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Sailing Between the Stars: Musings on the Mysteries of Faith
The foundation of Christian belief is death is the beginning of life, foolishness is the pathway to wisdom, the meek conquer the strong. Everywhere we look we see mysteries piled upon mysteries, and for all our efforts to fit God into a box that makes sense, Christianity is not founded on common sense.
Author and storyteller Steven James navigates this magical journey through the "uncommon sense" of faith in Jesus. Through his captivating style and arresting stories, James helps readers become more comfortable with a faith full of truth and mystery. With breathtaking writing, he shows readers a God who is illogical, unreasonable, unrealistic, and incredibly and unmistakably true.
Author and storyteller Steven James navigates this magical journey through the "uncommon sense" of faith in Jesus. Through his captivating style and arresting stories, James helps readers become more comfortable with a faith full of truth and mystery. With breathtaking writing, he shows readers a God who is illogical, unreasonable, unrealistic, and incredibly and unmistakably true.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
3 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Steven James
135 books1,757 followersSteven James is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of twenty novels and numerous books on the craft of novel writing, including the new release, DELVE, PIVOT, PROPEL, which explores revolutionary new approaches to fiction writing. With a master's degree in storytelling, James teaches writing worldwide and has appeared on five continents telling stories and teaching storytelling at over 2000 appearances.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
His latest Young Adult horror novel, RIFT, is the first in a new trilogy that takes place in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. James lives in Eastern Tennessee and loves watching sci-fi movies, playing basketball, and eating chicken fajitas—although not all at the same time.
James has been penning smart, taut thrillers that actually thrill, since 2007, when his acclaimed psychological suspense novel, THE PAWN, released.
If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 18, 2024
One knows when they are reading good writing. And Steven James is a masterful writer! Anything I have read from James I have enjoyed. This book is no different. Although James has written many solid novels, I have found that his books on matters of faith and Biblical themes always challenge me and my thinking about spiritual matters. This book will do the same for you! Although I do not agree with all of the author's suppositions, I love the illustrations he uses to attempt to convey the truth that he is writing about. These type of authors help pastors, teachers, and those who spend their lives communicating to be better communicators!
The first chapter entitled, "In the Company of Fools" sets the stage for the book. I love the following quote taken from this chapter:
"In the crazy world of Christianity, those who think themselves wise are really fools in disguise, while those who know they're fools become our greatest prophets and teachers. Those who are the most aware of their sins are our greatest saints, while those who think they're not really all that bad (at least compared to most people) are the greatest sinners. Those who think they're humble are proud, but those who know they're proud are humble. Those who believe themselves to be free are the most enchained; those who see their chains are finally free." p.12
As he closes that first chapter, James invites people to become "fools" along with those of us who are "fools." Notice his closing words:
"We're the first to admit that our God isn't logical, our religion isn't reasonable, and our Savior isn't realistic. Here is our message: we're fools for God; come join us under the big top."
Many of the sections I underlined, highlighted and commented on are not helpful without reading the accompanying illustration that the author sets forth. However, the following are some excerpts that resonated with me:
"Every day we're both wasting away and being renewed...Here's what I have to keep reminding myself: pain is real, but so is joy. Every moment, hope is available. Even now, peace can be mine. And the sparkling moments of joy that make life worth living are just as much a part of our world as the speeding tickets and funerals. When you take the time to look at both sides of the equation, you realize that life is both more depressing and more delightful than you thought." p. 56
"Christianity offers this strange mixture of sorrow and joy and hope and regret and confidence and humility-and honesty too, because when you enter the realm of grace, you enter the arena of awareness. You become acutely aware of who you really are but also aware that you are forgiven, accepted, loved, and redeemed. Both sinner and saint, rebel and ambassador. Both the harlot and the bride. The sharper we see our failings, the clearer we'll see our need for a Savior and the more real his love will appear in our lives. My soul is splintered and scarred, but sacred still, and precious to God. It's a strange and terrible and lovely feeling to see both the depth of my fallenness and the height of God's forgiveness at the same time; to experience fear and joy together in one breath, in one moment." p. 60
"The lion and the lamb are one. Yet he's not half-lion and half-lamb. The king of the universe is the servant of all. Yet he's not half-king and half-servant. He's completely both. Fully mystery and fully truth. Fully God and fully man. Eternal, and yet able to lay down his life. All-knowing, and yet perplexed by the unbelief of his hometown's skeptics...In a certain way, everyone is fully at least two things at the same time without mixing the nature of those two things. I'm fully a son and fully a father, not half of each. I'm fully body and fully soul, not half one and half the other. But with Jesus we're talking about being fully God and fully human. That's the kicker." pp. 79-80
"I'm glad I don't serve a deity I can cram into my brain-sized understanding of the world. If I could, I would be more than human, and he would be less than God. Mystery always exceeds knowledge, always swirls out beyond the borders and encircles the whole. By definition God must be bigger than my knowings, or he couldn't be who he is.
