These happen for a reason. A few reasons. First, my brain works like this. Second, while some of these may become a post one day, most don’t have the legs. Third, I get in trouble with my wife if I don’t post them.
1) I hate violence. But more than that, I hate violence against the weak and the powerless.
2) I’m late to the party on NEEDTOBREATHE but my wife and I have really enjoyed listening to them, even though they have the worst band name ever.
3) While I understand the desire for bloggers to write posts about the lessons learned from the Mark Driscoll/Mars Hill debacle, I do not think the time has come for those posts yet. The story is still unfolding. There are real people’s lives still being adversely affected in real time by the ongoing actions and non-action of Driscoll and Mars Hill Leadership. Posts of lessons learned are good clickbait but reduce what is happening without waiting for the fallout. This is not merely the story of what could happen. This is a story of what is happening.
4) Am I the only one who feels more secure when I wear a jacket or coat? Not just against the cold weather, but more secure as a person. I should probably talk to my therapist about that.
5) My daughter has her first “dance” this Friday night and there is not enough Xanax in the world.
6) I keep hearing about so many pastors leaving the ministry to go do something else. I do not blame them so much as want to warn them of what I’ve been through. Maybe they will be more successful outside vocational ministry than I have been. And therefore not as miserable. But it is a little unnerving. I do not judge them. But am unnerved and wonder if something is afoot.
7) Better band name than NEEDTOBREATHE: The Need to, The Need, The Needs, NTB, ntb, (basically anything except what they have), etc.
8) I cannot for the life of me understand all the emphasis on leadership among pastors and minsters. The New Testament has so many admonitions to our leaders and none of them sound like the leadership lessons being bought and sold these days. I’m gonna go out on a limb and assume that the leadership lessons for pastors will not work in the business world. But the lessons of the business world, specifically marketing, are the order of the day.
9) I imagine heaven is a lot like when I’m sitting around the kitchen table laughing with my wife and kids.
10) Just kidding, I don’t have a therapist. #wine
Echoes and Stars 
As a huge NEEDTOBREATHE fan, glad to hear you have found them! As for the name, read this explanation for the name and see if it changes your mind a little bit.
http://www.air1.com/promodetails.aspx?i=3262
I think in addition to being too early to write about Mars Hill, I think it is inappropriate to use Mars Hill as an example of why x (mega-church, celebrity pastors, multi-site, etc) is bad. As sad as a situation as Mars Hill is and as much as we need to learn from it eventually, it is one church. And it is not an example of why the thing that you don’t like is bad for all of Christianity.
What we can eventually probably learn is that bad leadership is going to eventually become a destructive congregation. But that is about the leadership, not necessarily the model.
(And keep up the random thoughts. I enjoy them.)
1) Ditto 2) I Googled “worst band names ever”. Believe me, there are worse. 3) Understand that this debacle is the culmination of years of abuse. So, for some it’s way too late. 4) Same 5) It only gets worse 6) Sometimes people just have to learn the hard way 7) You should find a therapist to talk to about this. 8) Churches ARE the corporate world these days. Sad, but true. 9) A very nice thought. My dad will probably join you around your heavenly table and regale you with corny jokes.10) #winetherapy
Thank you. I look forward to Thursdays now. Tell your wife to keep up the good work. 🙂