I am live blogging the Rob Bell, Shane Hipps and Pete Rollins, event in Grand Rapids for Zondervan. New posts are at the top with content and commentary. Feel free to jump in with your ideas, reactions, and opinions.
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MONDAY’S LIVE BLOG HERE.

My fiance and I were reflecting on the talk and event last night on our drive afterwards. One of the things that was striking is how it seemed as thought Rob divested the art form from the textual event that occurs within the sermon. It seemed as though on one side was the Art of the Sermon and the other the Text beneath the Sermon. From this angle it doesn’t seem to matter, then, what the interpretation is or theology is that undergirds the Sermon Event, because any variety of Textual Interpretations can be performed within this event. While not explicitly stated in these terms, I wonder if these three fellas will make as stark a distinction between the Art vs. the Text of the Sermon. From my perspective, both are interdependent and linked: the end product of the Art is directly determined by what we do with the Text…God has chosen to use broken humans to communicate His Text, thus in some ways it seems as though the outcome of the Text is in some way dependent upon the Art. The prophets, apostles, and even Jesus used artistic means to provoke, encourage, exhort, correct etc…using the Word of God. The Words of God, the Text of God, became Flesh through the words and performance of many different men, but the end result was still grounded in the Text and a good, sturdy interpretation…

Anyway, these were some initial thoughts. Any feedback from what you’ve read about the night? Any other PPP attenders want to give their impressions?

8:25—DONE…COME BACK TOMORROW 9AM!

8:24—Announced 3 counselors available to chat with for pastors who are burned out. Rob sharing how one of the counselors basically saved him and his ministry.

8:15—Demographics Count: California, Oregon, Hawaii, PA, MS, Sweden! Florida, Canadians (yay!), England, Netherlands, Scotland, Mexico, TEXAS (hahaha), New Zealand, Australia, Kenya! WELCOME WORLD TO GRAP! Announcements…

Prayed

8:10—Some are coming here burnt out. Hopefully people come away refreshed and recommitted…that people will not JUST GIVE SERMONS JUST OT GET THROUGH IT. But that we bring our absolute best…that we are so committed to the text and the art of sermoning again. Maybe its about creating boundaries to put the time in…or creating disciplines to create a collection of things to talk about. The hope and prayer is that people have a renewed sense that I am a person who has the right to speak what is in my belly.

8:06—The real transformation is when TALKS START TALKS. The person upfront used to be the person who had the last word. They had the authority to say this is how to think…it ended the discussion. They fix it and solve and boom…done! For Jesus its more less about ending the discussion, but starting…less about the last word, but the first. Preaching is STARTING a discussion…but not just wishy because it is a proclamation…but it should start something.

The hope and dream is that people start embodying the Text…which comes through discussion and conversation.

8:02—Words create new worlds.

The sermon has the power to create new worlds….people hear something they need to hear at the exact moment…which you cannot explain or prepare for. But there are moments for people when our worlds from the sermon paints whole new worlds for people. So there is a humility that comes…only capable of so much, we are bumbling idiots who are trying to tell the story.

Through this art form unbelievable things have happend throughout history becayse of people standing up and SPEAKING.

here is the agenda: Theological (what is the story), to conceptual (how to do it and prepare), practical (what is a commentary, etc…), and personal (things that work for Rob).

8:00—When you speak a fresh word its like riding your bike across Iran…Often times we want all that comes with speaking the fresh word but NOT THE OTHER. You might get some funny looks. Some sneared…others wanted more.

Why is he passionate about this art form and committed to helping to reclaiming? There is a reason…this poem from the Bible: “And God said…” SPEAKING. Of all the ways the poet could have used to describe the creation of the universe is the image of the Divine SPEAKING. Words create new worlds. You had thought something for a while but didnt share…have wrestled…but then heard someone else say it publicly and you learned you weren’t alone. You were thinking things and what was happening in your understanding of God, Jesus, Church, etc…in your heart is that you were coming to a realization is that the story is even better and bigger and more mysterious…and if I even whisper this I could get fired…but then you heard someone say it publicly with a mic on…who gets paid to say these things…and it changed things.

