Blue like Jazz

You know when people talk about books on their blog they tend to put the picture up, well I am not putting the picture up and you can get over it :)

I just finished the book "Blue Like Jazz," by Donald Miller. I didn't like this book when I began to read it but I kept reading it because it made sense to me. As I went through the book it continued to make sense and I started to like it. By the end of the book he is talking about falling in love with Jesus and I am sitting in my office in the hospital almost crying.

This is what I think about the book.

But in the end... if you don't like narrative preaching... you won't like this book, but if life ever gets difficult and it and God don't make sense... You just might.

But morely what I really like about it.

There was something real about it. I know that he is a writer and they can make things sound real, but the way he describes people makes sense to me. In this book he never truly arrives at the end of the book he closes a thesis and he is further along in the jouney but he has not arrived. I love Brother Lawrence and Thomas a Kempis but the problem with them is that they seem to have arrived, well maybe Lawrence more than a Kempis. I read about saints and monks and they are holy and in their prayers transcend this mortal plain and in a sense transubstantiate into their glorified self. I don't get that from Miller. This guy actually has problems in his life. Not only did he come from difficult time but he is still in a difficult time. He opens the world to his struggle with the world but even more with the idea of religion. He tells a story very similar to me.

I wish I would run into Don Miller in Memphis Tennesse one day while I was sitting in my favorite coffee shop/bar Queztel. If I saw him there I think I would call him Don, buy him a beer and ask if he wanted to talk about life while we smoked our pipes together. After reading his book I feel like I know him. He brought his difficulties out and his weakness to the forefront. I have been reading a lot from Paul lately and he talks a lot about that.

The place in the Bible that really hits me right now is that part about Jacob in Genesis, his whole story but more specifically his wrestling with God. See I can identify with him more than characters like David or Job because Jacob was a hustler. He tricked his brother out of his birthright and helped his mother trick Essau out of a blessing. As we follow the story Laban husles Jacob. Tricks him into taking the ugly daughter first (think I'm being harsh huh.. well it is just sort of who I am) then he tricks him into 7 more years of work. The husler is hussled. After that Laban tries to trick him out of sheep. Later Jacob also finds out the woman he wanted the most is petty. She steals household God's and gets a little cocky with her ugly sister (I know you think I am harsh but these are the same words I used to use for myself so just go with me for a second).

Jacob has now wrestled with men... then some dude comes out of nowhere and starts trying to make him say uncle. We find out this guy is actually God and he can't beat Jacob until he cheats. Jacob still doesn't let up through the pain of his leg, the separation from his family of origin, domestic issues in his current family and the fear that the older brother is going to kick his ass. In the face of all this Jacob has the odassity to say "bless me."

I have been a hustler, I have been hustled, and I have lived in fear that my older brother is going to kick my ass. I have also wrestled with God and sometimes it feels like God is cheating. But in the end, he blesses me...

I think that is what I would talk to Don about. But my problem is if I did see him one of two things would probably happen. I would say nothing and lose my opportunity like I have in so many other situations, especially when it involves women, or... I would say something like, "hey man, I really appriciated your book," and while trying to sound cool exchanged a few words and walk off never saying, "can we chat? I'll buy you a beer."

So, Don Miller, if you ever read this post and you are in Memphis TN I would like to buy you a beer, invitation's open.

Justin McCreary
9/1/06

...and he descended into Hell

Just wanted to blog to say hi. I am on call at Methodist hospital tonight it is 12:38 in the morning and I am just trying to come down off a rather interesting night hoping to be able to sleep in about thrity minutes for the rest of the night. I think God was watching over me tonight. I have had to deal with hard situations and every time I have been told how helpful I was.
The apostles creed says:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen

A lot of people have issue with the ...and he decended into Hell phrase, I don't because I completely change its meaning to fit what I do and throw the tradition of it out the window. It is what a chaplain does. I was in the ER tonight and there were plenty of people in Hell. They were in hell some of their own making and some as consequence of others but what I would describe what they were going through is hell.
Any person who chooses to descend into hell with them must be crazy. But that is their job. It is the job of therepists, ministers, chaplains, social workers, doctors, nurses, law enforcement, firemen. Who chooses to run into a burning building? Jesus. It is nice though after I run into a busy ER to know that I have been helpful, because that brings about ressurection.
Maybe these are just the ramblings of a tired man... But I wonder, have you ever descended into hell? I would bet that at some time in life you have. If you are willing to talk about it I would like to read about it.