Blue Like Jazz

This last week, I reread (well listened) to Blue Like Jazz while in the car. I had a trip into Rocky Ford, another one into La Junta, and a trip back and forth to Denver. It is a good book. Better than I thought in fact.

The first time I read the book I read it reluctantly. I had heard a few good things about it, but I had read his book called "Jesus and the Art of Volkswagon Maintenence". I read the Volkswagon book all the way through, in part because Mr. Miller was a popular speaker at George Fox, where I had some students from my youth group going to school at the time. I was not impressed with that first book. As a matter of fact, when I finished I said outloud, "If that is what it takes to get published, I can write at least that well."

Anyway, I read the second book when I had some time off transitioning from the church in Belgrade to the church in Colorado Springs. I was surprised that Blue Like Jazz was a HUGE improvement from the first draft of that first book, and enjoyed it immensely. I had no idea Blue Like Jazz was going to become the phenomenon in continues to be when I read it in 2003. When I read through the book the first time, I was especially impressed with the confession chapter. I was also pleased with the transition of the tone of the author. The writing in Volkswagon is something staged, and written for conservative evangelical young adults who want to go on a road trip. Blue Like Jazz is raw, wide-open honest book written for a much more progressive, emergent kind of audience. I really enjoyed Blue Like Jazz. Enough so that when Becca told me she thought that Miller sounded familiar, and then realized that she thought Miller's tone was similar to my own, I was was mildly complimented. (Since then Miller's writing has contined to improve, where my writing might have gotten worse)

As I reread (listened) to Blue Like Jazz this time around, I disovered Miller's book was even better upon a second reading. I was able to hear the theological threads kind of running through it. In particular, I came to understand that the book is in many ways a narrative theology of sin. It is also a spiritual autobiography. What Miller does is explain what sin is, the importance of confronting and dealing with our sins, not as a preacher but as a confessor. Over and over again in each chapter he comes back to this theme. He does this in an amazingly humble way, laying his soul bare. He commends the Christian faith as a sinner, and not a saint. A likeable sinner, but a sinner nontheless. He commends faith not through his strength, but often through his failures, weaknesses and foibles. In the process, he teaches the truth of God's grace through humility instead of arrogance. With lots of laughs and smiles as you go along.

I have read other books of his since. My favorite is still "To Own a Dragon", which moves me even upon several readings. I am not sure I have the courage to be as open and honest as Donald Miller is in his writings.

His writing has improved immensely, and continues to improve with each book. Now I consider Becca's compliment one of the greatest compliments I have ever recieved. As a matter of fact, I went to the store yesterday and picked up the Volkswagon book all over again. He has totally reworked it, and it now has the title "Through Painted Deserts".