the new tele-evangelist : updated

last night i caught a glimpse of a trailer for a new reality show, "one punk under god." it is apparently the reality show of jay bakker, son of jimmybakker. so as the washington post reports, it looks to be rather interesting.

"With some groups, we're too Christian. With the Christian groups, we're not Christian enough," says Bakker, who rebelled as a teenager by leaving the church and turning to drugs and alcohol

as for the tel-evangelist vantage point. it might be nice for people to see someone who has grown up in the faith to see struggles not just with faith life, but family life and peoples perceptions. that might be the best witness a tel-evanglist can make.

i don't know if i'll watch it, mostly because sundance channel is so far up the cable box dial. but i might if i find it "on demand."

note: if you don't normally follow links, check the sundance page adverting the show. it's got a great flash intro. sorta, i admit, i'm a sucker for old embarrassing pics

update: so i actually got to catch the first episode of "one punk under God" and a glimpse of his revolution church. it isn't that flashy as other reality tv shows go, but it seemed very honest and transparent, which as reflected in one of his speaking engagements that was recorded was quite true to where jay is. i felt for the man as one of the things profiled was him going back to heritage island, a large amusement park for Christians. it was sad to see how many of his childhood memories were lost to fallen family, the fallen church, mixed into the commercial Christian machine. i hope to watch more, as i see that jay is an example of future of pastorship where pastors are open to being transparent, showing vulnerability and struggles with faith and life and trying to live according to the gospel. he's got no choice after being in such a public life, will other pastors do much the same?

Comments

[Thomas McKenzie]

I downloaded the first episode for free from iTunes. I recommend watching the first episode. It was interesting enough, but for those of us in the church world it isn't really that interesting or challenging. I didn't see that much of a revolution going on, to be honest. Unless meeting in a bar is a revolution.

[Phil Wilson]

For some people, it is.

[gavin]

i don't know what is so much of a revolution for his ministry, other than the look of the church and congregation (the interviewed ones, the crowd shots showed the a-typical church pew filler). i find it much more compelling the transparent nature of jay and it seems to come out in the documentary