Comments on: Dear the Church. http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/ Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:44:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: nate http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-619 nate Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-619 matt, i agree! i've often found myself embarassed of my "brothers and sisters" in the last 7 years since i got back from africa. nothing seems to distinguish us from the world more than our lack of innovation these days. matt, i agree! i’ve often found myself embarassed of my “brothers and sisters” in the last 7 years since i got back from africa. nothing seems to distinguish us from the world more than our lack of innovation these days.

]]> By: greg http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-620 greg Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-620 I had a similar conversation with a friend. We were talking about school, and I was very strong on the point that I do not want to transfer to a Christian school for a degree in some sort of media art (right now it's film). She asked me why and the answer was simply because Christians don't know how to make the stuff correctly. Other than Extreme Days and the older Veggie Tales, there are simply NO good movies made by Christians. Even <i>The Passion</i> was made by someone who learned from the sectular market. I was at a wedding the other day, and I noticed that on the wall at the church (no clue as to the denomination) that there were flyers for their college ministry, which they called "The Rock". But flyer's problem was.....CLIPART! When you see an cartoon rock with words pasted over it that aren't evem anti-aliased.....it's pretty disgusting. I remember thinking how ineffective that piece of paper must have been. Thankfully, and with no slight to anyone out there, creativity is not something I struggle with. If things work out with The Rock in Chicago, we will probably be slowly moving away from the whole "Experience The Revolution" theme. It's simply like Matt said. We have to stay a step ahead. I had a similar conversation with a friend. We were talking about school, and I was very strong on the point that I do not want to transfer to a Christian school for a degree in some sort of media art (right now it’s film). She asked me why and the answer was simply because Christians don’t know how to make the stuff correctly. Other than Extreme Days and the older Veggie Tales, there are simply NO good movies made by Christians. Even The Passion was made by someone who learned from the sectular market.

I was at a wedding the other day, and I noticed that on the wall at the church (no clue as to the denomination) that there were flyers for their college ministry, which they called “The Rock”. But flyer’s problem was…..CLIPART! When you see an cartoon rock with words pasted over it that aren’t evem anti-aliased…..it’s pretty disgusting. I remember thinking how ineffective that piece of paper must have been.

Thankfully, and with no slight to anyone out there, creativity is not something I struggle with. If things work out with The Rock in Chicago, we will probably be slowly moving away from the whole “Experience The Revolution” theme. It’s simply like Matt said. We have to stay a step ahead.

]]> By: greg http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-621 greg Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-621 PS the church with The Rock was not a Great Commision Church. PS the church with The Rock was not a Great Commision Church.

]]> By: kirsten http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-622 kirsten Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-622 Here's what I am wondering -- people have been knocking comic sans as a font ever since I can remember. Was it ever cool or trendy? I recall the first time I saw it (maybe 1996 or 1997) and I used in continuously for a year or two because I liked it so much. But I might have had no taste. :) Completely possible. Here’s what I am wondering — people have been knocking comic sans as a font ever since I can remember. Was it ever cool or trendy? I recall the first time I saw it (maybe 1996 or 1997) and I used in continuously for a year or two because I liked it so much. But I might have had no taste. :) Completely possible.

]]> By: Matt http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-623 Matt Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-623 Greg, Your last paragraph concerns me a bit. Make sure you keep a team of council and other creatives around you. As I do, you may have weaknesses/blindspots that can be evened out/covered over by a team that is working together. Greg,

Your last paragraph concerns me a bit. Make sure you keep a team of council and other creatives around you. As I do, you may have weaknesses/blindspots that can be evened out/covered over by a team that is working together.

]]> By: leah http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-624 leah Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-624 i have always and continue to enjoy comic sans! however, i don't design things! :) i have always and continue to enjoy comic sans! however, i don’t design things! :)

]]> By: Justin http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-625 Justin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-625 matt. I got two sides to all this. It says Jesus was humble in apprerance. I want to be careful not to put an emphasis everything looking cool as the big thing to focus on. On the other hand, my brother Chris was to have heart surgery a few years ago. I don't want some doctor to work on my brothers heart just because the doctor is a chiristian. I want to best doctor in the world! The same goes from arts and christianity. I have alot of people at church tell me that I care too much about how my music sounds. My pastors encourage me that, "Just put something together, No one will really be able to tell if it isn't perfect." That response really bothers me. We don't want pastors who are living lifes that are "just try to live as right as you can do easily, no one will be able to tell if it isn't as good as you would like it to be." As far as I am concerned, I am a music leader and what I do is music. I am going to be the best worship leader (musically speaking) that there is. No one is going to be as good at guitar as me. (don't take that overboard, I am just saying, I am going to push myself to be the best I can be) David says, I won't bring an offering that costs me nothing. I don't think alot of that will make sense but hopefully you follow a bit. -justin matt.
I got two sides to all this.

It says Jesus was humble in apprerance. I want to be careful not to put an emphasis everything looking cool as the big thing to focus on. On the other hand, my brother Chris was to have heart surgery a few years ago. I don’t want some doctor to work on my brothers heart just because the doctor is a chiristian. I want to best doctor in the world! The same goes from arts and christianity. I have alot of people at church tell me that I care too much about how my music sounds. My pastors encourage me that, “Just put something together, No one will really be able to tell if it isn’t perfect.” That response really bothers me. We don’t want pastors who are living lifes that are “just try to live as right as you can do easily, no one will be able to tell if it isn’t as good as you would like it to be.” As far as I am concerned, I am a music leader and what I do is music. I am going to be the best worship leader (musically speaking) that there is. No one is going to be as good at guitar as me. (don’t take that overboard, I am just saying, I am going to push myself to be the best I can be) David says, I won’t bring an offering that costs me nothing.

I don’t think alot of that will make sense but hopefully you follow a bit.
-justin

]]> By: Tim http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-626 Tim Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-626 Since this is an "old" blog, no one will probably ever read this, but I had a thought while reading it and the comments that followed. It seems what Matt (and all of us) are looking for is what could be called Divine creativity. A stroke of brilliance that comes from God and not from a Fortune 500 marketing scheme. Well friends, to get that you need a deep walk with God, time to be still and reflect on His greatness, and a hunger to make His name famous. I believe that is what it took to compose great songs like Amazing Grace or How Great Thou Art. Our society/ lifestyle fights against this. We must fight back if we are ever to regain a reputation of excellence and sincerety. Since this is an “old” blog, no one will probably ever read this, but I had a thought while reading it and the comments that followed.
It seems what Matt (and all of us) are looking for is what could be called Divine creativity. A stroke of brilliance that comes from God and not from a Fortune 500 marketing scheme. Well friends, to get that you need a deep walk with God, time to be still and reflect on His greatness, and a hunger to make His name famous. I believe that is what it took to compose great songs like Amazing Grace or How Great Thou Art.
Our society/ lifestyle fights against this. We must fight back if we are ever to regain a reputation of excellence and sincerety.

]]> By: matt http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-627 matt Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-627 WORD Tim, very true. Great observation. WORD Tim, very true. Great observation.

]]> By: Adam http://www.mattandnancy.org/open-source-theology/dear-the-church/#comment-628 Adam Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 +0000 http://mattandnancy.mattheerema.com/?p=240#comment-628 Adam Adam

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