Church Uses Devil To Rebrand Prayer Channel
TV and radio spots will feature the devil as an "anti-spokesperson"
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/3/2008 4:47:00 PM
A campaign debuting Wednesday will use the devil to pitch the rebranding of a New York religous cable service, The Prayer Channel, into NET (New Evangelism Television).
According to a spokesman for LA-based agency Cesario Migliozzi, which is handling the rebranding campaign, TV and radio spots featuring the devil as an "anti-spokesperson" will begin running Dec. 3 and will include MySpace and Facebook pages, a web site www.StopGoodTV.com and NYC bus advertising (the channel is on Time Warner Cable and Cablevision). The spots feature a "vertically challenged" devil trying to warn viewers off the channel.
NET, which is affiliated with the Catholic Archdioses of Brooklyn, programs religious news, lifestyle, entertainment, and kids programming 24/7 to approximately 850,000.
"The Church has used the good vs. evil conflict to promote religion for two centuries,” he added. “In our campaign, the Devil urges viewers to avoid good TV and stick with ‘crappy, pointless, bad television,’ said Ad Agency parnter Michael Migliozzi in announcing the new campaign/ "There is even an online petition fronted by the Devil, in which viewers pledge not to tune into NET."
The Archdiocese's TV arm approved the campaign, according to agency spokesman Ted Faraone.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Black Friday is "Good Friday"
This is too good to keep to myself! From Len Sweet today on Twitter...
" "Black Friday" the "Good Friday" of our #1 religion, Consumerism, except our narcissism & materialism have nailed us to self-made crosses."
" "Black Friday" the "Good Friday" of our #1 religion, Consumerism, except our narcissism & materialism have nailed us to self-made crosses."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Humor and Terror
Mary Lu and I just spent 3 hours in line waiting to vote on a sunny Nov 4th day with the temp in the 60s meeting new people and having several good conversations. One of the election people came past me with a "Hello my name is KEN" badge on his shirt, and I said "Hi Ken!" He stopped dead in his tracks with a startled and puzzled look trying to place me. He seemed a little freaked out! I relieved his anxiety by reaching out to shake his hand while saying, "We have never met. My name is Bob." He smiled, obviously relieved, shook my hand and went on his way. Some people around me were looking at me with a "Why did you do that?" look on their face. So, I smilingly said to them, "He was wearing his name on his shirt, so I thought he wanted to be greeted!" They were relieved that wasn't some kind of wacko or clairvoyant able to read their thoughts. Just then Ken passed by on the way back into the polls and cheerily said to me, "Hi Bob!!" We all laughed, somewhat entertained during our long wait in line to vote.
Just before I sat down to type up that story, I received this Missions Hotline email concerning new attacks in India:
David Yardy, Asia Area Director, called from India on Tuesday, November 4, to report that a Free Methodist pastor was recently beaten to death in front of his family because he would not renounce his faith. Also, five other Free Methodists were badly beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The doctor's life was threatened if he treated their injuries, so they were refused treatment. These attacks took place in a state which neighbors Orissa State where Christians have been facing severe persecution. Please pray for the victims' families. Also pray for 300 refugees from Orissa who have fled to Hyderabad.
My prayer is for not only the extraordinary freedom we enjoy in this country, but also for the unimaginable terror others are experiencing this very day.
Lord, help us to more deeply appreciate and celebrate our freedom.
Lord, help us to select leaders who will govern for the common good of all people, of all nations.
Lord, help us to live righteous lives in these days filled with humor and terror.
Amen.
Just before I sat down to type up that story, I received this Missions Hotline email concerning new attacks in India:
David Yardy, Asia Area Director, called from India on Tuesday, November 4, to report that a Free Methodist pastor was recently beaten to death in front of his family because he would not renounce his faith. Also, five other Free Methodists were badly beaten and had to be taken to the hospital. The doctor's life was threatened if he treated their injuries, so they were refused treatment. These attacks took place in a state which neighbors Orissa State where Christians have been facing severe persecution. Please pray for the victims' families. Also pray for 300 refugees from Orissa who have fled to Hyderabad.
My prayer is for not only the extraordinary freedom we enjoy in this country, but also for the unimaginable terror others are experiencing this very day.
Lord, help us to more deeply appreciate and celebrate our freedom.
Lord, help us to select leaders who will govern for the common good of all people, of all nations.
Lord, help us to live righteous lives in these days filled with humor and terror.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Prayer for the Week
Last week I saw a bumper sticker with which I TOTALLY agree and have repeated many times since seeing it. It goes like this...
"Lord, make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am."
Our dogs naturally possess unconditional love, patience, joy, peace, and untainted optimism. We should take lessons from them, or maybe we all should become more dog-like.
This is an anonymous story to inspire you this week:
---------------------------
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."
----------------------
Why not contact your best friend, right now?
pastor bob
Our dogs naturally possess unconditional love, patience, joy, peace, and untainted optimism. We should take lessons from them, or maybe we all should become more dog-like.
This is an anonymous story to inspire you this week:
---------------------------
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."
The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."
----------------------
Why not contact your best friend, right now?
pastor bob
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Dogmatism or Faith?
A while back, I discovered this quote while reading a 1996 article written by Brian McLaren in Perspective. Perhaps it also works if 'Modernism" replaces "Dogmatism" and "Postmodernism" replaces "Faith". Not literally, so just calm down! : ) Either way, it inspires me to move into the future with hope and openness, rather than despair and harshness. And that is a good thing. Right?
Dogmatism and faith are not identical!
Dogmatism is like stone. Faith is like soil.
Dogmatism refuses to admit doubt. Faith often struggles with doubt.
Dogmatism is brittle, cracks under pressure. Faith is resilient, malleable and teachable.
Dogmatism is defensive, stereotyped, static. Faith rests, but it is never smug, pat or complacent.
Dogmatism is a closed system. Faith is open to reason.
Dogmatism is a tunnel. Faith is a mountain peak.
Dogmatism fills one with pride. Faith inspires awe and reverence.
Dogmatism insists on propositions. Faith knows Christ.
Dogmatism generates bigotry. Faith stimulates understanding.
Richard Halverson, Somewhere Inside of Eternity (Portland, OR.: Multnomah Press, 1918), p50
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
We can/should learn from dogs.
I am an unashamed dog lover. Last week I saw this bumper sticker prayer:
"Lord, make me the person my dog thinks I am."
That just about says it all. And if anything else needs saying, maybe this video completes the message:
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Craig Ferguson on voting as duty
I admit that I seldom stay up and watch Craig, but every time I have he has had something important to say in his own humorous way. This 8.5 minute monologue on Sep 10, 08 captures pretty much how I feel about the whole election cycle this time, and has actually convinced me to vote in Nov rather than abstain in protest. See what you think.
click here to watch the video
click here to watch the video
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