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Hey y'all. Trying to catch up on some of my youtube postings. Here are all the I Will Follow video clips, four in all that were used in our weekend services (if you watch them in order, you'll almost get a sense of the thread of the film... but we still left a lot out that is in the complete movie...
More to come!
WHAT IS THE STATE OF YOUR UNION WITH GOD?
Eric Bramlett www.ericseddyfications.typepad.com www.communitychristian.org
So my wife and I have been bringing a family with us to church since September, and as per usual, the "dad" has been the hardest sell. For a few months, just "mom" would come with the kids, and then we'd try to get Dad to come, to no avail. Finally, though, he came. And seemed to enjoy himself.
In fact, he's become a regular attender. Their family is coming almost every week. It's awesome! This week, he wrote a check and gave it in the offering bag. But... his one complaint about our weekend services?
He doesn't like that we ask him to join us in "standing and singing" together. He hates it. Makes him very uncomfortable.
Sometimes we get sooooo used to how we do church and soak in how much we enjoy it and revel in how revolutionary we are, but we forget the main thing. The main thing is the unchurched person. This guy cannot reconcile in his mind the practice of singing as a group, to a God he doesn't fully understand yet. And I can't blame him.
Try this weekend to look at the "worship through music" portion of your weekend services through the lens of the unchurched. Someone who has avoided this their whole lives, and is only now finding his or her way back to God. What do they need to experience? What parts of our "rituals" would be so foreign that they require explanation, or at least, permission to observe only?
Another family we've been reaching out to, they came one weekend in October, and not since. Last Saturday, he told me that his family liked it, and was making a commitment. They will be attending our church once a month. He was proud of that, and I was proud of him too. And he was there last weekend, with his family, for their new years resolution of once a month attendance. One step at a time.
It can be really fun watching people find heir way back to God. Here's to hoping that we get out of the way long enough to let God do His work.
Okay, so here are my thoughts after watching the first four hours of American Idol, season 7...
Love the adjustments they have already made. Ppl who know me know that this part of the show is my least favorite. But this year, they spent less time with freaks who were obviously trying to get attention, and while they did spend some time getting to know some people who are freak-esque, they seem to be more careful to find freaks to highlight who seem to be innocents. That is, they were freaks, but they didn't know they were...
And the times where they slowed down and took some time with a few ppl and their auditions were very entertaining. Focusing on the "tender" moment with a girl of unfortunate naming (her name was Temptress), and taking time with it, was almost emotionally earned!
Also enjoyed watching the development of the girl who mimicked Britney Spears, and how the judges pressed her to "sound like herself." It was interesting and showed that the judges really were listening...
More to come - all you haters just relax and enjoy the sweetness, as americal idol is a freight train that just can't be stopped!
Eric Bramlett www.ericseddyfications.typepad.com www.communitychristian.org
LIFE IS FRAGILE......
HANDLE WITH PRAYER
Eric Bramlett www.ericseddyfications.typepad.com www.communitychristian.org
It begins. I'm geeked out.
Eric Bramlett www.ericseddyfications.typepad.com www.communitychristian.org
Well, I finally broke down and registered my presence on Facebook. So, I have no idea how it all works really, so those of you that do and want to be friends or whatever, do whatever needs to be done to make it work. I don't want to be unpopular...
WRINKLED WITH BURDEN? COME IN FOR A FAITH LIFT.
This one hurt me to type- but I have to keep it real.
Eric Bramlett www.ericseddyfications.typepad.com www.communitychristian.org
I am really excited about the new film that CCC has made, and are revealing (through clips during the services) during the new series "Revolutionaries." I wrote the script and directed the film, with TJ Friesen and Tom Greever manning the cameras and editing. This film is a fictitious story of an imaginary meeting between church history-makers John Wimber, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, and John Wesley. Each group represents one of our 3C's: Celebrate, Connect and Contribute. It's going to be awesome. We even have a movie poster! Check out the movie trailer below, and let me know what you think!
