BOOK REVIEW- LAST CALL-"I had a vision of a faith community where people could have a wider understanding of God and our relationship to him/her. I wanted to create a place where people could state what they believe and what they struggle with--freely. I wanted a community of people who know we don't all have to agree on everything."
Jerry Herships, former altar boy who had dreamed of making it big in show biz, tended bar to make ends meet as he worked gigs in comedy and game shows, looking for his big break. After giving up the dream and leaving Los Angeles, he found his way back to the church and discovered God calling him to ministry--but not just any ministry. Now he leads AfterHours Denver, a bar church where people worship with a whiskey in their hand and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to serve Denver's homeless. Last Call is a story of having and giving up on dreams, finding yourself, and finding how God can use you in unexpected ways. AMAZON 4 Stars
I liked the fact that big dreams was something in the author that began to show up at an early age. If you really look at it closely, he was a misfit when it comes to just going along with the usual flow. Something the general community has a hard time with and I can only imagine how much harder that was in the religious one. He was trying to draw people together from that early age, when he tried to put together a Priest's Club at his catholic school. Yes, he's not church politically correct but I loved his writing style and directness. His honesty comes with a few bits of language that maybe not all are comfortable with but just take off your religious cap and hear what he's saying. I ended up feeling that the author was real, and an out of the box thinker. I guess another word would be radical when it comes to reaching out to the unchurched people and showing them Jesus. Loving his neighbor, in action.
A Good point or two-
What kind of opportunities could you be missing right now because you are scared to quit old dreams and move on to new ones? (This is one of those times that tenacity can work against you). Another good point and one of the main ones is that our churches need to be about the Father's business reaching out to others around us and not so much just about the building and inward, members only activities. He showed some ways to do that. Maybe not everyone is called to do it this way but it does provoke some thought. Along with the thought of making church fun, to take it a step further, to make life fun.
It made me smile when he shared that he has a tattoo that says, "sine metu" Latin for "without fear". It was also a faith action to come against the voice that speaks in all of us of "What will people think?" He was spot on when he said those words are poison. Yes, they are spirit and dream killers for sure. Jerry sure worked a lot of jobs but like he even admitted later, he was developing skills that he didn't even know he was developing.
Just as a side note, today I started following him on Facebook, because I like what he had to say.
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