The Up Documentaries (1964-2012 so far)

Every seven years, Michael Apted films the same small group of people and shows us how they’re doing. That’s a very simple overview of the “Up” documentary series which began in 1964 with Seven Up, a half-hour film that focused on the lives of 14 British children from various classes and socioeconomic backgrounds. Apted didn’t actually direct the first film (Paul Almond did, but Apted was a researcher), yet directed all the subsequent films, so he knows these people pretty well. (Can you imagine a man wanting to interview and film you every seven years for half a century?) I just finished watching all of the “Up” films, ending with the most recent film, 56 Up (2012) and decided to share a few thoughts. 

The seven-year-old children are asked several questions in Seven Up, such as “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, “Do you want to have children and if so, how many?”, “What do you think of rich/poor people?” and the like. These seem innocent enough questions to ask seven-year-olds, but what’s interesting is how much their answers change or don’t change over a 50-year period. In fact the entire series starts with the Jesuit motto “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” 

One can view some of the children at age seven and see many characteristics - good and bad - that will shape the rest of their lives. Some live up to their initial expectations, hopes and dreams. Some do not. Some change in remarkable ways. Others don’t. I’m not going to give you any spoilers and I urge you not to look at any online information about any of the participants. Just watch these people move through their lives and try not to reflect on your own life. It’s impossible. 

With that in mind, the staff of our church’s college ministry (I am one of the staff of four) decided to try an experiment. Students and staff watched Seven Up together, then we passed out journals to everyone. We asked them to write about what was going on in their lives at age seven and whether they were aware of God or not at that age. (This is a great exercise; you certainly don’t have to be a Christian to do it and to gain a tremendous amount of understanding from it.) The staff journaled as well. We all wrote for about 20 minutes, then got back together to share some general thoughts. The entire process was private, so no one had to share with the group anything they didn’t want to share. We were all amazed at what we remembered and how those events and memories helped shape us. 

At our next meeting, we watched Seven Plus Seven. For most of the students, they were 14 only seven years ago, and while that seemed not that long ago, so much had changed. We asked them to journal again, focusing on how God had guided and led their lives over the past seven years. At the next meeting, we watched 21 Up, the age (or close to it) that most of the students are now, and journaled. Then two weeks later, we saw 28 Up, and journaled about where we thought God might be leading us in the next seven years (regardless of our ages). 

This was an amazing exercise. It’s not the same experience as having someone film you every seven years, but it does cause you to think about your life, where it’s been, where it’s going, and so much more. While watching the “Up” documentaries, we’re literally watching these people’s lives pass before our eyes. And we’re also watching our own.   

Watching these films leads Christians to think of so many things: the sovereignty and protection of God in our lives, the limitations of our relatively short time on earth, the influence of our environment, the influence of our parents, our purpose in life... and I’m just scratching the surface. One of the things that most astounded me about the project is how each of these people is a unique creation of God. No two of them are alike and no two of them go in exactly the same direction, yet God is sovereignly watching every moment of their lives. Not one second of their existence is beyond God’s control. To me, that’s staggering, and we’re only talking 14 people here, not 1,000, not a million, not 6 billion, although God’s in control of each and every one of those lives as well. God is teaching us so many lessons over what seems at the time long stretches of years, yet is a very brief period, made even more brief by looking at snapshots of these people every seven years. Yet in between those seven years, when we didn’t see these people, God did. He saw their joys, sorrows, sufferings, celebrations, their monotonous routines, their spontaneous acts, everything. These people are different than they were seven years previously, yet they are the same people. You carry all those years around with you every single day. And God knows all those years better than you and I ever could.    

The films are not perfect and Michael Apted will be the first to tell you so. Early on, he realized that the initial films should’ve included more female subjects and certainly should’ve reflected more diversity. (All of the subjects are white, with the exception of one boy who had a black father and white mother.) Apted also admitted in an interview to Roger Ebert that it was very tempting to “play God” and steer certain parts of the film in the direction of where he thought certain characters were going. There’s one participant Apted was convinced was going to end up behind bars, so the director shot some footage of a prison to use in the next film. The participant did not end up in prison, and Apted humbly learned his lesson.

At several points in the films, Apted is taken to task by the participants (often rightly so) for editing the scenes and interviews to paint an inaccurate picture of their lives. By no means do we get a complete picture of these people. It’s just not possible. That realization is part of what you need to understand going in. By its own nature and popularity on British television and DVDs, the films also can’t help but overshadow any accomplishments the participants might have achieved apart from the films. One participant states (with humorous resignation) in 42 Up, that he hopes he’ll be remembered more for his work than for his participation in the films, but he knows that will never happen. 

