Starbucks and Christians

First, a photo that I took in Seattle of the first ever Starbucks coffee shop. We didn’t go in – there’s better coffee at Top Pot and a host of independent places.

But here’s something I came across on the BBC news website.

A group of Christians want Starbucks to ditch their new logo on the left) because it looks too slutty. They think the two-tailed mermaid has is in a compromising position. Did I mention its a mermaid?

This is the sort of thing why Christians aren’t taken seriously – over-obsessing with pointless bugbears that bear no relevance to anything and that look like they’re spoiling other peoples fun, rather than truly engaging with culture in order to help people know God.

How does protesting about a coffee shop logo share the love of Jesus?

Heaven (Tom Tykwer) – movie review.

A couple of nights ago I watched the film “Heaven”, with Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi (Phoebe’s brother in Friends). I picked the film mainly because of its director Tom Tykwer, who wrote and directed one of my favourite films, Run, Lola Run. Heaven was not written by him.

Set in Italy, it is the story of a young lady (in her 30s) intent on revenge. Her husband died of a drug overdose, and she blamed his long time friend and dealer, who is also supplying teenagers in the school she works in. She blames him for their deaths too – this dealer also happens to be an important business executive. After a long time of pestering the police, she decides to take the law into her own hands, and she plants a bomb in his office. Only, the bomb doesn’t get him, it gets four innocent people.

She is arrested and is questioned by the police, and she is genuinely distraught to learn that she killed four innocent people (whether she is more upset for killing the innocent people, or for missing her intended target, I don’t know). In the course of her questioning, it becomes evident that there is police corruption, and she gets more frustrated. However, a young police officer (Ribisi) who is acting as translator, starts to feel sorry for her and falls for her (she used to be the English teacher of his younger brother). So he helps her to escape. But first she still want revenge. He helps entice the business executive into the police station, the police officer supplies her with a gun, and she kills the dealer/executive. Then they go into hiding and are chased by the police.

As they run, she learns to trust and love him. He has given up everything for her. They become more alike.

All along I was wondering why the film was called ‘heaven’. The director does of god job of getting us to feel for the woman, despite her crimes. I genuinely wanted them to get away.  It is also shot wonderfully, with many of the scenes giving images of heaven (for example, after she faints one time, he wakes her up has an angelic aura). I watched the special feature interviews on the DVD, and in it Cate Blanchett calls it a story of redemption. I just don’t see this. She is not redeemed from anything; they are on the run. She still gets revenge. She still does not face up to her crimes, and causes hardships for those she stays with. However, during the film, she is changed – transformed from a focussed lady with one intent, into a lady who learns to love and trust, by his love of her. I suppose this is a type of redemption, just not a very complete one.

The final scene is one in which they have stolen a police helicopter and they simply go up, into the sky, out of sight. I suppose, up to heaven.

A beautifully shot and interesting film, but ultimately one which fails to give a vision of heaven or redemption. Real redemption is not just moving past the failures and issues in our life, but having faced up to them, being freed from their power. In Christian thought, redemption is about being freed from the power of guilt, shame, and sin, not because they are in the past, but because they have been dealt with and paid for. In the film, her sins are not paid for, they are simply past.

Historical Societies oppose modernising churches.

This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday March 16 2008 on p20 of the News section. Old churches are seeing efforts to update their worship space for the benefit of the whole community, by removing Victorian pews, are being thwarted by historical societies who want to maintain the history – even though they never actually visit the church.

It is worth noting that most church pews were later additions in the Victorian era – pulling them out simply allows the church to return to the flexible open-plan worship spaces that they once were, whilst providing for some 21st century needs.

Parishes at war over plans

to rip out pews

Archers-style rifts arise as vicars try to create space for concerts and yoga

• Caroline Davies
• The Observer,

Vicars wanting to rip out pews to make their churches more like community centres are meeting resistance from parishioners in a series of acrimonious battles raging across the country.

Small communities are bitterly divided as villagers follow the example set by the fictional folk of Ambridge in Radio 4′s The Archers and fight to retain their church interiors.

In Kildwick, near Skipton, objectors are threatening court action to prevent pews being removed from St Andrew’s church, a Grade 1 listed building. ‘It has caused a real rift. It’s a tragedy,’ said Keith Midgley, chairman of Kildwick Parish Council. ‘They want to replace them with chairs. Really they want to make it rather like a concert hall.’

At St Edmund’s church in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, the plan to create space for yoga classes and the Women’s Institute by removing a third of the pews has provoked fierce objections from the Victorian Society, which is trying to save the church’s rare ‘poppy head’ pew ends. But vicar Allan Scrivener said it was the only way the 700-year-old church could move back to the centre of the community.

The trend for removing pews seems to be ‘increasing as more churches get the idea’, according to the Victorian Society. Vicars concerned about declining congregations see pew removal as a way of making church space more flexible and relevant to the whole community, not just the worshippers.

