Last night we went to see the new inspirational movie, "Facing the Giants," that was released nation-wide on 450 screens. I had heard of this movie earlier. It was produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA, just a few miles down the road from us, and it had been a frequent source of news on the local news station. They had produced an earlier movie, "Flywheel," that had gone straight to DVD, which the local Christian radio stations had promoted extensively.
"Facing the Giants" received national news when the motion picture rating association decided the film did not warrant a "G" rating, despite no offensive language, no sexual situations, no crude humor, etc. They rated it as a "PG" movie, presumably because of the extensive religious content, which caused the national Christian media to promote the unfairness of the rating and which led to a whirlwind of media stories. Having seen the movie, I kind of agree with the PG rating. While there are no family unfriendly items, the movie itself is targeted at the middle school and older crowd. Younger kids are not going to understand the events that are occurring on the screen. In fact, throughout the movie, I found myself constantly explaining to my 10-year-old daughter what was happening on-screen and what it meant.
This week, as the movie was being released nation-wide, the story behind the film, from the low-budget filming by a baptist church in rural Georgia to the controversy over the rating of the film, made its way onto the national media screen. We watched news clips about the movie on CNN, Fox News, and the evening nightly news. Rumors abounded that the movie was only going to be shown for one night (not true), so we made the decision to go last night to see it on its first night. Concerned that the movie might be sold-out, my wife had me go by the movie theater to purchase tickets early. Actually, it was a good thing, the movie was sold-out, at least for the 7:00 pm showing.
"Facing the Giants" is a classic sports movie in the truest sense -- an underdog team of losers face unsurmountable obstacles to succeed in the end. We've seen countless movies like this, mostly from Disney. But what makes this movie different is the overt spiritual message that underlies the movie, and it is this message that is going to make this movie one of the most watched movies in America, at least among Christians.
"Facing the Giants" is the story of Shiloh Christian Academy's (SCA) football team and its coach Grant Taylor. Coach Taylor has overseen six losing seasons at SCA. The parents are starting to lose hope. The players have already lost hope, and the most promising talent has long since transferred to other school districts. The coach is facing constant failure with his team and fears that he is, indeed, a loser. To top it all off, his personal life is not going well. Problems with his house and his car make his days worse when he gets home. And he and his wife are facing infertility issues, which turn out to be his fault. Bottom-line: Coach Taylor is a loser, at football, at home, and as a husband.
But then he experiences a spiritual awakening, a refocusing of his life and his efforts at coaching. Instead of coaching to win games, he begins to coach to bring glory to God. His motto becomes, "Nothing is impossible with God," and from there the movie takes off in a somewhat predictable way. However, the Christian message, the theme of God blessing those who honor Him, and the response of the coach, his family, the players, and the entire school drive this movie and blessed everyone who watched it. We alternated between tears and laughter and, in the end, found our own faith lifted as we watched the SCA Eagles succeed on the field and in life.
Go see this movie! Do not wait for the DVD. If this movie is not playing in your hometown, drive to where it is. Do not miss this! Show it to your youth groups. Show it to your churches. Let them dream the impossible possible through God just as the team did in this movie. As a movie critic, I give this movie two thumbs up, five stars, and a glowing "10" rating. GO SEE IT!
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
THE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OF CARTOONS
In the words of Chris Rice, I am far from being a "cartoonmaniac" other than enjoying the latest movies from Pixar on the big screen. I used to really enjoy cartoons, the humor and even the satirical look at life, all the way up until my college days. But I guess adult life and all the responsibilities thereof forced me to put my cartoon-viewing days behind me.
A few years ago we adopted a little girl, and I got really excited. Here was my chance to watch cartoons again! I could always blame it on her and never let on that I secretly enjoyed them. So, when we finally got cable tv and found out that we got the cartoon network, we quickly turned the tv to that channel. But, after scanning the shows that were on the channel, as well as the sampling now offered on Saturday mornings by the networks and on the speciality channels, such as Nickelodeon, I can say that I was less than impressed. Gone were the Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and the Smurfs. In their place were the disrespectful children of the Rugrats, the questionable content of the Japanese-influenced cartoons, and the shows produced simply to sell a product. This is not mentioning the extremely raunchy MTV offering, "South Park."
So, we swore off all tv cartoons, not watching them myself or allowing our daughter to watch them. Instead, we turned our attention to the inspirational cartoons that were found at our local Christian bookstore, most notably the Veggie Tales series. These cartoons (actually computer-generated) featured vegetables as the main characters and had stories that were either Bible stories or had a biblical world-view. Excellent writing with a sharp wit and engaging characters. Still one of my favorite cartoons of all time.
