Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide . . .

by Jamie Blaine

The heart of God can be found in the unlikeliest places, in the unlikeliest people.

Jamie Blaine is an unconventional, and actually quite accidental, psychiatric crisis interventionist whose work takes him to “the least of these.” A gifted storyteller, Blaine shares heart-wrenching and sometimes hilarious stories of everyday people who need to know God is there in their darkest hours—people dealing with secret shame, doubt, desperation, even suicide. Humans looking for wholeness, looking for Jesus.

Painting beauty where it seems none exists, Midnight Jesus helps readers transcend their own struggles, showing how truth can come from the strangest places. They will meet people like

•        Skeeter and Wookie, two homeless guys who show that community happens wherever there is shared need and a willingness to give

•        Pastor Ponder who holds an altar call after his sermon at the psych ward and says it's the best church service he’s ever had

•        Kat, the tattooed hairdresser who dreams about Jesus and longs for spiritual connection, who shows that you can’t judge a book by its cover

•        Jesus, who makes an invisible cameo in every story 

As Blaine writes, “I am one wrecked and dirty treasure, but God still decides I am worth the effort to save.” Jamie Blaine is the kind of writer whose view of the commonplace transforms life into the transcendent.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Faith, Spirituality, Religion, Inspirational, Christianity

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

Jamie Blaine is the author of Midnight Jesus and Mercy Never Sleeps, and his writing has been featured in publications around the world. He is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestselling author.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a gentle and poetic book, which slowly sweeps you up till you are captured by the “Late Night Psychiatric Crisis Guy” (the book’s subtitle). Jamie Blaine writes in sporadic vignettes, which chronologically tell his story from aimless to a Masters degree and an affinity for helping people. Even if the religious aspects dominate the book sometimes, the story shines through for me. Mr Blaine is an excellent writer.

“There’s a feeling in the city late on a Sunday Night, like the show is over and the credits have rolled. Like God slips in from his study, in his house shoes and tattered robe, reading glasses sliding down the end of his nose. I know God doesn’t need reading glasses. I think he just wears them to put me at ease.”

“It’s the kind of moment when time slows and every detail bleeds living color like Instamatic film, when your throat catches because for a brief few seconds life is as beautiful as you’d always hoped.”

The author says, “This is a book of those snapshot moments. When just for a little while, it feels like things really could be all right.”

I got lost in the language and enjoyed the true kindness of Jamie as he ministers in his own way to people society may see as “damaged” but he sees as just a bit lost. His methods are successful most of the time and he genuinely makes a difference and isn’t that the point, really?

I would recommend this book if you are feeling a little cynical and believe there is no good left in the world. Somewhere there are people like Jamie Blaine doing late night radio shows and caring. I was given a free copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We all need to take a page from Jamie Blaine’s new inspirational much needed book; his attitude, and non-traditional approach with the eye-opening, MIDNIGHT JESUS: contemporary, fresh, raw, brutally honest, mixed with humor and hope for those who are desperate, at the end of their rope, seeking help and no where to turn ---- "when the hours of night are spacious and filled with wonder, with restless questions of longings and dreams."

“This provocative, inspirational, and heartbreaking collection of true-life tales from megachurch counseling centers, drug rehabs, and graveyard shifts on the crisis-response team explores the toughest and darkest times of people’s lives.”

A wake up call. When getting to this place in life, these people will not be inside the church walls—they are on the streets, in the gutters, strip clubs, drug rehabs, and the dark places. Wrong turns, mistakes, and they need someone to turn to, without judgement—someone willing to come, or meet them on the dark road. After all, isn’t this what Jesus offered all of us?

This is what MIDNIGHT JESUS is all about. Jesus is everywhere—you will find Him in the darkest of places-- the broken, downtrodden—not just inside church walls. These are the places where God uses others. How many of us are willing to step outside the comfort zone to help those in need? How many of us have been there?

There is so much great stuff packed in one book, MIDNIGHT JESUS. I found myself wanting to quote many parts of this eye-awakening beautifully written book in my review; bookmarking many pages as a reminder---to refer to, often. The book is a snapshot of those moments. A few of my favorite parts:

The crisis line- he is up all night. He drives, he talks about faith, hope, love and the seemingly broken state of all things. About grace and the lessons learned. Jamie’s Story---how Jesus uses him and others.

He started out DJing in drive bars and roller rinks for rock and gospel radio stations. Then on to working in mental hospitals and drug rehab centers. He stumbled through college and into a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Even a therapist for a megachurch. There had to be a grand purpose.

