Rob Bell & Spiritual Bars

"Christianity Gets a Reality Check" - an article about Rob Bell's Everything is Spiritual tour.

Comments

[James]

"I'm trying to crank up the risk factor. I don't want to rest on 'Hey, the band was good, the guy had nothing to say.' This thing either works or it crash lands."

Crank it up.

[Jeremy Weart]

Rob Bell was just here in Fort Worth, TX on Thursday night, July 13. I had like 10 of my friends who went and they all (except 1) said they absolutely loved it.

There was no worship band or any intro music, etc. Rob just came out and started speaking and went on for 2 hours. He spoke on Genesis 1 and creation. He went into a lot of spiritual stuff mixed with science.

By the way Steve - the title is Everything IS Spiritual tour. You have an IN in place of the IS.

[Steve McCoy]

Jeremy, Everything in Spiritual is a better name. :)

[bill streger]

The place he spoke at, Numbers, was a club I used to frequent back in my (Goth) high school days. It's in a primarily arts and homosexual part of town, and when I'd go it wasn't uncommon to be solicited to buy drugs from a transvestite.

Can't think of a better choice of venues - I am not a huge Bell fan, but would love to have been there to observe.

[Hunter Beaumont]

I saw the show in Colorado Springs a couple of weeks ago. It was quite impressive. It seemed like an apology to skeptics to think of the world in relational terms, with a relational ("spiritual") God as the ultimate reality. So, it was not a "gospel" message but an apologetic, pre-gospel message. As such, it was very well done.

Of course, most of the crowd in the Springs appeared to be Christians, judging by high khaki-to-polo ratio and the slow business at the bar.

[Scott M]

Growing up, from 1975-1979, I lived in the Montrose area of Houston. I was 14 when we moved. That was the period when it was transitioning from the red light/crime-ridden area it was into the artistic/gay community it became. (My parents were deeply involved in the art part of the change with a little publishing company, a small press bookstore, hosting events like 'Dining in Houston', theater productions, and the like.)

Hmmm. When I lived there, I can remember being propositioned by graying men from cars while waiting for the city bus. I can remember one who thought I was a girl at first, but who didn't care when I said I was a guy.

Though the nature of the neighborhood has changed somewhat, it's still a great place for Bell to go.

[jason woolever]

I'm skeptical of Bell playing up his rockstar persona. I think that much of what he's offering is very similar to mainline liberalism. The difference is that for some reason Bell gets treated like a rock star. I'm not sure he's as theologically deep as everyone thinks he is, but they eat it up because of his charisma.

[jason woolever]

PS. in this "Flames of Heaven" sermon, he seems to be declaring himself a universalist.

[Robert Campbell]

I try to like Bell.

[Jeremy Weart]

I almost forgot - the theater (an old from like 50 years ago) that Bell spoke in has a bar and my friends said that it was being used for alcohol! I laughed out loud.

One of the last things that Bell said was for everyone in the audience (he could tell they were mostly Xtians) to relax. He went on to say that they should all enjoy an adult beverage. I knew I liked this guy!

[Randy]

Dang I missed it when he came to Lawrence KS. Why didn't you tell me sooner. haha I would have liked to here this. Know of any mp3's of the sermon/speech/presentation?