Damascus Road Worship Brainstorming

DR Spring Celebration (May 9)

2010-04-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Brainstorming Ideas for Spring 2010 Celebration

Food
Caty likes HAM
Ryan Likes Mexican
Tim likes saving money

Community Activities
Open mic time of sharing
Words of wisdom/sharing from the graduates
Prayer for those leaving

Songs
Ask graduates if there are any songs they’d like to sing together one more time.
Song Sheets

Other Stuff
Flowers for Moms

Embracing the Adventure (April 25)

2010-04-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

Description: We spend a lot of time in our lives seeking to discover God’s will for us. Often times this is a future overarching will instead of a desire to seek God’s leading in our life right now. The truth is most of us need to forget about “God’s will for our life” in some distant future and instead embrace the Holy Spirit’s leading today. What does this mean and how does this work? How can we learn to identify the spirit’s leading in our lives and follow him into the adventure that God has for us today and in the future?

Producer: Caty Berry
Set-up: Colter Bloxom
Speaker: Ryan Miller
Music Leader: Colter Bloxom, David Meyer & Kati Wint
Sound Tech: Josh McInnes
Keynote Tech: Mark Dominguez
Pickup: Josh McInnes & Mark Dominguez
Nursery: Erica Chojnacki
Greeters: Ingrid Sam & Camille Mathieu

Music
Switchfoot – This Is Your Life
Switchfoot – Needle & Haystack Life
Benson Hedges – Fun
Lovin’ Spoonful – Did you ever have to make up Your mind?
Tokio Hotel & Kerli – Strange
Green Day - ?
Foo Fighters – All My Life
Brittany Spears – Lucky
Gaelic Storm – Heart of the Ocean
Amberlin – Burn out Brighter (specifically post-message)
One Republic – Stop and Stare

Worship
Rain Down – Carlos Whittaker
Prince of Peace (maybe having everyone sing the female part together at the beginning)
You Are So Good To Me
Cannot Hide My Love
The Air I Breathe

Video
Music Video – California by Wax (Man on fire)
Alice in Wonderland
Stardust
Princess Bride
A Christmas Carol
Wanted
The Matrix

Drama/Original Video
Choose Your Own Adventure

Other Concepts
Wild At Heart by John Eldridge
Choose your Own Adventure
Skydiving – you’re in control, but not in control (Also, water-skiing, Skiing, snowboarding, race car driving and the like)

Chase the Goose
Series Description: Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit: An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. But most of us and most churches have neglected the Holy Spirit. Join us as we explore the truth about the forgotten God and we learn to live the adventure of a spirit-led life.

Wild Goose Chase (April 18)

2010-03-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Description: Far too often we run through life blinded to the possibilities in front of us. This chase, along with our pace of life, our past, our fear and other issues create cages that keep us from following the Spirit. It is only through overcoming these barriers that we can truly build our relationship with the Holy Spirit

Producer: Mitch Peterson
Set-up: Caty Berry
Speaker: Ryan Miller
Music Leader: Aaron & Renay Burger
Sound Tech: Mitch Peterson
Keynote Tech: TBA
Pickup: Mitch Peterson & Aaron Burger
Nursery: Kris Shermer
Greeters: Mark Dominguez & Nick Summers

Music
Mutemouth – Typical
Derek Webb – Spirit Vs the Kick Drum
Bad Religion – Chasing the Wild Goose
MXPX – Responsibility
Nine Inch Nails – Everyday is Exactly the Same
Switchfoot – Needle & Haystack Life
Amberlin – Burn out Brighter
Natasha Bedingfield – Wild Horses
Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten

Video
*Greek – Dale has sex for the first time & subsequently has to deal with the guilt
*Lost – Last week’s episode had a couple of good clips of Richard (or Ricardo if you prefer) dealing with guilt and asking forgiveness.
Top Gun – there’s this guy in the movie named “Goose” ‘Nuff said.
Wanted – the beginning of the movie is about the mindless routine of life
Instinct – Anthony Hopkins’ character Ethan unexpectedly overpowers Cuba Gooding’s character Theo and forces him to realize that he is not really in control, but only had the illusion of control.
How I Met Your Mother – A Season 4 episode, “The Murtagh List” (a reference to the Roger Murtaugh character from the Lethal Weapon series) deals with a list of things Ted believes he has become too old to do anymore. Barney attempts to do every one of the things on the list in 24 hours.
The Shipping News – Kevin Spacey’s character is dealing with extreme issues of identity and self-worth
Desperate Housewives – Brea from the first season, trying to stay in control
Shaun of the Dead – Shaun goes through his morning routine on a normal day and on zombie day goes through the same routine without noticing any difference.
Stranger than Fiction
Office Space
Fight Club
Good Will Hunting
American Beauty
Life or Something Like It
Bucket List
The Buried Life
UP
Revelation Road
History of Violence
10 Things I Hate About You

Drama/Original Video
Situational Amnesia (Driving to Work)
Someone witting in “your” spot in the classroom or at church

Other Concepts
Skydiving – you’re in control, but not in control (Also, water-skiing, Skiing, snowboarding, race car driving and the like)

Remembering the Forgotten God (April 11)

2010-03-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

Description: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” is a traditional phrase used in the church but how often do we talk about the Holy Spirit? The Father and the Son get a lot of our time but it doesn’t seem like we really focus on the Spirit much at all. This neglect is tragic. When Jesus was comforting his disciples before his death he told them that it is better for him to leave so the Spirit could come. The Spirit is better than Jesus? How’s that work? We need to remember how vital the Holy Spirit is to our lives. Who is the Holy Spirit? What does he do and why does he matter in our life? These questions and more will be explored as learn about the forgotten God, “the Wild Goose” as Celtic Christians called him.

Producer: Ken Kim
Set-up: Kris Shermer
Speaker: Ryan Miller
Music Leader: Joshua Nedrud & Kris Shermer
Sound Tech: David Meyer
Keynote Tech: Tyler Stibrich
Pickup: David Meyer & Joshua Nedrud
Nursery: Kati Wint
Greeters: Jenna Schaa & Ben Phillips

Music
Here come the Geese – BNL
Seven Swans – Sufjan Stevens
River of Dreams – Billy Joel
Break My Stride – Matthew Wilder
Turn, Turn, Turn – The Byrds
Spirit Vs. The Kick Drum – Derek Webb

Worship
Rain Down – Carlos Whittaker
Prince of Peace (maybe having everyone sing the female part together at the beginning)
You Are So Good To Me
Cannot Hide My Love
The Air I Breathe

Video
Catch Me If You Can
30 Days (Atheist at the Jesus Park)
Borat (Church speaking in tongues)
Wife Swap episode (an extreme liberal switching with a ridiculously religious person)
Forrest Gump/American Beauty (wafting objects – spinning in the breeze
Weather patterns (maybe for reflection time) – not tangible, but have an extreme effect on humans.
Narnia – Aslan (not a “tame” lion)
O Brother Where Art Thou – the sirens
Norm McDonald (from his stand-up) – Cliff Diving (2 categories: Grand Champion or stuff on a rock)

Drama/Readings
To Tell the Truth (which one is really the Holy Spirit?)

Other Concepts
Skydiving – you’re in control, but not in control (Also, water-skiing, Skiing, snowboarding, race car driving and the like)
The Holy Ghost People (Documentary – extreme examples of snake handling and the like)
Something with Three Parts (Fire: Fuel, Spark, Oxygen)

Chase the Goose
Series Description: Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit: An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. But most of us and most churches have neglected the Holy Spirit. Join us as we explore the truth about the forgotten God and we learn to live the adventure of a spirit-led life.

Clearing the Air (April 4)

2010-03-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Description: Jesus told us He is the way, the truth, and the life. To sin is to commit spiritual suicide. True understanding of sin should break our hearts and turn us towards God, who freely offers us grace and forgiveness. Our sin is real, and we are guilty. But it is Jesus who took the fall, and it is because of that we worship Him.

Producer: Kris Shermer
Set-up: Josh Schaa
Speaker: Rachael Suddarth
Music Leader: Ryan Miller & Dave Chojnacki (only)
Sound Tech: Mitch Peterson
Keynote Tech: Mark Dominguez
Pickup: Ryan Miller & Mark
Dominguez
Nursery: Heidi Kim
Greeters: Camille Mathieu & Jenna Schaa

Music
Where You There (communion)
Jesus Paid it All
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
Mess of Me – Switchfoot
Free – Switchfoot
Kings & Queens – 30 Seconds to Mars (about the Fall)
The General – Dispatch
So Deep in Love – Joel Augue
Ain’t No Grave – Johnny Cash

Video
Matrix – Neo like Jesus
Jim Gaffigan – Easter
Shawshank Redemption – Fresh Air
Les Mis
Saved
Good Will Hunting – It’s not your fault

Other Concepts
Alter Call
WSAAG – String Tie (closer?)
Holy Week Art Around Room (Stations of the cross)
Intro: Chasing the Goose (promo video) – Post Resurrection 40 Days and ascension
Luke 11:34-36

The Smell of Sin
Series Description: An old man saws through his right ankle. A smooth-skinned boy lies to his father's face. Fetid tombs, harsh slavery, fatal choking . . . these images come right from the words of Jesus! They are word pictures Jesus asks us to imagine. But why? Why did Jesus paint such vivid pictures when he talked about sin? And why did he make them so sobering--and downright gory at times? In The Smell of Sin, Don Everts seriously tackles these stark images, coming face to face with Jesus' clear, graphic theology of sin. It's a view of sin that might make you uncomfortable. But a collision with this hard truth may be just what you need.

Uncovering the Real Smell of Sin (March 28)

2010-03-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Description: Jesus was intentional when He talked about sin, and He quite often mentioned sin with forgiveness. The parables give us a clear view of how Jesus perceives sin, and in digging into the original cultural context, we can find parallels to what they might look like in our society. When we sin, we aren’t just breaking the rules—we’re insulting and betraying our Father.

Producer: Kris Shermer
Set-up: Colter Bloxom
Speaker: Caty Berry
Music Leader: Colter Bloxom, David
Meyer & Kati Wint
Sound Tech: Josh Schaa
Keynote Tech: Jenna Schaa
Pickup: Josh Schaa & David Meyer
Nursery: Kerri Dominguez
Greeters: Aaron & Renay Burger

Music
Sick Cycle Carousal – Lifehouse
Guilty conscience – Eminem
Dig – Incubus
Mess of Me – Switchfoot
Free – Switchfoot
Monster – Skillet
Animal I’ve Become – Breaking Benjamin
Whatever She Wants – Jars of Clay
Black Dress – Normals
Hopelessly Addicted to You – The Cores
War Inside of Me – Todd Agnew

Video
HIMYM – Road Trip (season 5, episode 5, "Duel Citizenship")
Angel/Devil on Shoulders
Emperor’s New Groove
That 70s Show
Family Guy
LOST – Charlie
*LOTR – Gollum
Heroes – Split Personalities

Other Concepts
Jive Parables
Reading: Rocks (Picnic)
WSAAG – Father Story (as a reading?)
Blue Like Jazz – Community/Selfishness (Drama?)
My Story – Selfishness (newlyweds?)
Palm Sunday
Holy Week

Through Rose-Colored Glasses (March 21)

2010-03-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

The concept of sin is forgotten in our culture. It is a myth. It is an adventure. It isn’t nearly as serious as the religious folk seem to think. There is a huge discrepancy between how we view sin and what Jesus taught. And if sin really is a simple disobeying of the rules, Jesus’ passionate and vivid parables about sin are worthless.

