Why do Churchians think they’re cool?
Posted on September 22nd, 2008 by Belteshazzar into the Uncategorized categoryOur blog has been a bit serious lately, so it's nice to break it up with some funny stuff that deflates some of the tension in the blogosphere.
In other posts, we've talked about how a lot of Christian music and conferences are just so much fluff and hype. Kind of like a sheep in a wolf's clothing, if you catch my meaning. They work so darn hard to be cool and come off incredibly lame, and the most embarrassing thing is that they think they're succeeding somehow. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then watch this hilarious video from a recent conference:
http://www.theway.org/Current/Mar07/Mar07Flash4.htm
This video is uncomfortable to watch in that one very tall dude has got moves he could not have learned at a Bible conference. The creepy factor is pretty high here when you gotta wonder if the 3 of them have a rather, um, "special" relationship off-stage.
Oh, but there's more!
http://www.theway.org/Current/Mar07/Mar07Flash2.htm
Here we have the trifecta of strange and bizarre Christian hype: incredibly stiff and smiling white people trying to act cool, metal guitar solos mixed with 80's keyboard sounds, all singing Christianese lyrics that are somehow strangely inappropriate when you realize that the "seed" they are referring to is not about plants.
City Bible has put on some wacky conferences before, but this is a step above anything I can remember, except for maybe "Living in Another World". Got any cool Churchian memories you want to share? Come on, you know you want to talk and laugh about it now. You were lame back in the day, admit it! (I know I was!)
(Note: Sorry if you're part of "The Way", but this is just plain funny to anyone except you.)
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September 22nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Ha! Thanks for trying to keep it light. I am way too tense these days. I really shouldn’t be blogging.
I actually saw this clip on The Soup with Joel McCale last Friday. After showing the dance, Joel then proceeded to pick up a Megaphone and pretend he was God and beg them to please never dance again. It was pretty funny.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I had this video posted on my facebook page, but then they took it down for copyright violations. I find it absolutely hysterical…a true classic clip.
Who says white men can’t dance?
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
LMAO… I saw it too! It’s always a little mortifying to see Christians represented by groups like that. Like no wonder why people think we’re all a bunch of freaks & geeks! The megaphone bit was HILARIOUS and I can’t help but think that it can’t be too far from the truth. God has a sense of humor, right???
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I don’t know…I think we might be judging a little to quickly.
After all, I still think this is the greatest video ever.
Seriously.
September 22nd, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Reformed, the tune sounds like Fresh Prince’s “parents just dont understand”
I used to think - Oh great, another reason for outsiders to laugh at Christians. Then I thought I’ll join them and laugh along. I’m laughing hard.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:04 pm
When I first saw the renewed mind video I was confused. I wasn’t sure if that was a few years ago because of some of the dance moves or 16 years ago. The set, the outfits and the songs sound like stiff early 90’s attempts at being relevant. To find out that video was from 2007 cracked me up.
As a youth guy, I decided about 8 years ago to embrace the fact that I was not hip, cool or up to date. There is still video of me rapping in a youth service somewhere. I think that was the moment I had a revelation. I would even say the video was prophetic. = ^). It stopped me from doing anything like that again. At least our DJ was legit (former drug dealer). Now, I ask kids what they think is cool…and find someone to do that. I don’t even try, unless I am going for a laugh.
My point, they should admit that they are white and corny and stop trying to be hip.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
The “lead” worshiper in the second video looks about comfortable enough on guitar for me to safely assume he’s been playing it for two weeks. Max.
viva power chords!
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 am
As an elderly gentleman at my church said (about 10 years too late), “He was really getting jiggy”
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 am
WOW….this is so bad it’s almost offensive.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Yeah…i was afraid you would think i was being sarcastic. The thing is, I grew up listening to Bryan Duncan…he was sort of my childhood hero…and so when I say I think that video is cool…i really mean it.
Sorry to let you down.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Oops, sorry Pope, not trying to rain on your parade. There was a point in my youth were I thought New Kids On The Block were the sh*t…does that make use even? And at least BD tried, right? Besides my childhood hero was Michael Jackson and we all know how he turned out. So I’ll give you a pass on this one. Just don’t let me know if you were into Vanilla Ice. Some things are better left in the closet.
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Is anyone else embarrassed for these people? I mean really!
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Nope. They clearly need to be made fun of. Google “the way international cult” and see how many hits you get. I’m not saying they’re a cult (so don’t sue me), but they’re wacky enough that most Christian groups say that they’re out to lunch. Now we have video proof.
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Thank you, thank you! The best I’ve seen in years!
