The Moving Picture Show

 

A debate about moving picture shows, mentioned in 

The Minco (Oklahoma) Minstrel, 

Friday, February 24, 1922, page 6

Entertainment for the people

An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

Charles H. Spurgeon

T-Ball versus Major League

I stand in awe of $100 churches in a $1000 world. They serve hot dogs and bologna to crowds craving steak and lobster. They award costume jewelry to crews clamoring for diamonds and gold. These churches set themselves up for failure in a game they cannot win. If this is the game you must play, then play you must. But this year's T-Ball team isn't going to compete in Major League Baseball.

The other option is to not play that game at all. When we run to win we should inspect the goal and see what it takes to cross the finish line. It's not worshiptainment and pop psychology that people need. It's not marketing and "relevance" to which we have been called. It is the gospel people need to hear, and its proclamation is that with which we have been entrusted.

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Noah way

Matt Walsh assesses the movie "Noah" in I’m a Christian and I think ‘Noah’ deserves a four star review:

"They padded it with enough action movie clichés to draw interest from secular crowds, they hid the outright blasphemy well enough to please gullible Christian crowds, and they mocked Biblical theology blatantly enough to delight the critics.

"They came up with a way to make millions while exploiting the various sensibilities of different audience demographics."

Select the link above for the full review.

Another review:
Noah – The Emperor’s New Movie

Movie, Sports, Church

Movie, Sports, Church: 3 links

* Box Office: ‘God’s Not Dead’ Soaring to $8.2 Million Opening in Limited Release -- "Christian drama “God’s Not Dead,” opening in fewer than 800 theaters, is on track for an impressive $8.2 million this weekend." The low-budget “God’s Not Dead” tells the story of a college student who sets out to prove God’s existence.

* Peyton Manning jokes about Tiger Woods' world ranking in Golf Channel interview -- "Peyton Manning...used Tiger's name when he was behind center and wanting the play to go on a single snap count."

* Why churches should brace for a mass exodus of the faithful --  "Don't like the traditionalism of your congregation? If you're a Protestant, you can find a more liberal, mainline alternative. If you're a Jew, look for a Conservative, Reform, or Reconstructionist synagogue."

Seriously? Superman Sermons?

Your congregation enjoying the “Man of Steel” movie too much and your sermons not enough? Here’s relief!

The Man of Steel Ministry Resource Site is pitching its resources and sermon material for the seeker-sensitive, culture-centered preacher. The header ad states, "Here you’ll find everything you need to educate and uplift your congregation: Including Free Videos, Sermon Outlines and Images.” Further down the page we are told “Kids will better appreciate Jesus and his sacrifice through looking at scripture and the parallels in the Man of Steel movie” and that “Superman’s mythical origins are rooted in the timeless reality of a spiritual superhero who also lived a modest life until extraordinary times required a supernatural response.”

Just let us know if you’re stocking up. We’ll be sure to take you off the “sub list” for speakers at our church!

May we set forth the truth plainly, and forcefully renounce handling the word of God deceitfully, neither distorting it for popularity nor gain. (Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2)

Note (10/22/22): the pressing need to preach Superman sermons has apparently passed. As we near ten years distance, the website now belongs to a metal contractor.

Who said it?

"Few things in our culture are more spiritually numbing than the television. Even the so-called 'good' shows are by and large banal and low-minded and anything but cultivating of a rich, deep capacity to enjoy God. And when you add to that the barrage of suggestive advertisements that accompany virtually every program, I do not wonder why so many of our professing Christians are spiritually incapable of experiencing high thoughts and deep emotions."

Whooya

...votin' for?

My nephew sent me the following link. For fun, whether anything else, try the Candidate Calculator to see how you line up with your preference for President of the United States (and the rest of the pack as well). *

I matched up closest to Tom Tancredo -- 84.31% match -- about whom I know nothing. My second match was Texas Representative Ron Paul (82.35%), the candidate I plan to vote for in the primary. I was glad to see that I disagree with New Yorkers Guiliani and Clinton 63% and 73% of the time, respectively! :-D

* Disclaimer -- While anyone can take this test, please check United States voting laws to see whether you can vote in the upcoming election! ;-)

Which theologian are you?

Les Puryear posted this on his blog. Some of you might find it fun to take the
Which theologian are you? quiz.

Don't be ashamed, let us know who you are! ;-D

I was surprised to wind up as a Karl Barth!

"You scored as a Karl Barth
The daddy of 20th Century theology. You perceive liberal theology to be a disaster and so you insist that the revelation of Christ, not human experience, should be the starting point for all theology."
Karl Barth 93%
Jonathan Edwards 80%
Anselm 80%
Martin Luther 73%
John Calvin 67%
Friedrich Schleiermacher 53%
Paul Tillich 47%
Augustine 20%
Jürgen Moltmann 20%
Charles Finney 20%