A Confession
I do hope this is the last time I refer to my post on Erwin McManus. As I have been thinking about it and talking about it with Andrew and Patrick a bit over the last few days, I have come to three conclusions, and they are as follows (with elaboration):
1.) There wasn't anything wrong with the facts that I stated -- that is, WHAT I said. Even though I surely could have had more information about McManus, that wasn't my goal. I reviewed a short interview, and I interacted with the statements he made within that interview. It was not meant as a comprehensive analysis of the man's ministry. Yes, I said in the article that it seemed that he has his priorities out of order with regard to doctrine, but it doesn't necessarily follow that his actual doctrines are in error from that. If I am wrong in my analysis of his attitude toward doctrine, I'd love to be shown to be in error. So far, that hasn't happened.
2.) It appears that I used a proper format in the critiqure -- that is, HOW I said it. I made much effort to be gentle, and even lauded Erwin in a few areas that were revealed in that interview that I thought were excellent. There were some criticisms, but I do feel that the way I handled it was in line with the Scriptures. Again, if someone can show me from the Scriptures how I've erred here, I'll repent publically.
3.)I wrote the review, in part, because of Patrick our youth minister, giving a book by Erwin to our students -- the reason WHY I did it. Here is where I made a BIG MISTAKE, and I want to repent of that publicly since the error was commited publicly. Patrick didn't say I had to do this; he was content to receive my repentance in private, but I wanted to bring this to the forefront.
When I wrote the post, I had received a link from a friend in #prosapologian with the information I reviewed. So then, I went to work reading through the article, and saw some things that were objectionable and decided I finally had something I could write about. My motivation was to raise a red flag, so that people who read this blog (some of our youth included) would see that and have some discernment when reading the books Patrick was giving out.
In the process, unwittingly (I know, total doofus that I was) I was in effect saying that Patrick had no discernment, and that he couldn't be trusted.
Patrick is the youth pastor at our church. Therefore, he is one of the elders of our church (though we don't call them that or give them the proper authority they should have). Furthermore, I am under his authority both as a member under an elder and the fact that I teach a youth Sunday School class. Beyond that, I asked him a while back to review content on my blog and hold me accountable to it, so that this blog would be a ministry of our church and thus under the authority of it (which I thought was appropriate). And here I am saying that he didn't know what he was talking about and was haphazardly recommending things for our students to read.
There is but one way to describe what I did in that regard -- I was wrong. I sinned; it is really that simple. God has placed him over the youth ministry, not me, and therefore I was out of line. I realize that now.
Anyway, there you have it. I do now hope the discussion of the post will end for all parties involved. :)
A Worm Redeemed by Christ,
David Benjamin Hewitt
1.) There wasn't anything wrong with the facts that I stated -- that is, WHAT I said. Even though I surely could have had more information about McManus, that wasn't my goal. I reviewed a short interview, and I interacted with the statements he made within that interview. It was not meant as a comprehensive analysis of the man's ministry. Yes, I said in the article that it seemed that he has his priorities out of order with regard to doctrine, but it doesn't necessarily follow that his actual doctrines are in error from that. If I am wrong in my analysis of his attitude toward doctrine, I'd love to be shown to be in error. So far, that hasn't happened.
2.) It appears that I used a proper format in the critiqure -- that is, HOW I said it. I made much effort to be gentle, and even lauded Erwin in a few areas that were revealed in that interview that I thought were excellent. There were some criticisms, but I do feel that the way I handled it was in line with the Scriptures. Again, if someone can show me from the Scriptures how I've erred here, I'll repent publically.
3.)I wrote the review, in part, because of Patrick our youth minister, giving a book by Erwin to our students -- the reason WHY I did it. Here is where I made a BIG MISTAKE, and I want to repent of that publicly since the error was commited publicly. Patrick didn't say I had to do this; he was content to receive my repentance in private, but I wanted to bring this to the forefront.
When I wrote the post, I had received a link from a friend in #prosapologian with the information I reviewed. So then, I went to work reading through the article, and saw some things that were objectionable and decided I finally had something I could write about. My motivation was to raise a red flag, so that people who read this blog (some of our youth included) would see that and have some discernment when reading the books Patrick was giving out.
In the process, unwittingly (I know, total doofus that I was) I was in effect saying that Patrick had no discernment, and that he couldn't be trusted.
Patrick is the youth pastor at our church. Therefore, he is one of the elders of our church (though we don't call them that or give them the proper authority they should have). Furthermore, I am under his authority both as a member under an elder and the fact that I teach a youth Sunday School class. Beyond that, I asked him a while back to review content on my blog and hold me accountable to it, so that this blog would be a ministry of our church and thus under the authority of it (which I thought was appropriate). And here I am saying that he didn't know what he was talking about and was haphazardly recommending things for our students to read.
There is but one way to describe what I did in that regard -- I was wrong. I sinned; it is really that simple. God has placed him over the youth ministry, not me, and therefore I was out of line. I realize that now.
Anyway, there you have it. I do now hope the discussion of the post will end for all parties involved. :)
A Worm Redeemed by Christ,
David Benjamin Hewitt
Labels: Miscellaneous
posted by David B. Hewitt at
11:45 AM
2 Comments:
I wish there was more critiquing of mcmanus going on and less regrets.
It's funny how a new doctor comes to town selling new and strange medicine yet no one is willing to question him. I guess this is what mcmanus means by taking risk.
By
Anonymous, at Monday, August 07, 2006 6:45:00 AM
I may in the future point out a particular thing about McManus or someone else, but I'll make sure I do it a little differently. :)
I don't regret what I said or how I said it; I regret a large part of the motivation for doing so, and that is why I repented.
Anyway, thanks for dropping by!
DBH
By
David B. Hewitt, at Monday, August 07, 2006 9:41:00 AM
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