My husband and I were having a conversation yesterday about movies. We love movies and watch old movies all the time. Thanks to cable television, he watches one or two almost everyday! I made the comment that the older movies were much more satisfying to watch than the newer moves. Not that I don't enjoy newer movies, but I have a feeling when watching the older ones that is the equivalent of 'comfort food.'
We then began discussing why, and this is what we came up with; the older movies didn't seem to leave you morally empty inside. Of course, we are selective when watching movies, and when I say older, I mean anything from the 40s, 50s, or some from the 60s. Not that newer movies cannot have a good message and meaning, but there is always something that if they had just left on the cutting room floor, would have made it a better movie!
It seems that the newer movie producers and directors feel a need to put in some gratuitous garbage. I know some of the older movies have sex and scandal in them, and loads of smoking and drinking. But it seems to be set in a certain innocence that we have now seemed to have lost and are intent on our children losing as well.
To be fair, not everything about the older movies were perfect - my favorite - "Breakfast at Tiffany's" has two main characters who are so jaded they have sold themselves to the highest bidder or are content to live a half life never expecting anything more. Then there is a moment of redemption at the end. You know, of course, there is a lot of baggage there, but it leaves room for the happily-ever-after ending in our minds. Yet, even in the pre-redemption setting sex is only alluded to, never shown, drinking may be rampant, but it doesn't really look like a lot of fun, and smoking, well...smoking is what it was back then. Everyone then thought smoking was no more harmful than drinking coffee.
Why don't we have filmmakers who make movies like "That Touch of Mink" anymore? Or maybe the original "Father of the Bride" or any one of the Spencer Tracy/Kathryn Hepburn movies! Anymore we have bad things portrayed as good. Some examples on television are a cop that is bad, portrayed as a hero; a serial killer forensic scientist; and of course you have to mention the new series Swingtown, seriously people!
So is the moral decline in our viewing leading the moral decline in our world, or is it the other way around?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
In Honor of My Daddy
I generally don't get to see my Daddy on Father's Day considering it is a Sunday. I generally try to call him, but this Father's Day my Daddy went into the hospital a few days before and getting him to answer the phone is a near impossibility. See my Daddy is 90 years old, and isn't really doing too well health wise. This time it is some kind of infection in his arm, but he has had a couple of strokes, and broken bones leaving him wheelchair bound. He can stand long enough to transfer himself, but that's about it. If he couldn't do that, he would have to go live in a nursing home, because Mom couldn't take care of him.
In any event, I got to go see him today. As I stared at him while he tried to talk to me through lips that no longer form the words his mind intends, and his faded eyes set deeply in a sagging face, I realized the absolute love for the man that filled my heart. I also realized that if it was his time to go tomorrow, I would be happy for him. You see, sometimes when he says he wants to go "home," I don't always think he is talking about the apartment he lives in with my Mother.
He is a good and decent man who worked hard all his life. He quit public school in the sixth grade to help support his family in the Great Depression. He was the oldest of 12 children, and he helped to provide for them until he was an adult and moved out on his own. He married my Mother when he was 31 and they had my sister and brother in fairly short order, but I didn't come along until he was 47!
He worked hard all my life, mostly working two jobs to provide for us. He retired the same summer I turned 18. I am sure he was thinking - Yeah! I'm done! Woooohoooo retirement! But when you have worked hard your entire life, retirement isn't easy. My parents decided to buy a house in Texas and move down there and did so shortly after his retirement. He enjoyed piddlin' around in Texas, but Mom was burning up the road to see the grandkids! She surely couldn't have done it with gas prices today, but anyway, they soon moved back to Oklahoma.
He took up watching the grandkids, particularly my children, and when my son was three, my Daddy fell while mopping the kitchen floor. He broke his hip and he believes that was the beginning of a downhill slide for him. "I never was sick before that," he'd say, and it is pretty much true.
As he lay there, little and frail, in the hospital bed today, he told me how he felt he was of no use anymore. I told him it was nonsense, considering that he can still talk about Jesus and tell others. I told him I thought he was pretty wonderful.
