Disappointed in Seattle

If there is a pastor that I enjoy, it is Mark Driscoll, pastor at Mars Hill Church.  His frankness, relevence, and fidelity to Scripture is very refreshing in an age where theology and honesty seem to have taken a backseat to pragmatism and political correctness.

Following his comments on Ted Haggard where he gave encouragement to men to guard their testimony and marriage, he caught significant heat because of a true statement that caused the people at People against Fundamentalism to be offended.  They subsequently labeled him as mysoginistic and set out to accomplish three things:

1. To alert the city of Seattle to Mark’s pejorative language.
2. To see Mark removed as a religion columnist for The Seattle Times.
3. To see a sincere apology from Mark for his comments and a pledge to cease demeaning women in the future.

First, it is incredibly disappointing that a "Christian Group" would set out to try a brother in the court of public opinion over an issue without first approaching him personally as Scripture dictates.  Had they gone to him directly, I am of the opinion that this still was not an issue of sin.  This was an issue of strong language/advice in the presence of a strong culture of permissiveness.  It was pastoral advice to other young pastors who increasingly are struggling through personal moral failure.  Mark spoke strongly to them while at the same time demonstrating great compassion for a fallen pastor and his family. 

The fallout is that Mark, one of the few great voices for orthodox Christianity in Seattle has indeed been removed as a columnist for the Seattle Times.  The city of Seattle has been alerted.  But, it has also been alerted to the intolerance Christians have for one another, fully violating the indicator of God's grace to the world.  In this case, there is a whole city that now knows Christians not for their love of one another but for their disdain for one another. 

Finally, Mark did apoligize to the group for using language like "chickified" when describing effiminate guys.  Mark's apology engendered an apology from Paul at PAF.  Yet, Paul showed up at Mars Hill on Sunday with a sign that said, "Thank you for apologizing, Mark."  I think the hypocrisy of this group of liberal critics is deafening.

So what if you think that Mark Driscoll or any other pastor uses language that you find offensive to one's politically correct sensibilities?  Does that give a fellow professing to follow Christ license to harm the cause of the Gospel in the public arena.  Appeals for social justice are fair.  But, they do not trump Scripture.  We cannot afford to promote laws of our own liking above that of Scripture.

My concern and even frustration has little to do with my agreement with or affinity for Mark Driscoll.  It has more to do with the family of God making tolerance for one another in areas of interpretive difference.  Mark was speaking as a pastor/leader.  PAF was acting as dissidents, critics, and public antagonist to Paul on behalf of a specific pet cause.  This issue is hardly an issue of core Scriptural doctrine where Mark would be labeled as a false teacher.  This was a pet cause of some cat in Seattle who had a bone to pick with a pastor.  Rather than raising light to expel what he considered to be dark, he raised hell to expell Mark.  The result is a black eye for the Gospel in Seattle, a town that could use some more strong, quirkly personalities to promote the Gospel and fewer wanna-be Rosa Parks minus the cause.

Mark Driscoll posts that tell the story 1 2 3 4 - Seattle Times article - Seattle Post-Intelligencer article - Bob Hyatt on the Driscoll Sitch - People Against Fundamentalism Blog and his columnist gloat & meeting with Mark (Paul closes comments here)

Thanks to Church Marketing Sucks for the mention and trackback.  I'll at least offer up my thoughts re: "How a church should respond" on the CMS blog.

Comments

[Phil Hoover-Chicago]

Mark Driscoll is a fine man, and a great pastor--from what my "very intelligent sources" have told me.

However referring to anyone as "chickified" is only inviting a public scourging.

Even in the pastorate, one must be careful (and gracious) as to the words one uses.

God bless Pastor Driscoll.

[travis johnson]

I am not denying that. Of course, it welcomes strong reaction. But, is the reaction appropriate? I think it is totally inappropriate and in total violation of Scripture?

[bob]

The idea of protesting at a worship service was out of order (IMHO)... however...
I've been in contact with close friends of Mark who for YEARS have been begging him to dial it back. From th edays when he used to (from the pulpit) refer to things as "faggoty" (I believe he's intentionally stopped this now) down to more recent slams on "pastors in skirts", Mark has consistently pushed the edges and occasionally stepped over the line.

While the threat of protest and much of the language used against Mark was wrong, it seems as though God has chosen to use these things to do something in Mark's heart and mind.

For that I'm grateful. I think being more careful with his words will only increase his effectiveness as a communicator.

And if Mark is thankful for his critics, shouldn't we be also?

[Phil Hoover-Chicago]

The reaction was less than called for, that's for sure. But inflaming people with perjorative terms, regardless of how they were meant to be taken, is always a risky chance that no one in the public eye wants to take. Pastor Driscoll is learning a very important lesson, and hopefully those who enacted the public chiding will learn something as well.

Neither group represented their Lord very well in this instance.

Sorta makes me think about what I do and say more carefully.

[travis johnson]

Bob,

There are things I have said from the pulpit that are incorrect. There are attitudes I have held (and do currently) that are in need of being worked out in my life. I am in process as are you, Paul from PAF, and others, especially those of us professing Christ as Lord.

Yes, I am thankful that Mark is growing. But, the frustration I feel is the damage done to name of Christ through counter-Scriptural activities that ignore Matthew 18 by people whose cause has been elevated above the cause of Christ.

I am inspired by Mark. I also receive inspiration from people like you. It has little to do with personal, political positioning taken by individual personalites. Rather, I am encouraged and inspired because of the radical nature of Christ being lived out by each of us in pursuit of the Kingdom.

Yes, I am thankful for the critics. But, I am disheartened and reject those tactics used by those critics who claim Christ and who chose to ignore authoritative Scripture to advance their personal agendas.

[dw]

As someone who actually lives in Seattle and goes to an evangelical church... Mark has been very scattershot.

The problem to me is Mt 5.22:

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."

Time and again Mark has crossed the line between guidance and insult. I know it's easy and convenient to throw every non-Reformed church into the Box O' Liberal Gay Heathen Sinners, but more than a few of us are evangelicals in mainline denominations, and we're fighting for the souls of our denominations. And honestly, getting hit by the hand grenades being thrown by Mark and others into our denomination isn't helping in the least.

It's childish to say, "He started it," but Mark has been running his mouth off quite a bit, and it's becoming a boat anchor on the Seattle evangelical community. This town needs Jesus, not insults and bloviation.

And while I did not participate in the protest or see it to be in any way beneficial to the cause of Christ, I can understand their frustration with Mark's unresponsiveness before November 30.

I know how much you love Mark, but he's a sinner, just like you and me. And he runs his mouth off publicly, speaking the truth but lacking love. I hope this incident will finally get him to step back and think before he blogs, because he's doing a lot of good, and the insulting, demeaning tone he takes with people is hurting that. And I think the steps he's taking in humility and grace are good. I hope God continues to bless him.

[travis johnson]

dw,

Thanks a heck of lot for weighing in and sharing your thoughts. It is appreciated.

Some of my very close pastoral friends lead churches in mainline denominations, denominations which are crumbling around them because of their failure to protect the authority of Scripture. They are positioned in a near untenable situation in a theologically sound church while the denomination holds their deed to local property and ordains homosexual bishops and performs gay marriages.

Some of the people bashing Mark for his comments on Ted Haggard are actually fuming over his comments on the obvious downward slide of their denomination. I think that's fair and would also be acknowledged by some of those people.

I appreciate the fight you are engaged in. My heart goes out to you. You have already been in my prayers. In this case, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend. Not only do I find the tactics offensive and harmful. I find them totally unScriptural and subversive to God's Kingdom.

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