Each year, up to 60 of the more controversial cases of church ‘re-ordering’ are referred to the Church of England’s Cathedral and Church Buildings Division, while hundreds more are decided locally. Stephen Bowler, who sits on the Church of England advisory committee dealing with ‘re-ordering’, said it was getting harder for churches to remove pews without putting forward a comprehensive argument.

Public opinion seems to be in the pews’ favour. In an online poll after The Archers aired the issue, 61 per cent of listeners voted against fictional vicar Alan Franks’s proposals to rip out pews.

Sir Roy Strong, the eminent art and cultural historian and former director of the V&A, weighed into the debate last year with an impassioned plea for country churches to put themselves back at the heart of the community, if need be by burning their pews. He told The Observer: ‘Of course people go bananas with “Oh Aunt Maud made the hassock and granny sat there”, but church interiors have always changed.

‘But in rural communities everything has gone – the shop, school, post office – and all that is left is this big old building in the middle. It can’t go on just so that eight little old ladies can have communion once a month.’

For the Rev Roger Powell, vicar at the tiny, Grade 1 listed Norman church of St Andrew in Ogbourne, Wiltshire, applying to remove the fixed-box pews is a difficult solution to his modern problem.

‘It’s the only public building in the village,’ he said. ‘With falling numbers, there is a service here each week, and we don’t always get double figures. So we have got this beautiful, ancient building only being used by a very small number of people for one hour a week.’ He wants to make room for a youth club, concerts and art exhibitions. The Victorian Society is vehemently opposed.

‘It’s tough. In 50 years’ time I don’t want people blaming us for destroying the church. It’s heart-wrenching, and we are torn over what is the right thing. It’s a sticky road for us all,’ he said.

Have we created a substanceless world?

A few months ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, got into a bit of a media tangle over comments about making arrangements for religious law systems to be accommodated within UK law. His comments were quite detailed and in depth, and took a bit of listening to, had to be heard in context, and took some work to understand exactly what he was meaning. Unfortunately much of the media didn’t get that far. They heard one word. Sharia. And the media frenzy that followed seemed to focus on this word and soundbites.

Now, was Rowan right or wrong to say what he said? Perhaps using the word ‘sharia’ was unwise – he might have forseen the difficulties it would cause. Perhaps Rowan might learn to communicate in shorter sentences. But either way, my point is that the media at large did not take the time to understand what he was trying to say, but instead opted in favour of a sensationalist headline. Bound to get attention, but not necessarily reflect Rowan’s opinions.

Alex Kirby of the BBC wrote this about him, a few days afterwards:

“The first is his inability, or refusal, to say everything in the neatly-packaged soundbite most of the media now demand. It’s hard work understanding an archiepiscopal speech or sermon these days. But it’s always worth the effort, which has certainly not been the case with all his recent predecessors.” (from an article by Alex Kirby on the BBC website)

More recently, Barack Obama has been in the news. This time, not over things he said, but over things his pastor said. Pastor Jeremiah Wright was accused of being unpatriotic in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, that “America’s chickens are coming home to roost”. This quote was used as an example of what a bad pastor he must be, and hence what a bad President one of his congregations will make. However, once again, the soundbite does not do justice to the context. Without looking deeper, the intent of the quote is mistaken, and his real meaning is missed.

Anderson Cooper of CNN has quoted the relevant parts of the sermon here, and the youtube of the actual sermon can be found here. (The gist of the sermon was a call to social transformation and to examine your own life and society)

It takes time and investigation to discover the context of peoples’ statements. Life cannot be summed up in media soundbites or editorial comments. In trying to do that, we lose a lot of the depth, insight, and subtlety that is essential in thoughtful comment. We lose a lot of life’s substance and we are reduced to sensationalism

ER raises the question about God.

This is a clip from an episode in the 14th season of the TV series ER. It talks about how real answers are needed when we come up against life’s hard questions. It’s a good apologetic against the post-modern idea that all beliefs are equally valid.

The character, struggling with guilt, says: “I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real Hell”.

I once went to visit a funeral home and crematorium, used for the funerals of people of all different faiths (and of none). We were shown to a large, comfortable waiting room whilst they finished attending to the previous group. At one end of the room was a large window which gave lovely views over the cemetary and flower beds. However, on the window was an inscription which said this:

 ”There is only one religion but many forms of expressing it.”

At a time when people have lost loved ones, at a time when people are asking questions about what life is about, how is this any comfort at all? It doesn’t comfort the Christian, the Buddust, Muslim or Hindu. It doesn’t comfort the atheist who denies all forms of religion anyway. This sort of post-modernist thinking has nothing real to say at times of crisis. It doesn’t answer real questions, it just blurs together everything into a meaningless schmush.

If we want to know how to get to God, where do we look?

