Congrats Jason Munday...

... on being featured today on youtube!

The indirect connection to Adoleo: Jason's link to Ryan Seiler's youtube channel, Seiler's link to Adoleo's youtube

It's a jungle out there in cyberspace!

Spotlight

On The Rise: Jason Munday

The votes are in, and you've chosen singer, songwriter and producer Jason Munday as August's On The Rise winner! Jason was one-third of YouTube faves Ministry of Magic and a self-described "nerdy musician."

"This Hope" music video

Here's the first Adoleo music video. It was fun filming this in such a beautiful setting that encourages reflection on God's purposes. Nature has a way of displaying the glory of God.

So somehow I've got to incorporate this as I plant a church. Wow, thanks to the good people at youtube, planting a church is going to be as easy as "just add water." Thanks, Mikaela for the vine.

I guess the last video post ("This is church?") was a rip-off from this movie trailer.

Speaking of movies, last night I watched "Brothers" with Jeff and Ashley Thune, who just moved in with us temporarily before the move to Iowa City here in a few weeks. There's nothing "fun" about that movie, and as it ended, I was thinking... "Hmmm. If I had that 105 minutes back, would I have spent it the same way?"

But as I've thought about it today, that is one of the most powerful movies I've seen in awhile. In a word, I think the movie is about "grace." There is so much to be written on the themes that were brilliantly woven into the story line: family dynamics, father-son issues, jealousy, betrayal, faithfulness, forgiveness, child and adult psychology, anger, war, love and Grace.

The more I reflect on it, the more I realize how much I loved that movie. This is the most trite way I could think to end this post, but it's true: I want to be more like Jesus having seen this movie. More like Grace.

Odds and Ends

Still no baby as of 11:52 pm Thursday night. I'll keep you up to date.

Tonight Beck (4), said, "Mom, if you know Jesus you won't die when you have the baby, but if you don't know Jesus, you will die." Leatha said, "Beck, I could die, but since I know Jesus, I'll be with God forever." He said, "That's true. Good point, mom."

Darrell Green's hall of fame speech relates to my post on "Sex and Faithfulness." The whole thing is good, but at least start listening at 4:40. It reminded me of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7, saying at the end of his life, "I fought the good fight."

Also, good thoughts from Alex Tuckness on diamonds: click here.

I've enjoyed getting caught up on the New Perspective of Paul from Scot McKnight's blog: click here for the posts. This is one of the more important theological discussions going on right now. It's become John Piper Vs. N.T. Wright, with McKnight's blog representing the Wright camp. Great things to think about, but if you're not inclined to enjoy deep theological debates, don't waste your time... I'll consider writing a blog post summarizing what's at stake.

That last sentence was totally worthless.

So was that.

I'm going to bed.

Oh yeah, Salt was awesome tonight. I met a new guy that wandered into Cornerstone today seeking help in his relationship with Christ. He came tonight and met some great guys and got in their connection group. And once again, tons of international students were there. Two Chinese guys said, "Wow, someday we might be able to have the excitement that's in you guys."

This is church!

Good Movies

Gran Torino

Wow, this is one of the most redemptive movies (i.e. it tells the Story) I've seen in awhile. 

This has a thick story line, with so much to reflect on afterwards. Here are some thoughts, in no particular order. If you haven't seen it, only read #1...

1. Gran Torino told the truth about the world: it's a jacked up place where hope is found in a very unusual place. 

The movie was extremely vulgar and boldly offensive. And yet, by the end, I was in no way tempted to sin. In fact, I hated sin for its death-giving effects. My mind was engaged, and emotions moved. I had the thought, "That was worth watching."

Cicero is famous for naming the three functions of rhetoric: docere (teach), motivere (motivate), and delectere (delight). In my mind, Gran Torino accomplished all three.

Warning: spoilers ahead... read after watching...

