Pass the Popcorn

 

“We aren’t in an information age, we are in an entertainment age.”  Tony Robbins

   Have you seen Top Gun: Maverick? What about Downton Abbey: A New Era? They predict Jurassic World Dominion will take a T-Rex size bite out of the box office and be this summer’s biggest blockbuster. Are you going to see it? Hollywood was hit hard by Covid. Theaters were shut down for months, causing the U.S. box office to lose billions. Theater owners are hopeful ticket sales will continue to pick up this summer. 

  Like every other sphere of life, Christians must approach entertainment with a biblical worldview. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 exhorts us, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” That simply means that even our entertainment choices are to submit to and honor the Lord.  

  Entertainment is a matter of conscience. For some Christians, attending a movie is wrong. We’ve lost something in our “choose a side world” that the early church understood – God did not create nor does He expect us to be spiritual clones. It’s spiritual arrogance for a believer to hold that their view is the “right” one when Scripture is silent on the matter. 

  Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 10 unpack for us that going to the movies (and many other choices) are matters of conscience. Yet some Christians set themselves up as the standard of godliness. While we must not violate our conscience, we must be wise and not set up strawmen arguments that cause our children or immature Christians to question the validity of Scripture in other areas much more serious. Christians are to be godly thinkers. God has entrusted us with intelligence that we’re to use.  

  Let me share an example of a strawman argument when it comes to attending a movie – you’re supporting an evil industry. Yet, watching TV (unless you have an antenna) has the same problem. Personally, I don’t see how attending a sporting event is any different than going to the show.
  Being familiar with entertainment helps us stay culturally relevant. When my son, Aaron, first went to Taiwan, we gave him a Packer’s shirt as a memento from Wisconsin, but in Taiwan, no one has heard of the Packers, nor do they care. God has not called us to be isolationists. We’re to be in the world yet not of the world. It’s not an easy line. One has to continually be immersed in God’s Word and be sensitive to the Spirit to find it.
  It’s simpler to be a legalist and follow rules without reason. That’s one of the attractions of Islam for many – rules are so clear. To trust God to lead us and direct us is much more difficult. Living by faith is a challenge, yet it is the only way we can please God (Hebrews 11:6). While Christ-followers are to be distinctly different, God has not called us to be cultural oddities.
  In the Incarnation, Jesus left heaven and entered our world. Being an incarnational Christian means entering into the culture so that we can reach this world, not attempting to drag them into ours. The Lord Jesus used His culture as a communication bridge into His world. We’re to do the same.
  With some discernment, a good movie can be a romantic date night or a great family activity. It’s fun to sink into a theater seat, sharing a tub of popcorn. Couples and families who laugh (and cry) together, stay together.
  Here are some suggestions of how to be a discerning Christian when it comes to movies and entertainment in general.
  Be discerning. Most of us read food labels. We check sugar and calories. We’re careful with what we put into our stomachs. Shouldn’t we be at least as careful about what we put into our minds?
  In day of the internet, it takes a few clicks to check out a movie before you enter a theater. Personally, I use the parents’ guide on IMDb app. Another site I’ve found helpful is Pluggedin.com. Many movies have parts that are clear violations of Scripture. Some are on the verge of being “soft porn.” Much of what’s passed off as PG or PG-13 is harmful, particularly for vulnerable young people who are still developing their convictions.  
  Be alert to worldview. While most Christians are alert to language or nudity, we can be oblivious to worldview. For example, think of the last time you saw dirty dishes in a home in a movie. Hollywood gives a message of perfection yet it’s all fiction.
  Movie life nearly always ends with a happy ending but life isn’t that way. It has stress, struggles, and suffering. Those who are moral or religious are typically portrayed as prudes or have an evil side that ultimately comes out.
  Then, how often do you see functional marriages or families in a movie? Smart-aleck children and bathroom humor is accepted as funny. Strip clubs and prostitution are portrayed as normal. Often the worst villains are those who disregard the environment, not those with no moral compass.
  Movies influence us and we often don’t even know it. For example, who really was clamoring for a Top Gun sequel? The answer, potentially: the U.S. military. The original Top Gun, what with its glamorous pilots and thrilling aerial scenes was a huge boon for the country’s armed forces, particularly the U.S. Navy. Recruitment rates skyrocketed after the film’s release—rising a ridiculous 500%. The movie was, according to “Flying” magazine, a “one-hour, 40-minute recruitment ad.” Now the Air Force and Navy are hoping for another surge with Maverick. Movies influence us even when we’re unaware of it.
  Watch movies in community. Years ago we attempted to start a group at church to attend movies together for the purpose of discussing them afterward. There are many powerful messages in movies, some good and some bad. Having another Christian friend to discuss them with, helps all of us grow. It could be a group or another couple or even a friend. Movies are a-musement. Muse means to think; a-muse means to not think. Discussing a movie with a friend helps us think through what we just watched and helps sharpen our biblical discernment. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
  Movies can be a source of entertainment and a rich cultural experience. They help us laugh or cry, and even challenge us to be more heroic. They’re a part of God’s creation and the Lord can use them to bring honor to Himself. So, pass the popcorn, please! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Tone-Deaf Hollywood

