by Emily Howsden | Feb 25, 2019
We live in a culture where being right, having the last word or even making someone else look ignorant are really important things.
I write this blog as much to myself as I write it to you. I can’t say being right hasn’t ever been important to me; that would be a lie. I’ve also been one to have the last word, maybe even tried to make someone else look ignorant. But where do these things get us?
Do they fulfill us? Do they make us lay down at night with
zero regrets and rest peacefully? Do they gain us more friends or give us positive
experiences to look back on fondly?
Have you said things that you’re proud of? Or called names
that edify your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Have you/we furthered
the Kingdom by being right?
This is where we, as the church, must be different. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He takes joy when his schemes cause division among the body of Christ.
There are currently many issues locally, statewide and
nationwide of which we could each choose to become hostile and say hurtful
things to those who oppose us. But at what cost?
The Church has enough obstacles hurled our way by the world, why would we, as members of the church not do our best to uplift each other as we accomplish our main goal, making God’s name known.
Did you catch that? We are supposed to make God’s name known, not our own. That directly contradicts cultural trends that tells us to do whatever we can for the most likes, retweets or even your 15 minutes of fame for going viral.
When the time comes for Jesus to return, what will you hope to tell Him about your time here on earth?
“But Jesus, I had a really great twitter following.”
“But Jesus, I had the last word in every argument.”
“But Jesus, my ‘one liners’ were on point, every time!”
No, these “victories” are fleeting, as are most worldly
accomplishments, except for one.
One thing that will warrant Jesus’ response of “Well done my good and faithful servant,” is the people that came to know Him, through our guiding.
No other earthly accomplishment can add up our completing the task of taking His name to the ends of the earth, so that every person might be able to experience His love, mercy, forgiveness, redemption, kindness and healing.
It comes down a decision. You can choose to be right, choose to be heard or seen; or you can choose the path that is less traveled, and that’s the path that ultimately leads to Jesus. Who will you take with you?
by Michael Foust | Feb 22, 2019
DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” (PG) has plenty of positive lessons, minus a few, well, hiccups.
He’s called “Hiccup,” and despite his quirky-sounding name,
he’s the best dragon-tamer anywhere.
That’s an essential skill in a Viking-centric world where
humans and dragons have, historically, battled to the death. But that was years
ago. Hiccup, now 20, has brought peace between the two worlds, proving that
dragons are misunderstood, friendly creatures. In Hiccup’s Viking village—called
“Berk”—Vikings and dragons even live
alongside one another.
But not all Vikings agree with Hiccup. In fact, many of them
still trap and poach dragons, wrongly believing they are evil beings that
randomly steal and kill.
That’s OK, though, because Hiccup and his band of peaceful
Vikings often travel the countryside to free those caged dragons, who then are
given the option of moving in with Hiccup.
Yet with all these new dragons, Berk is getting crowded.
It’s also becoming an easy target for Grimmel the Grisly, a mean Viking who
kills dragons and is hunting for a special one known as a “night fury” that has
unique powers. Hiccup’s pet dragon, Toothless, is such a creature.
So Hiccup concocts a plan. The people of Berk (and their
dragons) will move to a place where no one will find them. It’s a hidden world,
across the ocean, that is the ancestral home to all dragons. If they can find
it, the two sides can escape the dragon hunters forever.
DreamWorks’ How to
Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (PG) opens this weekend, properly
concluding a trilogy that began with How
to Train Your Dragon (2010) and How
to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014). They are based on the book series of the
same name by author Cressida Cowell.
The film follows the story of Hiccup as he and the Vikings try and escape Grimmel. It also follows two love angles: Hiccup and the dragon-loving Astrid, and Toothless and the white-colored night fury known as Light Fury.
Actor Jay Baruchel returns as the voice of Hiccup and
America Ferrera as Astrid. It also stars Cate Blanchett as Hiccup’s mom, Valka,
and Kristen Wiig as the annoying Viking Ruffnut.
How to Train
Your Dragon: The Hidden World may be too intense for small children but still stays in
family-friendly territory—minus a few, well, hiccups.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. Vikings have sword fights, and dragons breathe
fire, but it’s largely cartoonish and kid-friendly. That is, no one dies, and
we never see blood. The scariest character, in fact, is not a dragon but the
eerie Grimmel, who sneaks into Hiccup’s house and threatens him in the middle
of the night, claiming to be a “night fury killer.”
