V for Vendetta

If you haven't seen this movie...you should. I have seen this movie twice now. I must say I genuinely enjoyed it. This movie had the key elements that I just truly enjoy in a movie: meaningful violence, revenge, love, natalie portman, action, sacrifice, drama, mystery, intrigue, and adventure. However, I found myself (especially the second time around) correlating so much of the movie to Christianity it was crazy.

The basic premise of this movie was that all of England had, because of fear, allowed a political party to come into power that took away every imaginable freedom, right, liberty the people. Restrictions on the very food they ate, how late they were allowed up, the things they could have, etc. The hero in the movie, V, mission was to dismantle the corrupt government and to wake up the people of England to see the injustice for what it is and to stand up for freedom once again, and to reclaim the country they gave away because of fear.

The entire time I kept on seeing the Church we have created in the west. The church that was so similiar to this make believe england. The church that because of fear, has fled the inner city and the people in it. The condition of the "church" today is no secret in America. We are losing influence in the culture. We are losing influence among each other. We are losing influence in the community.

V said to the people of England, when referring to their loss of freedom and who's to blame, "Look in the mirror". The same is true of the church in America. Look in the mirror my friends, we are to blame! It wasn't our leaderships fault (well entirely), nor the worship team, nor the big buildings, nor the fancy lights, etc.

In the movie, V, accused the people of forgetting major words....words like Freedom. Words that were not merely words, but symbols. It was at that moment, that I had an eureka moment. The same is true of us! Except our word is....the gospel.

The gospel in our day I am sure has lost its meaning. Don't believe me? Ask any Christianto you know what it is then. Chances are you might here....A admit your a sinner, B believe in Jesus, C confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord...and now ur saved and thats the gospel. Or you might hear the Romans Road. Or the four spiritual laws. Nor was it just about the cross! The gospel, the good news that Jesus brought, can not be put in a box of our understanding, to be put up on our shelf of knowledge.

Now, for the record, I'm not a fool. I see the good in all those things. Truth in all of them even, however, why did we feel the need to make the gospel...simple and easy? Why did we make it into a teaching and not a dialogue?

The gospel, the news Jesus brought about the "kingdom of God", desperately needs to be "re-thought" in our time. We must remember his message and the life his message brings! His way of living life might really be the best way...imagine that. The master teacher, God himself, (who became a man by the way), might actually have some good things to say about how to live our daily lives. I wonder, why he never boiled it down to a simple formula? He had the perfect platform to tell us what the gospel was didn't he? Was it never meant to be so simply explained? I think so. I think he explained the gospel in parables precisely because he knew if he had given us a formula we would bury into the ground until it had no meaning... kinda like today.

In the movie...V blew up the parliament building to get his point accross. I wondered to myself, what will it take for us to remember?

Questions

Is there a God?
Am I worth loving?
Are others worth loving?
Is God worth loving?
Does God love me?
How can I learn to be un-Selfish?
What kind of person should I become?
Why do I live comfortably and others do not?
Is that just?
What does it mean for faith to evolve or morph?
Should faith evolve just because culture changes?
Why shouldn't it?
What does "compromising truth" mean?
Why do I feel the need to put everything in a box?
Is Scripture the only written revelation about God?
Why does Jesus being the "way to heaven" annoy me?
What should I be doing the rest of my life?
Why wasn't Jesus more concerned about getting to heaven?
Whose words are more important : Jesus' or Paul's...or are they the same.
Why should I believe scripture at all?
Is it God's word...all of it. Or is it just "useful for teaching, correcting, training,...."?
Why is there no "good" theology for terrible things happening?
Why do I feel lonely so often?
Does being with someone even cure loneliness I wonder?
Why am I not happier?
Is Evolution true?
Was Genesis literal?
Does it matter if it was or wasn't?
What will it take for Christians to honor that name they bear?
Is doubting such a big deal?
Will prayer ever make sense or be easy?
Is Hell real?
How important is doctrine?
How can I possibly know if one doctrine is better than the other? Based on what?
Is Graduate school important?
Social responsibility should play how big of a role in my life?
Does God care about bar-code faith or fire insurance if a fire really is coming?
Does God care about our mental assent to faith?
Does God care more about rightly living?
What does it mean to live in the "kingdom of God"
How can I make a difference in the church?
Where should I spend my life?
Who should I spend my life with?
Will I ever get to "hear" God?
Will I get to spend it with anyone?
How do I forgive when it hurts?
How should I love?
How do I get deliverance from sin?
What does it mean to be "discipled"?
How do I , not knowing much, disciple others?
Why do all my questions revolve around the first three questions?

I wonder if I was born in a cave...and was let out on my 30th bday and saw this sunset....if my first question would be answered?

Strike a Pose Baby

Time to Re-evaluate

I was reading a blog called Ellnellis and was intrigued as always, but wanted to draw special attention to his post on "Progress". I truly believe that Christianity in our country today is in a serious need of re-evaluation, and feel this article deserves a thorough read...check it. Christian Reflections on War

Surely not every moment?

I think I finally understand the problem today faced by most people. I think Dallas Willard was right when he said that we really don't think Jesus knew what he was talking about when it comes to this life. We see the Sermon on the Mount as an impossible list of commands. We think the smartest man who ever lived was Einstein, Bill Gates, not Jesus. We think of Him as the "Master" in the sense that were his slaves. We don't think of him as the "Master" in the sense that he's the best at what he does.