7:55—First time played there was a riot and fights broke out because the controversial and provocative nature. There is a chance that what is foreign and shocking it is ahead of the time. Misinterpretation and confusion and anger and ignorance and fear and jealousy and evaluation and crituque and agendas and baggage and convictions and projections and the possibiliyt of truth and light and hope and reprentance and esire and compassiona and revolution and confession and inspirtation and comfort and solidarity and salvation and resurrection….BUT YOU NEED THE ONE IN ORDER THE GET TO THE OTHER.

When you ‘sermon’ you open yourself up to the former, but then the later comes….AMEN from the crowd.

Reclaiming the art of the sermon is ACTS 17…some of them sneared but others said WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN ON THIS SUBJECT. regarding the resurrection. When you tell a sermon you get both the snears and the I WANT TO HEAR MORE….it just comes with the territory.

Played “Rights of Spring”

7:50—Now talking about Jesus’ first sermon…His first sermon is provocative, loaded, and a warning. It wasnt nice and encouraged holding hands…sometimes the sermon is loaded with implications and warnings and sometimes the sermon demands PROVOKING. Sometimes it is witness, an invitation, and pure provocation.

So far I think he is right on…I am in seminary studying to be a pastor and cant wait to be in a context where I can regularly live out what is happening in the “pulpit” but what I’ve expereicned so far in my context (which has been great) reminds me a lot of what he is saying…real encouraging. People get what he’s saying…my guess the BULK are pastors. Interesting demographics: mostly young, but also aged and middle-ers too. From glancing, it seems ’emergenty.’ Anyway, great gut content from one of the church’s best communicators right now…

7:45—Mark 1:15. Sometimes its an invitation…a big wide, open, giant inclusive invitation that something hige is happening…sometimes it is witness, it is gurilla fever (boom its in and gone and people need to just processes through it) and sometimes its an invitation.

Its also a fresh word…and its implicit critique. When you stand up with a new word…you are saying something with that new word AGAINST the old. Its the first punch without realizing it. Weve glimpsed the invitation of Jesus…and then must SHARE IT…and how it is against the old. And most of us dont realize it!

7:38—More difficulties…but set. Now talking about the idea of sermon as performance art. That when we preach we are bringing Jesus to people. Acts 4. And its the feeling that we cannot wait to bring this….you’ve witnessed something in the Text with Christ that you have to share it, speaki it, tell it, point it, express it, preach it…and if not you’ll spontaneously combust.

7:21—It was a revival at a fair, and 13 people showed, it was at a racetrack…they were in the stand. and it was WAYYYY across the track. So he got down rushed for them opened his bible and a gust of wind blew the notes away…NAKED AND VULNERABLE IN PUBLIC!

For many of us we are up there, giving it all you have, but you are naked and lonley. How many have had this experience? WHY DO PEOPLE PUT THEMSELVED THROUGH THIS?! It is a sacred, LETHAL art form. You get hurt….you walk off and say WHAT WAS THAT?! Get pastors hangover. We put ourselves through this…

7:19—Lost 9 min. because of security…thought I was a rogue blogger. Apparently he is telling the story of his first preaching experience. SORRY!

7:10—Rob on stage….dearly beloved. gthered today to talk about the sermon. clapping. If you ask person on street about word SERMON what do you think…memories, images, association. Here intelligent, provokative, healing, revoltionary, holy…or other words. Gathered here to reclaim the sermon. Its a brilliant, primal art form. need new generation to embrace it as compelling art form it is. As the world gets more twitterized…actional people in an actual room with an actual flesh and blood talking in actual realtime about things that actually mattered will begin to happen. Fully convinced this art form will have a resurgence. As less people have faith in it it will be counter cultural and counter intuitive.

For most the sermon is to be endured. Something you get through…lifeless….dont thinkg DONT MISS THAT. Its going to be SOMETHING. It is to be endured.

For others it is to be evaluated. 2 questions: 1) DID YOU LIKE IT? Sermon is like trousers or a sweater…for others 2) DID THEY DO A GOOD JOB.

7:05—Stating…with a vid∏ with a guy holding a CONDOS NOW SELLING sign…flipping it around in all these different poses….

6:45pm—TEST…PPP starts in 15 min. I will be posting 5 min segments or so, including the content of the sessions and my own commentary in “*”

ENJOY!