Heart of the Matter ESPRESSO!

Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the Matter ESPRESSO! where we do all we can to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I’m Shawn McCraney, your host.

The Reinvention Announced

Show 28 557
July 11th 2017
Prayer

Hey, back in the day we used to hold these annual events called, Heart in the Park. Hundreds and hundreds of people would show up and among other things we would do what we called, Open Water Baptisms – over the course of the years there were hundreds of them. Well, as things tend to do – especially when you change things up and piss everyone around you off – our heart in the parts sort of ended. Actually, I shouldn’t say that they ended, because we are going to hold our final summer event on Sunday, August 21st 2017 where we will have food and our final round of open water baptisms. That’s Sunday, August 21st, from 11:30 till 1:30. Lunch served, open water baptisms, music and fellowship. To show you how far we have fallen we have titled this, Heart in the Park -ing lot! Come one, come all, . . . come on! Well, what’s all this about final and last. Let me tell you.

Embracing Change

Last week I spoke to the financial condition of the ministry to which some of you have generously responded becoming our partner. We thank you. As you will hear and see over the next few months we are going to do all we can to put your sacrifices to work. Well, after last weeks show I received a text from our brother Niall in Ireland. He wanted to know if we could talk. I couldn’t but we finally got together over the phone the next day. Now normally, Nial is quite the sarcastic lass with a touch of gallows-type humor at ever turn. But when we got to talking he was more serious than usual. Instead of rehearsing to you what he said, I’ve asked him to call in and repeat the just of his comments to me for all of you to hear. So, let’s pick up line one and hear from the mouth of Niall the Irishman. Okay, brother Niall (after hanging up).

So, what will we do after hearing Nial from Ireland? What is the best course of action to take? Perhaps we should take a walk through the years of recorded ministry and along the way I will explain what we are going to do.

Expanding the Ministry

We began by addressing all things LDS. This is a major thriving part of the ministry as the content continues to be seen throughout the world by searching souls via the internet. But as Nial pointed out, I have long refused to get involved in social media outlets due to my personal dinosaur-like distain for it all. I mean even our Youtube presence wasn’t the product of us going out and trying to be seen and to get popular through that avenue but was that of one Andreas of Norway years ago took it upon himself to start up. And we thank God that he did.

We are convinced that the “Heart of the Matter content” must not go away. And it is incumbent on this ministry to insure that all of the shows are readily accessible through all avenues available to us. But at the same time, I cannot, in association with new live shows called Heart of the Matter, begin to promote it through social media and feel authentic. For me that would be a personal sell out as I have for over a decade mocked Facebook and Instagram as representing all that the Good News is not. So I am personal sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place. My pride has not allowed the content to be readily known but the content needs to be known.

So this is what we are going to do. First, we are going to progressively install, implement, roll-out, and promote Heart of the Matter through all of the social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Continued podcasts, Patreon, Perhaps even our own app. Everything that Nial recommended we are going to do to get all the established content of HOTM out there. We are going to get all of our books into audio format, and in downloadable forms and we are going to actively respond to people through all of these avenues that we have never really tried to capitalize upon. In this vein, and this takes your continued support, Heart of the Matter will live on. Got it?

Heart of the Matter – enough hour long shows to run everyday for almost

New Directions for CAMPUSchurch.tv

Two years – is NOT going anywhere – in fact, it is only now going to be more known, and more available, through all social media outlets. This will make our critics, and haters, and enemies really unhappy.

In addition to these changes, we are also going to begin to promote CAMPUSchurch.tv through the same social media outlets. This means we are going to have a CAMPUSchurch.tv Facebook, Instagram, Patreon, and perhaps someday our own app. We will integrate our weekly live stream so people can join in on our Milk and Meat gatherings and we are going to promote CAMPUSchurch.tv. Most people don’t know that I have ardently stood against promoting what we do at CAMPUS and Heart but I think we have finally gotten ourselves to the point where I know what I believe the Bible teaches – and so we are going to teach it without apology. You’re continued support, prayers, and sharing all of these things – now through social media outlets – is vital.

Changes in Programming

Having said all of this, new Heart of the Matter shows, beginning October 24th, 2017, are coming to an end. Again, on Tuesday, October 24th, we will tape our last hour-long live-stream show after eleven and a half years of weekly programming. So while all the taped information is going to continue to be available and actually promoted more than it ever has been, new programming (under the banner of Heart of the Matter) will end Oct. 24th. No more Live from the Mecca of Mormonism. No more Live From Salt Lake City. No more we’ll see you next week here on Heart of the Matter.

Then, one week later, on Tuesday night, October 31st, 2017, we are going to launch a new program, with a new set, and new purpose, and a brand new direction. It's going to be radical, straight up, and directed at an entirely new audience we have never spent any time targeting before. We have the site and between tonight and October 31st of this year we will create our proprietary Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Patreon to support the show and a brand-new book that will be available directly through people's “devices.” CAMPUSchurch.tv will play a supportive role in this new focus as will some gorilla marketing.

Embracing New Audiences

When Nial called me, I heard what he was saying. He was right. But his words also helped me realize other issues with the ministry. We anticipate that we could lose some of you – but I don’t think it will be many because you all have already gone through the growing pains and shifts in doctrinal points of view. And I truly thank and applaud you guys who have persevered with us. You are rarities, the few, and we are so proud to know of you all.

Along the way, many – most – have been fed up with our discussions, insights, and suggestions. For some, it was when we suggested that a Mormon could be Born-Again. That was enough to actively turn against us. For others, it was when we said an active temple attending Mormon should never be president of the United States. That was just too much for you and your Evangelically driven political agendas. So you walked.

Then others of you walked when we started in on the Christian churches instead of Mormonism. That was a big exodus. Then the mutiny grew when I publicly challenged the term Trinity and what is really taught about it. We’ve seen mass exoduses over the Second Coming, more when we questioned “eternal punishment in a firey hell of torment, and recently some got really fed up when I used the insights of Noam Chomsky to prove the level of sickness in the faith today.

Watching these things over the years I realize that for our core message to have an actual and true place and purpose in this world it has to be heard by those who are looking to challenge all they have been taught, who are at a place in their lives where religious traditions are to be challenged rather than blindly upheld, and that we are here for those who want the truth (as supported by the Bible) no matter the cost to their egos, their prejudices, or the traditions that they really, really, really . . . want to be true.

(Hmmph! Frowny face)

Of course, we have our online and on-air run-ins with the powers that be in the faith and watched as people who once appreciated our stance on matters not only turn on

Open Criticisms and Beliefs

us but openly and relentlessly label me a “heretic”, “a false prophet,” “an irresponsible leader,” “a communist,” and of course, “not a Christian” and “unsaved.” But we insist on believing you all have meant well – you’ve even used God’s name as justification for your criticisms, telling me God has told you that you are right – and we will never, ever preach division in the Body or unforgiveness.

Upcoming Discussions on Mormonism

Between now and October 24th 2017, we are going to use our final hours of Heart to talk with people who have come out of Mormonism that are still in some way associated with the ministry. We’ll begin next week with Bishop Earl Erskine of Ex Mormon Files fame. And each week we will announce the following week's guest.

Looking Forward

Then get ready for our new direction and all that will come with it. I am at peace with it, at rest with the approach, and believe that it will play an important role in the faith.

Let’s open up the phone lines –

(801) 590-8413

And while the operators are clearing your calls, take a look at this:

SPOT HERE