Christian Celebrity popularity contest (the nines)

I am not up to date on all things, so if this has been said before by others pardon for saying the same thing but...

What the hell is going on?

Oh the drama, who will win out and be speaker for the nines conferences? The macho bad boy pastor Mark Driscoll? The scholarly N T Wright? The social justice ubber hippy Shane Claiborne? competition is fierce ladies and gentleman. Who gets the most votes?

But that isn't the whole contest, we have some people campaigning not to win but just to finish higher than other people. Seriously have we gone nuts?

I mean this cult of celebrity, meets consumerism at the cathedral needs to be called what it is... absolute bullshit. The most incredible life changing messages I have ever heard at a conference were sitting around tables with the punters that were doing it hard just like me. Or the relatively unknown guy who showed up and had the courage to say what needed to be said whether it was welcomed or not. Besides can't you just buy their new book? I am sure it is on sale... everywhere.

Or maybe I am just jealous because no one is begging me to come speak at some Christian conference. Yeah thats probably it

rev