Producer: Kris Shermer
Set-up: Either Tim or Rachael
Speaker: Kris Shermer
Music Leader: Aaron Burger
Sound Tech: TBA
Keynote Tech: Mark Dominguez
Pickup: Mark Dominguez, Mitch Peterson
Nursery: Kati Wint?
Greeters: Ben Phillips & TBA

Music
Only the Good Die Young – Billy Joel
If it Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow
Wine Red – Hush Sound
Paradise City – Guns and Roses
Hotel California – Eagles
Kings and Queens – 30 Second to Mars
Born to Be Wild
John Wayne Gacy – Sufjan Stevens
Bad – Michael Jackson
Live it Up – John Legend
Peace of Mind – Boston
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
Whatever She Wants – Jars of Clay

Video
Jason and the Argonauts
Pinocchio (all the boys go to the island and become jackasses)
Youth in Revolt
How I Met Your Mother -- Making of Barney
Angel/Demon imagery – Emperors New Groove, HIMYM, That 70’s Show
Todd Packer – The Office
Old Spice Commercial – I’m On a Horse
The Middle (Music Video) – Jimmy Eat World

Drama/Original Video
Tape Drama (story time w/Rachael)
Dramatic Reading – Darkening Sock

Other Concepts
Chalk take-away – write sins on chalkboard, take the chalk home
Classroom Decorations
Target on Floor
Chalkboard analogy – that the chalk stays after you wipe it away
Tucker Max – I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell
Blue Like Jazz – Drinking Stories – Redemption Chapter (p61)

A Written Relic? (March 14)

2010-03-02T10:23:00.000-08:00

March 14 – A Written Relic?

How old is the Bible? How did early Christians decide which writings to include in the Bible? Why do Catholic versions of the Bible have more books than most Protestant versions? Why do we have so many versions anyway? How can we be sure that the Biblical message has been accurately preserved and transmitted to us today?

Producer: Tim Suddarth
Set-up: Camille Mathieu
Speaker: Tim Suddarth
Music Leader: Aaron & Renay Burger
Sound Tech: TBA
Keynote Tech: TBA
Pickup: Aaron Burger & Ben Phillips
Nursery: Erica Chojnacki
Greeters: TBA

Music

I Believe – Rich Mullens or Derek Webb
B-I-B-L-E
Epic – Patrick Andrew
The Sound of Truth – As I Lay Dying
Voice of Truth – Casting Crowns

Video

Discovered: The Gospel of Judas or the Da Vinci Code (Perhaps from the History Channel)
Big Fish – Son searches for the reality of who his father was.
Sports Center – Reggie White got really concerned about Bible translations and started learning Greek and Hebrew
The Invention of Lying – The man in the sky explanation
Saved! – when she throws the Bible (as a misuse of the Bible)
Digging for the Truth
Wanted – searching for his father’s identity

Drama / Original Video

Letters from a Skeptic
The Game of telephone

Other Concepts

Some way to included stories from Gnostic Gospels
Testimonies of how the Bible has been significant in a personal/life kind of way
Reading or other kind of presentation of the Bible chapter from Jesus with Dirty Feet
Pledge to the Bible
Quest for the Historical Jesus – Bible with things
The Game of Telephone as an interactive element

Breaking the Spirit of Poverty (March 7)

2010-02-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hope Lives

Compassion changes everything: how you view your world...yourself...even Jesus. While many feel despair at the state of the world we can ﬁnd hope in Jesus. This two week exploration of compassion is aimed at both head and heart, inspiring a new way to interact with the world.

March 7: Breaking the Spirit of Poverty

Often we fail to give to those in need because we feel we don’t have enough ourselves. We assume that there is a ﬁnite amount of resources and if we give generously those resources will run dry and we will be poor ourselves. Instead of believing the Bible that we should operate from a spirit of abundance we instead live in bondage to accumulation and suffer from a spirit of poverty. We can break this spirit of poverty in ourselves is by giving extravagantly – not from our excess but from our necessities. Scarcity vs. Abundance: Deut. 15:10; Prov. 21:13; Prov. 11:24; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; 2 Cor. 9:6, 8, 10-11; The Story of the Widow of Zarephath: 1 Kings 17:7-24; Our Mandate/Response: Isaiah 58; Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; Ch. 3 Hope Lives Pastor’s Guide

Producer: Rachael Suddarth & Ben Phillips
Set-up: Kris Shermer
Speaker: Colter Bloxom
Music Leader: Joshua Nedrud & Kris Shermer
Sound Tech: David Meyer & Ken Kim
Keynote Tech: Mark Dominguez
Pickup: Joshua Nedrud & David Meyer
Nursery: Heidi Kim
Greeters: Camille Mathieu & Mark Dominguez

Music

Rich Young Ruler – Derek Webb
Twenty-First Time – Monk & Nagle
Give Me Your Eyes – Brandon Heath
Green Disease – Pearl Jam
Sweetest Girl – Wyclef Jean
Mo Money Mo Problems (R&B Montage)

Video

South Park – Margaritaville
Dead Like Me – Taking the soul of a Homeless man
A Tale of Two Cities
Armageddon – Willis sacrifices himself for Afleck
*South Park – Shipping the homeless to California (Maybe tied in to Set-up story abou
Smallville – Chloe dies to save someone
Pushing Daisies or Carnival – Bringing people back to life, but causing another’s death
“Why the Economy Collapsed” video from the web
The Order – Heath Ledger movie about a sin eater
SNL Weekend Update – Scrooge McDuck
Wall Street jubilee – Another World is possible
Seven Pounds
Pay It Forward
Simon Birch
City of Ember – contrasting against how our world is (we don’t have a limited supply like they do)

Drama / Original Video

Hot Mic
Boxer, the horse from Animal Farm – sacrifices again and again until dies

Worship

More Than Us
Lighten My Load
Mighty to Save
Enough
Hungry
How Great is Our God
Everything

Poverty and Prosperity (February 28)

2010-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Hope Lives

February 28: Poverty and Prosperity

We live in a world in which unprecedented prosperity exists alongside desperate poverty. The oppressed and poor are at the center of the heart of God and God is mobilizing his church to bring hope in a world of despair.
God’s Heart: Psalm 9:9; 146:71; 10:17-18; 72:12-14; Our Mandate/Response : Micah 6:8; 1 John 3:17; James 2:14-17; James 4:17; The Parable of the Good Samaritan; Ch. 2 Hope Lives Pastor’s Guide.

Producer: Tim Suddarth
Set-up: Josh Schaa
Speaker: Tim Suddarth
Music Leader: Colter Bloxom, David Meyer & Kati Wint
Sound Tech: Mitch Peterson & Josh Schaa
Keynote Tech: Tyler Stibrich
Pickup: Josh Schaa & David Meyer
Nursery: Kris Shermer
Greeters: Jenna Schaa & Nick Summers

Music

What if She’s An Angel – Tommy Shane Steiner
You’ve got a Friend in Me – Randy Newman
Another Day in Paradise – Phiul Collins
What Matters more – Derek Webb
Rich Young Ruler – Derek Webb
Help – Beatles
The Twenty-First Time – Monk & Neagle
What If God Was One of Us – Joan Osborne
Give Me Your Eyes – Brandon Heath
My City of Ruins – Springsteen
The American Dream – Switchfoot
Beautiful America – Five Iron Frenzy
Vultures – Five Iron Frenzy
Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
The Sound (John M. Perkins Blues) – Switchfoot
*Pins and Needles by Muth Math

Video

Fast and Furious – When Paul Walker lets Vin Diesel go.
Avatar – the Last Airbender
My Super Sweet
WALL-e
Chocolat – condemnation vs Grace
Schlinder’s List
Monty Python
Chapelle’s show – Cribs
Rich Girls – Episode 2 (Tommy Hilfiger gives his daughter’s birthday gift to charity)
Fabulous Life of …
MTV’s Cribs
Stats from 30 Days
Another World is Possible Video from Shane Clairborne

Drama / Original Video

New Skymall Items
MTV Cribs: The Fort

Other Concepts

Skymall Items
iPad

Take-Home Items

Something from the Good Samaritan story Something from the Micah 6:8 verse (bookmark?)

Ideas for dividing up in groups

Birthdays
Shoe size
Stickers in Median
Colors you’re wearing

Practicing Spiritual Life: Contemplation & Meditation (February 21)

2010-02-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Practicing Spiritual Life (Part 3)

February 21: Contemplation & Meditation

Christian meditation and contemplation is the practice of reflecting upon, ruminating about, and considering matters of our faith. We recognize that every experience offers more than meets the eye and are open to seeing the unseen world. In other religions, meditation serves as a means to empty the mind in order to become detached from the world. Christians agree that meditation is an effective technique to quiet and clear the mind and achieve detachment from the world. But, for the Christian, detachment is not enough; we must go on to attachment. Detachment from the confusion all around us is in order to have a richer attachment to God and is a preparation for God's inspiration.

Producers: Tim Suddarth & Ken Kim
Set-Up: Tim Suddarth
Music Leader (if needed): Ryan Miller, Mitch Peterson & Dave Chojnacki
Sound Tech: Josh McInnes
Keynote Tech: TBA (if needed)
Pickup: Josh McInnes
Nursery: Kerri Dominguez
Greeters: Aaron & Renay Burger.

Corporate Meditation and Contemplation ideas

Lectio Divina – Philippians 2 or perhaps multiple modalities of Psalms
Call to worship in Latin (maybe with translation or possibly switching languages throughout)
Be Still and know he is God – Newsboys
Progression through music meditation
“The Stand” – chorus of a Hillsong/Michael W. Smith arrangement
Time-lapsed Sunrise – Praying in the sunrise
Empty Me – Jeremy Camp (Clay/pottery)
I Corinthians 13
They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love – Jars of Clay
Rise – Robbie Seay
John 1
All Around Me – Flyleaf
Maranatha (Aramaic – Chanting)
World Peace
Centering Prayer

Communion Ideas

Everyone take at the same time
People reading scripture from around the room
Respond by audience repeating scripture “Do This in Remebrence of me”
Different interpretation
Actual Breaking

Music for Communion

By His Wounds
Paid it All
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lead me to the Cross

Things we could use as contemplation material

Jesus w/ Dirty Feet - Everts
Blue Like Jazz - Miller
Soul Cravings – McManus
Face to Face (Devotional Book)

A Leadership-Defined Community (February 14)

2010-01-25T20:27:00.000-08:00

A Mile in His Shoes

Nehemiah had every reason on earth to lose hope and give up, but he didn’t. He trusted God and had access to every resource in heaven to combat his earthly crises. Nehemiah persevered to become one of the Bible’s greatest leaders.

February 14: A Leadership-Defined Community

Too often community is defined by a group consensus or a vote. Biblical community is defined by being part of the body of Christ. This kind of community cannot happen without a leader defining and defending it.

Producer: Tim Suddarth
Set-up: Caty Berry
Speaker: Ryan Miller
Music Leader: Joshua Nedrud, Kris Shermer & Dave Chojnacki
Sound Tech: Ken Kim
Keynote Tech: Mark Dominguez
Pickup: Mark Dominguez & Joshua Nedrud
Nursery: Erica Chojnacki
Greeters: Ingrid Sam & Isaac Benson-White.

Music

Like A Boss – Andy Sandberg (A drastically rewritten version)
Brick by Boring Brick – Paramore
Dare You to Move – Switchfoot
"Schism" – Tool
Typical – Mute Math
Purpose – Cloud Cult
You Get What You Give – New Radicals
Uprise – Muse
What You Give Up To Get It – Derek Webb
*Again – Flyleaf
Great Expectations – Gaslight Anthem

Video

Dead Poets’ Society – Inspiring people to greatness
Miracle – The team being inspired by the coach
Flight of the Conchords – Murry is detrimental to the band (pretty much any band meeting)
Braveheart – pretty much anything that
Field of Dreams – If you build it will come
Batman Begins – It’s not who you are on the inside that defines you
Kid Nation – have to set up their own leadership
Dark Knight – two ferries voting on who lives and who doesn’t
Remember the Titans – Main black and white players talk about Attitude Reflects Leadership Captain Denzel’s main speech at the beginning of the movie
Life of Brian – debating and voting as they are taking away
LOTR – When they are debating on who should take the ring and Frodo steps up
LOST – Jack in the first season has to step up and take leadership

Drama / Original Video

Flight of the Conchords – Murry is detrimental to the band (pretty much any band meeting) (McInnis as Murray, Colter & Mitch reprising their roles)

Other Concepts

Lord of the Flies
Video Team filmed Announcements
Countdown video with announcements

Take-Home Items

Take Communion from someone on staff or one of the interns
Lego bricks
Something with the number 52 (Days it took Nehemiah to rebuild the wall)

A Work Repurposed (February 7)

2010-01-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

A Mile in His Shoes

February 7: A Work Repurposed

Our jobs should be about much more than just getting a paycheck. Let’s explore how God has called us to serve him in specific ways through our occupations by looking at Nehemiah’s role in service of the King.