Currently, Jamie is a late-night psychiatric crisis guy. He drives from jails to bridge rails, backwood hospitals, run down trailer parks-- in the middle of the night. Meeting people on their worst days, in the worst places. He alone admits he does not have enough grace, faith, or patience to handle this job on his on. He made a deal with Jesus that wherever he goes—Jesus rides along. He admits most of the time he does not have a clue what to say or do. This is Faith.

Everyone has a story. Jesus knows the story behind the curtain, and where to meet us on the road. He meets us on dead-end roads. That grace and mercy can save the day. We often forget, the Bible also includes messed up people, from Moses to Job, Jonah, to John. Do not trust a story that is too neat or clean. "True stories are raw and rough--they do not always end the way we want."

“But there is power in unpolished stories—those with nothing left to lose.“ Jamie drives and talks to Jesus.

“Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between candles but on a cross between two thieves . . . at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what he died for and about."

“There is something strangely hopeful about badly broken people coming together to try and find their way through the ugliest parts of life. If there’s hope in the darkest parts, you have to find that maybe hope is going to win in the end. Hope might be stronger than despair. When you see people walk through the worst and come out on the other side, it makes you hopeful.”

Grace and humor in psych wards. As he mentions, a mental hospital is not a Hallmark movie, of never ending fair tales. Some nights it is bizarre. Jamie shoots straight, stating honestly- “Most of the people he works with has money and health problems, self-esteem, self-sabotage, religion, family and the complete inability to take five steps in a row without screwing up.”

As he reiterates, he knows all too well, as he is also a misfit, (we all are) badly in need of grace and ten thousand chances. He is one of us—he believes in moving on, pressing on, and holding on to the good and trusting that here is something more than this life.

I loved this part from the book, which says it all:

“There are people of faith who somehow find that place where they are standing on the hilltop, smiling and clean in clothes that match, arms lifted in the sun. I am not one of those Christians. I am Peter cursing and falling beneath the waves, Noah fed up and drunk, Thomas doubting, David tiptoeing to get a second peek, Jonah at midnight in the belly of the whale, and Elisha calling down ears. I am mismatched and muddy and ragged, and if there is a hill, I’m climbing down backward with both feet in the air.”

Grace and faith have to catch him unaware. A strange peace in the room of a dying man; one late flash when the addict comes clean; the moment she breathes deep and puts the pistol down; the still small instant when God walks in; when we are all sons and daughters trying to find our way back home.

He stated he is glad Jesus’ time on earth wasn’t all elaborate or fancy. He was content to be common, a working-class guy from a Podunk town who ignored the religious leaders and hung out with losers and loose women and sinners like me (us). “Sometimes when I worry about things, I think about that and it helps.” (this will make you smile).

“God picked roughneck fisherman and tax cheats. Liars and thieves. Outlaws and wild women. Jesus was willing to work with the people no one else wanted on their team. He chose flawed, messed-up, messy people. Just like Brother John. Him. Just like all of us.”

You do not have to be perfect…the only thing Jesus asked was, “Will you follow me?”

Jesus does not show up, looking for the super saints. He comes for the stragglers and the ragged and the screw-ups and the down and out. We are all misfits and ragged stragglers. None of us are above the worst. We all need to be rescued. We are all in the same boat, and we are to help one another.

A Must Read Book for Christians and non-Christians, for any age or any walk of life. This book is for you. It is real. It will humble you, and make you rethink life’s bigger spiritual plan. This is "real life" folks. A book for every church member. Buy two, and hit the streets and giveaway a second copy to those who have lost their way---those desperately needing a word of hope from a MIDNIGHT JESUS.

Thank you, Jamie for your incredible book, and sharing your work and insights! I truly believe: "The heart of God can be found in the unlikeliest places, in the unlikeliest people." Well done!

JDCMustReadBooks

[Elizabeth Starling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just say: I've read the 'heavy hitters'. Graham. Chan. Chapman. Donald Miller. Voskamp, TerKeurst, Niequist.

About 30 pages into this book, I memorized a passage, went home to my roommate, recited the passage from memory, and told her this might be the best Christian nonfiction book I've ever read.

If you need to know there's good in the world, read Midnight Jesus. If you need to know that anyone can come back from anything, read Midnight Jesus. If you need to know that it's never too late, read Midnight Jesus.

This book is the least judgmental, least preachy, most eloquent piece of nonfiction I have ever read. I am moved every chapter.

