Blue like jazz

Recommended reading: Blue Like Jazz - Donald Miller

I heard Donald Miller at the Catalyst Conference in October. Bought Blue Like Jazz off Ebay a few weeks ago (I hate paying full retail for books, but I love books). Since the book arrived, I've been devouring it like I haven't read in weeks. Actually, I haven't read in weeks because I'm too stinking busy for my own good and for the good of those I love. Another subject altogether. I've been trying to find sound bites from the book to add to my quotes collection, but what I've read is a bit too random for that ... until today. So here it is ... and it's reason enough to go out and buy the book at full price.

I was wondering the other day, why it is that we turn pop figures into idols? I have a theory, of course. I think we have this need to be cool, that there is this undercurrent in society that says some people are cool and some people aren't. And it is very, very important that we are cool. So, when we find somebody who is cool on television or on the radio, we associate ourselves with this person to feel valid ourselves. And the problem I have with this is that we rarely know what the person believes who we are assiciating ourselves with. The problem with this is that it indicates there is less value in what people believe, what they stand for; it only matters that they are cool. In other words, who cares what I believe about life, I only care that I am cool. Because in the end, the undercurrent running through culture is not giving people value based on what they believe and what they are doing to aid society, the undercurrent is deciding their value based upon whether or not they are cool. (Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz, p. 105)

Welcome

Welcome to Mo's Musings. I don't claim to have a corner on the inspiration market, but I have for the past few years written a weekly column for my choir rehearsals and for the past year or so I've been toying with the idea of expanding the dialogue by including the same material in a blog. Sometimes writing allows me to explore thoughts and ideas and helps me to arrive at conclusions that otherwise hang just out of mental reach. So what's my goal for this blog? I'm not really sure, but it probably relates to one of my favorite ministry encounters I'll share below.

One of the defining moments in my ministry came when I encountered an upset preschooler and his mother in the sanctuary after evening worship the first Sunday after the Fall time-change. Hank had become accustomed to going into the sanctuary every Sunday evening after his preschool class and looking at the picture of Jesus rendered in stained glass above our baptistry. Because of the time-change it was now dark outside at that time of day, and the picture was no longer visible. Hank was upset because he wanted to see Jesus and couldn't.

The problem had an easy solution. I just went back to the stairwell that led up to the baptistry and turned on the spotlight that we used to show the stained glass window after dark. Once he could see the picture clearly, Hank settled down and they could go home in peace. Knowing the difficulty she would have had getting him settled down otherwise, Hank's mom was extremely grateful. "It's no problem," I replied. "It's my job to make it easier for people to see Jesus."

Ever said something profound without trying to? It seems that everything profound I have ever thought or said in my life came by accident ... and this was one of those times. The deep truth of that statement took me by surprise (did that just come out of my mouth?), and it will probably stay with me all of my life ... at least I hope it does.

Thats enough to think about for now.