So, you can imagine my excitement when I was flipping through the tv this week and found out that NBC was offering Veggie Tales on Saturday morning as part of its Saturday cartoon line-up. Not only was this a quality show, but it was a Christian, Bible-based show. I was excited that millions of children in the US were now going to be given the opportunity to be exposed to Christianity and to a biblical world-view and good morals through this show. But then I found out that NBC was bowing to the world of political correctness and were mandating that the shows be edited to remove non-historical references to God and the Bible (Surprisingly, MSNBC was the one who broke the story). According to this article, NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said, “Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view.” In essence, NBC is removing the one thing that made the show appealing and that was, for the most part, the reason for its enormous popularity in the past.
What is it about political correctness that allows networks to edit out "offensive" material that talks about God and the Bible but that allows it to broadcast questionable material such as foul language and rude behavior on cartoons created for children? What is so correct about censuring the Creator? For years, we have seen political correctness try to smother our religion, our beliefs, and our moral precepts in this country while the media continues to produce objectionable material with questionable language, sexual situations, and other immoral points-of-view. When it starts affecting even the cartoons that our kids watch, perhaps its time for Christians to act. What can be done? Other than prayer, I don't know. But I do know this -- I may not be a "cartoonmaniac" but I am a Jesus-freak, and I am planning on voicing my concern with NBC.
A few years ago we adopted a little girl, and I got really excited. Here was my chance to watch cartoons again! I could always blame it on her and never let on that I secretly enjoyed them. So, when we finally got cable tv and found out that we got the cartoon network, we quickly turned the tv to that channel. But, after scanning the shows that were on the channel, as well as the sampling now offered on Saturday mornings by the networks and on the speciality channels, such as Nickelodeon, I can say that I was less than impressed. Gone were the Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and the Smurfs. In their place were the disrespectful children of the Rugrats, the questionable content of the Japanese-influenced cartoons, and the shows produced simply to sell a product. This is not mentioning the extremely raunchy MTV offering, "South Park."
So, we swore off all tv cartoons, not watching them myself or allowing our daughter to watch them. Instead, we turned our attention to the inspirational cartoons that were found at our local Christian bookstore, most notably the Veggie Tales series. These cartoons (actually computer-generated) featured vegetables as the main characters and had stories that were either Bible stories or had a biblical world-view. Excellent writing with a sharp wit and engaging characters. Still one of my favorite cartoons of all time.
So, you can imagine my excitement when I was flipping through the tv this week and found out that NBC was offering Veggie Tales on Saturday morning as part of its Saturday cartoon line-up. Not only was this a quality show, but it was a Christian, Bible-based show. I was excited that millions of children in the US were now going to be given the opportunity to be exposed to Christianity and to a biblical world-view and good morals through this show. But then I found out that NBC was bowing to the world of political correctness and were mandating that the shows be edited to remove non-historical references to God and the Bible (Surprisingly, MSNBC was the one who broke the story). According to this article, NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks said, “Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view.” In essence, NBC is removing the one thing that made the show appealing and that was, for the most part, the reason for its enormous popularity in the past.
What is it about political correctness that allows networks to edit out "offensive" material that talks about God and the Bible but that allows it to broadcast questionable material such as foul language and rude behavior on cartoons created for children? What is so correct about censuring the Creator? For years, we have seen political correctness try to smother our religion, our beliefs, and our moral precepts in this country while the media continues to produce objectionable material with questionable language, sexual situations, and other immoral points-of-view. When it starts affecting even the cartoons that our kids watch, perhaps its time for Christians to act. What can be done? Other than prayer, I don't know. But I do know this -- I may not be a "cartoonmaniac" but I am a Jesus-freak, and I am planning on voicing my concern with NBC.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
BACK AND BLOGGING/KAIROS
Sorry for being gone for the past couple of weeks. I was busy preparing for a Kairos Prison Ministry and was, literally, locked up for three days last week. If you are not familiar with the Kairos ministry, it is similar to the Walk to Emmaus or Cursillo weekends, only this one is held inside the walls of a prison. Prisoners -- we call them "residents" -- are selected to participate in the program by the Chaplain and the Warden. Typically, when these programs get started, the residents selected to participate are the trouble-makers, the leaders of the gangs and those who are causing problems in the prison. The Chaplain and the Warden apparently use the "trickle-down" theory of evangelistic reform, namely, if you convert the leaders, then the rest of the population will follow.
