Selling Water by the River: A Book about the Life Jesus Promised and the Religion That Gets in the Way

by Shane Hipps

Work, sex, ice cream, religion-they all promise fulfillment. But what they deliver is fleeting.

Jesus knew about this quest. He came to show us that peace is possible in this life, not just the next one. Yet Christianity, the very religion that claims Jesus as its own, has often built the biggest barriers to him and the life he promised.

Celebrated speaker and pastor Shane Hipps revives the faith with a fresh and persuasive understanding of the message of Jesus. The shocking truth is that Jesus proclaimed "eternal life" as a present reality that dwells within each of us. A transformative breakthrough, this book goes beyond "religion" or "spirituality" and cuts to the heart of our humanity and existence. It's about realizing that we already possess what we are searching for, and that the Heaven we long for isn't just a gift when we die, but a gift while we live.

Genres: Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Theology, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christian

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If someone wants a book that describes a Christianity that is accessible and has integrity when it comes to scholarly criticism and the recent American trend of church disenchantment, I'll recommend this book.

I thought it would be about church (god is the river, "christian institutions" are the people who bottle the water) but it's not. That is a metaphor the author uses, but instead of focusing on those bottling the water, he instead chooses to talk about the river and how it is accessible to everyone. Jesus even told his enemies (Pharisees) when they asked where the kingdom of heaven was that it was within them! (Luke 17:20-21)

There are lots of metaphors, lots of stuff which helps those of us in post-evangelicalism trying to discard those beliefs we held which were not historically valid, those beliefs which were based on fear/worry etc. To be sure, it is a popular work written to be very accessible, so he does not go into those particular issues, but the "Christianity" which he presents, my life experiences and my studies have no problems with.

If you are an evangelical, you may read this and disagree with a lot of it. Shane hipps and rob bell are/were buddies. Based on my understanding they fit together in the same camp. As with rob bell, this is written with a lot of the questions evangelicals would pose in mind, so if you are alien to the evangelical culture there may be a bit of disconnect between what's written and what you are wondering about.

I've had a hard time calling myself a Christian lately, but this book presents a vision that I believe reflects what Jesus intended which is likely not concerned with a label such as "Christian" at all... *I reserve the right to change my opinion!

[Gene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buy this book when it comes into circulation in October 2012. I read an advance copy courtesy of Jericho Books. Trust me, it will breathe life into your belief and reduce the neurotic tendencies so prevalent in Christian faith as practiced in much today's churches in North America!

[Phil Aud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review contains spoilers.

Shane brilliantly uses metaphor. This book is packed full of metaphor all of which are his own. There are no end notes and no bibliography. These are Shane’s thoughts on scripture. I found many of these metaphors to be stunning and well thought through.

I have seen the typical ugly reactions to Shane’s promo video online. While I wasn’t a fan of his promo video (at all), I think it brings up an important point that Hipps makes regarding the lenses through which we view the Bible. “The most limited Bible interpreter is one who claims to have no lens” (p. 19). I believe that we can begin to have better dialogue and disagreement when we being to look at some of the lenses through which we read the scriptures. (None of us, of course, understand our lenses completely). “Over the years I have found most of the debates about Bible, doctrine, theology, and religion are not actually debates about what the Bible says. They are in fact debates informed by competing unconscious lenses” (p. 28). Agreed.

All of that being said, I was disappointed with this book. After having read “The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture” I was excited for the release of this book. In “The Hidden Power” Hipps, in compelling detail, delivers what he promises. I left this book wondering, “how is it that religion is getting in the way again?” Religion get’s in the way - that’s a bold (albeit popular) statement. But how? He deals with the river metaphor but, in my opinion, religion doesn’t get much attention. Some would argue this point with me I’m sure but tradition and institution don’t necessarily equate religion(s). Nor are lenses merely religious. Perhaps a definition of what Hipps means by “religion” would help. I also wish that the book would have more tension in it. Don’t get me wrong, I think it will create tension to people who approach the scriptures with a different set of lenses, which is a good thing, even if it’s purpose is to make people think more deeply about why they believe what they believe. Yet, the book often fails to live in the tension that we find in the scriptures. ‘The river is within you’ - yes, Jesus says that. But John also records Jesus as saying that He (He actually says “we”) will dwell in people who “keep my word”. The implication is that He doesn’t dwell in people that don’t. In his chapter “A Connoisseur Of Wine” Hipps talks about the women at the well and says, “We might expect Jesus to say something like ‘Repent of your sin and believe in me and you will have that water.’ But he doesn’t say this...He doesn’t call it sin, nor does he tell her to change the way she is living” (p. 143). True. However, John (chapter 8) also records Jesus as saying “Go and sin no more” to the women caught in adultery. John hold’s the tension, I wish Hipps would too. Speaking of “Christian institutions” he says, “through time, repetition makes any song, no matter how beautiful, lose its edge and interest...Familiarity breed predictability, and this leads to boredom” (p. 11). Actually, what is unique to the medium of music is exactly - repetition! Why does repetition work in music? Because of tension and release. The notes may stay the same but they will be understood differently, even if they remain identical, because of their placement within the various tension and release events that happen within the progression of the song (see Jeremy Begbie’s “Theology, Music and Time”). The repetition (think church tradition) does not necessarily indicate boredom. The limits and constraints of religion can actually produce freedom. Any real understanding of improvised music will shed light on this (Again, see Begbie). And the tension (which I would like to see more of) is what makes music interesting. Further, there are certain statements made within the book that were confusing such as, “The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Notice this is about sequence, getting the order right. God doesn’t say you shall have no other God’s - period” (p. 160). What? This doesn’t square well with the book (Exodus) that he is quoting from (see especially 6:4), or with the religion(s) “that gets in the way”.

