Friday, 20 November 2009

• The Road: Coming Soon to a Church Near You

  By Justin at Faith and Geekery
  

  Awhile back I talked a little about the trend of marketing movies to Christians — both Christian film directors talking about their faith as well as other films that are being marketed specifically to churches regardless of the intent.

  I have to say up front that I knew nothing about the movie The Road or the book it came from before doing a little research. I see it has some great actors and it looks like a good story. It’s getting positive reviews, and is a film that may have Oscar potential. I don’t want to criticize the movie itself, but I would like to question how it’s being marketed to Christians.

  Jared Wilson at his blog The Gospel-Driven Church mentions an Entertainment Weekly article (which doesn’t appear to be online, although maybe that will change) that talks a bit about The Road’s plans. Directly from the article:

  [T]he adaptation of . . . McCarthy’s acclaimed novel about a father (Viggo Mortensen) and son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) traveling through a bleak wasteland is getting the full pitch to Christian audiences . . . Plans include 15 advance screenings for church leaders nationwide, a website featuring free sermon and discussion guides, and a special trailer with extra scenes underscoring the film’s moral message.

  The website in question is here, and you can download a PDF filled with multiple sermons and questionnaires. The studio is using a marketing firm that has marketed to Christians in the past. More Here...

  • 10:22 PM
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• Thoughts on Transition

  I just moved into a new place. Every time I move in to a new building, city, or ministry there is a tension present. I always feel as though I can't properly rest or be fully comfortable because I'm not settled. The movement from one house to another, from one job (or unemployment) to a new job, or from one form of marital status to another is difficult All transition seems to have this tension. Being in between two places makes you feel like a stretch Armstrong doll being or a tug-of-war rope. When I think about my moving around in the last several years and the ministry of Jesus I see a shared tension.
  
  "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
  

  -Jesus of Nazareth, The Gospel of Matthew
  

  
  Jesus was on the move. He lived in the tension. Jesus was between his heavenly kingdom and the world. Both were of Him and he was in both. The Church lives in a similar tension as she aims to be the kingdom of heaven on Earth. She is to embody the all ready (in Christ) and not yet (new earth) kingdom. More Here...

  • 7:19 PM
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• Anger, and the Eternal Perspective

  By Clayton King
  
  I was commenting this weekend to my pastor about the culture we are living in right now in America and how everyone, or at least alot of folks, have such a short fuse.  Really, more and more people get riled up about less and less.

  I’ve seen this on TV, in the movies, and on the news, but I’ve noticed more and more in my daily routine as I drive my kids to school, buy groceries, or go see my 7 year old play football.  It doesn’t take much for most people to have an all-out meltdown, to go from sitting still and quiet to ranting, raving, cursing and threatening those around them, for insignificant things like taking a parking spot, failing to let them in the line of traffic, or for just looking at them (seriously, the other day I was staring off into space thinking about something random, and a guy in a truck thought I was looking at him - I was wearing sunglasses - and he challenged me to fist fight.  I turned him down).

  What’s behind all of this?  When people crater and just go nuts, like some parents recently did at a little league football game I attended, what is the cause of such out-of-control behavior?

  Well, there are many factors, to be sure.  Immaturity.  Stress.  Family problems.  But I really wonder if the reason why we all tend to blow up about such minor things is that we fail to realize the difference between what really matters and what is absolutely unimportant in the grand scheme of things.  We lack an eternal perspective. More Here...

  • 4:36 PM
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• Divorce and Loss

  I live in one of two remaining countries in world which doesn't allow divorce.  We're a Roman Catholic country, as stated in our constitution, and hold on dearly to our traditions, culture, the family and its values.  We have had endless political and religious discussions and debates over whether or not Malta should introduce divorce.  So, this 'hot' topic gets a lot of coverage in the media.  To date, there is divided opinion on divorce: 

  The anti-divorce camp (made up of conservatives, moralists, right-wing politicians, the church and it's various organizations), zealously see 'the family' as the cornerstone of society and morally claim that everything must be done to preserve it.  They argue that families need to be strengthened and that help should be given to those families in trouble so they can face their difficulties which strength and courage to overcome them.  The focus usually turns to children and their needs.  They argue that the introduction of divorce will make matters worse - not better.  It will bring more chaos than order.  When referring to the family, they are of course, referring to the nuclear, conventional family.  Family diversity does not feature in their discussions.  Yet, their staunch anti-divorce views sit unrealistically with social reality.  Maltese marriages are breaking down at an accelerated rate each year.  And even with separation, children are still the casualties of such breakups.  Couples have fought endless battles in court over 'their children.' 

  More Here...

  • 1:27 PM
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• How Biblical is Too Biblical?

  By Dean Lusk
  
  I had a great discussion with a friend this evening. We talked about several things, but one that kept me thinking was the fact that sometimes Christians don't hold to the same standards. That's pretty much fact.
  
  A question that came to my mind -- one that I'd like for you to respond to -- is, how Biblical is too Biblical?
  
  I won't qualify the question further for now, though it's admittedly a very broad question. You're free to take whatever angle you'd like, whether it touches on legalism, liberalism, literalism, or any other "l" word.

  • 10:41 AM
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