Categories: uncategorized
Date: 23 November 2005 08:24:46
Next wave have this article which is basically about the fact the one thing the pro and anti emergent churches in the US seem to agree on is their "concern" about Rick "purpose driven xy&z" Warren. Apparently part of the latest controversy is the fact that a quote from Warren is being put on the side of cups in Starbucks as part of an "As I See It" series over there. The quote apparently says,
"You are not an accident.
Your parents may not have planned you, but God did.
He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose.
Focusing on yourself will never reveal your real purpose.
You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our
purpose, our significance and our destiny."
Apparently this has upset the anti side for not being in -your - face, explicit enough(???)
I find this debate about Warren an interesting one. I had worked my way through Purpose Driven Life about 2 years ago now and found it inspiring and disturbing in equal measure, also there is something about the Purpose Driven and mega church thing that just does not sit comfortably with me. However, I heard him last summer at BWC and was gob-smacked. I had gone into that evenings meetings with reservations to say the least, as I thought I was going to get well wound up (bearing in mind Purpose Driven is v. evangelical & I at that point was still in the process of throwing the baby out with the bathwater on that one) and tried to cynically spend all evening listening him through the lense of one who is aware that the strength of Warren has been as a communicator and he is basically a sales man, but I found that however hard I tried I found that the bloke was talking alot of sense!!! So I'd go with the logic, whilst there is not one formular which is right for everyone we should give the bloke a break and realise that he has got a worthwhile contribution to make to the debate, which should be heard for what it is, rather than knocked for what it is percieved to be.
As for the quote on the coffee cup, Starbucks is a secular business and is looking for uplifting quotes that can mean stuff to everybody and will make people smile over their latte, not go running to Costa Coffee instead. I think it's quite good. Perhaps the Priest Idol marketing team should take this approach & get Father whatever his name is to come up with some quotes to put on the side of the glasses down the working mans club ;-)