Comments on: Monster Truck Church Ad

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:41:21 +0000

I think the ad is great. The whole reason the monster truck ads are what they are is to draw attention to them, and this ad certainly does that. The word “church” in it makes it not misleading in the least. It says right out that it is going to be a church service, not a truck event. But the excitement shows that its by someone who loves all of it. It says “Come, take a second look at church.” Good job, Paul!
P.S. I like the airline ad, too. Very creative and imaginative!

By: dave kreitzer

dave kreitzer — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 07:27:33 +0000

What happens if the excitement promised by the Monster Truck Church Ad cannot be delivered in the liturgy of the church? How can a church service match the decibels and diesel of a Monster Truck show? I guess they could turn up the volume on the speakers and burn pieces of rubber instead of incense.
My point is that there will be an obvious dichotomy between the “crazed excitement” of the ad and the worship service, no matter how wild and contemporary the service. How do you get people to come back after they are confronted with this bifurcation between fantasy and reality?

By: Mathis

Mathis — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 15:38:00 +0000

Horrid.
I hope this ad never makes it to press–then again, I hope it does. It might wake up a few sleepy Christians in Evangelicaldom or Liberaldom. They might realize that too many people trivilize Christ’s Church. They might demand a serious call of repentance & transformation within the mainline churches.
Then again, maybe not.

By: Adrants

Adrants — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 06:53:57 +0000

Self-Referential Church Ads Remove Stuffy Stigma With Humor

Adrants reader John Brock sent us this amusing radio commercial, created as a joke by church member Mike McKenzie, for Birmingham, AL St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The spot mirrors the tone and style of those monster truck “Suuuundaaaaaaay” commercia…

By: Pinwiz.net

Pinwiz.net — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 02:53:18 +0000

I don’t know if you have to be Episcopal to get this…

Dude. What if you crossed the Episcopal Church with a monster truck rally? You’ll get this.
It was funny until the call and response near the end, and then I fell down.
Bravo!
…

By: LameZone

LameZone — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:32:27 +0000

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Earlier today, I was looking at links in my del.icio.us inbox. One of my subscriptions is for the tag “Christian”. This popped up.
So there’s this site that has the goal of doing better websites for various churches and ministrie…

By: Helen

Helen — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 08:26:42 +0000

toooo funny…I loved it…don’t think I would ever use it but
I love it

By: Paul Clifford

Paul Clifford — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 07:57:50 +0000

I’d love to stick those in my podcast feed. I’d host them so you don’t take the bandwidth hit. Would that be okay?
Paul

By: Mike (The Monster Truck Guy" McKenzie

Mike (The Monster Truck Guy" McKenzie — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 13:05:49 +0000

