I am in a book club that is presently reading the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.
To be honest I joined the book club hoping I would finish reading books I started. I have a habit of starting books, reading some, then picking up some other book to read, then going back to the original book, then back and forth like that. Eventually I finish them. I read the first book, "Leaving Church", finally after the due date for discussion. I have however not finished the second book, "Christianity for the Rest of Us", and am in the process of reading it. I decided however, that I wanted to be ready when it came time to discuss the third book Velvet Elvis. I put down the second book, and started reading Velvet Elvis. It is a very different style of writing than I am used to, but interesting. It is written in loops, as described by Leonard Sweet. And he uses very interesting objects as metaphors for things.
I really don't know that much about Rob Bell. Some people have heard him preach at his church or at some of the speaking engagements he has done. There is something else he has done is make some videos called Nooma. The name NOOMA comes from a phonetic spelling of the Greek word pneuma (πνευμα) meaning 'wind,' 'spirit,' or 'God's movement or agency.' I found some on You Tube. They are a lot like the book, spoken in loops. I am offering one here that is on You Tube.
Some people are very critical of Rob Bell. Some really like him. The church he pastors, Mars Hill in in Grandville, Michigan draws somewhere between 10,000 to 11,000 a weekend to worship. It is very intersting to me he started the church teaching through the book of the Bible, Leviticus. Now how many preachers do you know have even preached or taught out of Leviticus? (If you have taught Disciple Bible Study, you have.) I am saving my critique until I have completed reading the book. In the meantime, I will on Wednesdays be posting somthing about Rob Bell or by him, until we discuss the book on May 28. I would be interested in your thoughts as well.
Here is the video: Nooma - Rain
If you can't see it, here is the link to Nooma-Rain on You Tube
2 comments:
you are not alone abi. many of us suffer from what i have diagnosed as "multiple book disorder." daniel wolpert (author of creating a life with god) said of my diagnosis that we are just writing our own book. i laughed at him and said i wasn't buying it. but that is a nice way of looking about it.
i downloaded velvet elvis and sex god (rb's most recent book) through itunes. i am hoping i can get through some books easier that way. got through 10 chapters of generous orthodoxy yesterday.. that's good reading for me. &:~)
Hey,
I just finished writing a series on Rob's book "Velvet Elvis" that I think you'd be interested in.
Read and join in on the discussion at:
http://ascenttotruth.blogspot.com/
Michael Krahn
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