I went to see the new Narnia movie, Prince Caspian (PC), over the weekend. And I have to say that, while I enjoyed the movie, I was a little disappointed. Without going into great detail (if you would like to read on and on about differing view points about this movie, visit Jeffrey Overstreet's website: http://lookingcloser.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/the-looking-closer-review-prince-caspian/), let me just point out a few of the things that I liked and a few of the things that I did not like:
1. The movie certainly was entertaining. It was much more action-packed than was the book. That, I'm sure, helped to capture the attention of my 11 year old son more than anything else--although it did leave me, at times, feeling like I was watching The Lord of the Rings instead of The Chronicles of Narnia!
2. I didn't care for the action insertions into the movie. I understand fully why they did this. But I, for one, loved the flow of the story in the book, the interaction with Aslan and Lucy and the others. The movie glossed over the whole bit about Aslan's appearances and the kids' (especially Peter's and Susan's) refusal to follow after him and their choice to follow their "heads" instead.
3. I found myself disappointed in the way several of the main characters were portrayed--most especially, Aslan, Peter, Trumpkin, and Susan. Aslan was virtually eliminated from the movie, except in a dream sequence, until late in the film. And then he was depicted as somewhat aloof and disinterested until the very end. Peter was portrayed more as a hormonal adolescent than as a high king. And Susan was characterized as a warrior-woman, who falls for Caspian in the end.
4. But perhaps most distressing to me of all is that my favorite scene of the book was all but eliminated from the movie. This is the scene when Lucy comes upon Aslan for the first time in the book, and she remarks how much bigger Aslan seems. Their conversation in the book goes something like this:
Lucy: "Aslan, you're bigger."
Aslan: "That's because you've grown, my child."
Lucy: "Not because you have?"
Aslan: "No, my child. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger."
They so downplayed this in the movie that it stripped it of any real impact. I found myself looking forward to this scene with such anticipation that when it did arrive, I was totally deflated by their casual treatment of it. It took me a good while to get over the disappointment!
5. Overall, I am thankful that there are movies like PC that are being made with Christian themes, even if those themes are somewhat muted (at least compared with the book). Perhaps the movie will encourage millions of kids (and adults too) to take up the book Prince Caspian and read it this summer. Perhaps it will encourage parents to think about and talk about the book and the way it differs from the movie with their children. If either of these things happen, the movie will have been a great success!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
New church facilities and worldwide storms
All our preparations to build our new church facility in the wake of Hurricane Katrina have perhaps given me a slightly different perspective to the recent news of the flooding and the tornados in many parts of the U.S., the cyclone in Myanmar, and the earthquakes and the flooding in China.
I remember vividly hearing from many outspoken Christian personalities (especially one well-known "televangelist") after Katrina, who blamed the people of the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast for the destruction we incurred. Their rationale was that God, in sending Katrina, was judging the sins of the people of this region, sins which obviously (at least in their minds) were much greater than those of other places in the U.S. and the world. That was the message heard loud and clear after the hurricane: Katrina was judgment for the sinful lifestyles of the people of this region!
Now, I admit that I have not been glued to the television lately or to the newspapers either for that matter. But it is interesting that I haven't heard anywhere near the same kinds of comments made about Oklahoma, Virginia, Arkansas, and Georgia (who experienced destructive tornadic activity)--not to mention all the states who experienced SIGNIFICANT flooding from the Mississippi River and others. I haven't even heard the same comments made about Myanmar and China.
Although many things are unclear to me in this world...one thing IS clear: I don't know the mind of God. It is clear to me that I don't know exactly what God has in mind in decreeing (permissively or effectively) whatsoever comes to pass in this world. It could be that He means to bring judgment at times. But I stand aghast at the audacity of some who pretend to KNOW beyond any shadow of doubt that that is what God is doing in one situation over against another.
It seems more likely to me, given the teaching of Scripture, that God--in decreeing (or allowing) horrific natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, cyclones, and earthquakes--instead of bringing judgment, is actually showing us our NEED. We live in a day and time that has become increasingly self-sufficient. Many people in our world go through life without ever having any significant need whatsoever. Hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes are paradigm-changing events. One cannot live through them unaffected. Thus, the purpose of these things would seem to be not judgment, but grace. God is graciously revealing our need to us so that we would be motivated enough to search for a solution to that need.
Rather than point the finger of judgment at people who are suffering greatly in times like these, Christians need to roll up their sleeves and point people to the only ONE who can meet their needs--the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God would motivate His people to do just that. And let us pray that God would motivate each one of us individually to do just that in our own situations, environments, and spheres of influence. Let's concentrate on what we do know and leave off the things that we don't.
