Something I heard yesterday

Yesterday, while working, I listened to a message by Rob Bell on Philippians 2:1-2 called “One Mind” (click here to download the mp3 :: click here to view the past 12 sermons from Mars Hill Church).

The talk was very interesting and certainly kept my attention. Rob even played highlight films of Larry Bird (a great basketball player from when I was a kid).

At one point during the talk — and I think you could reasonably say that this is the thesis of the message — Rob makes this statement:

“What if the cross was God’s way of asking, ‘What do I have to do for you to get along?’ ?”

At first I thought, “Wow, that’s powerful.”

But then, the more I thought about it, the more my eye brows went up…

what do you think?

Speaking of Rob Bell…

Rob Bell’s New Book

I think my feelings about Rob Bell are pretty similar to my feelings about rap music when I was in high school… I liked the style and the way it was trendy, and it stirred up emotions in me, and told stories about our world and what is bad and what needs to change… and I also felt guilty because of the profanity and the mental images is stirred up.

Mr. Bell definitely isn’t profane, but I still feel guilty for liking the guy. I guess this is because he is so good at showing what is broken in our world and especially in our American christian church. I agree with him on almost all of the things he articulates so well about the heart of Christ for the lost and needy. He points out our need for Christ so well, but seems so bad at ever mentioning the big ‘R’ word: repentance.

I have never ever in my life heard him utter the word or the notion.

Nevertheless, I’ll probably read the new book, “Jesus Wants to Save Christians”.

…and I’ll probably feel guilty for liking it :0)

Do you think you’ll read it?

Hipper-than-thou pastor

So, if you know me personally, or if you even read this blog very regularly, you know that I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Rob Bell.

And right off the bat, let me tell you that I hate that, because self-righteous ‘christians’ who think it’s their goal in life to tear down everything their brothers build in the name of ‘constructive criticism’ drive me insane.

And to be totally honest, I’m somewhat of a hypocrite when it comes to this matter…

About a year ago, I read “Velvit Elvis”, and I like it so much that I read it again and then bought the audio from iTunes so I could make Stephanie listen to it :0)

(I wrote this about a year ago when I was thinking through the book)

The whole concept of interpreting what Jesus said through the grid of first century Judaism was amazing to me. And Rob really shed some light on some passages of scripture that never quite made sense.

I started listening to the Mars Hill Bible Church podcast. And for my birthday, I asked for the book ‘Sex God’, which I got and eagerly read…