Monthly Archives: February 2018
THIS & THAT: A Weekly Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes
- 9 Things You Should Know About the Winter Olympics. Joe Carter writes “The 2018 Winter Olympic officially starts February 9 in Pyeongchang County, South Korea. Here are nine things you should know about the world’s leading international winter sports event”
- 5 Christian Athletes to Watch in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Brett McCracken writes “Among the athletes competing are five Olympians who have spoken openly about their Christian faith. Learn a bit about them below and root them on during the Olympics as they seek to glorify God by excelling in their sport.”
- BreakPoint: The 15:17 to Paris. On this episode of the BreakPoint podcast, John Stonestreet writes “A major studio has just released a film about three heroic Americans who stopped a terrorist attack—and it ties that heroism to their Christian faith.”
- What You Should Know about Wakanda. With Marvel’s eagerly anticipated new film Black Panther set to open this week, Joe Carter tells us what we should know about the mysterious African nation.
- Hatmaker Explains Why She Rejected the “Bad Fruit” of the Bible’s Teaching about Sexuality. Denny Burk writes “Jesus says that his commands are not burdensome (Matt. 11:28-30), but Hatmaker says that they are not only burdensome but also harmful to people. Who is right? Hatmaker or Jesus? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is unclear to many. But it won’t prove unclear to genuine followers of Christ. I hope and pray that it will one day be clear again to Hatmaker as well.”
- Jen Hatmaker and the Power of De-Conversion Stories. Michael Kruger writes “The purpose of this article is to lay out the steps in this de-conversion playbook and offer a quick response to each. I hope to help others who hear these de-conversion stories and struggle with how to respond.”
- Moody: What Am I Supposed to Say? Trent Hunter writes “What am I supposed to say when a member at my church asks me if Moody still holds to the inerrancy of Scripture? Should they give? Should they send their student? What am I supposed to say when they ask about these related stories of subversive teaching on Adam, a professor whom they heard supports planned parenthood, and the denial of a correspondence theory of truth among some faculty? What about the alleged hiring of an egalitarian who was herself an ordained pastor, and layoffs that may be part of a plan to silence those who registered their concerns? Given my responsibility as an undershepherd before Christ, as one charged to “follow the pattern of sound words” handed down, what am I supposed to say (2 Tim. 1:13)?”
- Meet the First Gerber Baby with Down Syndrome; His Name is Lucas! Terri Peters writes “The 2018 Gerber baby is Lucas Warren, a 1-year-old from Dalton, Georgia who is the first child with Down Syndrome to be named a Gerber baby since the contest’s start in 2010.”
- Walgreens Adopts Policy Allowing Males Who Identify as Females to Use Women’s Restrooms. Heather Clark writes “The nationwide drugstore chain Walgreens has adopted a policy allowing males who identify as females to use the women’s restroom, and vice versa.”
- Jordan Peterson is Helping Disillusioned Boys Become Men. Here’s Why Liberals Hate That. Jonathon Van Maren writes “But a good question to ask Peterson’s detractors would be why? Whydo they hate him so much? Why are so many liberals so determined to mock and malign him at every turn? Why do they see him as such a dangerous figure, when the impact of his work in the real world is so overwhelmingly positive?”
- Jumping In – Luke Weaver. St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Luke Weaver writes of being baptized by fellow teammate Adam Wainright.
Courtesy of World Magazine
My Review of PETER RABBIT
Peter Rabbit, rated PG
****
This animated/live-action film, based on characters and tales/tails of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter is a very funny film with some good messages.
The film is directed by Golden Globe nominate Will Gluck (Annie). It is written by Gluck and Rob Lieber and based on the characters introduced in the 1902 book The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The film had a budget of approximately $50 million, and the live action scenes were filmed primarily in Australia. It is narrated by Oscar nominee Margot Robbie (I, Tonya).
In this film Peter Rabbit continues his battles with long-time nemesis, Mr. McGregor, played by three-time Golden Globe nominee Sam Neill (Merlin). It was Mr. McGregor who had killed (and eaten) Peter’s father. But Mr. McGregor dies relatively early in the film after he had captured Peter, and it looked like Peter was headed toward being rabbit stew himself. After that, there was is nobody to restrain the rabbits and other wildlife from enjoying Mr. McGregor’s food and home.
Thomas McGregor, played by Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Brooklyn) inherits his great-uncle’s cottage, which he plans to sell. Thomas, who lives and works in London, moves to the country, which he doesn’t like. And he doesn’t like rabbits any more than his great-uncle did, so he quickly begins his battles over the vegetable garden with Peter, voiced by four-time Emmy winner James Corden (The Late Late Show with James Corden), Peter’s likeable cousin Benjamin, voiced by Colin Moody, and his three sisters Flopsy, voiced by Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Mopsy, voiced by Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby), and Cotton-Tail, voiced by Daisy Ridley (Star Wars).
