Every great team has one. Every great player has been on one. Found in a small strip of no man’s land between the fields of endeavour and the Grandstand of compromise lies THE BENCH. It’s the place for recovery, reinvention and the rookie — waiting for his number to be called. It’s the bit between seasons and it’s the bit that says everything about the real you.
In May 2011 Great British Churches was introduced by myself, John Greenow from Xcel Church in Newton Aycliffe and Chris Denham from Hope City Church in Leeds with a heart to come alongside churches across Britain to encourage, resource, train and empower leaders as they build and establish nation impacting chruches.
Firstly, I need to say that I like Rob Bell. I cried as I turned the empty pages at the close of ‘Drops Like Stars’. He’s a thinker, a lover of people and a Christian leader of our age. It’s this third Characteristic that has led me to write this short article… Rob has a problem that I have also grappled with (and who in their right mind wouldn’t?). How can a good God send good people to Hell forever? When we say ‘good people’, we mean people that work an honest living, raise an honest family and really care for the world around them. Rob’s answer is to adjust the nature of God, adjust the true nature of people and to adjust the means through which we must all come to God.
