c. scott andreas

Many of you wrote that you enjoyed Mike McKenzie’s “Monster Truck” and “Airline Safety Lecture” faux-ads. Mike and the Senior Warden at his church, Harold Warren, were kind enough to leave comments on my post. They explained its origin, their thoughts on the piece, and also a bit about how it is affecting their church. I’d like to take a moment to draw attention to what they wrote.

“Monster Truckâ€? was not intended to be a marketing campaing of any kind…It is my conviction, based on my experience and almost 20 years of experience in the mass media that no matter what message we as Christians send out via mass communication, we are not going to convince others to drop either their pre-concieved notions or their feelings from past expereiences with the church.

They have to make that discovery for themselves.

However, what we can do, is do the right things that keep these issues in the forefront to where others will debate the issue within themselves or with others.
- Mike McKenzie

As the Senior Warden of Mike’s parish, I am coming to see something different at work here than just being able to laugh at ourselves. This silly meshing of a monster truck ad with the church I love, though the creative effort caught me a bit by surprise, has been for me a holy thing…

There are LOTS of people at least looking at the church at the moment, who might not have been looking otherwise. This is a gift.
- Harold Warren

Mike makes an excellent point. We cannot expect those outside the church to “[place] all preconceived notions in the overhead compartment,” regardless of what we do. Instead, we must continue the conversation, engaging and interacting with those who perceive the church negatively (and too often for good reasons). The purpose of these interactions is not to show them that “Christians can be cool and fun, too.” It’s to build a relationship with a real human being. And to allow them an opportunity to encounter Truth in the person of Jesus Christ without fear of condemnation, judgement, or snobbery.

Thank you, Mike, for continuing this conversation.

I’d also like to take a moment to consider the issue of denomination. In my original post, I briefly mentioned that the “radio spot” promoted a High Liturgy service. I’ve attended such a service at Trinity Episcopal in Bloomington and found it beautiful, engaging, and holy to one familiar with liturgical worship. I often find it a great struggle to cultivate an attitude of reverence that could hope to match that of High Liturgy. In fact, I’ve not encountered such a beautiful, humbling, worshipful atmosphere outside these stone walls. Truly, Christ is the focus — not a “spiritual high” (why don’t we kneel)?

Interestingly enough, “irreverence” is precisely the issue here. The “Monster Truck” (and to a much lesser extent, “Airline”) pieces take something that is perceived as absolutely Holy and present it in the form of a parody. But what can we learn from this? I’ll follow my usual course of action and look to the fruit.

“Monster Truck” and “Airline” have invited listeners to consider the issue of reverence in church. Can we look with humor upon the manner in which we worship God, but still worship with utter sincerity? Might there be value in this? What do the rituals we practice mean, and why do we observe them? Does our worship honor God? Does the form of our worship invite others to participate? How do other Christians worship? These ads invite those outside the church to the congregation as well. How can we make the interpretation of these rituals accessible? If people willingly waking up early on Sunday mornings to stand up, sit down, kneel, and give away their money, might there be a reason? If the church is “uptight” but the people are “fun,” could that mean that Christians are just human beings who take their worship very seriously? Should I?

Harold’s comment tells me that this is the case. Though not even “released,” these two small mp3 files have resulted in a global discussion in which the church is edified and God is glorified. Maybe we’re not all just stuffy, boring Christians who have potluck dinners and watch G-rated movies. Maybe some of us just take our worship and its deep, rich history seriously. I’m not Episcopalian. But this conversation has transformed a few “preconceived notions” of my own. “All that glitters is not contemporary liberal evangelical.”

Thank you, Harold, for looking at this conversation as a blessing.

I see these pieces as a cultural collision. Sacred content is contained within a profane medium (I use “profane” to mean simply “common,” not “offensive”). I’m reminded of a CD. In his latest album entitled “A Collision,” David Crowder beautifully juxtaposes “hoedown” and “remix” tracks — something I enjoy immensely as a “big city” guy from “small-town” Indiana. Perhaps the Truth of Jesus Christ cannot be confined to one single “true” medium. Perhaps, as I wrote in my “dirt” article, it is what is on the inside that makes something clean.

Perhaps we could print a tract on condom wrappers containing only a pair of plastic wedding rings.

(note: I live in a college town. I’ll not defend this idea, but I do meet it with a chuckle.)

The point is that Mike, Harold, and the folks at St. Andrew’s are continuing the conversation. They’re not part of a “monster truck church” (my apologies for using this as a title). They’re part of a church who knows how to glorify God in many genres and are willing to stand up for it. I’d like to thank them for speaking so gracefully. I’d also like to recognize their effort in seeking out the many blogs that have picked up on their work.

The least we can do is to keep talking. Now, what do you have to say?