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WOW!!!!
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve.
But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone.
I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music.
Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.
It is as if they are showing you the way.
I used to not like God because God didn’t resolve.
But that was before any of this happened."As i stood at our local Borders reading the preface of Blue Like Jazz, something within me sceamed
This is what its about!Words cannot do it justice. Just read it!
JamieJoy Lidberg about 1 year ago
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too right.
Anonymous User about 1 year agoI totally agree. It seems that sometimes you have to experience the heart of something before the clarity comes. BLJ was one of those times where the clarity came through in the experience.
Facebook-användare about 1 year agoI'm not gonna deny that this book is a great read but you guys really need to think about your theology. Faith is not like Penguin Sex. Donald Miller is intriguing and I think He nails a lot of problems right on the head. But his answers to the problems... He's pulling them out of what I would call a "sounds good" theology. It's not necesarily biblical but it "sounds good". I think you have to be carefull with books like this becuase Donald Miller is part of the emergent church and tho it looks good on the outside they have some weird beliefs.
Andrew Linderer about 1 year agoweird according to you. Donald Miller's book isn't a cut and dry theology book and really isn't meant to be. it's more so a book of honest questions and contemplations. i think God can handle honest questions and doubts. if he can't, then what kind of image of God have we fashioned in our minds.
Ben Pennington about 1 year agoWhat are the theological problems you have with BLJ? I didn't read it for face value. I'm a seminary grad, by the way (from what many would call a "conservative" institution). Like it or not the postmodern generation thinks in a way that resonates with Miller. BTW...emergent isn't all bad. It's like any other movement in church - extremes are inevitable. The very fact that you would say "they have some weird beliefs" runs counter to what "emergent" embraces. If "weird beliefs" are being authentic, embracing the history of the Church of Jesus Christ, of putting faith into action, of walking the walk and talking the talk, of journeying alongside those who are hurt and broken, of allowing God to be the judge, of loving people into the kingdom through teaching the truth that God is both a God of love AND justice....then what faith do you represent? All due respect. I'm not trying to start an argument - I'm just theologically curious!
Facebook-användare about 1 year agoWell praise God we are followers of Christ and His word, not Donald Miller. I agree that some parts weren't stemmed in solid biblical principles, however, after reading the book I feel that I had a better appreciation for God. Also, it caused me to reavaluate my comfortable "fish bowl" Christian life. Good read -- probably more sterred for the new Christian or those who are searching.
Jonny Radcliff about 1 year agoThe sub-title IS "NONRELIGIOUS thoughts on christian spirituality". So, You're right when you say that this book is not concentrating on biblical theology, because he wasn't trying to. Read "Searching for God Knows What" there's some theology for you. But Blue Like Jazz is a very personable book and I think just about ever follower of christ can relate in some way at some point in this book. It will definitely make you think.
Facebook-användare about 1 year agoHave faith in the living God who calls us to him. What this book may lack in black and white theology it more than makes up in honesty and I think Don Miller is one who worships "in spirit and in truth". Loved the book and it has opened up several conversations that were nothing less that worship.
Sam Clark about 1 year agoHey Carol thanks for your theological curiosity.
When I speak of the emergent church, obviously I must speak in generalities because the emergent church, almost by definition, is unorganized. One concern I have with them is their desire to deconstruct the church and quit using what they call "christianese". The emergent church seems to find the need to become more culturally savy and while I see the problem that they see in the modern church I struggle with what I see as a compromise. I feel like many times when you compromise in order to make the gospel more "culture friendly" you loose something. Christ was never culturally savy. He was counter culture. Paul was the same way. Christians throughout history have been killed for being counter cultural and this is what Christ called them to. He told us that the world would hate us because they hated him. I feel like the emergent church is trying to smooth out that hatred by being overly tolerant. Again this is just my opinion.
I also really struggle with the idea of a postmodern hermeneutic and the plurality of scripture which are both common in the emergent thought proces. When you start messing with hermeneutics it's hard to maintain that the bible is inerant, infallible, and inspired. If the Bible is erant, fallible, or not inspired then you get a lot of problems and you end up with a lack of unity in the church because everybody reads the Bible a different way. It's based on your own personal life experiences.
There are quite a few things that make me uncomfortable but this will be the last one for now. When you get in to post modern thought you start to loose absolute truth. When you lose absolute truth you are really gonna start to struggle with scripture and with life in general. Jesus says there is only one way. He didn't sit down and have a conversation and talk about life experiences in order to figure out what theology was and what God everybody should serve.
I'm not trying to trash a people group I just struggle with some of their beliefs and while I really like that they have not just taken their faith at face value, I feel like they have compromised in some important issues. I think that the emergent church has noticed some huge problems in the modern church. They see that the church is very often fake and insincere and I love the focus on authenticity. I also love that they question things constantly. They take nothing for granted but it seems that many times, not always but many times, they look to life experience rather than scripture to find the answeres to the problems. I really think this is dangerous. It's the whole idea of faith being a feeling that I really struggle with because if faith is like a feeling then it changes constantly. If faith changes constantly then I'm only saved some times. That sucks.
