Chapter 7: Grace - The Beggar's Kingdom

Mark here. As you can tell from this week's title, Miller focuses in on the concept of grace.

Miller talks about his days as a fundamentalist Christian in this way: "I used to get really ticked about preachers who talked too much about grace, because they tempted me to not be disciplined. I figured what people needed was a kick in the butt, and if I failed at godliness it was because those around me weren't trying hard enough. I believed if word got out about grace, the whole church was going to turn into a brothel."

What is grace? Does the Christian understanding of grace challenge the ability to live a righteous life? If so, why? If not, why do you think Miller and others would have had this concern?

What do you think is the hardest thing to understand about accepting God's grace? Is there a Scripture or teaching that has helped you in this area?

Miller says, "I love to give charity, but I don't want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace." How do you respond to this statement?

Miller's pastor says, "The ability to accept God's unconditional grace and ferocious love is all the fuel we need to obey Him in return." I think about the prophet Hosea. In his message to Israel, Hosea reveals the affect of our sin on God as well as the power of God's love and grace, all from God's perspective. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in Hosea 11.

The chapter starts with God saying, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me; ...".

God's anger grows as Israel's sin cuts Him deeper, as seen in verses 5-7: "They shall return to the land of Egypt ... because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities ... My people are bent on turning away from me; so they are appointed to the yoke, and none shall remove it."

And then, in verse 8, at the height of God's anger, He cries, "How can I give you up, O Ephraim! How can I hand you over, O Israel! ... My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger, ... for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come to destroy."

What does Hosea's prophetic message reveal about God, His grace, and our righteousness?

Chapter 2: Problems

One of the most quoted psalms, Psalm 23, contains this line: "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me..."

In Chapter two of Donald Miller's book Blue Like Jazz, Miller confronts this issue of the "darkest valley" and our roles as humans and as Christians when we encounter and recognize those times.

Here are a few questions to ponder and post responses to...

1. On page 13 of chapter 2, Miller states, "I believe that the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God." What do you think? Is "wasting time" the biggest downfall for Christians? Where is the line between "being a Christian" and "being religious"?
2. Miller comments that he bought his first television because of a preacher at a church he was visiting said that TV rots the brain. How do we as Christians digest and understand what a "preacher" says from the pulpit? Are we called to believe him/her without doubt? Are we called to challenge the thought? What do you think?
3. Miller on page 17 states, "I think it is easier to do bad things than good things." What do you think?
4. The issue of "original sin" comes up in this chapter. "Original sin" is the idea that we are all born with a tendency to sin because of the original sin by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In a sense, we are prenatured to "sin". What do you think about this idea of "original sin"?
5. "I think every conscious person, every person who is awake to functioning principles within his reality, has a moment where he stops blaming the problems in the world on group think, on humanity and authority, and starts to face himself. ... The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest. (it's me)" Have you had one of these moments of enlightenment? Share it with the group.

We look forward to the discussion. Feel free to share your thoughts on the questions above or any other part of the reading.