Two years ago, I was perusing the shelved books in the Lifesprings Resources bookstore as I awaited my favorite hot chocolate. That’s when I saw it; a little black paperback with a photo of a young woman who appeared to be dancing in air on the cover. The title, Velvet Elvis, written by Rob Bell, suggested something mysteriously intriguing beyond the cover. I couldn’t buy it, but I began dropping hints around that I wanted to… It was eventually given to me by someone who no longer wanted their copy. Oh well, one person’s trash, another’s treasure?
I began reading Velvet Elvis at a time when I was a bit unstable spiritually. There were so many unspoken questions I had that could not be answered by anyone other than God. And even then, they seemed unable to be answered without asking the right question. I opened the book with an inkling of doubt. This would probably be just like all the rest of those inspirational books…better to not buy until having read it first. I was probably about to get repeatedly slapped in the face with more church rules and the Scriptural passages used to back them up…even though they weren’t necessarily meant to. If I stuck it out with the book, it would have the potential to fix my relationship with Jesus, because it was probably broken before I began reading. So, you can see how skeptical I was.
To my surprise, the book truly was not as bad as I had expected. As a matter of fact, it gave me a whole new perspective on my own spiritual life without putting me down for how I was already living it. It simply introduced me to a new view on life. I have never truly written anything like this. But I hope that I do it justice without revealing too much. So…without further ado, here’s to beginning a long walk through the book that I hope will renew others’ as it did me. Otherwise, I’ve read, re-read, and marked up perfectly good book margins for nothing.
The Velvet Elvis – Introduction
Have you ever considered how the beliefs we hold to and how the way we ‘do church’ came to be? It’s a little like an invention… inventions everywhere go through changes and ‘evolve,’ if you will, with time. Let’s take transportation for example. One day, someone asked the question, “Why are we walking? I think I’ll catch that horse with a rope and let it take me somewhere.” Years later, another person asked the question, “Why is it just me on this horse? I think I’ll tie it to a bouncy wooden box and take my lady for date.” Now, I know these probably aren’t the earliest memories history has of transportation, but I certainly hope you can see where I’m going with this. People asked questions, and those questions became a movement towards a new and improved way of living – or traveling.
So how does one go about creating something like that? How do they become the inventor, the painter, the writer, the whatever-they-are? They live with fervent sincerity. Therefore, I am convinced that passions and convictions are the pens that write the journals of our lives. Everyone has great potential, but their passions are what lead them to their potential. This is where I believe God – the Creator of passionate conviction – comes in.
But how do ‘inventions’ and ‘passionate conviction’ have anything to do with spirituality? How are these things even alike? What do they have in common? Reform. Because it’s not how the church has changed, but rather how you can change the church. We must continue exploring and discussing with others. Why stop with just the horse and buggy when – through hard work and dedication – we can eventually have the fancy sports car? I’m not talking about aesthetic reform. I’m talking about the actual beliefs and understandings; finding ways to build upon what has already been taught and learned.
This brings me to ask yet more questions. What exactly do you think ‘Christian’ means to those who are ‘outsiders’? How does what they think affect our testimonies? It would seem that Christianity as it was is – in some ways – no longer applicable to today’s world. No matter what it seems like to them, each generation must ask their own questions concerning what Christianity means to them; even more importantly, what they are going to do with it. Did generations previous succeed in what they meant for the church to be? Why do previous generations put the younger down for re-inventing what we already know to be a work in progress? Could it truly be possible that we become over-committed to what the last progenitor of their movement was on the topic? It is my belief that this is what is happening. Suddenly, we have all these over-committers telling each other that their theology is wrong. It is one thing to be dedicated to your beliefs…it is another entirely to take it to the wrong extreme. Whatever happened to discussing the beliefs to discover right versus wrong as opposed to not having an open mind about it? Creating new attitudes about old colors in order to make new ones.
To finish off, there is joy and freedom in seeking God. But, it is important to recognize that the tradition of searching God includes other people, creeds, nationalities, and religions. We seem so quick to forget that our faith has been molded by different faiths into what it has become today. It is up to us to continue that molding.
I would love to see your thoughts. Please comment.
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