Collide Magazine

I didn’t get around to posting these on Friday — my fault — but I still want to share them with you.

First up, did you see the amazing video that Adam C. Erickson made for us during Echo 2010?

If you liked Wes Anderson’s Rushmore, you’ll love Twitter’s recruiting video (HT: Gizmodo)

Speaking of Twitter, Facebook isn’t the only social network that’s the subject of an upcoming movie. (Only watch this video if you’ve seen the trailer for The Social Network aka The Facebook Movie.)

Check out this beautiful RadioLab video (HT: Devour via modernnerd.com)

Check out Igniter’s latest video, “Change the World.” It’ll getcha!

And finally, check out Dan Stevers’ new video, also titled, “Change the World.”

Someone once told me, “Common sense isn’t all that common.” The more I think about that, the more I find it to be true.

The same goes for the question, “Isn’t it obvious?” Honestly, there are very few things that are unanimously obvious. As communicators, it’s helpful to remember that. Here’s a recent example: Do you have any idea what the symbol below represents?

I sure didn’t until I read this article. As it turns out, that symbol appears on your car’s dashboard if one of your tires is under-inflated by 25 percent or more. That’s an important thing for drivers to know, and so it’s great that a warning system was mandated and implemented.

The problem, as revealed in the article I linked above, is that the symbol was meant to be “idiot proof” by those that developed it. Drivers are meant to glance at the symbol, recognize its meaning, and take action. The problem? What was intended to be an obvious communication is an odd blob with an exclamation point in the middle. What was intended to be an obvious communication conveys a sense of urgency to drivers, but it’s a sense of urgency about nothing in particular. This, in my view, is a communication problem.

As you communicate spiritual truths, timely messages, and important information about the life of your local church, make sure you’re not relying on symbols, references, and insider lingo that you think is obvious. It may be that you’re communicating a sense of urgency (or joy or hope or reverence) about nothing in particular. And wouldn’t that be a shame?

Do you want to hear from Andy Stanley, Craig Groeschel, Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, Perry Noble, Francis Chan, and many more? Me too.

Here’s the deal: Catalyst 2010 (October 6-8 in Atlanta) is going to be a fantastic event. Even better, you can get in the door for just $219. Use the promo code COLLIDE when you register online or by phone (888-334-6569) by Thursday, August 26, and you’re all set.

Do it. Do it now. Go. Have fun.

What happens when pastor and author Francis Chan teams up with the talented artists behind the NOOMA series? BASIC happens. If you haven’t heard about BASIC yet, be sure to check out that official link. Now, on with the contest.

I’ve got three copies of the first installment in the BASIC DVD series, Fear God, to give away. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post by 12pm CST on Friday, August 20. Any ol’ comment will do, but if you want to share your favorite Francis Chan book, NOOMA video, or David C. Cook book, you’re welcome to do so. I’ll pick three commenters at random on Friday afternoon and I’ll send each of them a DVD.

Go ahead and enter — what have you got to lose?

UPDATE: The contest is now over and the winners have been chosen. Thanks to everyone who entered!

During the last century, philosophers have given a great deal of thought to the nature of language.  Ludwig Wittgenstein once said, “A new word is like a fresh seed sown on the ground of the discussion,” and the growth which that new word or combination of words yields can be unexpected and surprising.  If you subscribe to Urban Dictionary’s Word of the Day, you know what I mean.

In a recent article on the power of language, The Wall Street Journal asks, “Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?”  As spelled out in the article, the answer to these questions is undeniably yes.

For church leaders in the arena of media, we have to come to grips with the power of language.  The articles we write, the books we produce, the films we make, and the experiences we create shape the way people see the world.  They provide a way of describing, engaging, and understanding reality.  And the ultimate goal of our media production is to put forward a message that is truthful and permeated by the One who is Truth, Jesus Christ.  This is no easy task, for the challenge of faithfulness in our own generation is ever evolving, demanding depth in our spiritual life, careful discernment, and a constant posture of listening to both our world and the whispers of the Holy Spirit.

What examples can you share of instances where the power of language has been particularly evident in your art and/or ministry?