Feb 05 2007
My new favorite T.V. show is heroes on NBC. An incredible adventure into the development of the human spirit and spirituality in a world out of control. An epic battle of good vs evil with ordinary people doing extraordinary things for each other and for the world.
Kind of what the church should be today
Popularity: 43% [?]
Nov 25 2006
New Line Cinema releases the movie Nativity Story this week. I had the opportunity to see a preview screening last week. I took the whole family. The youngest 5 loved it though he was scared when Herod’s soldiers killed the Hebrew babies. My oldest 12 could take it or leave it. My wife said it was alright.
The PR guy said the movie was 13 months in the making from idea to release. To me it felt more like a made for TV movie than theatrical release. It wasn’t tacky or cheap or cheesy it just didn’t have a big screen feel. Maybe that was by intent because the publicity notes say they are trying to tell the story on a more personal level. Looking at the story from the perspective of the people involved. On that level I think they succeeded.
They also did a very good job with casting particularly Kiesha Castle Hughes (Whale Rider) as Mary. The folks look middle eastern unlike passion of the Christ where even though they spoke in Aramaic they looked European. The magi provide some light humour.
Overall it rates B. I’ll use aspects of it in my advent messages series at Mosaic Life
Popularity: 51% [?]
May 20 2006
Well I didn’t get to read the book before seeing the movie but here is one person’s Ben Witherington guidelines for Christian viewers
GUIDE TO CHRISTIAN VIEWERS This movie is not appropriate to bring: 1) young children to– the violence and self-flagellations scenes involving Silas the monk are too much for the young; 2) likewise this movie is going to raise numerous questions for people not well grounded in their faith, especially those of Roman Catholic background. I am not urging them to see it either. 3) Those who know the Bible, but not much about church history (including modern church history– e.g. what is Opus Dei) are not going to be able to dialogue with the inquisitive about this movie very well since it is more about church history than it is about anything in the Bible itself.
Thanks to mike for the link my review will be posted later.
Popularity: 23% [?]
May 16 2006
Kruse Kronicle: writes an interesting critique of the emergent conversation with regard to the Da Vinci Code and treatment of story in general. Here’s a quote
Yet for Emergent types, of all people, to flippantly dismiss concerns about events like The Da Vinci Code as “just stories” seems just a little inconsistent and a little too convenient. When Evangelicals write books like Left Behind, we bemoan the way they twist minds. We pride ourselves that intellectually we have sufficiently evolved to see this foolishness for what it is. We recommit ourselves to telling better stories. When The Da Vinci Code comes along, suddenly it is no longer about the story but rather about those silly Evangelicals (God bless ‘em) who are so incapable of distinguishing facts and reality from fiction. (This despite the fact that all along we have said it is not about facts and propositional truths, but stories.) It is this kind of behavior that makes me suspect all the more that too much of Emergent is driven by being contra-Evangelical than by a new way of being the church. If there is to be a new way of being church, then we had better get our story straight, even when it might mean being confused with being a traditional Evangelical.
What do we do with stories? Is the gospel the greatest story ever told? Which cultural stories get told? Is the emergent conversation just contra-evangelical?
I’m planning to see the Da Vinci Code movie when it comes out this weekend, I’ll have more to say then.
Popularity: 22% [?]
Apr 28 2006
Michale Stipe from R.E.M. and producer of the movie Saved! talks about faith in a great interview I came across after reading a blurb on it in Relevant magazine. Here is a snippet.
Faith in general–and I am speaking about Christian faith in particular because it’s what I’m most familiar with–is an individual thing. But I think it’s easy to get lost in it and to maybe allow other people to tell you what is and is not right. I think a true Christian, and I’ll use my parents as the shining example in my life, recognizes what the teachings of Jesus represent and what that means to them, and then, in the not-simple day-to-day living and breathing those teachings, what paths do you take, what choices do you make, what do you support, what do you not support?If there’s a schism in this country, it might be not between the people who have faith and the people who don’t have faith, but people who have faith that is, in my opinion, pure to the teachings of Jesus and people who have taken that and turned it into something for other reasons, be that power, be that intolerance or ignorance. And that’s where a schism might have occurred in this country presently.
Popularity: 26% [?]
Apr 17 2006
Lady In The Water M. Night Shyamalan’s next movie comes out in June. I think this guy is the most phenomenal director since Hitchcock. He is by far my favorite living director. All his movies have significant but not overbearing spiritual undertones.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Apr 17 2006
Aug 22 2005
I rented this movie because I really liked Crouching Tiger. I find these movies about ancient Asian culture traditions and values really inspiring and beautiful. The Kung Fu fighting scenes are excellent as well ;).
This film form Zhang Yimou has a combination of beautiful music, intense conflict, stirring love and excellently choreographed and acted fighting scene. The movie centers around a mysterious rebel group called the House of Flying Daggers. These highly disciplined and well trained warrior bandits (like Asian Robin Hoods) battle the corrupt and oppressive government officials and provide hope for the ordinary people.
Problems arise when love is sparked between two fighters on opposite sides of an impending battle. There are many twists and turns that keep the viewer guessing and engaged. The action sequences are expertly interwoven with scenes that allow you to get to know the characters and feel for them when their life changing dilemma arises.
Kinda wish I had seen this one on the big screen
Popularity: 28% [?]
Sep 22 2004
Lee Strobel from Willow and Saddle back churches is launching a new tv show next week. Here’s a blurb from Willow
It’s time - finally - to put your television to good use. On Saturday, October 2, PAX-TV launches “Faith Under Fire” with Lee Strobel (10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 9 p.m. Central and Mountain). This weekly program will tackle the biggest faith issues in a fast-paced format with Lee moderating debates and interviewing intriguing newsmakers. Best of all, you can use the show as a spiritual discussion starter.
Click here for more…
Popularity: 10% [?]
Sep 21 2004
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Disciplines of the Spirit by Howard Thurman
God of the Oppressed by James H. Cone
To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City by Mark R. Gornik
Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman
the spiritual epic of a generation gets re-released on DVD today. Got it on order from