To conclude, I would like to mention Shane’s chapter on fear - “Touching The Stove”. I don’t agree with everything that he writes but I think that people should approach books that they don’t wholeheartedly embrace - without fear. I don’t think this is Hipps’ best writing, and I have a different set of lenses and disagree with some of his thoughts, but there are still things to be learned from his writing.

[Robert Rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Selling Water by the River" is a wonderful book. I suspected it would be from the title alone. Could there be a better metaphor for the relationship between spirituality and formal religion--the felt experience of Spirit and God as opposed to the formulaic system of beliefs that constitute religion--than this? Among the many current authors who try to pry the original message of Jesus free from the twisted tangle of dogma and misunderstanding that have sadly come to characterize much of mainstream Christianity in America, I consider this one of the best, if not the best. Using Bible quotes extensively throughout as springboards for his essays, author and pastor Shane Hipps leads us unerringly to a re-visioning of what Jesus preached, making it a living, breathing set of teachings and not simply a rote collection of words transcribed centuries ago by men from a foreign culture. I especially enjoyed the chapter, "Waves on the Ocean," which took an especially troublesome passage from John 12:25 and brought it into clarity by returning to the original wording in ancient Greek and showing how it was (and still is) poorly translated.

As a writer and psychotherapist, metaphor, allegory and parable are all near and dear to me. (My own book, "From Plagues to Miracles: The Transformational Journey of Exodus" reinterprets the Moses-Pharaoh story as a parable or extended metaphor of the spiritual journey back to God.) Shane Hipps is a master of metaphor. In every chapter, he is able to beautifully illustrate his points with extended metaphors culled from everyday experience, including tales from his own life. And he manages this so smoothly, so seamlessly and unobtrusively, that it makes this author want to stand up and applaud. Like Jesus, he's not afraid to challenge doctrinal authority masquerading as sanctity. But he does not have an axe to grind; this is no polemic against religion. Hardly. It's an attempt to salvage what is best in Christianity, but too often ignored or obscured.

Drink deep of this book; let its currents bear you oceanward. You won't regret the journey.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because Peter Rollins recommended it. Here's the excerpt that caught my attention and made me want to read it:

"The desire begins with the first breath.
The moment life first dances in the body, a longing is born in the human heart.
A desire so simple and powerful that it drives a singular quest. This longing is baked into our being whether we want it or not. The longing is as innate to us as our thirst for water.
The object of our thirst goes by many names. Some call it love, others peace, others still joy or happiness. The list goes on. Regardless of the name we give it, the reality it points to is the same.
We search for it in all we do. We arrange nearly everything in our lives to quench that thirst. We look for it in our family and friends, in work and rest, in sex and marriage, in exercise and ice cream.
Some of us will look for it in the renunciation of these very things.
The objects of these pursuits present one problem. Whatever feeling they evoke, whatever thirst they quench, whatever joy they create, it never seems to last. Eventually, our husband's gaze returns to his favorite glowing screen, our wife becomes cold and critical, our body fails us, the pay doesn't match the hours, the sex ends, a loved on leaves, children act out, the bowl of ice cream is empty, and the buzz wears off.
Soon the hunger returns and the quest begins again.
The problem is not the pursuit of these things. They are meant to be enjoyed. The problem is the nature of these things. They are temporary, and therefore so is their effect.
Our joy will share the fate of the thing we bind it to.
And here we arrive at the central problem of this life - it doesn't last.
Everyone and everything, everywhere eventually returns to the dust..."

and once this caught my attention I couldn't put the book down.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The NEW Blue Like Jazz.

I read Blue Like Jazz and it changed my life. It helped me organize my frustrations with the Church in ways I hadn't done before. Since then I have read more books and been frustrated with different things about the Church, but true to my narrative, BLJ helped me wrestle with the Idolatry of Christianity that I had once experienced.

