The Sweetest Frame

Man, did this part of the book resonate with me. And what is so funny is that Mr. Bell had these worries and concerns pastoring around 10,000 people, and I have them and I pastor less than 100. Here's a quote from Chapter 4... "I meet so many people who have Superwhatever rattling around in their head. They have this person that they are convinced they are supposed to be, and their Superwhatever is killing them. They have this image they picked up over the years of how they are supposed to look and act and work and play and talk, and it's like a voice that never stops shouting in their ear. And the only way to not be killed by it is to shoot first.Yes, that is what I meant to write. You have to kill your Superwhatever.And you have to do it right now. Because your Superwhatever will rob you of today and tomorrow and the next day until you take it out back and end its life. Go do it. The book will be here when you get back." We get these ideas in our head that we h...

Some quotes here from Rob Bell in Velvet Elvis that really got my attention. "The thought of the word church and the word marketing in the same sentence makes me sick" "I remember being told that a sign had been rented with the church name on it to go in front of the building where we were meeting. I was mortified and had them get rid of it. You can't put a sign out front, I argued; people have to want to find us. And so there were no advertisements, no flyers, no promotions, and no signs...There were well over 1,000 people there the first Sunday." Now, all of you purpose-driven folks out there, what do you think about them apples? Let me say that I am not against advertising. I think it is good to let people know what you have to offer them. And in one way that is what the preacher does every Sunday, he speaks to people to tell them what God has for them, and how what they have can be used for God. I just found it very interesting that this "Mega-Churc...

This past summer I saw a video from a series called Nooma. I really enjoyed it and I began to search for more stuff from Rob Bell. I then heard that he had some strange theological views and I was very worried about showing the Nooma videos to others. So I started listening to Mr. Bell. He is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids Michigan. He presents things with a fresh perspective. I always learn something when I hear him, (and I always seem to disagree with something too) So I have finally broken down and have started reading his book "Velvet Elvis". I'll try to save most of my criticisms until I finish the book. I have to say that after just reading the first chapter, I am already hooked. His writing is fresh and even the way that the sentences are laid out are appealing to me. The main contrast in the first chapter was between bricks and trampolines. We build with bricks. We start with the foundation and work our way upwards. If one bric...