This version of Peter may be different from others you may be familiar with. This Peter is sharp and witty. His closest ally is Mr. McGregor’s next-door neighbor Bea, an aspiring artist, played by two-time Golden Globe nominee Rose Byrne (Damages). Bea has looked after the rabbits ever since their parents died. Her role is that of the author (Beatrix Potter), and we get to see some illustrations and animation from her books. However, when a romance quickly begins between Bea and Thomas, Peter ups the intensity against Thomas all the more as the rabbits and Thomas compete for Bea’s affections.
Other characters in the film are Mr. Tod, a fox voiced by Fayassal Bazzi, a badger, voiced by Tommy Brock, Pigling Bland, voiced by Ewen Leslie, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a porcupine voiced by two-time Golden Globe nominee singer Sia (Annie), and a rooster who is amazed each day that the sun has come up again, voiced by Will Reichelt.
The film makes good use of music, and the computer-generated imagery (CGI) used for the animals is amazing. There is a lot of funny, slapstick violence between the rabbits and Peter, so some of it could be frightening for very young viewers. In addition, there is one brief shot of a “bum crack” played for laughs.
Messages include vengeance, telling the truth, repentance, forgiveness, love.
There were plenty of laughs from youngsters in the theatre when we saw this film. Adults will also enjoy this fast-paced funny film with good messages.
THIS & THAT: A Weekly Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes
- Preventing Sexual Abuse in the Church. In this Gospel Coalition roundtable discussion, Scotty Smith, Trillia Newbell and Justin Holcomb discuss how churches can more intentionally and effectively preempt sexual abuse.
- Rachael Denhollander’s Cry for Justice in the Church.David Murray writes about Christianity Today’s interview with Rachael Denhollander, “What’s the biggest lesson church leaders must take from this? It’s that ignoring and covering up abuse is just as serious and sinful as the abuse.”
- Authority and Its Abuse. Shai Linne writes “Brothers, we must realize pride is at the root of every abuse of authority—in the home, in the workplace, in the church, everywhere. We must also realize humility is the key to avoiding it. Surely this is Peter’s point in 1 Peter 5:5—“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‚God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”
- Eldership. Paul Levy writes “These are 4 articles on Eldership by the Rev. Eric Alexander, who was formerly Minister of St George’s Tron Church Glasgow.”
- Preachers Are Servants, Not Celebrities: What I Learned from Charles Spurgeon. Alistair Begg, General Editor of the excellent new Spurgeon Study Bible, writes “I first heard the name “Spurgeon” as a young boy in Scotland. However, when I became a man, and began to read his sermons and writings, he endeared himself to me even more. Today, as a minister, I find in his work and life a wonderful example of what it means to be a preacher of the gospel.”
- Why Should Churches Prioritize Racial Harmony? In this three-minute video, Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church, discusses the importance of racial harmony as an implication of the gospel.
- We’re Not Called to Contextualize the Gospel – but to Proclaim It! Steve Camp writes “At its most base level, contextualization is about proclaiming the gospel to a specific audience group without violating the truth claims of Scripture. To some, it is the attempt to make Jesus relatable by making the gospel germane; to others it is about more effectively making those truth claims lucid and salient.”
- Do You Love the Church? R.C. Sproul writes “Do we love the church? I doubt if there have been many times in our history when there has been as much anger, hostility, disappointment, and disillusionment with the institutional church as there is today. It’s hard not to be critical of the church because in many ways the church has failed us. But if the church has failed, that means we have failed. We are called to serve the church in the power of God the Holy Spirit.”
Doug Michael’s Cartoon of the Week
FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday
Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles
- Vocation in Retirement. Gene Veith writes “Retiring from the workplace is allowing me to pursue my other vocations and to love and serve my other neighbors in ways that I had neglected.”
- Why You Can’t Measure the Value of Homemaking. Andrew Spencer writes “All work that honors God’s design has inherent value; it is good work. Homemaker, engineer, athlete, artist, and janitor all have the potential to fulfill God’s purpose for the world and enhance the common good.”
- Called to the Cubicle: Regardless of Where We Work We’re All in Full-Time Ministry. Daniel Darling writes “No matter what we do for a living, we’re engaged in full-time Christian ministry from nine to five each day. The cubicle is not a prison but an altar, and knowing that should radically change how we think about the place where we spend a large part of our adult lives.”
- If He Calls You, He Will Equip You. Stacy Reaoch writes “God often stretches us beyond what we think is possible. He calls us to tasks that seem greater than our capabilities. If you’re in a place of insecurity today, wondering how you’re going to handle the assignment given to you, remember three things.”
- Servant Leadership Characteristics and Why They are Effective. Maren Fox writes “Nearly 50 years after Robert K. Greenleaf pioneered servant leadership, its key characteristics speak more to today’s workforce than any generation before. He wrote that the servant leader “focuses on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong.”
- Servant. In this “Minute with Maxwell”, John Maxwell states that a servant is someone who is mature and puts the interests of others above themselves.
