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August 18, 2006
"So I'll just say that while young men are watching tough men compete, the reason they don't go to most churches is because they could take the pastor....."
My post below on Driscoll reminds me of another blog he posted a ways back.
In his other post, The Right Hand of Fellowship, Driscolls praises the sport of UFC.
In it he says:
The hottest sporting event among dudes who are not trapped in some seafoam-green evangelical church singing prom songs to Jesus is known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), which includes the PRIDE Fighting Championships (PRIDE FC) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). .......
My three young sons and I enjoy watching Ultimate Fighting in conjunction with our Old Testament Bible studies. .......
Because I am a Christian pastor I now need to find something that connects all of this to being a Christian. So, I'll just say that while young men are watching tough men compete, the reason they don't go to most churches is because they could take the pastor and can't respect a guy in a lemon-yellow sweater, sipping decaf and talking about his feelings.
Oh. I understand now. Men aren't coming to church because their pastors aren't fighters, or competing in UFC. And talking about one's feelings is somehow considered weak. This just reminds me so much of Jr. High and High School where guys are always sizing each other up in such a superficial way.
Posted by rhett at August 18, 2006 09:21 AM
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Comments
Wow. I have been following your posts and have read Driscoll on this, too. A bit of hyperbole is used on his part to get attention. Being a man is not defined by violence for fun or sport, but heroism in the hour of need--just like a Savior who was led to slaughter for the sake of us all. Driscoll makes a good point about men being absent, but really this has more to do with the men rather than the church, in my opinion. Although we can address it, so it really then becomes our problem as churches.
Our fallen nature makes us men "passive" instead of men of action--especially on issues of faith and the heart. I think that there is more to manliness then the warrior--how about archtypes of lover, king and so forth. We should appeal to the whole man, not just a culturally contrived view.
Posted by: Rich Kirkpatrick ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.rhettsmith.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 18, 2006 07:36 PM
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