I call it the NEW BLJ for a reason.

It's better. The writing style is similar, but instead of just writing about how the church has hurt him, Hipps offers a new way to experience of the same verses that we want to run from. The alternative is greatly appreciated.

I see this book acting as a bridge from the Gnostic Christianity that seems to dominate much of popular conversation to a Christianity less concerned with certainty and more concerned with wrestling with identity.

This book will help people forsake the comfortable waters and really get at the core of Christianity.

I gave it 4 stars because of the limitations of the book. It really is speaking to a very small window of individuals. As he says in this book, (pretty early on, so I wouldn't say it's a huge spoiler): The Christian religion seems to act as a security blanket and at some point we should shed it if we want to grow. But he also talks about how there is a specific time for that. It may not be for the people that aren't ready to leave the comfort, but it also may not be for the people that have since shed the blanket.

If that sounds exciting or provocative, read this book. If it sounds like someone you know should read it, buy it for them.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What is it about former marketing executives having a way to relate the Christian faith in a way that is fresh and appealing? Was I just sold something?

I think I must have highlighted about half of this book. Good illustrations of God, religion, and faith. A bit too loose with theology for my taste (and I'm pretty loose) but a quick, enjoyable read nonetheless. Like his former fellow pastor at Mars Hill, Hipps is a great communicator.

[Mason Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent use of metaphor and word-pictures...ones that have stayed with me and I continue to use in counseling. This booked gave me language and pictures for ideas I was wrestling with, and I am very thankful for that. The first half of it was better for me than the last, but still very good. Great book on the bigness of Jesus beyond the institutions we try to limit Him to, and His availability to meet the deep thirst of everyone who is willing to open to Him.

[Eric Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selling Water by the River should be read, mulled over, read again, discussed with others, argued with, and maybe read again.

The enso on the front cover communicates Shane Hipps' tone very well.

Many of Hipps' images are very intriguing, and several of his scriptural interpretations are enlightening. I recommend them for contemplation.

My only significant reservation is his not-so-subtle Gnosticism, his insistence that knowing the secret will set us free.

[Brooke Espenschied · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was thought provoking and led to some deconstructing of long held views about the church/organized religion and how one experiences God. God is not confined in the walls of a building but lives inside of us. Similarly the gift of salvation is not earned or reserved for individuals who the church deems appropriate, but is available for all - freely, fully and without judgement. “Selling Water By The River” highlights how the church oftentimes can get in the away of the very thing that they are trying to promote - an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.

[Mark Kennicott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. Shane has some good thoughts and provides some great stories and metaphors but his theology is BAD. Dangerously bad. He writes, "This book is a product of years of reflection, listening, study, teaching, conversations, and practice," which makes it all the more tragic. Skip it.

[Rielly McLaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Shane's analogies. He has a brilliant way of putting grace into perspective. He reminds me of Henri Nouwen, possibly the Henri Nouwen for this generation? His book reminded me of the importance of the inner journey, and discovering you already have what you seek. He has a calming way of writing, which expands your mind and helps you see God in ever nook and crevice of life.

I gave it three stars because it lacked a significant component, a larger cosmological understanding of the Gospel. It was so focused on the inner journey, that he gave us a sequence of personal development, the inner-journey which then leads to social justice, as though it were steps. Although I agree to an extent, I also think that when we engage in serving others, advocating for the voiceless, and loving the rejected we are expanding an understanding of Jesus within us through empathy and awareness of our own inner poverty without God. After all, Jesus did say that whenever we serve the least of these we are somehow mysteriously serving Him.

It is lacking a cosmological perspective on the Gospel, because I believe first and foremost, the Gospel gives a far broader picture of what God is doing in the universe - more than our own private spirituality or commitment to social justice (though it involves those things). God's reconciliation of all things is God revealing His mission, as it breaks into the world - moving from a me-centred mission to a God-centered mission - which involves all sorts of creative acts of love, justice, personal growth & insight. This may seem like a trite distinction, but when we are wrapped up in the Missio Dei, it keeps us from polarizing social justice vs. personal faith or faith vs. works. The inner journey of spiritual growth is fruitless without the Missio Dei, and social activism is fruitless without the Missio Dei.

In the last few pages of the book, Shane addresses this criticism; but presents a sequence (personal insight/growth leading to social engagement), instead of linking it with the larger meta-narrative.

Overall, don't mistake my criticism for a dislike of the book. Selling Water By The River will have a lasting impact on my life and journey. Thank you Shane.

[Marty Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As many of the reviews and endorsements state, this book will be an incredible journey through images that communicate the heart of the conversation about Jesus. Hipps has a gift with the ability to use picture, image and metaphor to bring ideas into the light. Time and time again, Shane takes a complex idea, puts in a metaphor, and the reader walks away with a whole lot more clarity of thought.

