when a media guy listens

Gotta be honest. Most services, I’m so intent on listening for cues and making sure the next slide is ready to go, I don’t get to listen to the message. Oh, I hear it, I’m just not listening.

So, the first time I listen to it is usually on Monday when it’s up on the podcast. And even then, I’m sometimes distracted by the mechanics, and not the content, of the Word.

But last week, I listened. And then I listened again. And it was one of those messages. And you know what I mean by one of those. It was one of those that hit me right where I was at that very moment. It dug deep into my soul, and scooped out the junk that I was living with. It released me from a bunch of the stuff that I think has been holding me back.

But my point here isn’t the change it made in me. The point is…I wish everyone that was hearing the message would listen to it.

We live in a world where folks are Facebooking, and Twittering all the time. We are so busy with what’s going on that we aren’t paying attention. And I’m not talking about the people tweeting and posting during the service. Heck, I’m one of them! It’s so cool to see a status update that says we have the coolest church around, and looking up to see the poster in the third row!

I’m talking about the way we are submersed in the everyday crap that takes our attention away from what really matters: each other.

Take a few moments today or tomorrow. Put down the iPhone, blackberry or Android. Put the iPod away. Step away from the computer and turn off the TV. Be in the moment. Listen to what’s going on.

Don’t just hear it.

pay zilch, you get zilch…

One of my duties as Media Guy at a church is to post the weekly podcast. Here’s a brief outline of what’s involved:

-record the message on Sunday morning

-convert it to the correct file type, then edit it as needed

-upload it to the podcast site

Always trying to be aware of budget, I have tried to use a number of free podcast hosting sites. They all worked fine initially, but would always fail, or shut down, after a period of time. What was the affect? Irritated congregation members who couldn’t find the messages when they wanted to hear them. This is unacceptable, especially when someone needs the spiritual charge that listening to a sermon can give.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I broke down and signed the church up on a paid hosting site. And guess what? It works perfectly! And, the peace of mind factor is huge! And, for the $5 a month it’s costing us, it’s turning out to be the best investment we’ve made in a while. Folks can tune in whenever they want. They can listen on the site itself, or download on iTunes. It’s heaven! (pardon the pun)

Moral of this story? Pry open the wallet, spend a few bucks, and your life, and the lives of others, cold improve by leaps and bounds!