Static: Tune Out the "Christian Noise" and Experience the Real Message of Jesus [Paperback]

Ron Martoia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2007

Words communicate. Christians often use words to communicate to others; however, these words aren't understood by many of those outside the church. We can be so absorbed in our "christianese" that we don't realize others don't understand the jargon and cannot figure out what it is we mean by what we are saying. Static readers will become aware of what we are saying so we can re-focus our thinking to communicate clearly to those outside the church.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (March 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141431213X
• ISBN-13: 978-1414312132
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,335,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Ron Martoia has spoken to more than 25,000 leaders in a variety of conference settings. A popular speaker and Bible teacher, Ron examines the new and shifting cultural landscape and proposes what churches can do to reach the present generation. He is the author of numerous articles, including key articles in "Great Preaching" and "Preaching to Postmoderns," and his first book project, "Morph!", was welcomed with widespread critical acclaim. In addition to church consultation, Ron facilitates a new experimental learning community, called Vortex, in Jackson, Michigan. Ron's mission is to help followers of Jesus understand and interact with the new cultural context in which they live.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning how not to talk, July 22, 2007

By 

Paul B. Wells (Burlington, NC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Static: Tune Out the "Christian Noise" and Experience the Real Message of Jesus (Paperback)

I'm 80 pages into this book, so far I love it. I love how the author has opened up new ideas, which are both thought provoking, and in my case very valid. I've never been one to share a lot about my faith, whether it be to Christians or those who don't yet know Christ. I am part of a group that is using this book as a study and it has really opened up conversation, allowed all of us to share and get to know each other a little better. So far it has been a very easy read, and opened my eyes to things I was unaware of. I think it will help guide and provide direction for our church going forward.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Language Bellman, July 13, 2007

By 

Ted Baird - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Static: Tune Out the "Christian Noise" and Experience the Real Message of Jesus (Paperback)

You don't have to be in/around the church for long to begin picking up baggage! Much of the religious heavy luggage occurs at the point of the way we Christians talk. Very quickly our language becomes burdened with all kinds of meanings - most of which are not known by those around us, and hotly debated by those inside the church. Static finally brings some help to the luggage of language. Martoia gives us some new handles on the words that have become so laden with implied meaning and as Ron points out - just mis-interpreted!

What a great time for the church to begin to learn that most of the world (those we wish to communicate our message to) have no clue what we are saying. Maybe the starting point is us clarifying to ourselves first exactly what we are trying to communicate. It begins by cutting through the noise to gain clarity with some of the religious and Biblical terminology that has become such normal baggage for us.

Read Static with an open mind and you'll discover fresh meaning to old terms that we've just assumed we knew what they meant. It could just re-define the way we do church, the way we live life, and the way we communicate the Gospel! (what does Gospel mean anyway?!)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reclaiming the Newsflash, May 7, 2007

By 

Nancy Carpenter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Static: Tune Out the "Christian Noise" and Experience the Real Message of Jesus (Paperback)

Helping clear out the distortion in our hearts and minds, Static returns us to the compelling newsflash of the Biblical Narrative- Narrative filled with truly good news in a language that was accessible to people of the time. Isn't that the longing of today as well? Static helps us think about how to communicate this message, the real message of Jesus, by having us go back to the Scripture to reclaim this newsflash. Static's deep and rich interpretation of Scripture provides us the safety for questioning not only our own understanding of words like gospel, repentance, sin, salvation, and kingdom of God but also how our interpretation of these words translate (or fail to translate) to a culture seeking authentic peace and hope.

The entertaining setting of Static places us in an on-going conversation between Ron and his friends, Phil and Jess. Phil and Jess are trying to figure out why Phil's `evangelistic' techniques are not working on his coworker. In an all too familiar dialogue about the command to `preach the good news", Static has not only Phil and Jess wondering why words like `gospel' and `sin' are shutting down spiritual conversations, but it also has the reader experiencing a bit of déjà vu. With great angst, Phil and Jess begin questioning the origins of their own thoughts. Might I say, it catalyzes a few questions in the mind of the reader. Ron helps us all, through these conversations, become more aware that the real message of Jesus, when stripped of some of the noise, is one of a much richer, fuller, life giving story than what perhaps is embedded in our minds. Static is a great book for helping us reclaim and understand the original intention and compelling newsflash in a world desperately seeking hope.