In response to my recent mini rant about Christian programming I had a comment from someone who is concerned that I am misinformed about Sky Angel and that I treated them unfairly. The contents of that response are below.
Dear Mike,
First of all, there isn't such a thing as the "Sky Angel Network" or channel. Sky Angel is a television service carrying many channels of faith and family programming. It appears you think it's an actual channel. I have Sky Angel, and it's not all preaching. There are kids channels and teen channels, music channels, documentaries, and, yes, even news from a Christian perspective. So before you criticize something, you should really know what you are criticizing.
I appreciate the rebuttal and I understand that there are many who enjoy the programming. However, I also understand that Sky Angel is a satellite service that has 3 channels that they sponsor themselves (only one of which they produce themselves--kids programming) and many others that they purchase the rights to broadcast (such as Discovery Kids). I appreciate also that they are trying to provide a family friendly alternative by selecting channels to broadcast that do not have the violence and suggestive content that are typical.
However, the 2 channels that they offer that I receive on Dish Network (Angel 1 and EWTN) are typical of what I described in my previous post and lack what I would consider to be content that is relevant to the world that most people live in. I believe with all my heart that we as Christians are capable of creativity that rivals any we see on other networks and that we can do it without compromising the message that we all carry. I do not believe that what we are putting out there now lives up to that. We can do better.
Pray for Peace.
Mike
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Well, Becca got Liz's flu. I guess it will just travel through the whole bunch of us. Yuck.
Work has settled down a little bit since I'm not running all of the place working on the Kickoff. But there's no breathing room. We started an audit today that will run 2 more days and I'll have to start training the whole plant on hazard recognition next week.
I've been going to Sunday night services for about 4 weeks now; since David started his recent split time sermon series. I'll probably keep going once that's over with. I forgot that I kind of enjoy it--except the hymns are kind of tough; they're never in my voice range.
I wish I could get a chance to speak once in a while on a Sunday morning. That's what I really miss about having my own church. I've tried to put some feelers out there, but to no avail so far. If you know of something, leave me a comment.
Pray for peace.
Mike
Work has settled down a little bit since I'm not running all of the place working on the Kickoff. But there's no breathing room. We started an audit today that will run 2 more days and I'll have to start training the whole plant on hazard recognition next week.
I've been going to Sunday night services for about 4 weeks now; since David started his recent split time sermon series. I'll probably keep going once that's over with. I forgot that I kind of enjoy it--except the hymns are kind of tough; they're never in my voice range.
I wish I could get a chance to speak once in a while on a Sunday morning. That's what I really miss about having my own church. I've tried to put some feelers out there, but to no avail so far. If you know of something, leave me a comment.
Pray for peace.
Mike
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Family, Work
Liz came home sick from school yesterday with a headache, fever and cough. We took her to the doctor today and it turns out she has the flu. Tough break for her--she feels like crap. Hopefully it will clear up soon, but the doc says it will likely take about a week.
Work is still hectic. We finally got the safety kickoffs over with--they were great, by the way--but now I have an audit to do, tons of training to do, a procedure to implement and I have to get everything ready to transition to the new person who will be hired to take my place when I move to my new plant location. And it all has to be finished by the end of February. Whew.
Sandi and Becca are doing pretty good. Becca always seems to be happy and Sandi is staying busy with work and church stuff...especially now that the Chrysalis is getting started up. I'm not nearly as busy at church as I was now that Josh is here. I'm not splitting any speaking time on Sunday mornings; and Luke is doing all the music. I'm still hosting Sunday mornings at the Realm, but a lot of the hectic is gone from my middle school stuff. Since I'm not doing 8th grade there's not even any Crucible stuff for me to do. And that's all fine, considering how busy things are at work.
My sister called a couple of days ago to tell me that there's a church down in Pace that's searching for a pastor. I'm going to get in touch with them next week and send a resume. Hey, maybe God's finally decided that I'm ready; then again, maybe not. I've finally given up on trying to figure that out. It keeps my frustration level much lower.
Peace, out.
Work is still hectic. We finally got the safety kickoffs over with--they were great, by the way--but now I have an audit to do, tons of training to do, a procedure to implement and I have to get everything ready to transition to the new person who will be hired to take my place when I move to my new plant location. And it all has to be finished by the end of February. Whew.
Sandi and Becca are doing pretty good. Becca always seems to be happy and Sandi is staying busy with work and church stuff...especially now that the Chrysalis is getting started up. I'm not nearly as busy at church as I was now that Josh is here. I'm not splitting any speaking time on Sunday mornings; and Luke is doing all the music. I'm still hosting Sunday mornings at the Realm, but a lot of the hectic is gone from my middle school stuff. Since I'm not doing 8th grade there's not even any Crucible stuff for me to do. And that's all fine, considering how busy things are at work.
