Eric's Eddyfications

New Series starts this weekend!

Community starts a brand new series this weekend: Chasing the Almighty. Here's a sneak peek of the series trailer, which sheds a little light on the topic, as we spend three weeks trying to figure out why we want to chase THIS guy instead of the actual Almighty guy. See you there!

American Idol - week 3

Well, Tuesday through Thursday I was in Dallas and didn't have time to break out the slingbox. So I came home on Thursday night surprised to learn that I had not two hours in my DVR cued up, but a third hour recording on Thursday! It's a Winter Miracle! The shows were fairly uneventful, not much to report. In the early shows I don't really take notes in order to allow myself to be genuinely drawn to the ones I remember. So what I remember from this week was: A very young dude who looked like a mini-Dave Ferguson (thanks for the tip Ellie) and who was pretty good, and an Osmond who has MS.

Wow. This could be the "very special" AI - what with the Osmond with a cane (who can sing) and the blind guy from the first week. Wow.

I did think that in some way, his being an Osmond seemed a bit like an unfair advantage - kind of like he can't possibly be an "undiscovered" quantity given his family name. But... then I saw his picture with the cane. I was totally drawn in from that moment.

And all the teasers from Hollywood week have totally got me charged up and ready for the stress level to rise!

Oh No!

"Thriller" to be made into a musical

Why I love conferences

Okay so this is awesome. I'm here at the Innovation 3 (cubed) conference in Dallas, hosted by the fine folks at Leadership Network. Conferences crack me up, because of how they bring similar people together who do similar things in other areas of the country, and we all gather together and sort of know each other but not really, it's more that we know what we all do, because we're all doing similar things all over the place.

But like I said, we don't really know each other. The twitter madness of this conference has proved that, as we're all twittering and barking comments about the conference to each other while in the main session today.

But then I had a great exchange with a good friend who I haven't seen in a long time. He's a multi-site brother who paved the way for multi-site at a church who shall remain nameless, but rhymes with Crillow Week.

Anyway, I say hello to Jim Tomberlin, (whoops, not so nameless now) who gives me a big hug and then our convo goes like this:

Jim: I'm so proud of what you're doing out there in St. Louis. (we're not in St. Louis.)
Eric: I'm not in St. Louis, Jim.
Jim: Oh, sorry I get all you guys confused, I meant Troy.
Eric: Troy's in Kansas City.
Jim: Right. You guys are doing such a great thing with your big ideas and dreams.
Eric: Yes, thanks. How's Colorado?
Jim: I'm in Phoenix now.
Eric: Oh right.
Jim: I was in Colorado before Illinois.
Eric: Right.
Jim: Great to see you!
Eric: Great to see you!

And then we walk away and do the same thing to a million other people today. Fun!

Love is patient, Love is kind...

I attended a funeral Saturday for a friend's brother - I had not ever met him, and have only recently become close to the family because of our starting a new small group on Monday nights. It was a very wonderful service for a special needs kid who grew to be 41 and then succumbed to multiple strokes. It was tragic but also uplifting. There was a moment in the service that seemed worth sharing.
One of "Uncle Jimmy's" nieces, seventeen years old, entered to read scripture. She read from I Corinthians 13, which many know to be the "love" chapter, and it is most often used and read in Wedding ceremonies.
I'm not sure if I've ever heard it read at a funeral.
But as his niece was reading, it was fascinating. She read the words "love is patient, love is kind", and was overcome with emotion. It almost caught her by surprise, as she was reading and realized that she was describing her Uncle. That he was patient, he was kind, he was all the things that love is. Most of the time when we hear that verse at a wedding, it's all about inspiration to achieve that result. We are here,  and love is way over there, and if we can be patient and kind etc. with each other, then we will have found love. But he had found it, he exuded it, and it was all this sweet girl could do just to get the words out.
How cool it was to hear someone's eulogy spoken from the heart with the same verbs. Definitely gives you something to shoot for in this crazy life.
We had a great time getting to know the family on Saturday, and hung out at their house as long as we could. Made me wish I could have known this kind and patient man.
Sorry - didn't mean to curve ball the blog with something that wasn't ironic, sarcastic or silly. I'll do better next time...