 

“The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that.”  Governor Andrew Cuomo, Press Conference on April 13, 2020 

In another of countless examples of tone-deafness, Hollywood recently awarded New York Governor Andrew Cuomo the International Emmy Award, saying that his 111 daily coronavirus press conferences offered “authentic truth and stability.” In what was a Cuomo love-in for the so-called “Love Gov,” a chorus of celebrities joined in to sing his praises. Stars including Robert De Niro, Billy Joel, Ben Stiller, Rosie Perez, Billy Crystal, and filmmaker Spike Lee recorded video messages extolling the governor for setting “an example to the rest of the world.”

Yet, the fictionalized world of Hollywood is oblivious that words and press conferences are not the same as wise decisions, compassionate actions or have true substance. Words are cheap! Even the Washington Post recently described Cuomo’s arrogance as “a Marie Antoinette level of obliviousness.” Yet, as New York prepared to go back under lockdown that will put thousands out of work, it didn’t slow down out of touch Hollywood from awarding him an Emmy.

Hollywood’s aristocracy conveniently forgot that while the Governor urged his constituents to refrain from gathering for Thanksgiving amid a rise in coronavirus cases, he announced he’d be spending Thanksgiving with his 89-year-old mother. For several days he’d urged New Yorkers to refrain from traveling or gathering with older relatives for Thanksgiving. “Next Thanksgiving, you’ll ask yourself: Did I do everything I could to keep my community safe?” Yet, while asking others to sacrifice, Cuomo hypocritically disregarded his own advice. It wasn’t until he received a big backlash that he changed his plans.

Elites in Hollywood are oblivious to real-life suffering of boarded-up businesses, restricted business hours, or the financial turmoil that’s devastated almost 9 million people in New York City and another 22 million-plus throughout the metro area. It didn’t bother the rich and famous that the Governor was slated to receive a pay raise in January 2021 at the same time that his state faces a massive $63 billion deficit from revenue losses tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, he said that he won’t take the raise. It would have made him the highest paid governor in the nation. A $63 billion deficit and he’s up for a raise while many of his constituents will end up bankrupt and even homeless.

While Tinseltown gives Cuomo a hero’s adulation, he’s known in his state as a ruthless politician and has been anything but stellar in his leadership on COVID-19. It was Cuomo, who early in the COVID crisis, tried to downplay it and encouraged people to go on with their lives as usual. Then, he hit the panic button and shut down his state and got into a turf war with Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York City. Between them, they handed down all kinds of harsh edicts.