Andrew Linderer about 1 year agoAgain I wasn't trying to be a jerk in my first post and after reading it again I realise that I came off a little arrogant. That's not me at all. I just have some concerns with the emergent church movement. Hope all this makes sense. I would love to dialoge more on this.
I just loved this book - it made me laugh at my own ways of going about my faith in Jesus, and it left me with one of those amazing moments of knowing God loves me immensely just the way I am.
Facebook-användare about 1 year ago'In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.' -Augustine
Your thinking on the 'emergent' church is replete with over-generalizations, which makes it nearly impossible to have a simple conversation. I don't know you, but it appears that your fears are based on either a small segment of the 'emergent' church, or the teachings of someone who believes they are a theology watch-dog for the body of Christ.
I am heavily involved in a church that is not 'emergent' (whatever that means), and in my city have the pleasure of praying and working with leaders from many denominations (traditional and emergent). The traditional denominations don't agree on everything, nor will they agree with everything the emergent church believes, and vice versa. When we stop keying on our minor differences and being afraid of each other, we just might come together on the essentials that we agree on long enough to be the Church, the salt and light to those who are lost, dying and broken without Jesus Christ.
Blue Like Jazz was a great book...Whether you agree completely with his theology, (which I don't think he really brought up that much...now that I think about it) or not...I think it is a book that makes us examine ourselves. Shouldn't we all be tired of reading books that just reinforce in us what we already think?
Ryan Rhoden about 1 year agoWow, some heated debate of this book; finally. I'm not here to dispute the fact that Miller is a very talented writer or even to argue the novel's theological soundness. Miller provided a unique perspective on Christianity that I appreciate. He definitely unearths some nuggets of gold. However, my concern is that non-Christians will take this text and fully digest it, rather than sift through it. It's smooth. Too smooth; it's misleading. Christ calls us to purity and perfection, that we may stand blameless in His sight. There were numerous things Miller glossed over that exposed areas in his life and lives of those he looked to for guidance, that were no where near acceptable by Christ's standards.
Lauren Di Matteo about 1 year agoWell said Lauren. I fully agree. You have a great point and I think you verbalized my concerns as well better than I did. I think a lot of christians, young and old, have taken the text and fully digested it. I really feel like that is dangerous with any book or author. No persons theology is perfect, mine included, and we need to learn to chew up the meat and spit out the bones. Unfortunately, in my rarely humble opinion, BLJ has way more bones than meat.
Andrew Linderer about 1 year agoI loved this book! Sure there were some things to question and some things I disagreed with, but I still loved it. Why would a conservative 48 year old pastor who believes in innerancy and spent 10 years as a foreign missionary love this book so much? Because I am currently planting a church among 20-somethings who have not liked church before now and I know of so many people who had the same reaction as the original "WOW!!!" poster.
BLJ takes a personal approach as it leads non-religious people, who probably don't trust the Bible or Christians, toward trusting Jesus, and then the Bible and God's followers. I passionately desire to share God's love in a way that is experienced as loving by people who are far from God. Donald Miller and Blue Like Jazz helped me learn to do that more effectively without compromising what I believe. Thanks, Don, for a great book!
Stephen Feild about 1 year agoYes, exactly! It also left me with the realization that my responsibility as a Christian is to see others as God
Terri Ellen about 1 year agoloves them (not always so easy!). Then I learned that this is not all I need to do - and to figure out what else,
I'm resorting to (gasp) reading the Bible!
Isn't it joyful to be loved?
i'm glad that God doesn't require me to be righteous to spend eternity with him. He accepts Jesus' righteousness instead. I've accepted it. Do I live however I want? Of course not. But I do live in the freedom to serve God more than is required. This isn't legalism. This is the victorious Christian life.
I don't think Miller glossed anything over at all. He just didn't mention it because it was a non-issue. Beer, for instance. He clearly says that it was wrong for him to get drunk, but not to drink a beer. Proverbs even talks about giving people who are hurting and struggling wine (or beer, depending on your translation) so they will forget their troubles.
I dealt with this big time: Taking the things I was taught as a child and deciding, from Scripture, if they are true. We must very careful of following God's standards, not man's.
Grace and peace.
Facebook-användare about 1 year agoWhat did you think of Penny's story about becoming a Christian? Biblical? Not Biblical? Weird?
As far as THE EMERGENT CHURCH goes, it's not really a monolithic movement, as far as I can tell. It's like someone criticizing me because I'm a Southern Baptist, or a Protestant. Or me criticizing Mother Teresa because she was Catholic. People get grouped together and labeled, and it's not always fair.
And, bro, Jesus expressed some weird beliefs. Think about that.
It's better to be a postmodern Christian than a post-Christian modern.
Joe Gordon Gill about 1 year agoAmen.
Joe Gordon Gill about 1 year agoIn contrast, I would give this book to every non-Christian I know.
Joe Gordon Gill about 1 year ago