The deeper I dig into Jesus, the more mystery I find. And when I finally do look for him, I discover him there in his Father's house again. Doing his Father's will. Reminding me of who he truly is and inviting me to enter the family of fools." p.83
"The central purpose of God's laws was never to give us a way to work our way to heaven. Instead, they're here to wake us up and show us our need for Jesus." p. 100
"The resilience of God's love is not an excuse to set about purposely breaking his heart." p. 102
"I find it significant that Jesus so often compares the spiritual life to trees, fruit, orchards, and fields. After all, he wasn't a farmer. He was a carpenter. He knew all about blueprints and building codes and work crews and construction projects, yet he rarely referred to that stuff. He never said anything like, 'Being close to God is like building a house! You hammer away in the sun and the rain and the wind. It takes dedication and commitment! It takes perseverance and self-control! But you put in your time and your hard work and then, after many days, you realize you're done. You've entered the kingdom!' " p. 104
"How long has it been since you listened to the poetry of the skies or heard the stars whisper tales of Christ in the night? Miracles leap at us from every nook and cranny on the planet." p. 142
"To encounter Jesus is to finally taste of eternity (see John 17:3). And when your soul licks that, everything changes-both the things that you ultimately hunger for and the appetites your soul begins to have. He fills our hungry souls and at the same time awakens new hungers that lead us deeper into the spiritual life and the untamed realms of being fully human, for our hungers are both gifts and hints. The God who invented taste buds and hunger pangs offers us plates at the feast held in his honor, waiting just beyond the curtain of eternity. And he's inviting us to join him at the banquet table." p. 157
"Personally, I believe that his (Jesus's) version of hell fits in with my picture of a loving God. After all, if there is to be final justice, there must be a hell, and if there is to be victorious love, there must be a heaven. The universe could perhaps have neither, but it couldn't have one without the other. Justice and mercy are the cornerstones of the galaxy. Heaven is proof of hell. Hell is proof of heaven. Jesus is proof of both." p. 226
The first chapter entitled, "In the Company of Fools" sets the stage for the book. I love the following quote taken from this chapter:
"In the crazy world of Christianity, those who think themselves wise are really fools in disguise, while those who know they're fools become our greatest prophets and teachers. Those who are the most aware of their sins are our greatest saints, while those who think they're not really all that bad (at least compared to most people) are the greatest sinners. Those who think they're humble are proud, but those who know they're proud are humble. Those who believe themselves to be free are the most enchained; those who see their chains are finally free." p.12
As he closes that first chapter, James invites people to become "fools" along with those of us who are "fools." Notice his closing words:
"We're the first to admit that our God isn't logical, our religion isn't reasonable, and our Savior isn't realistic. Here is our message: we're fools for God; come join us under the big top."
Many of the sections I underlined, highlighted and commented on are not helpful without reading the accompanying illustration that the author sets forth. However, the following are some excerpts that resonated with me:
"Every day we're both wasting away and being renewed...Here's what I have to keep reminding myself: pain is real, but so is joy. Every moment, hope is available. Even now, peace can be mine. And the sparkling moments of joy that make life worth living are just as much a part of our world as the speeding tickets and funerals. When you take the time to look at both sides of the equation, you realize that life is both more depressing and more delightful than you thought." p. 56
"Christianity offers this strange mixture of sorrow and joy and hope and regret and confidence and humility-and honesty too, because when you enter the realm of grace, you enter the arena of awareness. You become acutely aware of who you really are but also aware that you are forgiven, accepted, loved, and redeemed. Both sinner and saint, rebel and ambassador. Both the harlot and the bride. The sharper we see our failings, the clearer we'll see our need for a Savior and the more real his love will appear in our lives. My soul is splintered and scarred, but sacred still, and precious to God. It's a strange and terrible and lovely feeling to see both the depth of my fallenness and the height of God's forgiveness at the same time; to experience fear and joy together in one breath, in one moment." p. 60
"The lion and the lamb are one. Yet he's not half-lion and half-lamb. The king of the universe is the servant of all. Yet he's not half-king and half-servant. He's completely both. Fully mystery and fully truth. Fully God and fully man. Eternal, and yet able to lay down his life. All-knowing, and yet perplexed by the unbelief of his hometown's skeptics...In a certain way, everyone is fully at least two things at the same time without mixing the nature of those two things. I'm fully a son and fully a father, not half of each. I'm fully body and fully soul, not half one and half the other. But with Jesus we're talking about being fully God and fully human. That's the kicker." pp. 79-80
"I'm glad I don't serve a deity I can cram into my brain-sized understanding of the world. If I could, I would be more than human, and he would be less than God. Mystery always exceeds knowledge, always swirls out beyond the borders and encircles the whole. By definition God must be bigger than my knowings, or he couldn't be who he is.
