I have blogged about An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches on this blog before. So I am excited to see it doing so well on Amazon upon its release.

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,836 in Books (See Top Sellers in Books)
Yesterday: #170,513 in Books

This is an amazing book. I read an early copy of it many months ago, but now that I have the final in my hand, I am re-reading it again, and will be blogging quite extensively on it. This is the theology book that I have been waiting for, and is the much needed theology book for the “emergent” or “emerging” movements. As you will see in the book, Dr. Anderson will distinguish between “emerging church” and “emergent.”

Read Dr. Anderson’s guest blogging appearance on this blog as he discusses his new book.

tags: Ray Anderson, emerging church, emergent theology, ministry, An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches

Will Samson has some thoughts on the Mel Gibson’s fiasco

Will has raised some great questions, and left me with even more questions to think about. Especially in regards to Christian Evangelicalism (of which I am a part of) and its desire to find Hollywood stars to latch onto…for what. I am not sure.

I work and minister in the heart of Los Angeles. Something like %65 of our 3,000 people who come to church on Sunday are in the entertainment industry. I went to Mel’s film company, Icon, and watched an early rough-cut of the Passion with a dozen other people. So I am a part of what Will is talking about, and yet he is so right on this issue in many ways.

A month doesn’t go by that I don’t have movie companies calling me to see if some of my students can be filmed or used as extras. Or I get the call from a studio asking me to screen their film in my college group because it is “family friendly” or “promotes Christian values.” And in the process I feel like a pawn being used as a marketing tool for Hollywood. (And I know I’ve promoted a few of these types of movies on my own blog, hoping that because the name Christian is somehow attached to it, it will extol the things I want and am looking for). Something doesn’t seem right about that. A while ago I had a producer call me and ask if I could round up some students so that they could film them…in a mock Bible study, praying. But that wasn’t all. They asked, can you make sure you send us some “cool students”…”you know, good looking ones.” Ughhhhhhh.

Okay, I’m done ranting. But ever since the Church has been seen by Hollywood as a great marketing tool, the calls don’t stop, and somehow we have bought into the whole thing. I know this. Because I am sometimes enamored as the next person when it comes to Hollywood and stars.

I have received some good comments, as well as reading some good comments online regarding the posts by Out of Ur on expository preaching.

I can’t write anything lengthy today because budgets are due at our church, and I’m spending all my time doing that right now.

But, let me say this. I am for a varied approach to preaching. I don’t think Out of Ur is against “expository preaching”, but rather, is expousing a more varied approach, or that there are other methods then only that one.

Sometimes preaching needs to be more narrative. Sometimes it needs to be more expository. Sometimes it needs to be more dialogical.

When I am in a room counseling clients, I don’t just use one theoretical approach, but rather I use a combination of theories and approaches because people and families and contexts are complex. Churches and congregations and saints and sinners are complex as well. And to fully proclaim the gospel we must be multi-faceted in our approach. “I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.” I Cor. 9:22b.