Category: podcasts

Some Beautiful Noise

Well, as one project comes to an end, another begins.

This last week it was decided that we would take OrangeNoiseRadio.com “off the air.” It’s been a blast working with it and I’ve really enjoyed helping Brian run the station but we’ve come to a place where we’re paying too much for music licensing and not getting enough revenue directly for the station or through other avenues. So while it’s sad to see it go, I’m thankful for the experience and fun I had getting it up off the ground and running. We’re still keeping things in place for the immediate future and if funding becomes available (or the music companies quit asking for so much money) we’ll bring the station back online.

In the meantime, Thomas and I have been plotting out our ideas for a new project via Twitter. We’ve settled on a name and actually finished our “beta version” of a new podcast last week. Something Beautiful – stories worth talking about – will be a weekly experiment in podcasting where we give folks an opportunity to share their stories and why God matters to them. As a huge blessing Brian offered to donate the hosting space for Something Beautiful as well, so I’ve been working on getting a website up and running as quickly as possible. Somethingbeautifulpodcast.com is live, but its still in it’s infancy – there may be many changes before it “officially” launches. But for now you can visit the site and listen to our beta podcast we put together last week.

Also, you can join the Something Beautiful Network on ning.com at somethingbeautiful.ning.com. Join up and add our podcast player to your Facebook page and then tell all your friends. We hope the ning site will become an extension of the podcast where people can share their own thoughts and stories alongside the (hopefully) weekly podcast.

So there you go. That’s what’s cooking right now in the fire and don’t be surprised if you get a phone call (or Skype call) from Thomas or I asking you to share your story on Something Beautiful.

A New Humanity

Just finished listening to Rob Bell’s message, “One Mind” focused on Phil 2:1-4.

Excellent.

I could probably write a lot about it but I may use some of it for our community group tonight so I’ll save it for now.

I edited down the ending though. It’s about a 10 minute clip and well worth the listen (or you can listen to the full message here):

[audio:http://www.casadeblundell.com/jonathan/wp-content/uploads/mars-hill-one-mind-rob-bell-edit.mp3]

Re: Things in the fire

Well the Dallas Stars lost — another Dallas team fell short of the championship after making it to the playoffs. I should say I’m mortified, saddened, in a state of disbelief – but I think I’ve lost some of my competitive nature and/or just lost interest in most professional sports. In fact I’ve probably lost any real interest in just about every professional sport other than the Dallas Cowboys and maybe the Green Bay Packers (although that’s now diminished a lot since Brett Favre retired).

Thought I’d go back and check up on my “things in the fire list from last week.”

Let’s see…

* …finally finished uploading over 1700 photos to Flickr for the CWF. – CHECK
* …added several new videos to GodTube as well. – CHECK
* …plan to add several more videos to GodTube and probably YouTube. – FAILED
* …hope to build a new light box for our lights at encounter. – “DELEGATED” TO ANOTHER VOLUNTEER – CHECK
* …hope to finish a keepsake box I started for Laurie as a wedding gift (long story there…) – CHECK
* …plan to launch the new encounterthis.com around midnight tonight if not before. – CHECK
* …tomorrow is a men’s event for SniperInstinct – a cool blending of outdoor paintball and laser tag. – CHECK
* …finish updating the HTML files for various degree plans for work. – CHECK

New things on my plate…

I think we finally decided on a name for the pending podcast that Thomas and I are working on. I think we’re going with “Something Beautiful – conversations with ordinary radicals.” Now we just have to figure out some of the logistics in setting up interviews and such with a six hour time difference between us. The name comes from Brian McLaren’s Everything Must Change:

If we believe, we can be transformed into agents of something beautiful that is trying to be born in our world. We can be caught up in the unfolding, emergent, spiraling process of God giving birth to a beautiful whole, the Kingdom of God.

Thoughts? Our idea for the podcast is a unique blend of This American Life & All Things Considered on NPR with a focus on “ordinary radicals” and those finding ways to live their life based on the Third Way of Jesus. We’ll primarily focus on those ordinary folks who as Acts says, “have been with Jesus.” Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a few “celebrities” along the way but we’re really interested in hearing and seeing how the Jones’ are putting the teachings of Jesus into real life application. So if you have ideas for a topic or show, let us know.

Also, I finally ordered a couple new books from Amazon today – Pagan Christianity? and A Christianity Worth Believing. I wish I had been one of the lucky ones to get a PDF copy of Doug Pagitt’s A Christianity Worth Believing, so I could blog about the book and review it right away – but then again folks may have gotten upset when I printed the entire book out on my home or work printer.

I’m looking forward to starting both reads – now I just have to figure out which to start with.

Well that’s about it. I thought I’d wait up a bit to see if Thomas wakes up in time for us to do a little pre-podcast Skyping/recording. If not – no biggie we’ll catch each other on the flipside.

A Christianity Worth Believing

Tim Conder (Emmaus Way) and Doug Pagitt (Solomon’s Porch) talk about Pagitt’s new book, “A Christianity Worth Believing” on the new Homebrewed Christianity.

From Amazon:

A Christianity Worth Believing

A Christianity Worth Believing offers an engaging, ‘come-with-me-on-a-journey-of-exploring-the-possibilities’ approach to what it means to be a follower of Jesus in our day. Written by Doug Pagitt—a leading voice in the Emergent conversation—this beautifully written book weaves together theological reflections, Christian history, and his own story of faith transformation.

Pagitt invites readers to follow him as he tells the story of his un-churched childhood, his life-altering conversion at age 16, his intense involvement in the church, and his growing sense of unease with the version of Christianity he was living. On page after page, Pagitt lays out his journey toward an authentic, passionate expression of a faith that feels alive, sustainable, and meaningful.

A Christianity Worth Believing is for the growing numbers of people who have serious and thoughtful questions about Christianity, who have lived for years with deep-seated wondering and doubts about their faith. Pagitt points the way to a new kind of faith by asking the “off-limits” questions about God, Jesus, sin, the Bible, humanity, church, and the Kingdom of God. Rather than rehashing old debates, he offers new insights, provocative possibilities, and hopeful alternatives.

In A Christianity Worth Believing you may well discover questions you didn’t think you could ask, ideas you didn’t think you could pursue, beliefs you didn’t think you could hold onto. Ultimately you will discover a Christianity worth believing.

Quote for the day

“We want to create a sense of community, particularly that which will included those who are marginalized…We try to help them discover what does ‘good news mean for them’. Whatever that is we try to work for that. For some it might mean providing friendship… it may mean providing support groups… it may involve literacy training… or a co-op for generating income… or an advocacy group.”
– Dave Andrews of the Australian Waiters Union
via Nick & Josh Podcast

Quote of the day

“I’ve really just begun to see that everything that I do with my life is sort of a theological statement. So many times I thought theology was just this black and white doctrine in a dusty book somewhere. But I’ve begun to realize that what I do with my money, what I do with my lifestyle, what I do with my politics, all of these things are theological statements. I’m not just living in a vacuum somewhere… Where I shop is not just a practical decision anymore or or financial decision or because they have the best products or the best tasting things. Where I shop at and where I go to eat at and what types of things I buy with money… I’m trying to invest in these things with some theological meaning because they are theological statements. Where I shop shows the world what I think about God or how I view God.”

– Josh from the Nick and Josh Podcast 4.0

Found out about The Nick & Josh Podcast from Chad and Tripp on The Homebrewed Christianity Podcast. Apparently Nick & Josh have decided to pick a “podcast war” with the Homebrewed guys. Should make for some fun. I’ve advised Chad to break out an F.O.C. gun as the true WMD.