Well, it's the top twelve, or rather, eleven  - much love to Ellen Stewart who broke the news to my Facebook page that the low voiced tall guy, Jermaine, was kicked out of Idol. Crazy. Haven't heard all the details yet. Here's the deal, I type all my thoughts before the judges say what they say, and then you get to read it. Fun, right? Here we go!

Phillip: "Hard to Handle" - Well, this song was perfect for him, and he's good enough that he should totally shake the "going first" blues. Which of course, is different than the "I just had kidney-stones" blues, which he also shook effectively. Nice job.

Jessica: "Turn the Beat Around" - Well, you knew that she was going to have a hard time beating last week's performance, but I think the choice was a good one ultimately - previous young girls when nailing ballads have often stuck to the formula too long. This was the opposite of that. She has a killer voice, she'll be fine next week.

HeeJun: "Right Here Waiting" - His voice is so unconventional. I hope he goes far in the competition, but in the end, I just am not sure that there's enough mojo behind it to overtake the other competitors. Just this side of cheese, although that keychange was killer.

Elise: "Let's Stay Together" - She has a great raspy sultry voice, but Will.i.am. is right, she needs to smile (and what I mean by that, is that he must have read my blog last week…) - if she could develop facial expressions to match her voice's expressiveness she could totally break through and not be in the bottom three. But since she didn't (until the very end), I think she will be in the bottom three again. She's like the Richard Nixon of the Nixon-Kennedy debates on TV. But, you know, prettier.

DeAndre: "Endless Love" - My biggest problem with this is that it's a duet. But this is a great song for his demographic and voting public. When is he going to take this up into the falsettosphere? Oh, the last note? I'm sorry, that was not early enough for me. And I don't think he nailed it. But he will be in trouble.

Shannon: "One Sweet Day" - I don't know if she's going to be able to sing it, but this kind of song is in her sweet spot. She's trying 3% too hard, but it was an admirable attempt. Here's what we need - Shannon's genuine heartfelt facial expressions and honesty with Elise's vocal confidence and prowess. And Jessica's belt.

Colton: "Broken Heart" - Okay, I haven't been a fan of his so far, but his opening talking about meeting Daughtry and his advice kind of started to humanize him for me. I don't think this is a very good song, so it makes me still wonder about him as an artist - he picked it and all. The high notes at the end were good for sure, but does this kind of song have an audience still?

Erika: "Heaven" -  I can't wait for any song from 1985. Stevie Nicks wants her leather and lace back please. The only problem with this song as that once it arrives, it's there and doesn't go any farther - so they have to add a key change to get it to another level. I think it worked in general, but truth be told it might not be enough to protect her.

Jermaine: Well, I'll put this storyline in the order of when it appeared. WHY THE HECK ARE THEY SHOWING THIS SCENE between the producers and Jermaine? "You've put us in a difficult position" they say, and then they capitalize on the scandal by filming the scene of kicking him out? Boo.

Skylar: "Love Sneakin' Up On You" - A Bonnie Raitt song is a great pick. She's got swagger, much more than Jessica. I really like her, but this is more of a great studio recording song than it is a strong live performance song. But that being said, she attacked the end of it - may have been a little flat in doing it, but it was worth it.

Joshua: "When a Man Loves a Woman" - Any "Coming to America" fans out there? If so, let your soul glo… He's awesome obviously, but I still think that a song pick like this is a cheat. I would pay him $1000 if he ended his song by screaming "Sexual! Sexual Chocolate!" That was hot. Me likey.

Hollie: "The Power of Love" - Again, this is a cover - Air Supply fans, wave your hands for me! She is sharp in the beginning. She just has an incredible voice - recovered nicely from the first few lines which were a bit shaky. Did she hit that last note or not? I almost couldn't tell, the arrangement was so full. What an incredible instrument.