- The Servant Formula for Succeeding in Business. Sarah Stanley writes “Greenleaf’s “best test” for servant leaders is if their employees and mentees go on to become leaders, ideally servant leaders, themselves.”
Four Oscar Nominated Films That I Won’t See, and One That I Wish I Hadn’t
There are three films that have received an Oscar nomination for “Best Picture”, plus one other that has received several nominations, that I won’t be seeing, and I’ll share with you why you might want to consider passing on them as well. In addition, there is one film that has received an Oscar nomination for “Best Picture” which I’ve seen but wish that I hadn’t.
I’ve previously shared these 5 resources that I use to help me be discerning when I’m considering going to see a movie or watch a television program. Most films, unless they are specifically aimed at a Christian audience, have some content issues such as sexuality, nudity, language, worldview, etc. This even includes films that are targeted to children. An example of this is the forthcoming animated film Sherlock Gnomes. In this trailer alone, there are several things included that parents of young children will have concerns with.
Here are the four Oscar nominated films that I won’t be seeing:
Call Me by Your Name – This film received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Lead Actor. The film is about a 25-year-old man working as a research assistant with a professor in Northern Italy who befriends the professor’s 17-year-old son, and their relationship blossoms into sexual romance. In many states in the U.S. this would be considered statutory rape. Ted Baehr of MoveGuide.org writes about the film that “It confuses lust with love. As such, it’s one of the most explicit, abhorrent mainstream movies of the year, homosexual or heterosexual”. The film includes a significant amount of sexual content and nudity.
I, Tonya – This film received three Oscar nominations, including Lead Actress and Supporting Actress. The film is about the life of Olympic hopeful ice skater Tonya Harding’s relationship with her mother and husband, and the 1994 incident in which Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Harding’s husband. The film includes a significant amount of adult language and some sexuality. I remember this when it actually happened – why is it worthy of a movie? She has been banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
Lady Bird – This film received five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Lead Actress, Supporting Actress and Director. The film follows a high school student through her senior year of school as she struggles with her mother and other people in her life. The film contains a significant amount of adult language and some sexuality and graphic nudity.
The Shape of Water – This film received a leading thirteen Oscar nominations, including Best Film, Lead Actress, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and Director. This film is about a love story between a mute female janitor and an amphibious creature. The film contains a significant amount of sexual content, nudity and bestiality. Ted Baehr of MovieGuide.org calls this film that has received thirteen Oscar nominations “One of the worst, most abhorrent movies in recent years”.
In addition, here’s one additional film that has received an Oscar nomination for “Best Picture” that I saw, but wished I hadn’t:
Phantom Thread – This film received six Oscar nominations, including Best Film, Lead Actor, Supporting Actress and Director. The film is about a British dressmaker and the women in his life, starring acclaimed actor Daniel Day-Lewis. The movie is beautifully filmed and is supported by a very good musical score, but ends with a disgusting, perverse and twisted turn in the relationship between the lead character and his wife.
Each of the above films probably has much going for it – acting, directing, writing, etc., and as a result we may be tempted to go see them. But as a person of faith, I’ll be taking a pass on these films, as Hollywood continues to try to push moral boundaries. If you have seen one of these movies, please let us know what you thought.
THIS & THAT: A Weekly Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes
TELEVISION & MEDIA:
- Headed to the Super Bowl: Eagles’ QB Foles Says ‘All Glory Belongs to God’. Nancy Flory writes “The Philadelphia Eagles soundly defeated the Minnesota Vikings 38-7 Sunday, and heads to a Super Bowl LII showdown with the New England Patriots. For many on the team, the win was an opportunity to share their faith.”
- Jordan Peterson, Hero. Rod Dreher writes “This 30-minute interview from Britain’s Channel 4 with clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson is INCREDIBLE. The interviewer, Cathy Newman, makes a fool of herself. She doesn’t listen to what Peterson says, and keeps badly restating his arguments as, “So, you’re saying that …” — and then completely mischaracterizing him. It is astonishing to watch — and he keeps his cool the entire time!”
- Rachel Denhollander. Watch Rachel Denhollander, one of the victims of Larry Nassar in this video. She preaches the Gospel to Nassar beginning around the 27-minute mark. Note: the video does include some graphic detail about how she was abused.
- No sooner had we finished season two of The Crown, and here comes the second season of Victoria on PBS. It’s one of our favorite series.
- Oscar nominations. The Oscar nominations were announced on January 23, and were sadly led by The Shape of Water, which is a bestiality themed love story; it received 13 nominations. I was pleased to see Dunkirk, my top film of the year, receive 8 nominations. I was also pleased to see Gary Oldman nominated for Best Actor for Darkest Hour and Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor for All the Money in the World.
- Bolivia’s President Revokes Evangelism Restrictions. Morgan Lee writes “Bolivia’s evangelical leaders led a national day of prayer and fasting in response to their socialist government making evangelism a crime. That same Sunday, their president went on TV to answer their prayers.”
World Magazine Cartoon of the Week