I remember vividly hearing from many outspoken Christian personalities (especially one well-known "televangelist") after Katrina, who blamed the people of the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coast for the destruction we incurred. Their rationale was that God, in sending Katrina, was judging the sins of the people of this region, sins which obviously (at least in their minds) were much greater than those of other places in the U.S. and the world. That was the message heard loud and clear after the hurricane: Katrina was judgment for the sinful lifestyles of the people of this region!
Now, I admit that I have not been glued to the television lately or to the newspapers either for that matter. But it is interesting that I haven't heard anywhere near the same kinds of comments made about Oklahoma, Virginia, Arkansas, and Georgia (who experienced destructive tornadic activity)--not to mention all the states who experienced SIGNIFICANT flooding from the Mississippi River and others. I haven't even heard the same comments made about Myanmar and China.
Although many things are unclear to me in this world...one thing IS clear: I don't know the mind of God. It is clear to me that I don't know exactly what God has in mind in decreeing (permissively or effectively) whatsoever comes to pass in this world. It could be that He means to bring judgment at times. But I stand aghast at the audacity of some who pretend to KNOW beyond any shadow of doubt that that is what God is doing in one situation over against another.
It seems more likely to me, given the teaching of Scripture, that God--in decreeing (or allowing) horrific natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, cyclones, and earthquakes--instead of bringing judgment, is actually showing us our NEED. We live in a day and time that has become increasingly self-sufficient. Many people in our world go through life without ever having any significant need whatsoever. Hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes are paradigm-changing events. One cannot live through them unaffected. Thus, the purpose of these things would seem to be not judgment, but grace. God is graciously revealing our need to us so that we would be motivated enough to search for a solution to that need.
Rather than point the finger of judgment at people who are suffering greatly in times like these, Christians need to roll up their sleeves and point people to the only ONE who can meet their needs--the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray that God would motivate His people to do just that. And let us pray that God would motivate each one of us individually to do just that in our own situations, environments, and spheres of influence. Let's concentrate on what we do know and leave off the things that we don't.
Friday, May 09, 2008
New church facility drawings available to see!
At long last, we have some drawings available for viewing of what our proposed new facility will look like. Click here to go to these drawings http://www.fpcgulfport.org/GenericPage/DisplayPage.aspx?guid=0016DC6E-D725-406B-9444-AEB3B562E29F
We will be having a series of congregational meetings beginning on Sunday, May 18, for the purpose of presenting and discussing these drawings and answering any questions you may have.
How thankful we are for the Lord's provision and faithful guidance every step of the way since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina almost 3 years ago!
Great is His faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies we see: all we have needed His hand hath provided--Great is His faithfulness!
We will be having a series of congregational meetings beginning on Sunday, May 18, for the purpose of presenting and discussing these drawings and answering any questions you may have.
How thankful we are for the Lord's provision and faithful guidance every step of the way since the devastation of Hurricane Katrina almost 3 years ago!
Great is His faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies we see: all we have needed His hand hath provided--Great is His faithfulness!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Church Update!
Here we are in May already—the end of yet another school year! Summer is right around the corner. And with the onset of summer, there will be a few slight changes to our normal Sunday schedules. Our Sunday morning schedules will continue as usual through May 18. But, then, beginning with the first Sunday after the end of school—i.e., May 25—we will be making a few adjustments to Sunday School. The Gulfport School District is planning district-wide upgrades and renovations at every school within its bounds. And this means that the number of rooms that will be available to us on Sundays at BVE will be limited. We will, therefore, be combining some of the Sunday School classes and moving rooms for the duration of the summer months.
Our Sunday evening schedules will continue as usual through May 25. Then, beginning on June 1, we will be introducing a special summertime casual evening get-together. Some of you may remember that we introduced this last year, and it was very well received. Like last year, this get-together will be held at Jeff and Gail Theiler’s house and will include swimming for the kids and dinner (pot-luck), fellowship, and Bible study for the adults. You should have received a letter from the church office delineating these plans together with the requisite dates and times. If you did not receive this letter, or if you have any questions about anything that is upcoming, please call or email Mary Beth at the church office. We are looking forward to a great summer together!