2. I rarely see the complexities of life in the inner city so up close and personal

- The fighting and hate among ethnic groups such as Hmong, Hispanic, African American, etc

- The diversification of "white" neighborhoods. One thinks, "Why can't you move out?" while the other, "Why did you have to move in?"

- Racism is often overcome when we actually take the time to get to know people. There's something to love about every culture. God is as much Hmong as American.

3. The power of sharing a meal. 

Americans are not good at this, but in other cultures, sharing a meal is a participation together in something spiritual. That's why it was really throwing down when Paul says about the immoral "Christian" in 1 Corinthians 5, "with such a man do not even eat." It also reminds me of the power of communion- what it means to share from one loaf.

4. The challenges of generational conflict.

I loved and yet hated Walt. That generation in particular was not good at showing their emotions, unless it was a fit of anger. But they were fiercely loyal and patriotic citizens (Notice how much the American flag was in the camera shots?). How insightful that he considered not reporting $900 on his taxes to be one of his worst sins.

This is such a "Me" generation, with no respect for elders. His granddaughter was basically waiting for him to die so she could get his couch. 

The generational issues were also depicted at the party in the juxtaposition of the older Hmong upstairs, while the teenagers were in the basement. 

I think one of the points in the movie was that this is an issue that we're all going to have to address, whatever our ethnicity. It's especially hard for immigrants to lose their ethnic identity in this melting pot called America. I wonder how the early immigrants dealt with this.

5. What manhood is

The movie had an interesting take. It was some truth mixed with worldly nonsense. I'm in the middle of listening to a great message from Mark Driscoll on manhood. This would be a better source for information about Biblical manhood:

6. The challenges of Father/Son relationships

As far as his son was concerned, Walt had become a means to get tickets to a football game. Walt was to blame, and that was his greatest regret in life.

That should cause us to pause: What are we doing as parents that we'll look back and say, "I wish I would've _________ (or wouldn't have__________)" 

Walt's true friend became Thao. This was a form of redemption, as Thao became the relationship he never had with his sons.

7. The crucifiction scene

Amazing. Notice how he was laid out on the ground.

8. The heaven scene

This was beautiful and stirred so much emotion in me. The image of a road along a beach that never ends. There was no line on the horizon both vertically (the road) and horizontally (the beach), representing eternity.

Walt died so Thao could be free.

9. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

For me, this was the most important take away from the movie. The aftermath of the drive-by shooting scene was unbearable. Everything within me wanted justice. My flesh wanted it now- for Walt and Thao to throw down on those abhorrent thugs.

But in a twist of irony, justice was accomplished through a courageous act of sacrificial love. 

In spite of the aforementioned "heaven" scene, the movie rightly left us with the tension that we experience in this world: joy mixed with sorrow, satisfaction filled with longing, and a hope infused with the sting of loss.

There's so much more to say about this movie... Walt's baggage of guilt for having killed men in war, the role of the priest in Walt's conversion, the power of confessing sin to another human...

I was moved by this movie.  I'm not sure how many readers I have under age 18, but I would definitely ask your parents before you watch this.

Movie #2= Seven Pounds

This was another great movie. Brilliantly told. To me, one of the greatest apologetics for Christianity is guilt. Why do people feel guilty? How do we solve the problem of guilt?

Notice Ben Thomas' job: tax collector. 

Spoiler Warning...

The only way for him to get redemption was to offer himself as a sacrifice to atone for his guilt. 

This was another great movie. Once again we see that Hollywood can't help but telling the Story. It's written on our hearts. 

John Adams

This 7 part miniseries produced by HBO was well worth the investment of time to watch (6+ hours). If you watch it, make sure to watch it with the special feature (Facts are stubborn things) turned on. It provides a historical guide to what's happening. Even without it, you will be overwhelmed by the story of America's birth. I was shocked by how different it was from what I had in my mind.

I am naturally drawn to historical nonfiction, but I think the story is compelling enough to draw in those who might not otherwise be interested in history. Moreover, the love story and family dynamics of the Adams family (da na na na... ch ch...) is insightful, heart-wrenching, and instructive.

