Recently I was in the hospital for a few days (I'm doing fine now, thank you), and I couldn't help but notice that my roommate's television was on more than 18 hours a day. All day. Every day. It was an inescapable reminder that we live and minister in an entertainment-saturated world.

Sometimes the most obvious realities are overlooked or taken for granted. But if Max DePree is right and "The first task of a leader is to define reality," then it's important for leaders to address even the obvious realities. One such reality is this: it's an unusual person today who doesn't spend at least four hours a day absorbing TV, radio, iTunes, YouTube, Facebook, sports, movies, video games, or some other form of entertainment. For many, like my hospital roommate, it's a lot more than four hours a day.

What does this constant exposure to entertainment do to a person? How does it influence the way people think? The way they pray? The way they worship? And most important for those of us in ministry, ...