Rick Warren’s Calling
Posted on January 29th, 2008 by catalyst into the Pastoral Staff categoryTwo years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote a fascinating piece for the New Yorker on how Rick Warren built his ministry.
Reading it, I found myself both dismayed and impressed. Warren does not shy from asking his congregation for money, but he seems to actually put that money to good use.
In the wake of the extraordinary success of "The Purpose-Driven Life," Warren says, he underwent a period of soul-searching. He had suddenly been given enormous wealth and influence and he did not know what he was supposed to do with it. "God led me to Psalm 72, which is Solomon's prayer for more influence," Warren says. "It sounds pretty selfish. Solomon is already the wisest and wealthiest man in the world. He's the King of Israel at the apex of its glory. And in that psalm he says, 'God, I want you to make me more powerful and influential.' It looks selfish until he says, 'So that the King may support the widow and orphan, care for the poor, defend the defenseless, speak up for the immigrant, the foreigner, be a friend to those in prison.' Out of that psalm, God said to me that the purpose of influence is to speak up for those who have no influence. That changed my life. I had to repent. I said, I'm sorry, widows and orphans have not been on my radar. I live in Orange County. I live in the Saddleback Valley, which is all gated communities. There aren't any homeless people around. They are thirteen miles away, in Santa Ana, not here." He gestured toward the rolling green hills outside. "I started reading through Scripture. I said, How did I miss the two thousand verses on the poor in the Bible? So I said, I will use whatever affluence and influence that you give me to help those who are marginalized."
Perhaps I'm succumbing to the cult of Rick Warren, but after reading this article, I'm kind of on board with the guy. While I find myself cringe at the thought of him telling his congregation they need to give more money, and while there is a certain convenience to finding the one Bible verse that tells you, you need to be MORE wealthy and powerful, Rick Warren does appear to be using his influence to benefit others. And that's a good thing.
(Oh, and off topic, but I found this article on Rick Warren via an article Gladwell wrote on ketchup. It is the definitive work on ketchup, and one of the best essays I've ever read. )
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January 30th, 2008 at 7:33 am
Ketchup forever!!!!!
Uh, sorry about that.
So, I just have to share this with you all - two Sundays ago, the pastor at my church announced the date for the annual review of the last year’s financials. He told the congregation of around 1500 people that 2007 church financials and the budget for 2008 were near the exit doors, and to please pick up a package and sign off that you received one. My husband and I got caught up and we forgot to pick up the package as we left - I thought we could just pick one up the following Sunday. Well, yesterday we received the package in the mail with a letter encouraging us to attend the annual meeting and to prepare any questions that we have regarding the financials and budget, because the meeting will end with an invitation for members to ask any and all questions over the microphone in front of the entire congregation.
I thought that was pretty cool - and it is a BIG change from the charismatic church that my husband and I formerly attended, where we were told that the only people that could see the books were the pastor and his accountant, who happened to be his 90-year old father-in-law. Uhg.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Rick Warren was on the Colbert Report the other day. Video is available here:
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=148506&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_colbert_report%2Fvideos%2Fdupes%2Findex.jhtml%3FplayVideo%3D148506%26rsspartner%3Dunknown&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
He makes an interesting quote: (In response to the question, “Are you a fundamentalist?”) “No. A fundamentalist is someone who stops listening.”
Overall, I agree with Warren’s viewpoint on Christianity. He still uses the word “tithe” but my objection to that is more semantics than philosophy. Giving to the poor should be part of the Christian lifestyle, and the church should be a central part of that effort. Tithing for the sake of a bloated church staff is not my idea of a healthy church.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I was in the lobby of a Lutheran church, and they had a church organization chart posted. They noted that the financial officers did not have voting rights. I thought it was an interesting way to handle things.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:05 am
Sign #32 that anna is going to hell.
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Hey WTFWJD, Just curious…
(Edited by Catalyst)
Or is it just a way to try to get a rise of out people…If so, would there be a better and less distasteful way to do so?
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Try to keep it clean, Davie.
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Well, isn’t this interesting.
I ask what the “F” in WTFWFJD’s blog names means, and actually use the word that is suggested by the acronym, and I am told to keep it ‘clean’. In other words, every time we see a post by WTFWJD, those of us who are visual see and/or hear the word. Which is the point of an acronym.
This oft-activating symbolism is not considered ‘unclean’, but if I ask, using the actual suggested word, I am censored and told to ‘keep it clean’.
Now, a larger issue here is the pettiness of my ‘uncleanness’ as compared to the other issues of ‘keeping it clean’ referred to in the Scripture. The entire BLOG with all sorts of uncleanness, and yet a ‘dirty’ word is the focus of, albeit mild-mannered, a rebuke.
What about those who stretch the truth and personal anecdotes to make their point on this BLOG. Would they need to ‘keep it clean’?
What about the one who is actually lying about someone in order to get back at them on this BLOG? Would they need to ‘keep it clean’?
What about those who are passing second-hand unconfirmed rumors about Damazio, Iverson, et.al? Would they need to ‘keep it clean’?
What about those who intentions are not pure nor simply trying to help people who have been hurt and abused by the institutional church? Would they need to keep it clean?
What about those who speak the truth, but not in love, but mean-spiritedness? Would they need to keep it clean?
It seems as though City Business Church is washing the outside of the cup (dealing simply with a legitimate use of the “F” word, and leaving the inside unwashed.
