Count It All Joy | TheResurgence:
Mark Driscoll writes some very positive things in response to an upcoming protest planned against Mars Hill Church. These comments demonstrate a further step along a good trajectory.
"I learned that my theological convictions, even the most controversial ones, are as unwavering as ever. But I also learned that as my platform has grown, so has my responsibility to speak about my convictions in a way that invites other people to experience charity from me, which means inflammatory language and such need to be scaled back. I was also sad and sorry to hear that various things I have said over the years have been received very personally by some people who felt personally attacked. A female pastor had a very good insight: as my platform has grown, so has my audience, and that in some sense I need to consider myself the pastor of two churches. In Mars Hill where I labor as a pastor who deeply loves his people, they are gracious with my faults and flaws because they know me and they know of my love for them. But outside of Mars Hill, for those who do not know me or my pastoral affection for people, the perception of me can be very different. Therefore, I need to learn how to function most effectively in a new role as someone given a broader voice to speak for Jesus. There is much to learn."
Like it or not, Driscoll has gained a voice in America. I say, keep praying the Lord graciously leads this brother along. I am thankful for the evidence of God's work in Mark.
Hi Paul,
ReplyDeleteBased solely on your short quote from Driscoll here, it would seem that he has been motivated to scale back his inflammatory language for the purpose of a larger audience - rather than - because the language itself is unbecoming a follower of Christ, and is just wrong to begin with.
It shouldn't matter if he had a platform of just his own wife and children, or an international listening audience. Reminds me of that old cliche' "what kind of Christian are you, when no one's watching?".
I do hope that the Lord might be pleased to lead this man in His ways.
SDG,
Carla
Hi Carla!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts.
I wonder if that is part of what is going on with Mark? If I think about my own process of sanctification, I know there were behaviours I stopped doing more out of a fear of offending others than out of a desire to honour God. As I grew in my understanding of the Lord, I often grew to see the curtailing of these behaviours as part of worship.
My point in drawing attention to Mark's post is to show what is an encouraging movement in his own thinking. Even if that outward action does not have all the inward motivations we might hope for, we have to acknowledge the same pattern is often true for us. Plus, I would rather see a Christian man move toward godliness than toward worldliness - in many respects "regardless" of the motivations (with all the necessary qualifications!).
I didn't hear what he originally said either, but we do need to "tame our tongues" if we're not going to lose our audience. Is it all about the audience? No, like Carla mentioned we do everything for the sake of Jesus, but so much of what we do involves our audience that if we offend them needlessly I think our effectiveness dwindles as our words draw attacks rather than discussion.
ReplyDeleteI like the tone of his post.
we all have our weaknesses, at least he's aware of his :)
ReplyDelete