Men & Women: Similar, but NOT the Same

I've been hanging on to this resource for some time. I'd like to introduce you to Wendy Alsup. Wendy and her husband Andy were members at the South Carolina congregation that helped to plant Missio Dei Church before moving out to Seattle and becoming a part of Mars Hill Church. Wendy is now a deacon at Mars Hill Church and has a tremendous resource in the form of a blog. Check it out at Reforming the Feminine.

Awakenings

So, it's been a crazy few months since my last post. Things have been unbelievably busy to say the least.

The good news is that Missio Dei is capable of paying me a full time salary (at a reduced rate for the next six months to one year, but full-time nonetheless), and we are looking at moving into our own building in June. Pray that things keep going in a positive direction.

We have published a new community blog for lent season 40 Day Journey.

Peace

New Shoes: I wish it were that easy

If you haven't already heard him, I'd like to introduce you to the Scottish soulful pop singer Paolo Nutini. This will cause you to react in one of at least two ways:
1. You won't be able to help but tap your feet at the catchy rhythm
2. You won't be able to help but tap your feet, but to save face as an indy rocker, you will only listen to it in private.



It would be nice if all it took to remove the kinks out of a painful life was to put on a pair of new shoes. Maybe this song can put a smile on your face.

The Golden Compass Halfway Through

So far, I am really enjoying the read. The thing I find curious about the Golden Compass is that most of the story, thus far, borrows from other, better known stories.

For example, the main character, Lyra resembles Lucy from Clive Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, even to the point of discovering a new world by stumbling into a wardrobe. An ice queen of sorts lures a "gyptian" boy away by inticing him not with Turkish delight, but with chocolatl.

Pullman also borrows heavily from some biblical stories, like an affair and love child by high powered people who attempt to cover it up (David and Bathsheba). He also borrows from the Moses story. Lyra, spent her infancy being nursed by a woman who traveled the waterways and continued to keep an eye on her after she was "adopted" by the Scholars at Jordan College.

The gist of the book, thus far, seems to be leading to human freedom in a libertarian sense, where any and all restrictions are viewed as oppressive and evil. My guess is that the characters are being set up to rescue humanity from "what the religious think they know." We'll see how this plays out...

The Golden Compass Pre-Read

Last night I went to B&N to purchase the His Dark Materials triology so that I could read first-hand the Phillip Pullman book, The Golden Compass. While Shannon got drinks from the cafe and Asheton played at the Thomas the Train table, I read a quick book called Discovering the Golden Compass: A Guide to Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials.

The Discovering book described in the author's words his upbringing and his purpose in writing the story. During his childhood, Pullman lived and had fond memories of his grandfather, an Anglican parish pastor who nurtured Pullman. He reminisced with keen affection the time he spent with his grandparents and said nothing antagonistic toward the church or the faith of his grandfather.

While many of the critiques I have read charge Pullman with writing this novel to promote his atheist/agnostic philosophy, I have not read anything from Pullman himself to validate the claim. In the book Discovering and on Pullman's website www.philip-pullman.com, he emphasizes telling a great story. On his website, he continually downplays the notion that his aim is to promote atheism; or to deal with difficult questions like God, the Church, good and evil, and love; or that he demands a particular interpretation of the story.

While his atheist/agnostic world-view will make its way into the story and, no doubt, find its way out, the shock reviews about Pullman's desire to brainwash your children is ridiculous. I read on one review that the movie was bait to get your kids to read the book, which will rob them of their belief in God. If your child's faith is being nurtured in such a way that a movie and a fantasy novel can rob his faith, you are failing as a parent.

Since this is a pre-read introduction, I will withhold the practical implications of the world-view of the story and how the readers can and should respond to the characters. At this point, I want to be very cautious about making Pullman the big bad Boogey man who wants to steal away our children.

More to come...

Evangelicals & Films = Controversy

The soon to be released film "The Golden Compass" is a toned down version of the book Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman. It is the first in a series by the name of His Dark Materials. I am anticipating a great deal of controversy around the release of the film, no doubt fueled by thoughtless emotionalism on every side. Therefore, I am going to read through the books and attempt to give an honest critique including a theological reflection and practical applications for believers. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer, the filming looks superb.

The Festival of the Reformation

Our Associate Pastor, Bryan Robbins posted a humorous blog about the influence of Martin Luther upon the Christian Church. While Luther's rediscovery of the biblical teaching of justification by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus, and his boldness in calling the church to return to a pure Christian faith are invaluable, his latter life views on the Jewish people left a stain on his influence and upon the Christian Church.

Many scholars attribute Luther as a fuel to the Nazi's anti-Semitic worldview and subsequent horrific actions of the Holocaust. His writing, On the Jews and Their Lies, spews God-less sentiments toward the Jewish people advocating stripping their monies, possessions, and even their lives.

While we are indebted to the wonderful truths that Martin Luther rediscovered after the Medieval corruption in the Roman Church, we must distance ourselves from his views on the Jewish people.