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Summary: Take time for your soul
Review: A beautiful read for your soul. Not heavy, not dry, just right to read at bedtime and yet inspiring and convicting, bringing forth dreams and reflections on the impact of one life set on the glory of God. Buy it today!
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Summary: Truth and Love
Review: A good friend gave me this book. I cannot think of any gift I have received (except for my salvation) that has been more meaningful. This is a wonderful book. This is a great book. I am grateful to James Bryan Smith for writing it, thankful that Rich Mullins lived it, and I stand in awe of the fact that God the Father truly authored it all long ago. This book, like the life it describes, is an arrow pointing to heaven. This is not a simple biography. This is no attempt at making a saint out of Rich Mullins. This book is a good long reflection on how God has uniquely acted and spoken through the life of one man. "An Arrow Pointing To Heaven" is divided up into ten chapters (plus a wonderful introduction by Brennan Manning and an afterword by Rich's brother David). Each chapter centers around a theme that Rich sang or talked about often. The book comes with a CD with ten songs on it. Each chapter is named for a song on the CD. The songs express the theme of the chapter. The songs and themes are: First Family (about the legacies our families provide), Creed (about the Church), The Love of God (about...the love of God), Boy Like Me/Man Like You (about trusting Jesus), Calling Out Your Name (about God and the beauty of creation), Bound To Come Some Trouble (about the growth found in struggle and pain), My One Thing (about the freedom of the simple life), Growing Young (about sin and temptation), Brother's Keeper (about showing love through our actions), and That Where I Am There You May Also Be (about death). Each of these chapters taught me some great lessons. This book is life changing. The last three chapters in particular were really moving and challenging to me. There are wonderful quotes by Rich and Rich's friends (as well as various other famous Christians) throughout the book. Some are humorous, some challenging, some emotionally moving, but they are all woven masterfully into the whole by the author. Some of my favorite quotes by Rich are: "I would rather live on the verge of falling and let my security be in the all sufficiency of the grace of God than in some kind of pietistic illusion of moral excellence-not that I don't want to be morally excellent, but my faith isn't in the idea that I'm more moral than anybody else. My faith is in the idea that God and His love are greater than whatever sins any of us commit." (Chapter 8) "I think that part of being human is being alone, and being lonely. I think one of the stresses on a lot of our friendships is that we require the people we love to take away that loneliness. and they really can't. And so, when we still feel lonely, even in the company of people we love, we become angry with them because they don't do what we think they're supposed to. Which is really something that they can't do for us." (Chapter 6) "a spiritual thing is folding your clothes at the end of the day. A spiritual thing is making your bed. A spiritual thing is taking cookies to your neighbor that is shut in or raking their front lawn because they are too old to do it. That's spirituality. Getting a warm, oozy feeling about God is an emotional thing-there is nothing wrong with it-I think there is nothing more practical than real spirituality." (Chapter 9) "An Arrow Pointing To Heaven" is one of the ten best books I have ever read. This book speaks so much truth and love--the truth and love of Jesus Christ. I not only recommend this book...I urge you to buy it now. You will not regret it.
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Summary: This book showed me it is possible to live a Christian life
Review: Before reading this book, I had heard the name Rich Mullins, but never really followed his life or ministry. After reading the book, I felt like his friend, althought He has been gone and with the Lord many years now. The honesty and depth of spirituality and relationship with the Lord melted my heart as I read truth after truth of a life that spoke the Gospel message. Saint Francis of Assissi once said "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words." Rich lived His life that way. The book comes with a C.D. which I allowed to get into my spirit. The thing that really touched me the most is the way he conveyed the absolute unconditional furious love of God that he has for us his children. I saw a side of the gospel that is so missing in much of our Christian churches and that is the message of Gods Amazing Grace. I could sense the presence of God with me most of the time I was reading the book and would highly recomend this book to anyone on a journey to find God or someone who's been on the road for many years. It will touch your heart, bring tears to your eyes and enlighten your soul. I can't recomend a book any more highly than this one. A must read
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Summary: challenge of possibility lies in the challenge of intimacy
Review: Brennan Manning talks about how a ragamuffin is someone who is honest about themselves and their failings, passionate about being intimate with God and does not conform to the expectations of cultural christianity for the sake of it. Rich Mullins was a ragamuffin ... someone who took the challenge of being intimate with the Father ... impacting and influencing those around him with the possibilities of living a Christ centred life. This book is great ... it is not just a biography ... nor is Rich Mullins made out to be a "saint". This book is an honest and candid look at a man ... who just wanted to love God and love those around him. It is a challenging read and the reader comes away with a hunger for a deeper walk with Christ. Reflections on each chapter are included with the intention of guiding the reader into a deeper look at themselves and their relationship with God. I read this book very quickly because i was excited to have it but I am now going back into it and reading it slowly and thoughtfully ... which is the best way to be impacted by the treasure within. Buy it!!! The bonus CD is great as well!
