reading

During my travels during the month of December I was able to catch up on some reading and finished another book yesterday. I have a feeling my free time is coming to an end with my first home basketball of the new year in just a few hours but I try to escape when I can.

My future bro-in-law gave me the new Rob Bell book Jesus Wants to Save Christians for Christmas. I had heard an interview with Bell talking about the book so my curiosity was spiked and excited for Barton's gift. I started it a couple of weeks ago but sat down and read the majority of it in one sitting yesterday. There's a ton to pull away from it and I don't want to give everything away but some thoughts...

- "Because it's when we're fully present in our pain, when we're willing to sit in our tears, that we're ready to imagine a different kind of tomorrow." Bell is talking about the people in exile who cried out (Ps.137:1-4) and while I realize I'm not in a physical exile or anything close to it... after the week I had I needed to read this. Sometimes I think we try to run away... and maybe sometimes we dwell in it... but I want to be fully present in my pain that allows me to imagine a different kind of tomorrow.

- Later on in the book it talks about Philip's run-in with the eunuch. The eunuch asks Philip to baptize him, but at that time, according to the law, Philip would have been unable to baptize him because the eunuch was excluded from the group as "damaged goods." Baptizing him would jeopordize his standing with God according to the law at that time. In the book it says, "What do you do when your religion isn't big enough for God? What do you do when your rules and codes and laws simply aren't enough anymore? What do you do when your system falls apart because the new thing that God is doing is better, beyond, superior, more compelling?" Philip baptized the eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). I want to make sure my faith doesn't become a set of rituals that put God into a box.

- Another story talks about the two disciples walking back to Emmaus after Jesus' death (Luke 24:13-35). They're heading back after thinking they've made this huge mistake in leaving everything to follow this man who claimed he was something who turned out to be nothing. Jesus joins them on their walk (post-resurrection) and asks them what they're talking about. They're completely clueless and Bell says, "What we saw on the walk with Jesus and his disciples is that it's possible to be with Jesus every day and yet miss who he truly is and where we really are." I pray that doesn't become me.

I don't want to drown you in it but I feel like he makes some good points. Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and probably most recognized for his NOOMA video series. Don Golden co-wrote the book with Bell so I don't want to leave him out.