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The Authenticity of Facebook and Twitter | Big Is The New Small

Feb 16th, 2011 by

scott williams

The Authenticity of Facebook and Twitter | Big Is The New Small.

I credit Scott Williams for causing me to rethink and discover twitter as being something more than bumper sticker wisdom. I can’t recall where I came across his blog, but as I started following his twitter feed, it opened up how leaders are using twitter for development and deeper communication. If anything, tweets are now the front end/summary for blogs and indepth commentary that facebook will never match. Following his recommendation of Hootsuite, its a whole new level of learning and reflection at my fingertips in the morning as I start my day.

My next podcast will be on twitter, leadership, and reflecting on God. Its been a new twist in my wired wanderings so props to scott for the new road.

His post here is about how authenticity has been lost in human relations and that our digital interactions can actually be a source of restoration if we realize that we are a consistent self, both in meat world and virtually. The moment we separate and wear multiple masks in either space, we lose authenticity. Check out the blog but definitely sign up for his twitter feed.

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Posted in American Culture, Friends, Language and Lingo, Leadership Resources | No Comments »

My Faith: Suffering my way to a new tomorrow – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs

Feb 14th, 2011 by

Rob Bell wired enn

My Faith: Suffering my way to a new tomorrow – CNN Belief Blog – CNN.com Blogs.

This popped on on my twitter feed this morning. It was a good mood changer on what had started out as a gloomy, discouraging day. Rob has a classical understanding of suffering, not the “God won’t let you suffer more than you are able” triteness, but real, concrete divine presence in the midst of suffering. Check out the article on CNN.

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Posted in Suffering - When Bad Things Happen to Anyone | No Comments »

Wired Jesus Podcast 57 – Luddites, Revolutionaries, and Missionaries

Feb 2nd, 2011 by

ground hog wired

Thanks to the snowstorm that has shut down most everything here in NW Ohio, it seemed the right time to finish up a podcast. While its a little rambling, I try and paint the picture is that there is a global revolution going on in younger generations that involves freedom and creativity that is being powered by social networking and being fought by Boomers who want to stay in control. I would argue that is what you are seeing in Egypt, in this country, and in Christian congregations. So in the face of revolution, some are choosing to be missionaries who engage faith in a changing world. Others are choosing to be Luddites who attack the digital networks and language of younger generations to “protect” faith and privilege from a changing world. The end result? Dying older churches, growing younger churches, and more and more people walking away from churches as irrelevant and disconnected.


Download the podcast here.

Links:
Twitter and Facebook don’t connect people – they isolate them from reality, say a rising number of academics

The Dumbest Generation

Stately Raven Bookstore Closing

Who were the Luddites?

New Luddites – A fascinating commentary by a “digital polytheist” regarding technology, luddism, and religion.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Posted in American Culture, Generations - Guttenbergers vs. Googlers, Postmodern Perspectives, Wired Jesus Podcast | 2 Comments »

WLOS ABC 13 News :: Top Stories – Mountain Church Brawl

Jan 31st, 2011 by

WLOS ABC 13 News :: Top Stories – Mountain Church Brawl.

There is no church fight quite like a church fight over a polarizing pastor.

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Posted in The Organized Church, Weirdness, Will the Real God Please Stand Up? | No Comments »

Social networking under fresh attack as tide of cyber-scepticism sweeps US | Media | The Observer

Jan 22nd, 2011 by

social networking

Social networking under fresh attack as tide of cyber-scepticism sweeps US | Media | The Observer.

I sent this on to Leonard Sweet. I’d bet money that the academics are boomers who struggle to communicate in the digital world. For all the talk of creating isolation, I think its may be as much the growing sense of isolation by Guttenbergers (print boomer generation) and Googlers (digital natives), to use Sweet’s terms. I see it in the church and elsewhere – an acceleration of the digital world, its language, its speed of communication, and increasing complexity that is leaving even digital immigrants behind.

