I'd like to meet:
"I am tempted to say that Jim Palmer could well be the next Donald Miller, but what they have in common, along with an honest spirituality and extraordinary skill as storytellers, is a unique voice."Brian McLaren, Author of Everything Must ChangeEarly Reviews of Wide Open Spaces..."Jim knows the mess of the world. Jim knows the mess of the church. And he still has the audacity to believe that love wins. Here he has created a book of stories and reflections that cannot help but leave you feeling closer to God, with a smile that isn't just for Sunday mornings, and filled with the hope that another world is possible."Shane Claiborne,
activist, author, recovering sinner (thesimpleway.org)"Jim Palmer, the hall of fame pitcher, changed speeds on his fastball. Jim Palmer, the author, changed lives in our locker room. It has been an absolute pleasure to pass this book out to some of my teammates. As I read the pages of each chapter, I could literally feel God moving my heart further away from religion and closer to experiencing His desired freedom in Christ. If you want to escape the popular Christian treadmill or common Churchianity, Wide Open Spaces and Divine Nobodies are must reads!"Paul Byrd, Major League Baseball pitcher for Cleveland Indians"My favorite spiritual practice is underlining books. I stopped underlining Jim Palmer's newest book because I found myself underlining the whole thing. Few books in life have brought my soul more pleasure, or profit, than Wide Open Places."Leonard Sweet, Drew University, George Fox University, wikiletics.com"I could read what Jim Palmer writes all day. He’s honest, funny, and his perspective really gives you something to chew on. When you open up Wide Open Spaces, it’s like opening up a window on the first day of fall after a long hot summer, and letting that breeze rush in. It’s refreshing and invigorating, and oh so welcome."Ernie Johnson, Jr., NBA on TNT"A radical and welcome book about how to be an authentic Christian in a post-Christian world. Jim Palmer’s new words on church, faithfulness, and finding God in new places are a gift to us all."Greg Garrett, Author of Crossing Myself and The Gospel According to Hollywood"To anyone who has ever gasped for air within the claustrophobic confines of religion, to anyone who has ever held up her dukes to God in a desperate plea for honest contact, Jim Palmer suggests, 'Let's take this outside.'Wide Open Spaces is an invitation to freedom beyond the boundary lines of organized religion (which is more a mix of cultural bias and corporate structures than a celebration of the Truth that sets us free). This book is guaranteed to raise both your eyebrows and your hopes, to stretch your doctrine even as it stretches your faith. Every word rings true, even as it startles, with this bold—and biblically supported—proposal: that when we fulfill our true calling to be 'little Christs,' we partner with God as he works his perfect will, joyfully growing the kingdom 'on earth as it is in heaven.'"Kristyn Komarnicki,
editor, PRISM magazine
Evangelicals for Social Action"It is a rare achievement for any artist to follow their first work—one that remains as highly acclaimed as Divine Nobodies—with a follow-on work that is unequivocally better than the first. Jim Palmer has done it with Wide Open Spaces. The reading of Wide Open Spaces is not optional. It’s mandatory if you are one who desires to know God and be love in our world today. This book is an epic contribution to the way ahead. The implications of Wide Open Spaces are clear for the spiritual sojourner and the possibilities for a way of life for those who deeply desire something more in how they experience God on a day-to-day basis."Richard Dahl, Author, Creator, and Editor of theporpoisedivinglife.com"From the first chapter, it’s clear that Jim has written a brave book. He’s articulated much of the discontent I have felt with the church in America, and he’s done it not with cynicism (which would’ve been easy) but with a frank and gentle wisdom. I put the book down grateful for the reminder that being a Christian means vastly more than adhering to the paradigm."Andrew Peterson, Singer/Songwriter"No sooner does one come to the understanding of seeing the divine in others then Jim pops another at us - in the reality of Wide Open Spaces. I love the way Jim connects his story with the stories of others, and how God can move in us, around us, about us and through us to see the work in the kingdom. Sometimes life can be hard, but seeing the hand of God is a powerful way of expressing our walk - Jim does just that in this book - I would recommend it to anyone seeking to know more, find more, live more, understand more and journey more with the divine in us all. Get ready to be "Unzipped" as you explore the reality of God in many ways."John O'keefe, Founder/Designer ginkworld.net"Wide Open Spaces is an unabashed invitation to sail out of the shallows of stagnant, repetitive Sunday-only religion and to sail out into the adventure of a life lived alongside Jesus in the wild, open currents of every day life. As Jim attests, the rewards far outweigh the risks!"Wayne Jacobsen, Author He Loves Me: Learning To Live In The Father’s Affection; founder lifestream.org"Thank goodness Wide Open Spaces is done! I thought Jim was going to pass out from the heat as he pecked away on his laptop in that ugly rocking recliner in his garage."Jim's nextdoor neighbor
