Almost sounds like the first line of a childrens song if you sing it, but then singing is fun, editing, well.. the jury is still out. Got two pieces to work on, one is the second dry run of a Sunday sermon. The other is the Pre Thanksgiving live musical show. Guess the Service, since we haven’t really started officially yet ,can wait. The show however should be fairly simple. There are only two small portions to remove because as I knew, but was informed anyway, they aren’t allowed under the bylaws for the broadcast station we will be placing our content on. No nothing, “naughty” just that no monetary advertising, not even associated with a partial donation, can be aired. Then there was a slight glitch with the equipment which caused a restart of one song. That will be cut too. Then the rest, captured with the help of a great crew ,went smoothly. With an actively working group in the TV station mobile studio out in the parking lot and an attentive camera crew upstairs in the performance space not even slight changes from the rehersed script could cause more than a momentary shuffle of directions. Being this was only my second event with the station directing a show and this going much longer and more complicated than the first, I can only say that truly was a group effort with everyone participating putting in their best efforts. Much thanks to my tecky friends at the station for all their instruction and training.
So this one should be done early and maybe there is time for editing the service footage. Nothing needs be changed at all in the actual sermon film. I just need to stick that in between the already designed opening and credits, add the cross fades and it could be done easily. However a much better piece of opening and closing music appeared while reading the ministers blog. Right there in the middle of one entry was some footage captured during a service on a week I was out of town (actually while I was on my last ocean sailing trip of the season with my best friend). It was a song by the church band, “Between the Banks” and just seemed right for a more modern and edgy piece than the elevator music I had grabbed for the first demo. If I lengthen the video slightly I can fit one of the verses in for the opening. It even fits who we want people to see the church as. Then the same verse with its following guitar solo as the credits roll. Nice.
So this is how its done. Not really all that difficult. However when we began to examine electronics in church as part of helping to spread the Good News, it seemed more daunting and sometimes seemed that we would never get started. Had there been a guide to entering this foreign environment that wasnt dated it may have provided more help and direction. Given this is just one church and one set of issues ,I believe they are representative of many main line denominational churches amd what they will have to experience in bringing the best of the eternal truth forward and speaking it in the language and culture of today’s people. You cant do what you’ve always done, and with an aging captive population keep from having declining numbers. Not that you throw the baby out with the bath water (another very old phrase) but unless those of a younger generation can be shown that the old truths are meaningful to their lives in the real world in a language and with music they are familiar with and understand, no younger parishioners will be there to be the leadership and carry on the Word in another 15 years when over half of the current congregation is dead. Cruel as it sounds, those in their 70′s arent going to have the energy and the will, let alone the money to keep todays churches alive without new blood. Also wasn’t it Jesus who wanted his followers to go spread the Word to the masses. Why have we disobeyed and hidden it all to ourselves like some secret society?
So here I go an editing, and maybe, just maybe, begin thinking about writing that guide to the wired church myself.
