It seems like everyone is talking about the new podcast from Christianity Today, “The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill” about the famed Seattle megachurch and its controversial pastor, Mark Driscoll. The creator of the podcast, Mike Cosper, talks to Skye about the complicated reality of Mars Hill, and what the rest of the evangelical church can learn from its story.
Also this week, scientists discover a parasite that could make you live for 200 years, keep you perpetually young, and make you popular. But there’s a catch. A woman lets God take the wheel, literally. The Creation Museum in Kentucky thinks rebuilding the Tower of Babel in the key to racial harmony. And Phil’s confused about an Olympic team’s decision to wear shorts rather than the mandated bikini bottoms. Is it a victory for conservative or progressive values?
The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/
Patreon Bonus Segment: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-interview-54513169
Skye, I wanted to push back on your comment that hierarchical churches have “bishops and such” to provide oversight and accountability. I wish it actually worked out that way, but it doesn’t. I have been a long term member of an established Episcopal church, and on staff for an Anglican church plant. Both imploded dramatically - the first when our long time priest suddenly ”retired” and then divorced his wife, married a college student who he had been “spiritually advising” and moved out of state. He is still working as a priest, under a bishop, even though that bishop has been advised not only of that situation but also of substantial allegations of child sexual molestation.
The church plant,…
I work for a non-profit that does suicide prevention and when I was listening to the story of the woman who "let go and let God," it really got me thinking... I wonder if she's thought about suicide.
Here's a couple things we know about people who are suicidal:
Most people who are thinking about suicide are ambivalent. In other words, they equally want to live and die, but in reality they just want their pain to end.
One of the warning signs of suicide is engaging in reckless behavior.
Perhaps her actions were less about "testing her faith," as much as it was letting God decide whether or not she'd live.
Re: the sports uniforms ... what boggles my mind in HS sports is that if a girl wore the volleyball uniform to school, she would get cited for a dress code violation. Yet she is required to wear it for the sport. Men's sports uniforms do not violate the dress code violation (except for maybe a hat if that's part of the dress code) and if a soccer play or football player wore his uniform to class no one would think anything of it.
When watching the women's track and field last weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see a runner from a middle eastern country wearing long pants and her hijab. The only woman not wearing the bikini bottoms.
Maybe my favorite part of the Mars Hill podcast is the them song, Sticks and Stones, by King’s Kaleidoscope.
BTW, entomology lesson, in all hive minded species, all workers are females. Bees, wasps, hornets, ants, etc. The queen generally mates once or many times when she is young, then settles down to only lay eggs long term (sometimes after building the nest and raising the first few workers). The workers are all undeveloped (sexually) females. Males only exist to mate with young queens and are few or zero in number, most of the time.