No, this isn’t the Babylon Bee
With the help of Charisma Media, Mark Driscoll has launched the Mark Driscoll Forgiveness Challenge. Apparently if you give Charisma your email, they will send you an e-book and a bunch of stuff.
Here is the Mark Driscoll who is challenging us to forgive:
Most importantly, Pastor Mark is a family man. In 1988, when Pastor Mark was a 17-year-old high school student, a young woman named Grace gave him a nice Bible. Mark, a non-practicing Catholic at the time, was born again reading that Bible in college. He and Grace were married at the age of 21, graduated at 22, and planted a church at 25 in the living room of their home, while both working full time jobs. At the age of 26 they welcomed their first child, Ashley, and today have three sons and two daughters. The Driscoll kids are all walking with Jesus and helped plant The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Arizona as a family ministry.
Pastor Mark has debated Deepak Chopra on one of his multiple appearances on ABC’s Nightline; discussed marriage with Barbara Walters on The View; bantered with the hosts at Fox and Friends; co-hosted Loveline with Dr. Drew; and argued for the truth of God’s Word on separate occasions with Piers Morgan and D.L. Hughley on CNN. Additionally, he has authored books including Real Marriage (with his wife Grace), Who Do You Think You Are, Vintage Jesus, Doctrine, and many more.
Notice anything missing? Look for it. There is a gap in the employment history from 1996 until the end of 2014. What was he doing then? How can you promote a forgiveness challenge when you can’t even mention the main reason you might have some issues to forgive or to be forgiven for?
Perhaps some things are better forgotten than forgiven. Now that’s a challenge.
I would have loved to respond to his recent tweets but he has blocked me, and half of America, on Twitter. I suppose his ‘interpretation’ of the Biblical mandate is: Forgiveness for me but not for thee.
I am a public administrator in the workforce development field, and when I or my colleagues see a gap in employment that large, it usually indicates time served in prison. However, in this case, he was the warden and the prisoners were the uninformed members of MH.
“How can you promote a forgiveness challenge when you can’t even mention the main reason you might have some issues to forgive or to be forgiven for?”
Why mention all those nasty people who betrayed him when he’s done the “righteous” thing by choosing to “forgive and move on”… *gag*
Can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e? My sister and her family got thrown under the bus by Driscoll at MH.
As someone who frequently comments at Charisma’s website, I’m puzzled as to why they’ve adopted Mark Driscoll as a regular contributor. This is especially considering that two former Charisma editors, Lee Grady and Jennifer LeClaire, have spoken out so eloquently against spiritual abuse. (I’m aware LeClaire, in particular, is controversial in other respects, but I believe she’s sincere in calling out spiritual abuse.)
Forgiveness is important and I hope Mark Driscoll embraces that importance by stepping out of the spotlight for an extended period of time to make amends with those he has hurt. However, I’m not holding my breath this will happen.
Forgiveness has long been used as a weapon by the right-wing fundamentalist church — granted without question to allies, forever withheld from political enemies.
Regarding Jennifer LeClaire, when she last appeared on Jim Bakker’s appalling show, where chaotic religious nuttiness abounded while she sat among the hosts and other panelists, her body / facial language demonstrated tacit approval of what was happening in the room. That’s when I began to have suspicions about her spiritual sincerity. On top of that, I’m now more cognizant of how frequently she tosses around the word “Jezebel”, which feels tailored-made for her Charisma audience. I wish I had a dollar for every time she’s used that word.
One step up from Robert Tilton sending you prayer cloths for the privilege of being inundated by direct mail and spam, I guess…?
“Here is the Mark Driscoll who is challenging us to forgive…” and forget, for all the brain-dead out there.
Who is funding Chari$ma Media? This reeks of a $$$, and hence power, grab.
I suppose it is mildly better than him promoting a Repentance Challenge…