This year, summer also means something a little more exciting for us! It means, Lord willing, that we could be breaking ground on the construction of our new facility! And that is definitely something for all of us to look forward to. The building committee and the Session will be meeting together on May 6, to view and approve the proposed construction plans for the new facility. And we hope to be able to present these plans—in living color!—to the congregation beginning Sunday, May 18. Presently, our intention is to hold informational meetings on Sunday, May 18, and on Wednesday, May 21. We will also be posting electronic copies of the plans to the church’s website, as well as making them available at the church office for any who would like to stop by and look them over. Then, on Sunday, May 25, we will be holding a congregational meeting in order to vote to approve these plans. Again, let me remind each of us, that the building committee (and, most especially, Kendall Turnage and Stephen O’Mara) have invested a great many hours and a lot of effort in developing these plans. While we all recognize that the committee—just like every one of us—is fully capable of making mistakes, we also want to be sensitive to the committee process and to the amount of work and re-work that has gone into these plans. Most of all, we want to ensure that in all that we do as a congregation, we do it in a way that is pleasing to our great God and Savior and that is as charitable as possible to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
And, finally, this summer also brings with it the opportunity to elect new officers to serve within our church. We will be seeking to elect two (2) new elders and three (3) new deacons to serve 6 year terms. This really is an exciting time in the life of our church family. We are growing in many ways and taking on many new projects and opportunities. Please prayerfully consider who you will nominate to serve the church in these ways. Be sure that the men you nominate and, eventually, elect, meet the Biblical qualifications for elder and deacon respectively. Sometimes we may be tempted to look for business savvy or street-smarts in a prospective officer. But the Bible would have us look for something else. In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul gives us the qualifications that we are to look for in the men we choose to nominate. It is striking to me that of the something like 12 qualifications Paul lists for elder in 1 Timothy 3, only 1 or (at most) 2 deal with his abilities. The vast majority of them (something like 10 or 11 of them) deal with the character of the man in question. Obviously, the character of the man is more important to the Lord than his list of accomplishments in the world!
May the Lord guide each one of us to nominate and elect godly men, who meet the qualifications for serving in His church.
Our Sunday evening schedules will continue as usual through May 25. Then, beginning on June 1, we will be introducing a special summertime casual evening get-together. Some of you may remember that we introduced this last year, and it was very well received. Like last year, this get-together will be held at Jeff and Gail Theiler’s house and will include swimming for the kids and dinner (pot-luck), fellowship, and Bible study for the adults. You should have received a letter from the church office delineating these plans together with the requisite dates and times. If you did not receive this letter, or if you have any questions about anything that is upcoming, please call or email Mary Beth at the church office. We are looking forward to a great summer together!
This year, summer also means something a little more exciting for us! It means, Lord willing, that we could be breaking ground on the construction of our new facility! And that is definitely something for all of us to look forward to. The building committee and the Session will be meeting together on May 6, to view and approve the proposed construction plans for the new facility. And we hope to be able to present these plans—in living color!—to the congregation beginning Sunday, May 18. Presently, our intention is to hold informational meetings on Sunday, May 18, and on Wednesday, May 21. We will also be posting electronic copies of the plans to the church’s website, as well as making them available at the church office for any who would like to stop by and look them over. Then, on Sunday, May 25, we will be holding a congregational meeting in order to vote to approve these plans. Again, let me remind each of us, that the building committee (and, most especially, Kendall Turnage and Stephen O’Mara) have invested a great many hours and a lot of effort in developing these plans. While we all recognize that the committee—just like every one of us—is fully capable of making mistakes, we also want to be sensitive to the committee process and to the amount of work and re-work that has gone into these plans. Most of all, we want to ensure that in all that we do as a congregation, we do it in a way that is pleasing to our great God and Savior and that is as charitable as possible to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
And, finally, this summer also brings with it the opportunity to elect new officers to serve within our church. We will be seeking to elect two (2) new elders and three (3) new deacons to serve 6 year terms. This really is an exciting time in the life of our church family. We are growing in many ways and taking on many new projects and opportunities. Please prayerfully consider who you will nominate to serve the church in these ways. Be sure that the men you nominate and, eventually, elect, meet the Biblical qualifications for elder and deacon respectively. Sometimes we may be tempted to look for business savvy or street-smarts in a prospective officer. But the Bible would have us look for something else. In 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul gives us the qualifications that we are to look for in the men we choose to nominate. It is striking to me that of the something like 12 qualifications Paul lists for elder in 1 Timothy 3, only 1 or (at most) 2 deal with his abilities. The vast majority of them (something like 10 or 11 of them) deal with the character of the man in question. Obviously, the character of the man is more important to the Lord than his list of accomplishments in the world!
May the Lord guide each one of us to nominate and elect godly men, who meet the qualifications for serving in His church.
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