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So I was hoping to pick apart this most recent admonishment from the peanut gallery. It really helps me to not internalize what they are saying and to see what is driving them and the statements they make. I know I do this alot. Thanks for playing
I have been attending Mars Hill for several years. For the record, I am a woman, married for 22 years, with 3 teens.I have been a believer and follower of Christ since age 9. Pastor Mark is always talking about being held accountable by the other Elders.He has never preached anything that I didn’t find to be sound biblically.Nothing on your cult list sounded like anything I have seen or heard of. Both my husband and myself do serve in leadership and they tell us all the time to not get overwhelmed and say no more often.This church isn’t perfect, it’s often times a hot mess-because it is made of people-sinners who are human.I am so sorry you all feel the need to go against the church-but how is this glorifying God? How is this fulfilling the great commission? I might be more apt to read your blog if it lead people to the cross and discussed the Gospel-and how you have grace and prayers for imperfect people. Writing a blog under the guise of “knowledge is power” or “you decide” is bologne, you are trying to discredit a church filled with people who love the Lord and that is nothing more than religious harassment. I implore you,rather,to pray, read, and reflect on scripture and deal with you and your own relationship with God. Let God be Judge and let people decide through their own walk of faith where they want to attend. None of us wants to believe we are as bad off as the gospel says we are.We are all selfish sinners-ALL of us, and no sin that surrounds us is greater than that which resides within us. In short, you are equal to Mark Driscoll and all other believers in God’s eyes. There is a war on Christianity going on all around us and someday all of us believers will be walking together in Heaven, the fighting and arguing will all be forgiven and behind us, and the joy of the Lord will fill us all up. Think of that, guys-eternity is a long time and we will all be there together as believers. How about we take a few steps toward grace and forgiveness (even for non perfect Pastors who are doing the best they know how) now so we can draw closer to God? Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Yawn.
Here is what I said…not sure why I even replied…
I am so glad that you have had a positive experience at Mars Hill. That’s great. I, and many others (if you read their stories) did not. I know that it is hard to believe that your church may not be as wonderful as you think it is. Since you are in leadership, you have obviously done everything to follow the rules and please the powers that be. I hope you never find yourself on the other side of that. Have you ever heard of Paul Petry? Bent Meyer? http://www.joyfulexiles.com
Complete with documentation. How about Andrew?
The truth is, knowledge IS power, and people should decide for themselves. Mars Hill is a marketing machine. Have you EVER read any of the stuff on the internet NOT produced by Mars Hill for Mars Hill? You are right in that Mars Hill may be full of people who love the Lord, I don’t doubt that. I am really sorry that you feel religiously harassed.
I noticed that you did not acknowledge the pain of my experience or attempt to empathize at all. That breaks my golden rule. Love must always trump theology.
I realize that attempting to remind me of how shitty I am (oops, I mean what an awful sinner I am), you are trying to use fear, guilt and shame as a motivator for me to shut down my blog. Luckily, those tactics and that theology no longer hold any power over me.
As far as taking a few steps towards grace…Mark Driscoll and the leadership of Mars Hill have authority based on position. As part of that comes great responsibility. The leaders in my situation have never attempted to contact me (despite their awareness of this blog).
Finally, I hope one day you see just how damaging the theology taught at Mars Hill is. Especially to women. Neo-Calvinism is only one way of thousands to interpret the bible.
Good luck to you.Brainwashed. I was thinking today how glad I am not to be soaked constantly in the sermons. She is regurgitating the party line. Which equals not hearing the pain of anyone not towing the party line. Maybe when she needs to get out when the party line wears thin and empty, she will remember your blog and apologize.
AnonymousI find this to be both super annoying and comical. She ends her “sermon” by talking about hypocrisy…. yet isn’t she being a hypocrite by judging your actions??
As far as her preaching about the “great commission”…. in one ear/out the other. Some people are just so hyperfocused on that that they lose sight of how others view them.
I am sure there are sooo many brain-washed people at that church that it doesn’t matter what you say. They don’t want to hear about the bad experiences because it taints their view of what they have always known. I’m sure not everyone has a bad experience- or maybe some just choose to look the other way.
Of course, we all know that forgiveness is good…. but it takes a long time- for me, it’s not something that i say once and then I”m fine. I am still processing bitterness towards our past elders. You are NOT harrassing anyone… oh my gosh….. she needs to get a grip– if anything, it’s the other way around!
AnonymousI just noticed your reply– Right on!! I like what you said. And i like your “golden rule”.
I love your golden rule too. Reminds me of what NT Wright says about always needing to remember that Christianity begins with a meal and not a doctrine.
Loved the reply.
Great reply Pam.
AnonymousThing one: Methinks she doth protest too much.
Thing two: “someday all of us believers will be walking together in Heaven, the fighting and arguing will all be forgiven and behind us, and the joy of the Lord will fill us all up. ”
Someday? The Beloved Community is at hand! We are already there, but we don’t act like it. How can we be in communion with these folks if they don’t believe it to be possible in this life, on this day, in this moment?
Religious harassment? War on Christianity? Oh, give me a break. Speaking out about one’s own experience and offering encouragement to others who have been hurt by a whack-a-doodle power monger pretending to be “God’s man” is so far from harassment that it’s almost laughable. Calling bullshit on harmful doctrine isn’t harassment, discrimination, censorship, bullying, or anything remotely like a “war”. It’s called speaking your mind. Freely.
What would make me mental about this stuff (if I’d let it) is this: If they find the blog so offensive, why do they keep reading it? I come across tons of stuff on the internet that I don’t agree with. I click on to the next thing.
All I can guess is that what you’re writing strikes a nerve with these people, and they *have* to attack in order to solidify their own position. (Crusades, anyone?)
Well done, Pam, in holding to your own truth … and everything Sylvia said.
Pam, based on the Mars Bill woman’s comment. I would conclude that you are doing a good job with your blog!
after I barfed…I read your response. Nicely done Pam! you’re the bomb! I applaud you. High five!
“How is that glorifying God.” Ugh. I think those may be just about the most triggering words for me. In both my first church and the one we left last summer, that was a big thing. It’s Christianese for policing people’s every move.
Great response, by the way.
It annoys me that they feel you should be “Glorifying God.” That is not the goal of the blog and if you are not Christian, that would not be your goal period. I did point that out when I replied to some of the comments. The commenters don’t take the time to think that you might not believe like them.
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