Interestingly, back in the seventies at Bible Temple this would have been an outrage; an affront to the philosophy at the time that rock music in itself (the beat, timbre’, chord progressions) was evil at heart.
September 24th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Here’s another… what do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EvE0qTxZ3M
September 25th, 2008 at 7:15 am
You guys are all aware that the Way International is cult status right? Their beliefs on Jesus and the Trinity are not actually Christian. So I guess I found it easier to laugh at them… I actually like the Sonseed one in the previous comment, I think I’m gonna make it my ringtone.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
City Bible has put on some wacky conferences before, but this is a step above anything I can remember, except for maybe “Living in Another World”.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
OOPS! The quote and comment should be otherway around….
sorry!
September 26th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Please DO NOT post Livin in Another World to You Tube. Please. I’ll do anything. Well, not really, but I would not want that floating around for public consumption. We were all deluded enough to think we could dance, and even more deluded to think we were relevant. It was sure a lot of fun, though. I repeat: please DO NOT post.
September 26th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
Please DO post some livin’ video…I would love it. My wife and I were apart of the summer of ‘94 production when we were both still in high school. It was great. I would love to watch some of those old clips.
September 26th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
so do you boys spend even half as much time on your own walk with God as you do mocking others??? Oh, and get your facts straight…”the way international” is a cult; it does not even come CLOSE to orthodox Christianity. Maybe you couldn’t find anything a little closer to mainstream that you found anywhere near as amusing…
Ah well…YOUR lack of fact checking and background research only makes you look like the angry bitter malcontents that you surely are. Keep it up guys.
September 26th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Well…God is always walking with us…and we are not ALWAYS mocking others…so I’d have to say yes.
By the way Liz…Your mom is a cult…
(makes me laugh every time)
September 26th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
guess you’re easily amused. I don’t get it. But then again that’s probably a good thing.
Besides, the issue isn’t whether God is walking with YOU but whether YOU are walking with HIM. And I’m not sure that what is going on in here is terribly edifying.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
For the record, the editors of this blog never called “the way intl.” a cult. I merely stated that many people believe that they are because of their opposing views to mainstream Christianity (the main one being that Jesus is not God, just a man). “It doesn’t even come close to orthodox Christianity” Well, in what way are you referring? Are you talking about theology or the ability to make terrible song and dance numbers that are so bad it’s hilarious? I’m really not sure what you’re criticizing here. By the way, you’re missing the point. The reason this is so funny is because it’s an attempt at being mainstream but fails miserably. If it were close to mainstream media or entertainment, it wouldn’t be funny it might actually be cool. And there’s nothing to fact check here. I just posted a video I thought was funny for it’s poor attempt to portray Churchianity as “cool” when it is clearly anything but. That’s called editorializing, and I don’t have to fact check my opinions, I’m pretty sure what I think is funny is actually funny (at least to me).
Does that make me bitter? No. (I can think of lots of other things that could make be bitter, but they don’t either.)
Am I a malcontent? Heavens, yes! Are you satisfied with Church as it is presented in America? (If you answer yes, you’re part of the problem that I’m “malcontented” about.)
As far as my walk with God, I like to think He’s laughing over my shoulder with me when I blog stuff like this.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
One thing that has perturbed me in the Christian community is the imitation of the secular world be it fashion trends, movies, or for that matter…music. In the seventies I listened to 2nd chapter of Acts, Forgiven, Barry McGuire, etc. I enjoyed listening to these artists however I kept drifting back to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, YES, etc. I truly wanted to listen to a Christian artist who broke new ground, who was a pioneer. In this search I discovered much that was to be ashamed of in the Christian music industry and deserving of criticism for its lack of creativity and downright cheesiness.
That was back then…now I am GREATLY entertained by the shenanagins of those doggone “Churchy” folks who strive to be “cool” and imitate perceived “coolness” in the secular music world.
KEEP IT GOIN!
September 28th, 2008 at 5:30 am
I agree it was a lot of fun, but looking back at the video, we sure couldn’t dance, music is so 80’s (though I like the guys who wrote them!) and I think we were trying too hard to be relevant….
The video I have is from 92, which would be the first round of production. I wasn’t there for Summer of 94…
It would take a lot of work for me to post it so don’t count on me posting it for some time : )
October 6th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
does anybody from the 80’s BT remember clapping like trees (as if) when we sang “…and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands…”?
And what about the rolling arm praise move as we sang, “…and the glory of the Lord is risen…and the glory of the lord is come…” I’ll never forgive Danny Trujillo for that. (he meant it as a joke. a joke taken quite seriously. damn him.)
October 6th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Hello pj,
Were you at Bible Temple in the seventies as well? Maybe I know you. Write to me at agtrguy@aol.com.
Thanks