Heading out this afternoon for Story conference in Chicago. Great lineup of communicators and very excited about getting to meet some of the folks I love to follow.

Did that get your attention? ChurchCrunch had a post yesterday on how we oversell things in ministry by the big words we use and how that has spilled over into the technological front. He showed a mashup of Apple’s keynote and their excessive use of these words.
I have grown tired by the over promotion, hyped up marketing, that many pastors and churches use to promote their next series, program, worship or whatever it is. “Don’t miss my next series it will change your life.” “Hear never before heard revelation …

J.J. Abrams, mastermind behind the hit TV series Lost, Alias and Fringe and the reboot of the Star Trek empire, wrote a fabulous essay in the May issue of Wired magazine on the Magic of Mystery. You can read the article in its entirety here.
J.J. writes that we are in the middle of the “age of immediacy” where wonder and mystery are lost because of the instant access to information that will, at best, give us a satisfying understanding. Because information is ubiquitous, knowledge a mouse click away, true understanding …

Watch Nightline’s Face off “Does Satan Exist?” here. Mark Driscoll, of Mars Hill Church, takes on the self proclaimed enlightened one, Deepak Chopra and Mr. Twisted Scripture, Bishop Carlton Pearson.
I thought Mark did a great job in presenting the Biblical view and account of Satan. He was very articulate, concise and authoritative sounding. Annie Lobert, an ex-prostitute and founder of the ministry, Hookers for Jesus shared about her encounter of coming to Christ after being tormented by demonic forces, an incredible story of redemption.
Chopra spouted out …

Rick Warren certainly has had his share of detractors with the announcement of his invitation to pray at the Inauguration , both from the gay community as well as from Bible thumpers. I guess those two parties can agree on one thing. The LA Times released a story about Rick’s Christmas eve sermon at Saddleback.
Here is a great quote from Rick’s sermon that was cited in the article:
“I happen to love Democrats and Republicans,” he told the gathering. “And for the media’s purpose, I happen to love gays …

Came across this great video snippet of Louis CK on Conan. Take a few moments to watch and you’ll surely laugh or identify with the people he’s talking about! It’s all about attitude and perspective.

Watched Robin William’s Man of the Year the other night. Funny, funny, funny. The plot is rather simplistic but drives home some great points. Robin plays Tom Dobbs, an irreverent, late night political talk show host who decides to run for president and wins on a voting machine computer error. His wit and his bashing of both political parties does endear him to many voters though. In a great line of the movie, Tom’s joke writer Eddie, played by Lewis Black, comments on Tom’s popularity vs. his opponents – "He …

Gotta love Fox and Mark Burnett that can spit out reality shows like no one else. On The Lot is shaping up to be a great competition. This week’s comedy shorts really showcased the talent of these aspiring directors. Some were great, others not so much. Zach’s one minute comedy short, Danger Zone was excellent. Catch it here. If someone can explain Jess’ metaphor in her comedy short, please fill me in.