, build community, and stand with the poor and oppressed because we believe such actions are holy. We are authentic and honest. We acknowledge scandals and allow for despair. We admit it’s tough to forgive and love our enemies. It’s our experience that being Christian today is countercultural, complicated, and also glorious. By God’s grace and our generous collaborators, we have a medley of momentum and encouragement here for you.

In 2026, the Holy Spirit messed up the regular rhythms on this site and Messy Jesus Business became a living library of inspiration for contemplatives in action who are eager to disturb the comfortable and bring folks to the Bible basics of praying on the streets, welcoming strangers and immigrants, breaking bread, and the whimsical, wild, faithful practice of being real about our hope and love. 

Welcome to the mess!