Double coverage on the national stage for growing - and sometimes controversial - Seattle megachurch, Mars Hill: the New York Times dove in recently, with a heavy dose of sure-to-start-an-argument Calvinist discussion. Nightline chimed in earlier this week as well, with a broader look at the church and its pastor, Mark Driscoll.
Mars Hill has its own somewhat unique niche, and related debates, but either way represents an important trend in the modern church. Why? A certain stereotype of Christian and Evangelical leaders tend to grab headlines and attention; locally think Ken Hutchinson Hutcherson and Casey Treat.
That's not, however, where the church as an aggregate, organic entity is reaching new believers in large numbers. It's churches with approaches similar to that of Mars Hill. Funky, modern, hip...while honest, direct, and passionate about God and faith.
Such a movement is typified by people who count Rick Warren as a mentor, rather than some big-haired buffoon on TBN spouting "prosperity theology." Under the radar screen, that means leaders like the former pastor of the church I call home; a guy avid about Twitter and Facebook, which he probably just updated while spending time at the local coffee shop.
Elsewhere, that means churches like this in DC, speaking the gospel like it is but making sure the church is relevant and welcoming to those the communities they seek to serve. How about running a bustling coffee shop next to Union Station on Capitol Hill as a great way to reach the neighborhood?
All to say, Mars Hill and churches of similar mold - albeit of varying theologies, are where the real growth of the future is at in the Evangelical Christian movement that many in the MSM are still grappling to understand. Political observers interested in the state of that oft-discussed demographic should pay attention accordingly.
UPDATE: I almost forgot, Mars Hill is the outfit that opened up a church at the site of a shuttered nightclub in Belltown too.
Posted by Eric Earling at January 28, 2009 09:43 PM | Email ThisCongrats on accidentally stumbling on my life.
Posted by: cliff on January 28, 2009 10:02 PMHe's also very, very wrong about the message of Christ. The quote that has always followed him (his lament that modern Christianity has turned Jesus into "neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy of pop culture that . . . would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell.") is basically his call to arms. He wants to return judgment to the religion. Judgment is not, to say the least, what has been missing in modern christianity. :)
Posted by: AD on January 28, 2009 11:14 PMIf the churches keep running powerful ads like this (from catholicvote.com via youtube), the issue of abortion might actually start resonating with the American people as the civil rights issue of the 21st century that it should be.If only it could resonate with the subject of that ad who claims to be a Christian while exporting abortion to foreign countries (U.S. Taxpayer subsidized of course) as one of his first actions as President and has one of the most egregious records of supporting the most draconian anti-life measures in both the Illinois and U.S. Senate.
Posted by: Rick D. on January 29, 2009 05:56 AMSigh...
Posted by: Eric Earling on January 29, 2009 07:24 AMYes, I agree with you that God is the same throughout the ages, because God isn't really bound by time or space in the sense that we are used to thinking in. However, while God's judgment isn't going to change, that was God's judgment we just referenced... not yours.
You would be well served to leave the antagonistic tone to God and perhaps try to act more Christ-like in your acceptance of other people whatever their flaws. I think it's a general Christian thing that all sins are basically equal in the eyes of God, after all the wages of sin is death, right? Not the wages of some sin but not other sin.
I guess what I'm suggesting here is that you've sinned... I've sinned... they've sinned. I know I made the choice to try and make it right with God; it sounds like you have made that choice as well. That doesn't mean we're "better" than those babykillers or 'perverts'. We all have our flaws, but it's difficult for most people to be interested in God's message when the messengers are busy telling you you're a faggot who isn't worthy to hang around the messenger. Pardon the strong language, SP, but when he says homosexual pervert in the context he used, the tone is exactly the same to someone who lives that life, so let's not mince words here. This truth is multiplied when the messenger is also a sinner according to their own faith's doctrine, but somehow thinks they are entitled to act high and mighty because God, in His grace, forgave them their sins.
It is for these reasons that I am not a social conservative. Instead I choose to be libertarian in the laws I want to see passed, because I believe it's important to freely choose to do morally right - as long as you're not hurting others, that is - and as a result I think the only good laws to pass are property rights laws, that protect the rights of property, starting with ownership of yourself from conception (abortion would be a violation of this right), ownership of your time (slavery would be a violation of this right), and ownership of the product of yourself and your time (theft would be a violation of this right). All of those victimless crimes... although not all of the laws are based on religion, many have roots in it, and I find that to be a shame.
When Constantine made Christianity the official religion of Rome, he did us the biggest disservice ever - he forced it on people, and they polluted Christianity with pagan traditions, they didn't really believe in it, they just paid it lip service. Do you think that taking the name without actually having the faith is worth anything? I don't. What's the point? If it's forced, it's worthless.
I also have no desire to hide myself from or mistreat these 'homosexual perverts' and 'babykillers' (though I will admit to having more disgust for the latter for reasons related to my daughter, but that is my own struggle, not yours). Would Jesus avoid them? Call them names or speak to them in an antagonistic fashion? I doubt it, based on what has been written of Him.
No, instead the best thing we can do as Christians to help these people see the peace offered by our way of life is to be among them, not compromising our principles by sinning, and being a positive example instead of a bunch of hypocrites going to church on sundays.
I believe that "Judge not lest ye be judged" is often misused to shame Christians for discerning right from wrong - especially since the part I quoted is horribly out of context - but there is a grain of truth there. It's God's place to judge these people. You can write them off if you want to, no doubt they will not feel much loss, but I assure you - I am friends with, work with, and socialize with people of all walks of life and I will not, in fact, "catch the gay", or have a sudden compulsion to abort my next baby, or what have you. In fact, quite frankly, I would rather spend my time with many of them than people with the attitude you've shared here, because they treat others better than you come off here.
I am also not a perfect person - after all, we've all sinned, right? - but I hope that by living an upstanding life I can convict others to seek a life like that instead of forcing it down their throat when they aren't ready for it.
Posted by: Andrew Brown on January 29, 2009 08:37 AMI go to both Mars and Antioch, and I can tell you that they're both solid churches who uncompromisingly teach the word of God.
Posted by: Nick on January 29, 2009 09:23 AMDriscoll on mainstream churches: "(they have transformed Jesus into) a Richard Simmons, hippie, queer Christ,” and a “neutered and limp-wristed popular Sky Fairy of pop culture that . . . would never talk about sin or send anyone to hell.”
Sounds like the same old homophobic sexist militant Calvinism even if it's dressed in tight designer jeans with an iPhone hanging out of a pocket. Bummer.
Posted by: Acid Brain on January 29, 2009 12:09 PM