Thanks for sharing this account.
TheSarge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In reading Lorena's quote, to be fair, she didn't
> say she helped create the Christmas truck. The
> musicians were sitting around, getting drunk,
> thinking about JRS, and went out. No planning, no
> thinking of anything in ministering to the
> neighborhood. In fact, they just said they were
> from That Studio and never mentioned The Living
> Word. It stayed that way. Just a bunch of
> "friends" doing a "thing." And it grew as the
> neighborhoods contacted That Studio. Then it went
> commercial, as all things Christmas tends to do
> when people are about glory to themselves. There
> are those who participate that have a heart of the
> season and genuinely care about the people who are
> starry eyed with the glitz as part of their
> celebration. But make no mistake: this has never
> been about the community. Eventually the route
> was made to accommodate celebrities like Denzel
> Washington. The truck would stay in front of his
> house upwards to 15 minutes. No was allowed to
> talk to him except who Rick said could. Then they
> started doing community Christmas parades in
> Sherman Oaks and Burbank. They always contacted
> the news to come film and do a bit. It made it a
> staple. Lorena's involvement probably started as
> an elf or a dancer. I was involved behind the
> scenes for years. But after a couple of years, I
> was told if I walked next to the truck, I wasn't
> allowed to talk to the people -- only designated
> people were allowed so the same thing was being
> said. Heavily controlled media spectacle! When
> folks in Shiloh wanted to do the same thing, Rick
> shut it down.
TheSarge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In reading Lorena's quote, to be fair, she didn't
> say she helped create the Christmas truck. The
> musicians were sitting around, getting drunk,
> thinking about JRS, and went out. No planning, no
> thinking of anything in ministering to the
> neighborhood. In fact, they just said they were
> from That Studio and never mentioned The Living
> Word. It stayed that way. Just a bunch of
> "friends" doing a "thing." And it grew as the
> neighborhoods contacted That Studio. Then it went
> commercial, as all things Christmas tends to do
> when people are about glory to themselves. There
> are those who participate that have a heart of the
> season and genuinely care about the people who are
> starry eyed with the glitz as part of their
> celebration. But make no mistake: this has never
> been about the community. Eventually the route
> was made to accommodate celebrities like Denzel
> Washington. The truck would stay in front of his
> house upwards to 15 minutes. No was allowed to
> talk to him except who Rick said could. Then they
> started doing community Christmas parades in
> Sherman Oaks and Burbank. They always contacted
> the news to come film and do a bit. It made it a
> staple. Lorena's involvement probably started as
> an elf or a dancer. I was involved behind the
> scenes for years. But after a couple of years, I
> was told if I walked next to the truck, I wasn't
> allowed to talk to the people -- only designated
> people were allowed so the same thing was being
> said. Heavily controlled media spectacle! When
> folks in Shiloh wanted to do the same thing, Rick
> shut it down.
