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Mark Driscoll on the Shack

I think he misses the point of metaphor. The characters in the Shack related to the Trinity are metaphors. They are not meant to actually suggest that  God the creator is a  black woman, Jesus the redeemer is an Palestinian (though he probably was) and the Spirit the sustainer (is an Asian).

The definition of metaphor from dictionary.com

a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.

Metaphors help us to wrap our brains around deep concepts by connecting them to symbols or icons that are more readily accessible. It is why use image metaphors in our worship each week.

Jesus used metaphors. Listen to Jesus as we weeps over the people of Jerusalem

³⁴ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Luke 13:34 (NIV)

Jesus isn’t saying he is a hen. he isn’t making a graven image of God he is using a metaphor that is accessible to those listening. People whose farming background would have made the idea of a hen caring for her chicks quite familiar. Jesus used  metaphors by speaking in parables, a common rabbinic way of teaching. They didn’t just tell adn give answers they told stories that raised questions. The parables generated questions and conversations with the genuinely spiritually curious instead of just telling people what to think. Mark 4:34

The book is a novel, a story, not a doctrinal statement or dogmatic text. He is using metaphors iconic imagery that is familiar that is accessible to his reader.  If nothing else this gets people (Jesus followers and those who aren’t) in this post-religious world talking about the Trinity one of the most challenging parts of Christian teaching. It is a subject that many avoid and some in recent years have tried to dismiss altogether.

Part of learning to practice faith in the post-religious world is learning to entertain the ideas of other without having to agree with them. Metaphors are a part the language of the post-religious. I think learning to use metaphors as a means to engage in conversation rather than just dismissing them when they arise in culture, is important to living faithfully in a post-religious world .  Ironically isn’t that what Paul did at Mars Hill. Acts 17:22,23

So is it possible to have a conversation about this stuff without all the hyperbole?

Technorati Tags: Jesus, mark_driscoll, mars_hill, metaphor, parables, Paul, post-religious, the shack, trinity

Driscoll’s comments about Ted haggard’ recent problems has generated protests from a group called people against fundamentalism. This is why I was so disturbed frustrated by Driscoll’s remarks. When he says things the way he does it just perpetuates already high levels of cynicism about Christians in our culture, creates divisions in the body and undermines the Christian witness. Now while I support their right “take action” on what they call his “misogynist religion”, I am saddened that it has come to this. Haggard situation was painful and unfortunate enough but this just adds to the brokenness. How can we learn to be healers, wounded healers instead of fix it experts?

Here is some of what they say about Driscoll and the protest on their blog. 

‘He has been relishing in his misogyny, rolling around in it like a feline in catnip. His latest women-bashing came in a blog post about former pastor (and former head of the Christian umbrella organization National Association of Evangelicals) Ted Haggard’s marital infidelity. As is typical with misogynists and other abusers, Mark blamed women for the terribly hard time pastors have controlling their sexual urges: “It is not uncommon to meet pastors’ wives who really let themselves go…” The post makes for an interesting read; Helen, over at Conversation at the Edge dissected it well, so I won’t rehash it here.

Mark also regularly rants against men who don’t meet his minimum testosterone bar, which seems to be a Father Knows Best, 1950s, I-Am-Man-Cook-Me-Dinner, Bear-My-Children sort of fantasy ideal. His poison, though, is woven insidiously through much of his writing and thought. (See for example how he just has to bring the hammer down in an unrelated post here.)

After standing by while Misogynist Mark beats up on women regularly, it is time for us to stand up for the oppressed. People Against Fundamentalism is sickened by the injustice preached from the Mars Hill pulpit. We are done standing by while Mark the Misogynist takes his misguided religion and hollows out the humanity, dignity, and equality of the women in our midst.

So, we’re organizing our first direct action. On Sunday, November 19 December 3, we’re going to take a physical stand against injustice outside the Mars Hill Ballard Campus in Seattle at the 11am service.

Read the whole post » Take Action on December 3

Technorati Tags: conversations, faith & culture, mark_driscoll, mars_hill, national_association_of_evangelicals, ted_haggard

I think I see an unhealthy pattern. make an insensitive or over the top remark about people and then backpedal and blame it on being misinterpreted. Based on the post on the Huffington post that I linked previously I think when he does this kind of thing Driscoll send a very destructive message to others in our world about followers of Jesus.

As a pastor who says he holds to drawing on all of God’s teaching in scripture I would like to encourage Pastor Driscoll to study the book of James. Especially James 3 which talks about the power of our words.