The deeper I dig into Jesus, the more mystery I find. And when I finally do look for him, I discover him there in his Father's house again. Doing his Father's will. Reminding me of who he truly is and inviting me to enter the family of fools." p.83
"The central purpose of God's laws was never to give us a way to work our way to heaven. Instead, they're here to wake us up and show us our need for Jesus." p. 100
"The resilience of God's love is not an excuse to set about purposely breaking his heart." p. 102
"I find it significant that Jesus so often compares the spiritual life to trees, fruit, orchards, and fields. After all, he wasn't a farmer. He was a carpenter. He knew all about blueprints and building codes and work crews and construction projects, yet he rarely referred to that stuff. He never said anything like, 'Being close to God is like building a house! You hammer away in the sun and the rain and the wind. It takes dedication and commitment! It takes perseverance and self-control! But you put in your time and your hard work and then, after many days, you realize you're done. You've entered the kingdom!' " p. 104
"How long has it been since you listened to the poetry of the skies or heard the stars whisper tales of Christ in the night? Miracles leap at us from every nook and cranny on the planet." p. 142
"To encounter Jesus is to finally taste of eternity (see John 17:3). And when your soul licks that, everything changes-both the things that you ultimately hunger for and the appetites your soul begins to have. He fills our hungry souls and at the same time awakens new hungers that lead us deeper into the spiritual life and the untamed realms of being fully human, for our hungers are both gifts and hints. The God who invented taste buds and hunger pangs offers us plates at the feast held in his honor, waiting just beyond the curtain of eternity. And he's inviting us to join him at the banquet table." p. 157
"Personally, I believe that his (Jesus's) version of hell fits in with my picture of a loving God. After all, if there is to be final justice, there must be a hell, and if there is to be victorious love, there must be a heaven. The universe could perhaps have neither, but it couldn't have one without the other. Justice and mercy are the cornerstones of the galaxy. Heaven is proof of hell. Hell is proof of heaven. Jesus is proof of both." p. 226
June 18, 2015
I started reading this book because I like Steven James, the novelist, and wanted to see what his non-fiction was like. I am almost through with this book and lovin' it. Steven doesn't necessarily answer questions, but he raises a lot of thought provoking ones that cause you to reread over and over again. He also weaves a great deal of humor throughout the book. This is definitely worth the minor investment on Amazon and then some. A real jewel of a find.
January 14, 2023
A lyrical mix of prose and poetry, with tiptoe footprints of meditation, philosophy and obscure words glowing from time to time and linking one article to another. Agathokakological, for example, meaning "consisting of both good and evil". The verse is, by and large, evocative, exquisite, heart-stabbing.
Chesterton called us 'broken gods'. Pascal called us 'fallen princes'. (p11)
Mary forgot who Jesus was. Otherwise she would not have called Joseph His father. (p75)
"Some Christians believe that if you sin enough and don't ask for forgiveness each time, you'll get thrown into the big bonfire. Others teach that once you become a believer your soul becomes Teflon coated, no matter what happens, you're fireproof forever. Sin just doesn't stick to you anymore and you never really need to ask for forgiveness again since God has already forgiven all of your sins, past, present and future." (p222)
Chesterton called us 'broken gods'. Pascal called us 'fallen princes'. (p11)
Mary forgot who Jesus was. Otherwise she would not have called Joseph His father. (p75)
"Some Christians believe that if you sin enough and don't ask for forgiveness each time, you'll get thrown into the big bonfire. Others teach that once you become a believer your soul becomes Teflon coated, no matter what happens, you're fireproof forever. Sin just doesn't stick to you anymore and you never really need to ask for forgiveness again since God has already forgiven all of your sins, past, present and future." (p222)
August 3, 2018
Not a bad book, but not really MY kind of book...
April 28, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Steven does a good job of looking at Jesus and His teachings in a practical, logical way. He has a way of telling stories that make a point and are memorable.
September 16, 2019
Excellent, loved it, great way of phrasing and some strong points made. Would love to read more of his work.
