Sacred Digital: Chuckk Gerwig

The Lost Tomb of "Jesus". Is a farce de financial but after the show airs more folks will get swept into all the hype and disinformation. Since I last posted about this there is a GREAT array of articles linked at the very end of this article. Check some of the links out to better dicipher the lost tomb of Jesus documentary hype.

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This is a really interesting article titled The Atheist Who Went To Church, it is a fascinating read.

Ht: Thunderstruck

On The iPod: David Bowie- Lodger

If you know Dan check this blog at Marko's site.

On The iPod David Bowie- Hunky Dory

Here’s some OLD stuff : Brigitte Bardot sings about Harleys in French.

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St. Paul speaks of a principal that permeates the Scriptures … it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2 - NIV. With these words in mind how are the charitable donations you and I give being managed?

Ever wonder how well the money you give to a major charity is being spent? Ever wonder how much of the money you give goes to "overhead". How many of the dollars we give actually go to help the people or projects we are supporting?

Charity Navigator is a great website that answers these questions and rates both sacred and secular charities on a 1-4 star scale. Check out Charity Navigator, Here.

On The iPod: Pink Floyd - Ummagumma

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I received a letter from a youth minister friend of mine who is going through a tough transition and is between youth ministries, here's an excerpt (printed here with his permission)

What the heck am I doing here! Okay that was a little over the top, but not too far from hitting the mark…. Now to the nitty-gritty of why I am screaming at the top of my lungs. I am struggling. No, I am struggling with what I am supposed to do and be in the grander scheme of things… What frustrates me, and this may be a result of “burn-out”, is what I see in every job description for a youth pastor. Maybe I am wrong but it looks like they want a gun slinging administrator with a charisma 2nd only to that of Jesus Himself. I don’t have both gift/skill sets. I got one. (Not that I consider my charisma 2nd to that of Christ . . . I may be down the line a few hundred . . . . Thousand names.) I want to minister but right now I feel shackled by my own failings. I don’t want to go into a new position and start well again only to be overrun by the details of programming. A lot of what I am writing is steeped in emotion. I have been on my knees like never before and digging into the word. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Your Friend.

I asked my friend if I could include my reply here on S digital to benefit other youth workers who read this site, he graciously accepted. I hope our email conversation might be a help to others in the process of Death by Youth Ministry.

...Check out this kid's passion to end modern slavery. Youth gone wild...I love it!

Again from the spacy Czech's who brought you Samorost... yet another unique online game Quest for the Rest

On The iPod: KT Tunstall - Eye To The Telescope

One More Time... The Missouri Bikers.

Chuckk is a 47 year old human and 23 year veteran youth pastor. He has been ordained by the Evangelical Free Church of America and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Bible from (believe it or not) Liberty University in Virginia. He currently serves as Pastor to Students and Their Families at Santa Cruz Bible Church in other-worldly Santa Cruz, California. Chuckk also has a shady past as a professional guitarist in many, many bands including some time playing for Christian artists Randy Stonehill, Brian Duncan and David Edwards.

Chuckk loves to teach God’s Word in an interactive, humorous, scripture-centric and multi-sensory barrage. He is passionate about Mission, seeing people grow to look like Jesus, and playing the X-box. Chuckk also is the principal of Sacred Ink, an online faith / tattoo art- installation. Chuckk has a deep seated motorcycle addiction, if he doesn't answer his cell phone he's probably cruising his big blue custom Harley along the coast line and hillsides around Santa Cruz

Chuckk is a father of 2 daughters: Carly and Jessi; 25 year husband of Queen Andrea and; master of "Yellowdog" the extra zesty smelling Labrador Retriever. Chuckk's creed is: Guitars and Harleys. Yes, Chuckk does spell his name with 2 K’s for some unknown reason.

Chuckk's main web site and primary internet presence can be found at www.sacreddigital.com

Email = Chuckk [at] sacreddigital [dot] com

LifeChurch is doing some wonderful things with multi-site church.  I have mentioned their work briefly before but wanted to bring them back to encourage you to think in terms of multiplying churches instead of just attending a church or even planting a church. LifeChurch is one church on ten campuses PLUS an internet campus. 

LifeChurch gives away an amazing amount of relevant and well made material such as videos, sermons, and graphics so that others can use they resources the produce ...free of charge. They are doing some great innovative things, I hope you'll take time to drop by their site and spend some time browsing!   

Here's a fun example of the some of a sermon illustration video they produce, use and give away...  What if Satan was teaching the sex-ed class for the kids at your local high school?  Go to the following link and click the PREVIEW button next to the video called Illustration Video #1 

Warning: the video is edgy and includes a satirical discussion of  things like  or*l  s*x   if you are easily offended , this video isn't  something you'd enjoy.

I am in Seattle at this moment.  The skies are slate gray, the wind carries a bitter chill, the chili carries a bite...the city is wonderful.  I just ate dinner at Mike's Chili Parlor, right down the street from Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church.  I am here for some conferences and some time away with Andrea and our friends the Brandes' - dreaming and scheming, listening and learning.  

At this very moment Dr. Bruce Ware is just beginning his series of lectures on Arminianism, Reformed, Process and Open Theologies and their connection to the Providence of God.  Dr. Ware is smarter than I am but I could whip him in the Ultimate Fighting Octagon, even with a tummy stuffed with Mike's Chili of doom.

Thanks to my good friends Smittie and Machiko Smith at Tako Productions, I now have a permanent internet home for all my various projects.  - The New Sacred Digital Site has links to my Sunday morning messages at Santa Cruz Bible Church, my video podcast series, my beloved tattoo project: Sacred Ink, my bio, my email, a space for some upcoming music projects I'm recording and this blog.   --- Stop by and check it out sacreddigital.com  

The David Crowder Band is back in the studio (actually I don't really listen to their music a lot but some of my friends love it).  DC is uploading short videos from their work in the studio to YouTube

So, anyway you'll never guess who is playing guitar on the upcoming Cd...  Ted Theodocious Atrocious Nugent, no lie bubble-eye.  This is the same guy I saw back in the mid 70's wearing only a loin cloth swinging from a rope high above the stage at Anaheim stadium yelling the words wango zee tango baby!  Worship music is getting very progressive these days.  Check the video.

See all the Crowder studio videos here

ht: Paul Sampson!

I met an interesting church planter when I was up in Seattle last week.  His name is David Thew.  David pastors Sojourn, a unique missional church in Huntsville Alabama.  After talking a few minutes I found out that David is a friend of a good friend of mine, small world.

I love the fact that David and his team have incarnated into the midst of their city where a bunch of not yet Christians hang out - the Olde Town Beer Brewery.  Why in a brewery?

Prior to the American Prohibition, use of alcohol in moderation was common in Christian circles but its become controversial these days.  What David is doing may make you say cheers or may make you feel uncomfortable so check out their site Church In A Brewery and also check out David's blog, ThewBlog to see what's up and why.

On The iPod: Arcade Fire- Neon Bible

I mentioned LifeChurch in a recent post, they are doing some cool stuff with multi-site spread.  I found a book that gives even more sauce to the concept. 

I'm currently reading an interesting book called Multi-Site Church - by Surratt, Ligon and Bird.  It's a book examining how some pioneers are multiplying church gatherings by utilizing more than one location for worship.  These folk are taking the steeple to the town instead of just inviting the town to the steeple.  Worth a look if you are a technician of GospelSpread.  Think outside the bricks.

On the iPod: Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops