What?

I don't even know what to say:

Former Mars Hill Pastor teams up with Former Lost Showrunner to create new spiritual tv series.

Love Wins Review: Part 2

Another great chapter, and one that many people seem to be skipping in their reviews, in favor of getting to the juicer and more controversial stuff! This chapter is called "Here is the New There" and it's a discussion of heaven.

In this chapter, Rob takes some time to discuss what heaven is. What did Jesus think about heaven? What does the Bible say about heaven? I've heard that it's much like N.T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope" (haven't read it); but I'll summarize Rob for you.

Heaven is right now, somewhere else. This is our traditional understanding of heaven - that it is in fact somewhere, right now, out of our field of understanding.

But Heaven is also right here, sometime in the future. Heaven will be on Earth (Revelation talks of Heaven coming down to Earth). So there is at least potential, where we are, for Heaven.

And finally, the least understood aspect of Heaven, is that we are invited to create heaven here and now, in this moment, in this place.

That's a quick summary of the chapter. One common criticism I have read of "Love Wins" is Rob's use of the greek word "Aion." Aion is most commonly translated as "forever." However, Rob wants to drag us back to some of the other meanings of the word - "eternal" It can also refer to "a particular intensity of experience that transcends time." I know just enough greek to be dangerous, so I can only make a small comment. What some of the greek scholars and theologians on the internet seem to be taking Bell to task for (choosing a meaning based on what fits his thoughts best) can be turned around very easily. I don't know what the correct translation of Aion is in these passages - but I don't think that vitriol or belittlement is deserved either way.

No matter how you define Aion, the rest of Rob's points hold pretty well in this chapter. He hasn't (yet) gotten away from much in the way of orthodox belief; he is simply using words and phrases at this point that we are unfamiliar with.

Two more things I want to discuss about this chapter: Rob talks about the "flames of heaven" and how in the light of perfect love and perfect judgement how uncomfortable we'll feel. Imagine being a racist in heaven, and realizing that 'those' people are here too. Rob talks about how these parts of ourselves, the sinful dark areas, will be burned away by the light of God's love. It's still a learning experience, Rob believes, because we are not instantly an entirely different person upon death. "Heaven is a starting over. Learning how to be human all over again..."

Also, Rob touches on superstring theory a bit, which made me smile, because it's one of my favorite concepts and ideas. For more of my thoughts, and a basic idea of superstring theory and what it means, check this post out.

Next chapter is simply "Hell."

Love Wins Review: Part 1

After much reading and much talk, I finally got my copy of "Love Wins: A book about Heaven, Hell, and the fate of every person who ever lived" by Rob Bell.

A quick primer, for those of you who didn't catch wind of anything. Rob Bell is the founding pastor of the church I used to go to in Michigan (Mars Hill Bible Church, which is not related to Mars Hill Church/Mark Driscoll). Rob has written a few other great books (Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants To Save Christians). This one achieved a very controversial status after Rob posted a promotional video for Love Wins, with people accusing Rob of heresy and universalism. You can find the gamut of opinions and responses if you look on the internet, but I thought I would offer my thoughts on the book. I'm going to go through the book chapter by chapter and talk about my responses, the controversies as I understand them, and what I think is important in what I'm reading.

The first chapter (What about the Flat Tire?) is in my opinion the best. It reiterates some of the points from the video - "Gandhi's in Hell? Really? And someone knows that for sure?" And then Rob, in typical Rob fashion, goes to town. He just starts asking questions, sharing biblical stories, and highlighting what different stories say about salvation. For example he gives the following list, with each idea coming from how different biblical stories related someones salvation:

“So is it what we say,

or is it who we are,

or is what we do,

or is it what we say we’re going to do,

or is it who your friends are,

or who you’re married to,

or whether you give birth to children?

Or is what questions you’re asked?

Or is what questions you ask in return?”

And that's really all this chapter offers. Stories and the questions that arise from them. And at the end of the chapter, Rob says that this isn't a book of questions, and it's time to start looking at some answers.

One criticism I've heard of Rob is that he asks questions but doesn't provide answers. Well, the end of this chapter was a huge relief in that regard - no, Love Wins isn't going to just poke holes in salvation, ask questions and provide no answers.