Producer: Caty Berry
Set-up: Tim Suddarth
Speaker: Rachael Suddarth
Worship Leader: Aaron & Renay Burger
Sound Tech: Mitch Peterson & Josh McInnes
Keynote Tech: Tyler Stibrich
Pickup: Aaron Burger & Ben Phillips
Nursery: Kati Wint
Greeters: Mark Dominguez & Josh McInnes

What we want people thinking after the message: Are you waiting on God, looking for the unique mission only you complete?

Music

Purpose – Avenue Q
Seven Dwarves song – Hi Ho
Going the Distance – Cake
Going the Distance – from Disney’s Hercules
*Work – Jars of Clay
Work – Jimmy Eat World
Taking Care of Business
Works Hard for the Money
Shake What Your Momma Gave Ya
Where Are You Going? – Dave Matthews Band
All The Plans – Starsailor
The Middle- Jimmy Eat World
Better than This – Keane
Brick by Boring Brick – Paramore
Be Yourself – Audioslave
I Don’t Want to Be – Gavin Degraw
Help, I’m Alive – Metric
*Butterflies & Hurricanes – Muse
Working for a Living – Huey Lewis & the News
Life Wasted – Pearl Jam
All My Life – Foo Fighters
Typical – Mute Math
Bright Future In Sales – Fountains of Wayne
Finest Work Song – R.E.M.
Give It Away – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Worship

Love is Here

Video

HIMYM - Barney’s job/versus what he actually does (mice in a box, etc.) & bringing Marshall into his insanity
The Big Kahuna
Picture Perfect – Jennifer Aniston’s Character
Jerry McGuire – he felt called to do something more than just working his job
Wanted – talking about his job
Office Space – pretty much any part
Fight Club – conversation with Lady on Airplane
The Office – Middle Management
Dirty Jobs (A&E)
Deadliest Catch
Ice Road Truckers
Axe Men
Borat – at the end “Sometimes it’s right in your front yard” he missed the opportunity

Drama / Original Video

Ben & Brad – office space remake wherein they develop things inspired by the clearly recognizable Office Space counterparts.
First Job – being the boss of some corporation and showing people using the exact knowledge or skills they were taught in class (ie Colter figuring out an economics problem, Caty's entire company depending on her ability to figure out a complex math problem, Ryan only being able to get a deal through because he is able to discuss the positive and negative influences on Oscar Wilde or Erica only being able to accomplish her task because she knows the exact ramifications of presidential decisions made during WWI & WWII)
Um … shadow puppets?

Other Concepts

My Story – Share their specific stories (similar to the Transparency service from last semester)
Tim Tebow – University of Florida Quarterback Heisman winner, Testimony
This American Life – possible story from radio or TV show

Take-Home Items

Red staplers
Pieces of a copy machine
*Pieces of flair

A Mountain-Moving Prayer (January 31)

2010-01-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

A Mile in His Shoes
Nehemiah had every reason on earth to lose hope and give up, but he didn’t. He trusted God and had access to every resource in heaven to combat his earthly crises. Nehemiah persevered to become one of the Bible’s greatest leaders. Following Nehemiah’s example of prayer and perseverance, we too can achieve what might seem impossible.
Producer: Rachael Suddarth & Ben Phillips
Set-up: Rachael Suddarth
Speaker: Kris Shermer
Worship Leader: Colter Bloxom, David Meyer & Kati Wint
Sound Tech: TBA
Keynote Tech: TBA

Music
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
Pressing On – Reliant K
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
Don’t Stop – Jars of Clay
Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough – Michael Jackson
Welcome to the Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
Carry On My Wayward Son – Kansas
I will Survive – Cake
Sweet Surrender – Colter’s High School Band
I Will Trust in You – Jeremy Camp
Waiting – Sum41
Headstrong – Trapt
Climbing Uphill – The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown
Drive – Incubus

Worship
Blessed be Your Name
Everything
I will not Forget you
Love is Here
Song of Hope
Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone
Marvelous light
We Will Overcome

Video
Princess Bride – killed my father, climbing the cliffs, the Dread Pirate: I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.
Pursuit of Happyness – perseverance
Frodo & Sam
Rocky
Galaxy Quest – "Never give up, never surrender"
O Brother, Where Art Thou - At the end of the movie
Catch Me if You ca
Gatoraide – is it in you
Hitch – Smith’s character defines perseverance

Drama
Psalms Reading
LOTR – Sam & Frodo Drama
Esther
David vs. Saul
Fairy Tales
Little Engine that Could
Greek rock hill Myth Sisyphus
Job
Everything Musical Drama

Other concepts
Spiritual Practice Prayer thing
P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens (use something with this on it as a take-away, bookmark or something)
Old-school Mario brothers – 1 to a million odds, needed persistence to win these games
Scripture: Story of the unjust Judge

Accumulation: How Much Is Enough? – Luke 12:13-34 (January 24)

2009-12-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

Producer: Ryan Miller
Set-up:
Speaker: Colter Bloxom
Worship Leader:

Description:
Every commercial and ad that we see is designed to create dissatisfaction in our lives. The things that we own aren’t the newest or best and our culture tells us that if we could just purchase the bright, shiny My Life Is Perfect 3000 we would be content. That is, until the My Life Is Perfect 4000 comes out and the cycle starts all over again. How much stuff is enough? Can accumulating possessions provide satisfaction in life? We’ll explore what Jesus had to say about the difference between what we want and what we need and how to find contentment.

Music
Money That’s What I Want – Barrett Strong/Flaming Lizards
Money – Pink Floyd
Satisfied – Jeff Buckley
Too Much is Never Enough – Firewater
Satisfy – Vedera
Rockstar – Nickelback
Girls & Boys – Good Charlotte
Rich Young Ruler – Derek Webb
Too Much – Dave Matthews Band
Never is Enough – BNL
If I had a Million Dollars – BNL
Your Rock and Roll Lifestyle – Cake
You Part the Waters – Cake
ShopVac – Jonathan Colton
Gold, Guns, Girls – Metric
Material Girl - Madonna
Gold Digger – Kanye
When I Grow Up – Pussycat Dolls
All About the Benjamins – Puff Daddy
New Shoes – Paolo Nutini
Man Who Sold the World
Mo Money, Mo Problems – Biggie, Puffy & Mase
For the Love of Money – The Ojays
Money, Money, Money – Abba
Big Casino – Jimmy Eat World

Video
Fight Club
Mad Men
Wall-E
Idiocracy
What Would Jesus Buy
South Park Margarittaville
Team America: World Police
Envy
SNL – don’t Buy What You Can’t Afford
Citizen Kane
The Jerk
Wedding / Sweet 16 shows
A Christmas Story
Second-hand Lions
Hoarders – A&E
Funny People
Capitalism – A Love Story
Seinfeld – Elaine’s Business Charges
Kickball
Montage of useful to useless products through advertisers

Drama
Girls Shopping
College Kids as Elementary kids –> I’m faster than you because I have new shoes – you’re jealous, right?

Other concepts
On Earth as it is in advertising – Doug Van Pelt
Blue Like Jazz – Scene where he talks about wanting to buy an extension
The Story of King Midas
Candide – Voltaire
This American Life – Lewis & Clark

Ownership: Who Really Owns My Stuff? (January 17)

2009-12-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Speaker: Josh Schaa
Producers: Ryan Miller
Set-up: TBA
Worship Leader: TBA

Description:
One of the first words that children learn is “mine”. They may not understand the concept of ownership yet but they certainly have a desire to own things. With kids it’s often everything. We like to think that we grow out of that mentality but if we’re honest we’re still not very good at sharing or giving – which are parents try to teach us as soon as we start saying “mine”. How can we overcome our obsession with ownership and begin to view our possessions as gifts from God who owns everything? Finding financial freedom is hopeless until we begin to change our minds about what is really ours.

Music
What You Own – RENT
Say – One Republic
Green Disease – Pearl Jam
If I Had it All – Dave Matthews Band
Vultures – Five Iron Frenzy
Beautiful America – Five Iron Frenzy

Worship
Enough
Everything

Video
Fight Club – Your stuff
Finding Nemo – Seagulls “Mine, mine, mine!”
Family Guy – any time that Lois has to be the adult to Peter acting like a kid
Fun with Dick and Jane
HIMYM – Lilly’s class learns a lesson that the gang learns it too
Wall Street – “Greed is good!”
Mr. Deeds
Scrooge McDuck
Envy
SpongeBob – Mr Crabbs always wanting to hold onto his money
Pirates of the Caribbean – Talking to Elizabeth on Black Pearl Barbosa says they were first compelled by their greed then consumed by it.
Don’t buy things You can’t afford – SNL skit

Oppressive Government theme:
City of Ember – The governor
Equilibrium – when they’re breaking all that art stuff?
V for Vendetta – News Director’s treasures

Drama
2 Adults – one gets something new and is showing it to the other and they get more and more infantile

Other concepts
Repo – the Genetic Opera
Stats about ownership versus possession (I posses this car, but the bank actually owns it)

Take home
Chocolate coins
Great Big Green Dollars that say “In God We Trust”
Tag Cars
Property of DR
Property of Jesus

Relational Gift (December 15)

2009-12-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Speaker: Ryan Miller

Producers: Ryan & Mitch

Worship Leaders: Aaron & Renay

Description:

Video

Shawshank Redemption

LIFE

How I met your mother - Cupcake gift package

Jewelry Commercials

The Office – White Elephant

Family Guy – 3 Wise Men

It’s a Wonderful Life

TV Funhouse – Charlie Brown

Island of Misfit Toys

Bill Engvall Show

Modern Family – Bad gift

The Simpsons – Bowling Ball gift

Gladiator

Finding Nemo

House – Mos Def

Schiendler’s List

Worship

You Are Here – Need To Breathe

Song of Hope

Freedom 96 – Robbie Williams

One Small Child

O Holy Night

I Wonder as I Wander

Drama

Reenact Family Guy 3 Wise Men Skit

Boyfriend/Girlfriend

Other ideas

Gift of the Magi

Article – Comatose Man who was really paralyzed

Brainstorming Ideas for the Dec 6 Service

2009-11-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

MUSIC

I Would Walk 500 Miles – The Proclaimers

Aint no mountain high enough

12 Days of Christmas

Goo Goo Dolls – Better Days

I Celebrate The Day – Relient K

We Three Kings

WORSHIP SONGS

Here I am to Worship

DRAMA

Parent Talking about a child

Going off to college

VIDEO

Family Guy – Three Kings Walking

People Talking about why they do what they do

A Time To Kill

Man on Fire

Flight of the Conchords – Bret song for Coco scene

Rat Race

Indiana Jones

The Patriot

Legends of the Fall

Lord of the Rings

Seven Pounds

Star Trek

Superman Movies – Brando Monologue

Family Guy – Peter does everything better than Chris

Modern Family – Couple race, she lets him win

Scrubs – Private Dancer

The Nativity Story

California Raisins

OTHER

Special Offering Video

Worship Brainstorming Ideas for the Nov 29 service

2009-11-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Advent Conspiracy 1 (Colter)

MUSIC
Under the Tree – Until Tomorrow
Derek Webb
If I had a Million Dollars - BNL
You can’t always get what you want
Better Days – Goo Goo Dolls
Golddigger – Kanye West
Succexy - Metric
DRAMA
Calls up bank (overspending)
Sky Mall Commercial
Stupid Gifts

VIDEO
Scrooge
Charlie Brown Xmas
Statistics video
Pay It Forward
Parks & Rec – Leslie Knope calls credit card company
The Office – I Declare Bankruptcy
Veggie Tales – Maddam Blueberry
What Would Jesus Buy?
Biblical Literalism
Home Alone 2
Jingle All The Way
Jim Gaffigan – Gift giving
South Park – Margaritaville
SNL – Don’t buy things you can’t afford

MISC
Spending statistics
Give as a church (Hiefer Int)
Top Selling Gifts past 10 years
Buy Nothing Day

WORSHIP
I will not forget you
Lead me to the cross
You are so good to me
I cannot hide m love
Everything

Practicing Spiritual Life: Slowing - Ideas for November 22

2009-11-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Producers: Caty Berry and Kris Shermer

Description:
In today’s speeded-up ways of working and living, slowing down is an important spiritual discipline. In the modern world we are conditioned to live faster and faster with no time for inner reflection or sensitivity to others. Jesus was often busy but he was never hurried. Being busy is an outer condition; being hurried is a sickness of the soul. Jesus never went about the busyness of his ministry in a way that severed the life-giving connection between himself and his Father. He never did it in a way that interfered with his ability to give love when that was what was called for. Through slowing the sacrament of the present moment is tasted to the full.