You see this is new for me. Daddy was never frail or old, even when he was 65! And as I sat there examining all of his fading and wrinkly features, I noticed he still has quite a bit of black mixed in with the gray of his hair. And his whiskers are pretty dark too.
And yet it isn't new for me, as Daddy has had his health deteriorating for some time now. Maybe not the 18 years it has been since he broke his hip, but for a while nevertheless. Yet when I think about him, I see that man in my youth. The one who, if an ant dared bite me or a wasp dared to sting me, he would set fire to them and their whole family! He was the one who at the age of about 53 cleared a chain link fence in one bound when I fell and cut my head open. Daddy was the one who woke up with me in the middle of the night when I had nightmares to make everything all better. Daddy is who I saw pray and live out the Scriptures.
And it is Daddy who I want to be at my ordination next year (good Lord willing) but I also know, he may not be there. My husband told me that Daddy would be there in spirit if he wasn't alive, and that he would probably enjoy it more. While I know these things, I don't think so. My Daddy will be having too much fun in heaven to worry about silly little things here on Earth. But maybe...
In any event, I got to go see him today. As I stared at him while he tried to talk to me through lips that no longer form the words his mind intends, and his faded eyes set deeply in a sagging face, I realized the absolute love for the man that filled my heart. I also realized that if it was his time to go tomorrow, I would be happy for him. You see, sometimes when he says he wants to go "home," I don't always think he is talking about the apartment he lives in with my Mother.
He is a good and decent man who worked hard all his life. He quit public school in the sixth grade to help support his family in the Great Depression. He was the oldest of 12 children, and he helped to provide for them until he was an adult and moved out on his own. He married my Mother when he was 31 and they had my sister and brother in fairly short order, but I didn't come along until he was 47!
He worked hard all my life, mostly working two jobs to provide for us. He retired the same summer I turned 18. I am sure he was thinking - Yeah! I'm done! Woooohoooo retirement! But when you have worked hard your entire life, retirement isn't easy. My parents decided to buy a house in Texas and move down there and did so shortly after his retirement. He enjoyed piddlin' around in Texas, but Mom was burning up the road to see the grandkids! She surely couldn't have done it with gas prices today, but anyway, they soon moved back to Oklahoma.
He took up watching the grandkids, particularly my children, and when my son was three, my Daddy fell while mopping the kitchen floor. He broke his hip and he believes that was the beginning of a downhill slide for him. "I never was sick before that," he'd say, and it is pretty much true.
As he lay there, little and frail, in the hospital bed today, he told me how he felt he was of no use anymore. I told him it was nonsense, considering that he can still talk about Jesus and tell others. I told him I thought he was pretty wonderful.
You see this is new for me. Daddy was never frail or old, even when he was 65! And as I sat there examining all of his fading and wrinkly features, I noticed he still has quite a bit of black mixed in with the gray of his hair. And his whiskers are pretty dark too.
And yet it isn't new for me, as Daddy has had his health deteriorating for some time now. Maybe not the 18 years it has been since he broke his hip, but for a while nevertheless. Yet when I think about him, I see that man in my youth. The one who, if an ant dared bite me or a wasp dared to sting me, he would set fire to them and their whole family! He was the one who at the age of about 53 cleared a chain link fence in one bound when I fell and cut my head open. Daddy was the one who woke up with me in the middle of the night when I had nightmares to make everything all better. Daddy is who I saw pray and live out the Scriptures.
And it is Daddy who I want to be at my ordination next year (good Lord willing) but I also know, he may not be there. My husband told me that Daddy would be there in spirit if he wasn't alive, and that he would probably enjoy it more. While I know these things, I don't think so. My Daddy will be having too much fun in heaven to worry about silly little things here on Earth. But maybe...
Monday, June 16, 2008
Adam Hamilton Sermon Series
I just watched Adam Hamilton's sermon entitled "Sex in the City" as part of his "What's Love Got to Do With It?" sermon series. I highly recommend taking the time to watch this. It is approximately 43 minutes, but worth every bit. Parents, it would be good to encourage your teenagers, or even pre-teens to watch this.
