Book Review: Sex God

First, let me say that I'm a huge Rob Bell fan (that is, if Pastors can actually have fans). I first heard him speak at Catalyst 2003 and have been listening to him every week since. I loved his first book "Velvet Elvis" and Sex God does not disappoint!

Honestly, every year I read a book that gives me a sad feeling when I'm done. Not because the book is bad. In fact, just the opposite. I find the book so riveting and yet I know that I can't read the book for the first time every again. It's the same feeling got when I saw The Matrix and Start Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the first time. It will never be new again.

Sex God is really not a book about sex. It's a book about being connected to God and Rob uses the intimacy between a husband and wife as the metaphor to explore this theme. It's a very easy read. As always, Rob give a ton of references to scripture, but also to books that are really helpful if you want to explore that particular theme further. The book has a lot that's taken from Rob's messages. So if you listen to Rob regularly, you may see some familiar themes. But he takes the conversation further in the book. That's the great thing about writing, you aren't being held to a 40-minute talk.

Here's a few of my favorite lines from the book:

"We reflect what God is like and who God is." (Page 19)
"It's possible for heaven to invade earth. And it's possible for hell to invade earth." (Page 22)
"Our sexuality is all of the ways we strive to reconnect with our world, with each other, and with God." (Page 42)
"One of the marks of someone who has experienced significant growth in their soul is their flexibility to live in the midst of tension." (Page 61)
"Some of the most comforting words in the universe are 'me too.'" (Page 62)
"There is something divine in your suffering. Somebody divine in your pain. You know how God feels." (Page 107)
"At the heart of the world view of a Christian is the simple truth that people are worth dying for." (Page 113)
"When a woman is love well, she opens up like a flower." (Page 125)

So buy the book. You'll love it!

Comments

[Me]

Posted in love to challenge you from soemone who experienced your church.

"Conversation," "Journey," "Christ Follower,". So careful to choose words that differentiate you from the average "evangelical." You have almost a reverse pride because you think you're so edgy and different. Face it, you're on the path to being emergent but you don't have the courage to admit it.

This is the result of wanting to feel significant as you promote yourself as some sort of public speaker. You have an unhealthy reliance on pop culture to make yourself "relevant." Where do you find the time to keep up with all these books, all this music, all this tv you watch? Oh because you think the pastor is just someone who shows up on sundays and wed to give the speech. Go involve yourself in the lives of the sheep. And clean a toilet every now & then.

Dude, be faithful to what was handed to you or give it back. And dude just teach the word.

[Friend of Bob]

Dude, I read what you said and if you're 'non-emergent', it almost makes me want to run towards the emergent church. I'm sure Bob and any other person in ministry is going to capitulate to someone like you who can't even use a real e-mail address.

If I were Bob, I'd want to read plenty of books, watch plenty of TV and listen to music just to avoid goofballs like you. I would say you don't really know the man, but I'll say instead you don't know the man and you're probably some self-appointed defender of "true" Calvary Chapel theology who only wishes he could force his views on everyone in the movement.

He answers to God, not some know-it-all who doesn't have the guts or courage to tell us his true name and hometown, or meet Bob face to face to discuss his problems. If I were him, I'd wait for God to tell me to call it quits instead of waiting for some anonymous internet ranter.

[Bob Franquiz]

Friend of Bob - "thank you for being a friend" - that's a lyric from the theme song to the Golden Girls :) I know, too many pop culture references. I...just...can't...help...myself...

Me (or would that be you?) - can you honestly say that was posted in love? Seriously? Because if that's love, I fear what your hate must look like. I'm guessing a machete of something. But dude, lighten up. If you don't like me, that's OK. Join the club. But at least have the courage (since you brought it up) to use your real name.

[Dan]

Um, I really liked Sex God as well.

[Brian Daugherty]

Bob,

Thanks for the review on Rob Bell's book. I'm still up in the air as to whether I'll purchase it or not, as I admit that the subject matter really didn't grab me and make want to buy it. But your review helped me to further consider doing so.

[Bill LaMorey]

Me,

Apparently your loving words didn't get through to my friend Bob....long sigh... Fear not, they impacted me. I've just dusted off my copy of "Second" by Romaine (the book with the plunger on the cover) and I'm going to turn off the Hellevision and re-read that to see if that will enlighten me on the lost ministerial art of cleaning toilets.

Let's just keep praying for Bob.

[Agree With Me]

Bill,
In your haste to be so hip and sarcastic you mocked the small literary contribution of a beloved man WHO IS DEAD. Don't you guys have any respect? It only reveals the arrogance of you young pastors to disregard what those who came before you have experienced & spoken, nice going. The toilet comment that was made was to remind those in "ministry" to be humble rather than to promote themselves as something they are not. I understood the comment why can't you?