I do think this is the most important chapter in the book. Whether or not you agree with the picture that Rob paints from here on out, you have to recognize that the area that we try to plant the flag of our faith on is not as much as a rock as we want it to. There are confusing and contradictory images of how we are saved, and these are in the Bible. We need to recognize that and think about it.

Next Chapter: Here is the New There

Something To Think About

Been on vacation for the last week or so, so excuse the lack of posts. I meant to put up a post explaining why there would be no posts, but then I realized that was stupid.

Anyway, today's post is a "think and chew" post. Here's a video of Rob Bell describing his next book - a few of the questions he's planning to wrestle with. What do you think?

Somebody Smarter Said - 11

"The Bible is a collection of stories that teach us about what it looks like when God is at work through actual people." - Rob Bell

Jesus Wants to Save Christians Review

Jesus Wants to Save Christians
Rob Bell and Don Golden

I bought Rob Bell and Don Golden's new book recently. You might remember I posted a preview of the book, and thought it sounded very intriguing. I didn't know what to expect. And this book defied my expectations - it wasn't what I thought it was going to be at all.
Basically, Rob and Don outline a New Exodus theology. They describe how the entire Bible can be told in parallel to the story of the Exodus, and the Passover in particular.
I always sort of understood that the passover was significant, but I never paid attention to it. I have always been interested in the power of communion, and I never made the connection, like the authors do, between communion and passover. There is a reason that Jesus initiates communion on the Passover; he is drawing connection between his person and the lamb slain at passover.
If you're unfamiliar with New Exodus theology, this is a great book to start with. As far as I understand, this acts like a basic primer to this theology. For those who want to paint Rob (and Mars Hill) into an emergent and theological-less corner, this book closes that idea pretty thoroughly. Rob obviously has a theology, and here he has articulated it clearly.
Some thoughts:
There are some scathing indictments of America in here, so if your the ultra-patriotic America-is-God type, you may not enjoy this. There are also some jabs at the modern evangelical church.
Ben Witherington III has a great review. He points out some of the great thinking, as well as some of the issues where Rob and Don are off the mark, specifically regarding Philip and the Ethiopian.
I think that "Blood on the Doorposts of the Universe" is an appropriately epic chapter title.
If you were used to Rob's storytelling approach, you may be in for some shock here. This book has none of the stories that Rob used to such great extent in Sex God and Velvet Elvis. Another reason why it was not what I expected.
The Bottom line:
I really liked this book. Definitely Recommend it. I would make sure, as with all things, to do some research and not just blindly accept everything it it (another reason to read Ben Witherington). But bottom line - read it.

Random Thoughts - 6

?Who is the church for?
That's a pretty normal question in church circles. In seminary circles especially. Different Pastors have different views. I read Mark Driscoll say that the church exists for the member's who aren't there yet. I hear Rob Bell say that the church is for the oppressed. I hear Greg Surratt say the church is for the development of fully devoted followers of Christ. I hear (this morning) that the Church should be involved in meeting the needs of it's followers. So what is the answer?
It usually boils down to whether a church exists for seekers or for followers or for outreach. Is the church there to' save' people, and bring in 'new' christians? Is the church there to disciple the already-there people? Is the church there to be the light of the world, to bring hope to the hopeless?
So let's ask the question. Who owns the church?
As I've been reflecting on this, the answer is this - the church is for all of them. But none of them own it.
It's certainly for the people who aren't there yet. It's definitely for the the people who are there. And it's for the people who would never have the opportunity to be there.
But it's not.
None of these groups have the corner on 'owning' the church.
God owns the church.
And the church exists for God.
The other people matter to the extent that they matter to God.
Just something to think about.

Description of Rob Bell's Next Book:

Jesus Wants To Save Christians
by Rob Bell and Don Golden

There is a church not too far from us that recently added a $25 million addition to their building.

Our local newspaper ran a front-page story not too long ago about a study revealing that one in five people in our city lives in poverty.

This is a book about those two numbers.

It's a book about faith and fear,

wealth and war,

poverty, power, safety, terror,

Bibles, bombs, and homeland insecurity,

It's about empty empires and the truth that everybody's a priest, it's about oppression, occupation, and what happens when Christians support, animate and participate in the very things Jesus came to set people free from.

It's about what it means to be a part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings while others pick up groceries in Hummers.


October, 2008