The Deal:
We'll have a handful of stations to help people practice the art of slowing. Ideas for stations are helpful as are any ideas to flesh out or modify station ideas already listed.

Station Ideas
Taking a section from Passion of the Christ or something similar and slowing down the visual element (perhaps in conjunction with communion)
Journal station – things that incite you to go faster instead of slowing down.
A Focus on how to take a Sabbath
Relevant article on how the Sabbath is actually a very important thing
A video where it pops up a single word at a time as you consider something (communion elements)
Walking around the mall with a narrated tour.
Boom Box with a recorded “guided tour” in a slow voice
Informational stuff about slowing
Tai Chi or Yoga stretching exercises – diagrams hung up on wall and a mental direction to slow them down (ex. Singing twinkle, twinkle, little start twice before finishing)
A breathing pattern station that makes people feel panicky and not slowed down
Hang butcher paper and give people space to respond creatively
Build something in a very tedious way that will allow them to focus on God (a physical manifestation of the mental practice)
An acoustic set of songs – not worship, but instrumental, slow music to allow people to focus on God.
Planning station – what will I do this week (maybe picking from a longer list)
Setting up a metronome on a particularly slow setting.
Time lapse photography of a flower blooming or something similar.
Napping station

Take Home
Slow music as a download from the website or as a take-home CDs
Little Beach balls

Music
Unknown Caller – U2
In A Hurry – Alabama
Busy Man – Steven Curtis Chapman

That Looks Weird (Ideas for November 15)

2009-10-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

Speaker: Josh Schaa
Producers: Ryan & Mitch
Worship Leaders: Joshua Nedrud

Description:
We expect that if God is going to move among us, his voice will sound reasonable and the wind of his Spirit will blow in conventional directions. That is a decidedly unbiblical assumption. It seems that God doesn’t always honor our sense of dignity or our rigorous education. He doesn’t mind those attributes in someone with enough maturity to realize how much he or she doesn’t need them. “Weird” is not a valid test of whether something is Godly or not, it’s often God’s preferred mode of conversation.

Video
Signs – conversations about faith and
Fight Club – when they’re standing outside the house and the guy yells at them, but they stay there
LOST – Locke being willing to talk with Jack’s Dad
LOST – when they decide to take over the pushing the button
LOST – Locke-centric episode when the creepy orderly (don’t tell me what I can’t do)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – only a leap from the lion’s head will prove your worth
V (new one) – Aliens claim to be awesome, but they are not awesome
Firefly – When River is “correcting” the Bible and the shepherd character explains the idea of faith
Dollhouse – A character that they thought was crazy, but really isn’t.
Castle – A character that they thought was crazy, but really isn’t.
Burn Notice – A character that they thought was crazy, but really isn’t.
Eli Stone – All the crazy crap he is expected to do.
Friends – Mr. Heckles not believing in evolution and Ross freaking out
Evan Almighty
A Few Good Men – They believe their supervisor is telling them the right thing to do.
Grey’s Anatomy – one of the voice-overs that talks about faith
Psych – everyone believes him, but he’s lying to them
Video Idea where we have people doing trust falls and a background song (Fall Back Down – Rancid)
Video idea where we find crazy things people did in the Bible and recreate them on campus somewhere.

Other Music
Faith, Hope, Love - Starsailor
Faith – George Michael/Limp Bizkit
Faith Enough – Jars of Clay
Carry On My Wayward Son – Kansas
By Your Side – Tenth Avenue North
Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
Turn it Off – Paramore
Unknown Caller – U2
Moment of Surrender – U2
Back to the Middle – Verdera
Move Forward – Verdera

Worship
Jesus, I Lift My Eyes – Jars of Clay
Abandon – Jason Morant

Drama
Ideas from the book

Other ideas
Hebrews 11 – Hall of Faith
Someone being Ezekiel and just laying on their side
Trust Falls – Hearing one person close and then move away

That Smells Fishy - Ideas for November 8

2009-10-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Speaker: Kris
Producers: Ken & Tim
Worship Leaders: Aaron & Renay

We'll decide art for this service on October 28th at Arts and Production.

Description:
It should be profoundly comforting that the heroes of scripture were perceived as weird, flawed, incompetent, foolish, and even less than pure. That makes any of us eminently qualified to fulfill God’s purposes. The amazing thing about their lives was what God did in them, not what they did themselves. Sometimes humility, honesty, and desperate faith were all they had to offer, but those are priceless commodities in the economy of God. We don’t treasure them as much as he does, but we should. He has proven again and again that he wants us to come to him on those very simple but uncomfortable terms.

Video
Joan of Arcadia
TMNT – Raphael gets kidnapped & it seems fishy (seems like something they aren’t)
LOST – Mr Ecko
American History X – trying to help rehabilitate people
Forest Gump – He does all of these great things while being
Avatar – Zuko
Les Mis – Showing the second chance the priest gives him and what becomes of him (what he does with it) later in life
Alias – roommate suspects boyfriend of cheating, but he’s practicing to be a singer
Veronica Mars – A client suspects her fiancé of just marrying her for her money, but it turns out that he is loaded and trying to hide it.

Music
Viva La Vida – Coldplay
Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
Jars of Clay Songs
Broken – Evanescence feat Seether
Whatever You Want (Something Heavenly) – Sanctus Real
I’m Not Alright – Santucs
Somewhere in the Middle – Casting Crowns
Playing God - Paramore

Drama
Awesome Drama – Church staff meeting, modernized version of Paul.
Someone sees a Christian coming out of a weird place and makes assumptions

Other ideas
SonicFlood embezzlement
Amy Grant’s Divorce
Dr. Dobson’s conversation with Jeffery Dahmer
Displays of several psalms around the room for people to consider what the psalms actually say.
This American Life – “I’ve Got You Pegged” – Cop story from the Moth
Chuck Colson – Jailed because of Watergate, he founded a successful prison ministry
Oscar Wilde and Jesus book
My Story – Josh McInnes talking about his Dad
College Friend of Ryan’s who lead 3 people to Jesus
Junior High Ministers & Child Predators – Same steps to contact work

That Seems Sinful - Ideas for November 1

2009-10-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Speaker: Tim
Producers: Kris & Caty
Worship Leaders: David & Colter

We'll decide art for this service on October 21st at Arts & Production.

Description:
One of the primary reasons the scribes and priests of Jesus’ day rejected his teachings and claims was that they were in the context of what looked like sin. He seemed disobedient, he ignored a lot of the rules -- he preferred the company of sinners to the most upstanding members of society. And because of the lenses through which they viewed the bible, they were completely blinded to the righteousness of the Son of God. He was the only human being ever to live a sinless life, and they called him a sinner (John 9:24). Do we do the same thing? What looks sinful to our “righteous” eyes can be the work of God. That may sound like an offensive charge, but the Pharisees were offended too, and their offense was no indicator that they were right. God’s ways aren’t always palatable to religious minds.

The Deal:
The service will be divided into different sections based on each of the following Bible characters and will be thematically put together in a dramatic/MC'd presentation.

Abraham
Video: Year One – scene with Abraham
Video: BSG – always talking about whether or not something is a test from God
Music: The Rake Song – Decembersists (Dad killing his children)
Video: Ryan Gosling Movies – United States of Leland?
Video: Air Bud – being mean to make him go away
Video: Harry and the Hendersons – being mean to make him go away
Music: Faith My Eyes – Caedmon’s Call ( about the idea of following God and leaving home to do it.)

Hosea
Reading: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Music: Baby Please Come Home – Anberlin
Music: Wedding Dress – Derek Webb
Music: The Bird and The Worm – Owl City

Ruth
Video: Saved! – Girl thinks that God needs her to sleep with her boyfriend to “ungay-i-fy
Music: She-Wolf – Shakira
Music: Hoping & Praying – Oldies Song
Video: Forrest Gump – Momma sleeps with the principle to get him into school.
Video: Erin Brokovich

Mary
Video: Picket Fences – claims immaculate conception.
Music: Mary Did You Know
Reading: Max Lucado Book
Video: Law & Order Episodes where someone is wrongfully accused
Reading: News stories about prisoners who are released years later when DNA evidence clears them
Video: Shawshank redemption – He didn’t do it

Jesus
Video: Big Lebowski – “The Jesus”
Music: Secret Ambition – Michael W. Smith
Video: The Life of Brian – Monty Python
Music: My Jesus – Todd Agnew
Music: Resistance – Muse

Other ideas
Video: Joan of Arcadia
Video: Saving Grace
Music: The Cost – The Frames
Video: Kingdom of Heaven (People saying “God wills it”)
Music: Playing God – Paramore
Music: Reach – Collective Soul

That Sounds Deceptive - Ideas for October 25

2009-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Speaker: Rachael
Producer: Rachael
Worship Leaders: Ryan and Mitch

We'll decide art for this service on October 14th at Arts and Production.

Description
Discernment is a vital aspect of being a Christian, but what if our discernment is based on the wrong criteria? What if our zeal for the details of scripture causes us to miss the big picture? What if our theological arguments have become the very kind of deceptive talk we’re trying to avoid? That can happen when a relationship with God turns into a religion about God. The standards of our discernment don’t always line up with the standards God applied to the people in the Bible – and they aren’t the product of living in his presence. The result is that God’s voice sometimes sounds deceptive to our ears.

Music
We Are Not As Strong As We Think We Are – Rich Mullens
Unpredictable (?) – Nicole Nordeman
To Know You – Nicole Nordeman
All the Plans – Starsailor
Word of God Speak – Mercy Me
Epic – By Some Worship Guy up in Phoenix
Abandon – By Some Guy Nedrud would know

Video
Bruce Almighty or Evan Almighty
Louie Giglio – The Massiveness of God
Rob Bell – Everything is Spiritual
What Dreams May Come
Life or Something Like it – crazy homeless guy
Star Wars – Obi Wan struck down & Luke freaks out
Shaun of the Dead – Comes up with a plan, implements the plan, and the plan doesn’t come through
Grey’s Anatomy – Dealing with tragedy
The Office – Michael’s plans go array
LOST – Locke is so obsessed with his “destiny” he’s willing to let someone die or the scene where he’s beating on the hatch talking about his destiny and then the light comes on or something with Mr. Ekco

Drama
Erwin McManus (Barbarian Way) – If God really loves me, it’ll snow. And other stories like that told as if they were our own
Play – Waiting for Godot – 2 dudes waiting for God
Someone who follows the rules to the letter, but misses the intent. (Maybe we’ll have the rules up on Keynote so people can see what they are)

Other concepts
5 crosses made out of different items to use as reflection
Descent book – find original artwork
Ryan & Liz’s crucifix & wooden cross
One made out of large nails
One made out of the tiles
Origami boxes

Communion Songs
The plan is to have an extended communion time with worship through music along with it. Specifically we’re looking for music with strong lyrics that is not usually heard at Damascus Road.
Lead Me to The Cross – Hillsong – Brooke Fraiser
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
Holy Communion – Cliff and Danielle Young
Restore to Me – Glory Revealed CD
You Are Here – Need To Breathe
Beautiful, Scandalous Night
Revelation Song – Hillsong

God at the Box Office: ONCE (March 8)

2009-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ryan will be producing and speaking. This will be a slightly different service than the norm as we will try to convey the major points and themes through the art with short message transitions to help when needed as we move from one art piece to the next. As part of our occasional God at the Box Office Series, this week's focus will be on relationships as seen through the lens of the independent film Once. We want to communicate these ideas through art and experience:

Everyone feels lonely
We are designed for community
God exists in community
Jesus' teachings on love

Opener: Recreate the opening scene of the movie (Song: Say it to Me Now) Have the guy singing and playing (unplugged as background music) on the wall for 15min before the service instead of the regular iTunes playlist and then move forward to the mic with the guitar turned up for the opening scene/song Other Music from the Movie:

Falling Slowly
When your Mind’s Made Up
If You Want Me

Categories
Loneliness

Slides: Don Astronaut
Scripture: Not good for man to be alone
Video: Adaptation – Opening scene Monologue
Video: American Beauty – The bag-floating scene
Video: Grey’s Anatomy – Opening Monologue
Video: The Office – Michael Scott’s wish on TV show as a child
Video: The Office – Michael’s Dinner party
Video: The Office – Michael Scott – Blues

Made for Community

Reading: Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus
Song: Oil and Water - Incubus

God in Community

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12-13
The Shack – God in community with himself

What is True Love?