Here are some other reactions to his first post

Open letter from Rose Madrid-Swetman 

Fat lazy wives 

Technorati Tags: faith & culture, haggard, mark_driscoll, pastors_wives

After staking his claim to being of founder of the emerging church in the US Driscoll goes on to categorize the emerging church (based on Stetzer’s categories) into three groups as follows.

Relevants are theologically conservative evangelicals who are not as interested in reshaping theology as much as updating such things as worship styles, preaching styles, and church leadership structures. Their goal is to be more relevant; thus, appealing to postmodernminded people. Relevants commonly begin alternative worship services within evangelical churches to keep generally younger Christians from leaving their churches. They also plant new churches to reach emerging people. Relevant leaders look to people such as Dan Kimball, Donald Miller, and Rob Bell as like-minded leaders. The common critique of Relevants is that they are doing little more than conducting “cool church” for hip young Christians and are not seeing significant conversion growth. Within the Relevants there is also a growing group of outreach-minded Reformed Relevants, which look to men like John Piper, Tim Keller, and D. A. Carson for theological direction.

Reconstructionists are generally theologically evangelical and dissatisfied with the current forms of church (e.g. seeker, purpose, contemporary). They bolster their critique by noting that our nation is becoming less Christian and that those who profess faith are not living lives markedly different than non-Christians; thereby, proving that current church forms have failed to create life transformation. Subsequently, they propose more informal, incarnational, and organic church forms such as house churches. Reconstructionists, who are more influenced by mainline Christian traditions, will also use terms like “new monastic communities” and “abbess.” Reconstructionist
leaders look to such people as Neil Cole and Australians Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The common critique of Reconstructionists is that they are collecting disgruntled Christians who are overreacting to the megachurch trend but are not seeing significant conversion growth.

Revisionists are theologically liberal and question key evangelical doctrines, critiquing their appropriateness for the emerging postmodern world. Reconstructionists look to such leaders as Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt as well as other Emerging Christians. The common critique of Revisionists is that they are recycling the doctrinal debates of a previous generation and also not seeing significant conversion growth.

A couple of observations  

Why is it that we are so eager to put each other in boxes and define groups? Is driscoll’s true modernism showing through. He is just adding to the fodder for those who want to quiet prophetic or more radical voices in the conversation by labeling them. While I may disagree with the theological direction some of folks are going in I defend their right to go there. But I guess this is the consequence and they need to be prepared for that.

The article is called a pastoral perspective on the emerging church I guest hat is in contrast to the non-pastoral perspective of Driscoll’s recent Christianity Today rant.

There is no mention of the missional church folks. I think they are another stream in the conversation unless he covers that in mentioning Hirsch.

It is strange that he feels compelled to mention as a critique that these streams don’t see any significant conversion growth.  I do feel sometimes there isn’t enough attention paid to being evangelistic conversion growth isn’t the only paradigm. How about transformational growth?

There are several other things in the article that I explore at a later date but for now let me look at Driscoll’s attempts to define. Driscoll interestingly enough doesn’t put himself in any of the categories but the inferences are clear in the article.  Relevants good. Revisionists bad! Recontructionists eh?

BTW no people of color mentioned

Brian Mclaren’s definition of emerging church in his interview in Criswell

"the emerging church" (a term I don’t particularly like because it can sound divisive) is really "the church that is engaging with the emerging culture."

Read the interview Brian is as articulate, gracious and thoughtful as ever despite some loaded questions.

My favorite definition of the emerging church comes form Kester Brewin om The Complex Christ

we need to become wombs of the divine and completely rebirth the church into a host culture.

Technorati Tags: Brian_McLaren, emergent, emerging church, emerging_church, evangelicals, evangelical_churches, faith & culture, mark_driscoll, spiritual-practice

I have come to see that my comments were sinful and in poor taste. Therefore, I am publicly asking for forgiveness from both Brian and Doug because I was wrong for attacking them personally and I was wrong for the way in which I confronted positions with which I still disagree. I also ask forgiveness from those who were justifiably offended at the way I chose to address the disagreement. I pray that you will accept this posting as a genuine act of repentance for my sin.

On the one hand this is very courageous of him. ON the other hand he seems to have done it in response to some self interest. (He does have a new book coming out)

He kindly said that my reputation was growing as a guy with good theology, a bad temper, and a foul mouth. This is not what I want to be known for. And after listening to the concerns of the board members of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network

Read the rant, then head over to his blog and read the apology then decide for yourself.

Technorati Tags: Brian_McLaren, emerging church, emerging_church, leadership_journal, mark_driscoll, missional_church