Though it was known from the beginning that the elderly and those with compromised were the most vulnerable to the virus, that didn’t stop Cuomo from forcing nursing homes to take in COVID-19 patients. Worldviews matter. Under Cuomo, New York passed one of the most liberal and abhorrent abortion laws in the country. Yet, if one has no moral compass about the beginning of life, why would one have a moral compass about the end of life? His directive ordering nursing homes to accept COVID patients caused the virus to spread like wildfire among the state’s elderly and infirm population. His decision contributed to the state’s COVID-19 mortality rate, which currently ranks as the second-highest in the nation. It’s estimated that his nursing home mandate led to 6,000 nursing home deaths. Would Hollywood have still given him an Emmy if their own aging stars like Robert Redford or Betty White were victims of his heartlessness?

Yet, it was all swept under the rug as Emmy’s president Bruce Paisner introduced Cuomo during the virtual ceremony, claiming that the Governor informed, demanded, and calmed people down. A video montage followed showing the Governor’s daily press conferences. One title card touted the governor’s response, calling it, “One epic turnaround” as Hollywood gushed all over him. Billy Crystal said that Cuomo “gave us hope, clarity, the truth,” adding that the governor was the “epitome of New York tough.” Brooklyn native Rosie Perez said, “You are the man,” adding that the governor “offered your strength, leadership, direction” and “set an example to the rest of the world.” Host Richard Kind added to the praise: “[Cuomo] united New Yorkers, he united the country…He even united the world.” 6,000 nursing home victims and their families would disagree!

Nearly 35,000 have died from Corona under Cuomo’s “leadership.” For a true leader that would result in humility and a broken heart, but not Cuomo. At a recent press conference on the issue of COVID-19, he lost his cool. Speaking of the people in New York who caught the virus, Cuomo blamed them explicitly saying, “If you socially distance and you wore a mask, and you were smart, none of this will be a problem. It’s all self-imposed. If you didn't eat the cheesecake, you wouldn’t have a weight problem.” Instead of rising to the occasion, he demonstrated contempt for the very ones he’s responsible for governing.

We need to pray that God will have mercy on Governor Cuomo. When King Herod deified himself as Cuomo has, God took him out (Acts 18:21-23).

And maybe it’s time to send Hollywood the only message they seem to understand – a reduced bottom line. When theaters re-open, don’t go. Unless it’s an excellent movie, wait for an online version. Read reviews from reputable sources. Too often we give away hard-earned cash for trash.

Then, support Christian actors and filmmakers. Even out of touch elites listen when money talks and says, “Good-bye.” It’s time for Christians to speak in a language even tone-deaf celebrities can hear.

 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Marriage: who are YOU listening to?

“Let the wife make her husband glad to come home 
and let him make her sorry to see him leave.”  Martin Luther

  What’s your resource for having a healthy marriage? What’s your source for marital wisdom? I’ll never understand why the crowd with the worst record when it comes to marital fulfillment is our most trusted resource.

  Most of what we believe about love, marriage and sex comes from Hollywood and romance movies. We forget that they’re acting. The actors and actresses rarely have the love in their own lives that they act out on the screen, yet we trust the ones who know so little about it. It’s like asking President Trump for advice on exercising self-control on social media.

  A healthy marriage requires trust. All the flowers, gifts, romantic escapes, or sexual intimacy can’t overcome a lack of trust. Honesty is essential for a healthy marriage. The very first person I must be brutally honest about is ME. Finger pointing and fault finding about my spouse is like a terrorist bomb for a marriage. Instead, I must look in the mirror of God’s Word, submit to the Spirit and seek godly counsel about the sinner in me that contaminates my marriage. Most couples, if they see a marriage counselor, hope the therapist will take their side and fix their spouse. They’re wasting their money. The only one I have control over is me.

  And my sins are not little. They’re big. My sin is horrific enough to require Jesus’ death to pay for it. God’s grace has power to overcome my sin and that same grace is available to fight sin that is poisoning my marriage. As God loves me in spite of my mess, I’ve been given the opportunity to love and forgive my spouse as I have been forgiven.

