Rating: 
Summary: Update...
Review: I've finished this book, and all of the chapters were just as excellent as the first three. Reading this book is like seeing snapshots of a life lived according to "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. The book enforces all of the same points (God's unending grace and love), but with real-life examples and depth. It made me realize that God is much more accepting and forgiving of me than I am, so it has given me something to work on. It would be a great gift for someone who is not too familiar with Rich Mullins, because it has a cd with a song for each chapter. This book is a must for the Christian collection. I will read it many times!
Rating:
Summary: Continue to be blown away
Review: I've read lots of stories about Rich, and the ones in here just enhance my utter wonder of the man. His faith in God and his willingness to do anything to show the world Jesus give me a lot of strength, especially because I can identify so closely with him just in the fact that we have lived in the same era. I believe he is a man who has left a great legacy, and not because he tried, but because he just followed God. This is a book I will share with my friends, family and children probably for the rest of my life.
Rating:
Summary: Great book about a Godly man
Review: If you wanna know about God, get out your Bible and buy this book. The title says it all.
Rating:
Summary: Great book about a Godly man
Review: If you wanna know about God, get out your Bible and buy this book. The title says it all.
Rating:
Summary: An Exposition on the Love of God
Review: More than a biography of Rich Mullins' life, this book is an exposition on the love of God. Smith uses Mullins' life, legacy, music and writings to illustrate the ovrewhelming expanse of God's love.I read with a highlighter in hand and almost every page is marked with gems and key points that I will want to use as illustrations. In fact, there could be a complete series of Bible studies on the love of God using the chapter titles of this book as session topics. This book helped me to see clearly the struggles I have with investing in people only as long as they respond to my investment. A clear explanation of unconditional love challenges that approach to ministry. For those who love Rich Mullins' music and those who have (unbelieveably) never heard of Rich Mullins, this book is a key theological statement.
Rating:
Summary: A Rich legacy
Review: Not a biography in the strictest sense, although containing much biographical information, this book represents the true legacy of Rich Mullins. It speaks of the things about which he was most passionate (the love of God, detachment from possessions, unconditional acceptance of others, the longing for heaven) and makes God the real focal point. I appreciated the fact that Rich Mullins still struggled daily with sin and was very open about that fact when he ministered, but, like another flawed individual, King David, he was a man after God's own heart. Rich lives on, not only in heaven, but in his music and in the legacy he left behind. He began a work among Native Americans that others will continue. This book and the accompanying CD touched me deeply, and it will touch all but the most hard-hearted.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiring book about an inspiring individual
Review: Not long after I was introduced to Rich Mullin's music the artist behind that wonderful music became my hero. There are few individuals who embody Christ's heart quite the way that Rich did. He was humble even when he had every reason not to be. He was poor even though the had the ability to be rich. He lived in a trailer when he could have chosen to own numerous homes. He was a ragamuffin at heart and his life is probably more impacting that his music. This book is filled with great stories about Rich that show you the heart that he had for God and others. Reading this inspired me to be more like Christ in my everyday life and to live out what I believe in every way that I can. Though Rich's music is amazing, this book illistrates the amazing life behind that music. For fans of Rich Mullins this is the a must. And, for those of you that aren't fans, this is still a great book because it will greatly encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
Rating: 
Summary: Saved by Grace!
Review: Presenting us with a revealing look into the life of Rich Mullins, the Rev. Smith's real contribution is not that he celebrates the life of an extraordinary individual, but that he does so without lapsing into hero worship. The author shows us that Mullins was an ordinary man who struggled with ordinary temptations. Mullins strength lay not in his ability to overcome temptations, but in his willingness to rely upon God's grace. For all of us who struggle to live meaningful, Christian lives, this book is an inspiration! Apparently, even in our time, and in our confused and unfaithful world, it is possible to live the faith.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful witness
Review: Rich was a magnificant human being, though it would embarrass him to have someone say that. To be honest, a familiarity with his music might actually be hinderance to really reading this book deeply. I say that because fans of his music have such an emotional attachment to Rich that the real force of this "devotional biography" might be lost in the memories of what his songs have meant to so many people. His death was a great loss to the witness of radical counter-cultural Christianity, both secular culture (as in the powerful critiques of Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr) and a right-wing "Christian" culture that cannot imagine a person like Rich doing what he did with the indigenous people in New Mexico (though they will drive out there in their SUVs to see "the Indians"). The irony is that this group was the largest segment of his fan base. But that is why I wish people who had never heard of Rich would read this book. The power of music and the power of brokenness described in this book transcend the popular image that grew up around him in his life, and this book goes a long way towards showing that. True, Rich was no saint. But this "liturgical-evangelical-franciscan-quaker-hippie-ragamuffin-troubadour" was an arrow pointed toward heaven indeed, and his life shames all of us left behind, and goads us towards doing at least a little of what he tried to do. A really great book, bottom line.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book to understand the music
Review: The real benefit of reading this book came days, weeks, and now even months later. At the time I first read it, I wasn't impressed with the writing style and felt like the book was disjointed and a little too preachy. Then I went back and started listening to the music again. I mean REALLY listening. Something began to change inside me as I began to have a different understanding of the words and music. I found myself going back and re-reading parts of the book. I'm blown away that Rich's ministry still goes on today...that God is still using him to speak to people like me. I'm glad I read this book.
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