If you think this is just for yuppie hipster millennial Christians, let me tell you this: I read a few pages of this book aloud to my parents (tough, stoic Italians) on Easter. When I looked up from the book, both of them had tears streaming down their cheeks. They both went on to read it, and my mother re-reads passages of it every month or so. This book cracks something open in people.

By the way, the passage I memorized is the first paragraph of Chapter Three.

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Anthony Cappoferri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Real and raw, Jamie Blaine relates his life and stories from his time working on call at a local psych-ward (and roller rink!) that are tragic, hilarious, and triumphant all rolled into one with color commentary that is second to none. You can’t help but to like the guy who has a knack for cutting right to the heart of people, situations, and life. He is an author who has found his voice and I am a better person for reading this work. It was a breath of fresh air that was anything but the canned religious stuff that “has all the right answers,” but that leaves the reader none the better. Not to draw comparisons, but for the sake of this review, Midnight Jesus was not unlike Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz in that it sought to openly and honestly examine in the author’s wholly unique, humorous, and thoroughly entertaining point of view that essentially addresses the question of, “how a good God can exist in such a jacked up world.” As oversimplified a description as this is, I loved reading every page and it’s hard to argue with the author’s conclusions about what it means to follow Jesus in such a fallen and broken world:

“I am so far from where I need to be. Still fumbling and bumping into walls. Sometimes it feels like I won’t ever get it right. But I believe the message of Jesus is this:

‘I am with you. Even to the end. Even if you never find some grand purpose or plan, even when you run into the walls again and again. Even if you fumble from the cradle to the grave. Even if you never get it right. I am with you. Even to the end.’“

Amen to that Jamie. Amen to that.

5/5

I highly recommend Midnight Jesus. Thank you Jamie Blaine for such an enjoyable, open, and honest glimpse into the unique way God has made you and how Heaven seeps out of you. May we all stumble along so well.

[Paul Waibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide

An amazing thing happened that night in the little town of Bethlehem. Only a few understood. They were told in advance of the event in which they were chosen to play key roles. The few privileged to hear the announcement of the birth of a baby were aware that something unusual and marvelous had occurred, but what, they did not understand.

There was one, a pitiful, paranoid, little old man who was told of the event perhaps as late as two years after it happened. Fearful of what it might mean for him, many innocent lives were brutally snuffed out at his command.

Prior to that night in Bethlehem, God was known only to his chosen people, the Hebrews. He dwelt among them, at first in a tabernacle, and then in a temple built for him. The few who were allowed to approach him did so with fear and trembling as did Moses on Mt. Sinai.

With the birth of Jesus, God himself entered history. The God of the Hebrews was henceforth accessible to all. Not only that. As he went among his people telling them that the promised Messiah had come, he ministered healing to the physical and spiritual needs of those of those in need.

When John the Baptist sent one of his followers to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah, Jesus told the messenger, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”

Since the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians have followed his example. The Gospel is proclaimed throughout the world, and those suffering, whether followers of Jesus Christ or not, receive a cup of cold water in the Messiah’s name.

It is through human hands that Jesus touches those in need. This is the theme of Jamie Blaine’s new book, Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide (Nashville, TN: W. Publishing Group, 2015). It is a collection of vignettes that illustrate how the Lord reaches into a suffering world through the life of one who works in a psychiatric ward, answers a crisis hotline, and yes, even as a assistant manager of a roller rink.

As the reader goes with Jamie Blaine from one life in crisis to another, he cannot but be reminded of Mother Teresa who went out into the streets of Calcutta, India, seeking those who suffer unseen by the multitude surrounding them. What compels Christians like Mother Teresa and Jamie Blaine? Blaine explains it this way:

"Jesus said whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me. So when I go see the guy in jail who is crying and kicking the wall, I think, There’s Jesus. And if he’s eating screws and he curses and throws his shoes at me, well, maybe it’s more like, Okay, that’s Jesus’ little brother. Still. Better be patient. Be kind.

"When I drive up at four in the morning to see some woman babbling to aliens and doing the tango hustle through her neighbor’s yard with tinfoil wrapped around her head and no pants on, There’s Jesus. Or at least his little sister. So find her some pants and bring her cold water. Sit on the back steps and listen to whatever story she needs to tell. Do the best I can to help her get from where she is to where she needs to be. Because someday Jesus will meet me just outside the gate, and I don’t think he’s going to ask where I went to church or how many Bible verses I memorized. He’s going to say, “Where were you when I was sick? When I was in jail? How about when I was hungry? Where were you when I lost my mind?" (pp. 196-197)

Waiting curbside with a drunk for a hospital van to come and pick the poor man up, Blaine hears the Gospel in the form he, the drunk, has tried to fit to his life:

“You ever just look around at life and wonder what in the world is goin’ on down here?”