Random notes: So if the song was covered in the year that someone was born then that counts? "Hard to Handle" is a much older song than any of these performers. Same with Endless Love. Boo cheaters.
Will.i.am.: "You're a Swaggernaut." What?
Randy, thanks for the primer on what constructive criticism is…. let us know when you plan on starting to deliver it…
Will.i.am.: "That would be fresh because you sound dope on that." Huh?
Weak sauce to show that clip of Obama. I don't care about his March Madness pics either. But I also don't care if he spends presidential time picking them either. What were we talking about again?
Will.i.am.: "Don't sing master blaster, be the master that blasts through the competition, and then you will last, til the next rendition." Derrrr?
The judges have a major case of the "not right song for you" disease tonight. Hey. It was based on the year they were born! There are constraints on this concept. They should not be held to the same test as though they have the world's songbook at their disposal.
Jimmy Iovine selling smartphones? Smooth and subtle product placement. Naught.
Steven Tyler has been listening to the press about how he's too soft. He became a grumpy old man tonight. It's like someone said "we're doing a White Lion song instead of an Aerosmith song" and he grabbed his cane and shook it.
Will.i.am.: "Ghetto Country is Ghountry"
Okay, I get that JLo doesn't know White Lion, but she should know this Bonnie Raitt song, right?
Will.i.am.: "You sound like your dad's a pastor" - favorite quote of the night from Will.i.am.

So who's in the bottom three? I say DeAndre, Elise and Erika. If those are their real names… Nigel?

Hey y'all! Well, it's the top 13 tonight after the hatchet job last week - as I said before, I would much rather have the tough cut on one night than to string out bad performances week after week, so hopefully that bodes well for tonight…

Speaking of tonight - it's the girls vs. the boys, in more ways than one. Mary J. Blige is working with Jimmy Iovine on the song selections in rehearsal, with the girls singing Whitney Houston songs and the boys singing Stevie Wonder songs. But that's not all: Tomorrow they will take the lowest ranking boy and the lowest ranking girl, and then the judges will decide which one to save.

JOSHUA: "I Wish" - He's got a "Pee Wee Hermann as performed by Flip Wilson" thing going on in his movement. Wanting him to break out into the Tequila song/dance. Maybe that's what he means by out of his comfort zone? I really like his voice and he has soul - but that wasn't memorable for me by the end of the night I'm guessing.

ELISE: "I'm Your Baby Tonight" - The girl who was on fire? Jimmy picked the right song for her for sure. Great performance all the way around - her voice has such an interesting timber to it. My only complaint with her is that I think her voice gives off a "knowing, shrewd" quality that is very cool and interesting, and I don't see that as much in her facial expressions - they seem a little lackluster.

JERMAINE: "Knocks Me Off My Feet" - He's gained confidence even after one week. The first verse and chorus were killer, but by the time he was singing "I don't want to bore you with this…" I was.. well… a bit bored, until that last run at the end of the song. Then he had me back.

ERIKA: "I Believe in You and Me" - That was a great performance all the way around. I enjoyed this so much more than her offering last week, and i think it confirms the judges' choice to keep her over Jen last week. Honest. Beautiful.

COLTON: "Lately" - He's sharp and flat all at the same time. I didn't think that was possible. I know that this guy has his fans, but I just don't get it. Kind of reminds me of how I felt about David Cook, but I guess there's a market for that since Cook won American Idol back in the day and now sells at least hundreds of CDs.

SHANNON: "I Have Nothing" - Sandy from Grease wants her leather back. She may have had it in rehearsal, but this one got away from her a little bit. It's a combo of being too young to have experienced what this song is communicating, plus the difficulty of the song just swallowing her up. It's too bad, because she doesn't deserve to have that handed to her. She shouldn't have tried to do that without a microphone stand.

DEANDRE: "Master Blaster" - Is he saying actual words or just scatting? Bob Marley-Mumble? This was completely boring for me and didn't show off what was/is great about his voice, which is too bad - I can't imagine him staying out of trouble tomorrow night.

SKYLAR: "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" - Is tonight's wardrobe sponsored by the Jacket Coalition? She successfully managed to turn this song into a country story-song. Wow. She has such charisma, and I think she could win it all. Fire!

HEEJUN: "All Is Fair" - He'd better have some money notes toward the end here or he's going to lose his mojo with this slow number. Last note was just a touch flat. I still like him a lot, but that song wasn't doing him any favors in my opinion.

HOLLIE: "All The Man That I Need" - I think this arrangement is making her seem less impressive than she is. Until that last note, ironically, when the band stopped. She's got an amazing instrument, I just wish that the pacing of the song wasn't so milquetoast.

JEREMY: "Ribbons In The Sky" - The verses are suffering from mumble-land like Deandre. It's not great for me, but I get his appeal for sure. I think the fact that Deandre and Jermaine went with uptempo numbers might save this kid for one more week.

JESSICA: "I Will Always Love You" - If anyone could do this, it's her. Such control and so volatile at the same time. Bam - she's fantastic. Now she has to stop doing that thing with her fingers. Well deserved standing ovation.