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Minimal. Two characters kiss on the cheek and—at the end of
the film—on the lips when they are married. Toothless becomes giddy about Light
Fury. They go on a “date” (Hiccup’s description) and become partners.
Coarse
Language
Minimal. The Vikings of old believed in multiple gods (Odin,
Loki and Thor, among them), so the filmmakers updated today’s language: “gods
no” is heard once, as is “oh my gods” and “for Thor’s sake.” We hear “gods”
used twice alone as an exclamation. I could have done without it. We also hear
the misuse of “God” twice (although it’s garbled). Others: “butt” (2),
“screwed” (1) and “barf” (1)
Other
Positive Elements
We see Hiccup having flashbacks several times about his
childhood and his father (who is deceased). All are sweet memories. One of them
shows a young Hiccup asking his father, Stoick, if he is going to remarry and
give him another mom. The father says he will not remarry. She was the “only
woman” for him.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
Vikings drink. Drunkenness is implied, including by Hiccup
(although he quickly sobers up.)
Life Lessons
For an animated film, this one has multiple positive
messages. We learn about the bond between a parent and child (Hiccup and
Stoick), the long-lasting legacy of parents (Stoick), and the love between a
husband and wife (Stoick and his wife). The film teaches us about leadership,
as Hiccup discovers he can’t “go it alone” while battling the dragon hunters;
he needs help. We learn about courage in the midst of self-doubt. Hiccup has
trouble “letting go” of Toothless in a scene that will cause empty nesters to
reminisce. If we’re paying attention, the film even urges us not to arbitrarily
kill wildlife (poaching for rhino horns, for example).
Worldview/Application
The How to Train Your
Dragon series is a cartoonish world of Nordic myths and gods. Marvel’s Thor
would fit right in.
Yet that’s just the backdrop for a message about love,
especially in this third installment. Toothless falls for Light Fury. Hiccup
and Astrid finally consider marriage. And in a scene straight out of a Hallmark
movie, a tearful Stoick thinks back to the love of his life—the only woman for
him. “There’s no greater gift than love,” Stoick says.
Yes, Hiccup has to say goodbye to a friend (Toothless), but
he welcomes a new chapter in his life while looking back at his father’s model example
of marital dedication. Not bad for a cartoon.
What Works
The animation. The messages. The story. It’s a fun film.
What Doesn’t
The “gods” exclamations. My son kept whispering to me, “Is
that a curse word?”
Discussion
Questions
- Was Hiccup’s father a good example for his son? Why or why not?
- What does the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless teach us about life? About parenting? About letting go?
- What did Hiccup learn about being courageous? About leading?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Family-friendly rating: 3.5 out of 5
stars.
Rated PG for adventure action and some mild rude humor.
Photo credit: Dreamworks
by Michael Foust | Feb 22, 2019
The faith-based film “Run the Race” (PG) opens this weekend, telling the story of two brothers who must depend on one another during life’s trials.
Zach Truett is a high school quarterback with a big smile
and a strong arm.
He’s also a confident young man who believes his football
talent is his ticket out of the small town of Bessemer, home to so many bad
memories.
His mother died in that small town. His father, an
alcoholic, abandoned them there.
Zach and his brother, Dave, live alone under the watchful
eye of a surrogate mother. Each day is a fight for survival.
“I’m gonna get that scholarship. I’m gonna get us out of
here,” Zach tells his brother.
But when Zach gets injured, his plans for a brighter future
take a turn, and he is faced with questions about God and life that he’s been
ignoring.
The faith-based film Run
the Race (PG) opens this weekend, telling the story of two brothers—one a skeptic
(Zach), the other a Christian (Dave)—who must depend on one another, instead of
their parents, during life’s trials.
The film was executive produced by Tim and Robby Tebow and
stars Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump)
as their coach, Coach Hailey; Frances Fisher (Unforgiven) as their surrogate mother, Louise; Tanner Stine (NCIS) as Zach; and Evan Hofer (Kickin It) as Dave.
Run the Race is a sports-themed movie—All-Pro
Dad and the National Coalition of Ministries to Men are partners—but the story
is for a broader audience. It has a love angle. (Zach’s girlfriend, Ginger, is
a Christian). It has a faith angle. It has a tragedy angle. Above all, it’s
uplifting.
It also has a different feel to it. It’s believable. Let’s
put it this way: I watch dozens of Christian movies each year. This is one of
the best I’ve seen.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. We see high school boys throw punches in a fight.
We see a character have a seizure.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None.
Coarse
Language
None.
