Good to see more action in regards to Mark Driscoll lately. He Pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle and is one of my favourite teachers.
Mark draws heaps of criticism and praise at the same time from all over the Christian spectrum. Christianity Today has just published a feature article on the guy and I liked the description as to why Driscoll creates such a response.
Driscoll “comes off as a smart-aleck former frat boy,” according to The Seattle Times. Guilty as charged. If he hasn’t offended you, you’ve never read his books or listened to his sermons. On any given Sunday at Mars Hill, it’s possible that a visiting fire marshal will get saved. But it’s just as likely that a guest will flip him off before walking out.
The spectrum of response speaks to his sharp tongue—his greatest strength and his glaring weakness. But Driscoll also disturbs many fellow evangelicals because he straddles the borders that divide us. His unflinching Reformed theology grates on the church-growth crowd. His plan to grow a large church strikes postmoderns as arrogant. His roots in the emerging church worry Calvinists. No one group can claim him. Maybe that’s why they all turn their guns on him.
And another good quote talks about his split from the freaky little “Emergent” crowd - headed up by Tony Jones and Brian MacLaren.
Driscoll, while still emerging, no longer belongs to Emergent. Starting in 1995, Driscoll traveled around the country speaking for events hosted by Leadership Network, out of which grew Emergent Village in 2001. That’s when Driscoll split. He began to suspect that Emergent leaders wanted to revise Christian orthodoxy. Since then, Emergent Village has advocated an experimental, open approach to theology. Emergent Village coordinator Tony Jones has not sat down and talked with Driscoll in five years, Jones told me. Though they have sparred over theology, Jones spoke highly of Driscoll’s leadership gifts.
“He is uncommonly intelligent,” Jones said. “He is uncommonly articulate and humorous. He could have been a stand-up comedian. He could have been a great actor probably.”
But Driscoll seems to have tired of debates about the relationship of theology to postmodernism. Knowing his erstwhile Emergent friends will not be persuaded, Driscoll nevertheless references 641 Bible verses supporting his view in just 14 pages of Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Perspectives.
I’ve got the above mentioned book sitting on my bookshelf and indeed noticed the vast reference to scripture while the Emergent crowd barely even mentions it.
That’s what I admire about Driscoll. The guy sticks to scripture like gum to your soles and refuses to budge from it - even when it means that many people trash him for his views. The other aspect I like about him is his passion mixed with his comedy. Thanks to a fellow blogger, check out this snippet from a sermon Driscoll did a few weeks ago.
Mars Hill Church recently held a mass baptism on Alki Beach on the Puget Sound. And in typical Driscoll style, a baby seal beached itself right where the baptisms were to be held. Even though the Church had a permit for the occasion, Federal Law stated that anyone venturing within 100 yards of the seal would incur a $2,000 fine.
As you can imagine, the media and animal activists arrive and everything has now gone crazy. The setup team prayed for the seal to move but eventually they decided to move a few hundred yards away to set up elsewhere when lo and behold, the tide comes in and the seal moves.
This allowed the event to go ahead as planned and the media hung around and reported it on TV, radio and newspapers - God ordained publicity - for free! In all, over 220 people were baptised that day with 3000 people in attendance.
Check out the TV report here. And check out the photo’s on Flickr here.
Like him or lump him, Driscoll is a guy sold out to God. Sure his techniques may ruffle a few feathers but his message stays true to scripture. I suggest you check out the Christianity Today article and watch the above mentioned clips. While you’re at it, read his blog here and subscribe to his sermon podcast here and get a glimpse into the heart of a guy on mission for Jesus. Then when you see the world rage against him, and in particular the Christians, you will have a better idea as to what’s going on.
Tags: Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Emergent, Tony Jones, Brian MacLaren
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