Why does it matter who posted the comments? Can't anyone just respond to the post? The truth is I'm also confused by much of what Pastor Franquiz does. I understand he tries to be "positive" about everything and everyone, but man it seems like he could find positive and redeeming value in Satan. But I guess my opinions and comments don't matter because I'm a John Doe. Maybe what is being asked of Pastor Franquiz is to not disregard what's been said and consider it including the harsh tone. Love isn't always touchy feely.

And yes I will pray for him as well...

[Bob Franquiz]

Agree with me,

First, let me say thank you. Saying that I try to be positive about everything and everyone is a really nice thing to say, even if the compliment was said in a Simon Cowell type of way (sorry, another pop culture reference). Also, I have no problem listening to criticism, as long as I am dealing with a person who is willing to put their name behind the comment. But I can't respect the criticisms of a person who doesn't have enough conviction to add their name to the comments he gives. This is either not truly believing what you're saying or not wanting to be held accountable for what you've said. I learned from my Pastor, Bob coy, that anonymous letters, emails, etc... don't get read, they get thrown out without being read. So I will follow the same principle. If you can't leave your real name and stand by your comments, I'm forced to delete anonymous comments in the future.

[mark]

Sorry to see the anon foolishness has come onto to your site now. These kind are the reason behind screening phone calls and comments on blogs (which is technology developed to curb man's irresistable urge to throw sucker punches).

And what is so silly is these guys don't really even have a reason, they just skulk internet blogs stirring the pot. What a waste of energy.

Back to your original post ...

Thanks for your review. I am not sure if I am going to read SG. There were some parts of VE I appreciated.

Be strong, stay the course.

[simplemindedpreacher]

Rob Bell is one of our politicians here in Virginia. He seems to be fine guy, but I didn't know he wrote books.

I'll admit.. Bob.. you read a lot of books. I mean, to the point that it almost causes me to stumble. I can barely get through a book in a month... but.. I have a completely different life.. - and, I'm probably not nearly as smart.

The anon guy above does respond from an area where I am a bit lost in my own wonderment. Over the past few years.. I've bounced around w/the idea of staying w/CC or moving away from CC. I've decided it's best to stay.. (for me).. but now, I'm trying to figure out what CC is and what it means to be CC. The best I can do.. is look and see what other "new CC" guys are doing (if I can be called new after 8 years??)..

When I read this blog.. I see in your example.. a definition that gets stretched beyond the boundaries of my understanding. I'm an A.R. type of guy.. so I need to know.. if I'm a CC.. what does it mean to be a CC.. -it is, for me.. an ongoing issue of angst... one that so confuses me.. that I've considered yanking the sign down and not even worrying about it..

You do ministry differently. I'm not dissing your reading list.. -in fact, I'm not dissing anything. I'm just a bit perplexed I guess. I read this blog often, along w/a few other CC pastors.. and I get a little confused from time to time. I'm wrestling through this topic on a post on my blog right now.. -If I didn't know you were a CC.. I'd never know it by reading about you.. (even though you might have a dove tattooed on your butt)..

Again.. not criticizing or anything.. but this blog has been a catalyst that drives my need to define CC. Can it be defined? Should we define it for ourselves and let the over-all identity of it become vague?

Just wonderin.

[Bob Franquiz]

Chad,

Great questions. Honestly, they're questions I wonder as well. I think within CC there's tremendous freedom to minister "as the Spirit leads". Sometimes I feel that you aren't CC if the spirit isn't leading you to minister exactly like everyone else does.

As far as what I read, I like reading books that challenge me. And reading some of the Emerging stuff challenges how I think. I came to CCFL when I was a Christian for 3 weeks and spent the next 9 years there. I graduated from CCBC and later ran the Fort Lauderdale extension campus for 4 years. I probably do have a dove tattooed on my butt :) When I started reading some of these guys, they challenged me to think along different lines. It doesn't mean my theology has changed. They have simply caused me to reevaluate why I believe certain things. Also, I think these guys are in tune with culture in a way that many others aren't. We have a very young church (avg age 29), so to read books by guys who are pastoring young churches seems wise. It may be completely idiotic, but it seems to make sense to me.

"If I didn't know you were a CC.. I'd never know it by reading about you" - I think that's a fair assessment. We don't publicize or downplay our affiliation with CC. We have Chuck's books in our bookstore. Our church gov't structure is the same. We do look a bit different. That's obvious. But I think that's more due to the area we're in and those we are reaching. Funny enough, I had a Pastor-friend visit Harvest recently and say he was shocked when he found out Greg was a CC.

I think there's a question that needs to be answered: this blog has been a catalyst that drives my need to define CC. Can it be defined? Should we define it for ourselves and let the over-all identity of it become vague? It's a great question. I'm more than willing to enter into conversation about it.

[Michael Krahn]

Hey,

I've just posted the first of a multi-part series on Rob's book "Velvet Elvis".

Join me in conversation at:

http://ascenttotruth.blogspot.com/