{"id":7873,"date":"2012-08-22T20:11:34","date_gmt":"2012-08-23T01:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/?p=7873"},"modified":"2016-09-30T15:58:48","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T20:58:48","slug":"nailing-jello-to-a-tree-the-wit-and-wisdom-of-al-kresta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/2012\/08\/nailing-jello-to-a-tree-the-wit-and-wisdom-of-al-kresta\/","title":{"rendered":"Nailing Jello to a Tree: The Wit and Wisdom of Al Kresta"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>It was the fall of 1987.<\/strong>\u00a0 I was heading southward on I-75, driving home from my job in downtown Detroit and listening to \u201cTalk From the Heart\u201d on evangelical radio station WMUZ-FM.\u00a0 The show was hosted by Al Kresta, then pastor of a small non-denominational church, Shalom Ministries.<\/p>\n

As I crossed the Rouge River Bridge,<\/strong> I heard Al say, \u201cYou know, we\u2019d like to find a producer for the show\u2014someone who can answer the phones, screen callers, line up some interview guests\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWow!\u201d<\/em> I thought. \u201cI\u2019d like to do that!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s it!\u00a0<\/strong> That\u2019s how I began my career in Christian radio:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0I applied; I met with Al Kresta and the station\u2019s general manager Frank Franciosi; we hit it off; and I became the first producer of what was to be one of the nation\u2019s most popular talk shows among evangelical Christians.<\/p>\n

Al was a stellar talk show host.<\/strong> His colorful prose (that \u201cnailing jello to a tree\u201d<\/em>\u00a0stuff) captures the imagination.\u00a0 His guests frequently commented that this was \u201cthe best interview they\u2019d ever had\u201d; and indeed, Al\u2019s questions were incisive\u2014extracting the deeper meaning, the back story that gave life to the interview.\u00a0\u00a0 Al was everything to everybody: He drew out a writer\u2019s pent-up frustration, comforted the mother of a sick child, prayed with a distraught wife whose spouse had filed for divorce.\u00a0 He understood politics, education, theology, and proposed complex answers drawn from his Christian faith.<\/p>\n

But despite his generous spirit, he was no push-over.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Once, after learning that a particular guest had published two wildly divergent books using different pen names, Al broke the news\u2014revealing the guest\u2019s \u201calter-ego\u201d in a live broadcast by calling him by his pen name.<\/p>\n

Anyway, that\u2019s how our work relationship and our friendship started.<\/strong>\u00a0 My respect and admiration for his work have burgeoned in the 25 years that followed.\u00a0 When Al investigated the Catholic faith, studying with the likes of Scott Hahn and Richard John Neuhaus and Fr. Peter Stravinskas\u2014when he converted, then brought with him a steady stream of friends and associates\u2014and when Al, at the urging of Tom Monaghan, began a fledgling radio station, the first Catholic station\u2014I watched with pride and excitement.\u00a0 When his life was threatened by necrotizing faciitis, his leg eventually lost to the flesh-eating bacteria, I joined the WDEO staff in worry and in prayer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We worked together again:<\/strong>\u00a0 Al helped me to get a foot in the door at Legatus, where I became conference director.\u00a0 For a few years, I produced his show on Ave Maria Radio, broadcasting from studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still a faithful listener.<\/strong>\u00a0 Every afternoon from 4:00 to 6:00, Al Kresta looks at all of life \u201cthrough the lens of Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Faith.\u201d\u00a0 We drive home together, Al and I:\u00a0 he, on the airwaves; I, behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

This Saturday evening, Al Kresta celebrates a milestone:<\/strong>\u00a0 Twenty-five years in broadcasting!\u00a0 The Catholic station he leads, WDEO 990-AM, celebrates fifteen years.\u00a0 The network has grown, the idea has spread, and there are now some 200 stations around the country broadcasting the Good News.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Friends and supporters of Al Kresta rejoice at this occasion.<\/strong>\u00a0 We\u2019ll do a little rockin\u2019, too:\u00a0 The station is putting on a grand celebration, featuring a concert with Catholic country singer Collin Raye at Ann Arbor\u2019s Hill Auditorium.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be there!\u00a0 Tickets are still available, and I know how much Al would appreciate it if you could be there, too.\u00a0 Go to Avemariaradio.net <\/a>for more information.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

See you Saturday?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0The station\u2019s mission statement reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ave Maria Radio employs radio, internet and other media to offer news, analysis, teaching, devotions and music to demonstrate the good news that Jesus is Lord over all areas of life. Through these means and activities we show that the teaching of Christ, through His Church offers a rational view of the world, a deep sense of spirituality, a firm family life, enhanced human relationships, and the creation of a culture of life and love.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0Oh oh!\u00a0 And coming right up:\u00a0 A<\/strong> special guest post from Al Kresta himself<\/strong>, addressing Cardinal Dolan\u2019s invitation to the President to the Al Smith Dinner.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was the fall of 1987.\u00a0 I was heading southward on I-75, driving home from my job in downtown Detroit and listening to \u201cTalk From the Heart\u201d on evangelical radio station WMUZ-FM.\u00a0 The show was hosted by Al Kresta, then pastor of a small non-denominational church, Shalom Ministries. As I crossed the Rouge River Bridge, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":556,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,49,67,95,167],"tags":[961,962],"class_list":["post-7873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cardinal-dolan","category-catholic","category-conversion","category-faith","category-music","tag-al-kresta","tag-collin-raye"],"yoast_head":"\nNailing Jello to a Tree: The Wit and Wisdom of Al Kresta<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It was the fall of 1987.\u00a0 I was heading southward on I-75, driving home from my job in downtown Detroit and listening to \u201cTalk From the Heart\u201d on\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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