But lately, there's been a slew of rather more disturbing blogs, including
- Joyful Exiles (the latest, and rather alarming, on several levels)
- Mars Hill Refuge (a whole collection of tales, rather too many to dismiss as the ramblings of malcontents)
- UnReformed (one man's experience, and aftermath)
- ... and countless media stories.
Mars Hill has also issued a Call for Reconciliation.
I suppose the latter is helpful, but, wait: how many churches of a few thousand members (or tens of thousands of members, is it now?) have sown so much discontent that they need to issue such a call? Perhaps theirs is a righteous prophetic ministry, and the dissenters just can't handle it. Perhaps not.
To this outsider, it seems like a change of phase, that the end game is on its way. An organisation with this many structural tensions doesn't end well, unless you work very actively to resolve those tensions. Driscoll has many followers, and I assume has strengthened the faith of many. Explosive fallings-out would have much fall-out. May the whole thing get unwound gently and with grace. Lord, have mercy.
1 comment:
I was struck by this remark in a Slate article about the mess: "The question that Mars Hill members must confront is whether the atmosphere at their church is one of respect or shame." And then I read a story by a woman who had left, and there was so much fear in her story. Not awe-filled fear, but shame-filled fear.
Lord have mercy, as you say, Christ have mercy.
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