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YvonneW -> RE: Erwin Raphael McManus | Mosaic (2/28/2008 2:52:16 PM)
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Jacobwdowning:
You wrote,
quote:
So how can you say that Erwin is not good because he uses the term "emerging angle". Could he simply mean the not judging angle as most people in what they would call modern churches are more willing to cast the first stone then to realize the sin in there own life.
I didn't say "Erwin is not good because he uses the term "emerging angle." Please don't put words in my mouth.
In my post above, I wrote that Erwin and Mosaic "have done and are still doing some phenomenal things for the cause of Christ." What I meant by this is that they have done some very GOOD things in their ministry.
What bothers me though are the things that are not so good.
If, as you wrote, when Erwin uses the "emerging angle" he means to describe himself as non-judgemental and not willing to "cast the first stone" without first looking at the sin in one's own life, then why has he used judgemental language about other people? Has he taken the time to really look at himself lately?
This is what the "Lead Like Jesus" conference taught it's attendees:
LEAD LIKE JESUS
Hosted by Kenneth Blanchard and Erwin McManus
Twelve Steps of EGOs Anonymous
1. I admit I have allowed my pride and fears to negatively impact my role as a Jesus-like leader.
2. I believe that God can transform my leadership motives, thoughts, and actions to be like those modeled by Jesus.
3. I have decided to surrender my leadership efforts to God and to follow the leadership model of Jesus.
4. I will make an inventory of my leadership motives, thoughts, and actions that are inconsistent with Servant Leadership.
5. I admit to God, to myself and to at least one other person the nature of my leadership gaps.
6. I am ready to have God remove all character defects that have created gaps in my leadership.
7. I ask God to remove my shortcomings and to strengthen me against the pride and fear temptations of my EGO.
8. I will list individuals whom I may have harmed by my EGO-driven leadership.
9. I will make direct amends to people I may have harmed by my EGO-driven leadership, unless doing so would injure them or others.
10. I will continue to take personal inventory regarding my leadership role; and when I am wrong I will promptly admit it and apologize.
11. By practicing the disciplines of solitude, prayer, and the study of Scriptures, I will seek to practice Servant Leadership as modeled by Jesus.
12. I will carry the message of Leading Like Jesus to other leaders and will practice the Lead Like Jesus principles in all of my relationships.
It seems clear to me that if Erwin McManus wants to place himself in the public eye by participating in such high profile positions as co-host of the "Lead Like Jesus Conference" then he should be willing and prepared to live up to the publicized standards of such a conference.
Has he followed up on the above principles in his own life? What about points number 8, 9 and 10?
As far as I know, Erwin has not yet apologized to Pastor Thomas Wolf or Mr. Sortino for the hurtful words he has published about them.
Getting back to Erwin's theology, there are things that I feel are "not quite right" either.
For example, here are some direct quotes made by Erwin McManus in his podcast message on Ecclesiastes, "New Under the Sun":
Erwin says about Ecclesiastes 1 that it is, "The Scrooge of all passages"
“I don't want you to miss this, when Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, Solomon was wrong. When I first said this to my wife she said, "You're going to burn." (Laughter can be heard in the background.)
“Solomon was having a bad day.”
Quoting Solomon: "’Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.’ Erwin says, "Do you believe this?”
Erwin has this to say about Ecclesiastes. 217 , "You should be careful about taking advice from a man who says he hates his life."
Erwin says this about Solomon: "He is more Buddhist than Hebrew or Christian."
This is Erwin commenting on Isaiah 43:19 "See I am doing a new thing." Erwin - "No, no that can't be true. This is one of those moments, its embarrassing, don't I wish God had actually taken time to read the Bible because if you're going to write it you should read it because back there in Ecclesiastes Solomon says there is nothing new under the sun, nothing new under the sun, nothing, nothing, new under the sun, and God now says, ‘See I'm doing a new thing.’ Can't happen God! So who you gonna believe? Solomon on a bad day or God on the day we need Him most?"
[I can't even read the italicized part of the statement above without cringing.]
Commenting on Luke 1:26 Erwin gives the example of the virgin birth as God doing a new thing. Erwin's conclusion is: "If Solomon had been there he would have said, ‘That's new, that's new.’”
I find it hard to believe that a pastor would say such things about a king whom the bible tells us was granted wisdom by God so that he became the wisest man who ever lived.
Sure, Solomon eventually turned his back on God but this was near the end of his life, not during the peak of his reign when he wrote Ecclesiastes. I was taught that when Solomon wrote "There is nothing new under the sun," he meant that to be taken as a metaphor for this "earthly" life, a life lived without God as one's focus. Isn't that the whole message of Ecclesiastes?
It's the "little things" like this that leave me feeling very uneasy about Erwin's theological views and doctrine.
Yvonne W.
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