The book is based on the premise that the Christian "religion" is like a merchant selling water by a river. Jesus is the river, and the merchant is simply trying to package the water in such a way that access to the River is easier. However, the merchant can often get in the way of the River that quenches thirst.

Time after time, image after image, Hipps continues to make the point that the River will be the River with or without the merchant. For me, this book addressed and "put on the table" some of the discomforts that we have as merchants: that we don't have control of the River, that we don't have a monopoly on the River, that we can't force people to use the merchant.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and freeing of so much of the religious guilt many of us are brought up with. Shane creatively reminds the reader of the gift of life Jesus offers and he starkly points out how often we miss out on the river because we buying from vendors standing next to it. My favourite quote: 'He (#Jesus) didn't come that we would become more religious or even more spiritual. Jesus came to show us what it truly means to be human - to live life conscious of the exquisite gift we've been given. He came to introduce us to the most easily forgotten and often overlooked miracle of all - our existence and the heaven hidden with in it.'

[Tosha Sisler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is being reviewed at Chautauqua this year. It has a great prose style and the sample touched on many of my innate yearnings and questions. As someone who has tried to maintain a sense of Christianity while searching beyond its religious borders, into other faiths and spiritual practices, in order to compensate for what I find lacking within its religious dogma and to feed that deep need within myself, I am very intrigued to explore this book more.

The woman who chose to review this book at Chautauqua changed her mind and instead reviewed a different book. This is really a book that is great for discussion but on its own didn't offer enough appeal to keep me reading.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane Hipps is an incredibly talented writer, teacher and thinker. I am so grateful for this book and for what Shane is sharing. As he so eloquently illustrates, the church can sometimes get in the way of our faith in Jesus. Shane takes it back to the source and starts from there. This is a great book to give to your friends -those who might have walked away from 'religion' but still hold out hope for Jesus.

[Kevin Clementson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful reflection on faith and religion. Hipps does an admirable job of helping the reader reflect upon Jesus as one who helps us discover the intimate and immediate qualities of God's presence in our lives. Painfully missing is any real sense of the community aspect of life. One could easily 'assume' that community is that which gets in the way. Still this is a book that can be helpful in sorting out that which can be helpful or harmful to ones personal walk.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make you rethink several things about Christianity, but I think in a good way. The gist of it is that we should be focusing more on bringing heaven to earth as much as we can rather than the heaven after we die. That is important, but not the end all be all. I am probably not doing it justice because it is a wonderfully complex book.

[Charles Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the central metaphor - God is the river, religion a merchant that sells water by the river. The merchant isn't the river.

Some good stuff here, but I got a little bored towards the end. I felt like I wanted more about the metaphor - how does religion get in the way? How do we DO religion in a way that leads people to the river and doesn't get in the way?

[Jeremy Pettitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book on living for Jesus and how it can be very different than the Christianity we are taught to believe in. Rarely have I read a Christian book that I agree with on so many different levels. highly recommended. I was blessed to have Shane Hipps as my pastor for a few years in the past at Trinity Mennonite Church in Glendale, Az.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a church discussion group, and I thought that it was a great read. The author shows how multi-layered Jesus' parables are and uses concrete stories and comparisons to explain his points. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the New Testament better, who feels stymied by church structure, or skeptical of the concept of heaven.

[Kate Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've heard Shane's sermons, you've probably heard most of the contents of this book. That said, it's nice to have the metaphors at-hand and transcripts accessible for easy review and reflection. Shane is has a lovely fluency in the language of metaphor.

[Jon Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane has a wonderful gift of being able to take simple stories from daily life and use them to clearly expound a deep truth. I was taught and inspired. This is one of those books I plan on reading again.

[Sarah Nagy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Hipps' message overall. Something more people need to hear I think. I thought his writing was very accessible, but I personally found it a little boring. I could only read a chapter or two a night.

[Michael Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hipps is plugged in, man. He sees spiritual metaphors and analogies in everyday life that he uses to create easily digestible morsels. I enjoyed watching the woman sawed in half - knowing full well she would later bow on stage unscathed... so it was watching Hipps work magic on our churchy ways.

[Shawn Skaggs]

Following Jesus

Phipps does a great job of teaching people what it is to follow Jesus without the constraints or added dogma that come along with religion. One of the most important things is that he does so in a way that does not come off as offensive or patronizing.

[Amy Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Throughout his ministry, Jesus says, 'You have heard it said . . . but I say to you . . .' Or we might put it this way: 'You know the may says this, but I'm telling you the territory demands something more of you.'"

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspring book for followers of The Way and those who are curious. Easy read.

[Lillian Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and imagery from a gifted teacher.

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking.. Great read!