Our problem today I believe is certainly our take on how life should be lived. I think most people, even myself, have compartmentalized far too much. Our personal lives are separated from our public lives. Our brains our separt from our hearts. The gospel is good to deal with our coming death, but not our day to day existense. The time to hear God and experience God is Sunday...not every day...and surely not every moment.

Im beginning to think it was Jesus' direct purpose to give us All the abundant/eternal/the best kind of life right now. He wanted to show us how to do it. So he modeled it ...he taught about it...he lived it. Moment by moment...he "did what the Father was doing" ; He regularly escaped to be with the Father; He cared for the sick, poor, marginalized, unwanted, untouchable; He healed all kinds of wounds and sickness; He included people most wouldn't ; we could go on and on.

Yet I think when Jesus said, "if you love me; you'd obey me" we think of him as a tyrant of our lives. Even , subconsciously maybe, that "this can't be right". I thought we had freedom? I guess I'm entertaining the possibility that the God of the Universe...really really loves me. Not just a little. Enough to die for me. Enough to tell me the best way to enjoy life....on the off chance he really has my best in mind...could it be true. Could it be true that the abundant life could be expereinced everyday and not just Sunday?

I'm finding it increasingly interesting that Jesus, given the chance to talk to a crowd of people rarely, oh wait, NEVER made his coming death the main emphasis of his "ministry" or what I would call his normal everyday life. In his day to day life that we know of, his main priority was the "kingdom of God" which is available to...you guessed it...ALL PEOPLE. Man do I love that!
So then how does this mindset affect our every day..our every moment...is it possible i wonder?

About having ears...

This is one of the most inspiring men to me; that unfortunately I will not get to me until eternity. His name...Count Von Zinzendorf. Born in the 1700s I missed him by a little bit. However, what his life has done for me I'm not sure can really be measured in its influence.

Zinzendorf as a young man loved the Lord. Born into a priveleged family he was highly educated in Hebrew, Greek, and a few other languages as well. As a young man he decided that he would dedicated his life to be able to have an inner conversational life with the Father. As a teenager at Halle Academy he and a few friends formed a secret society known as the Order of the Grain of Mustard Seed. They dedicated their lives to each other, to being kind to all men, to obey the teachings of Christ, and to go to the world. The group was known for their prayer vigils throughout the night. Zinzendorf himself, as a young man, was known for his all-night vigils. As an adult, Zinzendorf had much influence in Europe, and men such as the King of Denmark, and the Archbishops of Canterbuy and Paris were known members.

As an adult Zinzendorf was put into many difficult situations, but one that amazes me. there was a people group without a country known as the Moravians. Zinzendorf allowed this people to live on his land, and he shared his life with them. They called the town they lived Hernhut, meaning "The Lord's Watch". As a 27 year old man, the Count left the public life, with all its prestige to work among the troubled Moravians. For their own joy, Zinzendorf came up with a list of principle all member of Herhnhut would obey, known as the brotherlly agreement. Following this committment to Godly principle, prayer, and to a simple lifestlye they began to experience a renewal that later became known as the Moravian Pentacost. During a communnion service its been said that the Holy Spirt "fell upon the entire congregation". The community felt a deep desperation to pray....so began a ONE HUNDRED YEAR prayer movement of around the clock prayer in which men, women, and children all participated. On days when the communnity would have "intercession day" for the sick and destitute...people would walk hundreds of miles to be there. The Wesley's first came to faith in the Moravian community and in John's journal its written, "When will Christianity like this cover the earth like water covers the sea?".

Soon thereafter, was the largest sending out the world had ever seen and what became known as the Protestant Missions Movement....sending people, with their coffins, to Africa, West Indies, Russia, Greenland, America,, and many more places.
William Carey, known as the Father of Modern Missions, actually credits Zinzendorf with this title and oftern referrs to the Count and the Moravian church in his writing. By the end of Zinzendorfs life, missionaries from his church and community had been sent to the West Indies, Russia, Africa, America, and many more.

You might say that God's "hand" was on Zinzendorf. However, I believe this to be the natural outcome of what happens when you commit yourself to listening to the Lord. My favorite story of the Count is this...On his way back from America, the ship he was in was being thrown about in a terrible storm and all the men were deathly scared. The Captain, who tells this story, said he went below deck with a grave look on his face and told the Count to please pray. Zinzendorf simply replied, "the storm will be over in an hour". Sure enough, it was! The captain came rushing down to Zinzendorf and asked him the obvious, "How did you know?". Zinzendorf replied something like this, "Since I was a young man I have dedicated myself to a personal relationship with Jesus and I talk to him about everything. When I find myself in a situation I can't control and bad things are happening I immediately evaluate myself and ask him if there is anything that I am doing that is causing this to happen....when it is me I fall to the ground and ask for his forgiveness and strenghth to bring me through....when Its not me...sometimes I ask Him if He would explain to me why He's allowing this to happen. This time he told me it be over in an hour.

I love it. Makes sense though doesn't it? I mean think about your good friends and your acquaintances. Your good friends you tell things you would never tell those you sorta know. Is it the same with God? Does he tell his good friends more than those of us who are not spending time with him? I think it's possible. Daniel, David, Enoch, Moses, Joshua, Paul, Peter, John, Elijah, Zinzendorf,etc. These are men who had "ears to hear" because they spent time with Jesus.