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Our series ends in a couple of weeks, but the summer movie season is just getting started. Here’s a few resources that might be helpful as we continue to engage the culture:

Hollywood Jesus

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Last week I found myself in an interesting conversation. I was telling someone about the current series we’re in (The Gospel According to Hollywood) in which we’re watching and discussing four movies. The person I was talking with was shocked and perhaps even appalled that we would do something like this. They said, “Movies are a complete twisting of truth - Hollywood’s distorted version of reality and we definitely don’t need more of that in the church.”

In a way, I agreed. The body of Christ does not need, and should not incorporate things that are not true. But he went on.

“Long ago I decided to not watch movies - to stay away from them altogether.”

Christians have often chosen one of two paths when faced with the messages and mediums of culture. One response is to wage war by declaring all ‘non-Christian’ music - film - art - etc. as the enemy and doing everything possible to annihilate it. A second response is to retreat - to run away from the messages and mediums of culture. The belief here is that by avoiding it, we’ll remain pure. I don’t think that either of these choices are best. But, there’s a third option: engaging and transforming culture.

I believe that God calls us to meet culture where it is at and then do two things. The first thing we do is claim the parts of our culture that are true and beautiful as coming from God. The Scriptures tell us that God is the giver of every good gift, no matter where it is found, and we need to celebrate this truth. We need to point people back to this foundational reality. Truth doesn’t come from Hollywood. It doesn’t come from an Academy-award-winning actor. It comes from God.

The second thing we do as we engage culture is partner with God to redeem it. If there are parts of our culture that are promoting hate we, as God’s people, call these parts out and hold them up against God’s love. If there are parts of our culture that are fueling injustice we, as God’s people, need to take a stand and work to establish God’s justice. If there are parts of a movie that tell a story contrary to the story God is writing, we point people back to what is true.

Now, I will admit, engaging culture is a whole lot messier than waging war and retreating. But the last two options do little to usher in the Kingdom. And this is what God is always calling us to - to be used by Him to spread love and truth which will change the world.

I didn’t know I had so much to say Maybe you do too. Please feel free to comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

first off, as Chris emailed, I am planning on a blog or video about Mark 6, however after Maya woke up yesterday with bad hives over 100% of her little body, a trip the emergency room, and trying to catch a play or two of the big game… well… I’ll get around to it

something else has captured my imagination this morning though. I recently saw the new commercials that Kleenex company is running under the tagline “let it out…” take a look see:

every time I watch it, I want to jump up and scream, “BRILLIANT”! that is, after I get around to wiping the tears out of my eyes with off-brand… um… tissues. I think that the advert company has hit a home run here by tapping into a deep deep deficiency in our ‘modern’ lives. we as human beings have a deep need to have someone listen to and affirm our stories. we need someone to care.

so, I’m already starting to dream of a saturday when we grab one or two of our IKEA couches and plop them down at a busy intersection and just offer to listen to people’s stories! can you imagine? I can… and I think their right, we’ll probably need a box of kleenex…

one more thing, the Branch has formed a team of elders (we’ll introduce them during worship real soon). one of main tasks for this team is to be just such a listening presence in our community. so perhaps you are reading this or just watched that advert and your saying to yourself, “I wish someone would listen to my story”. well, we’re here to listen. all it takes is a word, an email or a phone call… you could start by shooting me (andy {@} thebranchonline.org) or Chris (chris {@} thebranchonline.org) an email… let it out!

So what? This was the response that Chris gave me when I asked him to read my previous post. I asked him if I was too opinionated (it’s hard to imagine, I know, but I am sometimes). Nope, he said. I’ve got nothing against what you’ve written, it’s just that I don’t know what to do with it… I said, well that’s what this week’s message is about, I can’t spoil it.

He didn’t know that and neither do you, so perhaps I should say it: this week’s message is subtitled ’so what?’. If the empire is bad, so what? If an all-consuming consumer culture is fighting to control my imagination, so what? If the clothes I buy are made from environmentally unsustainable textile crops and by the equivalent of slave labor, so what? If we are called to be an alternate community of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love and peace… so what!? If we enjoy the benefits of living in a culture of idolatrous greed and violence, so what? If I buy bananas for $0.69 a pound while the woman who picked them can’t afford to feed her family, so what? If I live in a warm comfortable house while the coal that is burned to give it energy is mined by blowing the tops of mountains, so what? If the safety and economic stability of my nation is ensured by the destruction of other nations and the death their citizens, so what?

So what if I can’t imagine life in any other way? So what if resistance seems futile? So what if instead of imaging my creator, I am branded by the pushers of the ‘American Dream’ and their products. What if, faced with the ‘American Dream’, we stood up and said, “we beg to differ! That’s not my dream. Not if it makes an idol of consumption and distorts my call to image my creator!“

So what…? Flag tees are only five bucks at old navy…