Prata's Potpourri: The Queen of England, Risen, ShepCon, Narcigesis, more

Risen, a movie centered around the resurrection of Jesus, is just out. The plot synopsis says,

In 33 AD, a Roman Tribune in Judea is tasked to find the missing body of an executed Jew rumored to have risen from the dead.

I won't see "Risen." I'm not a demographic, I'm not a market, I'm not merchandise. I won't trade money on my faith, because it's not entertainment. I won't participate in the merchandising of my faith. (2 Peter 2:3).

That's not to say that I never buy any Christian merchandise. I do. I buy Bibles. I buy theological books. I buy Christian fiction. I pay for movies that have Christian themes. So what's the difference between that merchandising and the merchandising I mention in Risen? Risen purports to show a foundational doctrine of our faith, with an actor playing "Jesus." It purports to show His resurrection, THE main ingredient of the Christian faith. (1 Corinthians 15:14). And as some reviewers admit, there are added elements in the film and other elements which occurred are omitted. Why go see a movie that from the outset you know has twisted the Doctrine of the Resurrection and included errors and omissions?

There is another kind of merchandising I've mentioned frequently on this blog. Whenever a 'Christian' movie is released, churches are inundated with merchandise sales pitches. Study guides, devotionals, bracelets, workbooks, bookmarks...trinkets. That's another kind of merchandising. Both kinds diminish the glory and uniqueness of our faith and makes our Jesus small. Didn't he cleanse the Temple? I'd rather save my money to buy a solid book to give away to a friend than spend the money to see a flawed movie for myself.

However, I hold no judgment against anyone who chooses to see that or any other Christian movie. It's an area of liberty. I personally know that if I see Risen with its added and omitted elements that those will remain in my head and I won't be able to get them out. My mind is weak that way. So my choice is to refrain. If you're considering seeing the movie, here is the author of Gentle Reformation with three reasons to consider not to. And he really is gentle.

Risen: Movies, Faith, and the Bible

Here is AW Tozer  (1897-1963) on The Menace of the Religious Movie

----------------------------------------

It's time for the annual Shepherd's Conference! It is one conference I look forward to every year. It is a conference ministering to Pastors held at Grace Community Church, annually in March. It makes it sweeter this year because a friend of mine started at The Master's College (a college associated with the Church) this past January. He will be helping there. What a blessing this conference has turned out to be. The dates are March 9-13. Speakers are John MacArthur, Ligon Duncan, Albert Mohler, Paul Washer, Tom Pennington, Phil Johnson, Steven Lawson, and Nathan Busenitz. And time flies, it's the 36th annual conference.

The first Shepherds' Conference was held on March 19, 1980, on the campus of Grace Community Church. That year, 159 men gathered under the leadership of our pastor to focus on the theme of pastoral ministry. ... [in 2015] nearly 1,200 volunteers served in a variety of different capacities—and from our high school students to our experienced senior saints, everyone's effort made a difference. As a result, more than 60,000 printed resources were distributed, 40,000 cups of coffee were served, and more than 13,000 volunteer hours were invested.

Last year, about 4,000 men attended. What a blessing this conference has come to be for the attendees, volunteers, and virtual pastors and participants all across the globe. Definitely tune in when you can. The sound of 4000 men all singing traditional hymns to the glory of God is an experience you won't soon forget.

----------------------------------------

Narcigesis is a newly coined word. The word exegesis means "critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture." Since our world is so narcissistic today, the word narcigesis is a take-off on that, meaning to make the interpretation of the text be about one's self (instead of about Jesus, John 5:39, Luke 24:27).

Though this clip is new, it's made the rounds quite a bit. That's because it is a classic example of narcigesis. As Beth Moore opens the scripture to explain it, she says,

"We're about to put ourselves in the storyline, because that's what Jesus is after today."

Um, okaaay. So somewhere in the Bible Jesus changed His mind about all scripture pointing to Him, and now says, scripture points to you." I think not. I also think not that Beth knows what Jesus is after and is teaching from this "knowledge".

Jeff Maples explains more at Psalm 12 Outreach.

----------------------------------------

I like Queen Elizabeth II. My grandmother was from England and one of my early memories is Gramma's dish with the portrait of the Queen on it displayed on the wall of her apartment. The Queen seems nice, from what a commoner can know about a monarch who rules another nation and lives a private life in a castle with carefully scripted and choreographed interview sessions. I've often wondered if the Queen worships Jesus. This article discusses it a bit more.

Queen Elizabeth Calls Jesus Christ 'The King She Serves' in 90th Birthday Book

Did you know QEII watches Downton Abbey? In this article it's reported that the Queen caught a historical error on the show.

----------------------------------------

A Pair of Adorably Useful Earplugs Shaped Like Each End of a Tiny Dachshund

That is all.

----------------------------------------

I'm a cat lover but in attempts to be an equal opportunity pet promoter here is another thingie about dogs. (Well not really equal, I'm just throwing you a bone. See what I did there?)


Here is Boo the Pomeranian getting groom, eyes closing in delight as someone plays with his hair. Who hasn't been there? Come on, you know you have.