Mark Driscoll is the manliest pastor on the planet. The manliest!
Of all the Marvel superheroes, I think Mark Driscoll is probably closest to The Hulk. I mean, one minute he’s cool, he’s chatting you up, talkin’ ’bout John Calvin and Ed Hardy; the next thing you know, some random dude mentions that he’s living with his GF and Mark LOSES IT. He just becomes a giant ball of anger and belligerence. Frightening, but imagine if you could contain that rage . . .
Here’s the thing – underneath that surly exterior is just a big blob of ooey-gooey love, y’all. For reals. I know this from experience:
I was at Catalyst 2011 when I heard Mark Driscoll speak in person for the first time. It was pretty awesome. I was gearing up for a testosterone-fueled rant of some kind, but, instead, Driscoll told a very touching story about his youngest son and a family trip to Scotland. It was so beautiful that I was crying at the end. Openly weeping. I was sitting in a row next to my wife and my best friends and their wives, and I was blowing snot bubbles out of my left nostril while Mark Driscoll told fifteen-thousand Catalyst attendees that everything is OK because “our ‘Daddy’ is with us”.
Sidenote: At Catalyst that year, Driscoll carried a huge Bible. I’m pretty sure it was a Life Application Study Bible, but it was hard to see from my vantage point. Francis Chan carried just a little “slimline” Bible. Chan and Driscoll are quite possibly the two most convicting pastors in the world, but they are on polar opposite spectrums when it comes to “preferred Bible size”. This intrigues me.
This is usually how I envision Mark Driscoll. In fact, when I saw the title on Twitter, I thought, I’ll be this is about Mark Driscoll. I was not disappointed.
My goal every week is to “not disappoint Brian.” This week is a success!
I totally thought there was a “you know what they say about a man with a big Bible” joke coming there at the end! Glad you didn’t go there… but I guess I just did. Anyway, I know what you mean about Driscoll. The first time I saw his picture, I thought he was God’s Hit-Man or something. “He’ll literally beat the the fear of the Lord into you!”
You know that painting of Jesus arm-wrestling the devil? Replace Jesus with Mark Driscoll and that painting takes on a whole new meaning. It also makes more sense. :)
So you dont give any hints to the Scotland story, huh? Cmon Wes, what a tease! Love the Hulk and the personal story, it humanizes a man I have a hard time dealing with…
Here it is in a nutshell:
His family was taking a vacation to Scotland. Everyone in the fam was psyched except their youngest son. Nothing Mark did could get his youngest son excited about the trip, and when Driscoll finally got to the bottom of it he discovered that his boy thought he’d be in Scotland by himself without the rest of the family. His son looked at him and asked, “Daddy, will you be there?” Driscoll replied, “Absolutely! I’ll be right there with you!”
He used the story to illustrate that God is always with us even when we feel lost and alone.
Thanks for taking time man, I appreciate it!
No prob!
I see a “Life Application vs. Slimline” Bible showdown Insert IMG in your future!!
Sadly, before I read your experience with MD, this is how I saw him. I know his heart is in the right place, but sometimes I’m like, “Dude, that was harsh!” I’m not against discipline or confronting sin, but I lean more Chan than Driscoll.
By the way, I have a Big ‘ol Life Application Bible too.
Yeah, Mark can be harsh. So can Chan, though. Chan does it in a way that makes you want to be best friends with him. I don’t know how he does it.
Are you sure that giant Bible isn’t for something like this?
Ha ha! How rad would that be if Mark Driscoll’s Bible turned into an Iron Man suit? :)
More rad then when you order a 6-piece nugget meal and get 7 pieces. Which itself is pretty rad.
Maaaaaaaan. Now I want to watch Iron Man 2, and apparently it’s not available for streaming on Netflix anymore.
Man, now I want a 6-piece nugget meal.
But secretly, you want a 7-piece nugget meal, right?
I’m just gonna level with you, Bryan. I want the 20-piece nugget meal.
I want a 20-piece, too.
Y’know…
If there’s one thing your webcomics have taught me it’s that I know next to nothing about the online Christian world. Srsly.
I’ve never really read Christian Blogs, and I’m not familiar with famous pastors of this generation at all. I don’t really get to go to conventions either.
Maybe that’s something I should change.
Start small. Follow a few on Twitter.
Dang. So good Wes. I’m a fan of Mark Driscoll, mainly I like that he pulls no punches and is willing to take a side instead of skirt the issues. I don’t always agree with him and sometimes think, “whoa, ease up cowboy. Choose your battles.” But I still respect him.
Well played though. I can easily picture him as The Hulk. You should pick several of the more “in the public’s eye” pastors and create an Avengers remix of them.
Thanks, man!
BTW: Francis Chan = Professor X
He’s probably not part of the online pop Christian scene the way Chan and Driscoll are, but I would imagine William Lane Craig to be Professor X. He’s that guy who is so smart that it really does feel like he’s in your head.
Which would probably make Dawkins Magneto.
I’m almost certain he uses this one. You can tell by its unique marking (the triangle sewn into the cover). It’s all the rage w/ Acts 29 folk. It’s big, exhaustive, and has print small enough that it made my eyes tired. I tried it,but had to go back to my (still sanctioned?) Reformation Study Bible.
http://www.amazon.com/ESV-Study-Bible-Crossway-Bibles/dp/1433502410/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361209646&sr=1-1&keywords=esv+study+bible
Sweet. I knew one of you guys would get to the bottom of this.
The comics are great, but I come here every week just as much for the comments…friggin’ awesome everyone.
These people know what they’re talkin’ about, don’t they? It’s always good times.
Mark Driscoll strikes me as a Calvinist version of Ergun Caner — which would probably offend both men.
As far as Bible size goes, what do you do about a pastor who preaches from his tablet, like I do?
My pastor is a “tablet preacher”, too.
In a way, it’s kinda weird. I mean, you guys are preaching from the same device you use to play Angry Birds.
Awesome! Now we need a sequel of other famous pastors as the other Avengers…
Joyce Meyer as Black Widow
Joel Osteen as Captain America
Rick Warren as Iron Man
Thanks.
Now I can’t get the image of Joyce Meyer as Black Widow out of my head.
I am laughing so hard over Joyce as BW now. She has helped me more than any preacher. And she’s so feisty. I approve.
The mental image of Joyce Meyer as Black Widow still haunts me.
Beth Moore as Peggy Carter! (I know, Carter isn’t an Avenger, but it’s just so darned fitting!)
Does this mean that you will call out all Christians who do silly things, for example, a pastor who refuses to tip a hard working waiter or waitress?
There are too many pastors doing silly things to call them ALL out. :)
Does that mean that John Piper is Stan Lee?