conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

roger williams is blue like jazz: part, the first

I love to give charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much truouble with grace.
- Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz (p. 84)

We are slowly wrapping up the year at l'eglise du Ouilmette (Hey, did I get that right?). The Adult study group, The Roger Williams Class, will go on hiatus for the summer after Memorial Day weekend. But between now and then, I am hopeful that we can do one or two cool things. This Sunday, an educator from Protestants for the Common Good will join us. On May 18, an educator from a north shore based housing justice group will join us. On the three remaining Sundays, however, we will be reading through Blue Like Jazz.

I am trying not to get too far ahead. I find myself devouring the book again. It's not the first time I have read it, and I still find myself enjoying Miller's wit and apparent honesty about his Christian faith walk.

Miller is essentially moving from a traditional American evangelical point of view to something else. What that is is hard to explain. Some might call it "emergent" or "post-modern." Heck, he's even been accused of being a liberal. But none of the labels really matter. It's the honesty he brings as he discusses how odd Christian faith can be that I enjoy so very much.

If you don't love somebody, it gets annoying when they tell you what to do or what to feel. When you love them you get pleasure from their pleasure, and it makes it easy to serve. I didn't love God because I didn't know God. (p. 14)

Miller begins with this kind of confession...about how he went to church as a child and somehow did not encounter God. He reminds us, as other also do, that attendance on Sunday morning is no guarantee of faithfulness. And yet the expectations are so high, so impossible. "You go to church! Of course you love God." Not always, sometime you go to church and never once meet God. This is the beginning of Miller's journey. It's a familiar story told with humor and sensitivity.

I'm looking forward to reading through this book with people from l'eglise. It should be fun. I'll post from time to time as I read ahead. If you have read the book or would like to read along, please do. I'll share some of my thoughts here. And, who knows, maybe someone from the church will stop by as well.

Posted by tripp at April 23, 2008 06:18 AM