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Today’s Sign Of The Apocalypse | Osteen Gets A Reality Show

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Oh sweet Jesus.  Straight from the Houston Chronicle.

“Survivor” producer Mark Burnett is teaming up with Joel Osteen for a primetime network show in 2012, TMZ has learned.

Burnett tells TMZ, the premise of the show is that ordinary people will give up several days or longer to go on a mission with Joel Osteen, one of the most popular pastors in the world. All of the missions will be in the confines of US soil to “start fixing things.”

Now, on the surface that seems ok……wait for it………..

“We do these projects without the cameras rolling,” said Iloff. “But Jesus said, ‘Let your light shine. Don’t hide it under a bushel.’”

From Hollywood’s perspective, it’s not necessarily about the content, but the marketability and profitability of such programs, said Richard Flory, an expert in American Christianity at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California.

“It’s a different twist on this kind of short-term mission trip evangelicals have done for a long time,” said Flory of the proposed Osteen show. “It turns it into an entertainment model, where you feel good watching it, people feel good doing it and Joel Osteen gets exposure.”

I’m of mixed feelings about short-term missions, particularly ones where no community is developed, but to turn it into an “entertainment model”?

That makes baby Jesus cry.

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Updated: November 29, 2011 at 2:39 pm
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    “From Hollywood’s perspective, it’s not necessarily about the content, but the marketability and profitability”

    It’s not just Hollywood’s prerspective. Many churches operate on exactly the same principles. Sad, but true. My family were missionaries in Asia for many years only to discover a reality that makes it very difficult for us to participate in institutionalized church any longer. Short term tourism is exciting, marketable, and profitable. Long term missions are none of those things, and while the churches cannot outright say that, they actively participate in your send-off but within 6 months to a year or two you’re forgotten if you don’t fly back with slide shows and videos and emotional stories.

    Needless to say our years in missions has revealed a very dark side to organized religion. On the bright side, the native churches and honest people we worked with also showed us how it is SUPPOSED to work. No big salaries for pastors, or big facilities, just Love. It keeps it pure, and keeps it real.

    • Anonymous

      That’s exactly my opinion. Doing short term missions without building community with those you’re serving makes it simply a field trip…something to feel good about for a while before you go back to your regular life.

      Additionally, short-terms tend to have a reverse focus, more of a what we can do instead of what that community needs. For example, building wells is great, but the unintended consequence is that it interferes with the social structure for the women because going to get the water is a big social event for them.

      Thanks so much for coming by!

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