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WATCHING
MOVIES
Introduction:
Movie
watching: it’s a favorite American pastime. Movies make us
laugh; they make us cry; (some movies scare us); they
entertain us. Movies can be more than just entertainment. They
can inform us, challenge us, and make us ask questions. Movies
can have a message for us.
Why
should we watch “secular” movies? As Christians, aren’t
we called to be “in” the world, but not “of” the
world? Maybe that’s one reason why we should “go to the
movies”. We need to know what’s going on in the culture.
What is the person sitting in the pew being exposed to? What
voices are they hearing outside of worship?
People
are searching for “spiritual” things, but most of them
aren’t searching in the church. Most people put together a
spirituality that suits them individually.
That spirituality is, for the most part, being shaped
by culture, and movies are a great part of the culture. Movies
have the potential to give us glimpses into the passions, the
driving forces, the aches in our culture.
We have
moved from being an oral culture to a visual culture.
How can
we use popular movies to connect with people?
How can
we use movies to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
When you
“go to the movies”, put on your theological glasses. Look
for glimpses of God in the midst of the entertainment. Listen
for what God might be prompting you to hear.
In
preparing to view and discuss a movie with others:
·
Always preview
the entire movie to be sure it can be used with the group that
you have in mind.
·
Know your
group. Are there parts of the movie that might be
inappropriate or offensive for this group?
·
Have a plan for
viewing: Will you invite people to view it on their own and
then come together to talk, or, will you have a “night
out” to view it together?
·
Have a game
plan: What is your time frame / what questions will you ask /
do you need some “group-building” time / what
theme, what challenge, what point do your want your group to
have in mind at the end of the discussion
·
Set up the
movie/clip by giving an overview of what is happening.
Prompt
people as to what they are to watch/listen for.
·
Most movies may
not be ones that you want to watch in their entirety with a
group, but, there may be a scene or even just a line that
jumps out at you, that makes you go “hum”.
God speaks to us in a variety of ways – maybe even through
popular movies.
“Let
those who have ears, hear.”
LET’S GO TO
THE MOVIES!
and look for God’s presence
and listen for God’s guidance
and feel God’s prompting
“Taste and
see that God is good.”
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