PHILLIP: "Superstition" - To be fair to the other competitors, I couldn't understand a word he said except the word superstitious. But I didn't care. That was hawt. That was a spectacle, which is surprising considering that his mode is more like "contained" fireworks. It was great to see him bring along a band to come with him on his vibe.

RANDOM NOTES:
Randy gave his first good note in the history of the show when he said that Elise was "boxing" with the song. Dead on. And helpful. And it didn't have "dog" or "come on" in it at all.
I'm not comfortable with JLo's constantly saying "goosies."
I feel like Steven Tyler is gonna do that thing where you put your elbow on the table and it gives out on you and you fall over.
Okay, I don't know what's going on over at The Voice, but nothing in X Factor first season could compare to tonight's performance by Jessica Sanchez. Seriously. American Idol ain't going anywhere my friends.

Okay, who runs the world? Girls. But will that be true this season on AI after the boys strong showing last night? Here are my thoughts, formed before I've heard any of the judges reactions to be true to my school just like you would to your girl or guy. Hope you like it!

CHELSEA SORRELL: "Cowboy Casanova" A little nervous, not enough breath support. I think for a country vocalist it's not wise to do the pop-iest of all country songs. She isn't bad, but she isn't unforgettable either.

ERIKA VAN PELT: "What About Love" - She's great, but she ultimately doesn't have the pipes for this song - serviceable, real, genuine, enjoyable. But to conquer that song you have to be so much better. It felt like she was hitting the ceiling and not breaking through it.

JEN HIRSH: "One and Only" - What was lacking in the first two, Jen has - her voice gets past the barrier and out to the audience - even in a soft moment. And obviously with a big note too. Great job with a tough song.

BRIELLE VON HUGEL: "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" - Wasn't her name used in a Roald Dahl book? Good idea to pick more of a standard and riff on it with more of a license. Also to start low and go high, though my wife thinks she started too low. She's a performer, but I'm not sure if everyone in America will take to her.

HALLIE DAY: "Feelin' Good" - I thought she did well in the beginning using the drama and tension of the song, but I was less impressed as she started walking around and losing her breath support. But she's got the potential to be a star. Great start.

SKYLAR LAINE: "Stay With Me" - great start for her, and she was electric. First "raising the roof" performance of the night. Am I starting to like country?

BAYLIE BROWN: "Amazed" - Ironically, she started a bit flat. This isn't a great song anyway, but she was not there. As pretty as she is, that is how off that performance was. But hey, she's pretty.

HOLLY CAVANAUGH: "Reflection" - She has some really interesting vowel substitutions - in the first verse it sounded not quite right. She has one heckuva belt, but that is the only part that is interesting in the performance. But she does it enough to make it better than a lot tonight. Missed the last belt note though.

HALEY JOHNSEN: "Sweet Dreams" - As an 80s child, I appreciate the nod to the original arrangement here - not sure if she's completely pulled off a "Florence + the Eurythmics", but it's close. Great run at the end. Stayed in the character of whatever that was until the very end, and that was commendable. She might be memorable.

SHANNON MCCREA: "Go Light Your World" - CCM in the hizzouse! Good, but a young performance, in that she attacked it too hot too early. She owned the stage though.

JESSICA SANCHEZ: "Love You I Do" - She is crazy good. Her voice sounds like it was manufactured by perfectionists in a rainbow studio filled with unicorns. Wow. And she has the performing prowess to back it up. I hope she picks great songs all the way through like she did tonight. Best of the night by far.

ELISE TESTONE: "One and Only" - Same song as an earlier contestant, but hey, she's playing th piano, so that's different. She's got a great growly voice, but it's kind of a 3 in the morning growl, so I am not sure how memorable that ultimately will be. That last look almost admitted that she ran out of gas.

RANDOM NOTES: I guess the judges got the note from last night about how constructive criticism actually has to include being critical. They were closer to real with Chelsea. Then they admitted being soft after watching it back. Boo.
A singing DJ? What is wrong with Randy? He's making Steven sound coherent tonight.
Okay, Steven just said "my reality check bounced." Check please. Randy, you're the rational one again. What am I saying?

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs tomorrow night at 7pm CST.

So who was the best and worst tonight?

_Okay, we're off - time to react as effectively and instantaneously as possible to the vocal prowess of the top 12(13) boys. As always, I form these short sentences before I've heard any of the judges reactions to stay as true as I can to my own thoughts as possible. Hope you like it!

REED GRIM: "Moves Like Jagger" - pretty big risk to jazz up this song - really reveals how brutal the lyrics to this song are. So an A for the risk but a C for execution. But he's the Andy Kaufman of the show and I want to see more.

ADAM BROCK: "Think" - White chocolate, huh? Someone's going to need to tell him that isn't going to stick as a nickname. Solid performance. Strong voice. Needs to be considerate of the CBG vote.

DEANDRE BRACKENSICK: "Reasons" - Earth Wind and Fire is a good choice for his falsetto, but maybe a different song? Between this song and the last two I'm getting confused about what decade I'm in… Time stops for the big high note. And we're back.

COLTON DIXON: "Decode" - Pretty tough to rock out to Paramore with the AI band. I have not been impressed with him thus far and this didn't really change my mind. It's too insular, I can see him feeling it, but I don't see it outside of himself.

JEREMY ROSADO: "Gravity" - It's a little too scratchy for me. I've liked him in earlier performances better. The "bieber-esque" vote is going to be tough for any one of these guys to grab all by themselves. But I like the kid.

AARON MARCELLUS: "Never Can Say Goodbye" - Arsenio, is that you? A perfectly serviceable vocal with some good runs and a killer last note. But for a dancer I would love to see the rest of his body more invested in the performance. The last note earned him that standing ovation.

CHASE LIKENS: "Storm Warning" - Seems like a demographic pick - his voice isn't good enough, pretty thin, but hey, he's a looker (in a Brendan Fraser sort of way), and it's country - but the annoying cowboy from Hollywood week was actually better.

CREIGHTON FRAKER: "True Colors" - He's like Justin Timberlake as impersonated by Dean Pelton from Community (Oscar winner Jim Rash) - I like him, but this pick was boring for me. I want to see something more. But I like his runs and want to see him next week.

_PHILLIP PHILLIPS: "In The Air Tonight" - Where is his acoustic guitar in the mix? I'm angry with them for trying to put in that drum machine in the arrangement. I love him, and it was great, but I lost the feel of it not being able to hear his guitar - without it, it sounded too plodding. But he's awesome.

EBAN FRANCKEWITZ: "Set Fire To The Rain" - Hair. I like him, he's cute, but this was a bad pick for him. This song is impressive in a key where those high notes in the chorus are actually high. Not good, but he's got the Beiberest chance to stave off elimination.

HEEJUN HAN: "Angels" He is my favorite. Not sure if he has the voice versatility to be able to hang on til the end, but I love his personality. Seriously, he cracks me up. And I enjoyed his performance.

JOSHUA LEDET: "You Pulled Me Through" - Wow, let's go to church. See, this guy lets what's inside of him come pouring out in his performance - he has what was missing in Aaron and Colton. Remember them? I didn't think so. That last note had an Eddie Murphy Coming to America vibe, but I don't think anyone standing and applauding noticed.

JERMAINE JONES: "Dance With My Father" - That was a great choice to bring him back - and a great song pick for him. Now we just need him to get over the tall-guy syndrome of bending down to talk to the short people. He needs to straighten up, and embrace the power he clearly has.

RANDOM NOTES: How many times does Randy have to say that this is the eleventh (one-one) season?
Pretty disappointed with the judges not taking Chase to task for bad notes and a shaky voice. Same with Eban.

CONTEST! Don't forget, put in your pick in the comments for the one American Idol to win it all, and if you're right - you win a $25 iTunes giftcard from me! You can leave a comment all the way up until the results show airs on Thursday at 7pm CST.

We'll see the girls tomorrow. Talk to you then. So who was the best and worst tonight?

(NOTE: I realized later that my great idea for a contest showed up pretty late in the day - so I've extended the contest through to Thursday, 7pm CST - when the voting results show starts.)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen: lend me your American Idols...

We have 24, and a surprise 25th competitor coming to our television sets tonight, in the 11th year of American Idol. (12 guys, 12 girls, and then one additional guy that the judges put in in the last minute, but who won't be announced until tonight)

And, as always, I will be blogging my reactions to the performances of the competitors as I watch it - we've gotten through the preliminary auditons, Hollywood week, a jaunt to Las Vegas for the "final finals", and now we're back to LA for the "real" competition, the one where the American People get to vote.

I'm excited, as it's a strong crop of young performers who I think could really make a splash in the pop culture scene.

