Wired Jesus Podcast

Move Update

May 20th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

chicago

The move to Chicago continues to go well. The people in the congregation have been great, I’ve got one bedroom and the dining room painting, and should have the house in HGTV shape before long. I’ve been involved with some meetings regarding TransformingChurch.com (I’m a contributor and on the advisory group) and a new postmodern initiative, so life continues to be hectic. But, I think I’m far enough along to post a podcast on Sunday. Here’s hoping. After all, if you happen to be one of the folks coming because of my Lutheran magazine article, I really should have some current stuff up. For all of you who have been subscribing for the past year, thanks for hanging in there.

Posted in Wired Jesus Basics | 1 Comment »

My Latest Article

May 20th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

lutheranism 101

Every now and then I try and float articles that try help pastors and others in the church better understand the challenges of postmoderns and faith. Some have been on ezines, a couple a few other places, but my denominational magazine finally picked one up on “Postmodern Lutherans” (now those of you are Lutherans or have Lutheran friends, you can stop laughing now. 🙂 )

Church leaders are starting to realize that they are missing the boat with our generation and to a large extent, we don’t care. Lutherans used to think of evangelism as waiting for immigrants to come over from the “Old Country”, marrying non-Lutherans, or making more babies (popularly referred to as bedroom evangelism). Not that it worked well before, the landscape has completely changed now. A recent article in The Chicago Tribune pointed that out to me and that will be the subject of my next podcast, hopefully tomorrow.

Anyway, if you want to check out my article, you can find here at The Lutheran Magazine.

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The Evolution of Dance

May 20th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

I like to cruise YouTube and IFILM for video clips but somehow I missed this one until a friend sent it to me. Even if you don’t like to dance, there is no mistaking these moves if you were watching TV in the 80s and since. To look at this guy, you wouldn’t think he had moves like this! Even threw in one of my favs, a little Billy Idol.

I checked out his web page – lifeischange.com – and it turns out he is an inspirational comic named Judson Laipply from my old stomping grounds in Northwestern Ohio. May have to check this guy out and see if I can bring him out to Chicagoland. I wonder if he does stand up sermons… 🙂

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Wired Jesus Podcast # 26 – You’re Beautiful On a Bad Day

Apr 22nd, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

Finally, after starting the move and the new job in Chicago, here is a new Wired Jesus Podcast. Its my reflections on Easter and two of the more intriguing videos I’ve seen lately – You’re Beautiful by James Blunt and Bad Day by Matthew Powter. Between the two, I see a connection with Easter and the longing we have to be really connected with people around us. Too often we find ourselves moving around too often, passing people too quickly, and not really able to find anything resembling authentic love. These songs I think touch on this human need with a spiritual connection.

Also, I mentioned the wine bar and band from my Friday night outing. If you live in the Chicago area, check out live band nights on the weekends at Vine Tastings and Franklin Mullen and his band when they are around.

Click here to download this podcast.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Posted in Music, Wired Jesus Podcast | 8 Comments »

He Lives!

Apr 15th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

Here it is the day before Easter and I actually have some free time to start working on Wired Jesus again. The move to Chicago has gone well and all the glitches that go alone with buying a home and selling one will start to get ironed out. However, tomorrow is my first Sunday to lead worship and I’m looking forward to it.

Thanks for all the emails asking how I have been doing and the increasingly stern requests to get my act together and get a podcast done. I’ll work on a show yet today and try and get it posted by Monday night.

Have a happy Easter and try not to let the bunny get you down.

tom

Posted in Its All About Me! | 1 Comment »

A Little Fun

Mar 13th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

I have the notes for a podcast on where do postmoderns hang out for fun. Not too long ago I came across an article on postmoderns, satire, and religion and I’m going to use that for a podcast. What kind of sense of humor did Jesus have? How about Christians today? What is the line between fun, critique, and blasphemy?

I personally think we need laughter and irreverance to keep us grounded about what is really important. So with that said, check out the Urban Kook Podcast by Bryan Hiott. Good fun from a Wired Jesus listener.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Why No Podcast?

Mar 13th, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

Been getting some emails and like I said in my last post, this whole moving business is just nuts. I am packing here and wrapping things up at this congregation, moving to Chi-Town in four weeks, starting at the new church in five, doing my first preaching on Easter Sunday, showing our house trying to sell it, attempting to figure out where I am going to live over there, not to mention driving out to look at houses…

I must have lost my mind!

That being said, I do have notes/script for the follow up to The End of Faith and will try to record that over lunch today and get that posted. After that, who knows when the next one will be. I will be changing laptops, so that will create a little techno lag as I get data transferred and so forth. So hang in there. Its kind of a mini hiatus, but when all is said and done, I’ll have WordPress updated, living in new digs, and more time for podcasting.

Posted in Its All About Me! | 2 Comments »

Righteous Rant From Tall Skinny Kiwi

Feb 23rd, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

If you haven’t found Andrew Jones’ blog TallSkinnyKiwi, you are missing out on one of the more articulate and good humored pastors out there who get the whole postmodern/emergent thing that I try and do here. If you are one of the church leaders who listen to Wired Jesus, you need to check out this recent blog entry by Andrew on the growing criticism of what is called the “emergent church” by mainliners, evangelicals, and basically Christians who just don’t get it. Having come across that in the past year – some people who weren’t sure I was even Christian after listening to Wired Jesus, let alone someone they would want as a pastor. That came from congregational leaders, a couple of bishop’s assistant who thought I was “too edgy”, and others.

Check it out.

Posted in Postmodern Hangouts, The Organized Church | No Comments »

Times, They Are A Changin’

Feb 22nd, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

bob dylan cover

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

Now the truth can be told. Part of the reason my podcasting fell of in the past few months was that I was involved in interviewing at a new church in Chicago that has now called me to be their new senior pastor. Very cool. People there listen and like the podcast, they are open to my kind of creativity (so far 🙂 ), and seems to be a real God thing.

So, while I will try and get a podcast out at least every other week, moving plans are now underway to get me out there by the beginning of April and the family there the beginning of June after school is out. Lots of changes, lots of things that my wife is mandating I do before I head to the Windy City.

What can I say – its sad to leave here, the new opportunities are exciting. Times are a changin’ and hey, I’m on a mission from God.

blues

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So What Does He Look Like?

Feb 22nd, 2006 by Tom Lyberg

Some have wondered. Some have been afraid to ask. When I was down in Orlando for the Creative Leaders Gathering, there were a number of listeners there and were surprised when they met me. Not that I am hideously deformed or anything. Just not exactly what they expected.

So, here it is, Wired Jesus unveiled.

And, here is a picture of that truly momentous moment from Christmas of 2004 – me opening my first ipod.

me andi ipod