I came home on a recent Friday to a large stack of packages on the front door step. One box was Paige’s Easter goodies from her Grandpa Bud in Chicago. The other two boxes held books. One box was stuff for our upcoming trip to Scotland and Ireland, including a gift for the groom. The other was all Rob Bell books. Over the years my collection has been depleted as I loaned out his books to others. I think this is the 4th or 5th time I’ve bought the book Sex God, which I’m sure makes my Amazon.com preferences a little skewed. The release of his new book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God was the perfect excuse to make sure my works of Rob Bell shelf was full once again.
Friday was busy as was Saturday, so I didn’t open the boxes until Saturday night. My practice of late has been to watch a couple of reruns of Friends after Jeff goes to bed. Something about laughing and spending time with these old, familiar characters has been just what I need before sleep. In the midst of a time of turmoil and change this show has brought some solace. Saturday night though I decided instead to start on the new book, maybe read the first chapter. I could not put it down and only forced myself to go to sleep when the text became blurry. Instead of laughing at a comedy from last decade this book provided me with the comfort I needed, desperately.
My mom’s daily morning text woke me early Sunday. I rolled over and read how there was a light dusting of snow in Bend and my uncles were all headed home after brother’s weekend. Then I got up, poured myself a cup of coffee and curled up in my favorite chair to keep reading. I was to the last chapter when Jeff pointed out that if I didn’t get dressed soon I’d be preaching in my pajamas.
What is so compelling about this book you may be asking? Well first off I’m looking for any references to me and the weekend I spent with Rob Bell and a bunch of other pastors at a retreat last May. Because I’m sure me sitting silently in the second row for three days made a HUGE impact on him. Secondly this book is about so much of what I and my friends wrestle with. I underline and circle and star more in his books than in any other because so often it feels like he is writing the thing that I’ve been thinking, or that has been just under the surface of my thoughts. He’s not perfect, but he puts forth a lot to think about and engage with that is good for my soul.
The biggest instance of this for me today is his hypothesis that God is always calling us into a better, deeper, richer future. God is always going ahead of us and leading us into new ways of thinking and being. There is something irresistible about that notion.
In the book Rob Bell (I can’t just ever call him Rob or Bell) sites several scripture passages that now seem awful about women and slavery and an eye for an eye and points out how for the time these were revolutionary ideas. These were better than the current cultural practices. God was calling the people into a better way of treating others and of living. As you read the Bible you can see an evolution of the culture, one that we continue to live into today. How amazing is it to hold to the idea that God is always leading us to something new, setting us free, opening our eyes and calling us ever deeper into the mystery of life and faith?
I see our ministry in Sellwood as a continuation of what went before. There is a line from John Wesley to Jason Lee and through all the people and pastors of that neighborhood to today. This brings me great hope for humanity, for the general church, and for our new start.
So maybe I am in the book after all. I bet if you look you are too, and God is also calling you into what’s next.
E
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