“Sure. Who don’t?”

“Exactly. Even in the Bible, son. Every one of them characters in that book wondered the same thing at one point or another. If you ain’t ever really read it close, check it out seometime. See for yourself.”

“All right,” I tell him. “I’ll check it out.”

“Like, whose idea was all this?” He holds out his hands like Moses before the sea and pivots from the Jiffy Lube to Taco Bell. “I ain’t asked to be born. Ain’t asked to die. Sure ain’t asked to be judged. I ain’t signed up for none of this. But here I am.”
After a pause, he continues:

“Even Jesus Christ hisself wasn’t so sure sometimes, was he?”

Minutes pass as Blaine and the derelict wait for the van. Blaine probes him about how many drinks he has drunk during the day. “Just one,” he answers, then continues his sermon.

“So anyway, my point is, you see, maybe God said, ‘Well, before I judge ’em too hard, I might oughta walk a mile in their shoes.’”

“So he come down to earth as a little baby, fought with brothers and sisters and worked in the family woodshop. Tried to go tell people the good news and his friends screwed him over and then—them religious folks kilt him.”

“And maybe, when Jesus got back to heaven he kicked off them shoes, looked at God, and said, ‘Dad, it’s rough down there. Go easy on ’em.’” (pp. 40-42)

When Blaine asks his companion, “How’d you come up with that?” His reply is simple, but profound. “I got lots of time to think.”

After the hospital van picks the man up and drives off, Blaine is left reflecting on how truth is found in strange places.

Jesus continues his earthly ministry as his Holy Spirit embodies and empowers his followers, who are his body. But, as is seen in the Bible, he also uses “perverts and murderers, prisoners and women of ill repute,” the weak and foolish.

Midnight Jesus is not an inspirational book in the normal sense, but it does inspire. It is not a theological study or a commentary, but it does compel the reader to think about his or her faith and commitment as a follower of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. One cannot follow Jamie Blaine as he moves among the forgotten casualties of a fallen world without confronting the question Jesus Christ asks of us, “Where were you when I was . . . .”

This is a book that needs to be read.

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your life isn't absurd enough that you find yourself wondering "Did I think I'd ever be here, right now?" then you will not recognize the Jesus in this book. Blaine's Jesus is quiet, honest, and real. He brings up more questions than he leaves answers, but most of all he shows up - especially for the fringiest of us. That's my Jesus, too. If you've never met him, let Blaine introduce you. Thanks, brother.

P.S. If you're familiar with Chris Hoke's book Wanted, you'll recognize Jamie Blaine as a spiritual brother. And if you've read Midnight Jesus and wonder if Jesus shows up in prison, too, and not just the psych ward- then you should read Wanted.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Blaine's experiences as a "late-night psychiatric crisis guy" are told with incredible beauty. His stories reveal the fragility of our human condition, and the role of faith and grace in our lives. Along the way, Jamie shares his own insecurities and reminds us that he doesn't see himself as a Jesus figure, but that he constantly prays for Jesus to be beside him in his work; work that has him dealing with the lost and the broken. We are reminded that the lost and the broken are all around us, even sitting in our congregations. Highly recommended.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The stories about the psych ward and the juxtaposition of stories about the skate rink were great. I was kind of worried that the topic of religion would be a bit much for me, but I think it was an excellent addition to the humanity of the book and the struggles that people of different spiritual backgrounds go through. It was a very easy read and I will be recommending this to people.

[Sam Eman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candid, gritty, funny, convicting, Jamie Blaine is out there doing the crazy stuff most of us (ahem, I) avoid. It felt like I was riding in the truck with him on one of his calls. God bless this guy.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best if not the best contemporary Christian books I've ever read. Christian publishers, PLEASE get the memo that memoir is so much deeper, richer and more beautifully truth-revealing than self-help with a veneer of Christianity.

[Natasha]

I just loved this book even though I am not religious. The stories were incredible gems- I felt like I got to peek behind the curtain of very emotional and vulnerable events that we might not ever see in person. The characters were beautiful and the hero of the book... just amazing!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book like a Daily Devotional-recognizing God everywhereand in everything!

