Confessions of a Reformission Rev (recent read)

Just finished reading Mark Dirscoll's recent book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev. (check out link on recent reads)

The book logs his experience of planting a church in one of the least Christian cities and states in the US, Seattle, Washington. (although this doesn't compare to the stats we have in some places in Canada, especially like Quebec, it's still not Texas or Southern California).

He shares in full color, all the struggles he has working as a really young pastor, moving the church from 0-45, 45-75, 75-150, 150-350, and on with the numbers.... MarsHill is presently 4000 people with hopes of growing to 10,000. It might sound nuts, but they're doing it - cussing and all.

The book is an easy and funny read. Some lines and paragraphs have you pissing your pants, and way to raw and honest to have your kids reading it. Driscoll describes himself as theologically conservative and culturally liberal. You can read that on every page.

Among the few things I'll disclude from my learning is Driscoll's ultra macho ego that rings loud pretty often, however, you can't help but notice that Driscoll turned to scripture, study, and prayer at every turn, conflict, hurdle, theological question, or problem he and the church has faced. Often he'd spend months prayerfully reading scripture for a solution to a hurdle. That's something you don't hear of often these days, but something I really appreciated being reminded of.

This book is definitely a call to living a missional life and leading the church in the same direction. The thrust behind it is the mission of Jesus in the world through His church because we're all missionaries - I'm in line with that. You'll disagree on a few things, laugh a whole lot, cringe once and a while, but you definitely can't read it and not feel convicted to live missionally or contribute to a church moving in that direction.