So here we go: Who wants to pick the winner now? Anyone who puts their pick in the comments section before the first live show tonight will be entered: and anyone who picks the actual winner by the time the final show airs, will win a $25 iTunes giftcard from yours truly.

Anyone. If I have two winners, that's two giftcards. If I have no one pick the winner, well, that's none. So do your research - I'm not going to give you the names here - go to the American Idol Website and determine your pick. You get one pick. (and to be fair, if you pick one of the four dudes who haven't been announced yet, your pick will go to the 25th contestant regardless of which dude it ends up being.)

Good luck!

This picture has gone across facebook today in the theatre community. I saw my brother Elic's repost of it. The thing is pretty powerful - a note regarding a tech rehearsal from a theatre production that puts the healing power of storytelling into perspective.

Everyone who creates art in some way will have their own take on this story and the meaning of it, and so here's mine: We may not ever be able to see it as clearly as it is described in this paragraph, but do not be mistaken about it - the storytelling that we do, be it in video, theatre performance, podcasting, writing, poetry, dance - you name it - it accesses the healing power that can only be found from a loving God who wants to be in relationship with us.

The reason that we storytellers love to tell stories is on the off-chance that a moment like the one described in the picture could occur - that God would work in an incredible way. He does, He is, He will.

We just have to be brave enough to keep telling the stories, no matter the cost.

If your computer is "image impaired", here is a transcript of the note that was taken during a tech rehearsal for this show: "It was generally agreed by all that the show was "kind of rough" (tech wise). But after the show we learned that there was a 5 year old autistic child in the house. He had never spoken. But as the lights went down, he began to talk. In full sentences. He called the teacher by name. She had no idea he even knew her name. He was engaged in the show - at one point commenting to the teacher that if there is a dragon then there will be fire. And there was fire. He talked all throughout the show. When the lights came back up - he quit talking and returned to his world. So, yes, I could list all the little things that went wrong today but that is not what this show is about. And that little boy certainly didn't see those things as he sat talking in the dark theatre watching Harold and his Purple Crayon."

Keep story-telling, storytellers.

If you aren't watching ABC's "Once Upon a Time" on Sunday nights, you should be.

Especially if you are a pastor, or work or lead in the creative arts at a church.

See if this sounds familiar: a show takes on fairy tales of old, by taking these old, familiar stories and repackaging them in a way that not only makes them fresh for a new audience but plays upon the collective memory of the old story itself, so that one is simultaneously drawn to the the old, old story but are now witnessing that old story in a new light. Sound familiar?

The show itself runs into trouble from time to time with some less-than-stellar dialogue, and some very obvious CG, but its efforts in telling a story of good and evil, not to mention addressing omnipotent characters and the handling of characters within such a story, well, they are commendable, and there is a lot to learn from them.

Right now you can still see the show for free, streaming all the episodes on abc.com. Check it out and tell me what you think!

And if you want to hear more from me on the topic, download the January 10 episode of the Pop Culture Pulpit Podcast. You can subscribe through iTunes by clicking here.

If you've ever felt like you were chained to the almighty dollar, then you might like Community Christian's new video all about the fact that for most of us, the almighty dollar has "really got a hold on us."

Enjoy the sweetness, and have a great day! This video kicked off our brand new series "The Ladder", where we as a church are spending three weeks to delve into what steps are needed to become a generous person, and how God wants to come alongside us to break the chains. You can check out the entire message at www.communitychristian.org, and the video short is available here or click below.

On Monday, I read a blog post from Tim Schraeder, a friend of mine who consults in the arena of church communication. He has written/compiled a brand new book called Outspoken, and is generally a totally awesome, humble guy. You should follow him on twitter, read his blog, buy his book, and stalk him relentlessly.

His post was called “A Plea for Originality”, and his argument is that our churches need to foster originality, that the world needs it, needs it from our churches, and that when we borrow/steal/grab from pop culture, or even other churches, to get our message across, we run the risk of becoming unoriginal, which can lead to becoming inauthentic, uninspired, or lazy.

If you would like, take a moment to read his entire post, because in my post, I would like to respectfully disagree with some of his assertions. I think he uses a killer example and makes an effective broad brush stroke, but I think there is something to be gained from taking a look at “the other side” of the argument.

Okay, here goes: Tim starts by showing some horrifying pictures of how the “Microsoft” store is copying the Apple Store with its look and feel, and how that reminded him of how unoriginal churches seem like the Microsoft in this scenario. He wrote, of the Microsoft store:

I wasn’t the only one who snapped a picture of the Microsoft Store and muttered words of displeasure over this blatant forgery. It’s hard to deny or hide, especially since the Apple Store was just a few storefronts down.

