Category Archives: books

Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith is the first book by Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids and featured speaker in the NOOMA videos.  I read straight through it today and was genuinely surprised at how much I liked the book.  It is an excellent call for Christians to think outside the box of cafeteria evangelicalism and to live a life that fully embraces God in all its aspects.

My prejudice against the book was based on my limited exposure to Bell.  I saw one NOOMA and I wasn’t that impressed and I recall hearing faint rumors about his “bad theology.”  Honestly, I didn’t find his theology to be bad upon reading.  Arminian at points, but certainly within the bounds of orthodoxy and also more precise than most emerging writers.  (The statement of faith of his church can be found here.)

Velvet Elvis is not a memoir.  It does include a lot of personal stories and has a personal tone, but it has a flow and purpose.  It’s a book that wonders about the vastness of God, how little we can understand.  It’s a book that encourages readers to reflect about their own faith.  It discusses the main points of the Christian faith in a way engaging to a postmodern generation, particularly those who grew up in the church, both the accepting and the cynical. 

Rob Bell is not a messianic Jew, but he has a healthy obsession with setting the Bible in its original context.  I think many readers will glean interesting insights from what he writes about Jesus’ world.  Bell certainly wants to be relevant, but he also demonstrates a commitment to the truth.  Personally, I enjoyed his endnotes because I love seeing what books authors like enough to cite, Bell certainly passed my test in that department.

I wouldn’t say Velvet Elvis was life-changing for me, I’ve read enough from the emerging church that I am over that bubble in some respects, but I certainly think it is helpful and would recommend it to people who are curious about the emergent church, suddenly aware of their obsession with systematics and apologetics and also young people who are wondering about the faith they grew up with and the culture they are discovering in the rest of the world.  (8/10, borrowed from my sister Janelle.) 

Andi Ashworth’s Real Love for Real Life is an excellent treatment of the Christian call to hospitality. Subtitled “the Art and Work of Caring,” the book is of particular encouragement to those who are serving as caregivers on a full-time basis. In a world that pushes efficiency, speed and uniformity, Ashworth fights for the personal touch, for giving others our time and energy. Through her wonderful anecdotes, she helps readers to understand the importance giving of ourselves to create beauty and to make others welcome.

Ashworth helps readers to navigate the path of hospitality not entertainment and of true caring and not martyrdom. She doesn’t sugar coat caring or pretend that each day will be wonderful and feel fulfilling. She is also careful not to overwhelm readers and spends time explaining that giving care does not mean always saying yes or seeing yourself as the only one capable of caring. She emphasizes the importance of making room in our busy lives to care for others well.

Real Love for Real Life was a call for me to glorify God in the details, not to impress people but to show them that I love them. It was a reminder that even if I don’t always feel validated or encouraged for what I do as a full-time caregiver, I’m valuable and my work is of tremendous importance. I’d recommend this to any Christian woman, single or married, stay at home or working. It will be a tremendous encouragement to you. (10/10, from the bookshelf thanks to PaperBackSwap.)

Parenting in the Pew is part memoir and part practical theology as a pastor’s wife grapples with issues regarding children and the public worship service. For individuals and churches who are questioning participating in children’s ministry programs through elementary school, Parenting in the Pew will provide food for thought and conviction that it is good, right and worthwhile for children to worship with their parents.

For those who already worship as a family or have minimal children’s programming, Parenting in the Pew provides encouragement and helpful reminders that the point of having children in worship is to worship, and not to have them sit perfectly still so everyone knows you are the best parent in the room. That can be very important to hear.

Castleman believes that children can be expected to sit through the whole worship service at about age four and everything but the sermon by about two and a half. She does not advocate having children color or look at other books during the worship service. So, if you are looking for practical advice on how to keep your toddler quiet and busy, this book will not meet that need!

I’m glad this book was written and I think it’s helpful for the church as a whole. It may or may not be a must-read for your family. I enjoyed her personal style, but she delved into personal beliefs I don’t share at a few points, so I would not commend all of her theology. I don’t think it was a waste of my time, but I admit, I was looking for toddler tips! (7, acquired from paperbackswap and already passed on)