I am a member of Mars Hill Church. My wife and I joined Mars Hill almost 12 years ago, shortly after moving into the Ballard building. We had attended a couple of services in the Earl Street location but held back for concerns then about facilities for children. Our son was only 6. Our path to Mars Hill was winding. A professing Christian since the age of 14, I had lived a life that looked more like David (the cheating, murderous, tyrannical David) than Solomon. Amidst any “good” and “kind” acts in my life, there are also those hurt and wronged; some by sin at my hand, others in their own response to circumstances of fallen life, but no specific sin. Inexplicably, apart from God’s sovereignty, my heart burst in need and was ultimately led to Mars Hill. Under teaching from many… and by the power of the Holy Spirit… my heart began to change. My wife became a Christian. My son was baptized. I have shepherded and been shepherded. I have counseled and been counseled. I have encouraged and been encouraged. God has led us to a place. He has planted us here, blessed us and not called us out of this place. We are where He has placed us and content to be so. This is not to say that I have not witnessed (or even participated in some) poor shepherding, poor counsel or poor encouragement. I have also witnessed some poor response to incredible shepherding, counsel and encouragement. I myself have responded both well and poorly over the years. I am constantly reminded that sanctification is a process and not an event. That church is not just sheep/shepherds, counselors/counselees, encouragers/sufferers… but family. That “fruit” is the province of the Holy Spirit’s work and not our own. The Gospel is scandalous and amazing. Who would sacrifice their life for me while an enemy? Perhaps if they could convince themselves that I had some “good” in me (Rom 5:7)? But who, without condition, would declare me their enemy and then pour themselves out, suffering excruciatingly; not only without expectation but with full recognition that I, that many, would not respond (1 Cor 1:18). Scandalous. Amazing. I have been asked today, multiple times, what I am “going to do”; how I will respond to the latest controversy over Mark Driscoll; when I will “wake up” and take some “action” or rebuke someone on one side of controversy or the other. At Mars Hill Church, from men both currently celebrated and currently scorned, I learned a Gospel centered hermeneutic; a view of scripture which incorporates the full Gospel. The scandalous bits. The amazing bits. So as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. We will serve at Mars Hill Church | West Seattle. Some may think that because I make this declaration for my family that I am declaring those who do not choose as I do are not serving the Lord. I am not. I am simply saying what I have said before. God has led us to a place. He has planted us here, blessed us and not called us out of this place. We are where He has placed us and content, in fact joyful, to be so. There are people here we are called to love and serve and there are works here that we are called to do. I could proof-text any decision I chose to make. I could find some supporting verses. I could even find some context that I could manipulate to the current situation and make it work convincingly, at least for myself. But I don’t think I could escape this truth, paraphrased by Dr. Ashley Null, from the teaching of the puritan Thomas Cranmer: “What the heart loves, the will chooses and the mind justifies”. I know that right now I need, more than ever, to believe, to LOVE, the scandalous, amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all do.
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 01:17:12 +0000
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