Why We Live in Seattle

I keep up with a few Seattle blogs, and one linked to this post in the West Seattle blog.  It referred to Mars Hill, so I decided to read it.

I was impressed with the fact that the author wasn't harsh or criticising, just reporting the facts.  But then I read the comments-- read them, even just the first 5 or 10-- and it made me so sad.  Despite wanting to reply to them and share The Truth! I realized that most of these people aren't coming to Jesus via an online convo, because that's where they can be harsh and critical and hide behind words clearly meant to offend.  If these people were talking to someone from Mars Hill in person they'd never be as brash or intentionally rude... and that is why we live in Seattle, to build relationships with these people who are clearly hurting and in desperate need of Jesus.  That is why so many people live in West Seattle and are sharing Christ with the people they build relationships with there. 

You can find people willing to say dirty things like "I'm wet for Jesus" anywhere, but Seattle seems to cultivate a different breed.  Being faithful to God's word is always going to throw us into the like gay-hating, misogynistic, holier-than-thou religious people bucket even if we are nothing like them.  Choosing to honor the Biblical standards for the roles of men and women will always cause the world to hate us-- apparently my husband and every man at MHC hates me and is intentionally oppressing me to continually push for male-world domination, and I'm just too beat (and dumbed) down to realize it.  I think I'm pretty smart and don't let anyone push me around, so I'm pretty sure this accusation has no grounds other than feminist rhetoric that is causing far more harm to what it means to be a woman, how God created women to be in His image, than help us.  But that's for another day.

Suffice it to say, though it's not popular, we're seen as crazies, and apparently Mark Driscoll is totally rich and duping us all with false spirituality in order to fatten up his coffers (so you know, this couldn't be further from the truth), our family will continue to serve the Lord and to rely on the Spirit to determine our steps and opinions.  Most of all, we'll keep loving Mars Hill for the way it changes our life and, as a result, the city of Seattle as we Mars Hillians keep on loving our neighbors and sharing the love of Jesus with them.

Countdown to September 30th!!

We make no qualms about our utmost respect and admiration for Pastor Mark Driscoll at our beloved Mars Hill Church. His books- namely, Radical Reformission, Confessions of a Reformission Rev, and Vintage Jesus- have been integral parts of our continual transformation from two punk kids who were steeped in sin and trying to figure out how to get ourselves out of it, condemning everyone else along the way, into a young man and young woman continually seeking to confess and repent of our sin in order to see redemption in our lives and those of the people Jesus has us in relationship with.

So, with that, we're uber excited about Pastor Mark's new book, Death By Love. It comes out in September and this is an awesome flash video that gives you a taste of what it's about. I'm pretty sure it's written in the form of pastoral letters from Mark to congregants whom he was shepherding at MHC, so this is a taste of some of the issues he's tackling in those letters. Enjoy!