Episode 8: The Rock and Roll Megachurch

We went to the rock and roll megachurch, Hillsong Church, in NYC.

megachurch

Topics:

Shapeshifting vs. Speaking in the language of your audience
Documentation and telling your own story
Showmanship
Run your meeting on time
Sorting it out yourself vs. being given answers

The Apostle Paul in Corinthians

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

all the above according to bible.com

Things we talked about

Filmmaker Adam McKay, who made The Other Guys put together publicdomainprotestsong.com a few years back.

Spirit Rock Meditation Center and the dharma talks of Jack Kornfield.

The Bodhisattva vows:

Living beings are numberless, I vow to save them all.
Confusions are countless, I vow to cut them all.
The Buddha’s teachings are limitless, I vow to penetrate them all
The Buddha’s way is highest, I vow to achieve it.

Larry Lessig for President 2016

Religion Themed Picks

Pat’s Picks

Moral Mondays – Moral Mondays are protests in North Carolina, United States of America. Led by religious progressives, the protests are in response to several actions by the government of North Carolina which was elected into office in 2013 and are characterized by civil disobedience – specifically entering the state legislature building to be peacefully arrested. The movement protests many wide ranging issues under the blanket claim of unfair treatment, discrimination, and adverse effects of government legislation on the citizens of North Carolina. The protests in North Carolina launched a grassroots social justice movement that, in 2014, spread to Georgia and South Carolina, and then to other U.S. states such as Illinois.

Steve Lambert’s picks:

  1. Louis Theroux specials

  1. The Satanic Temple – “The Satanic Temple (TST) facilitates the communication and mobilization of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty.”

“After a statue of the Ten Commandments was donated to Oklahoma City by State Representative Mike Ritze and placed outside the Oklahoma State Capitol, the ACLU sued for its removal. While the case is currently in court, The Satanic Temple proposed a solution where the City could keep its statue and the ACLU would drop its lawsuit. All that would be required would be for Oklahoma City to accept The Satanic Temple’s donation of a statue of Baphomet (as well as any other similar donation from other religious or atheist organizations).” via Satanic Temple | Oklahoma City Statue

Steve Duncombe’s Picks

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.

Pat has a new career:

Leadership Matters Consulting at LeadershipMattersConsulting.org

Other Notes

Check out more examples of artistic activism on our sites, artisticactivism.org and actipedia.org

Music: The Reigning Sound, “Stick Up for Me” courtesy of the Free Music Archive

The Pop Culture Salvage Expeditions on iTunes and wherever you get your podcasts.

Steve Lambert, Patricia Jerido, and Stephen Duncombe Steve Lambert, Patricia Jerido, and Stephen Duncombe

More on the Center for Artistic Activism at artisticactivism.org, Stephen Duncombe at stephenduncombe.com, Patricia Jerido on Twitter, and Steve Lambert at visitsteve.com