Travelling To A Church Near You Today I was featured on Fox 43's Hampton Roads Show Segment, 'I Am Hampton Roads'. I wanted to thank Ariane Aramburo for the great piece. I AM Hampton Roads, because that's where I call home, but I hope to see even more of this country in the coming months. I've recently had shows up and down the East Coast and hope to perform at even more Churches this year. Let me know if you'd like to book me at your Church. I travel on a love offering basis, so give me a call today. You can click here to book me for your Church now. It's In The Mail! One of these postcards may have hit your desk. This means the Federal Government is successfully doing a job. Please call the number listed immediately! Hell may not have frozen over, but there could be a severe draft. While you're on the phone, we can set a date for me to visit your Church family and share my comedy and ministry. Kill two birds, you know? Recent shows in TN & VA have had record attendence for not only their members, but also UN-CHURCHED and NON-MEMBERS. If you are trying to reach outside your door, maybe to the skeptics, the hard hearted, or those that believe they know what Church is according to past experiences - call me. We may be able to tear down a wall separating us and minister to those we are called to reach in doing so. New Website - New Tour The new year is bringing great rewards. My new show Christian ² [squared] is off to a rolling start. Thanks to everyone who came out to my 2010 workshops and helped me mold and re-work my new material. Your feedback was greatly appreciated. A new show needs a fresh face, so I've launched the New ChristianLeeLive.com. This will be a place you can contact me in addition to the presence I have on Twitter and Facebook. I'm booking dates for my 2011 show on a LOVE OFFERING basis. I'm confident that God will take care of my needs and I will be able to share my comedy and my ministry with many more Church families. You can click here to book me for your Church now. Stop back by as I wax poetic on things that can't be contained in this head of mine. I will also put up an occasional note from the road when inspiration strikes. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing you all on the road! OMG! He Humanized Jesus Guilty as charged. I'm amazed at people when they're shocked I would make a joke about Christ and thereby Humanize the Son of God. I believe they missed the whole point of the New Testament, which was to... well ummm.... HUMANIZE God! I get that some folks have been raised in Church to believe to speak about Jesus in anything other than hushed, reverent tones is blasphemous, but they're wrong. To imagine Him as a non-mortal man is to write the rest of the story off as farce. Someone asked once "How can you joke about Jesus wanting a Chick-fil-a sandwich?" Well, I imagine walking around desert climes each day, one would get hungry and truly enjoy a ready made snack that was available with a side of waffle fries. Do you think he never got a grumbling stomach? If so, what was the point of him fasting? For show? The crux of the matter, is people can't believe he had fun, or was a fun guy. Have you ever been around a person that hasn't eventually cracked a joke or shared their sense of humor with you? I've met some un-funny people in my life, but even they have Attempted showing off their wit at some point. A friend of mine recently put a classic Bible story into a very different light. When Jesus was walking on water towards the disciples in the storm, don't you think part of him was thinking, "Hahahaha. This is gonna scare the heck out of them!" If cameras were around back then, this surely would've been the grand prize winner on Galilee's Funniest Home Videos. "Now let's watch Peter crash through the waves in slow motion! Dude... what were you thinking?" Seriously, it would've had over a million hits on YouTube right now. Comedians are always searching for the perfect joke. Well Jesus was the only perfect man. I'm guessing the joke was already told, but lost between all the thou shalt nots. We probably wouldn't have understood his reference points anyway. It's not like he did a 5 minute routine on airline food. Based on the disciples trouble understanding parables, I could guess they wouldn't be able to grasp the humor in the Top 10 things that suck about eternal damnation [of course, he already had a pretty famous top 10 list on the books]. When it comes to joking about Christ, I think we should follow his lead and lighten up. If he didn't scream and yell when his friend cut off a guy's ear, I don't think he'll pitch a fit at putting a couple funny words in one. It's all about intent. If you can't recognize the funny, maybe you should examine your own heart. You may find a big self righteous column blocking your view of the stage. P.S. I know some of you are bothered I used OMG in the title. We'll tackle that one another day. Christian ² Christian Lee's 2011-12 show 'Christian Squared' centers around his life growing up in the Church, Camp, and Bible College. It's an hour of laughs as he shares humorous and humbling moments with his efforts to stay on course, but more often than not, failing miserably. Added to the mix is his current battle with being a better, but not perfect, person in Christ. He exposes his struggle to curb his language and his waist band. Christian weaves in and out of topics such as low-cal pancake syrup, all wheat communion wafers, not-so-fellowship dinners, and the huge mistakes that can only be forgiven by grace. Whether you're a teen or adult, you will find that Christian connects with some part of your life and spiritual walk. "The fact is, I was named Christian, but rarely acted like one. I was raised by a minister who was not always the best example. 