This week I got a note from a Pop Culture Pulpit listener Murray Blythe - he wanted my take on an artist interview from another podcast.

The podcast in question is called "Who Writes This Stuff" - and it recently featured a two part episode interviewing Derek Webb, a solo artist who happens to be a Christian, but who comes from one of the ole favorites of Contemporary Christian music, Caedmon's Call.

Caedmon's Call was a Godsend to those of us planning weekend services in the late nineties. Here was an intelligent band on a Christian label writing great songs that challenged you lyrically and set the stage for further discussion. Pretty much exactly what you wanted for a special song during a service.

Murray Blythe listens to my podcast from Australia, where he lives and works. This fact has no bearing on my story, other than I think it's cool.

So on this week's podcast, I brought up the podcast and the Derek Webb interview - and I inteved my listeners to listen to the interview and weigh in on the topic discussed - primarily,  the way that Christians must balance expectation and/or restrictions with authenticity in the way they express their art. I haven't listened yet, but my plan is to do so and then offer my take on it as I step up the the pop culture pulpit in a future episode.

So if you'd like, mozy on over to WHO WRITES THIS STUFF and listen to the interview - then head back to the POP CULTURE PULPIT to discuss. Or leave a comment here, and as I'm working on the podcast, I'll incorporate your feedback.

Thanks and have a great rest of your September!

Don't delay! Act now and get all the benefits that await you by following Phony Torton's lead to make your prayer life full of life once again! Enjoy the parody!

Back in 1994, I bought my first Mac. It was a IIvx, with a CDROM drive and a Floppy. It had 8M of memory and a 40M hard drive.

It was awesome. I learned what Tetris was and began the process of accessing music on a computer. You could put in the song and album titles of your CD's when they were playing, and the computer would remember what they were later - amazing!

I also composed my first full length musical in grad school with the midi software that worked so seamlessly with the computer. Good times, good times. Still have it in the house somewhere - just sitting there not plugged into anything. Can't seem to throw it away.

Just feeling sentimental about Apple for some reason. Can't remember why. It'll come to me, I'm sure. Pardon the interruption. Back to our Jobs.

If you've ever wondered where you stood on the ""law vs. grace" debate in Christian circles, ask yourself whose side you are on with regards to this amazing story.

two twin boys - one steps out of the hockey rink, and as he does, his name is called to take a $50k shot at a hockey net - an almost impossible shot.

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, their father hurriedly sent the other twin to take the shot - what's the worst that could happen?

Well - he made the shot. They won $50k.

Or did they?

Watch the ABC News video on the story - and ask yourself, should they get the money?

Many of you know that I am an artistic associate with Porchlight Theatre, the premiere music theatre of Chicago. I was there at the very beginning, directing the first show Porchlight ever produced with a bunch of friends from college and a ton of new friends from the city.

Porchlight is in a "kickstarter" campaign right now, and is trying to raise a mere $5000 through this innovate (relatively new) website. You can see a very cool video highlighting this season's show selection, and in particular the first show, Stephen Sondheim's "Putting It Together." This is the first production under the leadership of new artistic director Michael Weber. No other Chicago theater company in the last 17 years has produced more work by the master of American music theatre.

I am so excited about the new direction of Porchlight through Michael Weber's leadership, and I am asking all of my friends and blog readers to join in this campaign - even a small donation can help to make this season happen. As you might guess, making theatre is expensive, and yet, Porchlight succeeds in many ways by stretching every dollar to its maximum impact.

Would you go to this website RIGHT NOW and contribute? Thanks!

CLICK HERE TO GIVE PORCHLIGHT A KICKSTART.

The next installment of the Pop Culture Pulpit is now live and ready for download! This one is Episode 62 and is called "White Guilt" - check out the ramblings regarding The Hunger Games and The Help - both books made into new movies coming soon.

Listen to the show, won't you? You can subscribe with iTunes by clicking here

Stream or download using your favorite RSS feeder here

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Stream or download on the podcast website here

And if you simply refuse to click away from this awesome page - use the player below to enjoy the show! Thanks for supporting the podcast!

How was your summer? I had a great one with my family, and I thought I'd take a minute or two as it winds down to share that with all of you. Here are the things that were great about this summer, in no particular order:

1) Our visit to Arizona

We had a blast in Arizona visiting my parents. They still live in the house I grew up in, though now they have a remodeled and much improved kitchen. My kids love going there in the summer because of the fabulous outdoor pool - which is too cold to dip into in the winter, even though as a snowbird in training I might prefer it to the 115 degree heat we encountered while there.

Highlights of that trip included the mini-trip to Tucson where we visited old University of Arizona haunts, old (but not that old!) professors, and more than one trip to the The Sausage Deli, the best sandwich manufacturing establishment on earth.

