Driscoll - Confessions....4

"In my opinion Chris Rock is the most skilled comedic communicator alive today, and some years later, my wife bought us good seats to see him live, which was a better study in homiletics than most classes on that subject." (page 70).

As Chapter 2 comes to a close, Mark is summing up Mars Hill Church as it begins to average 45 - 75 people. Filled with more funny (and also "no way, made up or dramatized for effect") stories, runing commentary, history, and blow-by-blow accounts of 3am phone calls (hence the name of the chapter. Mark even writes of how he would unplug his phone for multple days on end), white-gloved handell playing children, the decision to pull the plug on a dying unsaved mom, starting a nursery, and the search for a "cool" worship leader. WHEW!!! That is alot to weed through and cut through. And I didn't even mention the masterbating church member (it's in the book, buy it and read it). This chapter deals a lot with the struggles that young church leaders and planters will encounter as their church begins to move out of the infancy stage.

At the juncture where Mark writes the qoute about Chris Rock, he had come to the realization that his preaching sucked. But more than read books on it and practice and go see others preach, Mark realized that stand-up comics are the only other people besides pastors who stand up on a stage and talk to people for an extended period of time. So he read the books and practiced but he also went to go see some of the best stand-up comics of that time. And this further shows his conviction to the embrace of culture for the goodness and beauty it gives to us through our (and culture's) Creator.

There was something oddly comforting about the fact that I just read that a Godly pastor of a church went to see Chris Rock in person and it wasn't to demonstrate and protest outside. Kind of like the time my wife and I were at lunch with our Pastor and his family and he told me he went to see U2 in concert the weekend before and "it was totally awesome." I was dumbfounded for all the right reasons. If I only knew, I would have asked my Pastor to go with me as well to that concert...how awesome would that have been? Rocking out to "Still Haven't Found What I am Looking For" or "Bullet the Blue Sky" or even better "Angel of Harlem" with my Pastor. Who knows if I will ever get that opportunity again. None the less, the comfort remains of knowing he was there.

Back to the point, Mark writes that he realized hs droning on with big theological words wasn't getting him anywhere. He slowly began to mix in his "own style" and "own humor." This lead to him becoming more of himself. And he noted that he progressed from "really bad to bad" (page 70).

Another great part of this chapter was his journey from starting his church to only appeal to "Gen Xers" to realizing this was dead on wrong and "stupid" because the gospel is for anybody and everybody.

"having a church that catered only to people between certain ages is narrow, it was also sinful because God loves the whole world and not just white guys between their teens and late twenties." (page 64).

This revelation and revival lead to Mars Hill starting up a nursery for kids (they never intended on having one or needing one, Mark writes). Which then progressed to beginning to offer marriage classes and counseling and ultimately Mark officiating weddings (all the single twentysomethings really liked playing and working with the kids in the nursery. As they learned through the gospel, to get their own and do it the right way, they needed to get married and start a family grounded in the firm foundation of the gospel). As families were added and grew, more people became members of the church and Mars Hill was finally able to move out of the upstairs room of the fundy (oops...I mean Fundamentalist) church and into the sanctuary.

There was active, legitmate growth in the Mars Hill church. But we find out that has Mark closes the chapter, Satan was waiting and hell was breaking out.

Next - Chapter 3 "God, Satan showed up and I can't find my cup."