 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:27-29)

Asbo Jesus

Just came across this wonderful blog – Asbo Jesus – very funny and thought provoking at times. This is one of my favourites:

Life with a Mac

I just bought a mac. I’d been getting more and more frustrated with the Windows way of doing things – the constant freezes - how the system clogs up and slows down so quickly. How nothing is straight forward. So i bought a mac – a product designed with the user in mind. Everything is supposed to be fairly stratight forward, and easy to use. My mac hasn’t arrived yet, so I’m yet to find out about how it lives up to its promise, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

Contrast this with Church. How useable is church? It is evident to first time users what we are doing, or is it filled with jargon than only PC users can understand.

This is the 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Your msn9234.dll needs updating.

As they walk in and are handed a sheet of paper saying the Lent groups are about to start, are told to stand and sing “I’m in that place once again” or “I’m falling on my knees”, is it clear what people are doing or why they are doing it. Are people actually “in that place once again”?
Even when we preach or talk amongst ourselves, how does what we way or do relate to real life. New churchgoers are only going to stay if our worship is useable. Does it make a difference to real life, is it understandable why we are doing things thie way. Does it connect with their lives.
This does not mean dumbing down services to the lowest common denominator, or reducing Bible input, but it does mean careful thought to how a service interacts with the daily life of newcomers and of regular attenders. People should’t have to learn our culture and vocabulary before they can fit in at church. If Christianity is relevant, which I beleive it is, we should make an effort to avoid jargon and help it connect with theirs.
Christianity: It Just Works.

Is this the cheesiest Christian website?

Is this the cheesiest Christian website? I’d be interested to hear of any others… It seems to be from a part of the KJV only brigade.

Be sure to have your speakers turned on for this!
www.dokimos.org

Don’t forget to take the King James Version Only Bible Quiz!

http://dokimos.org/kjvonly/index.html

Stallone a Christian?

I’ve been reading a couple of reviews about Sylvester Stallone’s new film, Rocky Balboa. (I haven’t seen any of the previous Rocky films). Stallone has given interviews to various Christian media sources promoting the film. In them, he talks about the theme of redemption for the central character as he makes his latest comeback.

I am a fan of finding Christian themes in secular films. At the very least it can serve as an excellent conversation starter. Sometimes films uphold Christian values in part of in whole, sometimes they frankly show the consequences of going against them. Many times a totally different world view is promoted, but for each one it is still possible to ask what the films say about humanness and identity, what is sin in that context, and what is salvation.

One of the interesting things to come out of Stallone’s interviews is his talk about his growing faith. Some have claimed that he is a born again Christian. As far as I can see there have been two different responses in the Christian community to this.

Firstly: Stallone cannot possibly be a Christian. He has made too many violent movies, has not lived a Christian lifestyle, and has even made some sort of porn film in the early 1970s. His interviews and talk abotu his faith must simply be a marketing ploy to gain endorsement from the Christian community.

Secondly: After a little skepticism, some Christians have wholeheartedly believed Stallone. Could he now be the new mainstream Hollywood hero for the Christian community (particularly after Mel Gibson’s recent fall from grace)?

Well, is he or isn’t he? It seems quite important to some to find the answer. I have several thoughts on the subject.

1. No-one is beyond redemption. There is no reason why people far worse that Stallone cannot be touched by the Spirit and come to a living faith.

2. I am not the judge, God is. And he knows Stallone’s heart (and mine). As such I must not try and jump to conclusions about who is in and who is out, but keep an open (but balanced) mind. I’m sure we’ll all be in for a surprise when we reach heaven and see who is, and who isn’t there.

3. The Christian community is often too quick to hail certain people as their latest hero. This can lead to an unhealthy culture of celebrity, placing them on a pedestal that they cannot live up to. All are sinful and will ultimately let us down in some public or private way. That belongs only to Christ.

4. The Christian community is also often too quick to take people off the pedestal after some failure. “Ah well, they’ve sinned, I guess they can’t be a Christian after all”

So is he a Christian? Is the film Christian? Does it matter what we think? I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt with the understanding that the ultimate judge is God.

Some Christian reviews are here:
Focus on the Family:
http://www.citizenlink.org/clcommentary/ A000003061.cfm
Christianity Today:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/ interviews/sylvesterstallone.html

Christmas in America III

I’m back. Not blogged as much as I was hoping to. Ah well. Here’s a list of high and low points from my month away.

Highs:
- Spending lots of time with my wifes large family. There were 12 of us in the house just after Christmas.
- Having a fun day out nordic-skiing
- Having time to read – White Teeth (Zadie Smith). Excellent book which paints a very real picture of first and second generation ethnic minorities.
- Going to Atlanta to be Best Man for a school friend, who was also marrying an American.
- The temperature being 20 degrees celsius in Atlanta for a mid-January wedding.
- The Pound/Dollar exchange rate.

Lows:
- Being ill on Christmas day and missing Christmas lunch.
- The lack of snow in New Hampshire, limiting the amount of skiing possible. Although Colorado, Texas, and the Mid-West had unusual deluges, New Hampshire had its first smowless Christmas in 20 years.
- Realizing still quite how many American Christians still don’t believe in global warming – mainly, it seems, because the first people to promote the theory are pro-choice democrats.