Greetings and peace. Thank you for taking the time to listen to that “train wreck” I so aptly titled “Monster Truck Liturgy.”
First off, let me say how touched, moved, and-even inspired by the debate and comments from everyone, including those who are not amused. But because of their love of Christ, the Liturgy, corporate worship, and the spirit of agape, have taken the time to diplomatically state their discomfort.
That’s beautiful! That’s why I love being an Episcopalian. Color me naieve, however I’d like to think that Episcopalians aren’t so much like-minded as they are willing to either agree to disagree, or at least hear each other out.
This is also affirmation to me that God has planted me with the right group of people for corporate worship.
My motives, or creation of this thing wasn’t for attention or personal gain.
I was simply hit by “the goofy muse.”
I write and produce radio ad campaigns for a living. When I have down time in my studio, I will blow off a little creative steam. When I go back and look at other pieces I have done, I notice that most of them base their humor, or punch line, on polarity.
“Monster Truck Liturgy” is not just a source of amusement for me. It is inspired by the overwhelming joy I receive from the Eucharist. It is an abstract way of showing the endless fascination I have with the paradoxical nature of our Liturgy.
Maybe it’s because I am a creative person. Maybe it’s human nature. But, I am attracted to paradox the way a moth is attracted to a bug zapper.
I was “corn bread and fed” in a Baptist Church. For the first 11 years of my school career, I was educated in Baptist Schools. I was reared by a God-fearing, loving southern Mother and a loving, progressive-minded atheist Father. (I know you’re asking how did that happen-they met at Halloween weiny roast in south Alabama and the weekly cow-tipping olympics had been canceled so there was nothing else to do that night)
But, you can see why my whole existence has been about contrasts.
Mom had my sister and I in church every day the doors were opened. And even then some, as she being church seceratary had her own set of keys.
Having grown up in the – (pardon my baggage here, okay?) -the “fire and brimstone modus operundi” where you are fed by the fear of God, and really have no spiritual, let alone intellectual concept of the love of God. I was about fed up by the time I was old enough to not have to go to church.
The day after my 19th birthday, August 30, 1983, I walked away from the church for what I figured would be forever.
Over the next 22 years, I might, every-once-in-a-while, attend a service at a church here or there. But, only because I had a crush on the girl who invited me, or for some other alterior motive. I was always up-front about my motives and objection with what I called “organized and institutionalized religion.”
Then came Easter Sunday of 2005.
By invitation of my cousin, I attended Easter Mass at St. Andrew’s. (no, I didn’t have a crush on him-I know this is Alabama-but gee whiz)
St. Andrew’s is what folks here in the south will call “high church.” Depending on how far south you go, the word “high” can have more than one sylable. For instance, a proper southerner, like my cousin would say “HIIIIIIIIIIIIGH church.”
So, Easter Sunday, I dawned a coat and tie and went two blocks from my house to “HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH church.”
Even though I held no affiliation, nor fondness of the Baptist church, it was-after all, all I knew about church. And, the particular congregations I grew up in were real bad about the “we’re right and everyone else is wrong” kind of thing. So, I was not without my own pre-concieved notions regarding “HIIIIIIIIIIIIGH church.”
Maybe that was a good thing. Becaue, after all, sometimes you learn better when you find out things aren’t always what you thought they were.
I expected the chanting. I expecting the “smaells and bells.” But, what I didn’t expect was how all of that came togehter and worked for a reason.
The moments of being quiet, truly quiet with a blank slate mind, let to a moment of crystal clarity. Then came a sudden feeling of sweet relief, not unlike the one you feel after having hauled your washer and dryer up three-stories of apartment building stairs.
Wait a minute. This isn’t routine ritual. Despite all the flowery descriptive names for everything Episcopalian; the vestments, the ornate fixturesl, the incense, and pavlovian nature of standing and rising on cue. This is the royal protocol of welcoming The Holy Spirit as God manifests himself in that bread and wine.
Woah, what’s that? Great HG Wells! I just stepped into a time machine. Christ himself, with an ever-so-sweet, assuring smile just handed me a piece of broken bread and has placed a chalice next to my lips.
This is truly an epiphany-or at least my personal definition of one; that being a simultaneous realization of both heart and mind.
This isn’t just to honor Christ. This isn’t just “do in rememberance of me.” Christ is here with me. I am here with him. He’s not at all unhappy with me. As a matter of fact, he’s real happy I am here. And, he really seems to like this goofy, white boy just the way I am.
Well, needless to say, I became a junkie, hankering for my next bread and wine fix.
Let me say too, that had it not been the fact that the man behind the pulpit was Fr. Marc Burnette, I don’t think it would have been that moving an experience. No, he’s not a prophet, per se. But, he’s not a preacher. He’s a FABULOUS TEACHER! He is also someone that I can identify with. He’s not some out-of-touch, stodgy, self-important wind bag. This is a guy who has walked in my shoes. And I his. He has a profound sense of humor.
And he really digs the same kind of music, movies and books I do, too!
I can’t begin to tell you just how much my quality of life has improved because my renewed faith, and loving relationship with God, through Christ.
And I am so thankful to, and for, all of you for being able to share that.
It is not my intent to be the least bit irreverant when it comes to God. After all “….I am fearfully and wonderfully made….”
The Lord’s Peace, my friends, and keep laughing
Warmest Regards
-Mike McKenzie

By: Conservative Culture

Conservative Culture — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 12:58:35 +0000

Church’s Monster Truck Ad

The Episcopal Church has a number of problems trying to get the Scripture thing right. In fact they may be as creative with their new ad as the denomination has been with Scripture. Just consider their attack on one of the leaders who was chastised fo…