Driscoll Video Provides Surprising Products

Uniform Message Creates Wide Distribution

Pastor Bill Hybels may believe women have spiritual gifts, but Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church spawns material ones primarily for men. A video which features Driscoll discussing church planting was played at the 2007 National New Church Conference, with the intention of being widely distributed later. However, this objective was not achieved, with Driscoll's blog suggesting that the organizers were "not wanting a bigger fuss" because of alleged controversial material. The pertinent video called "The Good Soldier" was then placed on YouTube.

As the blogosphere became abuzz with activity over this, many have tried to relate to Driscoll's message. Interest in Jesus action figures has doubled, especially those that include a weapon or have a soldier's uniform. A Jesus who appears in a dress, suggestive of a gay hippie are in development, says Randall Armstrong, CEO of Lame Christian Men. They will likely be modelled after Rob Bell and Joel Osteen, mainly aimed at the secure Christian male demographic, he said.

Driscoll dolls are also becoming popular, particularly among women. Retailers point out that they are definitely amused, possibly because of the comfort stemming from owning and playing with the toys. One option makes Driscoll utter memorable quotes, such as "men is the most important variable", which usually puts a foot into the doll's mouth. This does not seem to be a malfunction, the manufacturer notes, but it has not apparently happened enough to investigate further or consider it unsafe. (There is a warning on the package as a precaution, however.) The toys also have an open hand and a closed fist normally, but unfortunately nothing for scissors.

Some want to identify with the message through song. The punk band Reform Revolution will release their debut album "Prom Songs" in June to correspond with Graduation ceremonies. According to the lead singer, Jezebel Machoan, the band wants everyone to embrace the mission of Pastor Mark, empowering half of humanity for the benefit of all. The album includes the singles "In The Rear Until They Fear (The Lord)", "Miss Understood", "Win The Men, Win The War" and "Rockin' To The Spice Girls". They plan to tour this fall to wimpy cities across America.

Others need a more sensual experience to get into the mission of resonating with Driscoll. Victwares, a company specializing in "embodying potent ministry", has anything from herbal tea to pump you up to aromatherapy treatments that gently remove any sense of perspective. Their most popular product, Servitude, supposedly helps women to avoid nasty headaches and gain a servant's heart when their men need their regular requirement of intimacy. The instructions state that it is best used at least once daily, although some women dispute the effects.

The Acts 29 Network has cautiously supported these efforts, hoping they can compensate for any lost impact and mixed reviews of Pastor Mark Driscoll at this point. Many men and some women expect this to create common ground, considering the regular frustration and defensiveness associated with Driscoll's teaching. Not all are as optimistic and characterize this as a distraction from the real issues involved. However, it is evident that Driscoll's consistent branding has encouraged a broad range of responses that entertain while complicated.

Not Sexualized or Segregated

On the one hand, Mark Driscoll challenges cultural stereotypes. On the other hand, when it comes to gender, Driscoll's language and communal leadership advocates deeply entrenched gender stereotypes on sex, women, men, and relationships. This is more than just a disagreement about roles or how many times a week a husband and wife should have sex. It is how men and women ought to relate to each other in our contemporary world for the sake of kingdom immediacy and intimacy....

Perhaps our greatest challenge as Christians in our contemporary world is to hunger and thirst and pray for a kingdom immediacy that is not a sexualized kingdom nor a gender segregated kingdom.

There is indeed something deeply Christian, deeply eschatological, to pray with a man or woman who is a close, sacred companion but not your spouse: "I thank You Lord, for our unique history, for the depth of our shared intimacy, for our shared history of answered prayers, for our shared history of supporting each other in prayer through so many different circumstances and relationships."

[via Faith Dance]

Too Much Truth?

[via You saved my life from a colorless one]

Men Are Not Enough...

[from this comment at this post]

Mark Driscoll is correct. “Selection of ‘the man’[or men] is extremely important”. And this will be the downfall of the Church, not selecting the right men to be in leadership.

And we can see that the men in the Church have not been selecting the right men - look at all the fallen, shameful male pastors who have embarrassed Christ in front of the whole world. So, the right men have not been selected. Of course, if women are not included in the leadership process [as Timothy’s mother and grandmother were in teaching Timothy the Scriptures], then there will be no right men left in the Church: this includes Mark Driscoll....

And who will be left in the Church in 2050? - not the end of the Church as Driscoll predicts, but the steadfast women who worship Christ. The same ones that were at the cross when the men hid; the same ones that were first at the tomb when the men did not believe; the first to Evangelize; the ones that Christ Himself included in the Church when the ‘men’ tried to exclude them.

[via The CBE Scroll]

My (biological) father died 8am, May 5, 2006, due to complications regarding heart surgery and such. We were not particularly close.

For those who are grieving today, as well as those who are distant/conflicted about family, I offer:



Russ Taff- I'm Not Alone and



The Choir- Someone To Hold On To

Mark Misusing Metaphors?

