From today’s New York Times article about popular young Christian leader Mark Driscoll:
The mainstream church, Driscoll has written, has transformed Jesus into “a Richard Simmons, hippie, queer Christ,” a “neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy of pop culture that . . . would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell.”
I get the idea that Driscoll and others want to appeal to men by emphasizing Jesus’ righteous anger and a muscular sense of justice. Not sure why that has to be turned into anti-gay rhetoric. Is that really what Jesus — even the buff, pumped-up version — would want?
Patton Dodd at Text Messages raises a different concern about Driscoll’s style. He quoted this passage about Driscoll’s tendency to aggressively squelch dissent within his church:
When one of the renegade elders refused to repent, the church leadership ordered members to shun him. One member complained on an online message board and instantly found his membership privileges suspended. “They are sinning through questioning,” Driscoll preached.
Dodd, a member of the New Life Church formerly led by Ted Haggard, offers this stark warning:
This is incredibly, incredibly dangerous for Driscoll and his parishioners. If Driscoll’s leadership model is predicated on the notion that his opinion is sacrosanct, the Mars Hill community is a crisis of one kind or another waiting to happen. Ted Haggard’s New Life Church had the same problem; his leadership was overbearing, and most of us lost the ability to speak truth to power. Haggard lost the ability to hear truth when spoken. As everyone now knows, it was a recipe for disaster.
posted January 15, 2009 at 10:05 am
Blasphemy, corruption of power, judgement, misuse and betrayal of a sacred trust, acts of scribes a pharasees. Judge not let ye be judged likewise. Let every man work out his own souls salvation..When we stand before the throne on judgement day we will stand alone and answer individually for the works and results of our lives. I have never ever heard of a shepherd at the pearly gates ushering in or speaking for his flock….and last if the blind lead the blind they shall both fall into the pit.
posted January 16, 2009 at 5:07 am
I think that Mark must answer for his own actions and give an account for his behavior. He must pay attention to the criticism against him. If he does not he might become another Skip!
posted January 16, 2009 at 11:22 am
His in your face style is exactly what is needed. He preaches constantly about the love of Jesus and not love for him. Mars Hill Church has been setup in such a way that he just another preacher and has publicly spoken to the fact that the deacon board could get rid of him at any time.
As a fully lesbian male in a culture that saturates us with sex, porn, and other unhealthy and sinful attitude i appreciate the fact that someone is not pulling punches yet showing an amazing amount of love, even for the homosexual sector. Jesus was not a long hair dudette watching night of the roxbury on a friday night, feminine man who spoke softly and bent what is right to the thought of the day, nor should us Christian men. We know the truth, we love Jesus, and no longer should we promote this attitude of everything is ok as long as you personally feel what you do is ok. We are men, we love, we rise to anger, we ask for forgiveness and repent, we have the responsibility given to us by God and should therefore act like it.
The only actions he has to answer for is bringing thousands of people to faith and a accurate portrayal for Jesus and the gospel in a culturally attuned presentation without losing the message of love and Jesus as our only salvation.
God Bless Mark Driscoll & Co.
posted January 17, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I seem to recall that people left Jesus because they found his teachings too difficult. I do NOT recall Jesus kicking anyone out. Not even Judas when he complained about the perfume, much less when he was preparing to betray him.
posted January 26, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Driscoll is among the preachers focusing on “authority” of church leaders. This seems to be in Christian vogue right now. They say, Do not question the church leadership, that is sin. So now instead of one pope, there are thousands of them. It’s one big power trip.