The most powerful movie I have ever watched...

is The Diary of a Mad Black Woman. If you haven't heard of it, you may be thinking to yourself, "What kind of movie is this? Is it a captivating thriller about the life of a slave/Christian missionary adapted from a diary found 100 years after her untimely death?" Umm... no. "Is it an informative documentary outlining some serious matter facing our society?" Yeah... not exactly. Actually its a pretty raunchy comedy complete with drugs, sex, and a more than a fair amount of profanity... and that is part of what makes it the most powerful and moving movie I have ever watched.

Like a lot of good movies, a lot of Christians will never watch it. Though it got a PG-13 rating (I have no idea how) it is pretty salty. It starts out like a lot like Friday, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, or any number of other raunchy Black comedies, but carefully woven through the first part of the movie is a thread of faith and Christian virtue. As the movie progresses it gives a very real, authentic look into the broken lives of the characters in the story and the honest struggle one woman has to stay pure in the midst of real temptation that everyday people face, as well as the same woman's struggle with anger over great wrong done to her. By the end of the movie, the raunchiness and even the comedy aspect of the movie stop and it is an all-out story of redemption, forgiveness, and hope. It makes no bones about it. It's not even subtle.

I watched it in the theatre, and at the end of the movie I witnessed something I had never experienced before. When the movie was over, nobody got up. Nobody budged. Not a single person. NOBODY. Not ONE person... for 2 or 3 minutes. They were actually moved. People were weeping. Other's probably weren't quite sure what to think. I truly believe lives were touched for eternity because a Christian man in the movie industry got it and actually made an evangelical movie that people who need to be the focus of evangelism would watch.

If Christians want to get serious about reaching people who need Christ, they need to change their approach and get their hands dirty... kind of like a guy named Jesus did, leaving the perfect glory of Heaven to mix it up with the everyday, broken people of earth. He spoke our language and taught in ways people could understand. He lived as a real person in the world, not separating himself out of it for fear of losing his purity and holiness. The "church" people hated him for it. They tried to discredit him. They thought he was worldly and of the devil. They devised plans against him. They spoke evil about him. They ultimately crucified him. But if we in the church could just catch a glimpse of what he was really all about, the rest of the world would look a whole lot different.

Peace,
Geoff

What bugs me about Christain radio...

I love Christian music. In my years as a Christian there may be no one thing that has brought me into the presence of God more than Christian music. It's powerful. I'm all about it. I love it. What I'm beginning to love a lot less, though, are some of the Christian radio stations that play the Christian music I love so much. Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that there are thousands of radio stations that proclaim God's truth through music. But the all too cynical side of me can't help but wonder how much Christian radio is about the message and how much is about marketing an easily consumable, hollowed out version of the real thing.

As an example, I've noticed a trend lately among Christian radio stations that really bugs the heck out of me. There seems to be a movement in Chrsitian radio to promote themselves as being "family friendly." I know... you're thinking with more than a hint of sarcasm how unbelievably scandalous that is. But it irks me... more than just a little. The type of irking that has me fuming and spouting and gritting my teeth whenever I think about it.

"Family friendly" That's their tagline, their motto, their identity. That's what they promote as their reason for existing. To be family friendly. Really? How sad. Really, that saddens me. Now before you start praying for my soul, sending me copies of the 4 spiritual laws, or writing me off as a pagan heretic, you might be relieved to hear that I really don't have a problem with Christian radio stations being family friendly. They probably should be. But shouldn't they be more? I can't help but feel that by choosing "family friendly" to be their identifying characteristic they are missing something... like... the whole thing. Instead of helping the guy down the street connect with the life-transforming God, their goal is to give the Christian soccer mom something to listen to while her kids are in the car so she won't have to worry about them hearing something of questionable content from some sinful, secular station. In effect, Christian music becomes nothing more than a "wholesome" alternative to the big bad world, and that's not good enough for me. It's so much more because it is about an awe-inspiring God who changes lives, gives hope to the hopeless, and empowers people to do great work in the world.

I realize I am blowing this out of proportion and overstating my point, but to continue down that path... Jesus didn't die so we wouldn't have to listen to secular radio. I would venture so far as to say that in the grand scheme of things, that might be down the priority list a little bit. Really, Christ didn't die so we could live good, moral lives either. That just comes with the territory. As the constantly ridiculed for allowing themselves to be Christ's ambassadors in the mainstream band Switchfoot sings, "We were meant to live for so much more..."

Blessings,
Geoff

A Case of Mistaken Identity

We live in an interesting time. I won't get started on how I feel about all of the "Jesus stuff" people buy that keeps the multimillion dollar corporate beasts known as Christian book stores in business, but I've noticed over the last few years that Christians tend to do everything they can to let people "see" that they are Christians... like wearing a Christian t-shirt and a WWJD bracelet while driving a car with a Jesus fish on the back, radio tuned to Dr. Dobson, popping a Test-a-Mint in their mouth. But is all that what we really want to define us as Christians? Is that really what sets us apart from the world? God, I hope not!

I few weeks ago I ran accross an awesome song by Warren Barfield (who, by the way, is the man) that really speaks to me... really, it says exactly what I want to say. Check out the lyrics:
___________________________

Mistaken - By Warren Barfield

I shouldn’t have to tell you who I am
Cause who I am should be speaking for itself
Cause if I am who I want to be
Then who you see won’t even be me
Oh the more and more I disappear
The more and more He becomes clear

Chorus:‘ Til everyone I talk to hears His voice
And everything I touch feels the warmth of His hand
‘ Til everyone I meetSees Jesus in me
This is all I wanna beI wanna be mistaken For Jesus
Oh I wanna be mistaken

Do they only see who we are
But who we are should be pointing them to Christ
Cause we are who He chose to use
To spread the news
Of the way the truth and the life
Oh I want all I am to die
So all He is can come alive

Chorus:‘ Til everyone I talk to hears His voice
And everything I touch feels the warmth of His hand
‘ Til everyone I meetSees Jesus in me
This is all I wanna be
I wanna be mistaken For Jesus
Oh I wanna be
Oh I need to be mistaken
For you
Oh I wanna be mistaken

Bridge:May He touch with my hands
See through my eyes
May He speak through my lips
Live through my life
I want Him to I want Him to live

___________________________

May it be so for us...

Blessings,

Geoff

Racing Sausages

There is nothing better than costumed meat running around a baseball stadium. I love Milwaukee!