This past week, Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church in Seattle became the #1 downloaded spiritual/religious podcast on iTunes.
That's #1 over not one, but two Crest-white Joel Osteen podcasts; and #1 over the queens of the substance-less, marshmallow hugs of 'new spirituality' Oprah Winfrey and Marianne Williamson.
The last time a group from Seattle overthrew well-heeled millionaires peddling bubblegum was in 1992. On January 11, 1992, Nirvana's Nevermind usurped Michael Jackson for the #1 spot on the Billboard charts and, in the process, toppled the spandex-and-make-up monolith that was hair metal and power ballads, and ushered in the last truly great musical revolution.
Despite what Driscoll and Mars HIll might share with their musical Seattle predecessors - among other things their anti-establishment approach (ironically from within the establishment), their polarizing effect on people, and their passion for substance over commerce - what I hope Mars Hill and Driscoll see is one of the lessons that apparently Cobain never came to grips with.
The alternative is now the mainstream.
What started in condemnable dive bars, grew to arenas and MTV. What started in a living room is now spread across multiple campuses in Seattle and has furthered it's reach to millions internationally thanks to the internet. Part of Kurt's pressure was to write "Come As You Are" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" #2. Part of Driscoll's pressure will possibly be to water-down the Gospel. With Cobain, obviously a troubled but complex personality, he was caricatured as the brooding, moody face of the grunge movement. It's possible that the media will want to reduce Driscoll to a 2-dimensional cut out of a foul-mouthed, punk rock preacher (as the New York Times and Dateline have already done).
The unique difference between the two, and the encouraging thing for Pastor Mark, is that he is not the star. Cobain was THE name, THE face, THE voice for not only a musical genre but for an entire generation of disaffected youth. Driscoll has the opportunity to remember that Jesus is the star and that he is only the friend of the bridegroom, and that it is Jesus who must become greater and he who must humbly strive to become less. (John 3:29-30)
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I hope he remembers that. He admitted that pride was a big deal for him on abc and I could see celebrity status and pressure creeping in pretty easily. I think you make a great point. By the way, did you see him on that "Is Satan Real" abc news debate?
this is a fascinating comparison and I think that on the whole I agree. I'm just happy to see Driscoll's balanced, fantastically hard hitting yet biblically sound preaching garnering attention
That's great to ear. God used Pastor Driscoll's sermons to help me through some tough times. It is good to see it being recognized, but, the way this world exploits things, I think this will pass. Anybody who has seen the new movie Knowing, with Nicholas Cage, knows where our focus really should be! I'm sure his, and everyone else's focus is where it needs to be. This will be a test though. Great post and great points. Thanks for posting.