March 8, 2021
A lovely combination of stories, poetry and humor to discuss the mysteries of the Gospel. Some very poignant points and definitely things to think about.
February 25, 2016
I loved Steven James' fiction writing and always appreciated his profundity in his novels dealing with good and evil so I thought I would try his nonfiction work. I was not disappointed! He's a great storyteller. I am a lover of words and was very engaged in his writing style and his 'musings'. I also love to write and this book inspired me to pick up the pen again. He has a way with words and saying what everyone wants to say but doesn't have the words for.
It's not a theologically dense book but a look into questions of faith in a more approachable way. I love a good theological book as well, but there is a place for both. This book is definitely a valuable compilation to read and ponder.
It's not a theologically dense book but a look into questions of faith in a more approachable way. I love a good theological book as well, but there is a place for both. This book is definitely a valuable compilation to read and ponder.
October 2, 2009
If you have read anything by Donald Miller, then you will probably enjoy Steven James. His writing style is very conversational. I loved it.
He does interject poetry, which I loved, but it is very different in this type of market, so many readers may find the poetry to be in the way.
His ideas are fresh and amusing - and real. He was very onest in his writing, and that allowed his multiple scripture references (which is a plus in this genre!) really were able to latch on to my heart.
Read this book. His writing is well done, his stories are mostly related to his thoughts (some poor transitions on occasion, hence the 4/5 rating).
Get this book.
He does interject poetry, which I loved, but it is very different in this type of market, so many readers may find the poetry to be in the way.
His ideas are fresh and amusing - and real. He was very onest in his writing, and that allowed his multiple scripture references (which is a plus in this genre!) really were able to latch on to my heart.
Read this book. His writing is well done, his stories are mostly related to his thoughts (some poor transitions on occasion, hence the 4/5 rating).
Get this book.
August 10, 2016
Bought this book on a whim one day browsing through a local second hand store. Didn't really intend to pick up a book that day, but something about it caught my attention. I'm glad it did, as it ended up being one of the better Christian non-fiction books I've read, and well worth the 50 cents I paid. After reading it, I can't help but feel like it wasn't just coincidence that I picked it up. I'll probably read it again before too long. The only thing that keeps me from giving this a 5/5 is the poems scattered here and there. Maybe it's just me, but I rarely found them adding much to the book and found myself kind of skipping over them most of the time. Still, definitely recommended.
March 23, 2010
Steven encourages the reader to believe the unbelievable. And because he sees it in everyday life all around him and conveys that magic in his storytelling, you are drawn in. I have begun to look for the mysteries of God in nature and everything around me. I seek out opportunities to embrace the illogical, radical, paradoxically absurd Jesus.
June 25, 2012
I think this is the most beautiful, the most thought-provoking, the most amusing book I have ever read. I absolutely loved it. The poetry included is gorgeous.
I took so long to read it because it is so thought-provoking and so full of wondering and questions I needed time to think and ponder between chapters.
I would love to read every other book Steven James has written.
I took so long to read it because it is so thought-provoking and so full of wondering and questions I needed time to think and ponder between chapters.
I would love to read every other book Steven James has written.
July 18, 2008
I absolutely love and recommend this book. Steven James offers fresh perspectives and sees things in a way I've never even thought of. It really made me think. I liked it even better than Blue Like Jazz.
November 30, 2009
One of the most exquisite books I've ever encountered. Poetic, deep, spiritual, and moving. I just want to read each page over and over again. A must read for all true spiritual seekers. I need a sixth star, maybe even a seventh for this book.
January 18, 2014
This requires some time and mental space to chew on the meat of the matter. It can be difficult to process at times, not because of the writing, but because of how deeply it can cut. This would make a good small group discussion piece, and is best used with the Word close by to delve deeper.
July 24, 2007
I didn't finish this as I gave it away- but I am hoping to get another copy to use for devotions. It's a good blend of hilarious and sacred mystery.
November 15, 2008
A poetic look at the mysteries of faith and the amazing grace of Christ's death and resurrection.
September 3, 2009
Great, Great, Great.
I really loved this book.
I really loved this book.
December 3, 2012
A lovely read for those who appreciate the gift of imagination and figurative language.
April 22, 2013
good from what i remember
December 18, 2014
Steven James, are you my long lost brother? ...review (or perhaps better termed "raving") coming soon
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February 20, 2016a great read by Steven James
April 24, 2017
Steven's writing style perfectly blends poetry and theology in a way that is refreshing, especially when you're like me and come from a very legalistic background. I appreciate that his writing is theologically sound but also explores the artistic side of God without losing any of the meat.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews