If you’re unfamiliar with Mars Hill, I’m not referring to the place in Athens where Paul debated the philosophers in Acts 17. There, Paul made his case for Christianity to the philosophers in a place called the Areopagus, but it was also known as Mars Hill, thus its importance as a phrase implying taking a stand for the Christian faith. In the 21st century the phrase also came to be associated with a church in Seattle led by controversial pastor Mark Driscoll. Mars Hill was a phenomenon in the first decade or so of the century. The church grew, sprouted many campuses, and had an impact far and wide, driven by the intense and entertaining preacher who led it. Driscoll was also part of a movement called “Young, Restless, and Reformed,” and associated with the likes of Tim Keller, John Piper, and The Gospel Coalition, although his theology was all over the place. Behind all the growth and success, though, were problems that would eventually lead to the church’s demise, and Driscoll walking away from his crumbling empire in 2014. I didn’t know the half of it.
Until, that is, I learned about a Christianity Today podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. This fascinating 12-part podcast gets deep into the Mars Hill weeds, and is as well done as what they call long-form journalism can be. The folks at NPR would be proud. Mike Cosper is an excellent guide, and the production first rate. As I was listening over the episodes I was thinking, Hello! Isn’t it obvious? This is wrong! Can’t you see it? Most didn’t until the wheels started coming off late in the game, although some saw through the toxic atmosphere along the way. I say “toxic,” but really that’s too broad a brush. If you listen to the podcast, there was a huge amount of good done for God’s glory and many people’s blessing, but there were many warning signs along the way that this one man had entirely too much power, and not enough accountability. Just look what happened to those who questioned “the business model,” which was church growth at all costs. It wasn’t pretty, and a lot of people were hurt. Sometimes the hurt was financial, other times emotional, and quite a few allowed it to shipwreck their faith.
Which brings me to something that happened at our church a couple years back, not at all comparable to Mars Hill, but similar in how it affected some people. The details are not important, but I learned about those from our now senior pastor in a meeting with him as the turmoil was happening. We were relatively new to the church at the time, and knew something happened with the then senior pastor, and he was no longer with the church. Something I heard over and over in the podcast brought back memories of that meeting. He told me that many people kept telling him and the elders how much pain people were in, how hurt they were, etc. As he was telling me all this, I finally couldn’t help myself and blurted out, “Why don’t you tell them to grow up! Stuff happens, get over it.” I’ve learned, though, that some people hold on to emotional pain like a security blanket; they will not let it go.
The podcast also brought to mind my recent write through of the New Testament epistles, and something that stood out to me like a mountain where people seem to expect a molehill. When people hear stories like Mars Hill, or our church, or any number of other churches that deal with the fallen human beings who in habit them, for some reason they think, “Something is wrong!” I liken it to people in marriages who have problems, or difficulties with their children, or problems at work or school or wherever, and they think, “Something is wrong!” No, nothing is “wrong.” This is what life is like in a fallen world in a fallen body lived among fallen people. Just read the letters in the New Testament. There is nothing new under the sun. The first century church in modern terms was dysfunctional. Why would it surprise us, then, when we see “stuff” happen in churches today? It shouldn’t. People act like the gospel should bring Utopia, which if people knew their Latin would know that means “No Place.” It doesn’t exist. Perfection is an illusion, and a recipe for disappointment, and “pain” and “hurt” and deciding this Christian thing isn’t worth it, and really isn’t true after all if Christians can be so screwed up.
In fact, if people really knew their Bibles none of this would surprise them. On the contraray, they would expect it. Of course “stuff” happens. It would be odd if it didn’t happen. That’s why my response to our pastor was, “Grow up!” This is life. It’s messy. It’s ugly. It often hurts. It’s often painful. It should never surprise us. Deal with it as a mature adult. What it should do for those who are mature adults is highlight what is central to the Christian faith: The Cross. What met at Golgotha was human sin and God’s love and justice, his mercy and grace. It’s for sinners who sin! The church is full of sinners! Saved sinners, yes, but sinners nonetheless. What do sinner so? Sin! That’s why when people accuse Christianity of being full of hypocrites, I laugh. Of course it’s full of hypocrites! Duh! Hey, critics, I reply, you can’t even live up to your own standards, let alone those of a holy God. Either can we Christians. Give us a break! They won’t, of course, and too often we don’t give ourselves a break either. We should.
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