What’s fascinating is the number of people who have remained a part of this project. All of them are still living and although two of them have chronic conditions, 56 Up finds most of them in good health. Without giving away too many spoilers, one participant dropped out after 21 Up and has never returned. Some drop out from time to time and return, sometimes to promote some project that they are passionate about. One woman frequently mentions that she loathes the project, but continues to do it out of a sense of obligation. And others seem happy to participate. 

Apted (who has had a long and successful directorial career, directing films such as The World is Not Enough, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Amazing Grace, Gorillas in the Mist, Coal Miner’s Daughter) has stated that he would like to keep the project going at least until the participants turn 70. In the Ebert interview, he stated that his ultimate goal would be to film them through their 84th birthdays. The only problem, Apted stated, would be that he himself at that point, would be 99. 

The entire Up documentary series can be viewed on Netflix streaming or on YouTube. 

Gospel and Pornography

Gospel and Pornography from David Platt on Vimeo.

This short (7-minute) video from David Platt (author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream) won't take much of your time, but it's so, so important in our culture. I picked this up from Tim Challies' excellent blog, which is filled with great stuff, including book and ebook news. 

Coming Soon to the Resource Center - Early April 2014

Coming Soon to the Resource Center - Early April

Here are just a few of the books you can find in the church Resource Center in early April, 2014. In this edition, we feature four titles from David F. Wells, the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, as well as two other titles we hope you’ll want to read. (All text copy from Goodreads unless otherwise stated):

No Place for Truth (Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? (1993) David F. Wells

Written expressly to encourage renewal in evangelical theology, No Place for Truth explores the interface between Christian faith and the modern world in unique ways and with uncommon rigor. David F. Wells’s sweeping analysis examines the collapse of theology in the church, the academy, and modern culture, raising profound questions about the future of conservative Protestant faith. (from the book’s back cover copy)

Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision (1999) David F. Wells

Wells loudly throws down the gauntlet to the evangelical church in this perceptive analysis of our culture in crisis. Painting a vivid description of society’s moral and spiritual confusion, he explains how the church can regain its effectiveness and influence in our postmodern world. A challenging look at social reform vs. spiritual transformation.

The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-Lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World (2008) David F. Wells

It takes no courage to sign up as a Protestant. These words open this bold new text - the summa of David Wells’s critique of the evangelical landscape - leaving no doubt that Wells is issuing a challenge to the modern church. This book is a broadside against new versions of evangelicalism as well as a call to return to the historic faith, one defined by Reformation solas (grace, faith, and scripture alone), and to a reverence for doctrine. Wells argues that the historic, classical evangelicalism is one marked by doctrinal seriousness, as opposed to the new movements of the marketing church and the emergent church. He energetically confronts the marketing communities and what he terms their sermons-from-a-barstool and parking lots and apres-worship Starbucks stands. He also takes issue with the most popular evangelical movement in recent years - the emergent church. Emergents are postmodern and post-conservative and post-foundational, embracing a less absolute, understanding of the authority of Scripture than Wells maintains is required. The Courage to be Protestant is a dynamic argument for the courage to be faithful to what biblical Christianity has always stood for, thereby securing hope for the church’s future.

God in the Whirlwind: How the Holy-Love of God Reorients Our World (2014) David F. Wells

Building on years of research, writing, and cross-cultural ministry, renowned author and theologian David Wells calls our attention to that which defines God's greatness and gives shape to the Christian life: the holy-love of God.

In God in the Whirlwind, Wells explores the depths of the paradox that God is both holy and loving, showing how his holy-love provides the foundation for our understanding of the cross, sanctification, the nature of worship, and our life of service in the world. What's more, a renewed vision of God's character is the cure for evangelicalism's shallow theology, with its weightless God and sentimental gospel.

Written by one of evangelicalism's most insightful minds, this book will help you stand firm in your faith despite the changing winds and raging storms of the modern world.

