I ABHOR CONTROVERSY BUT

...BETTER CONTROVERSY THAN SURRENDER.

It is easy to sit behind a monitor, read the Word of God disseminated and dumb-downed and shout at the monitor, as if the writer who typed and posed information on the other side could actually hear our wails of protest.  We breathe out our threatenings and purge ourselves of righteous indignation we have for those who bring garbage into the sanctuary of God's forum of hearts, and who make a mockery of His holiness, purity and righteousness.  It is easy to do that in anonymity, behind closed doors, without a shred of proof that we take a stand where we stand.  It is easy to enjoy the comfort of a swim in lukewarm streams of blissful ignorance.  It is easy to wear sunglasses to deflect the glare of monitor enlightenment, and curb flashback blindness.

It is easy to forget all about controversy.  Let the rest of the world deal with it.  Let Peter, James, and John.  Let Tom, Dick, and Harry.  Let Lydia, Mary, and "Angelica".  Yeah...it's easy. 

It's easy to enter the fellowship hall of Believers and sit idly by watching mega-screens project up-close-and-personal scenes and replays of vehicles bumping tail-ends, nudging side-fenders, then crashing and flipping, burning and maiming any chance of God's drivers to stand and deliver His Word to the masses.

It's easy to cheer on our heroes and leave our seats, feeling defeated, when they lose their battle for first place.  No one sees our heads hanging down below our lapels, or our smiling faces in crest-fallen disappointment at the failure of heroes to champion our causes.  It is easy to sit and say nothing.

It is easy to avoid controversy and let others fight the battles that win the war and claim victory for the King.  We cheered.  We prayed.  We applauded and lauded from afar.  We knew they could do it.  We knew.  Why soil our hands?  Why get involved in something we neither understand nor consider a threat to our little world, behind our little monitor screen?  Why risk rejection, exclusion, and undiluted distortions of our integrity from our peers?  Why "choose this day whom I will serve"?  Why be a watchman at the door?

After all, the controversy is something I abhor.  Isn't it?

Or is it exposure I abhor?  Exposure?  Yes...of my own faithless position?  my own weak spirit?  my own inadequacies to articulate?  my own ignorance?  my own skeletons hanging in backroom closets?  my own position to protect?  my own battlefront to hold?  my own resume to censor? my own timidity?

Yes...I abhor controversy.  But sometimes...just sometimes, the ring is where I need to stand.  the center line of the race.  Why must we always be the puff or smoke leftover from in the bang of the starter's gun?

Should we not be a bullet on occasion?  Should we not start our engines and join the race?  I do not know the answer for others.  But...I do know the answer for me.

There are podiums in life, behind which I cannot stand.  There are theological streams too deep for me to balance myself within the currents and contend.  There are times when all I can do is close my prayer-closet doors, and lift my brothers and sisters in Christ before the throne of His mercy and grace.  However, there are times they need a cheerleader to get the fire started beneath the seats of those sitting on the benches.  Sometimes it is my responsibility when God so leads me to jump up, do back flips, and shout to the top of my lungs.

Go team; go!  We need to back the pro!

Go team; go!  People need to know!

Go team; go!  The vision needs to grow!

Go team; go!  This time we need to show,

Some people will say, "NO!"

Go team, go!

It behooves all women who believe in Biblical submission, and the phrase for which it is defined: "as unto the Lord", to take an in-depth look at the marital teachings of one, Mark Driscoll as written and exposed in his book, REAL MARRIAGE.  His misogynistic views of women are astounding.  Yet, men in high places find little to no fault in his instructions to women and empowerment to men.  Recently a Christian college, which defines itself as one which is "training champions for Christ", has come under fire for inviting a man from another "network" of faith to teach and usher in a new wave of thinking, and his misinterpretation of the Song of Solomon, to idealistic young people who have yet to have all the brain-power necessary to discern various logic and reason applications to life.  Champions like Tim Guthrie are coming to the ring of fire with his sword drawn.

Mark Driscoll, teaches by vision, counsels by what he describes as a "television screen" from God with pictures of all kinds of pornographic abuse and physical disgust.  He uses his visions to help guide young women to go back and bend down and do far more than wash the toes on their husbands' feet, in the name of Christ and for His glory.  Driscoll has his submissive wife, Grace, to share, and make public, her past indiscretions and sin to add flavor and impetus to his grand and glorious wisdom of marital bliss in the bedroom.  He is making thousands, if not millions of dollars, on his book tour around the country.  From "The View" to the various news outlets.  And now, if you live in Lynchburg, Virginia, he is coming to a theatre near you, for 35.00 a pop.  At the request and formal invitation of Johnnie Moore and the oversight of Jerry Falwell, Jr., on April 20th, Liberty University is turning over the microphone to, and providing the platform for Mark Driscoll to share his book and views with young Christian ladies and gentlemen under their watchcare.

I am appalled. I am disgusted.  I am a woman who finds Mark Driscoll's views on sodomy beyond the pale of filth and debauchery.  I am a woman who joins Tim Guthrie in his estimations.  Liberty's own approved invitation to this one man, does far more damage to the credibilty of Liberty University than any blogger's intent to relate what he understands as the truth of trustees who allegedly voted in secrecy that Driscoll is unwelcome--and trustees who also enjoy anonymity for protection of their privacy, and their loyalty (or not) to the school--(one not run or controlled by Southern Baptist but associated to SBC).

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Liberty University (a school known for its fundamentalist views of Christian faith), has already done damage to their own good name by inviting a man who is propagandizing his unorthodox sexual preferences to a body of believers who are peer-pressured into sitting through his diatribe of "seeing things"  I see things too.  But it isn't on a magic television screen.  And if folks don't wake up and clean the gunk out of their eyes soon, the institutions we have with time-honored fidelity to the Word of God will be no more.  No more.

Poll the trustees...ask them to share how they voted.  Was it unanimous or was it one abstaining?  You don't have to name names or have them all come out to the public microphone.  Just give us the details of the vote on Driscoll's coming.  Was it just discussion?  Was it flap-doodle over cups of green-tea and honey?  Was the meeting even a meeting?  Were they just having pizza in the lobby?  Facts Liberty, give us some facts.  If Peter Lumpkins was informed improperly, spoke out of turn, and without your consent, then whoever told him what they did, is either mistaken over the vote and what went on, is lying to get Peter to write about it so as to discredit him, or is himself or herself being set up to find the "mole" beneath the foundation of LU's private sessions regarding this matter.

Any way we look at this, it wreaks of guile.  I prayerfully hope that the matter is resolved with sunlight...not just behind shaded windows to obscure the outcome, and bolted doors braced to withstand the controversy we all abhor and find distasteful to discuss.

I hate controversy.  I abhor controversy, BUT...better controversy than surrender to things which we find contrary to the fundamental truth of God's purity and righteousness.  selahV

Comments

[Tim G]

You are too kind!

[selahV-hariette]

Tim G...not to hear others tell it. I'm brazen, rude and angry. selahV ;)

[adam]

hello,
thanks for your thoughts on this matter, would you mind citing some of the page numbers of Driscoll's book so that i might look for myself to see if he is indeed teaching anything contrary to the clear exegesis of scripture? thanks you for your time on this,
adam

[selahV-hariette]

Sure, Adam, here is a link that might help you in coming to a more enlightened understanding of Driscoll's book and ability to interpret with accuracy:
http://signon.org/sign/hey-liberty-university-1.fb3?source=s.fb&r_by=2892443