Eric's Eddyfications

It's a Hit!

Hey all. Well, as can be expected, people are going ga-ga over our latest video, the series video for the "Christian No More" series. It's pretty hysterical, and there are still three "episodes" left to appear... I posted the youtube upload a few days ago...

Steve Brewer, our IT and Communications wizard at CCC, made the video available for purchase at CCC's e-store in record time. You can buy it, download it, and show it at your church. Enjoy, and if you do wanna buy it, click here!

Christian No More

Here is part one (of four) of the most recent series videos here at CCC. It's a parody of the Mac vs. PC commercials. Stay tuned for next week's installment, they only get better from here! Kudos to Tom Greever for making this thing look so great, and to Elic Bramlett (my brother, and the "Christ-follower in the video) for some great writing! Enjoy!

Hope for a Favorite Artist

Okay - here's the thing.

I'm a huge Steve Taylor fan. His Christian Music in the 80s single-handedly changed my life and gave me a new perspective on how to be a Christian, and how to laugh, and how to enjoy great music. But I'm late to the party on watching his film The Second Chance, which was released in February. Now it's on DVD, and so with the kids and Kristi out of town this weekend, I curled up to the TV and watched the movie that I was hoping might be good. I knew it probably wouldn't be, but I still had a glimmer of hope.

There were two problems: First time writer/director Steve Taylor, and first time actor Michael W. Smith.

Smitty only had two expressions: scowl, and stoic. I'm not sure that I saw him smile the whole movie. He was "natural" enough for the screen, but really... doesn't have the chops. He should stick to music.. or wait - I'm not really a fan of that either.

But Steve... Steve Taylor should totally stick to music. Poetry, lyric writing is where Steve has his voice. There were flashes of that in this film, but not very much. The story was so predictable - White rich suburb church pastor forced to go to poor black sister church, and guess what - he learns a little something about himself. He's a racist jerk who needs Jesus. And, somehow, the black guy in all his anger and vitriol doesn't really have to change all that much, he just needs to have all the other guys figure it out.

The one thing I appreciated was the PG-13 rating. There were gangbangers who pointed guns, swore - heck, even the pastors swore. That may not seem like a big deal, but for the Christianese, I'm sure that was a big big risk - there must have been a "gasp heard around the world" in Nashville when this premiered.

But in the end, not even edgy diaolgue could bring this story out of the obvious. At the end of the movie, the three pastors decide to get on the roof and protest the tearing down of the black church. And I could feel the credits starting to roll. And I'm thinking to myself, "self: what in the heck is going to happen next? They're up on the roof - the wrecking ball, the cops, the mayor - everyone there is ready to tear it down - so what happens? Do they stay on the roof FOREVER? Do they get arrested? Does someone fall to their death or at least major bone fracture?"

Nope - none of those questions get answered, and that moment alone was the closest the film came to actual conflict, and they didn't go there. They rolled the credits and sang a happy MWS song. Unfortunate.

But I did have hope, and I had to try it. Sometimes, you gotta watch the Steve Taylor film - or listen to the last Petra CD. Or maybe not ever. Again.

I'm sure that if he gets a second chance to make another film, I'll watch it. Maybe it'll be more like Cash Cow. That would be fun. But Since I Gave Up Hope, I Feel a Lot Better...

Willow Creek Summit '06

Well, here we are again, Willow Creek Leadership Summit time!

First of all, let me say that the Willow Summit is awesome. Probably the best combination of leadership tracks from ministry types and business types ever in the history of the world. And that probably isn't an exaggeration.

If you want the best notetaking on the Summit I've seen so far, head to Tony Morgan's site - he's blogging about each session, while watching at his own satellite site in Indiana. Hopefully he will continue to do so for the remainder of the conference.

But I have a unique role in the Summit. I get to produce the satellite location here at CCC. A lot of people who have this role take this very seriously. I do too, but in the end, it is what it is. Make sure that the projector is on, and the sound is up, and let Willow do its thing. If you can handle that, then you too, can produce a satellite site.

Of course, there's more to it than that. You also get to participate in an Instant Message chat session with all the other producers and tech directors at satellite locations. We've been doing this for five years. Five years ago, there was one chat room. I consider myself personally responsible for the decision to break off the IM chat room into two parts: business and chat.

I like to rip off quick witted remarks in the midst of the summit as it's going on. It gives me a rush. I try to think of things first. Jokes, remarks, whatever. Some people get the jokes, some people don't. That's okay. I consider it an aerobic exercise. It's not for them - it's training for me.

I wish you could enjoy some of the witticisms, but without context they wouldn't make any sense or just come off as much more mean then they are. Or maybe they really are that mean. I suppose all comedy is at the expense of somebody. (okay - here's one: When Bill Hybels was praying, he was squinting so severely, that I noted "if he squints any harder, his brain is going to start oozing out of his ears..." I got a few "LOLs" with that one...)

But, nonetheless, the Summit is awesome. I even wore my "Leadership Summit" polo shirt today, much to the shock and shagrin of most of the staff here at CCC. I mean, after all - they're number one - we're only thirteen...

You Decide...

Sacrilegious or Sacrilicious? You decide...

More from Bored Again...

Just Pete is doing all sorts of research work for me - he just doesn't know it. Or I don't know, maybe he does...

Check out his compilation of a couple of articles on Christianese Music. Interesting stuff from the Tribune and the New York Post...

Read it, then tell me: What do you think? Is CCM heading in the right direction? Is that in and of itself an oxymoron?

Boring Christian Music

If you're into the whole podcast thingee, and you can't really take Christian Radio (and who can, without some kind of medication, really?) - I strongly urge you to check out the Bored Again Christian podcast. Just Pete plays all sorts of utterly boring Christian music. He claims it is where "Christian music goes to get saved." That made me laugh.

But while all the songs aren't always home runs, they are always interesting and pushing the envelope. Most of the artists are unsigned, but many are, and have given Just Pete permission to play their tracks on his cast in their entirety. Which, is also, really really cool.

So check it out, for the best boring Christian music you've ever heard. You'll be bored again!

Walking on Water

It's been proven, once again, by the scientific community. Jesus is a miracle worker.

Jesus walked on water.

Ice water.

Seriously.

I didn't make this up - couldn't if I tried. Bill Russell, CCC writing team leader, tipped me off to this ridiculous article, from this ridiculous site, where a scientist speculates that Jesus really walked on ice.

Truth is stranger than fiction? Can't wait to ask Him...

The Sopranos and Chuck Colson

The Sopranos this week saw Tony Soprano recovering from his coma, the coma induced from a gunshot wound perpetrated by his crazy old uncle, who they call Junior. (J.R. Ewing-Soprano?)

While in the hospital, he's visited by some well meaning evangelicals, which was thoroughly entertaining. And while the discussion about evolution was a little annoying and seemed forced (though it probably happens every day), the characters were presented as well meaning and Tony considered their propositions.

But the best part was how one of the pastors gave Tony a copy of Chuck Colson's book "Born Again", which he took - knowing he was the "Watergate guy", and the pastor talked about how Colson had committed a crime, was in jail, and then found Jesus. He encouraged Tony to think about that. I hope that he did.

I found it ironic that the next morning, my mom, who reads this blog and posted a comment for probably the first time ever on any blog, sent me an email forward, that she got from, yep, you guessed it - Chuck Colson. I felt like Tony Soprano. I read the email, and then, you know, continued to try and heal from the gunshot wound inflicted by my uncle.

Jesus Air Freshener

Thank you to Janet McMahon, and the whole McMahon family for thinking about my and my Jesus wall in the arts office, even while on vacation - they picked up this jem while hanging out in South Carolina - A Jesus Car Air Freshener! Although, I suppose that it could freshen the air just about anywhere, it's probably not exclusive to automobiles...

You can purchase one here - Jesus' scent is only 3.99!