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Rob Bell coming to Ft Worth


Rob Bell will be in Fort Worth July 13.
Tickets are $10 and I believe a group of us are getting together to go see him. Let me know if you’re planning to go or want to go with us.
From Zondervan.com:

If you’ve read Velvet Elvis, watched a NOOMA, or listened to Mars Hill Bible Church teachings online, you may be interested in hearing Rob Bell speak in a city near you.
Bell’s ‘Everything is Spiritual’ tour launches on June 30, 2006 in Chicago and will be in a different city every night through the end of July.

How Marvelous

I love so many of the hymns of the faith. I’m listening to “I Stand Amazed (How Marvelous)” and just love the depth of the lyrics and it’s message.
Had to share:

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

For me it was in the garden
He prayed: “Not My will, but Thine.”
He had no tears for His own griefs,
But sweat drops of blood for mine.

In pity angels beheld Him,
And came from the world of light
To comfort Him in the sorrows
He bore for my soul that night.

He took my sins and my sorrows,
He made them His very own;
He bore the burden to Calvary,
And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory
His face I at last shall see,
’Twill be my joy through the ages
To sing of His love for me.

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!

New stock photo company

From the e-mail files:

LuckyOliver Stock Photo Web Site Offers Initial Photographers 60% RoyaltiesJune 26, 2006–Campbell, California–New micropayment stock photography company LuckyOliver (www.luckyoliver.com) is calling all amateur photographers, photography enthusiasts and photography professionals. LuckyOliver is currently in the process of accepting photo submissions and is offering a 60% royalty on the first 30,000 exclusive-rights images accepted. Photographers interested in learning more about LuckyOliver or submitting photos for consideration should visit www.luckyoliver.com.
Especially for Photography Hobbyists and Enthusiasts
“I’ve taken photographs for as long as I can remember–I must have thousands, if not tens of thousands sitting on hard drives or CDs,” said Bryan Zmijewski, founder and chief instigator at LuckyOliver. “I had the feeling that other people had these too–really cool images that would never see the light of day. And that’s where the idea for LuckyOliver was born. LuckyOliver adds an incentive, in the form of monetary royalties, to help get high-quality images out of dusty hard drive storage and into the hands of designers and artists who can use them.”
Higher Royalties on the First 30K Images Accepted
LuckyOliver is offering a 60% royalty to photographers whose exclusive-rights photos are accepted–up until the LuckyOliver image library reaches 30,000 images. “We understand the need to quickly get to a tipping point of high-quality imagery…and what better way to get to that point than to bribe our photographers?” joked Bryan.
“It’s Perfect for Getting My Photos Out There”
Both professional photographers and photography hobbyists are excited about LuckyOliver. “I found LuckyOliver after looking for just this type of web site for years,” said San Diego-based Matt Gowe, a self-described digital and film photographer. “I’ve tried several different sites in the past and even have my own web site, but advertising costs are so high that it’s prohibitive.”
“LuckyOliver is perfect for getting my photos out there and for sale without having to break the bank.” Matt continued, “The LuckyOliver staff has been outstanding with their feedback and help–and I’m really happy with the advice I’m getting about my photography style and with how many of my photos have been accepted on the site.”
About LuckyOliver
Founded in 2005, LuckyOliver, a product of MegaGlobal Image Syndicate, Inc., provides amateur and professional photographers and graphic designers a community-based outlet in which to sell and purchase photographs. LuckyOliver is committed to furthering photography education and making high-quality photos available to the public at a reasonable cost. Visit www.luckyoliver.com for more information or to submit photos.

What doubts do you have?

Ok. I have a question for the day/week. But here’s the rules: 1. Leave your comments anonymously. 2. You can respond to comments, but do not judge or condemn anyone for their thoughts.
With that said, here’s the question of the day/week.

What doubts/questions do you have about God?

Remember post your comments/thoughts anonymously. And I will be checking them and deleting anything that goes against the rules.

Velvet Elvis

I finally found a copy of Velvet Elvis at a local store and bought a copy for my dad for father’s day. He turned around and found another copy and bought it for me.
I’m really enjoying it.
Here are some of my favorite thoughts/quotes so far…

“For many people the word Christian conjures up all sorts of images that have nothing to do with who Jesus is and how he taught us to live. This must change.”

“The idea that some people have faith and others don’t is a popular one. But it is not a true one. Everybody has faith. Everybody is following somebody.”

“As a Christian, I am simply trying to orient myself around living a particular kind of way, the kind of way that Jesus taught is possible. And I think the way of Jesus is the best possible way to live.”

“I’m convinced being generous is a better way to live. I’m convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live. I’m convinced having compassion is a better way to live. I’m convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live. I’m convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live. I’m convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live. I’m convinced being honest with people is a better way to live.”

“Jesus exposes us to reality at its rawest. So the way of Jesus is not about religion; it’s about reality.”

“Obviously we think our interpretations are the most correct; otherwise we’d change them. Or as one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott, put it, “Everybody things their opinion is the right one. If they didn’t they’d get a new one.”

I also enjoyed the interpretation of God telling Moses, “I am.” There’s no way we can wrap our minds around God. “God has no thingness because there’s no end to God.”
Bell also gave a great interpretation of Moses asking to see God’s glory on Mt. Sinai. According to Bell, rabbis said that rather than seeing God’s back (as I’ve always understood it) the story should be understood as, Moses saw “where God just was.”
“It is if God is saying, ‘The best you’re going to do, the most you are capable of, is seeing where I… just… was.’ That’s the closest you’re going to get.”
Bell also says if you can’t question your faith, its not real faith.

I like that. I like that we can question our faith and our beliefs.
According to Bell, the ancient rabbis understood the Bible is open-ended and has to be interpreted. Rabbis are like interpreters, helping people understand what God is saying to them through the text and what it means to live out the text.
Different rabbis had different sets of rules, which basically said what they allowed or forbade, depending on their interpretation of the scriptures. Those rules and interpretations of scripture was called that rabbi’s yoke.
“When you followed a certain rabbi, you were following him because you believed that rabbi’s set of interpretations were the closest to what God intended through the Scriptures. And when you followed that rabbi, you were taking up that rabbi’s yoke.
“One rabbi even said his you was easy.”