Editor's Note: Several weeks back, a person started following SAL's twitter. The person's name was "Slapastolic." And Their tweet's were of epic proportions. For example, some of my favorite tweets of theirs:
"BREAKING NEWS: Unmarried bible college senior snaps when asked what her plans are for after college."
and
":WPF leaders call for unity. :-/"
Essentially, I realized Slapastolic was the Jerry Springer of apostolics to my Maury Povich, Galileo to my Copernicus, Emerson to my Thoreau, Bob Dylan to my Pete Seeger, Joker to my Two-Face, Jimmy Page to my Robert Plant, David to my Jonathan?
Anyways, the point is these guys are the more rambunctious, less apologetic, and thusly way funnier version of SAL... (I say "these guys" because it's actually two guys who go by the names of Alfred and Bruce Wayne. I really don't know who these guys are).
So naturally, I wanted more of their wit than what 140 characters could offer on twitter, and asked they they write the occasional blog for SAL. And after several negotiations over an intense two-day email summit, Slapastolic agreed to blog occasionally, and even more encouraging have set up their own blog.
Further, they have inspired me to be more active in twittering (which will be much in the same vain as them), and thus starting today, will start to do some tweets distinct from this blog.
Bottom Line, here is Slapastolic's blog:
http://www.slapastolic.wordpress.com/
And below is their first blog for SAL and their own sight....
#167-Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll is the newest, hippest, hottest thing to hit the Christian circuit since Jars of Clay. We love his haircut, his affliction button-ups, his willingness to say "crap," and his jokes about home-school co-ops (because we ALL know the kid he just described). We love his man-jewelry, his affinity for MMA, and the fact that he preaches in jeans.
Admittedly, our hearts were broken the first time we heard him name the UPC as a heretical cult. We wondered why he didn't love us back, like an 8th grade girl with a crush on Zac Effron.
But, we will have our day. When he dies, there will be urban legends - never-before-seen diaries and whispers that he actually DID baptize in Jesus' name, spoke in tongue, and had a death-bed shave.
Eh - Mark Driscoll is overrated. I don't get why people like him so much. He seems stuffy and denominal and more than a little boring. Props to him for planting tons of churches though. He's very much in the vein of Rick Warren and the whole mega church, success driven paradigm that is faintly distasteful.
ReplyDeleteAlthough this post gave me an idea for another one - Shaving. No biblical precedent, but we definitely embrace it and can even explain away Jesus' beard that the Romans plucked. lol.
@Ryan Stuffy? Denominal? He's an independent Acts29 guy that follows the New Calvinist flow of theology. He happens to be a complimentarian, teaches sanctification and from my listening in has been far from boring.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you say boring? Why stuffy?
And yes, I believe MD has indeed received baptism of the Spirit... lol
Ha - Lee - New Calvinism annoys me. Not to say Mark doesn't have any good stuff - he does. But in general I'm not a fan. The reason I say boring and stuffy is because that's how he comes across to me when he speaks. But then, these things are subjective. What about him appeals to you and makes him not boring or stuffy? And - since you pointed out the New Calvinism - are you a fan?
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of New Calvinism if I'm making a choice between that and traditional Calvinism. Sure. I've also learned from the theology. However, I certainly don't sign that card. But some great writers are under his umbrella: John Piper, CJ Mahaney, Tim Keller, etc... They tend to be more missional, they flock to the cities (a more urban theology), they are charismatic, they are inclusive of other Christians that aren't Calvinist (something old school fundies never were) and hey, some fundies really hate these guys.
ReplyDeleteI like his delivery style. I don't think all ministers need to sound the same. Driscoll and Piper especially come off as harsh at times, but always in love and frankly quite mild to what many of us grew up with. They are balanced. They celebrate plural leadership (in forms). I enjoy Driscoll's ability to connect and underline a biblical truth. His (and Keller's) words about idolatry are life-changing.
I can't say I'm a disciple of his, but I certainly believe he shares valuable things with the Kingdom.
And frankly it's quite refreshing to hold in tension that idea of the "perseverance of the faith" along with a healthy discipleship-driven message of sanctification. Growing up, sanctification was the horse driving the cart. Not so with these guys. At the same time, sanctification asks of us to be vigorous, vigilant and willing to "carry the cross" with Him in a more pro-active (vs. passive) way. He bids us to come, his words are radical.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing. We rest in his faithfulness for our salvation, and we are alive in our awareness of the Spirit helping us to trust Him in every area of our life. The beauty of sanctification.
Maybe he pulled the "cult" card since General board members continually sought to classify him as "emergent" because he fits their definition of "emergent" ... wears jeans and a tucked out shirt?
ReplyDeleteThis despite Driscoll's published works against the Emergent movement.
For the public record:
http://jonathanjordan.squarespace.com/journal/2009/3/27/the-emergent-church-a-working-definition-for-the-upci.html
At the link above you will find the notes the notes of Mark Jordan, board member, Ohio that he "presented at the UPCI General Board Meeting March 3-5, 2008. They give a brief overview of the Emergent Church movement, mostly in the language of its proponents."
Then, of course, we can find Driscoll named again in the powerpoint presented by a general board appointed Inquiry Committee of the Emergent Church ... appointed by Kenneth Haney and headed by none other than Paul Mooney.
http://www.sbupc.org/uploads/Emerging_Church.pps
The powerpoint is provided courtesy Arthur Hodges, General Board member for our public perusal and shows a divisive agenda against fellow ministers now being inaaccurately labeled "emergent" even if they affirm the Fundamental doctrine but disagree as to the when of the New Birth, as agreed to in the merger.
Driscoll again jumbled up with the Emergents.
Just thinking out loud.
Speaking of Hodges, he just retweeted a SAL post recently. Heard it was the metrosexual post.
ReplyDeleteI never understand why Driscoll is always jumbled in with the emergent group. I have listened to his series on Revelation and his series on Luke (roughly 40 sermons) over the past few weeks and on numerous occasions he blasts the far left. It seems to me that he has no time for people like Bell, Miller, and others whose names seem to elude me at the moment. Also he is very outspoken against other religious denominations because they are just that "Religious".
ReplyDeleteLast night as I was listening to his sermon, "Jesus the Sabbath Lord", he made wonderful points about religiosity, which is more than likely why he leaves such a bitter taste in the mouthes of the UPCI.
Just because the guy has a beer or glass of wine (though he never drinks on Sat or Sunday and never had a drink until he was 30) or because he doesn't shave every day, or maybe because he has publicly said that witches, deadheads, potheads, etc. are all welcome at Mars Hill he becomes "Emergent". He's not emergent, he is a man trying to follow what scripture say's . No he's not perfect, but who is?
Lastly I would like to point out that I find it funny that the UPCI is trying to blast the emergent group and yet find it appropriate to pick "Velvet Elvis" as one of the top favorite books at youth congress 4 years ago. If I'm not mistaken they also quoted Bell in one of the "We have to get the crowd pumped up videos". Is there a double standard here?
Well after seeing that PowerPoint I can see ware Mark got the cult thing from. It may as well said no one born after 1975 is welcome.
ReplyDeleteThe anti postmodern rhetoric worries me. It would seem that we our trying to modal the Amish.
This is the kinda stuff that makes young Christians view of Christians as "slightly less negative" than the view of Christians by young non Christians*
*data from the Barna Group
He called us a cult? Well crap!
ReplyDeleteI like him. He is arrogant but most good preachers are. Course, I pretty much have to listen to him on the sly cuz, well, you know why.