Rob Bell is my pastor

OK so I'll say it... I love Rob Bell.

My daughter and I rented a car to go to Spokane because I have no air conditioning in my old Taurus.  It's a 5 Hour drive and it's been hot up here in the Pacific Northwest this summer.   We named our rental the Batmobile and headed off to see Rob Bell and "Everything is Spiritual".

Halfway through the trip we stopped at Starbucks to get coffee and burritos from Taco Del Mar.  Away we went.  We listened to Rob Bell videos in between iTunes interrupting with Mumford and Sons.

We landed in Spokane and headed to this interesting venue that normally showcases rock bands.  How many one man show's talking about God and spiritual things can fill up a rock venue?

So, i'll admit it.

I spent extra money because there was a meet and greet before the show.  Maybe that makes me some kind of celebrity fan.  But I actually just thought I might have a minute to ask him a serious question.  One of a dozen going around in my head.

All of us meet and greet celebrity fan want to ask a question folks filled up the chairs at the front of this rock venue waiting for Rob.  He was late.  

And then he just walked in.

It was like some friend we hadn't seen for a while.  He just plopped himself on the chair in front of us.

And then for an hour we sat and talked.

He engaged with every single person that was talking in a real way.  When it was over he took pictures with every one of us and he smiled like he meant it.

One person asked him a question if he missed being a pastor.  He said "I feel more like a pastor now than I ever have."

And then he got up on stage to a packed house and talked about physics and God and spirituality.  He told stories and so many interesting things that I'm still processing all of it.

It was incredible.

I love the way he thinks and all of the challenging interesting ideas he presents.

But behind all of it I think we got to see something more.  Someone who really engages with his audience and really cares and has a heart.

A pastor's heart.

So Rob Bell is touring the country pastoring groups of people in rock venues in cities across America.

I went to church in Spokane.

Rob Bell is my pastor.

And I think he's right.

Everything is spiritual!

Jack Miles on Christ

I just finished Jack Miles book "Christ: a Crisis in the Life of God".  I'm going to re-read it.  At least all my yellow highlights.

I'm not sure exactly what happened but this book moved me in ways I'm not sure I know how to articulate at the moment.  It may be one of the most profound things that I've read on Christ.

Miles takes the whole Christ narrative and then frames it in the end as work of art!  Art as a way of understanding.  I think that has things ticking in my brain that were either dormant or have never come alive before.  I'm so used to reading about Christology from either a historical standpoint or theological; whether Jesus really existed, who was he and was he divine.

Miles presumes right at the very beginning that Jesus is God.  That's what makes the story so compelling.  He then reviews and interprets it like a novel.  Like a work of art.   He pulls things out that I've never seen before.  It was very moving and very deep.

What's fascinating to me is none of this minimized the person and work of Christ in anyway.  At least not to me.   What it actually did is enhance it in a very significant way.   Miles moved away from arguing about the historical Jesus or textual criticism.  He looks at Jesus from a different angle. The way an artist would look at him.

I think that brings Jesus into view in a very unique way and exposes aspects about him that we would not otherwise see.  Because of that I am very grateful to Jack Miles for this book.

I guess this one's not going back on the shelf anytime soon.

A letter to NT Wright

Dear NT Wright,

I wanted to give you this note before you leave. 

I can't believe we're finally finished.  It's been three years. You took me through the entire New Testament page by page and I don't know how to thank you enough. 

I know how busy you are.  All the traveling you have to do. The speaking and book writing; let alone the classes you teach now that you're back at university. So to take the time to fit me into your schedule I know was a huge sacrifice.  But some how you did. 

Everyday I would wake up, grab my cup of coffee, and you were there.  Right on time.  You never complained.  And you gave without requiring back. 

You taught me so much.  You taught me about Jesus, about the church, about the first century, about the story of Israel and eschatology; so much it was incredible. It's been profound and life changing for me.  And now sadly it's come to an end.

I just want you to know how grateful I am. For all of it.

If you're ever in Seattle again and you need a place to stay or just somewhere to hang your hat, my home is always welcome to you. Anytime.

Maybe you would recognize the corner chair where we sat every morning.  Maybe we could revisit some of the deep things about God you taught me along the way.  Maybe I could ask you some new questions I've been forming.  

Or maybe we could just have a cup of coffee.  That would be awesome!

Thank you NT Wright.

I'll miss you.