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The Acapodcast.

On a non-religious note, I was sad to hear that one of my long time favorite podcasts – The Acapodcast – is ending production. As you Wired Jesus know, podcast production for oldtimers and indies like me can become hit or miss, with droughts and then a short spurt. In a world where some of us pioneers remember the glory days, we are left in the dust in an iTunes world and corporate podcasting. I remember when there were less than 100 religious podcasts and Wired Jesus was in the Top 25 with 5,000 plus subscribers. Now WJP is not even a blip on the iTunes radar.

But I still plan to continue and many of you have made it clear via email or just by subscription numbers, that you are still there and listening.

Back to The Acapodcast. A big thank you to Chad for a great show on acapella music and its sad when its making a come back with shows like The Sing Off, to have to say goodbye. The site and past episodes will still be up and if you are a fan of acapella, check it out. But no more new episodes. Chad, you were a pioneer and you will be missed.

Church Trends with Sam Chand | TonyMorganLive.com.

Tony Morgan has become one of my go to resources on understanding the church today, particularly for those of us leading/developing multi-staff settings. This interview and identification of the major church trends in 2011 is spot on and we, as church leaders, ignore it as our peril.

Its an article I plan to use with our lay leadership in the next two months. The trends, particularly of shrinking staff, succcession, technology, the non-member attendee, and the Pastor’s family time are vital.

wired dark side

Thanks to Bob Cannon for letting me know about the sound problem. I borrowed my oldest son’s gaming headset since my headset mike is busted and the sound was very different than what I usually set up for. So I didn’t check closely enough on the sound levels and the background music became too loud at spots. Here’s a second try that is clearer, so enjoy.

Download the podcast here.

And for those wondering about the clip from “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?”, here is the whole scene. In this you get the hopeful part about how, despite their differences, he still loves his dad.

A moment of personal privilege – as a movie buff, “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” has, IMHO, one of the greatest moments in film history – Spencer Tracy’s closing speech. At the height of the Civil Rights movement, it was radical. Today, its still speaks powerfully about love, prejudice, and oppression by culture.

wired jesus end of the world

Just in time to end the year, a new podcast. Its a little different from some podcasts in that it has less to do with any specific site on the web and more to do with what I see as the transitions going on in the world, generations, and in the church. As I say in the podcast, I believe something significant has died in the last two years in American culture and the church that we are only beginning to grasp now. In politics, religion, generations, and faith, something has changed dramatically and our unknown future is going to be fundamentally different. What that will be, I don’t know but in the long run, it will be a good thing. In a sense, the 21st Century and its digital generations and language have taken the church back to the First Century. The affluent church of the boomers is giving way to a missional church quite unlike what we have know and thats a good thing, even if painful.

Download the podcast here.

Links:
The Fourth Turning

The Shallowest Generation

Check Out wikiChurch

wikichurch

Good blogs are hard to find. Good blogs on religion are even harder. Good religion blogs on religion that are trying to come up with a theolgical construct and language for the 21st Century? Good luck.

wikiChurch is the blog and facebook page of my friend, Nathan Swenson-Reinhold and is well worth pastor people checking out. When seminaries are still churning out pastors who are trained to be be chaplains and caretakers that perpetuate needy congregations, wikichurch is one of those rare places that seeks to reframe the theology of mission in the language of the digital culture. As part of his doctoral program, you get to be a contributor to Nathan’s process, not just a lurking observer.

So check out the wikiChurch blog or facebook and let me know what you think.

A Tough Season for Believers – NYTimes.com.

A very interesting article that really is not announcing anything new – mainline, organized religion is dying and its future is a return to its roots 2,000 years ago in thriving in a multifaith, multicultural empire. What is fascinating is the NY Times admitting it.

Igniter Media has a viral hit on its hands. Not only is this quickly making the rounds on YouTube but I think pastors like me are recognizing one of the most powerful retellings of the Christmas story that I have seen in years. I think if there was any question that postmoderns are digital natives and speak their own language, this is proof of it. If you are over 50 and don’t use facebook, this will go right past you. If you are under 40 and facebook is part of your daily life, then the power of the Christmas is going to hit you right between the eyes in your own language. Makes me think we need a facebook bible.

That being said, have a merry Christmas everyone. Wired Jesus is still lurking out there in hopes of podcasts again, so here’s to a new year.

Prepare Ye: Everybody Hurts, But You Are Not Alone.

Came across this video this morning while working on weekend advent worship. A seminary student at the Lutheran Seminary there posted it. Great song, great cover.

Collide Magazine | The iPad is Here, and It’s Coming to Your Church.

Okay, I love the tech but there are indications that the iPad may become one of the biggest game changers/ministry tools since the yellow pad and the truly portable notebook. I have friends who now swear by their iPad and only use a laptop as a docking station and for worship presentation software. Everything else is handled via the iPad.

As this article is pointing out, it has the potential to change the pews, eliminating bibles, hymnals, and increased interactivity. Its looking like next gen printing press revolution

So, what are your thoughts and what articles beyond this have you come across.

Top Ten Things That Will Make You Crazy Working at a Church » MondayMorningInsight.com.

In light of the atheist pastor story and my impending podcast (I know, I keep threatening), comes this brilliant insight that any pastor will give a rousing Amen, a few laughs, and one or two “why the heck am I putting myself through this?”

As I have often heard said, the church has the most exciting, motivating, and life changing message that the world could want and we have gone out of our way to make it boring, irrelevant, or all about us instead of Jesus. Christmas is one opportunity every year when the disinterested arrive out of family compulsion or habit. Maybe this time we can be ready to announce the story in a meaningful way and when they come back, make them Christ followers instead of crazy.

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