Jesus Satisfies

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Blue Like...Doubt?

I just got done reading a book by Donald Miller entitled, "Blue Like Jazz." It's an easy read, for the most part. I was captivated by the following things:
  • Naked and brutal transparency - not used to someone splitting open their guts for all to see their insides. This was sometimes refreshing and at other times disturbing (maybe because I'm not as transparent?)
  • Courage - The guy cast personal protection to the wind and opened up his life and thought process...and journey from doubt to faith in a very courageous manner...and sometimes it's tough to read about his doubts.
  • His seemingly random style of writing - he wove together stories in a way not unlike the gospel writers seemed to have chosen to do...organize and interweave events to make a point. It was interesting to see how he'd start a story and only tell a part of it in one chapter (enough to make his point) and then in a later chapter...finish the story..to make yet another point.
  • His chapter on wonder being the essence of worship. Worth reading the book just for this chapter.
  • His nicknames for people - "Mark, the cussing pastor"; "Tony, the beat poet", for example.

Good book for those willing to go on a wild ride from deep doubt to maturing faith.