Other
Positive Elements
Coach Hailey is the type of coach you’d want leading your
own children. He cares for Zach. He even says a few pointed words to Zach’s
father, urging him to become the dad Zach needs.
Ginger’s family, particularly her father, handle Zach’s
skepticism about faith with grace. It’s a model for all Christians.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
Characters drink. One or two scenes take place in a bar. The
interaction between Zach and his father might trouble young viewers. “You’re
some guy that walked out on us when mom died,” Zach tells him. Zach refuses to
acknowledge him as family.
A character dies.
Life Lessons
Run the Race is packed with life and biblical lessons. Among them:
Support and encourage one another (Zach and Dave); invest in someone’s life
(Dave, Coach Hailey); and display grace and mercy to unbelievers (Ginger and
her family). The film’s themes of overcoming tragedy, loving your brother and
forgiving and reconciling also resonate.
Worldview/Application
Scripture tells us to “bear
one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2) and to display humility, gentleness and
patience in our interactions with others (Eph. 4:2). But we’re often too busy
to get involved. Other times, we’re more interested in winning an argument than
winning our friends and relatives to Christ.
Run the Race shows how an investment in
someone’s life can end—with that person coming to faith. It takes patience and
humility. Sometimes, it even takes teamwork.
What Works
The script and the ending.
Acting is another bright spot. I didn’t find a weak link
among the cast.
The football action is impressive, too. It looks real.
What Doesn’t
The actors don’t always look like high school-aged
kids.
Discussion
Questions
- Why didn’t Zach accept his father as a family member? What changed his mind?
- Should Ginger have dated Zach?
- How did Zach and Dave react differently to life’s trials? Why did they react differently?
- What did Dave and Ginger do to encourage and walk alongside Zach?
- Is there a “Zach” in your life who needs encouraging—and who needs to hear about Christ?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4.5
out of 5 stars.
Run the Race
is rated PG for thematic content and some teen partying.
by Joel Harder | Feb 20, 2019
One of the
problems in modern American politics is fear—so says a host of articles,
commentators and academics. It seems every time I listen to a political
interview or news story, someone raises the subject of fear.
In a
recent PBS News Hour interview,
Martha Nussbaum, professor at the University of Chicago and author of “The
Monarchy of Fear,” a book exploring the 2016 election, said, “Fear connects us
to the bad… (and) it’s always been thought to be a terrible problem for
democracy.”
Professor
Nussbaum goes on to say, “What happens when fear gets into the works is… (it)
makes us turn against targets that are not real… People are being stampeded by
their emotions, and they’re not stopping to figure things out and to work on
the real problems.”
Political
leaders attempt to address the problem of fear in politics. In a world filled
with danger, President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we
have to fear is fear itself.” His encouragement regrettably faded, and fear
again grips our politics.
We need
lasting solutions to fear and not just momentary help from political leadership.
The
Bible’s Solution for Fear
The Bible’s
answer to fear begins with trusting God and drawing near to His presence. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go”
(Josh. 1:9).
He’s
closer than we imagine because God’s Spirit dwells within us. The Bible then
teaches that fear itself is driven out by love. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1
John 4:18).
Christians
have no reason to give in to fear if the solution to fear is perfect love. The
Bible teaches that God Himself is
love, and He resides in our own hearts.
Driving
out fear so we can address the real
problems should be exactly what Christians bring to politics. The key is
understanding how perfect love works.
When I
encounter a person who is difficult to love, even someone who angrily disagrees
with me, I don’t find it within myself to somehow respond with love. Love is
not some mysterious substance I possess by being strong, good or well-adjusted
enough.
The
Apostle Paul writes that God’s Spirit brings many things into a Christian’s
life, beginning with love. Love exists outside of me, first of all in the very
nature of God. When Paul writes that the fruit of the spirit is love, he means
for me to know that God provides the love I need to show. This is true in
politics and everyday life.
- For the person in political
opposition, God says you can debate them with civility and
compassion. Love is not arrogant, boastful, rude or self-seeking.
- For a person who wrongs me, God says you can forgive just as you were forgiven. Love keeps no
records of wrongs.
Replacing
Fear with the Face of God
We read in 1 John 4:11, “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God.” But, John teaches, “if we love one another, then God’s love is made complete, the unseen becomes seen.”
Victor
Hugo, the great novelist who wrote Les
Miserable captures this idea of love so well, writing, “And remember the
truth, that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God.”
It is not
in receiving love, but in loving another person that we see the face of God, as Hugo put it. The unseen
made visible at any moment, and you don’t have to wait for it; it’s waiting for
you to love another person.
