This week I received a preview copy of an exciting new DVD series in the mail. Phil Vischer, the brains behind the VeggieTales series has a new project called What's in the Bible with Buck Denver. I've been following Phil and What's in the Bible? on Twitter and Facebook for a while now and am excited about where this project is headed. Biblical Literacy is the target that Phil is aiming for... to head through the Bible cover to cover in 13 episodes.
Personally, I am really excited about this new project. The theme of Biblical Literacy is a huge problem in the Christian church. I've frequently heard the statement that 'you cannot live what you do no know.' That's precisly where we find ourselves, and in many ways I believe it's our own fault. Over the past few decades parents have relied on the church to educate their children about God and His Word. Recently due to the rise of new media like Sesame Street and Nickelodeon, the Church has taken aim at entertaining children as a form of attraction. Where does that leave us? In many ways we have teenagers and adults who grew up in families where God and His Word were mentioned on Sundays and in churches where they were fed a diet of games, VeggieTales and cookies. This means that, as far as I can see, Biblical Literacy is at an all time low in our churches. If the trend continues, we will no longer deserve the title, 'People of the Book - something that will be a tremendous blow.
So, all that said, Phil's zany way of teaching applied to the tremendous issue of declining Biblical Literacy in the Church, may be a great step forward. Not that video teaching is everything [it certainly has draw backs], but it sure could be a place for many of us to start.
[Ps. I showed the preview to my children [ages 8, 6, 4, 2] and they loved it. Have been singing the song... though the 4 yr old can't remember 'Denver' and has substituted like 100 other words, lol!]
2 Comments:
interesting stuff. I do find the idea that sesame street as new media entertaining since it debuted in 1969. now I haven't seen this DVD but isn't this just more of the same issue? when I was a kid we had videos of time travelling brothers that explored the stories in the bible, seems like this is an avenue that has been explored before.
By "new," I meant as in of this century, or at the very least, post WW2. :-)
As for more of the same, I really hope not. At the very least, this series claims a target of Biblical Literacy. Something new for video I think.
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