While the purpose of the program is not overtly evangelistic, many, many men and women who participate do get saved or rededicate their lives to Christ. C.S. Lewis once remarked that the hardest thing in western evangelism was to convince people that they were actually sinners in need of a Savior. If you can't recognize your need, you can't turn to Christ in repentance. This is one of the biggest challenges in our churches today. It is filled with too many "good" people who won't admit they are sinners. However, it is different in a Kairos environment. It almost goes without saying that these residents don't have to be convinced they are sinners. They know they are sinners and they know they need to make a change in their lives. It makes them very open to the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit during the weekend.
The main purpose of the Kairos weekend is to build up a Christian presence in the prison and to raise up resident leaders who will continue the program. It is very similar to the modern missionary movement in this regard. We are not going in the prison to set up a program for the residents to attend. We are not trying to change the culture. We are trying to put in place the seeds of faith and leadership so they can create their own Christian community that meets their particular needs. Outside team members (volunteers) come into the prison on a regular basis to worship and meet with the residents. At the Lowndes State Prison where I just served, the meetings are held every Wednesday and then a larger gathering the third Saturday of each month. These meetings are run by the residents and not by the outside team members. We simply come in, as members of the Christian faith community, to share God's love with them and to worship with them in their service.
God has done some remarkable things through the Kairos program. Many men and women have come to the Lord and have turned their lives around. And, when they finally leave the prison environment, if they do, then they have a foundation that they can build upon once they re-enter society. A network of Kairos volunteers and outside believers help support these residents as they seek to restart their lives, this time with God helping them make their own decisions.
I want to encourage all of you who have been through an Emmaus-like weekend, whether that be Tres Dios, Cursillo, Emmaus, Chrysalis, etc., to check out Kairos. Christ told us to visit those in prison, to carry His light into Satan's stronghold, and to win those who have been taken captive by the enemy. In these settings, it is easy to see the power of God moving in the lives of men and women. It is easy to renew your own faith and strength as God touches their lives. Get involved in Kairos or some other type of prison ministry and let God use you to help change someone. The Kairos International Website can be found by clicking here, and the Georgia Kairos Website can be found by clicking here.
While the purpose of the program is not overtly evangelistic, many, many men and women who participate do get saved or rededicate their lives to Christ. C.S. Lewis once remarked that the hardest thing in western evangelism was to convince people that they were actually sinners in need of a Savior. If you can't recognize your need, you can't turn to Christ in repentance. This is one of the biggest challenges in our churches today. It is filled with too many "good" people who won't admit they are sinners. However, it is different in a Kairos environment. It almost goes without saying that these residents don't have to be convinced they are sinners. They know they are sinners and they know they need to make a change in their lives. It makes them very open to the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit during the weekend.
The main purpose of the Kairos weekend is to build up a Christian presence in the prison and to raise up resident leaders who will continue the program. It is very similar to the modern missionary movement in this regard. We are not going in the prison to set up a program for the residents to attend. We are not trying to change the culture. We are trying to put in place the seeds of faith and leadership so they can create their own Christian community that meets their particular needs. Outside team members (volunteers) come into the prison on a regular basis to worship and meet with the residents. At the Lowndes State Prison where I just served, the meetings are held every Wednesday and then a larger gathering the third Saturday of each month. These meetings are run by the residents and not by the outside team members. We simply come in, as members of the Christian faith community, to share God's love with them and to worship with them in their service.
God has done some remarkable things through the Kairos program. Many men and women have come to the Lord and have turned their lives around. And, when they finally leave the prison environment, if they do, then they have a foundation that they can build upon once they re-enter society. A network of Kairos volunteers and outside believers help support these residents as they seek to restart their lives, this time with God helping them make their own decisions.
I want to encourage all of you who have been through an Emmaus-like weekend, whether that be Tres Dios, Cursillo, Emmaus, Chrysalis, etc., to check out Kairos. Christ told us to visit those in prison, to carry His light into Satan's stronghold, and to win those who have been taken captive by the enemy. In these settings, it is easy to see the power of God moving in the lives of men and women. It is easy to renew your own faith and strength as God touches their lives. Get involved in Kairos or some other type of prison ministry and let God use you to help change someone. The Kairos International Website can be found by clicking here, and the Georgia Kairos Website can be found by clicking here.
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