Regarding Mark Driscoll and all the surrounding controversy he has been in lately, including the Acts 29 Networks (which he founded) call for him to step down from ministry and seek help, I cant help but wonder if this is God rebuking the psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually abusive theology that has come from his pulpit. The whole Calvinist paradigm of a cruel and heartless Creator that would create humans just to predestine them to be damned to eternal misery, and must violently slay his Son to appease his wrath to save the ones he elected, whos sovereignty controls all evil in the world and kills people because they deserve it as sinners, is a terrifying worldview that creates calloused hearts to true human need and a fear-based perspective of existence. Mark put this God on steroids just short of Westboro Baptist. A big intimidating man with charismatic teaching appeal fumingly yelling at his congregation and telling them that God hates some of them, a man who sees Jesus as Rambo-Christ who is returning to slaughter his enemies, such as in Marks following words: “In Revelation, Jesus is a pride-fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is the guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up.” (Note: we already beat up Jesus at the cross and he embraced it to overcome our natural propensity towards violence and enmity through his love and reconcile us to his Abbas way of peace.) It is this kind of theology that is the opposite of the Jesus of the gospels and creates the kind of abusive and unhealthy culture that I have read about concerning his church Mars Hill. This kind of view of God does not produce a culture of joy and hope and love for a God who lays down his life to reveal his love for all humanity, inspiring people to lay down their lives as well in enemy-love and humility. How could it? This is why our view of God, and our theology is so important. Now having said all that, God loves Mark furiously and I pray that he would come into a deep peace in a true understanding of the love of Christ and the heart of a good Abba. This will undoubtedly revolutionize his theology. Lets pray for Mark Driscoll to have such an encounter during this time.
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:15:28 +0000
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