According to David McCullough, the historian and author of John Adams, this movie is extremely accurate. 

This is one of the few movies I will probably watch again. 

btw... you can probably check it out from your local library.

A Crazy Week Comes to an End

Holy Week was awesome, and yet draining.

We had our spiritual intensity week for college ministry, which led up to Easter weekend. Our church did a production called the "Ragman." The short story was written by Walter Wangerin, and adapted (original music, most of the script) by Jenni Sabino. It was a great modern way of communicating the gospel. 

I led worship at the end, and I think it's one of the more awkward settings to lead in. You might wonder, "Are you kidding me? Easter weekend should be the easiest to lead." There were around 3,000 people there between the 5 services, which means about 1,000 of those faces staring at us on stage had the deer in the headlights look. At the same time, it was so fun to see people that God had brought to hear the Story. 

So after it was all said and done, we decided to get some much needed family time in on Sunday afternoon. 

So we went bowling.

Even as one who enjoys my freedom in Christ, it seemed a little sacrilegious. Here's a picture of our scores after one frame (Leatha and I had our own lane, with the kids on the "bumper" lane). It was a barn burner after frame one. Any guesses on who won?

With an epic come back, I ended up leaving with a "W" (Me: 133 Ava: 94 Leatha: 86 Cameron: 57 Beck: 19 Makai: 1)

We ended the night by breaking a Lent movie fast with one most of you have probably seen: Slumdog Millionaire.

I loved, absolutely loved it. 

If you haven't seen it, just stop reading and watch it. Fair Warning: Movie spoilers ahead...

Here's what I loved:

1. Captivating story line.

2. I got a very cheap trip to the slums of India ($1.07 thanks to Redbox). My heart got wrecked for the oppressed children and injustice that is more common in this world than I'd like to think.

3. It told the Story that every good story must tell: 

Act 1 (15 min)

Assumption of balance- Inciting Incident- Foreshadowing

Act 2 (1 hr 40 min)

Progressive complications

Act 3 (15 min)

Crisis- Climax- Resolution

Think... 

Act 1: Gen 1-3

Act 2: Gen 4-Malachi

Act 3: New Testament

Slumdog pretty much followed the script. There was no stopping redemption- it was destiny.

4. There was little to no sensuality, nothing that caused me to stumble in any way.

5. The movie portrayed the world as it actually is. The protagonist was a true hero and the movie glorified the right things, while exposing evil for what it truly is. Notice that Jamal never cared about winning the money, he just wanted Latika back, while the corrupt Salim died in a pile of cash.

I'm not trying to over spiritualize this movie. I'm not thinking this is a Christian movie. I'm just saying I was moved by it and I think every great story points to God's Story. It was a great movie that's worth watching.

I loved it. It's fantastic. (Hear Jack Black's Nacho Libre voice...)

Fireproof

In my opinion, this movie was both cheesy and profoundly helpful.

The whole time I was thinking, "There's no way I'm really enjoying this right now. Sub-par acting, cheap (i.e. no) special effects, predictable storyline..."

But this story has to resonate with anyone who's been married. I'm sure there's something for all of us in the characters, and it epitomizes what's happening in the typical American family. A couple replaces their love for each other with a large mortgage payment, two incomes to pay for that mortgage, devotion to pleasure, addiction to entertainment and lust for more and bigger stuff. The net effect is to shrink the soul, leading to misery, brokenness and two individuals who happen to share the same house. (Great quote from the 16th century Henry Scougal, "The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.")

Going into it I didn't expect it to be so blatantly evangelistic. Although some of the dialogue seemed forced, it's very difficult to make conversations about the gospel feel natural. It was accurate to real life. Many conversations I've had about the gospel feel labored, like a real war is going on as I speak. I think that's the nature of conversations about Jesus. He is a dangerous man who wants to wreck the idols we've built for ourselves. 

