Rob Bell, Pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, MI, is becoming something of a legend among modern preachers… and it’s a bit odd because, well, he’s so different from all of the other ‘great preachers’ in the world. In fact, Rob is not much of a preacher, but is one of the best teacher/ communicators I’ve ever seen. You’re about to see why. What saddens me though, is that these statements from Rob do not reflect every preacher. I gotta admit, I find a lot of resonance in Rob’s words… and I strive to fulfill a similar mission every time I speak. Possibly that is why I enjoy communicating so much. Rob says:
Weekly teaching can be destructive to creativity.I don’t teach something that has not been a part of me for six months to a year. Think about it, if I asked you to talk about your wedding or something else that has changed you, would you really need notes?What would happen if on Monday morning you sat at your computer and instead of staring at blank screen, you’re already looking at ten teachings that could take place and decidiing which one was the most ready to be taught, or most needed to be taught?The best messages are not purchased off a shelf or a website, but are grown in your own backyard.As a teacher, you need to live with a text – allow it to ferment in you, take up residence in you – then connections begin to be made.We have people who can sing notes, but where are the soul singers? The pulpit has been the home of technicians and analysts, but where are the prophets and poets – the wide eyed crazy people? Teaching should be a dangerous and daring art form, not a science.The Bible is about real people in real places in real times. It’s taking place in an on-going historical narrative. What we need to remember is that we are in the same historical flow. Teaching is about connecting real people in real places in real times with us, here, today. We live in the same flow of what God is doing in history.Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God made you to be… to be about anything else is sin.Are you teaching because you have to say something, or because you have something to say? People, especially outside of “Christianity” know when you are passionate. That kind of passion makes them say, “Maybe this stuff really did happen.”- copied from the Awakening blog.
It’s my prayer that more of our nation’s pastors will take cues from the success of Rob’s style and presentation. There is something to be said for ENGAGING an audience.
This reminds me of an article at coolchurches.com that has stuck with me:
http://www.coolchurches.com/articles/sixstories.html
I, too, have enjoyed hearing Rob teach. Most recently, it was back in late January at the C3 conference at my church. He was so fresh and so deep – without drowing us in minutea – that I walked away thinking about what I’d learned and it prompted me to go and learn more. That kind of teaching, I think, can’t happen every week – to know the ‘material’ would take more than 60 hours of prep time – it’s his life experiences tied into the Scripture in a very passionate way.
Sure, sometimes a preacher can hit one of of these ‘out of the park’ sermons – but it’s not every week! When Rob taught at C3, he didn’t just hit it out of the park, he took the skin off the ball and sent it into low orbit!