Drama: Blue Like Jazz Scene – Husband Monologue
Serving and Taking Communion together or serving people and taking together

Worship Song Suggestions

Your Love is Amazing
Love Is Here
Your Love Oh Lord
Before there Was Time
Your Love is Extravagant
Our Love is Loud
Amazing Love

Visions Series

2008-08-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Visions Series

When Jesus left earth he entrusted his mission to a band of followers who went on to change the world. They went out into the surrounding culture, expressed God’s love, communicated the truth about reality, offered people new life and connected them to God. Damascus Road continues that mission today in Central Tucson. How can we carry out this mission? What does the future hold for us? Visions will give us a glimpse of the dreams God has given us for our community.

Week 1: Visions of a Phoenix Rising
The phoenix is a mythological bird that is immortal. At the end of its life the bird builds a nest and then ignites both the nest and itself. In its death a new phoenix rises from the ashes to begin life again. This bird is an image of the followers of Jesus. When we die to ourselves through embracing Christ we are reborn and rise from the ashes of a life of selfishness to a life defined by service to God and others. As a community we must rise above our past to become living proof to the world around us that transformation is possible and God is real. Through incredible love made tangible to the world we can become an irresistible influence on our neighborhood, community, and world.

Week 2: Visions of a Crashing Rhino
Rhinos can run at thirty miles an hour but can only see thirty feet in front of them. What lurks beyond thirty feet in front of a stampeding crash of rhinos is irrelevant to the rhinos – it better get out of the way. This is what the church should be – an unstoppable force. This force isn’t destructive like the rhinos but rather transformational. This is possible when we see the traction that exists in culture, create momentum as a community of love and become a culture of change while preserving the timeless truth of the Gospel.

Week 3: Visions of a Beautiful Mess
Our world and out lives are a mess. Thankfully we have a savior who loves our beautiful mess and will help our wounds be healed, our sins be forgiven and our messy lives be put back together. This is the dream of the church – not a place where our Sunday morning services run smoothly and our advertisements look slick and our people all smile – but a community of people sharing their real lives and faith with each other and the world – with all the mess that comes with it – because that is the type of community that no one experiences, where mess is on the table, where love is extended regardless and where a group of people are moving towards God and the restoration that is available through Jesus.

For All It's Worth: A Legend In Our Own Time

2008-02-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

Our fifth week in the Reading the Bible For All Its Worth series will focus on the Gospels. Brad will do the set-up this week and Ryan will be speaking out of The Gospels, most likely the Nicademus passage from Matthew.

Ideas for Week 5: A Legend in Our Own Time (March 23 - Easter Sunday)

Worship Music
Take My Life – Third Day
Wonderful Cross
Here Am I To Worship
You Have Redeemed My Soul
Happy Day (It’s not as bad as you’re thinking)
In Christ Alone
Prince of Peace (I Will Live My Life)
Every Day
There’s A Stirring (Funeral Dirge)

Other Music
Carry Me (Dead Man) – Jars of Clay
Lightning Crashes – Live
Coming to Life – The Normals
Change for the Better (Song from WICKED) – Might be called “Because I Knew You”
Tonight – Until Tomorrow

Video Clips
The Passion – Jesus walking to Calvary when he quotes revelation – “See mother, I’m making all things new”
Return To Me – Her lover’s heart “returns to her” in the form of the guy who she falls for next
Vertical Limit – Father tells son to cut the rope in order to save himself and his sister
Movies where the Mother dies in childbirth
Big Fish – his father’s death creates a new life for him.
Meet Joe Black – all conversations about death ( he brings back the guy to allow her to have a relationship with him)
End of The Spear – We’re not ready to go yet
Battlestar Galactica – Asian & Blonde Chicks starting a revolution because of their previous lives and rebirth
Rescue Me – Tommy’s daughter mourning her brother “There is no Heaven, There is no God”

Art/Advertising/Images
Things in the room getting darker and darker – ala Maundy Thursday services

For All It's Worth: Spirituality in Every Key

2008-02-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

Our fourth week in the Reading the Bible For All Its Worth series will focus on the Psalms. Tim will do the set-up this week and Aaron will be speaking from Psalm 25.

Ideas for Week 4: Spirituality in Every Key (March 16)

Same passage presented in a different way
-Visual – collage over cardboard
- Musical – a musical rendition of the psalm
-Reading – A reading of the Psalm

Personal anecdote – sophomore year of college – Valley of the shadow Dealing with depression and anxiety – how God used the Psalms to help him through the year

Quote from book by Dan Mann – God using the scripture to bring him through the dark times from when he first became a believer

Possible quote from Blue Like Jazz

Commentary on the passage

What we’d like to have them thinking beforehand:
During your hard times how do you deal with your grief anxiety and depression what tools do you employ to connect to go d during these rough spots?

If they only remember one thing, it should be:
The Psalms (musical poetic expression) can be used by believers to express ourselves to God in an appropriate and emotive fashion

For All It's Worth: How a Smart Man Becomes Wise

2008-02-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

Our third week in the Reading the Bible For All Its Worth series will focus on the Old Testament Wisdom Literature. Ryan will do the set-up this week and Brad will be speaking out of The Proverbs.

Ideas for Week 3: How a Smart Man Becomes Wise (March 9)

Worship Music
My Glorious
Awesome God
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom
Be Thou My Vision
How Deep The Father’s Love for Us
Holiness – Third Day

Other Music
Where You There – Todd Agnew
Say I Am – Satellite Soul

Drama Idea
A dramatic reading of the “He’s not a tame Lion” passage from Chronicles of Narnia
Reading the passage Brad is speaking out of in a unique and different way to (scripture reading, song, children’s book, VeggieTales)

Video Clips “He’s not a tame Lion” – Chronicles of Narnia
Bruce Almighty clips
Aladdin – “Phenomenal Cosmic Powers – itty bitty living space
“Be afraid, be very afraid” – whatever movie this is from
God is bigger than the boogieman
Hercules clip – Zeus is a God you’re afraid
Over the Hedge – Afraid of what you don’t understand – they decide to name the hedge “Steve”
Finding Nemo – Animated short with fuzzy, man-eating creatures that are befriended and protect their friend
300 – Dude thinks he is a God
A Montage of views of God

Art/Advertising/Images
A Big Chasm – You can jump in it – Is there a bottom? – I don’t know, I don’t know

Other
Baseball analogy – The batter is fearful of the ball in a respecting way
Commercial Spoofs:

The More You Know – in the spirit of the office cast
Stephen Colbert’s Threatdown
Insurance commercials – Door getting ripped off, boulder crushing car

For All It's Worth: Don't Make Me Come Down There

2008-02-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Our second week in the Reading the Bible For All Its Worth series will focus on the Old Testament Law. Rachael will do the set-up this week and Tim will be speaking out of Deuteronomy (The Jubilee Year passage).

Ideas for Week 2: Don’t Make Me Come Down There(March 2)

Worship Music
Let Justice Roll
A Waterdeep song

Other Music
A New Law – Derek Webb
I Fought the Law & the Law Won (Maybe use as an opener and play it on Rock Band)

Drama Idea
A dramatic reading of the passage of scripture

Video Clips
The Office Opener – Rule
Video Clips from People’s Court and whatnot.
Clips from Arrested Development Courtroom scenes

Art/Advertising/Images
Images of the old laws – Hammurabi's code, Ten Commandments, etc.

Other
PSAs (The More You Know…) dietary laws, clothing, women, etc.
Rules – Pharisees created more and more (Jesus said we didn’t need them)
During communion talking about the parallels between OT Laws and communion

For All It's Worth: The Old, Old Story

2008-02-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

February 24 begins our new series: Reading the Bible for all It's Worth. This series is designed to introduce people to the different types of literature in the Bible and learn how to read/understand each type.

General Ideas for the series:
The set-up each week will be a mini-message that explains the principles of how to read that type of literature.
Psalm 119 – a different section used each week as a reading (focused on the Bible, 22 sections)
Reading the story each week – use different ways to present it (scripture reading, song, children’s book, VeggieTales)
Igniter Video Vol 3 – “I Believe”
Small Groups – 1-week delay (Each week we'll receive another Bible passage of the same type of literature and uses our new skills to read it for the next week)

Week one will focus on Old Testament Narratives. Tim will do the Set-up (explaining how to read them) and Rachael will do the message.

Ideas for Week 1: The Old, Old Story (February 24)
Rachael will be speaking out of Judges (Possibly the Ehud story)
Reference Hebrews 11

Worship Music
Before There Were Time

Other Music
Not Perfect – Church of Rhythm
This Beautiful Mess – Sixpence None The Richer

Drama Idea
A dramatic reading of the passage of scripture

Video Clips
Leftorium Episode of Simpsons

Art/Advertising/Images
Graphs and charts and maps and ruins of buildings

Other
Communion – Drape in a tent like fashion for Old Testament

Brainstorming Ideas for SPENDING A DAY WITH GOD

2007-11-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

This Service will feature a video message by John Ortberg

Video
Bruce Almighty – Him on side of the road
Evan Almighty
Keeping the Faith
Dogma
Patch Adams

Drama/Reading
First chapter of “Life You’ve always Wanted”
All the different times God says he will be with us
Psalms – when David talks about feeling far from God

Songs
Breathing – Lifehouse
Meant to Live – Switchfoot
Dare You To Move – Switchfoot
Deliver Me – David Crowder
Coming to Life – Normals
Life Wasted – Pearl Jam
Even When – Seven Places
Long Long Way – Smalltown Poetss

Worship
Sit Awhile/Stand In Awe/Be Still
40
Unveil (Speak To Me Lord)
Only You (David Crowder)
When You Pass Through the water

Communion
The Baptist Way

Other
A Written Summary of what Ortberg says (recommendations of how to make it real in their lives

Planner as PowerPoint background and Median
Notes side needs to be broken down by hour or half hour

Magazine Clippings of “the American Dream” (big homes, big cars, etc.) scrolling on powerpoint

Brainstorming Ideas for GIFTS - 12/9/07

2007-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

This Week is the last week in our "Pull of Pride" Series.

We'll be looking at Generosity this week and why we have such a hard time parting ways with the things we have.

Worship Music
Blessed be Your Name
Revolution Cry
Everything

Other Music
Everything (Apron Full of Stains) – Normals

Drama Idea
Reading from Irresistible Revolution
Fictional Job book/Movie

Movies/Videos Clips
People Being Generous
Liberty Mutual Commercials
The Ultimate Gift
Pay it Forward
Chocolat / Babbete’s Feast

People Not Being Generous
Arrested Development – TBA
Fundraiser Truth Commercial (company donated $ and then spent three times as much telling us about it)
Simpsons – Mr. Burns
The Office – Fundraiser (Michael sponsors $20)/Meredith B’day

Other
Simple Living – (If I’m Adding To The Noise)
Generous Christmas -
Local or Global – Tie to Offering

Communion
Serving the person next to you

Brainstorming Ideas for STUFF

2007-11-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

This Week is the third week in our "Pull of Pride" Series.