I have to admit that I did cry a couple times. Redemption stories have a way of doing that. I did think, "I need to fight for my wife, like Caleb." There are not many movies where you walk away inspired to that end. I'll give a quick plug for "Family Man," a movie that stirred me in a similar way, and "Spitfire Grill," which is a metaphor of the gospel made with Catholic funding. (Watch that movie and see if you can pick out all the characters in the gospel)

Moreover, I was so proud of this church, who made the movie. One of the best parts was watching "the making of Fireproof" at the end. Most of those actors were volunteers from the church. They took no glory for themselves and everyone pulled together. The "Wayne on Wayne" extra was funny. I applaud that church for their vision- a little church is making a big splash. 

Some questions I still have: 

Can Christians make a movie where sin is accurately portrayed? I can't imagine that an unbelieving firefighter wouldn't be dropping some F bombs and other expletives.

How far can Christian actors/actresses go in their roles as it relates to swearing, kissing, and other depictions of sin?

Will the church step up and use this artistic expression (i.e. movies on the big screen) for God's glory? Or is it even a worthwhile pursuit?

My movie list

The fact that it is movie season, I thought I'd post some of my favorites. I put similar movies together...

1. Shawshank Redemption, Count of Monte Cristo, Les Miserables, and The Passion

2. Quiz Show, Truman Show, Cast Away

3. Young Guns, Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma, Lonesome Dove and Return to Lonesome Dove

6. Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, and We Were Soldiers

7. The Fugitive and US Marshalls

8. The Firm, Pelican Brief, Conspiracy Theory, Enemy of the State, Shooter, Mission Impossible 3, and the Bourne series

9. The Last Samurai, Troy, The First Knight, Gladiator, Apocolypto and Braveheart

10. The Princess Bride, Sandlot, Second Hand Lions, The Legend of Zorro

11. Munich, Traffic, Blood Diamond and Crash

12. Peewee's big adventure (kidding)

13. Ocean's 11, Italian Job

14. Awakenings, Patch Adams

15. Planes Trains and Automobiles, Dumb and Dumber

Here's a short list of movies I try to keep a secret that I like. I'll use big numbers to pretend they're way at the bottom of my list...

99. Pride and Prejudice (the long BBC version)

100. While you were sleeping, Sweet Home Alabama

101. Anne of Green Gables

102. Sense and Sensibility

1984 and Appaloosa

I just finished 1984, by George Orwell. It's a classic book that everyone should have read well before 32. That's a tactic "refined" people use to make us "commoners" feel inferior. Oh well, I blame it on my public school education. Actually, I think it was only the AP English classes that read it...

It's obvious why this book is a classic, as it's well written and stunningly prophetic. I kept thinking, "No way, this was written in 1948!" The story not only applies to totalitarian regimes, but also to us Americans in 2o09. 

At one point Orwell drops this bomb- tell me if this doesn't apply to our brain dead and culturally conditioned society... "The goal of big brother is to get people speaking with their larynx, and not with their minds."

In our culture, the media sets so much of the agenda- what we will think about and how we will think about it. We begin regurgitating the nonsense as a regular part of our conversations, and thus, speaking with our "larynx."

The book had a lot of great insights- I could go on. But I agree with C.S. Lewis on this point- if you've read Animal Farm by Orwell, then 1984 is not a critical read. Orwell basically says the same thing in a much   l   o   n   g   e   r   way. 

If you want to be able to have a conversation about it without actually reading the whole book (thus sounding smart, a clear goal of everyone), just wikipedia it and you'll get a good summary.

Last night I was in a movie watching mood. What else is a Friday on a cold January night for? I checked out some reviews on pluggedinonline.com and because I have a bent toward Westerns, I settled on Appaloosa.

This was a mildly entertaining movie. It's a story of loyalty, integrity, and honor mixed in with the classic Western drama. A little romance, suspense, drama, solid dialogue, humor, cool cinematography and you've got yourself an entertaining evening. Don't get me wrong, it won't go down as a top 5 western, but it served its purpose for me- an evening of relaxed entertainment.

