Customer Reviews

Sailing Between the Stars: Musings on the Mysteries of Faith

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"Sailing Between the Stars" has been a gift to my soul... and to my faith. Most of my Christian years have been spent trying to decipher the undecipherable, reason out the unreasonable and comprehend the incomprehensible. And I've found that it's in those times of perplexity that I draw closer to my Creator as I seek not just to know ABOUT him, but to truly KNOW him.

This book by Steven James reassured me that it's all right to not understand everything about faith and God. That those attempts to unravel the mystery of mysteries provide opportunity for deep fellowship with the God of the universe. And somehow, by embracing the mystery, I've come away with a greater understanding of God than I ever set out to gain.

I highly recommend "Sailing Between the Stars." Steven James' storytelling talent makes it a great read that lets you welcome the challenge of living in the unknown mystery that is faith. To quote James, "The dance of life is as mysterious as the wind twirling through the trees, and we're never going to be able to grasp all of its nuances."

Steven James, please keep musing, and please keep writing. I'll keep reading.

In his best book to date, Steven James invites readers to muse with him on the mysteries of faith. Through evocative essays, humorous stories, and a light sprinkling of poetry, readers can explore what it means to go beyond human understanding of our Creator.

As a father of three daughters, James shares some of his most intimate family moments, sure to bring laughter from parents who are also in the midst of raising a family.

The title of the book comes from a midnight sailing excursion the author took with a guy named Hollywood. "As we eased forward into the night, it was almost as if we were sailing between the stars," James writes (p. 38). "I loosened my grip and began to enjoy my ride through the galaxy."

If you're not yet a fan of this inspirational storyteller, after reading this book, you will be.

--Reviewed for Christian Women Online Book Buzz

I discovered the writing of Steven James through his suspenseful, dark, yet hopeful thrillers ("The Pawn," "The Rook," "The Knight," and so on). Those are tight, fast-paced tales that shimmer with rays of wisdom and redemption. I had high hopes, then, for this non-fiction work of his. It looked like a mix of Donald Miller, stream of consciousness, and theological twists on familiar biblical passages.

James gives us personal anecdotes, prayers in poetic form, and serious looks at the power of God's grace and love. He also makes us laugh out loud, recognizing our own failings and idiosyncrasies in the joint human experience. The reading never drags, and the stories and quotes provide a lighthearted feel. That said, if you're a fan of "Blue Like Jazz," as I am, you may have wished for something a bit deeper in its theological delvings. If so, you'll find James does a wonderful job of wrestling with Scripture, while never undermining God's power or divinity. In between humorous and heart-tugging moments, this book gives us a broader appreciation for our place as human beings in the spectrum of God's design and plan.

Steven James doesn't just skim the waters of faith and doubt, of grace and love; he launches this ship into deep dark waters and sails between the stars. This is a masterpiece just waiting to be rediscovered.

Loved this book! My first by this particular writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Used some of it in my small group, and my college students loved it too. His thoughts on predestination were refreshing and I now know a new word - agathokacological.

This book was given to me as a gift, so I really didn't know what to expect. What I found was a book full of clever, witty, and funny stories with gorgeous poems thrown in. Sound like a lot going on in a book? It is, but then it isn't. Kind of like the themes of the book....mystery and paradox. The Bible is the basis of the aforementioned. With chapter titles like "thoughts on dung and grace" and "chewing on God" it may sound irreverent but the author always finds a way to bring everything back to the greatness of God.
What I most appreciated about the book was the validation that not just my mind-- is so limited in understanding God's love. Above all, I am most thankful for that incredible love, what a mystery it is!
This is a great book for new believers or long time Christians.

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. Okay, so he mixes his metaphors occasionally, but in the most delightful and insightful sort of way, tying them into the mystery and wonder of God. A must read for all true spiritual seekers. I need a sixth star, maybe even a seventh for this book.

Steven James is primarily a storyteller, and a professional one at that. So whenever you notice that he has written another book, you can pretty much expect to find stories inside, and that's true of SAILING BETWEEN THE STARS --- a book full of stories about his family, his friends and his experiences that help illustrate his "musings" on faith in all its mysterious glory.

If, like me, you're the kind of reader who actually checks out the table of contents first, you'll be pleased to know that James is as cryptic as ever with regard to the chapter titles. "Thoughts on Dung and Grace" and "The Monk, the Chainsaw, and the King Tut Life-sized Sarcophagus Cabinet" certainly are attention-grabbers but are no competition for "Joy on the Front of My Pants." That one sounded vaguely familiar and turned out to be a story I once heard him tell in some other context. Still funny, though.

There is a point to all this storytelling, and that point is to try to make sense of the life of faith that James and other Jesus-followers have embraced. As he points out, it's a life filled with paradox and incongruity and mysteries we will never solve this side of heaven, abounding with questions about why God allows the innocent to suffer and all that. And as he also points out, he doesn't have any more answers than the rest of us do; he is simply inviting us along as he contemplates such things as...the navel (honest!) along with somewhat larger issues. (The navel thing really does have a spiritual point, and a fairly dramatic one at that.)

Occasionally, James surprises us, and probably himself as well, with some extraordinary insights. One of the most profound involves the story about the time when Jesus as a boy was inadvertently left behind in Jerusalem and eventually found in the Temple. Like most of us, James took that story at face value --- until he began looking at Scripture through a different lens. These days, he writes, "I look for the struggle, for what doesn't fit, for what goes wrong, for the things that truly set the story in motion." He assumed this particular story was about Jesus naturally wanting to be in the Temple --- his Father's house. Then James "started looking for...the heartbeat of the tale, and I realized this story is about something else entirely." That "something else" is truly revealing, but I'll let you discover that for yourself; let's just say that James believes the story is not about Jesus at all.

And make sure you don't skip the chapter titled "Lost in Space," in which James considers Jesus's teachings about giving freely to others. I'm still musing on that one, along with its image of a God who "doesn't seem too worried about being taken advantage of." No doubt about it, James gives us a thing or two to think about.

Fans of James's previous books, particularly STORY: RECAPTURE THE MYSTERY, will not be disappointed in this release. Like STORY, SAILING BETWEEN THE STARS offers a mix of prose, poetry and prayer-poems. Poetry is a tough sell, and James's style may not be to your liking. But the prose more than compensates for that and makes the book a worthwhile read.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

Previously, I had only read fiction from Steven James, and have thoroughly enjoyed... Pawn, Knight, Rook, Bishop and am now anxiously awaiting Queen. I decided to take a chance on "Sailing Between the Stars," and have been pleasantly surprised by this jewel of a book.

My copy is highlighted and full of notes now and I'm looking forward our small men's group that meets weekly, reading it and discussing the questions Steven James puts forth which are rich and challenging.