Reformed Superstars?
Timmy Brister has posed a challenging question to those within the Reformed resurgence, “Are We Creating a Reformed Celebrity Culture?” I would encourage you to read the comments and leave your own thoughts regarding this issue.
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I think Timmy has raised an important question. There is a temptation for those who seek “the glory of God alone” to create a new suburb in the “gospel ghetto”. While there are men who are extremely gifted and help not only their local congregations, but the Body of Christ at large (thank you God!), it should be remembered that they are merely men. There have been some instances, I think, where some of these fellows get a “free pass” because of their status.
A couple of years ago I went to the Ligonier Conference. R.C. Sproul, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, John MacArthur, Derek Thomas. I had a hard time staying awake and was disappointed that the only way to meet any of the speakers was to go through the autograph line in the book store.
Last year I attended the T4G conference. It was actually very good (imagine three thousand men singing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!). In the end, I would probably have benefited more from listening to the messages on a recording.
I think what you said at Timmy’s blog about the conferences being helpful in the early days is spot on. Now, unfortunately, it seems more like the traveling medicine show…just nicer suits and more articulate and learned sellers, er, speakers.
It isn’t that I wouldn’t attend one that was on a good topic with good speakers, but it seems like those who protest loudest against the consumerization of the church are becoming quite skilled at it. (Insert caveat about loving and respecting and learning from R.C., Piper, Duncan, etc. HERE)
I’m in agreement with Timmy Brister. We see the same phenomenon down here in Australia; probably not quite as hyped as some of the American conferences, but we are seeing certain names emerge as the ‘big men’. We risk doing to them what so many of us have done to Calvin and Luther (or should I call them ‘The Reformers’? Does that sound more impressive?).
I heard (by a second-hand report, admittedly) that one of these ‘big men’ is so occupied doing the work of the kingdom, that he does not have time to mow his own lawn; he has ‘bigger things’ to do for God, and mowing the lawn would be a waste of his AMAZING gifts and precious hours. Someone else has apparently made it their ministry to do it for him. I wonder if someone else does his hobbies for him? (I truly hope that this speculative report is erroneous. I think we should regard it as such, but it is conceivable in the present climate, is it not?)
Dare we add, we all know what happens when one of them ‘falls’. I remember this happening to a ‘big name’ in British-Australian circles about 8 years ago, and what followed was shocking. No one wanted to be seen with his books (so I bought ‘em up cheap! Yippee!), and his name is now a byword for disgrace.
We set them up on a pedestal, and then when they fall, we stand around them, tut-tutting and saying, “You know, it’s such a shame. He had such amazing gifts and now he’s just thrown them away.” And we grieve for what’s happened to their families – who, incidentally, we didn’t give a stuff about while the men were on the pedestal.
So much for love, and so much for grace. It all evaporates when ‘one of the mighty’ falls. This in itself suggests a deep unhealth with our celebrity obsessions.
In saying all this, however, I do not cease to give thanks to God for these guys. And for our local pastors doing it tough.
As an aside, I think the next time I do attend a conferene with all the reformed rock stars, I will wear all black (including fingernails, hair, mascara) and add various piercings for good measure…you know…just to keep the spirit of the thing. (chortle)
UberGoober:
You’ll stand out, no doubt!
It is clear we must keep our eyes on the Creator and not the creation…or reformer. I attend a great little church in which the pastor and nearly all the elders are from Master’s Seminary (MacArthur’s Mecca). The majority of the congregation sports MacArthur Study Bibles, and his name is dropped in many a sermon. Again, it’s a great, biblically sound church, but are we relying too heavily on these reformed celebrities?
I am very grateful for these men and their diligence and exegesis, but we need to be careful about setting them up on pedestals. It isn’t the Gospel of Sproul or MacArthur; it’s the Gospel of Christ.