September 12 2011

Opening: Ben and Dan, one-hour format going forward

The host introduces himself as Ben (rendered "Ben Trudeau" in the transcript) and says Dan is in the studio with him; Mike is absent and another regular has not shown up. He announces a format change going forward: shows with talent, bands, or interviews will run a couple of hours, while no-talent nights with just the hosts will run about one hour.

Last week's guests: the We Are Leo band falling asleep on air

The hosts recap last week's visit from the band We Are Leo, from Sioux Falls, who stayed in the studio for two hours and were visibly nodding off by around 11:30. They compare Christian rock show hours to bar gigs that run until 1 a.m., and praise the band's drummer as selective and cool after catching their Thursday set at Adventure Life Church.

An awkward offering at the Adventure Life Church concert

• Is pressuring people into giving 'under compulsion' scripturally wrong?

A host describes attending the We Are Leo concert at Adventure Life Church with his daughters, where after the second band the church passed offering bowls following a giving pitch. He felt awkward, especially at a youth-oriented event where teens had no money, and questioned whether the pitch was designed to guilt people into giving.

Cheerful giving vs. compulsion: why Pathway stopped taking offerings

The hosts cite 2 Corinthians 9: each should give as decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. They argue that a big giving pitch followed by 'you didn't give enough' is giving under compulsion by definition, and say this is why their church stopped taking an offering, while still teaching that giving matters and ministry costs real money.

Pulling away from over-the-top believers

A host describes how emotional over-selling, like big conference pleas for money or goofy faith healers, makes him want to distance himself even though he agrees with those believers on most of Scripture. He worries the problem is partly caused by preachers throwing out wild claims, which creates wacky followers that make Christ look ridiculous to outsiders.

Moderation vs. compromise; the believer who has it all figured out

The hosts draw a line between moderation (staying inside what the Bible says) and compromise (bending it to selfish ends, like the Pharisees or some liberal theology). They argue the most dangerous believer is the one who thinks he has everything figured out and speaks confidently about it, making others doubt their own understanding.

Salvation is simple; living it out is complicated

The hosts agree the message of salvation is simple, but living out a forgiven, godly life in a sinful world is complicated and frustrating. They discuss the temptation to quit when obedience does not translate easily into action, and how Jesus had the advantage of being God while everyone else is still figuring out truth through study and prayer.

Women's roles in the church and serving communion

A host says he can see both sides of the women's-roles debate but defaults to what the Bible plainly says, recalling a church that barred women from serving communion on the reasoning that 'who knows what they'll do next.' He explains that when Pathway started he found no Scripture against women serving communion, though he sees stronger arguments on the teaching and preaching questions.

Communion trappings: the funeral-dirge country church

The hosts argue biblical communion was simply Jesus eating a meal with friends, and mock the trappings churches attach to it: gold-rimmed trays, glass vs. plastic cups, grape-juice brand loyalty, suit-coat-buttoning rules. One host tells of a country church where six suited men unfolded the communion cloth with military precision in a solemn 15-minute ritual that felt like a funeral dirge.

Acts 2:42 and the order of worship; preaching over basics

The hosts trace worship elements to Acts 2:42, apostles' teaching, prayer, and breaking of bread, noting Scripture prescribes very little about an actual service order. They argue weekly communion keeps believers anchored in the basics, and confess that preaching at a high level can skim past the fundamentals that new believers and even seasoned ones need.

Kids' Bible stories: Saul, David, Solomon, and David and Goliath

A host recounts reading children's Bible stories with his five-year-old daughter, where Saul, David, and Solomon all start great and end extremely disappointing. They note Sunday-school sanitizing, like David and Goliath reduced to 'the little guy wins,' misses the gore and the real point that God helps the little guy, and that reading the actual stories as an adult is humbling.

Mike's absence, chat shout-outs, and chat etiquette

The hosts note Mike is out finishing house work, joke that they are a low-rent operation, and rib enthusiastic chatters who hold private conversations in the show chat. They riff on the absurdity of interrupting a live broadcast for personal hellos, comparing it to shouting greetings at TV weatherman Ed Wilson at the fair.

Mock weather forecast for the Des Moines metro

The hosts riff on local TV weather segments, doing a mock forecast for the Des Moines metro and complaining that weathermen repeat the same 45 seconds of information four ways. They mock jargon like barometric pressure, arguing viewers only want to know the temperature and whether to wear shorts or pants.

Question of the week: what Bible story should be a movie?

• What Bible story would you like to see as a movie, done honestly and correctly?

The hosts pose the question of the week, borrowed from the Stuff Christians Like blog: which Bible story would you like to see as a movie, done honestly and correctly. One host pitches Saul-to-David-to-Solomon as a single film, arguing Hollywood and Christian filmmakers alike glorify the wrong things and change details for no good reason.

Gideon, Jephthah's rash vow, and whether keeping it honored God

• Did Jephthah honor God by keeping his rash vow, or dishonor God by sacrificing his daughter?

The hosts discuss Gideon and Jephthah, confusing the two at first, then land on Jephthah's vow to sacrifice whatever came out of his house if God granted him victory. They conclude the vow itself dishonored God, he should never have made it, and fulfilling it by sacrificing his daughter was a selfish choice, not obedience.

Chat movie picks, cultural context, and the three wise men

Chat suggests Creation and Stephen as films; the hosts argue movies fail because portraying God on screen is so hard they bury the story in backstory. They discuss how modern readers lack the original audience's cultural context, like the wise men likely being a huge armed caravan that stirred Jerusalem rather than three quiet guys on camels.

Jesus on film: Jesus Christ Superstar and The Passion

The hosts critique how Jesus is portrayed on screen: as drugged-out, as a candy-man shepherd boy, or, in The Passion of the Christ, as oddly creepy with one orange eye always looking upward. They argue Hollywood adds unnecessary inventions, like implying Mary Magdalene was a prostitute in Jesus Christ Superstar, when the true story is already solid on its own.

John the Baptizer movie and dream casting

• Who would be the perfect casting for John the Baptist in a movie?

The hosts pitch a John the Baptist film and debate casting: Roddy Piper, John Goodman, Tom Selleck, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Heath Ledger, and Justin Timberlake as Peter, with the rule that it has to be an unknown for the apostles. They also float the idea of producing their own illustrated Bible-story skits, 'Tales in the Path,' and joke about asking Blimpy's for a $50 sign donation and Encore Pizza's delivery hours.

Next week's homework and the Harold Camping impression

• Which modern-day actors would you cast as the apostles?

The hosts assign the question of the week: cast John the Baptist for next time, and then go further, cast all the modern-day apostles, with the rule that Pee-wee Herman must be Thomas or Andrew. They close the bit with a Harold Camping impression, mimicking his Open Forum sign-off 'thank you for calling and sharing, and shall we take our next call, please,' and note his October 21 prediction is still upcoming.

Wrap-up: Jesse Anderson's new CD and sign-off

The hosts wind down, plug Christian artist Jesse Anderson's new CD "Not What I Thought" releasing tomorrow, with her song "Fireflies," and her husband-and-wife touring life with their one-year-old daughter Lorelei. They urge listeners to buy the CD, share links to her Fireflies video and live clips, and sign off until next week.