Why'd You Choose Such A Backward Time?

Every time I look at you I don't understand
Why you let the things you did get so out of hand.
You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned.
Why'd you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation.
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication…

Lyrics sung by “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar

I was checking out another blog today and the topic was “Spiritainment.” I don’t think you’ll find that work in your Funk and Wagnall’s. This blog was by a fellow named George Barna and about his recent election to CEO of a corporation called Good News Holdings. Nice work if you can get it.

 Good News Holdings is a a new high-powered team consisting of ex-Disney, Paramount, E! Entertainment Network, Microsoft, and NBC executives who hope to advance the Kingdom through excellence in media and ministry through the development of what Barna calls "Spiritainment".I applaud the efforts of all to provide the Good News of Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone.

I marvel at the changes in Protestant Churches over the years. They have turned into multi-media events with orchestras, singers, giant screen TV’s, theater style lighting systems and massive sound systems and audio-video recording equipment that is run by engineers.

Periodically my sweet wife drags me kicking and screaming to the Christian bookstore. I used to love these places. But when they started selling Gospel Pops, Scripture Mints and Salvation Sam the Sermon Teddy Bear I sort of lost my interest. Let me put it this way. The baby food isle is enormous, but the offerings at butcher counter are fairly sparse.

I suppose I’m getting old and grumpy and some folks really like this and have made this their ministry. I would just rather be educated than entertained.

I enjoy small churches with just a basic worship service and good scriptural teaching as opposed to the Super Sunday Good News Hour featuring Pastor Rex Haircut, Smiling Miss Sandy P. the warbley voiced contralto, Blinky the Gospel Clown and the Gospelette Singers and Dancers.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber got it all wrong in the lyrics for Jesus Christ Superstar when the posed the musical question, “Why’d you choose such a backward time and such a strange land?”