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Posted in American Culture, Generations - Guttenbergers vs. Googlers, Language and Lingo, Postmodern Perspectives, Social Networking | No Comments »

Buy A Little Bit of Jesus: Jesus As Commodity

Jan 22nd, 2011 by

Fox Rejects Jesus Hates Obama Ad

Okay, first it was the Doritos Eucharist, now Jesus Hates Obama. My first response was I didn’t know that Jesus was trying so hard to be on the Superbowl. My second response was that advertisers will do most anything for 30 seconds of fame.

In thinking a little more, I think something more significant is reflected in this. Following Jesus is supposed to be about a relationship with a real person, an intimate connect with God that is based in love and service. I think both these adds point to the reality that American Christians, particularly those of the Protestant tribes, have turned Jesus into a commodity, an object to bought and sold like the indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church in Luther’s day.

So, be it a bobblehead or corn chip, these two ads say it all. Jesus is a commodity and a mascot, not someone to know, follow and be transformed by. And we only have ourselves to blame.

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Posted in American Culture, Jesus the Christ, Will the Real God Please Stand Up? | No Comments »

‘Skins’ Star Defends Show’s Racy Content: ‘It’s What Teens Are Doing’ – The Hollywood Reporter

Jan 21st, 2011 by

skins

‘Skins’ Star Defends Show’s Racy Content: ‘It’s What Teens Are Doing’ – The Hollywood Reporter.

First Glee, now Skins. Are these shows “sexualizing” our teens or are the symptom and result of the Boomer sexualization of society? Perhaps the question not whether we can stop this but do we understand how we got here?

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Posted in American Culture, Television | No Comments »

Arizona Shooting Massacre Brings Need for Healing, Lesson in Forgiveness – FoxNews.com

Jan 13th, 2011 by

forgive

Arizona Shooting Massacre Brings Need for Healing, Lesson in Forgiveness – FoxNews.com.

I’m posting this with a quick note right now to remind myself to say more later. This whole mess and the civility debate just strikes me as weird, insensitive, and manipulative.

This story is one of the few stories that takes the faith angle as opposed to the political blame game that is going on. Its goes back to the Amish school house shooting and their witness of forgiveness.

More to come.

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Posted in American Culture, Prayer, Wandering | No Comments »

Ad playing Doritos for Eucharist yanked from Super Bowl contest – Faith & Reason

Jan 9th, 2011 by

dorito christ communion

Ad playing Doritos for Eucharist yanked from Super Bowl contest – Faith & Reason.

Gee, who could possibly be offended by a commercial where a priest uses pepsi and doritos in communion to get more people into church, thereby raising more money to pay church bills?

I believe God has a sense of humor, even about the sacred, but you have to be completely clueless to believe that only a “few” Christians would find this offensive. Pepsi has pulled the ad and you can’t find it on youtube or a google search. But it does point to the reality that one of the most sacred rites of Christianity is largely misunderstood today culturally. Ad agencies are supposed to know what connects with our culture, what are the taboos, and what is effective marketing to create goodwill. I keep pointing out to folks that if 50% of people under the age of 40 were raised outside of any religious tradition, not only are they not “coming back to church” (either by having kids or desiring childhood comforts of faith), they were never here and don’t understand. For an ad agency to be completely clueless about this just points to the problems of being a Christian today – we are fringe, not mainstream; we are a separate culture, not connected; and we are no longer communicating the Gospel in a meaningful and relevant way.

An offensive moment is also a teaching moment. We may be offended, Pepsi may have decided to care enough to pull the ad, but don’t expect it to last if we continue to be an isolating subculture instead of an evangelizing community.

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Posted in American Culture, Drink, Eat, The Organized Church, Worship | 2 Comments »

toledoblade.com — The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio

Jan 6th, 2011 by

thrshold

toledoblade.com — The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio.

My friend, Tom Schaeffer, our synod’s new mission start, Threshold made the front page of The Toledo Blade. For many folks outside the denominational tribes, Threshold may not seem that new. For a denominational endorsed new congregation, its positively radical and risky. We Lutherans tend to get caught in “we’ve never done it that way before,” not only in our existing congregation but also in how we try to build new congregations. Threshold has the leadership, the approvals, and the freedom to be something different.

Check it out.

threshold

Posted in Cool Congregations, Postmodern Perspectives | No Comments »

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