Then he connected that to the churches who are doing the same thing, in his mind. As he puts it, these churches

… take a great idea or concept and adapt their own cheapened version of it and claim it as their own.

Whether it’s taking cues from pop culture or “borrowing” an idea from another church, many churches are plagued with unoriginality. The end result is that to many people in the communities they are trying to reach, like the Microsoft Store, they can come across as unoriginal, inauthentic, uninspired, and lazy.

Okay, on one hand, I agree with the premise. I’m a creative guy. I like to think of creative ideas, and I like to express those creative ideas in the local church. I am grateful to Community Christian Church for giving me a platform to be able to do so with our very creative teams. And everyone who is responsible for creating in a church, should do exactly that. They should create.

But to put “cues from pop culture” or “borrowing ideas from other churches” exclusively in the category of being unoriginal, is not only throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but also coming close to excavating the entire tub.

A creative brainstorm can and should include source material from which you derive inspiration, and emulate content. There is no reason to be afraid of such things. Originality is not the same word as creative. There is a reason those are different words in the dictionary.

Let’s go back to Tim’s example. Let’s pretend for a minute that the Microsoft Store was not two doors down from the Apple Store, but rather, so far away and remote that literally, no one who walked by had any notion that there was such a thing as an Apple Store. What would that customer’s experience be? If Microsoft has learned by watching Apple and has emulated their shopping environment, and the customer is none the wiser, and has a great experience, then what is the harm to that customer? If they are satisfied with the product, it works well, and they have only good things to say about it, in what way is that particular use of these ideas damaging?

In many of the churches I’ve come across, I, as a practitioner, know that the song is by Chris Tomlin. I know that series title came from Andy Stanley. I am aware that Elevation church created that video. Or that the hilarious video I just watched (many currently available at www.bigidearesources.com) was from Community Christian. But does anyone else? Do they need to know? Is there a responsibility for a “full disclosure” statement in our programs with sources and links to the originals? I don’t think so. If it works, use it – God is not telling you to reinvent the wheel on principle.

But let’s stick with the example. Apple is creative, yes. And their products are killer. Typing on one now. But try going into the Apple Store to buy an Apple printer. You can’t. Don’t get me wrong, you can buy a printer there, it’s just not made by Apple. Cause they don’t make those anymore. I used to have an Apple laser printer back in the 90s (actually, it’s still in my house somewhere), but alas, Apple in a fit of un-creativity has “borrowed” printers from other churches and is selling them in their store. How unoriginal, right?

No, not right. Apple decided to unleash their creativity in one area of their core business by releasing another area to other experts. Printing? Sure, we could make awesome Apple printers. But if we let other people do that, then we can come up with the iPad.

Tim grants us that there are “no original ideas”, but then dismisses the possibility that God can use someone else’s original idea and repurpose it in a new environment. I agree with Tim that inspired design and creativity shouldn’t be rare in the church. But neither should sharing. And collaboration. And when we stick to our guns on one end of the spectrum, we miss out on the opportunities the other has to offer. Sometimes the best way to inspire new creativity is by celebrating (and using) the creativity of others.

It is possible to access and repurpose art in a church environment without being lazy or cheapening the image of Christ. It isn’t easy, and the traps that Tim describes are there, but it’s not a reason to dismiss it entirely.

So be original? Yes. But more importantly, be creative. And creativity must include using other sources. We make a lot of original content at our church, but we also purchase great video content from Worship House Media, we beg other churches to let us use their idea, or use their videos, we look to see what works and we use it. And I hope that others do the same with us. It turns out that when you work at a church, you must provide content 52 weeks of the year. No one has the wherewithal to remain completely authentically un-dilutedly original for fifty-two weeks in a row. It is literally impossible. Your brain would explode.

Except maybe this year. Since Christmas is on a Sunday, a lot of churches are taking that Sunday off. So, yeah, you could do it in 51. But not 52. That’s crazy.

Thoughts? Reactions?

Anyone wanna buy an Apple Printer antique?

In podcast #66 of the Pop Culture Pulpit, I spoke about today being not just Halloween, but JesusWeen. Listen to that here.

In the meantime, Happy Jesus-ween, and enjoy this article I found today all about how the church needs to do Zombie-outreach, the right way.

Have a great October 31st!