I have enjoyed many of Mark Driscolls sermons. There has been some solid Biblical truth in there. He is a master communicator and manages to keep your attention for an hour long message. Apparently he speaks off the cuff after having spent hours in study and prayer. I can believe it. He has also offered almost all his material available freely and online. Something I admire.

He is also a Pastor steeped in controversy. His manner can be abrasive, offensive and bordering on sexist. His view on women in ministry is not something I share.  You can read about all the controversy in various places which I will leave you to google yourself or for a summary… More Here

That controversy has culminated in his immediate stepping down from ministry which he outlines in this video.

I applaud some aspects of this and question others.

I think he shows grace and humility here, and genuine sorrow. His heart is clearly for the local church and for the mission of Christ. He recognises all this controversy detracts from this. He has also publicly fronted up and admitted fault, and apologised.

What concerns me is the nature of the process. He has started and outlined the process. He seems to be leading the process. Even if he has not, it is not clear who would be taking him through the process. A wiser approach may have been to have the elder or leader giving the statement, with Mark saying something towards the end.

It needs to be said that Pastor Mark has not resigned here. In fact his clear intention is that he will be back in the pulpit. Which in fact I don’t have a problem with. He has been immature, aggressive and insensitive. So have I at various stages of my pastoral ministry. I would like forgiveness and restoration, and I would like Driscoll to have that extended to him.

Mark Driscoll is not really my type of pastor. I love his use of great media and themes. I love his love of the Bible, I love his passion. I also love the fact that thousands of people have come to Christ through the church he leads. However there are definite rough and abrasive edges there which have needed refining.

My hope and prayer is that through this process he will gain wisdom, grace and forgiveness and be able to be even more effective as God refines Him, something I pray for myself as well.

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers,  as you still do”

This past weekend we put on our Mighty Mens Event in the Northwest at a cattle station about 30 k’s out of Roebourne.

Over 50 blokes, mostly Hi-Vis wearing tradies, turned up for a weekend of spiritual input and fellowship. We shared stories of how our faith became real in tragedy, hardship, uncertainty and difficulty.

I spoke about hearing from God on the Saturday morning and it went really well. Another highlight was hearing the testimonies and stories from all the various blokes who turned up. Some had lost their wives, some had moral failures, others had experienced uncertainty with economic hardship.

These men are ‘tough’ men but here camped next to the billabong, they opened up their hearts and heard from God and each other. One of the blokes, who works hard and long hours, said it was like 6 months of church packed into a weekend. Which for him was needed and a good thing.

If my son or daughter came to me and asked, dad, what has God said to you lately….what would I say.

To expand a little. What Jesus did 2000 years ago is immensely important, the most important event for the world. Ever.

What Jesus is saying to you today may be the most important event for your family, today.

I watched with dismay the trailer for the new show on Channel Ten hosted by Grant Denyer reviving ‘Family Feud’. Not because its a terrible show or a terrible host. But the question asked of Australians was, ‘where is the worst place to laugh out loud’. The number one answer was ‘Church’.

It is quite distressing to think the average Aussie thinks a church is a terrible place to laugh out loud.

At Inglewood Church one of our key five values as a church is to be ‘good humoured’.
“Humour is a key indicator of health. Our ability to laugh even when confronted with stressful and difficult situations indicates we know God is ultimately in control. Meetings should be enjoyable and conducted with good humour and mutual respect for one another”

I’ve been in churches where you could hear a pin drop, and not for good reason. Ive also been in church meetings where the mood was anything but good humoured. Thankfully those days are long ago.

I love a good laugh with my friends, and coming before God with joy. Our church is one of great humour, where we value it as something integral to our Christian journey and relationship with other.

Most Pastors love people. It is why they are attracted to the Pastoral Ministry.

Perhaps this is why when faced with a conflict situation the tendency can be to go into people pleasing mode. Rolling over. Particularly if that person has influence and is in a position of authority.

I have found through experience that there is a time to stand up, to push back.

Even if that person can cause you harm.

In fact the best place to be in, in ministry, is to not be concerned what people can do to you. To be able to act out of security, in Christ, rather than insecurity, in people.

This month I am speaking on seeing Jesus on the OT and this week I look at Jesus in the book of Daniel.

What a fascinating book.

Lions, Angels of the Lord, burning furnaces and the Son of Man.

There is a lot of prophecy in the book and it might be easy to get bogged down in history and history to come. Which is not to say we should not engage with prophecy. There is so much in the Bible to wrestle with. (Hamo)

However perhaps in Daniel we see that the One who will one day bring all things to peace, all things under control, is highlighted.

Daniel 12

12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise^[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

We cannot get away from the exclusive and single saviour of the Bible. Jesus is Lord, He is the Son of Man, the Bright Morning Star. If nothing else prophecy drives us to be the ‘wise’ who will ‘shine like the brightness of heaven’.