We'll be looking at Materialism this week and why we have such a desire to get more stuff.

Worship Music
Enough
Wonderful Cross

Other Music
What You Own – RENT
Throw It All Away – Toad The Wet Sprocket
Rich Young Ruler – Derek Webb
Jesus Land – Ben Folds
Beautiful America – Five Iron Frenzy

Movies/Videos Clips
Fight Club – Catalog scene
Commercials – the psychology of large kitchens used to sell cleaning products
Wall Street – Greed is Good
Mr Deeds
OC
Gossip Girl – guy leaves culture of excess
My Super Sweet 16
Mean Girls
Survivor
Kid Nation
My Name is Earl – Christian Slater Episode
The Apprentice
The Simple Life
Tiny Toons
Music Video: Money – That’s What I want
It’s a Mall World
Arrested Development – Lindsey
Marie Antoinette
Castaway
LOST

Other
Greed is Good clips intertwined with quotes from Jesus on money

Communion Ideas
Staff serves individually
Pass with wood trays

Brainstorming Ideas for RICH

2007-11-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Submit your ideas to go along with the Nooma video "Rich" as part of worship Thanksgiving Sunday.

Worship Music
Let The River Flow

Movies/Videos Clips
Baraka
DuckTales – Swimming in Money clip
Dave Chapelle Cribs spoof
My Super Sweet 16

Other
Discussion of video
Pearl of Great Price
Write down what you consider “rich”
New Delhi Shantytown article in National Geographic

Brainstorming Ideas for THANKS

2007-11-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Speaker: Ryan

Leave any additional suggestions as comments!

Video
Simpsons – Homer buys Marge a bowling ball with his name on it
A Christmas Story – Pink Bunny Suit
Family Stone – Thanksgiving
Charlie & Chocolate Factory (new one) – Other kids not thankful
Heroes – Nathan (not using the gift he’s been given)
Happy Gilmore – Use your gift
Any movie where people share what they’re thankful for around the Thanksgiving Table
Les Miserable – Candlesticks
Simpson’s Episode – Rosebud
Coming To America
Trading Places
Wall Street – Martin Sheen tells Charlie to be grateful for his people
Family Man –
Scrooged –

Drama/Reading
The New Kid on The Block – book of poems
The Giving Tree

Songs
Thankful – Caedmon’s Call
Thank You Alanis Morrisette
If It Makes You Happy – Sheryl Crow

Worship
I Will Not Forget You
Come Fall On Us
Amazing Love
In Christ Alone
Wonderful Cross

Communion
Serve People the Elements

Designer Sex: Sex & the Single Person

2007-09-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

This week we'll be looking at the topic of singleness. Specifically, we're looking for ideas that are related to the idea of being "created for community" or loneliness, specifically: Staying with someone out of a fear of loneliness.

Music
Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis
Worst is My Being Alone – Don Chaffer
One (Is the Loneliest Number) – Three Dog Night
One (Is the Loneliest Number) – Filter
Work - Jars of Clay

Video
Wedding Singer
Jerry McGuire – Breakup Fight & Complete Me
I Think I Love My Wife
Under the Tucson Sun
Unfinished Life
Friday Night Lights – Mom can’t make it without her boyfriend
The Last Kiss
Enough

Other Ideas
Blue Like Jazz

Designer Sex: Lust Control

2007-09-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Music
Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
F**k You Like An Animal – 9” Nails
I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
Independent Woman – Destiny’s Child
I Will Survive – Cake
Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Miss Independence – Kelly Clarkson
Girlfriend – Pussycat Dolls
Piece of Glass – Caedmon’s Call
Most Beautiful Girl in the Room – Flight of The Conchords

Drama/Readings
Hot or Not Website
Rating People
The Smell of Sin – the pluck out your eye part

Video
Family Guy – Chris discovers art talent, but Peter sells his art
Diet Coke Commercial with the office women lusting after the Coke delivery guy
Chevy HHR Commercial – Homely Guys Stripping
Rock of Love
Next
The Bachelor
Doritos 3-D Commercial
Clueless
Mean Girls
40 Days
What Women Want
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Bridget Jones’ Diary – Creepy Guy
Entourage
Flight of the Conchords – Brett’s Body Issues
Axe Body Spray Commercials

Movement into Life

2007-08-12T22:28:00.000-07:00

Here is the description of the fourth week of our Movement series:

Everyone wants to live. It is basic human nature. The desire triggers the fight or flight rush of adrenaline when we sense danger - this desire drives much of who we are. When someone is killed we mourn for the loss of life. When murder is done we punish the perpetrator. When someone takes their own live we are confused and saddened. We all desperately want to live, but are we living lives that are worth living? Are we fully alive? Do we really know what it means to be human - or more importantly - what it means to be made in the image of God? When Jesus was on earth he told us that he was where true life was found and that to find life we first had to die. In the death to the old, selfish way of life we discover the freedom in the life lived for God and for others. Jesus came to offer us true life, abundant life, and this is exactly what we should be offering to the world around. As we live lives that are fully alive we show the truth that others can live this same way to, both now and in eternity.

Brainstormed Art Ideas:

Movie Clips:

Lady in the Water – Paul Giamatti's character at the beginning

The Weather Man – Choices clip with Nick Cage

Chariots of Fire – I Feel God’s Pleasure

The Lion King

Superhero Movies – Superman, Spider Man 3, The Incredibles, Mystery Men

K-PAX

Awakenings – Robin Williams

Harry Potter – Dumbledore –it’s your choices Harry…

Mr. Holland’s Opus

Freedom Writers – Dead Poet’s Society – Mona Lisa Smile -

Batman Begins - It’s your actions that define you

My Life – the video for his children

Final Cut - Obituaries

Stranger Than Fiction – The Final Scene where he chooses to save

Braveheart – Every man dies – not every man really lives

Gladiator

Saving Private Ryan – Why are we going to save him? And Cemetery scenes – did I live a life worth their sacrifice

TV:

Life - TV show

Robot Chicken Sketch Revolving Around the Life Board Game

Smallville – references purpose in life a lot

24 – choice clip

Simpsons Episode where Homer realizes he hasn’t done anything in life

Music:

This is Your Life – Switchfoot

Life – Our Lady Peace

100 Years – Five for Fighting

Things I Prayed For – Eli

I Just Wanna Live – Good Charlotte

Bring Me to Life – Evanescense

So Alive – Ryan Adams

Teaching Myself How to Grow Old – Ryan Adams

Alive – P.O.D.

Take Me As I Am - Tonic

Art:

The Game of Life – game pieces

Quotes – from John Eldridge Books

Art Installation – quotes hanging from the ceiling – pieces of wood

"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

--Macbeth (V, v, 19)

Movement into Culture

2007-07-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

We're back to brainstorming again! Here is the description of the Movement series that we're doing in August and September:

Most people struggle to discover their purpose or mission in life. We pursue many different goals but find that they are impossible to accomplish or leave us empty once we have accomplished them. The goal of this series is to give people a clear vision of where the movement of God taking us at Damascus Road, and where it can take them too. The five weeks are drawn from the mission of Jesus while he was on earth as explained by why he said he came. (ex. I have come that you might have life and have it to the full) Jesus came to earth with a clear purpose and when he left he told his disciples that their role was to continue the work that he began. This commission he gave 2000 years ago has not expired and we are called to continue Jesus work on earth. We do this by going into our culture, expressing God’s love, communicating the truth about reality, offering people new life and a renewed relationship with God. By joining the mission of Jesus and the movement of God in the world we find our own purpose and clear direction for our lives.

Worship Brainstorming

“Movement" - week 1

August 26

This week will introduce the mission of God and explain the first part of how we join his movement today. Jesus was sent by God from Heaven to earth with a mission: to seek and save the lost. In Jesus we find the first missionary, who leaves his context and enters into a new culture. Our lives are to follow the road map he laid out for us in his life. Just as Jesus was sent from God to us with a mission, so Jesus sends us out to continue this mission of seeking and saving the lost. We join his mission first by going – by being sent ones – who go into culture living in and inviting others into the movement of God. Here are the ideas that were brainstormed. Add more as you think of them!

Worship Music

“How Shall I Send Thee?”
“You Said”-Shane Bernard
“Come One, Come All”-Mercy Me
“Marvelous Light”-Chris Tomlin (?)
“Revolution Cry”-Lifehouse

Other Music

“How to Save a Life”-The Fray
“Look After You” –The Fray
“Hands and Feet”-Audio Adrenaline
“I Will Follow”-U2
“6:30 to Sundown”-Until Tomorrow
“A Face in the Crowd”-Tom Petty
“Love is a Movement”-Switchfoot
“Last Time I Saw Jesus”-Over the Rhine
“Typical”-Mute Math
“Life Less Ordinary”-Carbon Leaf
“Stuck in a Moment”-U2
“Momentum”-The Hush Sound
“For the Want of a Nail”-Todd Rundgren

Movies/Videos Clips

visual collage of Tucson-slide show w/ music
“Superman”-fortress of solitude
“Pirates of the Caribbean: 3”-Keira Knightley
“Batman Begins”-Gotham needs destroying, Bruce Wayne says no it’s worth saving
“Blues Brothers”-we’re on a mission from God
Rob Bell video-living in the rhythm of God
“Elf”-when he enters New York
“School of Rock”-when Jack’s character first starts the class
“Dead Poet’s Society”-Robin Williams tears the books
“Mona Lisa Smile”-Julia Roberts character
“Memoirs of a Geisha”-scene of older man describing how protagonist is like water
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Sun”-when they get to know each other
“Shawshank Redemption”-Red’s speech on Andy being like a rock
“Cold Mountain”-old woman everything has a purpose

Art/Advertising/Drama/Images

In and Out Burger arrow-collage of arrows/signs meaning “go”
Pictures of things in motion
Laundromat and carwash-movement
Rabbi’s and Jewish fathers praying-davening
Image of someone going into a crowd-against the flow
Picture of one person in center of crowd standing still, the crowd around is moving and blurred
Getting on the bus-movement in culture-purposeful
iPod
Verb Do commercials-make our own
School House Rock
Movement-bowling and pool
Water moving
Signs directing people to their seat, etc…
Could show contrast by showing things that are static
Takes more energy to stop and start then to keep up momentum
Contrasting moving into culture and isolation
Image-seed grows into a tree, tree produces new seeds, the new seeds have to leave the tree and become its own
Image-person standing on street corner and almost steps off the curb, the image of someone diving into ocean-photoshop to have the person dive into a crowd

Other

Body of Christ verses

Message Notes

Erwin McManus rhino, crash illustration

Are We Missing the Point about Careers?

2007-02-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

On February 25th special guest speaker Mike Dickens will be continuing the Are We Missing the Point? series with Are We Missing the Point about Careers? We'll explore things to think about in choosing a career. How can we pursue a career that is in balance?

We're looking for ideas that will illustrate these concepts:
- Many people work jobs that they hate.
- We should work jobs we love.
- There is more to a good job than the actual work you do.

Video Ideas
Office Space
The Office
Family Man
Liar, Lair
Patch Adams – Philip Seymore Hoffman saying he chose the medical profession because of prestige (I want to do what you do, but better)
Invincible
The Replacements
Dirty Work
In Good Company
Life or Something Like It
Deadliest Catch – Crabbing in Alaska is the most dangerous job in the world
Dirty Jobs
Careerbuilder.com Commercials (monkeys and such)
Old commercial with kids talking about what they want to do when they grow up
Commercial - Do more than just survive the workweek
Jobbing.com commercial
Video Interview Idea – What do you want to do after college? What job do you think you’ll end up in

Music Ideas
Look at Me, I’m a Winner – The Aquabats

Other Ideas
Faulkner Quote from Colin
Dilbert cartoons on the Road Maps
Pearls before Swine

Are We Missing the Point about Politics?