[LaShana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is me!!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting combination of memoir, psychology, spirituality, and religion (heavy on Evangelical Christian). Really well written and interesting; it's not exactly my cuppa, but I finished it.

[Brenda Seefeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autobiography of a man who is quick to obey God while continually doubting if he's got it right. This is a man who is changing his world. I pray for more like him.

[Nevette Orth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect much when I started this book, but I REALLY enjoyed it. It is well written and meaningful.

[Laura Bracken · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining. That’s about all I have to say about it

[Heather Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read for what it was—lots of mini stories into one. Enjoyed reading about this guys experience working with those struggling with mental health. Took me awhile to finish.

[Gretchen Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

God loves all, especially the most broken - God can be seen in those moments. This story is a real one, raw, so very introspective on human kind and how we all struggle with the same questions, complications, and events in life.

[Juan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and heartfelt.


**Thank you for my free Goodreads copy**
God Bless.

[Itsy Bitsy Book Bits · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Midnight Jesus" by Jamie Blaine is a very unique and capturing book, filled with many stories and adventures. These adventures are about Jamie Blaine and his firsthand encounters with people that have challenged his thoughts and beliefs and have impacted who he is today. The people he comes in contact with everyday aren't your normal everyday people though. In fact, who can define what normal is with the life Jamie Blaine writes about living in this book? Jamie is a psychology major in college, psych-ward crisis line worker and last but not least, a skating rink DJ. Oh and might I add, a devout Christian man.

Jamie writes about how Jesus is always with him during all of his exciting and not-so-exciting midnight escapades. There's even instances when Jamie talks to Jesus as if he's talking to a friend. " I like that midnight Jesus, when you can talk to him just like a friend."

In every story, Jamie mentions Jesus. He even starts each chapter out with a quote or Bible verse that has something to do with what he learned through each story. My favorite story that Jamie wrote about is about a man who is considering suicide by jumping off of a railroad bridge. The man would go out and stand on the bridge and he would look over the edge, but he never could jump. Jamie went to talk to him and help him one night after a church play. Jamie played Jesus in the church play and he was still dressed up when he went to find the man on the bridge. It was funny and it was the story that opened my eyes to what this whole book was really about. With this one story, Jamie writes that we should "show up and be Jesus" to other people sometimes. I agree with him completely, because sometimes we are the only Jesus some people will ever see in their lifetime. That doesn't mean we should dress up like Jesus and parade around with a "holier than thou" attitude.

There are three things I feel like Jamie Blaine is trying to tell us through this book. First, I feel like he's trying to tell us that God loves each and every one of us just the way we are. No one is ever not good enough, so don't judge anyone. Second, God uses us in mysterious ways to do His work. Our job is to just be available to God and not ignore His signs. Lastly, I feel like Jamie is trying to tell us that God is ultimately in control, no matter how much we try to control things that will happen to us.

Jamie Blaine's writing style is very relatable and easy to understand. He writes with his heart and backs it up with his mind. I could really feel how he described to be feeling and agreed with every thought to each situation he wrote about that he faced. He really stretches your mind when it comes to his faith and how he uses it in his work as a psychologist.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone to read. Especially if you're a Christian who is struggling with not feeling good enough for what God has called you to do or if you're just looking for your calling. Maybe you are meant to do what Jamie Blaine does, but would you have the same mindset and, most of all, heart set as he does about it? I give this book four out of five stars!

[Victoria W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose to read this book.

I was drawn in by the author's blurb mentioning crisis intervention - a field I once pursued before prejudice kicked me out.

I was drawn in by the lure of stories, of humanity in a nutshell and yet still more complex and vast for our labels to ever hold.

I was drawn in by the title because midnight has always been a time that's dear to me, a time when I wrestle with faith and life, and to be honest most of this book was read around this hour.

When I read this book I found all that and more.



Midnight Jesus reads as a memoir in some ways, a collection of stories from those we would deem "the least". Yet, in these every day encounters in roller rinks and bike paths to the life and death questions being asked in courtyards in the dead of night Blaine brings readers to a place where faith and struggle coexist, where questions are okay and often unanswered in the messiness of life, and where Jesus is there in the midst of it all walking (or riding shotgun) through each moment.

Blaine is truly a gifted author. His ability to paint images and capture humanity was incredible and I often found myself poking my husband to read his sections that had to be read aloud (although I'm thinking I probably just read a lot to my sleeping or falling asleep husband, oops). His words aren't preachy yet they instill truth.

