Blue Like Jazz

[Michael]

I just read on another forum that a couple was asked to resign from the drama ministry at their church because they read and "liked" Don Miller's book, "Blue Like Jazz". *sigh*

But then again, the publisher said that his book was the edgiest book they have ever published. They usually don't publish books like that because so many Christian booksellers are so very conservative. But they cannot keep it on the shelves in secular bookstores. ha!

I'm going to try to find that forum again and put a link to this forum for that couple.

I've given away two copies of the book so far. One friend, the recovering fundie that I mentioned in other posts, is reading it with one of his teenage sons. very cool.

In His Grace,

Michael

[Katie]

Michael,
I just wanted to say, I really like your taste in books!

Many of your favorites are on my need to read list. It's interesting how different "streams" of Christianity have different book selections.

I'm wishing I could just trade in my huge library of charismatic books for the ones you listed awhile back.

Katie

[Michael]

Katie,

I have so many books! Part of the reason is that I it's one of the ways I have learned to cope with life. First, I have always read to escape. Secondly, I have long looked to the next book as the one that will have "the answer" which will make it all easy. Thirdly, I have read because of an internal belief that I am what I read.

What I mean by the second point is that even though I know better, I still find myself wanting a new book when I am stressed. Part of that is stimulation addiction. I am jazzed by new concepts. Which leads to point three.

For most of my life, I have been fascinated by learning. There have been some very positive benefits to that. But it has also fed a great deal of arrogance, cynicism, impatience, judgementalism, condescension, and other character defects in my life. One particular issue has been a desire to "show off" my "newest concept".

I remember a VP at work who was in a bit of a competition with his boss, a senior VP. The VP would find a new book on a certain business subject, buy it and read it, in part because he was sincerely interested in the subject, but also because he wanted to find a book and read it before the senior VP did. It was a friendly competition. The VP never did, as far I remember.

I am like that VP at times. I want to read the latest book on grace, or on "authentic Christian spirituality", etc. I hate that trait in me. It has gotten so much better than it used to be. In the past I would drop my newfound "pearls of wisdom" into conversation and expect that people would be impressed or fascinated. Often when I would read new books, I would envision other people benefiting from what I was reading. But often what was really going on was the false self in me trying to prove to the world that I was smart, because of how stupid I felt.

It's strange that the same parent who instilled in me a passionate love of learning, also raised me with a sense that I am stupid. It was not that she ever said so directly. It's just that, as a perfectionist, she never quite approved of anything I did. She always had advice on how I could improve. She gave the advice so that I would "be challenged" to do more, to reach my full potential. But to me, it just felt like I had to work even harder if I wanted to earn her love. And then, of course when I became a Christian when I was 24, I automatically viewed God as being the same way. Unfortunately, the church was right there to bolster that really ****ed up view of God.

Anyway, now I see how little I actually apply of what I read. If I never bought another book in my life, I would have more than enough books from my own library, to keep me spiritually and intellectually challenged until I die.

Even if I never read any else again except different translations and paraphrases of the Bible, that would be true.

If I were to spend more energy really internalizing what I read, seeking to learn more about what it truly means to walk in moment-by-moment dependence upon the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, my life would be so much different than it is. The changes that I have seen in my life have come from doing just that.

It's funny though, I say all that, but yesterday I picked up six new books from the library and bought three books at Half Price Books this week. However, I also returned 8 or 9 books to the library the day before immediately after glancing through them, and finding little of value.

Pardon me for going on so long about this subject, but it's a subject about which I am passionate. My wife works in a libary system with between 3 and 4 million titles. And both my sons are avid readers. In fact, yesterday my son saw that I had picked up a copy of "The Idiot" by Dostoyevsky. He said, "Cool!" He starts university in two and a half weeks. One consideration for career at this point is to teach High School AP English.

One last thing; I may have had all these mixed motives for reading, but I must add that God has really used what I have read to help me to see Him, myself, and the world, more clearly and more realistically. Authors like Brennan Manning, Larry Crabb, and Thomas Merton have been huge in that regard.

What books have you read lately which have inspired or challenged you?

In His Grace,

Michael

[Katie]

Michael,
I had trouble with this question.
What books have you read lately which have inspired or challenged you?
At the moment, I have most of my books boxed up. I have had such a shift in my beliefs over the past year, that I have trouble knowing what is still relevant to me. A part of me would just like to toss them all and start over, but the other part of me knows that I might find value in some of them in the future.

My existing library looks like the charismatic section of a Christian bookstore. I have lots of books about prayer, intercession, and spiritual warfare. I have most of John Eldredge's books and many of Rick Joyners, plus a wide assortment of others.

Because of that, I am currently reading very little nonfiction. I am reading "Captivating" by Stasi Eldredge, but I'm on the fence about how I feel about it. I still enjoy the bible and I'm just finishing up a chronological version of the bible that I have really enjoyed. After that, I'm wanting to start reading the message version.

I remember in the past reading some books by Yancey, Foster, Nouwen, Lewis, and Manning and not really being able to relate to them. My mentality at the time was very "cutting edge charismatic," and they didn't seem relevant to that mindset. I am curious if I would feel differently about them now.

I really enjoy biblical fiction to read just for fun. One of my favorites has been a new seres by Gilbert Morris about OT characters. His first novel was about Noah, then Abraham, Jacob, and the most recent about Joseph. Lynn Austin also has a new series out about kings with her first two being about Ahab and Hezekiah. I have also enjoyed "The Book of God" by Walter Wangerin, "Israel, My Beloved" by Kay Arthur, and others.

Other fiction books that inspired me were "Blessed Child" by Bill Bright and "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers. I enjoy Christian fiction, some inspires me, some just entertains me.

I believe that I will slowly start adding new books to my library. I am especially interested in books like "Blue Like Jazz." I'm just a little wary now as I read. Although I have to say, that I spend a lot of time reading blogs and articles on the internet. That has probably been my greatest source of input lately.

I said a lot, but I'm not sure I really answered you. Like you, I do love books. Sometimes seeing a title, I imagine what the content will be. At times I am disappointed, but sometimes you find books that speak to your heart. That is what keeps me opening the next book that comes along.

[Michael]

I said a lot, but I'm not sure I really answered you.

Oh, but you did. What a great response! I'll read it again at home, and maybe give a little longer reply.

In His Grace,

Michael