Is it a good movie for a couple? Leatha was planning on going to bed, but she stayed up and watched it with me. I think she thought it was alright.

EEEE-vvaaa

We're trying to make this Christmas season as spiritual as possible.

So we plan on watching plenty of movies. 

Last night we did the usual family movie night and watched Wall-E. We've got "Nativity" in the cue. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Nativity a couple years ago, but I can't remember if it's kid friendly. 

But Wall-E definitely was. What a brilliant movie! There was little dialogue, and yet the story had such depth. The thing that stuck out most to our kids... it seems like it would be fun to eat and be entertained all the time, but you will end up overweight and unable to walk. That's what I loved about the movie- there were some accessible themes, and others requiring more thought.

I just can't think of them now... we're watching the Duggers...she had #18!

The Good Life and The Road

Over break I watched the movie "The Good Life" (click here) and read this book, The Road. I saw this in Borders and it looked interesting. So I checked it out from the public library. It's a quick read. It's pretty dark and the ending didn't bring me out of the valley as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a good (not great) book. It's about a father and son's journey of survival in a deserted world. It shows the best and worst of humans in their quest to survive.

My free Monday redbox dvd was The Good Life. I wanted to watch this because it was written and directed by a guy I used to skate with back in Omaha (thus the allusions to Nebraska in the movie). It was a solid drama, and the storyline kept me interested in where the movie was going. It's not a movie I'd strongly recommend seeing, but it gets into some of the issues of disappointment of life, and what brings about true freedom and happiness. Steve Berra has a typically Hollywood take on what that is.

Expelled

On Monday I did my typical routine... got a text message from redbox with my free DVD rental. So I watched Expelled.

This movie is worth seeing. It's a little polarizing (comparisons to Nazi Germany), and certainly not the whole story, but it exposes the ridiculous suppression of truth ("damned nonsense" as C.S. Lewis calls it) that goes on in academia. I was surprised to find a friend that was in it... Guillermo Gonzalez. He was a part of our church and recently "expelled" from Iowa State.

My O.T./N.T. prof...Hector Avalos. I also did an independent study with him on my topic, "An essay concerning Jonathan Edward's biblical exegesis in 'The End for Which God Created the World.'" Although Dr. Avalos is a prosletyzing atheist, I consider him a friend and a man with crazy knowledge about the ancient near east.
And last but (or and...) least my physics prof- John Hauptman. I didn't get to know him well, but he seemed like a nice guy. But his quotes in the movie were blatantly hostile to faith.
Where do we go from here?

If you're a young person with an inclination toward science- strive to be the next Newton or Kepler or Einstein. Do science with all your might and remember the chief end of all science is the glory of God. Cherish Psalm 19. And remember that as a scientist, you are merely "following the faithfulness of God in all things." (to loosely quote AW Tozer in Knowledge of the Holy)

If you're a schmo... pray and love people. Don't try to win arguments. Don't throw down your "pearls of knowledge" on intellectuals. But don't think the truth is unknowable. "The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." Ps. 19

If you're a Christian apologist...don't deny this fact- believing in a Creator God is an issue of faith (Hebrews 11:3 "By faith we believe God created the world...").

Juno

Juno is a teen-cult movie, so I felt compelled to watch it.

Although it's neither in the same genre nor as amoral as Napolean Dynamite, it had the same indy feel and a similar cult following. Juno portrays a more accurate depiction of youth culture and view of sex and morality than I'd like to think.

I think the best summary I've read about this movie is found here...just read the "conclusion" if you're interested.

It reminded me that teenagers are generally clueless about two of the more important life principles (thanks, Ted Tripp, for the insight)...

Everyday we sow (Gal. 6) and store up (Matt. 6). Sow to righteousness or sin. Store up on earth or heaven. Sin seems harmless until you see its effect 1, 3 or 30 years later. Or, when you step into eternity.