'Christian Squared' is about me reconciling the two and moving forward." What people are saying about 'Christian Squared': "He inspired me to be Genuine in Christ. I truly felt God's hand was on him... that's the strongest thing I can say. Don't Change a thing." -Dr. Lewis Brown, Minister of Hopewell Church of the Nazarene "I laughed just about non-stop. You really made me think about how I come across to the world and wonder would I have to explain that I'm a Christian or does it show?" -Kelly Martin "I loved the honesty." -Amy Stalls, MACU Alum "It hit me in the middle of the show, that I was Supposed to be here. Thank You!!" -Michelle Marr "It was Great! Christian has a right to laugh. Very inspiring." -Ecclesiaste Theodore Christian Lee's Bio: Christian Lee was born when his father was finishing Seminary in Atlanta, GA. Having a preacher for a father wasn?t always easy, and trying to follow in his footsteps proved quite tricky. Leaving Bible college unsure of his path, Christian spent years in the 'real world' making sure everyone around him had access to what they needed... namely the internet. He broke down the doors of corporate America at age 19 with EDS, moving up quickly with firms like IBM, even the U.S. Army. Spending most of the time in the web design field, it was a gateway into how people thought, where they liked to spend their time, and what they thought was funny. A consummate stage performer since the age of 3, Christian spent many days singing on stage in school, church, and college. After being a stage manager for a non-profit playhouse, he realized it was in his blood... why fight it? "I had what could only be called a revelation. What I felt needed to be heard from the stage, especially at churches, wasn?t being said. I started writing down all the jokes and stories that had been building inside. Then, I went in search of a mic stand and a crowd. After years of toil, comes the fruit of your labor. I'm fulfilling my dream and I'm not looking back!" Raised by a preacher, Bible college, corporate life, starting his own design firm, a marriage at 19 years old that has actually lasted; all this brings a unique perspective and a well of inspiration for finding humor in everyday life. Topics stretching from cartoons to salvation, there's definitely something that will touch some part of your life... and your funny bone. Christian performs across the country. He just returned from a stint in CA where he taped a show at the world famous Ice House Comedy Club. You may have seen him on Comedy Time or MAV TV. Christian was recently invited to perform at The Great American Comedy Festival, Port City?s Top Comic, and The Plymouth Rock Comedy Festival. Full Steam Ahead Things are just going full steam ahead. It’s funny, when you find the right track, forward progress seems to take care of itself... not unlike a fat Steve Holcomb barreling down the bobsled track hoping for gold. But do we remember the other guys in that sled with him? I have no idea what their names are, (without Google), but I do know he never would’ve gotten the record - or even made the event - without his team. Well I really felt like I had a team to support me last week. From my audience, to Mike Easmeil driving all the way to open up for me, to the crack film crew that adapted to the venue to get me the best possible recording. Thanks to all of you. I can use more help though. If you have access to a Church I can visit in the next few months to do a couple more workshops, I would really appreciate you forwarding my contact info to the Minister. It is my goal to start touring full time in 2011, and I can’t do that without feed back from different audiences and connections with more churches and groups. I can be emailed at booking@christianleelive.com or (888) 345-3709. Thanks again to everyone for past and future support! Talk To Me Now And Stay Up To Date! Technology is amazing isn?t it? Now you can stay in touch with me and find out when and where I?ll be. Just call (202) 741-9112. Sometimes the number will be LIVE and you can talk to me directly. You can also get a text message whenever I have a show, just text @christianleelive and your message to SAYNOW(729669). ie: "@christianleelive hey what's up?". I?ll also be giving away free tickets to paid shows and giving away some free comedy DVD?s too. Thanks for keeping in touch guys, talk to you soon! Can't Stop Change "Christian, where have you been? Why are you playing Churches?" Well folks, sometimes things don't go the direction you anticipate. I could not have had a more frantic, fun, or exhausting 3 weeks than I did between June and July. Booked shows in VA, the Icehouse (a stop at the Improv) in CA, then off to a comedy fest outside Boston. Oh yeah... on the way home, picked up a show in PA - which was a blast! All the while, I'm networking, writing, and just trying to maintain composure. "This is it", I kept thinking. "This is the start of something big. This is my future." Yet inside my head something kept knocking... When I finally settled down enough to recognize what it was, I felt like an idiot. I will be the first to tell you, sometimes it takes a while for the gears to click inside this head-o-mine. Once they do though, I can't be stopped. It's how it happened when I finally said "I'm getting on stage in a club", and it will be no different now. For years I have been writing comedy about the Church. My time in it. My problems with it. All of these things written with a specific group in mind, yet I was not playing to this crowd. I was performing for comedy club crowds (which was the right thing