We also loved attending my father's retirement party, as he was appreciated by so many in his work as HR Director for the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona. This man walked the walk he talked, and I'm really proud of him. Also fascinating was that two of Sadie's biggest fans from her appearance in the "Sunday" video parody came all the way to the retirement party just to see her. Awesome.

note: Our trip to and from Phoenix will likely require a separate blog post at a later date, as the wacky hijjinks our family endured to get to Phoenix on time and in one piece created some "first class" comedy… more to come...

B) Small Group parties

My small group is the best, and throws the best parties! (They're so good, and we are having such a good time we don't have time to take pictures!) We had a great time this summer gathering at our friends houses and enjoying each other's company - it's such a blast to be able to do life with this group.

2) The Mystery of Irma Vep

As many of you know, working on this two-man show with my brother Elic has been some of the most satisfying work I've done. It was the most exhausting work, but such a blast. One of my favorite reactions was from Sean Bublitz, one of our Arts Directors at Community. He brought his 3 year old daughter, and midway through the show, she whispered to him, "Dad, I think they are boys." Classic. Pictures below will illuminate the three-year old's confusion…

note: a separate blog post should come soon on the dress rehearsal night and what it was like to perform the show in front of a hundred or so junior high and high school StuCo kids. Wow!

c) Paul McCartney at Wrigley Field

I had never seen a Beatle perform live. Cross it off the bucket list, and in fine fashion, as Sir Paul played for nearly 3 hours straight running through 30 some-odd songs in sweltering heat. Seriously, he's 69 years old and I'm exhausted? One of our church friends clipped together some highlights of the show we saw, and they turned out really nice - (click the "720p" feature on youtube to see it in full HD quality.)

H) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.

It was a special treat to see this fantastic film with my daughter Sadie (just the two of us), since she and I had read the books together several years ago. What a great way to wrap up and incredible piece of storytelling.

3) Kristi graduated from College

Yay! I get my wife back full-time! Seriously, Kristi worked super-hard over the last eighteen months to walk away with a masters certification in dance movement therapy, which will help her immensely in teaching actors what they are doing with their bodies while trying to pretend to be other people. I'm very proud of her and the hard work she put into this degree. She earned it!

D) Mom's Birthday

The fact that we were doing Irma Vep meant that Mom and Dad came back to see (almost) all the performances. That led to us being able to celebrate at the "Buckeye Bramletts" for Mom's __th birthday. Best part was realizing in the cool summer with a fire aglow and Sadie serenading us all.

So there you have it - quite a summer! Don't say I never told you anything!

Last night at rehearsal I was shocked and excited to realize that a week from last night, we will have opened the show! Wow! Time flies when you're having fun!

For those of you living in a cave not near Naperville or any Bramletts whatsoever, I'm talking about next week's Epic Theatre Company production - July 21-24 at the Naperville Yellow Box Theater. My brother Elic and I are starring in a two-man show called "The Mystery of Irma Vep." It's a comedy that pokes fun at gothic melodrama and penny-dreadful tales of "horror."

We chose the show to follow Community's recent series on the supernatural and paranormal called "Fringe." And we chose it, because, quite frankly, (1) I've always wanted to do it and (2) I've always wanted to perform it with my brother.

The story follows a lovelorn werewolf, a campy vampire, and an Egyptian princess with a secret, who greet Lord Edgar's new bride as she tries to escape the deadly fate of his first wife in this side-splitting spoof of gothic melodrama. It is directed by the incomparable Lynda Christopher.

The entertainment flows from the comedy of the script itself and the fact that Elic and I play all the roles. Men, women, ghosts, you name it. We play it. Trust me - this is one show you do not want to miss.

You can purchase tickets online RIGHT NOW by clicking this link. Get them now! We are in a smaller space and I suspect that tickets will sell out fast. At least, I hope so!

All shows are at 7:30pm. Tickets are available for $15 for Adults, $10 for Jr. and Sr. High Students, and $5 for kids.

The show is LESS than a week away! Check out the new promo we shot, and get your tickets TODAY!

The next installment of the Pop Culture Pulpit is now live and ready for download! You can do this in a number of ways -

Subscribe with iTunes by clicking here

Stream or download using your favorite RSS feeder here

Stream live right on my website here

Stream or download on the podcast website here

I'm sure there are more, but I can't remember them. Internet.

This week (episode 60) I review the film Super 8, which I saw on vacation in Phoenix, and talk a little about how a storyteller like J.J. Abrams uses principles that can be found in the greatest story ever told...

I reference in the "do it" segment of the show a talk J.J. Abrams gave at TED about "the mystery box." Here it is below for you to check out. Enjoy!

I have to say that I am eagerly anticipating the final film installment of the Harry Potter series next week. Almost as much as I am the opening of Epic Theatre Company's production of The Mystery of Irma Vep... Almost.

Got excited today as I caught nine small clips that MTV has leaked from the film - check them out below if you simply can't wait until next week!

And get your tickets to Mystery of Irma Vep too!