There is human sorrow painted through these chapters, people who are lost and desperate but, like in life, there is humour and joy. I enjoy books like that because life is often a balance (or maybe a pendulum) of this.

Midnight Jesus is a book that should challenge ones preconceptions, confront our ideas about "the other", about the need and the right to question, to challenge. and our tendency to box up the gospel into a nice, tidy box. If nothing else, this book is a glimpse into the power of listening and the power of presence.

5 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Susan Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie Blaine is a psychotherapist and crisis interventionist. He’s also a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. Combine these backgrounds and you have the makings of an interesting book.

Midnight Jesus is a work of creative non-fiction – meaning that Mr. Blaine has written about some of his experiences working with some of the most downtrodden and broken people he’s met while working in a variety of capacities and he still manages to do so in an engaging, entertaining and meaningful manner. His clever, humorous and touching style comes across even in the most heartbreaking of stories. Although many of the stories are deep and sometimes painful, they’re made lighter by the author’s writing, so it was easy to breeze through this book in a day.

Midnight Jesus reminds us that we are all imperfect beings with much to learn. Yet, as imperfect as we are, Jesus loves us, and with open arms, he invites us all to follow him. I have a sense that I share the author’s sentiment regarding the way many “religious” organizations seem to forget that ministering to the whole person, and not just the "good" parts, is what’s most important. It’s easy to be warm and welcoming to individuals who enter our lives with little emotional baggage. The real test for any follower of Jesus is whether or not we’re willing to welcome, love and encourage everyone – even those who are at times the most difficult to love.

http://ebookreviewgal.com received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Hallie (Hallie Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is also posted on Book by Book.

In Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide, Jamie Blaine pulls together stories based on his various experiences and tells a unique and inspiring narrative of finding Jesus in the strangest places. With humor and grace, he portrays a cast of interesting, quirky characters from a variety of environments, including a roller rink, psych ward, and megachurch, and as he tells the stories surrounding them, I really enjoyed Blaine’s voice and perspective. Overall, Midnight Jesus is an engaging read, with thought-provoking insight, and I really liked it. I would have no problem recommending it to interested readers - it’s worth reading.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Midnight Jesus and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

[Gini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this Book! Spend your money for a copy. Borrow one if you’ve got no money for it. It is the best I’ve read in a long, long, long time. I can’t say it any better than Augustan Burroughs has, “Gorgeous, brilliantly written, deeply moving, life-affirming, and just plain stunning.” I don’t get excited about a book often, but this one is different. And in the best way possible.

Blaine makes it plain up front that the book is “A work of creative nonfiction” meaning the names, dates, locations, and other identifying features have been changed to protect those he’s thinking of while he writes. Don’t be surprised if you find a little of yourself inside this book. Also don’t be surprised if you find yourself wondering if a few changes need to happen in your own life. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself laughing at some points and near tears at others. This is good writing and reading.

This book was provided by the publishers for a review. I don’t have to say nice stuff either, but in this case the raves are totally deserved.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having worked both as a crisis therapist and in admissions for several mental health hospitals, I can identify with a lot of Mr. Blaine's experiences. Working with people in crisis is both exhausting and immeasurably rewarding, and has offered some of the greatest insights into the heart of Christ that I've ever had. I guarantee I don't have Mr. Blaine's grace on roller skates, however.

I wish I had read this book in a regular format instead of listening to the audio book. Nothing against the audio book - everything about it was fine. I initially wasn't sure about Mr. Blaine reading his own work but by about halfway through I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. I just wish I had taken the time to sit with each story for a while and soak it in. I may go back and do exactly this, in fact. There is a lot of thought-provoking material here, and important lessons that shouldn't be rushed.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different kind of read that I am not used to and the book just ended with no type of ending.... it just ended. However, it was great.... the simply things in life.... the small chats.... the people you encounter.... it really made me think that all people want is our time and to show that we matter!!!! The simple things are what helped these people and Jamie showed it by just bring there and bring himself! simple...... and done....I really liked this read and wanted more ;)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part memoir, part comedy, part religion. This book asks the hard questions many of us have but are afraid to ask let alone admit out loud. It's refreshing when the author says "I don't know" and just listens instead of offering advice. Sometimes we just want someone to listen.

[Joey Hereau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever felt closer to God or more sure of my faith than when reading this. Life's messy but Jesus is always there to ride shotgun and talk endlessly with me. For helping me realize this I am forever thankful.