to do at the time - I learned SO much). The person that goes to a comedy club however, does not get nor care to think about, my thoughts on why pot luck dinners bring out the devil in the Church pianist. Two thirds of my writing was going unused and unappreciated by the sheer fact it wasn't being heard... by anyone. I have a connection to the world of Comedy, but an even bigger connection to the Church world. It took years for all of this to click in place. Years. What's truly funny is that I arrived back in the place I wanted to be when I was 15 years old. 20 years later and I've come back to the place I KNEW I was going to be when I was a boy. It just took me time to learn, make Plenty of mistakes, and quit being lazy and selfish. Heavy? Maybe. For me it is just part of a journey. Much closer to the start than the finish. When it clicked in my brain what I should be doing, my pen ran out of ink. I wrote even more than I had before. When I realized I couldn't deliver a certain joke the same way, one dirty word transformed into 3 tags. One joke went from a very touchy line to 5 better lines... FUNNIER lines. Who knew? I imagine someone did. "So what are you saying Christian? You going crazy CHRISTian on us?" Nope. I'm still me. I've just put away some old toys and decided to grow up a bit. I've been doing the same things I was doing at 15 that held me back. How could I expect to move on like that? There are things I think need to be said - with humor - in a church building. Some people are saying them, but not the way I would say them. I think I'm finally ready to do it. To do it right. George Carlin was, and still is, a polarizing figure based on his use of language and beliefs, but he showed us all one thing. Minds can change with humor. It's time to open minds. It's time to grow... together. So here we go. Christian Lee 2.0, upgraded and running a tweaked operating system sure, but hopefully still funny. The Ice House In June, I'll be performing at The Ice House in Pasedena and some other spots around L.A. Check out their storied history below. Oh, and come see me too! The Ice House is Legendary! Yes, we used the "L" word. If there's a business that's entitled to use that word it would be The Ice House. Opened in 1960, our little club located "in an alley off a one way street" is truly legendary. During 50+ years, over 4 million people have shared thousands of hours of laughter and song at The Ice House. It's difficult to name a major comedian who hasn't appeared here. Robin Williams...Lily Tomlin...George Carlin....Steve Martin...Bob Newhart........Billy Crystal....Jerry Seinfeld....Jay Leno....David Letterman....George Lopez......Ellen Degeneres.....Tim Allen......Bill Maher, and others too numerous to mention have all wowed audiences in our intimate 200 seat showroom. The club was conceived and opened by Pasadena businessman Willard Chilcott on September 23, 1960. Pasadena needed some music and comedy and The Ice House quickly became "the" place to go. The club combined music and comedy and gave audiences a consistently good time at reasonable prices. Some of the notable music acts who've appeared here are Kenny Rodgers, Linda Ronstadt, The Association, Seals and Crofts, Stephen Bishop, Jennifer Warnes, and hundreds more. Shortly after it's opening, folk nightclub veteran (and future icon) Bob Stane took over and guided the club through 18 magical years of music and comedy. Bob's style always showed great respect for both audience and entertainer. Over 50 live albums have been recorded at The Ice House, including those by Lily Tomlin, The Smothers Brothers, Bob Newhart, and George Lopez. Pat Paulsen was the first comedian to appear on our stage. He would put paint in his hair and suspend himself upside down from a rope. Using his hair as a brush he would put paint on canvass and sell his "cranial paintings" after the show. The club was purchased in 1978 by a group of business people that included Bob Fisher and Jan Maxwell Smith. It was at that time that an all comedy format was established. In 1981, Fisher became the sole owner and continues the tradition of great respect for entertainers and audiences alike. The Ice House now includes a second showroom, The Annex, as well as an outdoor deck/courtyard, and a VIP Room. Every month over 7,000 people share good times and laughs at our 100 live shows. So, get in your car and make the drive to the legendary Ice House and become a part of nightclub history! Comedy Benefit for ’Relay for Life’ This Monday night, March 8th, get ready to laugh in cancer’s face. They say it’s the best medicine, but we hope it’s the cure. Lauren Shepherd is sponsoring this benefit show where proceeds will go to Relay for Life’s fight against the big C. Lauren is also just 12 years old. "This is my daughter’s way of fighting a disease that has effected everyone in different ways", says her mother, Karen. "She was looking for a way to do community service and thought, what better way than making people laugh?" The benefit will feature some of Hampton Roads best local comedians, including National Feature acts. The lineup currently slated includes Bill Russ, Hatton Jordan, Mike Easmeil, Jay Gates, Cori Healy, Beatty Barnes, Dan Ellison, Averell Carter, John Brown, Joey Grant, and Christian Lee. Tickets are only $5, but additional donations will be accepted. All proceeds go to Relay for Life. "We just want to thank Cinema Cafe for allowing us to use their venue", commented comedian Hatton Jordan. "It’s going to be a great night for comedy and building awareness through laughter." Seating starts at 6:30 with the laughter rolling at 7PM. 752 Independence Boulevard Virginia Beach, VA 23455-6253 (757) 499-8132