Thursday, September 6, 2007

I use to hate Jazz

Well, I finished Blue like Jazz in 3 days.
His story caught me at the beginning.
"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 15 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."

I grew up in a very 'churched' home. My dad was and still is a pastor. My mother the piano playing, children teaching, preachers wife.
I grew up loving God and the church until my teen years.
It was during my teen years that Satan attacked.

When you are in ministry Satan will attack your family, and numerous times as a child I saw it happen to my family but thanks to the naivety of a child I didn't feel it. But when I was a teen it hit me.

I had youth pastors turn against me, people in the church attach me stating I was using drugs etc... just to get at my father. It was at that point I learned not to love the church and God as I connected the 2 together.

If it wasn't for the true genuine love of God my parents showed and a small number of the remnant showed I would never have made it through the journey...

As for the rest of the book, I have to tell you my favorite chapters:
1) Chapter 10: Belief: The Birth of Cool
Too many times we do things because they are cool not because we believe in them.
2) Chapter 12: Church: how I go without getting angry.
The main point here is we preach so much love to all humans and show so little.
How do you respond when someone dressed in rags walks in? How do we respond when someone who looks like ourselves walks in..
3) Chapter 15: Community: Living with freaks.
In this chapter it talks about the need to not just fellowship once a month or once a week, but be in continual connection with other people who you can talk to, trust and open up to. Only then can you continue to "work out your salvation" and come to know Christ better. Too many times I am guilty of just wanting to fellowship.. I am a private person and do not wish to trust anyone with my thoughts and feelings as I may be betrayed....
4) Chapter 20: Jesus: The lines on his face.
The story is told of the authors friend who interviewed Bill Bright and when he asked him to describe Jesus... Bill Bright just broke into tears. To feel such a passionate love for Christ that each moment of each day, or each second all your thinking is consumed by Christ and how much he loved you, and thus you will love him.

Those only are a my few (I could go on about each chapter). Each chapter is outstanding and you will gain a better understanding about God and who he really is.

2 comments:

becky said...

I just recently listened to thte audio version, this is my new favorite book!!! There were so many light bulb moments, so good!!!

Jenn said...

I just started the book last night.....