movies

Old Movies and Theology

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I just watched an old movie. Surprise.

I saw Boys Town, a 1938 movie starring Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. It was definitely a feel-good movie, though it didn’t start out that way. I believe it was based on the true story of the founding of Boys Town.

The point of the movie is that Father Flanagan was trying to help boys who didn’t have mothers or fathers to look after them, who would otherwise end up on the streets and involved in crime. He wanted them to learn how to live as decent citizens and decent human beings.

I think we sometimes are quick to judge those who act differently than we do. Or maybe whose sins are different than ours. It’s very easy to condemn someone who struggles with an addiction or issue that we don’t struggle with.

But maybe what people need isn’t to hear how they’ve messed up and are headed down the wrong path. They probably figured that one out already. Maybe what people need is to know that someone out there knows and cares about them. That maybe, just maybe, they can change.

That’s what the Gospel really is. We like to harp on the sin part sometimes and maybe get a little too much satisfaction from telling people how bad they are, how they’re sinners headed straight to hell. Maybe we need to emphasize that it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe we need to point out that God loved the world so much that He gave Jesus so that it wouldn’t have to be  that way.

Jesus didn’t come to tell good people how good they were. He didn’t come to make healthy people feel good about their health. He came for the bad, the messed up, the sick, the broken. Which by the way means all of us.

Before you write off someone else, remember who you used to be. Who you might still have been but for the grace of God. That just might make all the difference in the world. In that person’s world.

 

17 Days In

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I reported to you earlier that I had decided to give up not only Facebook, but all forms of social media this year for Lent. Obviously excluding WordPress.

It’s been 17 days (by my count) out of 46. So far, so good. I haven’t missed social media like I thought I would. In fact, most of the time, I don’t really even think about it much.

I’ve used my newfound free time in catching up on my reading and movie watching. On the book front, I’m currently reading Anne of the Islands (the third book of the Anne of Green Gables series– don’t judge) as well as diligently reading through The Voice translation of the Bible (I’m up to Isaiah 23).

Recently, I re-watched all the Harry Potter movies and remembered why I liked them so much the first time. Also, I was astounded all over again at how many incredible well-known actors they enlisted for these film adaptations of children’s books.

I find myself less anxious and more calm without social media. I do miss seeing what my friends post, but I also don’t miss checking to see who commented on my own posts (a bad habit that I still sometimes struggle with).

I’m still praying for more discipline and more willingness to create space and silence for God to speak to me. I’m praying for the ability to quiet my own mind and listen to that Still Small Voice that will never compete with my own noise.

That’s all I have for now. I’ll keep you posted for the remaining 29 days of Lent.

Choices

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Dumbledore

“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices” (Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets).

Yes, I know. I just quote from a Harry Potter movie. Egads.

I’ve read all the books and seen all the movies and I liked every one of them. I especially liked the magic as metaphor theme. I think that these books aren’t really about magic as much as they are about growing up, discovering who you are, and learning what truly matters. But that is a topic for another blog on another day.

I do think that it’s not our abilities but what we do with them that ultimately matters in the end. I’ve seen people with loads of natural ability bested by people not nearly as talented but far more determined. Especially in the arena of sports.

One of the most famous choices is the one Joshua made early in the history of the nation of Israel. He basically said that while the others were free to worship whatever gods they wanted that he and his family would choose to serve Yahweh and Yahweh alone. No other.

That same choice is offered to me. Daily. And daily I must choose whether I will serve Jesus or something else, which usually ends up being my own selfish desires. Sometimes I actually choose right, but more often than I’d like I choose wrong. I choose me.

Also, I think we choose whether or not we’ll give up on those who let us down or give them second chances. We choose who we let into our inner struggles and who we shut out. We choose role-playing versus authenticity and honesty.

But ultimately, it’s about who to serve. As the famous theologian Bob Dylan said, you gotta serve somebody. So who will you choose?

The Not-So-Super Bowl

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XLVIII

Yes, I know. Super Bowl XLVIII was two days ago. Yes, I watched it. Well, most of it.

If you watched it, you probably know that it wasn’t exactly a nailbiter. There was no thrilling finish. In fact, you might say the contest was basically over when the Denver center snapped the ball over Peyton Manning’s head. The Broncos never recovered after that.

To be more specific, I watched the game right up to the point where the Seattle Seahawks scored to make it a 36-0 game. At that point, I turned off the game and watched a couple of episodes of Twin Peaks, which were much more dramatic and suspenseful than the game ever thought about being.

I’ve never seen a team play worse than the Broncos did in that game. I’ve never seen a team so demoralized as those players in orange and blue.

Even the commercials (in my opinion) weren’t all that great. There were a few that I liked, but mostly they were like the game– overhyped and underperforming.

I do think it’s better to watch a game like this with friends or family or a combination of both. It’s good to have a few board games handy in case the game gets out of hand (sorta like this one did).

I’m glad I’m not a Denver Broncos fan. I’d be really depressed right about now. I’m not really a Seahawks fan either. I just wanted the game to be close and for both teams to play well. As it turned out, it appears somebody forgot to tell most of those Denver Broncos there was a game that night.

As I get “mature” (a nice way of saying “older”), I find that I prefer a good movie to a sporting event. I don’t know why. I just do.

I do however hope next year’s Super Bowl is a bit more competitive. At least make the commercials fun to watch.

 

I Once Was Lost, But Now I’m Found

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I just finished watching the last episode of Lost.

I know. I’m about four years behind the rest of you who saw the series finale when it aired way back in 2010. But what can I say? I like to wait until TV shows are over so I can watch them in their entirety at my leisure. Or I can cram a whole season into a weekend. It all depemds on my mood.

I had heard that the ending of Lost was unsatisfying for many and left a lot of unanswered questions. I didn’t find that to be true for me. I loved the ending. And don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it.

Well, I changed my mind. So sue me.

Don’t read any further if you don’t want to know how the show ends. Go make some popcorn or go take a restroom break.

I love the way they were all reunited at the end. I especially love how it took place in a beautiful church building. I don’t care if they were all dead and ghosts or whatever. It gave me a good picture of what heaven will be like. Especially with how they brought back all the characters they had killed off in previous episodes.

Ok. You out there who didn’t want to know about the series finale can start reading again. No more spoiler alerts. Or spoilers.

I love a good story told well, whether the medium is a book or a movie or TV series. I love the satisfaction of having my expectations thwarted only to find the outcome was better than my predictions. God is like that.

Now I have to find the next TV series to get hooked on. I’m currently taking ideas and suggestions. Or I could just read a good book.

And The Award Goes To . . . .

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I almost forgot. It nearly slipped my mind.

With all the drama of me becoming once again unemployed, I nearly dropped the ball and failed to mention that I accomplished one of my goals from 2013.

I have now seen all nine of the best picture nominees from the 2013 Academy Awards. Yes, you can touch me now.

They are (as copied and pasted from the Oscar website):

“Amour” Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz, Producers
“Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
“Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
“Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
“Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
“Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

I know Argo won at the real ceremony, but my favorite of all these was Silver Linings Playbook. It was the one that resonated with me most, that I could relate to more than the others.

Of course, I loved Les Miseables. It has one of the best story lines of all time. And Argo was exceptionally well-done. Zero Dark Thirty was way better than I expected. The only disappointment for me was Life of Pi, which did NOT resonate with me at all for some unknown reason and left me feeling a bit disturbed. Maybe that was the point. Maybe it just shows that I’m not a movie critic with a discerning eye for great filmmaking. I do know what I like, though.

Django Unchained was a typical Quentin Tarantino film with over-the-top everything. I expected it to be that way.

I think I’ll keep up this new tradition and watch all the 2014 nominees. Maybe this time, I’ll get through them all while it’s still 2014. Who knows?

The Creative Process

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Well, I confess that I’m once again stumped as to what to write about. I can’t think of a single interesting topic. As the saying goes, I cannot brain today; I has the dumb. True indeed. I has the dumb.

So maybe I thought I’d give you a bit of insight into the creative process that goes into writing a daily blog. In case you were wanting to try your hand at it.

My process is this: I ain’t got one.

I usually pay attention during the day and at some point, something will strike me: a bit of a conversation, a lyric from a song, a line from a movie. Just about anything.

Sometimes, I have no idea what to write about until I actually start writing. Like tonight. Sometimes I will borrow from something I’ve read that speaks my heart and mind better than I could.

They won’t all be the best blog ever written. Some will suck. But for me, the goal is writing something every day, whether anybody else reads it or not.

I’m still thankful for anyone else who reads these. I hope you’ve had as much fun reading them as I have in writing them.

That’s all. Good night (unless you’re reading this in full daylight, then I say “Good day!”

Downtown Franklin Recommendations

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I may have mentioned it a time or two, but I love me some Historic Downtown Franklin. I could very easily see myself living there (or some place very nearby). In fact, I have offered my services as a (very) unofficial tour guide of all my favorite places. In case you can’t afford my exorbitant fees, here’s a list of some of the places I love to visit when I’m there.

1) McCreary’s Irish Pub: I list it first because it’s my favorite. It’s a small place, but I love the vibe. Also, the people who work there are fantastic and will make you feel like you’re at home. I recommend just about everything on the menu.

2) Frothy Monkey: It’s a hip and trendy place to hang out in your North Face jacket with your MacBook sipping on hip and trendy beverages. I almost feel hip and trendy myself when I’m there. When the weather’s good, the best place to be is outside on their upstairs patio or on their front porch.

3) St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: It’s open 24/7 and makes for a good place to go and pray or meditate or just be still for a few moments. If you’re quiet long enough, you can almost hear the ghosts of old parishioners walking up and down on the old creaky floorboards.

4) The Franklin Tea Room: I just discovered this little gem of a place. It’s a great place to have tea and read a good book. I chose cinnamon spice tea and The Great Gatsby. It does close early, so go there first thing.

5) Franklin Theatre: It’s a beautifully restored old movie theater where you can still catch a classic movie (or a more recent one), hear a concert, or see a live stage play. I always try to see at least one Christmas movie there during December.

There are lots more places to check out, like Grey’s on Main or Puckett’s. There’s even St. Philip’s Catholic Church that has a breath-taking old chapel that used to be the main sanctuary. I recommend walking up and down Main Street, taking in a few of the antique stores, satisfying your sweet tooth at Sweet CeCe’s, and (most importantly) bringing your camera to take lots of scenic pics.

There may or may not be a sequel to this blog. I haven’t decided yet. I think I’ll need to put in some more research first.

My Modest Plans for Saturday

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OK. I admit it. My weekly trip to downtown Franklin didn’t pan out like I thought it would. Blame the cold and rainy weather. I had every intention of continuing my quest to Frothy Monkey, but the chill breeze and the cold rain dissuaded me rather quickly.

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I did get a very good bowl of fire-roasted veggie soup from McCreary’s Irish Pub out of the night, so it wasn’t a total loss. 

My tentative plans for Saturday are as follows:

1) Not getting up at 5 am. I cannot emphasize strongly enough how this will not happen.

2) Going to McKay’s Used Books and doing some more wheeling and dealing, i.e. hoping and praying they will take everything I’m offering in trade and give me top dollar for my loot.

3) Going to the super bargain matinee at Thoroughbred Cinemas in Franklin to see Hunger Games 2, better known as Catching Fire. 

4) Getting in some sun and a little exercise (unless it rains, then it’s on to plan B).

5) Figuring out what my plan B will be if it rains.

Again, these plans are subject to change, based on weather and possible better offers coming my way. If you’re nearby, you are certainly welcomed to join me in any or all of my adventures, none of which involve slaying any dragons or looking for any lost dwarfish gold or anything that would cause you to miss dinner.

 

 

One Weird Weekend

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Forgive me if I’m having trouble remembering what day it is. Let me explain. No, there is no time. Let me sum up. (A shiny nickel to the first person to correctly guess what movie I just referenced).

I worked Wednesday. Tracking so far?

I had Thursday off, since it was Thanksgiving aka Turkey Day aka National Food Coma Day.

I had Friday off, because it’s Black Friday aka National Recovery from Yesterday’s Food Coma Day.

I worked today.

I’m off tomorrow.

Where am I? Who am I? What year is it?

Ok, it’s not quite that bad yet. I know it’s still 2013 for another 31 days. I know there are 24 shopping days until Christmas.

Sometimes, we all lose our way. We forget who we are and why we’re here. We forget that it’s about more than just you and me in our tiny well-ordered lives.

As Rick Warren most famously said, it’s not about you. It never has been. It has been, is, and will always be all about God. But God has invited you and me to be a part of what He’s doing. We get to be conduits of blessing that bring Him glory.

I forget who I am. I forget Whose I am: I am the Beloved of my Abba, the one in whom He is well pleased.

I forget why I’m here. And my purpose is this: “Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. This is God’s will for all of you in Jesus the Anointed” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

To celebrate God’s goodness. To pray without ceasing. To give thanks in everything. That is God’s will for me. Yeah, it’s that simple.

I needed that reminder. I hope you did, too. And it is Saturday, FYI.