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Summary: Measuring the Measureless
Review: Catching the essence of anyone at all in words is a daunting task. For someone full of life as Rich Mullins was, it may be impossible. But Jim Smith has done as good a job as can be. Working from the words Rich left behind, in lyric, essay, or concert transcript, along with stories from his friends and family, Jim has fashioned a guidebook to one of the most fascinating people I've ever known about.
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Summary: Impact
Review: His music has always sopken to me in all of life's ups and downs -- the chance to get to know him through the book makes his impact on my faith even more profound.
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Summary: exactly what I wanted in a Rich Biography
Review: I can connect many hallmarks in my life with lessons I learned from the words of Rich Mullins. The thing that was so great about him was that he seemed always more interested in God than the details of this world that will pass away. He wasn't about making himself grand in the eyes of his fans, he was about Jesus. And, that is what this book is about. If you are looking for little details about Rich's life like what his favorite color was (besides green) or who he dated then you are out of luck here. But, if your looking to see what Rich was about and if you are looking to find out about "the Reckless Raging Fury that is the Love of God" then this book is for you. It gives just enough information about Rich to give you hints of who he really was, without giving so many details that the book is more about glorifying Rich than it is God. I mean, who really needs to know who he dated? But, we all need to know about the love of God. This book is exactly what I hoped it would be.
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Summary: A Scattered Seed Bears Fruit
Review: I had only been re-born for four months when God took Rich Mullins home, yet he continues to be used by God even after his death. Almost exactly a year after my rebirth, while listening to some Rich Mullins music, my wife realized she had a religion, not a relationship. And, even though he had passed from this world, Rich's music played a part in my wife coming to know Christ as both Lord & Savior. 'An Arrow Pointing to Heaven' continues God's use of Rich Mullins' life. Not only is it biographical, it is devotional. Although I ripped through its pages in one day, I have gone back on numerous occasions, even using some of his illustrations in the pulpit, perhaps to lead another lost soul to Christ. It saddens me to know I will never get to see Rich in concert. At least I, and any who read this book and listen to the included cd, will get to look inside the man who was caught in the reckless raging fury of God's love. May you be so consumed!
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Summary: Rich Mullins, A Celebration of Grace
Review: I have always enjoyed many of Rich's songs, but after having read this biography many of them have a much deeper, richer meaning to me. It is as if I never really heard the words before, but can hear them now. I particularly enjoyed reading about the incident that prompted Rich to write Hold Me Jesus. Rich was an ordinary person (aren't we all?) who genuinely tried to walk with God. This is the story of one person's struggles and joy. Doctrinally, this is about one person's experiential understanding of grace. Rich himself says he was heavily influenced by Brennan Manning in this regard. The fact that both Rich and Brennan found the doctrine of grace so surprising just goes to show how much we fail to teach accurately in our churches and seminaries. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament reveals the word "grace" many times. How is it that we don't understand what it means to us? Why don't we understand Ephesians 2:5-9? How about Ephesians 1:7-8? Rich never pretends to be a theologian, nor is this a book of Christian doctrine. It is the account of the Spirit working in the life of one person who was touched by, and continues to touch others. It is well worth the reading.
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Summary: A gateway to God.
Review: I have been a Christian for a little over a year now. During this past year, I was introduced to Rich Mullins through his incomparable music. It spoke to my heart, which I thought couldn't be touched. Over time I learned more about his extraordinary life, most especially through this book. The more I learned, the more at-peace with my myself I became. Rich Mullins did something with my soul that no one else could. He helped me to appreciate what's really important in life. He taught me that worldly things come and go, but God's love is not only eternal, but unconditional as well. He taught me to see the beauty of God's creation, and to reject the glamour of wealth and power. Rich loved God more than anyone else on this earth, so it's understandable that God would want him a little bit closer to home. This book isn't just a biography, it's a devotional, an instrument to help find peace, and a gateway to God. A must-have for anyone seeking peace.
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