Welcome to my Velvet Elvis.

So I finished Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell today. I think it's funny how in some ways, it's on the opposite end of the spectrum from Imitation of Christ, and once again I don't embrace all of the ideas, but found enough good concepts to make me glad I read it.

By opposite, I mean that it's interesting how the one book encourages solitude, reclusion... almost hermiting away to be more spiritual, and shunning frivolity and such. (I might not be doing so well at explaining this) But Bell, on the other hand, encourages community and embracing and enjoying the beauty of life and this world. Perhaps there is a balance to strike between the two.

Some parts of the book, I wasn't so sure I agreed with, probably because I'm still trying to figure out where my theology lies on the delightful Calvanist/Armenian continuum (Bell is so not a Calvanist...). Others, however, I loved. Particularly the way he put Jesus into a historical context by explaining Jewish culture and the education it takes to become a rabbi, and the relationship of rabbis and disciples. It was very enlightening. Sometimes it's very easy to miss the significance of the cultural and historical details in Jesus' time, but when I learn more about them (like from Anne Rice's book a few weeks ago), it opens up a whole new layer of meaning. I see Jesus and my faith in a whole new way, and it's exciting.

Don't get me wrong though... Velvet Elvis is an interesting read, and really gave me more insight into the more postmodern/progressive/emergent church philosophy. And I appreciate that he states at one point in the book (actually, it's on the back cover too):

"Don't swallow [this book] uncriticially. Think about it. Wrestle with it. Just because I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't mean I've got it nailed."

I can totally appreciate someone who acknowledges that we all, in some way, have something wrong in our line of thinking, and doesn't try to push his perspective as "the right one."

Because good reading is about just that... testing, probing, looking for truth where it might be found.

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Another 5 books, and I will have hit my mini-goal! Woohoo! :)

But I'm starting Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire next, so we'll see if that can actually work. Maybe I will be reading four short ones in tandem with the first of the very very long HP novels then.