2007-02-15T16:53:00.000-08:00

On February 25th Tim will be continuing the Are We Missing the Point? series with Are We Missing the Point about Politics? We'll explore the church’s responsibility and how we got lost along the way.

We're looking for ideas that will illustrate these concepts:
- The difference between American morals/beliefs and Christian morals/beliefs
- Voting your beliefs
- Imposing/legislating morality
- Aren’t we supposed to submit to our leaders no matter what?

Music Ideas
A King and a Kingdom – Derek Webb
In God We Trust – Derek Webb
Jesus of Suburbia – Green Day
When the President Talks to God – Bright Eyes
Jars of Clay – Good Monsters
Waiting on the World to Change – John Mayer
Revolution – The Beatles
Revolution Cry – Lifehouse (possibly as worship song)

Video Ideas
Colbert Report politics and religion segments
Bulworth
Rush
Wag the Dog
The Contender – Morality shouldn’t play a part
Mr. Smith goes to Washington – ideological optimist
Arrested Development – George Michael’s woes running for Student body president
Bill Clinton’s Leadership Summit Interview
Daily Show/Cobert Report Interviews

Other Ideas
New Book - "God's Politics"
Book - "The Bible Told Me So"
Ayn Rand Books

Are We Missing the Point about Sex?

2007-01-29T16:26:00.000-08:00

On February 18th Ryan will be continuing the Are We Missing the Point? series with Are We Missing the Point about Sex? We'll explore why we rarely talk about sex in church except in hushed, shamed voices. Why does the church approach sex with shame? How does the Bible inform us about sex?

We're looking for ideas that will illustrate situations where someone is ashamed to talk about sex or positive examples of why we shouldn't be scared or ashamed to talk about sex.

Songs
The Sweetest Sin - Jessica Simpson
Let's Talk About Sex - Salt 'n' Peppa
She Hates Me - Puddle of Mudd
Your Body Is a Wonderland - John Mayer
Promiscuous Girl - Nelly Furtado
Crash - Dave Matthews Band
Pain - 3 Days Grace
Sunday Morning - Maroon Five
Lips of an Angel - Hinder
Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional

Drama
Anyone have anything?

Video
Saved - Sex with the gay boyfriend
Mean Girls - Sex Ed Class: You will get an STD and die
American Pie 2 - lies about sexual partners
Clerks - 37?
Mean Girls - Mom offering condoms
Clueless - getting ready for her date
40 year old virgin - sex ed class
40 Days and 40 Nights - giving up sex
Beauty and the Geek - Date auction: "He's a virgin ladies!"
Now and Then - younger girls talking about it: flowers
Smallville - Lana decides to do the deed with Jason
Friends - Monica & Richard: "How many have you slept with" conversation
10 Things I Hate about You
Can't Hardly Wait
Sex and The City
Drawn Together

Are We Missing the Point about Love?

2007-01-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

On February 11th Tim & Rachael will be continuing the Are We Missing the Point? series with Are We Missing the Point about Love? We'll explore how we can overcome the misguided view of love our culture has programmed us to have. We're looking for examples that either support the points below or that go directly against them.

Love is a choice
Love is not happily ever after
Love is not easy
Love isn't the answer

Ideas we've had so far:
Music
All you need is love - Beatles
Suds in the Bucket - Sara Evans
She Said Yes - Male Country Singer
Let Love in - Goo Goo Dolls
Love is a Movement - Switchfoot
Chris Tomlin (songs for worship)
Love the one you're with Someday my Prince Will Come - Snow White Once Upon a Dream - Sleeping Beauty
Always Love & Concrete Bed - Nada Surf
You Wanted More - Tonic
If I Can't Live Without You Why Aren't I Dead
When You Were Young - The Killers

Drama
"Sure Thing" by David Ives
Adapting Children's book Caterpillar & Tadpole - "I'll never Change"
Adapting Blue Like Jazz - "I thought Marriage was this"

Video
The Story of Us - You have to choose
Moulin Rouge - Elephant Love Medley
Boys and Girls - Laundromat/Coffehouse scene
Scrubs - JD Decides on Elliot then realizes he doesn't want her once he has her.
Grey's Anatomy - When Meredith tells him "Choose Me"
My Name is Earl - Images of not-so-great marriages
The Office - When Jim tells Pam about his feelings for her
The Perfect Man - "I need a Man"
Sleeping Beauty - When she meets the prince (Once Upon a Dream)
Snow White - When she sings "Someday My Prince Will Come"
When a Man Loves a Woman
A John Cusack montage
Serendipity
Wedding Singer
Wedding Planner
Sabrina
Under the Tucson Sun

Christmas At War

2006-12-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

On the 17th we are going to look at Jesus birth through a different lens. Instead of Christmas cards and Silent Night or even the Gospel accounts of his birth we are going to explore what the book of Revelation says about it. In Revelation we find a spiritual war in Heaven and on earth sorrounding the birth of Jesus. The God of the universe took the battle into the heart of his enemies teritory when he took on flesh as a little baby. We spent time brainstorming around this subject in two areas: what are the typical depictions of Christmas and what might be some parralels to this other way of viewing Jesus birth. Here were some of the ideas:

Traditional Christmas Ideas

Art:
Christmas Cards
Candy Canes on tables
Ornaments on tables
Norman Rockwell or Currier and Ives Artwork

Video Clips:
Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Elf
A Christmas Story (You'll Shoot Your Eye Out)
Cingular Commercial spoofing A Christmas Story (You'll Run the Bill Up)
Colbert Report - Nativity Scene Interview Area
The Nativity Story Trailer
Talladega Nights Clips – Praying to Baby Jesus

Music:
Rob Thomas - New York City Christmas
Goo Goo Dolls - Better Days
Silent Night
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Angels We Have Heard on High
Oh Holy Night
Away in a Manger

Other:
Have people share about their Christmas traditions

Non-Traditional Christmas Ideas

Songs:
The Killers new Christmas song
Sufjan Stevens new Christmas 5-disc set
Unveil - Rebecca St. James
Wonder As You Wander
Onward Christian Soldiers
Here I Am to Worship
One Small Child – David Meece

Video Clips
Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse Charlie Brown Chrstmas Spoof with Jesus
Maybe something froma movie with a hero making a daring raid into the center of enemy territory - kinda like Rambo? Other ideas?

We could use any other art ideas you have. Thanks for taking a few minutes to consider ways we can make our worship gatherings better, more of an expression of our community as a whole and a place people can encounter God.

Meet DR: Who Is God?

2006-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

On December 3rd, Rachael will be leading a special praise-focused gathering Who Is God? We'll be looking at the many names of God found in the Old Testament, helping us explore the character of God.

Some ideas we have already:

“What if God was One of Us?” Song by Joan Osborn
We'll be using an (old) book about The Names of God
Check out www.rejesus.co.uk

Show how different cultures worship God
Man on the Street Video. Asking people “Who is God?”

You are Holy/Prince of Peace (worship song)
Some other worship song with the names of God that we can't think of

Let people express their view of God creatively...draw, sculpt, paint, etc.
Lots o' scripture & responsive readings

Meet DR: Who Will You Be?

2006-11-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

On December 10th, Colin will be continuing the "Meet Damascus Road" series with Who Will You Be? We'll be looking at what Jesus says is possible when we follow him. Are we just supposed to believe in Jesus, or can we actually believe what Jesus believed? What are some practical ways we can join God in transforming our lives?
I'm looking mainly for illustrations of people changing in big ways or of people trying to change but always falling back into their old ways...

Some ideas we have already:

::Movies::
Ella Enchanted
Princess Dairies
Devil Wears Prada
Blow
When a Man Loves a Women
Castaway – slow change over time
American History X
X-Men 3: Good/Evil gene – Jean Grey
Hulk – transformation

“Avengers” Movies (hulk)

Smallville (I know, I know, it's a TV show)

::Music::
Keane “Change” song
“Trading My Sorrows” - unrealistic transformation
“Mocking Bird” – Derek Webb
“Everything I Hate”

::Other::
Remodeling/Constructing a building (Truman redoes the White House)
Testimony of transformation
Coal to a diamond

Meet DR: Who Are They?

2006-11-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

On Novemember 26th, Brad will continue our "Meet Damascus Road" series with Who Are They? We'll be taking a look at how we interact with the people around us. Are we loving? Are we tactful? How do we form meaningful friendships?

Some ideas we have already:

::Movies::

SAVED!
-Converting the alt girl
-"I am full of Christ's love!" throws Bible
NOOMA: Megaphone
Patch Adams: Robin Williams character's counselor doesn't actually listen to him
The Big Kahuna
Jesus Camp (Documentary) Showing mini-evangelists honing their skills

::Music::
How to Save to a Life

::Other::
Testimony – someone's friendship

Black Letter Gospel: Falling Into Humility

2006-09-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

On October 8th Ryan will be speaking as we continue our Black Letter Gospel Series.

Topic: They fell down before him

We'll be looking at instances in the Gospels dealing with a fear of God/understanding our appropriate position in relation to Jesus.

Here are some ideas/concepts to brainstorm:
We don’t understand how to be humble in today’s society

There are some things that produce an appropriate fear in us that is right and true.

Skits:
Announcements – People moving higher than each other

Prayer time:
Start with kneeling posture
Period of prayer: silent, pastoral, Lord’s Prayer

Video Clip
– People not acting humble:
Anchorman – “I’m sort of a big deal”
Bewitched – Nicole Kidman doesn’t recognize Will Ferrel as a famous guy.
Office episode – Michael Scott donated the wing of that building

– Understand appropriate ways to act
Last Samurai – rules for dealing with authority, when he meets the emperor
Hero – rules for entering into the emperor's throne room

Music:
?
We're pretty much open to some ideas here.

Brainstorm away everyone!

Black Letter Gospel: Silent Wisdom

2006-09-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

On October 1st, Tim will be speaking as we continue our
Black Letter Gospel Series.

Topic: His words silenced them.

We'll be looking at instances in the Gospels when wise leaders of the day tried to trip Jesus up with word traps and verbal sparring, but he silenced them with just a few words.

Here are some ideas/concepts to brainstorm:
The cheapness of words/how easy it is to have speak/share your opinion:
Ridiculous blogs that have some fame to them

Video Ideas:
Nooma – Noise

Moments of Speechlessness
Wall Street’s “Greed is Good” Speech
Good will Hunting – Professor and Janitor: “this is so easy for me”
Proof?

Dumb Answers Montage:
SNL – Debbie Downer
Arrested Development
The Office
SNL – The Lovers

Music:
Speechless – Steven Curtis Chapman (as a meditation song or closer)
Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
Switchfoot – If our music is adding to the noise, then turn it off
Adding to the Noise – from the beautiful letdown
Mockingbird – Derek Webb
Silence is Easy – Starsailor

Have at it!

Black Letter Gospel: Organic Worship

2006-09-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

On September 24th Ryan Miller will be speaking as we continue our
Black Letter Gospel Series.

Topic: Their reaction to Jesus was worship.

We'll be looking at instances in the Gospels when people reacted to meeting/seeing/hearing Jesus by worshiping him.

Here are some ideas/concepts to brainstorm:
The idea that for Israel, the temple was the big deal it was totally culturally weird and different for them to worship Jesus. It went against their normal cultural reaction.

What about today? When is it culturally okay to act a certain way and when is it not?

A commercial where an employee boos (like hes at a football game) when his boss says something he doesnt like in a meeting
A video of a guy singing Hit me Baby, One More Time at the top of his lungs
A video of someone wearing headphones and singing loudly in a public place
The scene in Singing in the Rain where Gene Kelly is singing and dancing in the rain
An SNL sketch spoofing West Side Story where Norm MacDonald's character doesn't understand why everyone keeps singing adancingind instead of fighting.
A scene from a musical where the romantic leads are loudly singing of their love inches away from each other's face.

Music Suggestions:

Heart of Worship
I Will Not Be Silent

Scripture suggestions:

The very rocks will cry out in worship

Comment away with your suggestions!

Black Letter Gospel (Weeks 1 and 2)

2006-08-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

We're starting a new series based on Don Evert's book "God in the Flesh" called The Black Letter Gospel. The series will assemble a view of Jesus based on the "stage directions" of the Gospel story, ways people reacted to what he did and said. Weeks one and two are coming up soon! Post your ideas below....

