Currently, I'm holed up at a Motel 6 in Redding, California, a little over halfway to San Francisco. It's one of those hotels where you never take off your shoes and you're glad you brought your own bed linens, but on the bright side, I've finally finished the Mars Hill analysis. Just like at Resurrection, Mars Hill gave me a lot to write about, so I had to divide everything up into installments so that it would fit here on the blog. Mars Hill is doing a lot of interesting things in terms of art and music and reaching specific demographics, but there were also a few things here that made me scratch my head a bit, such as very overt requests for money and a major case of celebrity pastordom. The church and its pastor both have their shortcomings, but I've done my best to highlight both good and bad in Mars Hill's highly productive efforts to reach the young adult population of Seattle. Honestly, there are some punches that I probably could have pulled a little more, but this is a learning experience for all of us, and I've tried to keep all my comments constructive, even though I will admit that Pastor Mark Driscoll's sarcastic sense of humor may have turned out to be a bit contagious.
Preface: Mars Hill Welcomes Westboro
(Click here for WBC and Mars Hill public statements)
Part 1: Background, Ballard Campus, and Worship
Part 2: Parable of the Ten Minas
Part 3: Money Matters
Part 4: Downtown
Part 5: Concluding Comments
A special thanks to my buddy Mike for giving me a place to stay and for acting as an extra set of eyes and ears at these services. Good seeing you again, bro.
Peace and Blessings,
Tom
PS-- Before anyone asks, no, I did not get a chance to challenge Mark Driscoll to a fight. He was actually out of town, so his sermon was prerecorded. Bummer. All that training for nothing. Maybe next time.
New one for you, the web's all atwitter: http://rachelheldevans.com/mark-driscoll-bully
ReplyDeleteChris, I wish there were a way I could "like" this link (a la facebook). Driscoll's rhetoric has been rubbing me the wrong way for a while, and it's nice to see an organized response to him taking shape. Of course, even though I predict that the letters and emails sent his way will probably be dismissed and that his "manliness" won't permit an apology, it's good to see people standing up to him and saying "enough's enough."
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm really intrigued by the I'm Sorry Campaign mentioned in this post. San Francisco sort of opened my eyes to the fact that Christians can't just be apathetic toward our LGBT neighbors. It is very much a human rights issue, and Christians ought to care for and support the underdogs (regardless of our views on homosexuality). Driscoll's stereotype-based definitions of masculinity and femininity seem more than ever to be products of a bygone age, and I'm in agreement with Rachel: It's time people sat him down and told him to cut it out. He's hurting a lot of people, not to mention the already-shaky reputation of the Church.
Thanks for sharing this link.