The Good Funeral: Death, Grief, and the Community of Care (2013) Thomas G. Long, Thomas Lynch 

Two of the most authoritative voices on the funeral industry come together here in one volume to discuss the current state of the funeral. Through their different lenses--one as a preacher and one as a funeral director--Thomas G. Long and Thomas Lynch alternately discuss several challenges facing "the good funeral," including the commercial aspects that have led many to be suspicious of funeral directors, the sometimes tense relationship between pastors and funeral directors, the tendency of modern funerals to exclude the body from the service, and the rapid growth in cremation. The book features forewords from Patrick Lynch, President of the National Funeral Directors Association, and Barbara Brown Taylor, highly praised author and preacher. It is an essential resource for funeral directors, morticians, and pastors, and anyone else interested in current funeral practices.

The Blessing Life: A Journey to Unexpected Joy Generosity (2013) Gerrit Dawson

What would it be like to enter a life of vibrant worship and deepening romance with Christ? From first to last Scripture tells a mighty blessing story, and we can be part of it. We can enter the energizing dynamic of receiving, returning and reflecting the love of the Triune God. Offering passionate insights into the person of Christ, and true stories of blessing, pastor Gerrit Dawson leads us on a joyful journey toward loving Jesus and participating significantly in his love for the world. 

(The Resource Center will also offer A Guide to the Blessing Life: 40 Days of Scripture and Prayer.)

Imagining the Kingdom (2013) James K. A. Smith

Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works (2013) James K. A. Smith

Baker Academic, 191 pages

ISBN 9780801035784

Please don’t let the name of the publisher - Baker Academic - keep you from reading this marvelous book. Also don’t let the fact that this is the second book in the Cultural Liturgies trilogy keep you from reading it. (Much of the first book is summarized in this second volume.) I hope you will read it. I won’t deny that the book is challenging; it is, yet it is also enormously rewarding.

Smith, a professor of philosophy at Calvin College, states that we are defined not so much by what we know as by what we love. What we love, we worship. Those loves are shaped by many things, among them formative practices, or liturgies, both religious and secular. We’re all hardwired to worship someone or something. 

Smith uses Scripture, the writings of Calvin, Augustine, Merleau-Ponty, Bourdieu, Wendell Berry, David Foster Wallace, poetry, and films such as The King’s Speech, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and many other resources to make his points. 

All of this is enormously thought-provoking reading as you consider the implications not only for local worship, but also for education and ministry. I also greatly appreciated how Smith suggests a renewed place for the arts in Christian worship and thought, how the arts can bear witness to the gospel and allow the Spirit to work. 

I hope you will take on the challenge of reading this book. I think after reading it you will not look at worship in quite the same way.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

(Note: Imagining the Kingdom is not yet in the Resource Center, but should be sometime in April.) 

Coming Soon to the Resource Center - Early March 2014

Coming Soon to the Resource Center - Early March

Here are just a few of the books you can find in the church Resource Center in early March 2014 (All text copy from Goodreads):

The Unkingdom of God: Embracing the Subversive Power of Repentance (2013) Mark Van Steenwyk

Christianity is carrying a lot of baggage. Two thousand years of well-intended (and sometimes not so well-intended) attempts to carry forward the good news of God with us have resulted in some murky understandings of the teachings of Jesus and the culture of God's kingdom. To embrace Christianity, sometimes we have to repent of what we?ve made of it. InThe Unkingdom of God Mark Van Steenwyk explores the various ways we have failed our mission by embracing the ways of the world and advancing our own agendas. He shows us that the starting place of authentic Christian witness is repentance, and that while Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, it remains the only hope of the world.

In Search of Deep Faith: A Pilgrimage into the Beauty, Goodness and Heart of Christianity (2013) Jim Belcher

Winner of a 2013 Leadership Journal Book Award ("Best of the Best" in "The Leader's Inner Life" category) Why bother with the Christian faith? In the post-Christian world, doubt and skepticism come naturally to us. Many have given up on faith of any kind, finding it shallow and unsatisfying. But still we yearn for more. We hope for our children's futures. We long for lives that are meaningful, even eternal. Grappling with his own questions, Jim Belcher set out on a quest to see how the Christian faith faces the challenges of the modern world and answers the cries of the human soul. Seeking renewal after a draining season of life, he and his family spent a year traveling through Europe, exploring the faith that has shaped civilizations throughout the centuries. They rediscovered key figures, places and events in the history of Christianity, from C. S. Lewis's life at Oxford to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's death in a concentration camp. Through the experiences of William Wilberforce, Vincent Van Gogh, Corrie ten Boom and others, Belcher saw glimpses of insight, beauty and courage that transcended human limitations. He found himself surprised by joy and compelled by faith. Whether you are giving up on Christianity or encountering it for the first time, you are invited to come along on this pilgrimage. Even if you are unsure of the destination, the journey itself may take you far deeper than you could ever imagine. 

Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power (2013) Andy Crouch

Power corrupts—as we've seen time and time again. People too often abuse their power and play god in the lives of others. Shady politicians, corrupt executives and ego-filled media stars have made us suspicious of those who wield influence and authority. They too often breed injustice by participating in what the Bible calls idolatry. Yet power is also the means by which we bring life, create possibilities, offer hope and make human flourishing possible. This is "playing god" as it is meant to be. If we are to do God's work—fight injustice, bring peace, create beauty and allow the image of God to thrive in those around us—how are we to do these things if not by power? With his trademark clear-headed analysis, Andy Crouch unpacks the dynamics of power that either can make human flourishing possible or can destroy the image of God in people. While the effects of power are often very evident, he uncovers why power is frequently hidden. He considers not just its personal side but the important ways power develops and resides in institutions. Throughout Crouch offers fresh insights from key biblical passages, demonstrating how Scripture calls us to discipline our power. Wielding power need not distort us or others, but instead can be stewarded well. An essential book for all who would influence their world for the good.

Table in the Darkness: A Healing Journey Through an Eating Disorder (2013) Lee Wolfe Blum

"Look who gained the freshman fifteen," a family member teased when I returned home after a few months of college. . . . When I heard the words my mind decoded it like this: You. Are. Fat. Fat was not good. No, fat was bad. I would not be fat. I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my dorm room and inspected the extra parts. These extra parts needed fixing--my stomach, my thighs, and those cheeks that were round and puffy, like two big apples on the side of my face. I would fix this. Fixing was my forte. These were the thoughts that plagued Lee Blum during her teens and into her twenties.They drove her to an eating disorder and exercise addiction. Eventually, she found herself hospitalized with clinical depression. But that's not the end of the story: drawing strength from psychological, physiological and spiritual sources, she found her voice again. If you or someone you love has been at this dark table, you will find her story enlightening and encouraging.

Reading the Christian Spiritual Classics: A Guide for Evangelicals (2013) Jamin Goggin, Kyle Strobel, editors 

Ever since Richard Foster wrote Celebration of Discipline in 1978, evangelicals have hungered for a deeper and more historic spirituality. Many have come to discover the wealth of spiritual insight available in the Desert Fathers, the medieval mystics, German Pietism and other traditions. While these classics have been a source of life-changing renewal for many, still others are wary of these texts and the foreign theological traditions from which they come. The essays in this volume provide a guide for evangelicals to read the Christian spiritual classics. The contributions fall into four sections. The first three answer the big questions: why should we read the spiritual classics, what are these classics and how should we read them? The last section brings these questions together into a brief reading guide for each of the major traditions. Each essay not only explores the historical and theological context, but also expounds the appropriate hermeneutical framework and the significance for the church today. Together these essays provide a comprehensive and charitable introduction to the spiritual classics, suitable for both those who already embrace them and those who remain concerned and cautious. Whether you are a newcomer to historic spirituality or a seasoned reader looking to go deeper, you will find this volume to be a reliable resource for years to come.

More or Less: Choosing a Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity (2013) Jeff Shinabarger

In More or Less, Jeff Shinabarger calls readers to create their own social experiments to answer the question, “What is enough?” 

It all started with one idea: What would happen if we created a culture in which we gave away whatever was more than enough for us? How would our habits change if we shed the excess of money, clutter, and food in our lives? In More or Less, readers will learn how to draw a line of “enough” in their consumer choices, how to see generosity as a chance to experience freedom in a greedy world, and how to make small changes now that will help others forever. As Shinabarger reminds them, defining “enough” is more than a responsibility—it is an opportunity to give hope.

Discipleship in the Present Tense: Reflections on Faith and Culture (2013) James K. A. Smith

Few people are as qualified as James K. A. Smith to write a book on the interseection of faith and culture. Whenever he speaks, I listen. In this book, you’ll find winsome but profound essays on following Jesus in the 21st century. Read it and be challenged. - Jonathan Merritt, author of A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars

Romans 1-7 for You (2014) Timothy Keller

"Christianity is unique because it is about being saved through receiving a righteousness from God, rather than offering our own righteousness to God. In Romans, Paul wants us to understand and then experience this righteousness to know its glorious release." Join Dr Timothy Keller as he opens up the first half of the book of Romans, helping you to get to grips with its meaning and showing how it transforms our hearts and lives today.

