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Review Summary: A Dangerously Honest (usually) Pastor . . . |
Date: 2008-11-16 |
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Details: People come to Driscoll's church in part because he has a lot to say, and says it well. The same is true in this autobiographical narrative of the founding of Mars Hill Fellowship, and all the associated hoopla. (Now 5000 or so per Sunday, including taking over the big old Presbyterian Church I grew up in, in West Seattle -- now that's a mindblower.)
As for telling well, here are four of Driscoll's aphorisms, from two facing pages (these also show what Driscoll means by "theologically conservative and socially progressive -- a bit):
"The music was very cool if you were into suicide."
"One of our long-haired arty types turned all the lights off and read Nietzche's The Madman by candlelight, which was supposed to make us very Bohemian and cool but just kind of scared the handful of normal people in attendence."
"I decided . . . to work hard at becoming a solid long-winded, old-school Bible preacher that focused on Jesus."
"Silence is better than painful music."
As for having a lot to say . . . Aside from explicit ideas, an implicit message seems to be, "Christians can love Jesus and be really honest at the same time; holiness and frankness need not cancel one another out."
The story involves God, the Devil, sex, music, and the surreal . . . along with occasional boring statistics and church-growth theory that you may or may not find interesting. (Including chapter one.) Fortunately, most of the story concentrates on the difficult early years of the church; like human biographies, childhood seems to be the most interesing part of a church's life . . . Life remains interesting partly because like Chairman Mao, Driscoll seemed to get bored with slow progress and often decided to deliberately stir things up. Apparently it worked.
Driscoll is often crass and frequently treats people instrumentally. He notes that the church needs a "colon;" what does that imply the people who leave his church (refugees from his own "cultural revolution") are? He's also frequently dismissive of other churches in Seattle, though one senses part of this is for (admittedly humorous) effect: "Another woman pastor and her gay male associate pastor with a lovely rainbow on his elegantly sassy robe both spoke passionately about the need to get rid of our nuclear weapons. Their message did not connect with me because I did not have any nuclear weapons. So I left early."
For the record, Mars Hill is not the only good church in North Seattle. In fact, just a few miles away is an excellent, solidly orthodox and missional Presbyterian church of about the same mega-size; and there are several others in between. (I hop around between them like Driscoll did, for very different reasons.) But it's great to have Driscoll and his brash band in the 'hood; doing God's work an unusual way. |
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Review Summary: In my top 5 best books |
Date: 2008-10-24 |
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Details: I really think that this is one of the best Christian books I've read. Here are my reasons:
* It's readable - too many Christian books are like wading through mud.
* It's biblical - I love the uncompromising biblical view that drives everything. Many will be offended by reading this but I imagine those that would be offended would also be offended by Jesus too (not that I think Driscoll is Jesus - just that he speaks truth without shrinking back, something we badly need).
* It's missional - It pushes Christians right out of their comfort zones, but unlike the emergent church, it actually takes the gospel with it and doesn't compromise.
There are annoying bits in the book. For example there's a little too much about the impressiveness of the numbers (I'm not sure the book of numbers is about how you build a big church! - you'll have to read the book to understand that). One comment Driscoll makes says that he met with a guy who'd built a church of x people. I think that's a little man-centred. As a Brit I'm always a little wary of the American - "build it and they will come" mentality. But on the whole, this is a great book to start you thinking about how to be contemporary and yet biblical at the same time. The UK and Europe especially need his entrepreneurial spirit and need to step out of our comfort zones for the gospel. |
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Review Summary: My Confesson of Confessions |
Date: 2008-09-18 |
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Details: I find this book both wonderful and sarcastic. Mark Driscoll is deffiently a truthful author more so than others I've read. The book gives the deep, dark, intimate truths of startinga new church and the struggles you may face. For the first two-thirds of the book I didn't care for Mr. Driscoll. He was sarcastic, negative, and aerogant. but afther the fact I found he was writing exactly what he was thinking through out those tough times. All in all I would recommend this book with the warning to be prepared. Mark is not the traditional Pastor you would think of. |
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Review Summary: A Handful of Really Important Lessons |
Date: 2008-09-15 |
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Details: I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, and I honestly didn't expect that much from it. I was pleasantly surprised by the book--not because my expectations were so low, but because it really is a helpful and useful book for a pastor trying to wrestle with the deepening and broadening of the church. The sarcasm was an unexpected treat. I am sarcastic a little too often, and it was fun reading his take on the world. As with all hard humor, though, it was great when I agreed with it, and it was frustrating when I didn't.
But humor aside, Driscoll has a handful of extremely important things to tell pastors (and church leadership in general). To being with, church is about Jesus. We can put on dazzling shows, mimic models working half-way around the States, or disband the whole thing in favor of house churches, but every adaptation needs to be about Jesus. Pastors and churches grow in the right ways when we preach Christ and him crucified every week no matter the topic or text. A church without carefully defined and followed theology is like a grocery store that only sells Hostess cupcakes. People will get a sugar high coming, but the crash is not far away and they certainly won't grow.
In addition, churches need to define or discover why they exist and move in that direction. As so many church leadership books tell us, that sometimes requires hard decisions. But as Driscoll reminds us, churches are guarded by shepherds that are supposed to tend for and protect the flock.
He also raises an issue I have discovered in my own journey as a pastor. It sounds simple on paper, and if you haven't struggled with this temptation you may not guess how powerful it is. Pastors and leaders need to be who Jesus called them to be and do the things Jesus called them to do. We make huge mistakes fitting into someone else's mold or trying to act and preach like the popular guy down the street. Churches sometimes put pressures on pastors to be and do certain things that will end up sapping them of vitality and ruin the church. Sometimes it is a cult of personality or a denomination, but the problem is the same - pastors give into other peoples' expectations at their own peril. We all know pastors and leaders end up with things in their portfolios they are not great at or need to learn to love, but, as a matter of priority and gifting, be who God called you to be.
I am not a huge fan of books on church leadership technique. That is probably why I liked this book. Instead of a heck of a lot of tips and tricks (there are a fair amount of details, pie charts and schematics), it is mostly about a set of lessons learned trying to do what God called a pastor to do.
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Review Summary: A little more meat |
Date: 2008-08-05 |
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Details: This is a well written, engaging book. If you have ever heard Mark Driscoll preach, you will recognize his style...he writes the same way.
He gives some "confessions". He certainly stirs up the reader to think about how to make the church they attend grow, preferably by winning souls. It has some good information in it. I just wish it had more. Then again, this was not meant to be a "how-to" as much as a "how-was".
All in all I have to recommend this book pretty highly. It will build your desire to get out and reach the unchurched/lost in your area. His sermon series on the book of Nehemiah is also worth listening to.
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out of 59 Reviews
