Velvet Elvis

We just started reading Velvet Elvis for my small group down here in Chatt so here's an excerpt from the introduction:

Here's what often happens: Somebody comes along who has a fresh perspective on the Christian faith. People are inspired. A movement starts. Faith that was stale and dying is now alive. But the pioneer of the movement- the painter- dies and the followers stop exploring. They mistakenly assume that their leader's words were the last ones on the subject, and they freeze their leader's words. They forget that as that innovator was doing his or her part to move things along, that person was merely taking part in the discussion that will go on forever. And so in their commitment to what so-and-so said and did, they end up freezing the faith.

What gets lost is the truth that whoever painted that version was just like us, searching for God and experiencing God and trying to get a handle on what the Christian faith looks like. And then a new generation comes along living in a new day and a new world, and they have to keep the tradition going or the previous paintings are going to end up in the basement.

The tradition then is painting, not making copies of the same painting over and over. The challenge of the art is to take what was great about the previous paintings and incorporate that into new paintings.


And in the process, make something beautiful- for today.
-Rob Bell


yeah. he's good.
-Zoosee

David's Mighty Men

8"These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite; he was chief of the three. He wielded a spear against eight hundred whom he killed at one time. 9And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, son of Ahohi. He was with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel withdrew. 10He rose and struck down the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord brought about a great victory that day, and the men returned after him only to strip the slain. 11And next to him was Shammah, the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines gathered together at Lehi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils, and the men fled from the Philistines. 12But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and struck don the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory" (II Samuel 23:8-12 ESV).

The Lord has kept bringing me back to this for the last few days, so I figured I'd share it with you all. If you keep reading in this chapter, you'll see how these three men were so loyal to David that they snuck across enemy lines and risked their lives just so David could have water from his favorite well. And you will also read about others that joined these men (30 in all) in fighting, not for vengeance, not for sport, but for honor, with humility, and with servants' hearts. I think that is a great picture of how we should unite as warriors now. I've seen the enemy taking low shots at a few of us lately, but I want to encourage you all: never give up. Call out the deception for what it is. Drown out the lies with genuine love. Keep fighting for each other.

You have my sword.