Mark Driscoll

For some reason Mark Driscoll has captivated the evangelical landscape. Why, well I guess because he is a controversial figure. He is outside the box for sure. Plus he's doing some great stuff for God in a city that is spiritually complicated and hard to reach.

So, I was a bit surprised to read this post from Driscoll's blog. Very authentic and human.

In 1999, I moved to Seattle to attend school. My buddy Ken in Sac-town kept telling me I needed to go to Mars Hill Church. I was pretty distraught with church at the time. I just resigned a position at a mega church in Dallas. I was tired of the corporate church structure, I did not understand my role in the church. I was bored. I did not become a pastor to get a paycheck, I became a pastor to help make the world become a better place, to lead people to the story of Jesus and to help equip them to find their role within that narrative. This is why I will plant another church even though my first one failed.

Now back to the story:

So I went to Mars Hill. It was the first time I had communion with real wine. I loved the make up of the crowd, young and old, hip and nerdy, rich and poor. I loved the vintage feel, no purpose driven concert shows that tried to impress people as if the gospel story cannot stand on it's own two feet.

All I can say is this, I never felt the presence of God like I did on that night. It was rich, deep, reflective and real.

I don't always agree with Driscoll, and every mega church has it's issues. (or should I say every church) But I did appreciate his the honesty that was laid forth.