Simply Following Jesus (9/10)
God is invisible, but Jesus is not. So Jesus shows us things no one else can. The New Testament is saturated with Jesus. Paul says over and over again to remember Jesus. Perhaps Jesus really is all we need to know. We can be simpletons who simply want to know Jesus and remember him accurately.
Think of: examples of simpleness, ways we have distorted our view of Jesus, examples of how being too complex or sophisticated can miss the point, etc...

Amish people (simplicity is better)
Hobbits in LOTR are simple but useful
Simon Birch
Kids Say the Darndest Things
We spend more time working now than we did before "time-saving devices"
Project Runway (simple, sleek designs always win)
Real Simple Magazine
Simple, organic foods vs. chemical additive foods (display nutrition facts of each)
Animaniacs song "Be Careful what you eat"
Forest Gump - good soldier cause he's a little simple
"30 Days" TV show - when LA people go to Kirksville
Rob Bell's NOOMA "Rich"

Distorted views of Jesus

Jesus doll from Dogma
Lip-synced Jesus video from 70's
Conan O'brien Jesus dolls
SNL Jesus TV funhouse
Bumper stickers "jesus is a republican"

Complexity can be bad

blue collar workers vs. white collar (blue collar make right choices...in a movie somewhere?)
Saved! movie
Jesus loves porn stars

Seized by Amazement/Unity (9/17)
Are we bored with Jesus and his stories? Do we drink in the strangeness and holiness of his life? Do we feel like Jesus' teachings are too simple, and we have to move on to meaty theology to get to the good stuff? Perhaps if we learn how to appreciate our strange, captivating Jesus, we'll be drawn into a natural unity.
Think of: things that always draw our attention, ways things lose their appeal when they get old, things Jesus did that really seem weird, caricatures of famous people, situations that force unity

Things we're naturally captivated by:

Nature always makes people stare (Grand Canyon)
Fire
Grizzly Man – captivated by bears

Stereotypes:

Ronald Reagan is a movie star – running for president
Back the Future – Reagan
Legally Blond – stereotyped as stupid; Martha Stewart was a model and stock broker

Getting bored with old things:

Kids x-mas presents; get bored by “new” presents; Toy Story

Weird things Jesus did that should captivate us:

“cut off your hand”; hanging out with the prostitutes, etc ; people broke through houses to see him ; give Cesar what is his ;

Motorcycle Diaries (touches people without gloves)
Lost: Jack takes charge (people drawn together)
Lifeboat (Alfred Hitchcock) (people drawn together)
News clips of people being thrown together in odd circumstances
Alien movies; where alien invaders bring humanity together (ID4, Signs, Battlestar Galactica)

Rock: Life in the Little Things

2006-08-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

On August 13th we'll be finishing our Elements series with a talk on setting patterns in life by paying attention to the little things. Using the imagery of building our lives on the rock (Matt 7:24), we'll be looking at how to avoid waiting for something big and dramatic to happen before we change the way we live.

Looking for ideas involving:

Clips of the ends of movies where some dramatic life change happens
Songs about life being boring or mundane
Illustrations of how what we do with a little translates into what we do with much
Illustration of someone stuck in a rut

Post your thoughts!

Elemental Faith

2006-07-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

We're about to begin a new series on some of the key images in the Bible. We're going to explore Fire, Bread and Water (I think). We've done some preliminary brainstorming on Fire and Bread. Here's what we're thinking:

7/30 Fire: Growing Through Struggle and Pain - looking at the fact that struggles, pain and hardship are a part of life. There not a sign that you're doing something wrong, or you don't have enough faith. And Christianity doesn't answer all our questions and make us comfortable and happy. But our faith does give us a context for living...and we realize that "our light, momentary afflictions are preparing us for an eternal weight of glory." (2 Cor. 4:17)

We're thinking we'll do a creative service on this one - not a gathering with a specific message/teacher.

Creative:
Explaining the God is a potter we are the clay image with Liz unpacking it and maybe even throwing some pottery during the service.
Some sort of testimony or rough stuff happening to someone - maybe Tim?

Music:
A lot of Rich Mullins songs apply: Bound to Come Some Trouble,
Verge of a Miracle, The Agony and the Glory, Damascus Road.
Refiners Fire
Potter's Hands

Movies:
Magnolia
Rocky Balboa trailer
Dumb and Dumber (two people that don't have a whole lot going for them but are still happy)

8/6 Bread: Learning a Raw Reliance on God - talking about the Jews wandering around in the desert and how they learned to depend so desperately on God. How are we like this today? What distracts us from sensing our dependence on God? Why are we so resistant to be vulnerable? How can we live lives of raw reliance on God?

Creative:
Either challenge people to fast beforehand and break the fast on Sunday evening with some bread or challenge them to fast the week after to experience a small part of relying on God.

Music:
If You Want to Go Back to Egypt - Keith Green

Again - we could use a lot of ideas so post away!

The End of Parables

2006-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we're polishing off our Parables of the Kingdom series. We've explored what Jesus has had to say about his cor emessage: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, repent. This Sunday we're looking at the Parable of the Talents and doing a little recap of where we've been. Brad is going to unpack the parable of the Talents for us and explore being "good and faithful servants" and Ryan will recap what Jesus has said about the Kingdom of Heaven. Here are some of the ideas for Sunday:

General Ideas:
Use the Brick Testament again (lego illustrations of parables and Jesus illustrations)
Do the gathering in sections - with Brad starting off, then maybe some prayer, meditiation and worship and then do the recap followed by discussion?

Movie Clips:
Pay it Forward (Using what you have been given for the greater good)
Hoosiers (doing a lot with a little)
Billy Madison (someone who didn't use his gifts at all and then had to fix it)

Worship Songs:
Something about how God has blessed or given us so much maybe?

Well, that's all the ideas we had at our meeting. Any help on the blog would be much appreciated!

Stolen by Success and Pick-pocketed by the Past

2006-06-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

We have to focus in on the next two weeks worship services: the 25th on Success and the 2nd on the Past.

Here are the basic ideas:

Success is focused on how much we allow our career and success financially to drive our identity. Most of the message revolves around workplace and monetary struggles. Here were some of our ideas from the brainstorming session:

Video Clips
Office Space or The Office
Enterprise Rent-a-Car Commercial (with guy renting a nice car to appear successful at his high school reunion)
The Family Man
Fun with Dick and Jane
Greed
Dickie Roberts Former Child Star
American Inventor (people giving up everything to pursue thie invention)
Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (similar idea to Enterprise commercial)

Art
Office items/keepsakes/rewards on tables

Concepts/Illustrations
Pat Tillman quitting the Arizona Cardinals to join the military
Dave Chappelle walking away from a $50 million tv contract to figure out his life
Monopoly
Psych Experiment about following someone successful
Inward vs. Outward success - how do we gauge it?

The Past revolves around how old hurts and guilt can continue to define us today. Here were some of our ideas:

Video Clips
The Lion King (Simba running from his past)
Harry Potter
Good Will Hunting (It's not your fault)
The Shipping News (Kevin Spacey's whole life is shaped by a traumatic experience during his childhood)
The Truman Show
Spiderman (Uncle Ben dies, goes on a killing rampage)
GATTACA (future world where everyone is genetically engineed except for the main character)
Memento (short term memory loss character)
The Woodsman (about the life of a child molester and how his crimes continue to haunt him)
My Name is Earl (The whole show is about trying to right the wrongs in the past)
24 (Jack is always haunted by his past - he can't let go...)
LOST (people not trusting each other)

Music
Eastmountainsouth - Ghost
Evanesence - My Immortal
Mike and the Mechanics - The Living Years
Pearl Jam - Gone

Art
Yearbook photos on the table

Worship Tunes that could work each week:
Casting Crowns “Who am I?” (possible series theme song)
He knows my name
Enough

Worship Songs!

2006-06-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

We want to figure out what worship songs you guys like and know. Here's my contribution to get us started. Are there some of these you hate? Some you love? What else do you hate or love?

1. All Bow Down
2. Be Glorified
3. Blessed Be Your Name
4. Draw Me Close
5. Enough
6. Forever
7. God of Wonders
8. Grace Flows Down
9. Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing)
10. Holy is the Lord
11. How Great is Our God
12. In Christ Alone
13. Isaiah 43
14. Indescribable
15. Lord Over All
16. Make a Joyful Noise
17. My Glorious
18. Not To Us
19. Open the Eyes of my Heart
20. Our Love is Loud
21. Rain Down
22. Speak to Me
23. Surrender
24. We Fall Down
25. When I Think About the Lord
26. Those Who Trust
27. Your Love is Extravagant
28. Sit Awhile

And Ryan's favorites (that are unique from my list):

Post your opinion!

Parable of Workers in Vineyard (6/4)

2006-05-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

This week Ryan will be talking about the "Parable of the workers in the vineyard." He is already using a video clip from Les Mis, and a video based on "What's so Amazing about Grace-visual companion". Plus we're going to use some images from that same book to put on the tables. And it's communion Sunday, so we will end with that.

Generally, we want the evening to set up the idea of fairness...how we want things/expect things to be fair. Here are some more ideas:

Opener:
Show some of Bess' pictures from Africa, read part of the email and pray for her

Setup:
Recap idea of kingdom of heaven
Announcements
Some kind of responsive reading or liturgical prayer

Movies:

Video clips about fairness - maybe especially between siblings, since that is where the message is going to start:

Cheaper by the Dozen
*The Brady Bunch* -"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha..."
The Grinch

Maybe a Christmas scene with kids

Worship Music: - move energetic to more contemplative

*Your Love is Amazing
*Grace Like Rain
*Come Home Running

Not To Us?
Grace Flows Down?
You Are So Good To Me
I Will Not Forget You
Enough

He Knows My Name
Our Love Is Loud
Make A Joyful Noise/I Will Not be Silent

Those Who Trust
The Wondrous Cross

Songs about life being fair or unfair?

Put in your two cents! Post a comment!

Parables Brainstorm

2006-05-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

We're trying to come up with ideas for the next two Sunday nights on parables...Post comments with any additional ideas!

Mustard Seed and Yeast (5/21)

show difference between leavened and unleavened bread
show pics of mustard plant or get mustard seeds
Illustrate with examples of grassroots movements
something about one person making a difference....or starting with one person and spreading to many (Pay It Forward, Forest Gump running, Teach for America)
A Virus (takes over cells) Matrix clip about humanity being a virus

Pearl of Great Price and Hidden Treasure (5/28)

Illustrations of things of incredible value
Movies that show someone training for a goal, sacrificing for a goal
Something with a hidden treasure (pirates?), buried treasure, or elaborate plans to steal something
Mission Impossible, Oceans 11/12
Music: "everything" Lifehouse, "I Surrender", "You are beautiful my sweet sweet song"

April 30th Worship (example)

2006-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

We showed "Exorcism of Emily Rose" last Friday and want to continue that theme by talking about the spiritual world. Brad is going to talk about how we interact (or don't) with the spiritual world in our culture. Some ideas:

Show clip from "Exorcism of Emily Rose" talking about how her possession will help others see the reality of the spiritual realm
Stories of Jesus casting out demons in New Testament (which ones?)
Excerpts from Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Song ideas? (We had none...)
We could put quotes about the spiritual world on the tables

How we can use this blog

2006-04-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

Damascus Road is about journeying together to figure out what it means to follow Jesus in today's world. Our main worship gathering on Sunday nights shouldn't be limited to a few people sharing through teaching or music, while the majority sit motionless and passively take it all in.

Instead, worship should be about everyone bringing what they have to worship God. For some reason, we tend to emphasize teaching and music as more "useful" gifts to share, but to focus on these is to exclude other gifts and viewpoints.

We don't want to reduce our worship gathering to a sterile event planned by an elite group. We hope it can be a fluid interaction between unique people of God.

So, we can use this space to brainstorm upcoming gatherings, discuss what we need to address as a community, critique past events and express creative ideas regarding worship.