Lighter Fare: Top 5 TV.

I have come across loads of lists in Children’s Pastor Blog Land so I though I would join the fray. The first list was inspired by Pudge Huckaby. A guy who is passionate about reaching kids and likes doing things outside the box (my kind of guy).

He wrote a post last week listing his top five TV shows. I do however respectfully disagree with Pudge that Friends is the best sitcom ever……obviously Seinfeld wins hands-down in my book. I still to this day laugh out loud at almost every episode.

Here are my top 5.

Now

Lost
survivor
Heroes
The Office
The Amazing Race

EVER

Seinfeld
frasier
24 (before the writers became drunk with their own success)
In the Line of Duty
MacGyver
A-Team
The Cosby Show

What are your top 5?

YouTube Friday: Chris Farley on First Time Guests

I love this one, another one of my favorites. It makes me think of how we treat first time guests when they come to our church.

1. Do we make sense? Are we speaking in jargon, insider language?

2. Do do things on Sunday morning out of tradition that have no function.

3. Do people feel comfortable

4. Do people want to comeback again.

YouTube Friday: Juice Man in Context

There are certain people and certain things in life that just make you laugh, cry, and get warm fuzzies. When I grew up I watched In Living Color on a regular basis. Jim Carey was so funny in every skit he did from Vera Demilo to Fire Marshall Bill.

This video makes me laugh every time I see it. I have seen it plenty and still laugh every time I love it. What makes it funny is if you understand who Jim Carey is acting like. You appreciate the subtleties of his humor so much more when you understand the context.

Context is a powerful thing. How many times have you said “Oh so thats what they meant”. Relevance is a huge buzzword in church culture today. If people don’t understand were you are coming from and you don’t understand where they are, relevance will never happen.

How can we apply the power of God’s word to someones life in a way that is significant to them and by no means compromises the message of Christ? We need to understand their context and preach the word in a way that they can understand it’s context.

Anyway here are two very funny videos. They are both funny the first one is for context.

That was the real juice man: Jay Kordich. This next one is Jim Carey.

Yada, Yada, Yada

My post yesterday got me thinking about Seinfeld, and why I love it so much. It has been almost 10 years since the last episode was written and I still laugh my head off every time. I sometimes wake my small children, I laugh so hard.

As I started thinking about what made Seinfeld great I started to realize that those things could translate to any team. If you are part of a marketing firm or if you on a children’s ministry team, I think the following things can be learned and applied.

What made Seinfeld great?

1. Each character knew their part and played it well. [How well do you know the players on your team and are they playing their parts well.]
2. The writers stuck with their simple approach “A Show About Nothing” [Are you willing to out of the box even though others may po-po you. That’s right I said po-po, a dangerous thing to do on a children’s pastor blog.]
3. Each show about nothing (but really something) was understood and funny to normal people. [If your lessons don’t hit home with the youngest child in the room you have failed that day. How do I know? I have been there and done that. Jesus was the master at speaking in a way that translates across age, gender and cultural lines.]
4. Each show was applicable to daily life. [Information with out application is an abomination.]

24, LOST me

I am officially breaking up with Jack Bauer. I have watched Jack Bauer from Day 1 literally. I have been an unashamed Bower evangelist, I converted all my friends to be Jack fans. This year has been so dissapointing I am no longer watching.

The sad part is I am not leaving 24 it has (thanks to the worst writing staff on earth by writer and producers drunk with success ) left me. 24 at one point in my life was an experience . It was something that you shared with friends, I have met strangers who have become good friends because of 24, but no longer. It has fallen victim to itself, it has become boring, predictable and irrelevant . The writers have admitted to "winging it" the past two years.

I think people are looking for the same things in church, they want to experience something amazing that they can’t wait for their friends to experience and be a part of too. To many churches have fallen victim to themselves and have become boring, predictable and irrelevant . They "wing it" thinking no one will notice. They notice. The part that scares me most is how many chances will someone give us before they move on?

In case you are wondering I’m now dating Lost.

Sanjaya the next American Idol

Why do we love and hate Sanjaya? Anyone who knows anything about pop culture will tell you they either love Sanjaya (mostly under the age of 12 and female) or hate him (everyone else). A wise man once told me the opposite of love is not hate but indifference.

PERMALINK (http://www.pudgehuckaby.com/archives/125)

Why do i love Sanjaya?(I by the way am older than 12 and not female) Because I can learn a lot from him.

1. He is not afraid of change. Different hair every week, different outfit and song every week.
2. Buzz, Buzz and more Buzz. He is memorable. He can’t sing and he is still around because you can forget Sanjaya. Believe me I have tried.
3. He maximizes his strengths. He knows who his fans are and reaches them every week.
4. He doesn’t let Simon define him.

So ask yourself are you afraid of change, are you memorable, do you maximize your strengths do those who you don’t like define you?

What we do is way more important than a singing competition. I think however, we can learn from Sanjaya’s amazing Idol run. To reach as many people for Christ as we can you don’t have the be "the best singer" you need to be the best with what God has given you. Don’t focus on what others have use what God has given you in the most creative passionate way.