Chapter 20: Jesus - The Lines on His Face

Mark here. Well, here we are at the final chapter of Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. I know I have found this an interesting and stretching read, and the comments and discussions that have taken place on this blog and in other places have truly been a blessing. I am really looking forward to starting into Leonard Sweet's 11 next week. The discussion is truly wide open to anybody who wants to participate. In fact, folks new to the discussion are welcome to go back and read over previous posts on Blue Like Jazz and comment on those posts as well to keep those conversations going.

After reading this chapter, I found myself thinking about the story of Jesus and his disciples in Mark 8:27-29:
Jesus went on with his disciples to the village of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that I am?' And they answered him, 'John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.' He asked them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered him, 'You are the Christ.'"

After reading this chapter, the whole book for that matter, I wonder, if Jesus asked you that question today, what would your answer be? Peter answered based on what he had experienced. Miller's answer was based on his experiences. What experiences would shape your answer?

Miller observes after reading through the Gospels: "... Jesus didn't just love me out of principle; He didn't just love me because it was the right thing to do. Rather, there was something inside me that caused Him to love me." What is that something? Is it something within us all or is it unique to each one of us?

Miller: "I think Christian spirituality is like jazz music. I think loving Jesus is something you feel. I think it is something very difficult to get on paper. But it is no less real, no less meaningful, no less beautiful." How do you find yourself most truly expressing love to Jesus?

I hope that you will know that you are a beloved child of God, created in His image, recreated in Christ. I hope that this week will not only provide an opportunity for you to experience Christ's love for you, but for you to express your love for Him in a clear and meaningful way. God bless you!

Chapter 19: Love - How to Really Love Yourself

Mark here. With David teaching the Great Light Seminar right now, I will facilitate the rest of the discussions on "Blue Like Jazz". With only 1 chapter left to go, some may wonder, "What next?" Well, let me tell you! We will next move into a discussion centered around Leonard Sweet's new book 11. In this book, Sweet uses Biblical figures to identify 11 relationships we need to have in our life in order to be who God intends us to be. This book should provide a wonderful opportunity for Biblical principles to intersect daily life. It will hopefully also generate a lot of discussion.

In starting with 11, David and I have decided to cast a wider net. We have always said that the discussion on this blog was open to anyone. We are going to be much more intentional about promoting that over the course of the next few weeks.

If you are in the Young Adult Sunday School class at First Baptist Elon, David and I will be getting books to you shortly. Otherwise, anyone can pick up a copy of the book at any Family Christian bookstore. As always, we will try to facilitate the discussion in a way that anyone can participate, even if they do not have the book.

Now, on to a discussion based around chapter 19 of Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz.

Miller tells a story about Nathan, a genius who talks like Elmer Fudd. Miller fears that if Nathan was to come to his church, people would label Nathan and make fun of him because of the way he talks and never learn that he was a genius. Have you ever labeled someone and then learned something about them that totally blew up your label? Why do you think we sometimes make judgments about someone without really knowing them?

Miller writes, "I pray often that God would give me the strength and dignity to receive [my friends'] love. My friend Julie from Seattle says the key to everything rests in the ability to receive love ...". Why does it take strength to receive love? Why does it take dignity to receive love? Why is the ability to receive love so important?

There are 2 passages of Scripture that Miller either directly quotes or, I believe, lie underneath his writings in this chapter.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is, Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.'" - Mark 12:28-31

It occurs to me that one of the first songs the church teaches children is "Jesus Loves Me". Most children learns that God loves them before they learn that they are to love God. Is it possible to love God without first coming to the realization that God loves us?
If we are struggling with the fact that God loves us, how does this affect our faith and our relationship to God?

Are our relationships to others affected by our understanding that God loves us? How?

Chapter 18: Love - How to Really Love Other People

Mark here. Thought I would start this discussion of Miller's thoughts on loving other people with the passage from 1 Corinthians 13 that Miller talks about at the end of chapter 18. I am going to share from The Message, a contemporary restating of the Bible.

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumpts, but I don't have love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

After reading this chapter of Miller's book, my attention was grabbed by that last stament - "I'm bankrupt without love." Miller talks about the realization that Christian culture often thinks of love as a commodity, withholding it from those who do not agree with us but lavishing it on those who do. Do you agree with his assessment? How have you experienced this, or is there an occasion where you yourself have used love in this fashion?

Jesus calls us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). Miller describes this as pouring love lavishly on those who we see as adversaries rather than withholding love until they change. By doing this, he says that love pulls people "... from the mire and toward healing." Can you do this? How "practical" does this seem to you or to our culture? What in our mindset do we need to change to be able to love our enemies?

Miller talked about being more able to be himself around "the hippies" than around Christians. Can you relate to this struggle? What role does love play in this struggle?

Miller struggled with how to love those who he felt were betraying God without encouraging to live apart from God. His peace came with this realization: "I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's, that my part was just to communicate love and approval." Is this what we mean by "sharing God's love"? Should this be what we mean?

Chapter 13: Romance - Meeting Girls is Easy

Hey everyone. Sorry we missed the post last week. It was a very busy and emotional week in our church family. We won't try to jump ahead, but just stick with our weekly post.

Miller in Chapter 13 touches on a very thought provoking topic - LOVE - what is it? Is it real? How do we get it? Miller has some very interesting opinions about the subject, based on his personal experience and through his readings. Let's look at a few and allow it to be our jumping off point for discussion.

1. In a discussion with one of Miller's female friends, one he actually had a crush on, he made the comment that he didn't believe in "true love". What do you think - does "true love" exist?

2. One of the fears that Miller talked about with love is that he felt once one person got to know him really well - at a deep level - then she wouldn't like him. Have you ever had that kind of fear with someone or about something?

3. Miller saw marriage as a "loss of freedom". What is your view of marriage? Does it match up with Miller's, or is it different?

4. One of Miller's friends, Paul said, "I mean that to be in a relationship with God is to be loved purely and furiously. And a person who thinks himself unlovable cannot be in a relationship with God because he can't accept who God is; a Being that is love. We learn that we are lovable or adorable from other people. That is why God tells us so many times to love each other." What do you think about Paul's quote?

5. In a play that Miller wrote, he put this line, "God risked Himself on me. I will risk myself on you. And together, we will learn to love, and perhaps then, and only then, understand this gravity that drew Him, unto us." How does this imagery of God's love for us and our love for someone else reflect in your life?

As a follow up reading for this chapter, I want to encourage you to turn to the Song of Songs in the Old Testament. This imagery of God's love for us and our love for another is captured so passionately in this Old Testament writing.