This movie shows the total disregard current youth culture has for a fixed Moral Law. I'm curious to know what effect, if any, this movie will have long term. I wonder how teens are processing this movie.

Into the wild and I am legend

Last Monday and Tuesday I was sick, so I treated myself to a couple of movies: Into the Wild and I am Legend. It's amazing how much these stories connect with God's Story (of Redemption).

I am legend: I was told the original version (1954 with Charlton Heston) ends with an even more blatant "Christ" figure. I'm not a "sci-fi guy," but wow, what a powerful movie this was. From what I remember, it's a pretty "safe" watch for an adult.

Into the Wild: This book intrigued me when I read it about four years ago. I'm fascinated by the power of nature to connect us with transcendence. I love spending time with God in wooded areas in central Iowa, and using nature to tell stories (click here for a video I wrote for an intro to our minor prophets series last summer) As John Piper said, "No one goes to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite to see how great they are." No doubt- nature is powerful. "And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven." (Deut. 4:19-20)

Also, since I work with college students, Chris' (the main character) idealism is something I see a lot of. The desire Chris has to escape this life of being another ant marching, and the bitterness toward his family is not at all uncommon among 19-24 year olds. As my friend Kevin Scheibe says, "Every 19 year old is a Marxist." It's so true. On paper, it sounds like a great idea. But then there's reality. Most college students don't have any problems a wife and kids can't solve. But it's also why they change the world.

(spoiler warning) The most powerful part of the movie for me was when the emaciated Chris struggles to write in a book, "Happiness only possible if shared." Wow. There is so much packed into that statement. It shows how he passed up a multitude of meaningful relationships to selfishly escape the world. It can't work. It's the inherent weakness of a monastery and total ascetic life. There's no one to share it with.

I'm currently studying Unity of the Bible by Daniel Fuller in a biblical theology class at our church. It connects well with a Jonathan Edwards' treatise I studied in college- The End for Which God Created the World. Here's the basic summary of why God created us (according to these books)- his infinite happiness and glory overflowed into a creation and created beings designed to receive happiness from Him. This is why joy is a central virtue to the Christian faith- it's a barometer of how you are relying on the Source to be your all in all. Lack of trust will lead to a lack of joy. Another way of saying it, as the aforementioned Piper, who was shaped by these two books, summarized it, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him."

All of these thoughts converged for me in this movie. I skipped through quite a bit of the movie because it was long, some parts were blatantly inappropriate, and I was tired. Although I'm not commending it to you as a must see, it made a soulish connection with me.

Movie suggestion

We watched Dan in Real Life last night, and it was a great movie... ironic, fun, clever, happy, and clean (it's PG-13, as it should be, however. Check out here for more info).

Great for a movie night with your spouse or roommates...

Narnia is back

Prince Caspian is coming May 16th. Check out this blog for a link to the trailer and other discussion about the movie.

Things that make me cry

Yesterday Cameron and Ava had a theological discussion about rain...

Ava: "I know that rain means God is crying."
Cameron: "No, I don't think so. He gives us rain to show his power."

I'm pretty sure rain is not God crying, but he does cry. The shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept." He cried over the death of his friend Lazarus. It wasn't the world God intended. Here's a paradox: God created death then conquered it. Even in that story, he raised Lazarus from the dead. But he still wept.

And so, being made in his image, I also cry on occasion. On occasion, I think because for the most part I'm a simple minded optimist who lives in ignorant bliss. But every once in awhile, this jacked up world meets me head on. It did yesterday.

One of our college students lost his 13 year old brother two weeks ago. After church, I sat with him and his girlfriend, who sat in their seats staring ahead as everyone around them left the auditorium. I asked how he was doing, then sat and listened. I didn't have anything to say. All I had were tears. I know pastors are supposed to have something profound to say to inspire hope.

I didn't.

I gave them both a hug, and that was it.