  Ephesians 4:15 commands us to “speak the truth in love.” Marital success begins with me being honest about me, then forgiving my spouse’s sins.

  A healthy marriage requires practicing problem-solving skills. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). Most people lack problem-solving skills. It’s why there’s rampant divorce or why though there may not be a divorce, the marriage is little more than a shell. It’s why people quit jobs, break friendships or leave churches. Much of it goes back to maturity. Immature children stomp out, slam doors, take their toys and go home. Adults calmly confront issues and seek to bring them to a resolution.

  Most of us fight like our parents did. Yet, when you became a Christian, you received a new Father. We’re going to disagree and fight. There is no rational for a Christian to become angry and fight in a sinful way…and we must clean it up. Often it’s left unresolved and merely buried. Like lava beneath the earth’s surface, the heat is still there and will eventually erupt.

  A healthy marriage requires encouragement and continual positive affirmation. “A wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain” (Proverbs 19:13). King Solomon wrote those words. As he had 1000 wives and concubines, his perspective would be that this is a feminine problem. It’s not. Some of the pettiest, most negative individuals you’ll meet are men. It’s more fun to have a root canal than to hang around them. Most of those who are negative don’t even realize it. They may rationalize that they’re realists or only trying to help. Sadly, some of the pettiest individuals are believers. But when they are negative, they’re disobeying Scripture. Philippians 4:8 commands us, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Add to that, it’s impossible to build from weakness. You build from strength.

  If most couples were honest and you asked them to give a percentage of what really bothers them about their spouse, it’d be less than 10%. But what do they focus on, what do they talk to their mate about – that silly 10%. Do you want a fulfilling marriage, then focus and talk about that 90%, that same 90% that probably attracted you to them in the first place?

  I’ve observed this far too many times. A couple has had fairly minimal problems that they’ve allowed to become huge to them. Something tragic happens and those harsh thoughts and words can never be retrieved. There is great regret for them but it’s too late. So if your spouse died tomorrow, would all that petty stuff that’s got you all wound up today really matter? Are those the last words you want to say to them? Because you never know when your last day together will be.

  A healthy marriage requires kindness and thoughtfulness. The validity of our Christianity is best demonstrated in our relationships, particularly with our spouse and children. It’s also the greatest evidence of the fruit the Spirit is producing in our life. It’s where we show the authenticity of spiritual growth. No relationship reveals this more than the marriage relationship. Our tendency is to demonstrate kindness as we’d like to have it expressed to us. True kindness though is expressing it in the way that’s most meaningful to my spouse. For example, some people love affirmation while others want time. Study your spouse and give them the gift of kindness most meaningful to them, not what should be meaningful to them…or is meaningful to you. Giving your spouse the wrong kind of kindness is like giving a jazz lover a Phish album. It just doesn’t work. 

  Our world longs for authentic love. Marriage demands love, commitment and perseverance. We have something a lost world doesn’t have to enable us to have a healthy marriage, God’s Word and His grace. Is your marriage a testimony to a lost world that God’s Word, His love and grace are real? 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Hollywood, Hypocrisy and Pink Hats

“Jenny was hosting Junior League parties
And having dinner at the country club
Everyone thought they were Ken and Barbie
But Ken was always getting way too drunk
Saturday night, after a few too many
He came home ready to fight
And all his money could never save Jenny
From the devil living in his eyes”

Carrie Underwood in Church Bells

  Carrie Underwood’s new hit song, Church Bells, is a powerful account about the epidemic of domestic violence. It tells the story of a young girl who marries a rich man. But after their wedding, this young wife finds herself trapped in a violent marriage with an abusive alcoholic husband.

  Domestic violence is everywhere; rich, poor, ethnic, Caucasian, religious, non-religious. Statistics indicate it occurs more often in cohabitation relationships than married ones. That’s one more reason, besides the fact that marriage is God’s plan and His best, why we in the Church must be strong advocates of marriage. We’re naïve though to believe abuse doesn’t happen in Christian homes. Sadly, it does and it’s far too common.  