Fear in
politics can be driven out and replaced by the very face of God when the people
of God, filled with the Spirit of God, show the love of God.
by Emily Howsden | Feb 18, 2019
Let me first say, I don’t write this blog out of selfish desires. Rather, I write it as someone who is currently going through this season in life.
There are so many things that a mom has to think about when she considers going somewhere with her baby. I’m here to suggest practical ways a church can love a mom and make life a little bit easier for her to attend church with her baby.
Considering the possible obstacles when going somewhere with a baby, it can be enough to make a mom say, “It’s not worth it; we’re just going to stay home.” The church should not be one of those places.
Have a place where a mother can quietly and privately feed her baby if breast feeding. I breastfed my child for the first five months of his life, and more often than not, there wasn’t a suitable place for me to feed him.
This meant I would often sit in the car, in the middle of the summer, with the air conditioning blasting, sweating, while trying to feed my newborn baby.
Designate a room where a mom can go and feed her baby in private with a few comfortable seating options: a couch, a rocking chair, perhaps an ottoman.
Another thing that would help tremendously is to have the sermon either playing on a speaker or on a television monitor. My son’s feeding schedule almost always came in the middle of worship time.
Feeding a baby can take anywhere from 20-40 minutes when you consider burping the baby, changing their diaper, and so on. This meant I fully missed the church service, which in the end made me wish I would have just stayed home where we were more comfortable. Don’t let this be an obstacle for the new mothers in your church!
Have a changing table with a few baby essentials stocked for the “oh no!” moments that inevitably sneak up when a baby has had an accident, and the mom realizes they’ve left their wipes or something else important at home. This might seem like something small and definitely won’t cost much money, but it does so much for a new mom to feel like she’s being taken care of while her life revolves around taking care of other people.
While I’m talking about changing tables, have a changing table in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. Changing a diaper is not just a woman’s job, and I would hate for a single father to enter into a church and find himself with no place to change his baby. A family restroom, if your church has one, would also be a solution to this problem.
Another suggestion comes from a Facebook post I saw recently from First Baptist Church of Skiatook. They had four rocker/gliders in the back of their sanctuary for new moms. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve rocked my child to sleep in the service sans rocking chair. There might be the “danger” of both mom and baby snoozing in the church service (ha!) but what a considerate gesture this was, GREAT JOB FBC SKIATOOK!
Finally, and this is perhaps the most important, when you hear a baby in the worship service causing a lot of noise, becoming a distraction, keep judgmental glances to yourself. It’s true, the noise the baby is making sounds 10 times louder to the mom than it does to you. At my church, our congregation does a great job of this. When my little one made noises, rather than catching ugly glances, I looked around to see smiling faces and understanding glances. This makes all the difference in the world to a new family.
A church that has lots of babies in it is the sign of a still-growing and healthy church. These are some small and practical tips that can help a new mom feel at home away from home. Life with a new baby is hard enough. Let’s, as the Church, take care of families with new babies rather than add stress to their lives.
by Chris Doyle | Feb 15, 2019
Greetings!
Hope your Valentine’s Day was a good one! This week’s DHD
spotlights four people who have been in the news lately or have been promoted
through blogs. I’m also featuring a Christian college making a bold
announcement and concluding on a great traditional song that needs to be shared
more frequently.
Here we go!
1. Bravo Augie Boto
August Boto, interim president of the executive committee of
the Southern Baptist Convention, handled an extremely difficult issue rather well
this week.
As the Houston
Chronicle is publishing an investigative
report involving hundreds of instances of sexual abuse by pastors and other
leaders of Southern Baptist churches, Boto gave superb responses to the Chronicle. Here’s a snippet of the
Q&A narrative that the Chronicle
published featuring the
investigative reporters and Boto with “Sing” Oldham also commenting:
Q: Since the SBC does not keep stats, we went out and tried to quantify this problem. We found roughly 200 SBC ministers and volunteers and youth pastors who had been criminally convicted. We’re going to be posting those records online in a searchable database in order for people to use it as a resource…
Boto: Good.
Q: What’s that?
Boto: Good.
Q: I guess I have to ask … that’s not quite the response I expected. Why do you think that’s good?
Boto: Because your posting of it is going to heighten awareness. It’s going to harden the targets. I told you at the outset of this phone call that my perception of your doing a report is probably more positive than you would suspect. … I think sometimes people presuppose that our initial reaction to a report of Southern Baptist failure anywhere is embarrassment. I can assure you that is not my initial reaction. My initial reaction is anger.