But I think it's okay. At least that's what I'm trying to tell myself. I've learned a lot about grieving from some of our close friends. They went through a series of Job-like trials. They said it was like people would pull out the file in their minds labeled "Trials" and they would immediately start sharing the information from that file. It's a sort of empathetic preaching.

There are other things that make me weep:
- Feel good stories: The father and son triathlon, The autistic basketball player
- Sad movies: Ray, Cast Away, Awakenings
- Compelling movies: Glory, The Pursuit of Happyness
- Sad books: Kite Runner (The DVD just came out but I haven't seen it yet); A Thousand Splendid Suns
- All funerals, some weddings and rare worship services

Confessions of a racist pastor- me

I was sitting in the Library studying for my sermon for our college ministry tonight. I have such a "spiritual" job. (You know I'm setting you up to highlight how bad the following story is, right?)

Behind me I hear the voice of an African American man.

I can hardly bear to tell you my first thoughts, "I better not leave my stuff, I don't want it to get stolen. I bet he'll be talking loudly on his cell phone the whole time." Come to find out, it was a dear brother in Christ who was preparing for teaching his Sunday School class.

Yes, I'm ashamed. Horrified, actually. Is my heart really that depraved? I'm not from the South, I don't really think that, do I? I can only spare you by not letting you in further into the dark recesses of my soul. So for all my African American friends (and enemies?), I beg your forgiveness.

Last year I went out on a limb and watched the movie Crash (this is a correction- earlier I accidentally wrote "Traffic" in this post.)

I knew it would be highly offensive. But I thought I'd give it a shot based on the fact that some people I respected said it was worth watching.

It was one of the best movies I've seen.

Don't get me wrong- it's a horribly offensive, violent, vulgar and graphic movie. But I walked away feeling like I was part of the problem, and not, "The problem is that there are too many racist people in America. Why can't they get past that." Of course I want to be affirmed in my self righteous ways, but this movie didn't afford me that opportunity. Which is why it was a brilliant movie. I walked away feeling like something was really wrong in my heart, and I needed to repent and get right with God. Today I was reminded that I've not yet arrived, but I'm working on it.

Another movie that had this sort of effect on me- Munich. Another terribly brilliant movie.

The Library is Cool

Another reason the library is cool- you can check out DVDs like this:



Paul Sabino, our family pastor, hit a home run tonight at D6, our family ministry. You can check out his talk on bringing the nations into your living room here (the talk should be up tomorrow or Friday). I got home and shared with Leatha how I was feeling bad that I wasn't doing a great job of talking to our kids about being a "world Christian." (i.e. God is not an American and Jesus died for the Asian as much as the American).

But thankfully I didn't have to feel bad for too long, because I found out my wife is excelling at this. BTW: If she is doing something well, I chalk it up for myself. Good thing somebody's pulling the weight of teaching our kids about God... (I haven't quite figured out how I can make a living at something and yet do such a poor job of it at home. I'll let you know when I get it figured out.)

Ava loves this video series "Families of the World." Today she watched this one on Egypt 3 times. She watched it with the neighbor girl and here's the conversation (i.e. I think it was more of a monologue than conversation- Leatha overheard it)...

Ava: "Jill (not her real name), you need to watch this video. Now remember, these people are Muslim, which means they're going to hell just like you and your dad, so you need to pay attention. You need to remember to give your life to Jesus- he can save you from hell."

Cameron chimes in: "And you don't want to go there. It's worse than any place on earth. It's worse than the worse place here."

Not the most tactful way of sharing. But I guess their method of sharing Jesus is better than most of our methods of not sharing.

So as it turns out, we are doing a good job of bringing the nations into our home. So now I can go to sleep feeling good about myself.

P.S. I think I figured out my earlier dilemma- I often suck at leading my family spiritually because I, too, am a son of Adam. Don't let any author, pastor, role model, etc fool you into thinking they have it all together. I recently learned of a famous American pastor most of you know and respect who has had a tumultuous marriage. It proves the point.