Culture

Learning from Scrooge in a recession

‘A Christmas Carol Special Edition’ offers families biblical lessons as Disney releases a 3D movie on the subject starring Jim Carrey If there’s a silver lining to a Christmas season in the worst economy in decades, this may be it. With less money to spend this year, perhaps consumers will finally get beyond the distractions of shopping, gifts and parties to finally focus on the deeper meanings of the season and reach out to those in need. Author Stephen Skelton hopes so. “Most Americans have been affected in some way by the nation’s economic woes, and for many people, that […]

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Miller: A Million Miles in a Thsnd Years

Donald Miller is a one-of-a-kind writer. His talent is a rare gift. He is one of the few that can tell a story about himself and get out of his own way. In “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years,” he explores what makes a story great. The big question the book asks is, “Can my life be a great story?” Miller writes, “…the elements that made a story meaningful [are] the same that made a life meaningful.” A good story has a protagonist – the good guy. That’s the person in the story you love or want to be. […]

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Miller DVDs help groups get real

Donald Miller’s new Convergence DVDs – which include frank dialogue between Miller and leading Christian thinkers – gives viewers a glimpse of recent changes in the American church. For instance, now believers prefer relational learning over reading assignments and Q&A sessions. In the words of Erick Goss, creator of the Convergence DVDs, “The former ‘What do you know?’ gives way now to ‘What is your life about? And who are you?’ The shift is from teacher-student to shared spiritual formation.” Convergence, in stores  Nov. 17, rides the demographic shift in an unprecedented series of 15-minute videos for small groups – […]

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for better or worse

“Why are we washing dishes again dad?” my young son asked me. “We always wash, Dad. Should mom be doing this?” It was a natural question coming from a child who believed we had gone past our responsibility of service. Why are we still serving? Thankfully, he stopped just short of saying, “Mom should be doing this!” A child growing up in our culture today has no way of knowing what the marriage relationship is all about. We have come to believe that marriage is something you “get.” You get another salary, another person to do the chores and you […]

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Fearless

“We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke; we fear the mole on the back, the new kid on the block, the sound of the clock as it ticks us closer to the grave,” writes Max Lucado in his latest book “Fearless.” Whether rational or irrational, we live in a world and a time in history that startles and alarms us. Author and pastor Max Lucado writes to remind us that this is neither necessary nor productive, but he doesn’t chide or ridicule the reader. You may think you’re fearless. But, no doubt, Lucado will name some of your personal […]

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Slain student Jones’ legacy lives on

Stephanie Jones couldn’t quite agree with the old adage that time heals all wounds. Her 23-year-old daughter Kim was killed 10 years ago when a gunman walked into the sanctuary of Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. “Maybe for some people time heals wounds, but I think if you have a leg cut off, you still make adjustments, and it’s still gone and it still has changed your life,” Stephanie said. “Yes, you go on and you make the best of it and you learn how to deal with it. “It’s your ‘new normal,’ but for me, particularly this […]

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‘Miracle on the Hudson’

Some sentences you just never forget. They get etched into the hard surfaces of your brain like a stony epitaph. For Lisa Hood, those words likely are: “Mark’s OK. He’s in the Hudson.” Dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” the nation was amazed when on Jan. 16, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River, after taking off from LaGuardia airport just moments before. No one was seriously injured. No one acted wrecklessly; the dark side of human nature was strangely absent. Mark Hood, a businessman on board that flight, came to  Naples, Fla., last […]

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‘Lord, Save Us From Your Followers,’

Faith and culture collide with humorous and illuminating results in the even-handed and startlingly redemptive film asking, ‘Why is the Gospel of love dividing America?’  In the wake of civil discourse on the hot button social issues devolving to bumper sticker slogans like “Choose Life – Your Mom Did” or “Democrat and Christian” or “God Made Adam and Eve, Not Adam and Steve,” filmmaker Dan Merchant faces the American religious culture dilemma head on with the upcoming theatrical release of his film, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers: Why is the Gospel of love dividing America?” which released nationwide on […]

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Family films rake more than R-rated

The summer blockbusters are over and the box office results are in – family friendly films are killing R-rated movies in the pocketbook as reported by OregonFaithReport. Only one R-rated film, “The Hangover,” made the Top 10 box office list. The next highest grossing R-rated film, “The Watchmen,” came in at a distant No. 18 on the list. The money gap comes at a time when Hollywood is undergoing historic changes which may alter the movies we see in the future. The Top 10 movie profits of 2009 so far:No. 1“Transformers 2” ($399 million)No. 2 “Harry Potter 6” ($294 million)No. […]

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‘The Mysterious Islands’

New Galapagos film challenges evolution on ‘Ground Zero’ of Darwinism As the world prepares to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin’s landmark book, “On the Origin of Species,” Vision Forum has unveiled details on a new documentary, filmed in the Galapagos Islands, that debunks the conclusions Darwin reached during his storied trip to this island chain during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. Shot and directed by the award-winning Jon and Andy Erwin of Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures, the 90-minute film, entitled “The Mysterious Islands,” is set for release in early November, just weeks prior to […]

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