  Like you, I was nauseated when the recording of the lewd remarks of then presidential candidate Trump was released. It was deplorable. Though it was crude “talk,” what concerned me the most was that talk, as in the case of former President Bill Clinton, often results in abusive behavior.

  By now we’ve all seen the ubiquitous pink hats. Hollywood is behind much of their popularity. What I find repugnant is the blatant hypocrisy by the Hollywood elite. Recently, author Sady Doyle, wrote in Elle (02-27-17) that men in entertainment can seemingly get away with anything. Mel Gibson threatened to kill and rape his ex-girlfriend, yet he sat in the front row racking up awards at the recent Academy Awards for Hacksaw Ridge. Casey Affleck took home the prize for Best Actor, yet he’s been accused of sexually terrorizing female colleagues on the set of his 2010 mockumentary, I’m Still Here, referring to women as “cows,” insisting that one female employee share his hotel room, then deluged her with abusive text messages after she refused. Another says she woke up in a hotel room to find Affleck in her bed with her. (The rest is too repulsive to share.) After she managed to get him out of her room, he rallied crew members to bully her until she quit. All that didn’t keep him from winning an Oscar this year. Though Roman Polanski raped a 13-year-old girl (a 13-year-old!) which he’s admitted, still no one in the Academy felt it should pose an obstacle to his filmmaking career. When he won the Oscar for Best Director in 2003 for The Pianist, he received a standing ovation, including Meryl Streep. A beaming Harrison Ford accepted the award for him. Polanski couldn’t attend because if he comes back, he’ll be arrested. Woody Allen is still a Hollywood darling despite the fact that his adult daughter, Dylan Farrow, published an open letter in The New York Times, repeating her 1992 allegation that Allen raped her when she was as young as 7. She specifically cited the fact that “actors praised [Allen] at awards shows” as a source of extreme trauma. Eminem’s musical career includes emotionally abusing and threatening his wife won an Oscar for 8 Mile. Allegations of domestic violence trail other nominees like Michael Fassbender and Johnny Depp and two-time Best Actor winner, Sean Penn.

  Ever since it became mainstream, as far back as the 1980s, hip-hop artists and rappers have continually objectified, demeaned and promoted violence and sexual abuse against women in their music. Where’s the outrage! What about professional athletes? According to a recent article, over 40 NFL players currently playing, have been accused of sexual or physical assault. Players like Jameis Winston, Ben Roethlisberger, Brandon Marshall…to name just a few. Add other professional athletes from other sports to the list of rich, famous and powerful who abuse women and it’s a pandemic.  

  Men who abuse women should be pariah, much like Bill Cosby has become. With abusers like Mel Gibson, Casey Affleck and Woody Allen being honored, instead of designer dresses, the most prominent feature on the red carpet should be pink hats. Each time he runs out of the tunnel, Ben Roethlisberger, should face a sea of them.

  But don’t hold your breath. These same Hollywood elitists and others who rightfully bewail the perversity of President Trump rationalize away the debauchery of Bill Clinton and were willing to once again give him unlimited access to our nation’s daughters. The condoning of physical and sexual abuse reveal these evil behaviors, at least for Hollywood elites, aren’t the issue. Apparently, if you’re ideology leans left, you get a pass, even awards and adulation. Crimes against women whether by someone in the White House, a star of the stage or athletic field cannot be tolerated! It’s evil! It’s criminal and should be punished to the full extent of the law.  

  The Church of Jesus Christ must be the safest place for women and children. We’re accountable to King Jesus, not fickle social mores. We must hold people, even pastors, accountable. Success does not give one a free pass. We must speak out against abuse, be willing to intervene and protect the innocent. We need a new generation of John the Baptists to rise up, willing to pay the price as he did when he called out King Herod for perversity. We don’t need pink hats. We need godly men and women with courage and character, protecting those who cannot protect themselves! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.