Sex permeates our culture in television, internet and movies and many Christians feel the way to combat this, is to avoid it; however, it is in our daily lives as well. We tend to not teach our kids anything or simply to avoid all issues thinking that will be a quick fix, but it seems to create more of a problem as things that are taboo are often the most desirable. On the other hand, we sometimes are too permissive with our attitudes. Adam address the issue of sex in a beautiful and biblical way.
He also chases a "rabbit trail" on dealing with sin in the church. We all know of things that go on in people's lives and it is generally handled in church settings in one of two ways - gossip or ignoring. Both are wrong and harmful. I believe he gives an excellent response to dealing with the issue of immorality in the church with the love of God.
Don't miss how sex is like duct tape!
Sex permeates our culture in television, internet and movies and many Christians feel the way to combat this, is to avoid it; however, it is in our daily lives as well. We tend to not teach our kids anything or simply to avoid all issues thinking that will be a quick fix, but it seems to create more of a problem as things that are taboo are often the most desirable. On the other hand, we sometimes are too permissive with our attitudes. Adam address the issue of sex in a beautiful and biblical way.
He also chases a "rabbit trail" on dealing with sin in the church. We all know of things that go on in people's lives and it is generally handled in church settings in one of two ways - gossip or ignoring. Both are wrong and harmful. I believe he gives an excellent response to dealing with the issue of immorality in the church with the love of God.
Don't miss how sex is like duct tape!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
New Item on the Blog!
You may notice at the link to your right is a list of sermons on podcast. I will upload this each Sunday I preach (not next Sunday!). If you are interested. Let me know what you think of having this option available.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Love the Sinner - Hate the Sin? How's that Working for Us?
Kudos to Mr. Bill Mefford, director of civil and human rights of the General Board of Church and Society! And may God continue to bless him as he gives voice to the multitude of silent people who simply want to live for God in God's love and sharing that love with others. He wrote the article, "Love the sinner, detest what they do? Not a proud moment for this evangelical" for the UM Reporter. He is also a self-proclaimed evangelical, people I generally shy away from for the very reasons he stated in his article. Specifically,
Way to go Mr. Mefford! For too long we have stood behind the theological and poliltical labels that woeful fall short of describing the beauty that God created in the divine image and called "good." To paraphrase Galatians 3:28: There is no longer conservative or liberal, there is no longer evangelical or progressive, there is no longer democrat and republican; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
The truth is, if any of us was as all-fired perfect as Rev. Eddie Fox seems to be, then there would have been no need for Jesus to come, because apparently there are other Messiah's already here! My question for Rev. Fox is what sins do you hide in your closet? "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) Where would we be if we needed to be perfect before we could go to church, serve in the church or go into the ministry.
Don't you think its about time we quit the bickering and began reaching out with the love of Christ?
The truth is that too many evangelicals deny the power of Christ to redeem and transform all of us who have fallen short of God's glory, by denying homosexuals the right to fully serve and contribute in the United Methodist Church. The truth is that too many evangelicals do not love homosexuals and do not wish to see homosexuals experience the love of Christ. Otherwise, they would view homosexuals attending and serving in the church as an exciting opportunity and not as a threat.
Way to go Mr. Mefford! For too long we have stood behind the theological and poliltical labels that woeful fall short of describing the beauty that God created in the divine image and called "good." To paraphrase Galatians 3:28: There is no longer conservative or liberal, there is no longer evangelical or progressive, there is no longer democrat and republican; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
The truth is, if any of us was as all-fired perfect as Rev. Eddie Fox seems to be, then there would have been no need for Jesus to come, because apparently there are other Messiah's already here! My question for Rev. Fox is what sins do you hide in your closet? "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) Where would we be if we needed to be perfect before we could go to church, serve in the church or go into the ministry.
Don't you think its about time we quit the bickering and began reaching out with the love of Christ?
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