Collide Magazine

When Apple’s iPhone 3G was released July 11th, public reaction ran the proverbial gamut: pepole were excited, anxious, dubious, frustrated, angry, etc. And that got me thinking.

When people discuss LifeChurch.tv and their innovative  projects (YouVersion, One Prayer, Second Life campus, etc.), I hear and read a lot of the same reactions: excitement, anxiety, doubt, frustration, anger, etc. Call me crazy, but I think that’s a good thing.

When a company like Motorola releases a generic new phone, most people don’t even notice. If they do notice, their reaction usually consists of a yawn and a shrug. I think that’s because the iPhone represents taking a giant step forward while most other new phones represent a step sideways or backwards (perhaps a tiptoe forward at best).

My question is, what about your church or ministry? When you launch a new campaign, initiative, service, or program, does anyone notice? Are people excited or nervous or frustrated? Do they feel anything at all? If so, you’re probably taking a step forward (and that’s a good thing, as long as it’s a step in the right direction and is consistent with the gospel). If not, maybe you’re just standing still, shuffling your feet, side-stepping, or even inching backward.

I think I once heard Tim Stevens ask an audience, “If your church shut its doors tomorrow, would your community notice?” Personally, I think that’s one of the most powerful questions a church can ask itself. Perhaps the underlying question of this post is, “When you open your doors, or when you do anything new at all, does anyone notice?” I hope your answer is yes.

I’m curious: As a generally tech-savvy audience (you at least know how to navigate to a blog), what do you think of podcasts? Do you subscribe to a bunch of them? Do you look to them for entertainment, information, or something else? Or are you over the podcasting craze and instead spend your time listening to music? Are you constantly looking for new podcasts to add to your library or is your library clogged with a ton of feeds you never listen to? If the entire podcasting medium disappeared tomorrow, would you be bummed or would you even notice?

Please share your thoughts below.

As I watched Steve Jobs reveal the new iPhone 3G on Monday, my heart filled with joy at the new features and looks. Then he announced the new price of $199 and my heart sank like the Titanic. The price blew my mind, but the problem was that I already own an iPhone. It was at that moment I realized that my “old” iPhone was now practically worthless. What was originally worth $431.92 dropped in a matter of seconds to a value of nearly nothing. I began trying to figure out ways to sell my phone so that I could get the new one in July. But then it hit me, just like my brothers use to, “Do I really need the new iPhone?”

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If you’re a COLLIDE Magazine reader, you should be familiar with the fine work of Mark Steele and Jeff Huston. Mark is one of our outstanding columnists and Jeff regularly contributes insightful film reviews to our little magazine. The two of them also happen to work together at Steelehouse Productions, a top-notch video production shop based in Oklahoma (as you may have guessed, Mark is the owner).

Anyway, a couple months ago the two of them started recording the Steelehouse Podcast, a weekly review of pop culture informed by both a Christian worldview and a love of the arts. I’m a big fan of both of these guys, so I’m certainly not the most unbiased opinion, but give this podcast a listen.

Mark and Jeff are great hosts—they’re funny, they don’t say “Uh” a million times a minute, and they know their stuff. Whether they’re recapping a Lost episode, discussing the legacy of the works of C.S. Lewis, or exploring the cultural significance of superhero comics, each episode is an exercise in what Mark Batterson calls “cultural exegesis.”

If you’re looking to eavesdrop on an insightful conversation about faith, culture, and media, let me recommend the Steelehouse Podcast.

What podcasts are you digging these days?

One of my favorite bands is the now-defunct Pedro the Lion, the brainchild of David Bazan. I was listening to The Only Reason I Feel Secure (a Pedro EP from 1999) this morning when I was reminded of the genius of one particular song, “Letter from a Concerned Follower.” In the song, Bazan asks God how in the world he’s going to keep up with the technological advancements of modern men. Bazan sings:

i hear that you don’t change
how do you expect to keep up with the trends
you won’t survive the information age
unless you plan to change the truth to accomodate the brilliance of man
the brilliance of man

some folks think we’re better now
social evolution’s new synthetic breed
will keep us on a straighter path
as better men use brand new math
with no wrong answers

i’m just a little bit worried
do you have some sort of plan
have you been finally defeated
by the cunning of these fully evolved men

Hopefully, as we go about using media and technology, we aren’t doing it because we think its the only way God will survive the Information Age.