Oldham: But not at you.
Boto: No, not at you. My initial reaction is anger that it happened.
I love how the reporters appear to be caught off
guard by Boto’s answer. I guess they were expecting him to be more defensive
and contrary.
And I especially love “Sing” Oldham’s input. I’m a
huge fan of that Southern gentleman, formally known as Roger Singleton Oldham
who serves as SBC vice president of convention communications and relations.
Sing is the perfect P.R. man, knowing that timing and verbiage are very
important.
But Augie Boto, as I said, handled his part in
exceptional fashion. I also enjoyed this comment he made to the Chronicle: “Guys, you are not my
opponent. You are not the opponent of the Southern Baptist Convention in your
reporting. You’re helping us. I’m all for shining the light of day upon crime.”
These are difficult times for Southern Baptists, but
it’s important that key leaders handle the storms well.
2.
Pratt’s pontification perfect reply
Hollywood actor Chris Pratt is saying and doing a
lot of encouraging stuff. I liked watching his interview with Stephen Colbert. Talking
about his shepherding activities and his involvement with the Daniel Fast was
great banter (“Lion fighting is sick cardio”). Pratt, for sure, is an extremely
likeable guy.
However, actress Ellen Page took exception to Pratt
mentioning his church in the interview. She tweeted that Pratt’s church is “infamously
anti lgbtq.”
I must confess. Whenever the word “infamous” or its
derivatives is used, I naturally think of the movie Three Amigos—“He’s not only famous. He’s infamous.”
But seriously, Pratt’s response
to Page’s criticism was great. He tweeted a respectful reply which included “I
go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone.”
And that’s how all churches should operate. There
are those of whom we disagree, but that doesn’t mean we discard. Welcome
anybody and everybody who desires to worship the Lord and study the Bible with
you.
3.
Reading Rosaria
Speaking of someone who relates to the LGBTQ
community, Rosaria Butterfield’s book “The Gospel Comes With a House Key” was reviewed
this week by WordSlingers’ blogger Karen Kinnaird.
I’ve said in previous DHDs that I’m a huge Rosaria
fan and have been since I first heard her speak at a conference in Nashville,
Tenn. about five years ago. A former English and women’s studies professor at
Syracuse University, Rosaria’s lifestyle embraced the LGBTQ worldview. However,
after meeting with a pastor and his family over multiple dinners, she made a profession
of faith in Christ and is now a pastor’s wife who lives in North Carolina.
I have not read this book, but I can understand
Karen’s conclusions, as I’m familiar with Rosaria’s passion for evangelism
through hospitality.
4.
Caleb continues
Another regular DHD personality is Caleb Freeman. I wrote
about his appearance at a recent OU basketball game, where he was recognized as
honorary sixth man.
It’s exciting to see the progress Caleb has made since
his car accident in Dec. 2017. God is moving in a powerful way through this
young man.
5.
Louisiana College makes bold decision
Baptist Press reported
this week that Louisiana College (LC) has withdrawn its membership from the
Council of Christian College and Universities (CCCU). The decision was made by
LC President Rick Brewer, stating the school is distancing itself from the
organization’s decision to endorse legislation “to add sexual orientation and
gender identity to the list of federally-protected classes.”
“Sometimes the answer to
such matters is to agree to disagree,” Brewer wrote. “But the import
and impact of the ‘Fairness for All’ initiative calls for Louisiana College to
respectfully disagree with the CCCU’s stance.”
This is the second institution of higher learning DHD
has featured within the last few weeks that made profound decisions based on
biblical instruction on sexuality and marriage. The Jan.
25 DHD reported on Montreat College making major decisions that led to
increased enrollment, and one decision included no longer affiliating with
PCUSA churches, which now have a more liberal stance on sexuality and marriage.
6.
The words of Jesus Loves Me
I went to a concert last night of the Singing ChurchWomen of Oklahoma. There were some great moments of powerful singing and worship. One song the ladies sang was a variation of the well-known children’s song “Jesus Loves Me.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve reflected on how
powerful they lyrics are of that song, written in 1860 by Anna Warner. So I
decided to conclude this week’s DHD by featuring the words of “Jesus Loves Me”:
Jesus loves me! This I
know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Refrain:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! This I
know,
As He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them come to Me.”
Jesus loves me still
today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.
Jesus loves me! He who
died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Jesus loves me! He
will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee.