My secret is out!

Okay, for those of you who wonder where we get those really cool videos (the ones we don’t make ourselves) up at TCC, well here’s our secret. There’s a GREAT site that is sort of a clearing-house for all things cool when it comes to church video. It’s called SermonSpice, and you can check it out here! And yes, if you find something really cool you think maybe we should use, let me know! Or if you’re reading this and you’re not a TCC-er, let your pastor know about this great resource.

David and the HOT pepper

So there’s this great booth here from a great company called Sermon Spice. Our church uses their videos pretty often. Well, they had this deal where if you eat just ONE really really hot pepper, they give you a red t-shirt and a coupon for a bunch of their videos. Dave, my senior pastor, went for it yesterday. It hurt a little, but he’s got the T-shirt to prove “he’s a man”… Will I pony up and eat one today? Stand by to find out what kind of stuff I’m made of!

All split up

We all went our separate ways for our breakouts today at the Arts Conference… And we all learned so much that it is just about making our heads explode! My session on working with a Creative Team was just revolutionary. My other colleagues learned so much about their areas, too. Just wonderful. Learning is what it’s all about, folks. Learning is one of the great joys in life. So today was pretty joyful. It was neat to sit in a session with Nancy Beach, one of the teaching pastors at Willow, and learn that the challenges and failures and successes that they have and the ones we have are way more similar than I would have guessed. THANK YOU Nancy!

Lunch!

So they asked me to be part of a lunch to talk about leadership challenges here at the Arts Conference. It was cool, because I’ve been to (now) three arts conferences, and this year will be my eighth Leadership Summit (Read about all this stuff at the Willow Creek Association website here.) They bribed me with Cheesecake, and the piece they gave the few of us that went to this lunch was so much bigger than the one they gave the rest of the attenders that I just had to take a picture. Here it is.

Day 1 - ARISE

Nancy Beach’s first session was a great reminder that we need to retreat to be able to create art that redeems. We need that time spent with our Father to be able to use our time to encourage believers and encourage people who want to become believers. The time away in solitude seems like a waste of time to so many in this world, but it’s a great use of our time from our Heavenly Father’s perspective. Take some time today and just be quiet with God. More later…

Off to Chicago!

A handful of people from my church will be going out to Chicago for the Willow Creek Arts Conference and boy are we psyched. I just wanted to let you know that this year, I plan to keep a log of some of the take-aways that we experience, as they happen! So, if you’re inclined to check in from time to time, come on back here and see what we are learning and experiencing. This event is always a great time, and a real encouragement for us who use our creative gifts to serve God, and hopefully we can share some of that great stuff with you all. Feel free to be part of the discussion if you want. I’ll be keeping up with all of this as we go!

Famous things…

So, the Goodyear blimp flew over today. Right over our building. I ran outside and snapped this photo. What’s the deal with the odd way we behave when we something famous, or somebody famous. What is the fascination? Is it because things and people that are bigger than life seem more lasting, more “important”, less fleeting than we are? Is this why Americans buy gossip magazines (and semi-gossip magazines) in the ridiculous numbers we do? There is only ONE who is eternal, though! Hang onto Him today!

Favorite films.

I got “tagged” by Doug to list my ten favorite films. Okay I’ll bite! Since he included at least one “trilogy”, I will, too. Thanks Doug! I had another post for today, so perhaps today will be my first “two-post” day.

1. Citizen Kane by Orson Welles. Probably the best film ever made. Period. If I had to list only one, it’d be easy. This one. If you get to watch it the first time without knowing how it ends (hard these days, you’ve probably heard), as I did, it’s incredibly powerful.

2. Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson. All one really long film, imho. Every moment is brilliant, even the stuff that they “added” to the story.

3. Blue by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Yes this is one you have to read (some of the others are, too), but it’s a brilliant story with wonderful music that will haunt you for a long time.

4. Anything with “Star Wars” in the title. Even the bad ones, but especially episodes 3, 4, and 5.

5. The Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. Another one you have to read, and it’s interminably long, but everything you ever need to make a western is right in there.

6. Godfather and Godfather Part II by Francis Ford Coppola. One of the best descriptions of the capability of the human heart to descend into the madness of evil.

7. Babe by Chris Noonan. It should have won Best Picture in 1995 over Braveheart. Yes, the kids’ movie with the talking pig.

8. Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro. I was NOT expecting the story to end so satisfyingly. I won’t tell you in case you want to check it out. You have to read this one, too. AND… this guy is apparently going to direct the two Hobbit movies… that’s going to make them great.

9. Empire of the Sun. Spielberg’s big “flop” and my absolute favorite of his movies. Some of John Williams’ best music, too.

10. Zulu by Cy Enfield. A 1964 classic that was Michael Caine’s first starring role. The best war picture ever. Peter Jackson bragged that he made the battle of Helm’s deep last for nearly an hour in “The Two Towers”. Well in Zulu, the battle lasts for nearly the whole movie, and the tension just keeps building.

I guess I’m s’posed to tag somebody. Okay, I tag Ange Hamm. And I tag Camey. I know you’re supposed to tag five people… sorry I can only think if two (other than Doug who tagged me) right now.

I’m supposed to give a HT to Dan. Thanks Dan!

Be more quiet now…

Lately I’ve been privvy to a lot more people arguing and debating (usually just arguing) than normal. Could it be that we don’t remember how to be slow to speak and quick to listen? I know I forget that… all the time… Guess I should shut up now…

Pushing through the dirt…

So, I have this work being done at the house. There are piles and piles of dirt in my yard. It looks like a war zone. And then at the top of one of the piles, some Daffodil bulb that has been dug up and transplanted a couple dozen feet away decides, “Hey, I don’t care if I’ve been traumatized, moved, dug up, shaken up, stirred up… I’m STILL going to bloom.” Do you know any people like that? I do.