[from a comment to this post at Progression of Faith]

For whatever it's worth, I thought Driscoll's video was quite good, with a couple qualifications:
- his language is somewhat violent (e.g. his use of the word 'retarded' and the denial that Jesus is a 'gay hippie')
- he doesn't qualify the military metaphors the way the apostle Paul does when he uses them

While military metaphors are part and parcel of the Bible's vocabulary, in the New Testament, they almost are always subverted by their context. For example, Paul talks about 'spiritual warfare' because our 'enemies' are emphatically NOT 'flesh and blood'. In Revelation, even the triumphant Jesus's 'sword' is identified as 'the word' (rather than an actual weapon of descruction).
Ultimately, all of the military warfare of Scripture needs to be interpreted Christologically: it is in his death that Jesus disarms the powers, and by his sacrifice that he 'storms the gates of Hades'.
Language issues aside, this is the one qualification I wish Marc would have made in the video (the military graveyard was a little over the top in my view).
He obviously has more conservative views than I do on women in leadership, but his zeal can be admired in spite of its rough edges.

Going gentle into that fair night? now links to me. Joins the list.

What Good Is Your Calling Then?

I have been involved in the replanting of one church and the new church plant of another. I've been active in both, taking on leadership wherever it was needed....

My problem with Mark Driscoll is not so much what he says but his attitude; he believes that he can say what he wants, and won't take much correction on it. I'm afraid for him that he's begun to believe his own hype.

Hype is the persona that some church planters will take on. They need to appeal to the culture that they are targeting....

There is a danger when you have a powerful voice that is listened to by many. If you have believed your own hype you may think that you are justified in saying or doing what you want. If you look around you there will be many who support what you say or do. They are easy to find. They're the ones standing right in your front of you. The groupies who say 'amen' and 'right on' to whatever you utter. But if you look further away you will see the faithful who are doing the work to make relationships with those you have drawn in. Who in your life do you let hold you accountable? Is it only the yes men? Are there any yes women?

You are human, you cannot possibly be right all the time. You will fail. You will say or do the wrong thing and you will do it in a very public way. It's humiliating, if you actually come to the place of seeing your error. If there is someone in your life that you listen to, who can and will correct you, then your ministry will continue to reach the many that it has. If you don't your ministry will fall, it is inevitable. That's not prophecy, it's common sense.

I don't say that because I have it out for Mark. The loss of someone who is as effective as Mark is a sad thing for the ministry but the reality is if you cannot be accountable then God will remove you, and that's nothing to rejoice over. What good is your calling then?

[via my father's house, emphasis mine]

Teaching Discipliine, Stifling Creativity

Maybe you’ve been following all the hoopla surrounding Mark Driscoll’s posting of the “banned” church planting video. Now, please, let’s not get into the whole Driscoll vs. Hybel debate here. That’s been done enough elsewhere. I just wanted to give some thoughts on Driscoll’s comments about twenty something guys who have their priorities all backwards, especially when he talks about guys who are “trying to figure out how to get a larger subwoofer into their retarded car”. Why did I find that interesting? Because I am that guy…or at least I could be perceived that way. I’ve got a ten inch sub in my trunk (not just any sub mind you, a MOMO sub). It’s not huge, but it’s pretty big, and can be pretty loud when I want it to be, which this time of year with the windows down and some rockin’ tunes on is pretty often.

So the big question: Being that guy, how did I feel about that statement?

....Now here’s what a lot of people miss, and why a lot of twenty-somethings are staying away from Church, just because we’re teaching discipline doesn’t mean we should stifle creativity. Car enthusiasts are more than just unmotivated jerks with retarded cars and loud subwoofers. Actually, they are extremely motivated and creative individuals whose cars are their artform.

[via one mo blog]

Embattled and Thriving

I am convinced after watching the “controversy” unfold this week that he thrives off this conflict. I mean we’ve all met people like that right? Most of them are dysfunctional in some way, some are overcomers and overachievers. I think Driscoll is the later. He overachieves through thriving off how polarizing he is. I mean taking on Bill Hybels, one of the most liked guys in Christendom is pretty hardcore. As the facts fall out it seems Driscoll and Acts 29 are overstating their side of the story!

I’m pretty sure they don’t strategically do this. That is, I don’t think they sit in a room and think, “this will be really good for our BRAND!” I just think Driscoll is fiery enough to pull it off and when he does this crap, it repels a majority of the world, but to his fans, it makes them bigger fans. It’s like Apple/Mac or Nike or any other Brand that depends on its fans to promote their product. Yeah, they have great commercials, but the rubber hits the road when the product is used, liked, and self-promoted.

I mean, I watched Driscoll’s video and just laughed. If some didn’t know what he was about, they would think it was a parody. Especially considering Virgina Tech.

[via Jason Smith]