Monday, June 04, 2007

New Book from Sam Storms and a few Gospel Links

I've updated the "Charismatic Resurgence" post with a link to a new book from Sam Storms that I think could be very important. Many of us read and struggled maybe with Jonathan Edwards "Religious Affections" - so Sam Storms has taken the material and interpreted into a book called, "Signs of the Spirit". The point, Crossway write, is not to "dumb down" Edwards but to make his work accessible to a wider audience. This is a very good thing and I can't wait for it to come out. The publishing date is in July but as usual I guess we in the UK may have to wait a bit longer unless we are prepared to pay the shipping costs via Amazon!

A church that some of my family are linked to has been having quite a bit more to do with Mark Driscoll and his style of church. I know he's been quite a hit in the USA but I haven't really taken much notice of him or listened to him. I did hear the sessions from the Desiring God conference but was more taken with Piper himself and D A Carson. However I had a bit of time to kill yesterday so I spent some time listening to and watching him. I must confess - I am still not a fan. I don't really think it's necessary to come out with some of the language he does. Do we have to talk like the world to impress them?

This video in particular bothered me. I deeply appreciate his passion for church planting but again his language just seemed unnecessary to the message he was trying to convey and while I liked his 3 point - Man, Mission, Message - I couldn't help but notice the distinct abscence of any mention of the Holy Spirit. Fair enough, this Newfrontiers church planter watched and liked it, but as the prophecy from Julian Adams shows - their whole church plant mission was bathed in the prophetic anyhow.

However Driscoll is involved in some excellent projects that I found interesting and there are some great online videos here if you've got the time to watch them.

Refocus Conference videos - featuring John Piper and Mark Driscoll and notes from J I Packer's session.

The Gospel Coalition - led by D A Carson and Tim Keller. "The hope was to redefine a clear center for evangelicalism more akin to that previously articulated by men such as Francis Schaeffer, John Stott, and Billy Graham". The support from other Reformed evangelical groups such as SGM suggest this conference is going to be quite significant in the future.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Go home and do your wives every night" ... ?!?!?!!?

Oh please.

That's not only offensive, its the most ludicriously immature, stupid statement I have ever heard in my life. That statement alone might put many men who look to a man like him as a model under so much legalism and condemnation it is untrue.

I think the "Julie" rule ought to apply here. That's a legalistic video that you shouldn't even be linking to.

I can't believe he said that.

Surely Driscoll is an example of a man who "succeeded before he was ready" or as R T Kendall would put it, "He's been exalted to the level of his incompetence". That is a really silly thing to say.#

Sorry. You've got me fuming.

Anonymous said...

He's just human my brother. Forgive him as Christ forgave you and me.

Dr S A J B