"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve. But that was before any of this happened."That's an excerpt from Blue Like Jazz: Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality, by Donald Miller (for those of you who attend LOFT, this is the book we will be discussing at Sonny's BBQ on Monday). I thought that I would do a little book report for those of you who didn't read it so you can at least get a grasp on Miller's thoughts and ideas throughout the book. (But I still recommend you read the book yourself!)
In Donald Miller’s early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
I'm not going to tell you what I think of the book because you'll find that out on Monday, but I will give you some excerpts from the book that I loved and quote a few reviewers.
“I know our culture will sometimes understand a love for Jesus as weakness. There is this lie floating around that says I am supposed to be able to do life alone, without any help, without stopping to worship something bigger than myself. But I actually believe there is something bigger than me, and I need for there to be something bigger than me. I need someone to put awe inside me; I need to come second to someone who has everything figured out.” - Blue like Jazz
"What I appreciate most about Blue Like Jazz is its surprising relevance to contemporary Christian spirituality. By reflecting vulnerably on his experiences in school, at work, with friends, and at church, Miller is sure to strike chords within readers from a variety of backgrounds. Despite the shortcomings of humanity's attempt to cultivate Christian community, Miller urges us not to give up pursuing the ideal. Blue Like Jazz calls its readers to be authentic in their relationships with God, others, and themselves." - Review excerpt by Joseph Thouvenel
"I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn't. It's a chocolate thing." - Blue like Jazz
"This is a book worth reading. We're the richer for reading it, because Miller has given us a living, breathing example of a follower of Jesus who has expressed his many doubts about God and revealed his many frustrations with Christianity, and not only lived through it but actually got his book published by a Christian publisher. That's empowering.Miller accomplishes all this through a series of memoirish essays arranged topically. That's an accurate description of the structure, but there's a whole lot more life in the book than in that description. Much of that life takes the form of Miller's friends and acquaintances --- Andrew the Protester, Tony the Beat Poet, Mark the Cussing Pastor ("maybe he didn't know he wasn't supposed to say cuss words and be a pastor") --- and Miller himself, the borderline Captain Trendy Spiritual Writer." -Review by Marcia Ford.
"I never liked it when the preachers said we had to follow Jesus. sometimes they would make Him sound angry. But I liked the story the folksinger told. I like the idea of Jesus becoming man, so that we would be able to trust Him, and I like that He healed people and loved them and cared deeply about how people were feeling.
When I understood that the decision to follow Jesus was very much like the decision the hostages had to make to follow their rescuer, I knew then that I needed to decide whether or not I would follow Him. The decision became easy once i asked myself, Is Jesus the Son of God,are we being held captive in a world run by Satan, a world fileld with brokenness, and do I believe Jesus can rescue me from this condition?" -Blue Like Jazz
I'm not going to tell you what I think of the book because you'll find that out on Monday, but I will give you some excerpts from the book that I loved and quote a few reviewers.
“I know our culture will sometimes understand a love for Jesus as weakness. There is this lie floating around that says I am supposed to be able to do life alone, without any help, without stopping to worship something bigger than myself. But I actually believe there is something bigger than me, and I need for there to be something bigger than me. I need someone to put awe inside me; I need to come second to someone who has everything figured out.” - Blue like Jazz
"What I appreciate most about Blue Like Jazz is its surprising relevance to contemporary Christian spirituality. By reflecting vulnerably on his experiences in school, at work, with friends, and at church, Miller is sure to strike chords within readers from a variety of backgrounds. Despite the shortcomings of humanity's attempt to cultivate Christian community, Miller urges us not to give up pursuing the ideal. Blue Like Jazz calls its readers to be authentic in their relationships with God, others, and themselves." - Review excerpt by Joseph Thouvenel
"I always thought the Bible was more of a salad thing, you know, but it isn't. It's a chocolate thing." - Blue like Jazz
"This is a book worth reading. We're the richer for reading it, because Miller has given us a living, breathing example of a follower of Jesus who has expressed his many doubts about God and revealed his many frustrations with Christianity, and not only lived through it but actually got his book published by a Christian publisher. That's empowering.Miller accomplishes all this through a series of memoirish essays arranged topically. That's an accurate description of the structure, but there's a whole lot more life in the book than in that description. Much of that life takes the form of Miller's friends and acquaintances --- Andrew the Protester, Tony the Beat Poet, Mark the Cussing Pastor ("maybe he didn't know he wasn't supposed to say cuss words and be a pastor") --- and Miller himself, the borderline Captain Trendy Spiritual Writer." -Review by Marcia Ford.
"I never liked it when the preachers said we had to follow Jesus. sometimes they would make Him sound angry. But I liked the story the folksinger told. I like the idea of Jesus becoming man, so that we would be able to trust Him, and I like that He healed people and loved them and cared deeply about how people were feeling.
When I understood that the decision to follow Jesus was very much like the decision the hostages had to make to follow their rescuer, I knew then that I needed to decide whether or not I would follow Him. The decision became easy once i asked myself, Is Jesus the Son of God,are we being held captive in a world run by Satan, a world fileld with brokenness, and do I believe Jesus can rescue me from this condition?" -Blue Like Jazz
Don't have time or not much of a reader? Try downloading the audiobook. It's worth it!
What'd you think of the book? Favorite quotes?
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