My, my…Have the mighty already fallen?
Shouldn’t we ALL “try to keep it clean”?
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Actually we let a lot of people get away with using the “F” word, but we just don’t like you.
February 2nd, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I like davie’s comments
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
Maybe he can change it to, WWJDFAKB? (What would Jesus do for a Klondike Bar?)
The tag might be “inappropriate”, but it saddens me that some people get more upset over implied swears than the fleecing of the Body of Christ through defunct doctrines of tithing and the so-called “gospel” of prosperity.
February 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Mr. Pope said, “We just don’t like you”.
I am so surprised because I was just getting to like you and the ‘we’ represented by you. In addition, my surprise is double in that everyone likes me.
FICM: My point with the WTFWJD thing was not that he was using the ‘implied’ “F” word, but when I actually used it in asking him about his BLOG name, I was censored and rebuked with a “Try to keep it clean, Davie’
You were not able to read that original of mine because it was, what is it called on CBC: “Edited by Catalyst”
Well, I will have to do better in keeping it ‘clean’, although I guess that will not make the Pope like me anymore.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:50 am
Davie,
I just find it makes for a better blog if we try to limit profanity. It has nothing to do with morality and everything to do with making my job as moderator as simple as possible.
Anyway, I think you made your point very well in the subsequent comments.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Dearest Cat–
Inasmuch as I’ve irrefutable proof that you do, in fact, read my posts, and also because you seem very sensitive to the issue of hypocrisy — at least when you feel I have employed it (remember JC and JFK?)
— I would make the following comments to you…
In a recent thread, by my count (various forms of) the word S**T was used at least 11 times, and (various forms of) the word F**K was used at least 3 times.
(And I do know you saw/read the usage of that profanity, because you also posted comments in that thread.)
Observation #1: You left the profanity/swearing used in that thread unedited, yet felt the need to edit it when posted here by DC.
Observation #2: Further, you asked DC to “try to keep it clean,” and yet did not ask the other brothers to do the same.
Why?
(Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?)
IMO, here’s why…
These words were used by a couple of posters — one of whom was/is apparently a coach/friend of yours — who were displaying attitudes/opinions in keeping with those of the “brass” of this blog.
FWIW, this is by no means the first time I have seen this
hypocrisyattitude in play — and which I’m sure will be argued is part and parcel of a blog devoted to “parody,” that wonderful term which justifies any and alldouble standardsbehavior, eh?Nevertheless, it is undeniable that someone can come along and say something that is very true, or make a very valid point, but because that person does not — for lack of a better term — have an “in with the brass,” their comments are at the least ignored, or are contested/challenged by said “brass.”
Or even edited.
I suspect this is because they are saying something, (or have said something in the past) which is offensive to the “brass,” or because they have said something, which, though biblical, has perhaps pricked someone’s conscience, or perhaps even because they are new to the blog, and haven’t “paid their dues,” whatever that may mean.
Or, as is most likely, are/have been in disagreement with the previously mentioned, avowed “stance” of the blog.
But just let someone who does happen to enjoy an “in with the brass,” someone who brings an attitude in keeping with that of the “brass,” say something along the same lines, and they are allowed to do it with virtual impunity, and in fact, usually they are lauded for having a good point, etc.
Don’t believe me? Shall I name names? Give specific examples of this occurring time and again?
Nah, that’s not necessary. After all, now that I’ve apparently convinced a certain friend of mine to try and refrain from naming names as much as possible, I had better not do it either.
Newspapers/journalists are called on the carpet when they employ this bias so I’m doing that to you now…but wait, my bad…this blog has never claimed — AFAIK — to be a viable source of true information, has it?
(Zipping up flame suit)
-joebib
February 5th, 2008 at 6:28 am
No, Joe, you're right. I don't particularly care for Davie's comments. They annoy me. And that's why I eliminated his profanity and not others. It's not fair. But after three years of moderating this blog, I don't care about being fair. I care about helping people who come here hurt and with questions. And if you're a pastor commenting here trying to support the status quo, then I'm going to monitor you very carefully.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:33 am
First of all, “Joe” does not represent my views nor does he speak for me.
Second, I thought this was a satirical parody of CIty Bible Church. I was not aware that it was a site for “people who came here hurt and with questions”.
Third, if indeed it is a site to help hurting people, then please do not assume that my intention would be to not help them.
Fourth, I am at all, in anyway, trying to support the status quo. You either have not read or ‘heard’ my posts. I am thoroughly disgusted with the ’status quo’ and feel it should all be dismantled and rebuilt. In a lunch with Dick Iverson I said the exact same thing. (Needless to say it was not received with many ‘amens’)
Fifth, I do, however, hear what you are saying and will take my comments elsewhere than here in that my comments are seen by you as detrimental to your ‘helping’ the hurting people who come here. May you truly do so. And besides, I surely don’t want you to have to spend so much time monitoring me ‘very carefully’.
Peace!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Davie,
In the future if you decide to comment, please focus on the side of you that opposes MFI and the “status quo”. And refrain from comments such as this:
We will get along much better then.
-Justin
February 6th, 2008 at 3:11 am
I appreciate your honesty, Cat.
-joe
February 7th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
catalyst on February 5, 2008 at 6:28 am said:
Davie Copp on February 5th, 2008 at 8:33 am said:
That’s OK, DC…you’re in good company……Luke 20:20, NASB.
-joebib