Mark Driscoll's Seattle Times column: "Had a frustrating day? Imagine the frustration we inflict on God daily." Always helpful to see faithful pastors engaging culture and giving us a model for engaging culture.
Jesus-follower, husband, father, pastor, photographer, writer
Interesting column, but I'm not crazy about the word choice of us being "frustrating" to God. According to dictionary.com, frustrate means "to prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart."
Saying that we are frustrating to God conveys to me a picture of God wringing his hands, powerless to do what he really wants to because we're standing in his way. That's far from the truth.
Am I off base here?
Posted by: Tim Ellsworth | 03/11/2006 at 03:38 PM
God frustrated.
***Calvinist alarms***
In his parables, Jesus often assigned to the "God" character emotions and experiences that we might find less than accurate in the truest sense. Ex: The "frustration" of the neighbor whose persistent neighbor keeps knocking. Or the similar frustration of the judge in giving the widow justice.
Posted by: iMonk | 03/11/2006 at 05:20 PM
Finally, it comes out driscoll believes that we can frustrate the will of God! Or, he isn't using the term frustrated that way. It's one of the two.
Posted by: Michael Foster | 03/11/2006 at 07:12 PM
My thoughts...not using the term frustrated that way.
Posted by: Mike Hilliard | 03/11/2006 at 10:11 PM
I don't think he's using the term that way either. If I did, my criticism would have been a heckuva lot stronger. I like Driscoll, and the reason I don't think he's using it that way is because I'm familiar with him.
If others aren't familiar with him, however, I'm just saying there's the possibility he could be misunderstood. I wish he would have chosen a little different language. That's all.
Posted by: Tim Ellsworth | 03/12/2006 at 08:31 AM
Tim,
I hear ya man! No worries...I was just messing with you.
Posted by: Michael Foster | 03/13/2006 at 02:04 PM