My sister called a couple of days ago to tell me that there's a church down in Pace that's searching for a pastor. I'm going to get in touch with them next week and send a resume. Hey, maybe God's finally decided that I'm ready; then again, maybe not. I've finally given up on trying to figure that out. It keeps my frustration level much lower.
Peace, out.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
SkyAngel?
I'm watching the Sky Angel network (don't ask why) and started wondering about some things. I'm wondering what it is we are trying to accomplish with the shows that we put out there for public consumption. (When I say 'we' I mean Christians. Even when we don't want to be we are all pretty much lumped together by the people who aren't Christians.)
If you go down the programing list for this network and the others like it they are pretty much the same. About 22 or 23 hours out of each day are devoted to preaching shows, some sort of so-called news/discussion shows, shows about ministries, etc. The other 1 or 2 hours might be devoted to some kind of contemporary music or extreme sports and they are always on late at night; very obscure. And during Christmas and Easter you will see movies about Bible stories. Now I understand that this description is slightly oversimplified, but not much. They spend tons of money (that they are constantly asking us for) to put stuff out there that even most Christians aren't going to watch very often. What's the point? And so many of the people come off as pompous and judgmental.
There are many, many Christians who are massively creative and capable of developing stuff that people would really watch (all people; not just uber conservatives). Then there might be a chance to reach an audience besides the first 10 rows on Sunday morning. We cry and moan about our shrinking sphere of influence (or at least we should) and then we do everything we can to make sure it can't grow.
Christian TV---pull your heads out of the sand (or wherever you have it stuck) and think like real people for a while. You can get the message out there without the bad hair, archaic language and preachers in expensive suits. The U.S. demographic passed you by decades ago. Help us. Help yourself. Help the cause. Join us in the 21st century--please. Hire some commentators who will look at the world in terms of the social responsibility and justice that Jesus taught his entire ministry. Cover stories like Darfur and Congo so that people get the real story. Talk about the thousands of civilian casualties in Iraq. I bet you a Thompson Chain Reference Bible that Jesus doesn't think of them as collateral damage. Talk about homelessness and uninsured children in America and how our government should be responsible to its people instead of its corporations.
Here's a question you should be asking yourselves--what shows do your kids watch when they get home from school. Unless you force them to watch the lame crap on your network, they are watching Disney or Nickelodeon, I bet. Ever think of doing something along that line? And here's a thought; I bet there are some smart and creative writers and producers out there who could work a good message into a show that's also funny and smart that adolescents would actually watch. How about an entertaining drama that wrestles with moral ambiguity from the perspective of people who understand that there is ultimately a right and a wrong--that God really exists--but also understand that every single issue cannot be solved with cliches and catch-phrases from the conservative handbook?
Guess what? Christians who actually take seriously the call to be relevant to the world they live in aren't going to watch rich pastors in thousand dollar suits sit in gilded thrones and pontificate on issues that they obviously haven't bothered to fully educate themselves about. I am sick of it and I'm calling you out.
Oh, what's the use. You'll never read this and if you did you'd probably just started piling up rocks (think about it).
For anyone else who might see this--let's pray for peace and keep trying to love people like Jesus did.
Mike
If you go down the programing list for this network and the others like it they are pretty much the same. About 22 or 23 hours out of each day are devoted to preaching shows, some sort of so-called news/discussion shows, shows about ministries, etc. The other 1 or 2 hours might be devoted to some kind of contemporary music or extreme sports and they are always on late at night; very obscure. And during Christmas and Easter you will see movies about Bible stories. Now I understand that this description is slightly oversimplified, but not much. They spend tons of money (that they are constantly asking us for) to put stuff out there that even most Christians aren't going to watch very often. What's the point? And so many of the people come off as pompous and judgmental.
There are many, many Christians who are massively creative and capable of developing stuff that people would really watch (all people; not just uber conservatives). Then there might be a chance to reach an audience besides the first 10 rows on Sunday morning. We cry and moan about our shrinking sphere of influence (or at least we should) and then we do everything we can to make sure it can't grow.
Christian TV---pull your heads out of the sand (or wherever you have it stuck) and think like real people for a while. You can get the message out there without the bad hair, archaic language and preachers in expensive suits. The U.S. demographic passed you by decades ago. Help us. Help yourself. Help the cause. Join us in the 21st century--please. Hire some commentators who will look at the world in terms of the social responsibility and justice that Jesus taught his entire ministry. Cover stories like Darfur and Congo so that people get the real story. Talk about the thousands of civilian casualties in Iraq. I bet you a Thompson Chain Reference Bible that Jesus doesn't think of them as collateral damage. Talk about homelessness and uninsured children in America and how our government should be responsible to its people instead of its corporations.
Here's a question you should be asking yourselves--what shows do your kids watch when they get home from school. Unless you force them to watch the lame crap on your network, they are watching Disney or Nickelodeon, I bet. Ever think of doing something along that line? And here's a thought; I bet there are some smart and creative writers and producers out there who could work a good message into a show that's also funny and smart that adolescents would actually watch. How about an entertaining drama that wrestles with moral ambiguity from the perspective of people who understand that there is ultimately a right and a wrong--that God really exists--but also understand that every single issue cannot be solved with cliches and catch-phrases from the conservative handbook?
Guess what? Christians who actually take seriously the call to be relevant to the world they live in aren't going to watch rich pastors in thousand dollar suits sit in gilded thrones and pontificate on issues that they obviously haven't bothered to fully educate themselves about. I am sick of it and I'm calling you out.
Oh, what's the use. You'll never read this and if you did you'd probably just started piling up rocks (think about it).
For anyone else who might see this--let's pray for peace and keep trying to love people like Jesus did.
Mike
Monday, January 21, 2008
Well, crap...
This is one of those times it doesn't pay to be a Packer fan or a Patriot detractor. I guess I'll just TIVO the Super Bowl so I can go back and watch the commercials. Bad time to have a mediocre game, Brett. We'll always love ya, though.
Go Giants.
Pray for Peace.
Mike
Go Giants.
Pray for Peace.
Mike
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Just Stuff
Tons of stuff going on these days but not a lot worth writing about...'course that's kind of the point sometime; just to put stuff out there whether it's worthwhile or not.
I am transferring to a new work site. I'll be doing the same thing (safety) with the same company, just at a new plant. It will be a good bit closer to home so maybe I won't be homocidal by the time I get here every evening. I hated leaving my old plant because I've made lots of good friends there. But this might be the only chance I get to be this close to home so I figured I had better take advantage of it.
Anybody else sick of the presidential race yet? Only 9.5 months to go!
2 big football games on tomorrow. I can't watch the Chargers game, though. It will make me too mad when the Pats win and I don't need that kind of aggravation.
Go Pack!
Pray for Peace.
I am transferring to a new work site. I'll be doing the same thing (safety) with the same company, just at a new plant. It will be a good bit closer to home so maybe I won't be homocidal by the time I get here every evening. I hated leaving my old plant because I've made lots of good friends there. But this might be the only chance I get to be this close to home so I figured I had better take advantage of it.
Anybody else sick of the presidential race yet? Only 9.5 months to go!
2 big football games on tomorrow. I can't watch the Chargers game, though. It will make me too mad when the Pats win and I don't need that kind of aggravation.
Go Pack!
Pray for Peace.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Football, mostly
OK...I think it's time to just admit that the SEC rocks college football like Einstein rocked physics and Liz Taylor rocked husbands. I mean seriously; did Ohio State even show up for the LSU game? At 7-2 for the bowl 'season' the SEC schools showed again why there are really only 2 football conferences in Division I-A; although the Big 12 certainly had an off year in bowl games. Goes to show you why a so-called powerhouse like FSU would tuck its tail and run to the ACC when it started looking for conference money. Kudos to Mizzoo, however. They hammered an Arkansas team that handed LSU one of its 2 losses (both to conference teams and both in OT). The biggest disappointment in the bowl games was OU (sorry Chappy). How the heck do they get man-handled by a Big East team? By the way, college football needs a playoff system bad. BCS must stand for Big College Stupidity.
Turning briefly to the NFL, I have to admit that, in spite of my extreme dislike for the Patriots organization, they have one good football team. I hated seeing them go undefeated in the regular season and I just pray that the Chargers can pull off the miracle and keep them out of the Super Bowl. On the bright side, Dallas is out and my Packers are playing like wildmen. Watch out for the Giants, boys, they're on a tear. But as long as the hogs keep their front four off of Brett, he'll pick 'em to pieces. Cheeseheads of the world unite. Let's send BF into retirement with one more Stud Bowl win and a big honkin' ring. Won't be a dry eye in the house.
Roll Tide and Go Pack Go.
Turning briefly to the NFL, I have to admit that, in spite of my extreme dislike for the Patriots organization, they have one good football team. I hated seeing them go undefeated in the regular season and I just pray that the Chargers can pull off the miracle and keep them out of the Super Bowl. On the bright side, Dallas is out and my Packers are playing like wildmen. Watch out for the Giants, boys, they're on a tear. But as long as the hogs keep their front four off of Brett, he'll pick 'em to pieces. Cheeseheads of the world unite. Let's send BF into retirement with one more Stud Bowl win and a big honkin' ring. Won't be a dry eye in the house.
Roll Tide and Go Pack Go.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Responsibility
Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.
Romans 15:1
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