the last thing haiti needs is another camera crew.

*sigh*

the evangelical cult of celebrity trucks along unabated.

thanks for the assist, CT.

Are the "look-at-me-and-my-good-works" T-shirts necessary? I guess they'll know we are Christians by our.....

Flew down.
Private jet?
Film crew?
"Assessed the situation."
Photo-op.
Flew back.
Experts now.

Thank you for making us aware of another heartbreaking aspect of this tragedy that the mainstream media has not touched on.

God have mercy.

Nathan: What's worse, being critical of others, or taking a film crew to Haiti? *sigh* is right!

Eric: by our actions... They are in Haiti with matching t-shirts...have you done anything?

George: gotta an expert issue or something. Did they claim to be experts, or did they report on what they saw?

Get a grip guys and don't be so negative. This world is filled with negativity, do you really need to be this way?

Nathan, Eric, and George S.,

You're wrong. ChurchesHelpingChurches.com is the reason. It's publicity for the sake of mobilizing HELP, the same as every other relief organization is doing.

Well, Eric, lets take a look at this situation and lets compare, shall we...

My church, which is seriously quite wealthy in terms of congregants, could easily rent a plane, load it with all sorts of goodies for the little girls and boys in Haiti, throw on cameras, a pastor or two, some camera's to record for posterity the human tragedy, and stream it back to us, live, with all the whiz-bang technology that is available to us.
But we didn't.
Why?
Because we're quite well aware that doing something for somethings sake doesn't help the people who need it, it just makes us feel better.
Instead, we have partnered with an organization that has been in Haiti long before this event occurred, and will be there long after everyone has left to pursue the next great human tragedy that seems to occur everywhere in the world.
So, yes, Driscoll may have good intentions, but the whole thing looks to be a bit self-serving.
He's gotten his reward.
Good for him.
Now, hopefully, he'll step out of the way so that the people who know how to help the Haitian's can use the resources that were brought to them to salvage their neighbors lives.

Hey, guys ... let's take the energy that you're putting into attacking each other and put it toward something profitable and meaningful ... like prayer for these little ones who are being abused and violated.

It's just that many of us see through Driscoll and how it's all about him, not Christ.

@ Matt Stephens,

no. you're wrong.

Haiti doesn't need another film crew.

@ eric lewis:

so haiti needs another film crew there?

that's what you're saying?

is it "being critical of others" to raise a legit concern?

is there really any correspondence between behaviors so that one could compare?

apples and oranges.

I know much has been said already, but I must agree that this feels a bit self-serving. I swung by the Churches Helping Churches website and all I really found was a list of churches who were supporting and a place to donate financially. The issue was that I could not find anywhere where it spoke in concrete terms about what was being supported financially.

While I am excited to see that God's people have stepped up to be a part of bringing hope, I am struck with the medium and the tenor with which it is being presented. Feels like a photo-op in the middle of relief work.

The "You're Negative" card has been played. Maybe the "You're Being Judgmental" card will be played soon. Simple ways to sweep away, at least in one's own mind, challenging questions and statements of rebuke and correction. Once the self-justifying card is played, the card player no longer needs to think deeply, examine potential better alternatives, compare God's Word with his own reality, etc. It gives the card player permission to dismiss the opposing view with his own "negative" labels, such as legalistic, divisive, or Satanic accusation of believers. It's quick and easy.

After spending many years in my spiritual life being chained to (addicted) institutionalized faith, I see so many ways in which believers are taught by word and deed by their "leaders" to walk by sight, not by faith. The exact opposite of what the Word calls for. Believers need to see the needs or they will have no heart to feel like giving - right? Parents need to pool $150,000 to send their 24 teens to see the Indian orphanage and help wash dishes so they can see the need and perhaps feel called to go or be more generous givers when they get a job. (The orphanage which desperately needs resources more functional than American faces gets a few scraps.) This is common, normal practice. It's common and normal for every local church to devote 75 - 85% of it's "giving" to buy services that benefit mostly the "givers". Americans can't and won't "be the church" unless they get the best "services".

continued...
Didn't Jesus say "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." Doesn't that mean travel around the world and see with your eyes, then you will be moved to act on reaching the lost? In institutionalized faith it does mean that, sad to say. Billions are spent yearly to send youngsters to "see" the harvest. God doesn't need that kind of seeing to get His people to go or give to the needs. He just needs a testimony of someone already there. The secular news gives us that testimony for free- well maybe it's not free.

In God's grace many who had to see with their eyes first, have gone or given more, but it was still wasted effort because God was doing His work anyway without it. Just that much more resources were sucked away from the harvest.

"The greatest danger is not that we will renounce our faith, but that we will settle for a mediocre version of it." I'd love to know the author of that statement.

Probably well intentioned, but almost certainly not the most effective use of resources. Supporting established organizations in country and/or people with specific needed skills would be more efficient. Also, I pray the church remembers to continue supporting Haiti a year or two or three from now when the media spotlight has faded, but I fear the evangelical attention span is woefully short.

The shirts were probably well intentioned also, but a lot of unchurched people are going to see that slogan as pretty exclusive.

Sigh.

It seems to me that if you like Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald and their belief system you will approve of what they are doing. If not, you will find fault. If the faces were that of Brian Maclaren and Tony Jones, would you make the same comments?

Melody,

Absolutely.

yep.

because the last thing haiti needs is another film crew.

this isn't about ideology/theology. This is about Haiti.

I have no idea what Brian Mclaren or Tony Jones has to do with this post or the critique raised.

furthermore, i have no idea why Driscoll or MacDonald are the issue.

it could be Boo-Boo Kitty with a camera crew for all I care.

After reading the comments, I had such an uneasy feeling, but I wasn't sure why. After I thought about it for a while I realized why. The point of the post was a report of the victimization of young girls in the wake of the Haiti earthquake--AND WE'RE ARGUING ABOUT MARK DRISCOLL'S CAMERA CREW?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

For crying out loud, that's what we're outraged about? Please don't get me wrong, and for the record, I am NOT a supporter of the current celebrity culture in the church (which, by the way, is not unique to North America). But talk about majoring in the minors! Let Mark Driscoll do whatever he wants, I DON'T CARE. You can't control him. If he is in the wrong, he will stand in judgment before the One who knows the motives of our hearts. You, live out God's calling for YOUR LIFE where you are.

I took a break from this blog for a while because I was afraid it might be hurting my soul. I came back today, and it only took this post to get me feeling sick again. I'm all for debating ideas and listening to opposing points of view in a context of grace and respect, but that's not what I see happening here! All I read are the same tired arguments from each side, back and forth, a lot of talking, a lot of name calling, a lot of reacting, but no real listening, no synergy, no insights into how to live the gospel that are fresh and creative.

I pastor three Spanish churches in West Texas. Most of my members have never heard of Mark Driscoll. They're too busy with their own problems, and their own hurts, and their own fights among themselves. I can't do anything about Driscoll, but I pray that I CAN be a healing presence from God in their lives. So I'll be taking another break from Out of Ur so I can be with them. I don't know if I'll be back...