Everything That's On My Mind

My wife was teasing me last night about not having written a new blog entry since Friday. Boy, she can be demanding. Seriously, I don't know how some guys find the time to write as much as they do. For example, Mark Roberts, who seems to blog a dissertation every day. I'm glad he has that kind of time, though. I've been enjoying his series on biblical inspiration.

I received my alumni magazine from Anderson University the other day and found a great surprise. Some of my fellow alums are the creative minds behind the new movie “Hoodwinked”! So I had to take Bekah to see it tonight. Gotta support da homies. The verdict? Great script (loved the “Fletch” references), good score (John Mark Painter!), but an undersized animation budget. Not Oscar material, but a good start for these 30-somethings. I’ll be on the lookout for their next effort. 

As a life-long fan of the cinematic arts (yes, I own copies of "Citizen Kane" and "Casablanca"), I’m excited to see Christians finally getting back into this business. I believe that the decline of morality in Hollywood movies is partly the fault of the church, which abandoned the industry for years. Christians retreated into their sub-culture and created sub-standard fare only for themselves, just like we did in the music industry. Lately, we’ve seen a resurgence of quality movies made by Christians or informed by the Christian faith. I hope this trend continues, and I hope the church wholeheartedly supports these movies. Hollywood is controlled by box office receipts. If family-friendly and faith-based movies do well in the theaters and on DVD, they will make more. 

I’m encouraged by people like Philip Anschutz, a Christian billionaire who has invested his wealth in creating such films. One of his companies, Walden Media, is developing the “Chronicles of Narnia” movies, as well as other family-friendly films based on great books like “Charlotte’s Web”. His other company, Bristol Bay Productions, was involved in the movies "Sahara" and “Ray”, which wasn’t necessarily family-friendly but was a very worthwhile film.

Another example is Every Tribe Entertainment, who created “End of the Spear” which is being released next week. This movie tells a different perspective of the story made famous in the book “Through Gates of Splendor”. Next month brings the release of “The Second Chance”, a movie directed by one of my personal heroes, Steve Taylor. I just hope and pray Michael W. Smith can actually act. 

We cannot reach our culture with the gospel by hiding from it. Jesus did not come so that we might have our own sub-culture and have it more abundantly. He commanded us to be salt and light IN the world. Christian doctors don’t treat Christian patients exclusively, why should Christian artists be restricted in such ways?

Now if someone would just have the courage and vision to make a Stephen Lawhead book into a movie…

Here's another good article on prayer from John Piper. Thanks to Adrian Warnock for the link.

I don't think I can add anything to Dan Edelen's post today at Cerulean Sanctum. Just read and be challenged. It goes right along with what we're talking about on Sundays in January.

There's a good entry today over at Out of Ur concerning the practice of hospitality. Unfortunately, I think the author goes out of his way to get in "digs" at the seeker-sensitive methodology. Once again I feel the need to say, "We're all on the same team, people." Despite the negativity, I think his positive point is well taken. Hospitality is a biblical imperative that is often neglected, and I include myself in that statement. As a natural introvert, hospitality does not come as naturally to me as it does to others. Add to that the demands of being a bi-vocational pastor and you end up with something resembling hermitage at times. Excuses are useless, however, and I need to find ways to set a better example on this topic.

So I guess this is my first "confessional" blog posting.

What Dan Edelen writes here today is so true, not just for the "Godblogsphere" but for much of modern Christianity. Some of us are so busy proving our own "rightness" that the mission is forgotten. Judgments are made based on "doctrinal purity" or how someone voted in the last election or any number of other trivialities. Rick Warren gets accused of heresy because he tries to explain the Gospel in terms the average non-Christian can understand. Bono gets vilified for dropping an f-bomb here or there, despite the fact that he's done more for the sick and needy in Africa than any other Christian leader I can think of. Just because someone's docrine isn't exactly the same as ours doesn't mean they need to be attacked.

Doctrine is good and necessary, but without faith-driven, compassionate action it's empty. It's too easy to become modern Pharisees, neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. May we repent and follow Christ's example. Let's know what we believe, put our beliefs into action, and be merciful with fellow Christians.

(I started reading Bono: A Self-Portrait in Conversation over the holidays. I'll probably blog on it a few times as quotes grab me.)

“The world demands to be described, and so, painters, poets, journalists, pornographers, and sitcom writers, by accident or by design, are just following orders, whether from high or low, to describe the world they’re in.”
~Bono

This reminded me of a blog entry I made a while ago on the arts. I've always been more of an artist-wannabe than a true artist. I have a great appreciation for those who have the talent and drive to "describe the world they're in." I think Bono makes a great observation here, that all artists are just following orders. The question is, where are those orders coming from? That's not to say that only Christians can create God-inspired art, nor that all art created by non-Christians inspired by Satan. The point is, nothing is created in a vacuum. Only God creates "ex nihlo", with no outside influences.

The fact is, all of us are under the influence of both Good and Evil. Whether you're painting the ceiling of some chapel in Italy or grinding out the day in some bland cubicle, what you do/think/say is influenced by the things around you. None of us are an island, no matter how hard some try. We do, however, have a measure of control over how we are influenced by these things. That's why it's so important to walk through this life with brains and spirits fully engaged.

When I owned a sailboat, I could choose to allow the wind to push me where it was blowing, or I could use the tools I had (a sail, a rudder, a brain) to choose my path. I couldn't change the wind, but I could change my course. The same is true in life. We can't change the influences around us, but we can choose the direction we allow them to drive us. The question is, are you choosing or drifting?

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

"Gotta Serve Somebody" - Bob Dylan

"Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's rebellion."
~Alice Cooper in The London Sunday Times

Thanks to Thunderstruck for the quote. Full blog entries to come soon...be patient.

I don't know how much I'll be blogging over the next couple weeks. Christmas, New Year's, and my wife's birthday will take up most of my attention. I pray everyone has a wonderful holiday season with friends and family, but always focused on Him.

Read an interesting article today on Next-Wave.org regarding the nature of the gospel, or at least how we communicate it. It's an interesting perspective. The gospel is "holistic" and affects our entire existence, and should not be limited in scope. I do believe the gospel does need to be understood in the context of the entire "story" of history. Otherwise, we approach our faith with a very self-centered mindset. However, we do need to keep in mind that the Cross is the central focus of the gospel story. In literary terms it is the "climax" of the story...at least the story so far. There is another "climax" to come. The gospel is not just about my salvation, however, it's about the redemption of all creation. I'm just a part of the story...and I need to play my part.