When you have some time, three worthwhile reads in the larger realm of Faith, Religion, and Culture: Emerging Church and White Man’s World, To Public or not to Public School, and some growing pains with Mars Hill Church across the bridge. Lots of comments but all worth checking out.
Challenging the Critiques of Emergent: A White Man’s World. The “emerging church” – same ol’, same ol’ or is there change happening? Is there room at the table for women and people of color? Not just at the table but even at the head of the table? For the record, I do acknowledge there’s some change…but not much.
To Public or not to Public School? Mohler on Public Education. Scot McKnight @ Jesus Creed hosts another incredible dialogue about a christian’s engagement regarding public education.
[Mohler] I am convinced that the time has come for Christians to develop an exit strategy from the public schools. Some parents made this decision long ago. The Christian school and home school movements are among the most significant cultural developments of the last thirty years. Other parents are not there yet. In any event, an exit strategy should be in place.
This suggestion elicits questions about Christian mission and presence in the world. Will the darkness become even more pervasive if we stage a mass exodus from public school systems? On the other hand, do we risk the souls of our children for the sake of outreach?
Say it Ain’t So, Mark [Driscoll]. Dialogue on some drama and growing pains going on with our neighbors across the Ballard Bridge. Just saw this today and 558 comments. What? Listen carefully: It’s never as bad as one side makes it out to be and it’s never as “nothing’s going on” as the other side purports. But the more and more I hear or read about the situation, the more I genuinely pray for Pastor Mark and Mars Hill Church. It’s got to be so difficult to be a pastor with so much influence and burden and my heart goes out to him. Don’t agree with all of his theology and really wished he doesn’t come out so bully-like on some stuff but Mark is a good man. Pray for him and the church.
Filed under: religion, emerging church, mark driscoll
While I would agree with you on the most part about your brief thoughts about Driscoll, I worry that there are the occasional instances when it’s actually WORSE than what folks imagine it to be. What if it is? And how is the larger Christian community ensuring that nothing crazy takes place that harms so many?
I can’t seem to get that Mars Hill link to work. Don’t know if it’s on my end, your end, or their end. But that’s beside the point. One of the two pastors MH fired was my youth pastor when I was in high school. He is a dear man of God, and probably was one of the best things MD had going for him – somebody who could speak truth with great wisdom and love. The way this whole situation has been handled seems to stink of something. Perhaps it’s just immaturity on the part of MD; I certainly don’t want to accuse him of any ulterior motives. But I’ve seen too many pastors become victims of their own success, gaining a sense of entitlement and being “above everybody else,” only to come crashing down hard (or only to end up on TBN, but that’s another world unto itself). If anything, now is the time that MH ought to be working toward greater transparency and humility.
Eugene – is there something new on the MH situation here? or just continued fall out from the firings?
http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:obY7wiS-GlEJ:phoenixpreacher.com/+phoenixpreacher&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
there’s a google cache of the now down site regarding MD. mostly regarding firings, plus something to do with church bylaws regarding discipline
ryan: nothing new going on but i’m probably the wrong person to ask. but i think the internet has a way of keeping flames on situations – for better or worse.
I read that a group is trying to organize to protest at an Acts 29 gathering. I’m not really a fan of protesting churches, but I agree with the feeling behind it : Get your own house in order before you tell other churhces how to start/operate.
re: Mohler
I think there are a wide variety of educational choices which each parent has to weigh for themselves when thinking about public/private/homeschool. There are lots of valid reasons for each.
BUT one thing which I think absolute hogwash is the idea that children should be put in educational settings based on the “salt and light” idea. As someone who works in public education, I can tell you that it’s a war zone. You do not send children into battle (see: Uganda).
My favorite quote right now is from Frederick Douglas:
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
While children have many things to teach us about faith and love, it is not their job to save the world. It is our job to protect them, until they are old and wise enough to protect themselves. It is OUR job to be salt and light, and model this for our children. This does not rule out public education – rather it requires us to look at each child and consider what he or she needs to succeed.