American Idol - week 2

Well, another strong week of preliminary auditions on American Idol. At first I was shocked and dismayed that I was only afforded one hour a night for two nights - where are my two-hour specials? But I quickly got used to that and caught up on some sleep instead.
Overall I think that this year they are doing a much better job of getting glimpses at the freak show without so obviously ridiculing those freaks through constant filming. There have been a few freaks, but you never really got the sense that they were self-aware, and we didn't spend so much time with them that we began to genuinely feel sorry for how they were being exploited.
Let's face it: All reality television programming is in fact exploitative. It only then becomes an issue or question of degrees. I feel like American Idol is in the right balance this season between freakshow and talent audition.
I also thought this week that Kara, the new judge, earned major credibility points by instantly recognizing and knowing by name the girl who had previously been signed to A&M. I realize that that could have been faked and there's no reason why Kara wouldn't have known already who was coming through the door, but I bought the honesty of the moment, and for her to recognize her in this sea of humanity and point her out, that was pretty cool.
But I'm ready for Hollywood - let's go!

It's Coming...

Get in line now... U2 just announced the track listing for their new CD, due out the first week of March... Read them here and wish you knew how the tunes went...

Celebrate 2.0

This weekend the Big Idea was all about "Celebrate 2.0" - what it means to take the "celebrate" component of our spiritual journey and take it up a notch. And since I am the creative arts director for the "celebration services", it was decided that I should write and deliver the small group DVD curriculum content for this week.
So, a while ago, I filmed my short musings on the topic of "celebrate" that fit with the big idea and provided questions for small groups do discuss. It was fun, though now that I look at myself, wow, was that a full beard or what?
Anyway, you can view it here.
On Monday, we watched and discuss the DVD with my small group that I lead at the Archbold's house. On Tuesday, we watched and discussed the DVD with the small group that I host at my house. And on Wednesday night, Dave Ferguson called my cell because his small group couldn't figure out how to effectively operate a DVD and/or DVD player. So his solution was to put me on speakerphone, and I addressed his small group with my "in the moment" recollections of what I said on the DVD, and then they discussed it at their small group. A fun alternative to knowing how to work technology!
So now it's Thursday, whose small group should go to tonight?

It begins. American Idol.

Well, it was a great night last night. I TIVO the festivities because of my small group gathering on Tuesday nights, and speeding through it late last night, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the overall ebb and flow of the night. The people who were bad didn't seem like they were "faking it to get on TV", (at least not as much), and I enjoyed Kara's presence as a new judge.
I do have to say, though, one of the things that really annoys me are the song montages when they play up the horrible singers singing to one song and string them together (this time it was to "Livin' On A Prayer." My biggest beef with that is that it's obvious that they forced all of them to sing this song, there's no way it was in front of the judges, and then they feature them forgetting the lyrics, as though it was a song they came in prepared with. I just find that part a bit low rent.
Two observations: One, why does a girl who actually can sing feel the need to put on the bikini? And, does anyone think that anyone has a chance if the blind guy is actually that good? Seriously, who's not gonna vote for the blind guy? (And my favorite moment of the whole night, was of course, when Ryan went up for the high-five, forgetting that the BLIND GUY COULDN'T SEE HIM. Awesome.
Once again, I'm hooked!

American Idol Anticipation

  Well, they're tinkering with the machine after seven years, and it will be very interesting to see how new judge Kara works out on American Idol, as well as all the convoluted changes they are making in the semi-final round.

I've said it before, the only thing I wish for is more time during "hollywood week." To me it is the most entertaining part - watching artists who were good enough to get through the first round crack under the pressure and/or shine under the pressure. Two episodes is simply too short for those kind of moments.

Tonight, it begins, and those of you who aren't in tune with my Idol updates, well, now's you're chance! Start watching tonight and play along at home, comment about how wrong I am, all that good stuff - I'm ready!