Velvet Elvis
I recently finished reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. The book is Bell’s attempt at articulating what a Christian worldview should look like. I really liked it. I appreciate his historical approach to the life of Jesus, as well as his emphasis on life here on earth, rather than just eternity. Here are some take-aways from the book:
- “For a Christian, Jesus’ teachings aren’t to be followed because they are a nice way to live a moral life. They are to be followed because they are the best possible insight into how the world really works.”
- “Christian = Noun. A person. A person who follows Jesus. A person living in tune with ultimate reality, God. A way of life centered around a person who lives.”
- “A church is a community of people who are learning how to be certain kinds of people wherever they find themselves, so they can do whatever it is they do “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
- “Missions then is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there.”
- “Shalom is the presence of the goodness of God. It’s the presence of wholeness, completeness.”
- “Your job is relentless pursuit of who God made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.”
- “Sabbath is taking a day a week to remind myself that I did not make the world and that it will continue to exist without my efforts.”
- “We cannot earn what we always had. What we can do is trust that what God keeps insisting is true about us is actually true.”
- “For Jesus, this new kind of life in him is not about escaping this world but about making it a better place, here and now.”
- “The goal isn’t escaping this world but making this world the kind of place God can come to.”
- “We cannot live independently of the world God has placed us in.”
Read it. It’ll be good for you. If you’ve already read it I’d love to hear what you thought.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:24 am
I tried reading that book, because everybody said it was a “must read”, but truthfully, I couldn’t get into it…. I quit after chapter 2… maybe I should give it a second shot.
January 27th, 2008 at 1:29 am
I’ll probably call you with more thoughts… but i really liked this book.
I love his emphasis on communal grappling with scripture as it applies to us today…. and i REALLY like his emphasis on the rabbinic way that Jesus taught and how that makes a difference… my favorite line from the book was probably:
“‘Christian’ is a great noun but a terrible adjective.”
January 27th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Lance, you should give it another go.
Drew, call me, we’ll talk. I really liked it as well. The “grappling” portions were really good, particularly his commentary on “binding and loosing”.
January 27th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
That’s on my list of books to read this year. I’m currently in the middle of “In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson.
It’s good to get a “preview” of a book before I read it. Thanks.
January 27th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
“In a Pit” is on my list as well.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
I’ve really enjoyed it so far….good read.
January 27th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I heard this was a good book from a couple people at church, but didn’t buy it…mainly because I thought it had to do with the the wardrobe fopauxs of a certain Rock n’ Roll icon of late. How does “the king” tie into the rabbinic teachings of THE KING again?
January 27th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Dude….I read this book a couple years ago, blew my mind! Really got me thinking about stuff! …then again, I always do. I respect and appreciate what Bell did with it. btw, Jordan rocks.