Written for people of every age and stage, from enquirers to new believers to pastors and teachers, this flexible resource is for you to:

READ: As a guide to this letter which has changed history repeatedly, showing you how being right with God changes everything.

FEED: As a daily devotional to help you grow in Christ as you read and meditate on this portion of God's word.

LEAD: As notes to aid you in explaining, illustrating and applying Romans 1 7 as you preach or lead a Bible study.

Whoever you are, and however you use it, this is ROMANS.

The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential (2013) N. T. Wright

One of the world's most trusted Bible scholars, N. T. Wright turns his attention to the central collection of prayers that Jesus and Paul knew best: the book of Psalms. Wright points out that the Psalms have served as the central prayer and hymnbook for the church since its beginning--until now. In The Case for the Psalms, Wright calls us to return to the Psalms as a steady, vital component of healthy Christian living.

Reading, studying, and praying the Psalms is God's means for teaching us what it means to be human: how to express our emotions and yearnings, how to reconcile our anger and our compassion, how to see our story in light of God's sweeping narrative of salvation. Wright provides the tools for understanding and incorporating these crucial verses into our own lives. His conclusion is simple: all Christians need to read, pray, sing, and live the Psalms.

Coffee with Jesus (2013) David J. Wilkie

One of Library Journal's "Best Books 2013" (spirituality/religion) Thousands of people start each day with a shot of Coffee with Jesus, the enormously popular online comic strip. Irreverent at times, yet always insightful, this volume features classic entries and all new, exclusive material that was born out of artist David Wilkie's frustration with the polarized political climate in America. "Originally created as a one-off, single-panel comic on my blog, utilizing old advertising clip art for the main characters and Sunday school clip art for the person of Jesus, I simply enjoyed the notion of Jesus appearing at table with these people (dressed as they were and sharing coffee with them) to refute their claims of how he might vote on any particular issue, to convince them that they cannot confuse their flag with their God--to set them straight, as it were," explains Wilkie. But it didn't stop here. Soon the Jesus of Coffee with Jesus could be seen offering counsel to a recurring cast of characters on their personal and work lives. The characters--Carl, Lisa, Ann, Kevin and Joe--all honestly engage with Jesus about their successes and failures and wants and needs, effectively showing what conversation with God--or prayer--might look like. Poignant, pointed, and rife with good theology, Coffee with Jesus is organized around six themes: getting to know Jesus, spiritual disciplines, relationships, culture, church, and the challenges of life. With exclusive material like twelve-panel mega-strips and "behind the strip" reflections on life, faith and art, Wilkie inventively poses answers to the perpetual Christian speculation, "What would Jesus do?"

Coming Soon to the Resource Center - Late February 2014

Here are just a few of the books you can find in the church Resource Center in late February 2014 (All text copy from Goodreads):

A Guidebook to Prayer: 24 Ways to Walk with God (2013) Marykate Morse

Why is prayer so hard? Many of us have asked that question. We want to pray. We intend to pray. But, as spiritual director and professor MaryKate Morse notes, "We don't pray as consistently or as meaningfully as we might like." And yet prayer offers us such spiritual riches. 

This guidebook is designed to move you from lamenting over prayerlessness to the joy of praying. Whether you are a beginner or a lifetime person of faith, you will find a treasure trove of riches here to guide you into a deeper experience of prayer.

Holy Is the Day: Living in the Gift of the Present (2013) Carolyn Weber

Life pulls us in many directions, sometimes even to the point of pulling our souls apart. We know rest and reflection are necessary for a healthy life—even Jesus took time to get away from the crowds, away from the demands of everyday life, to pray, to spend time with close friends, to sleep. 

But when Carolyn Weber—emotionally and physically exhausted from managing her career as a college professor, writing her first book and parenting three children under the age of three—hears this truth from a friend, all she can think is: but who will do everything if I don't? And this sets her on a journey to find the still, small space in each day. 

In these pages Carolyn reflects on the eternal beauty that lurks within the present. Drawing from literature, history and everyday life, Holy Is the Day is a collection of spiritual reflections that trace the way God's ever-renewing grace is a gift of the present. Opening it we find poignant stories of endurance, humility, compassion, remembrance and gratitude, as well a harrowing account of near-death experience. Carolyn gives us new eyes to receive the precious gift of the present and give it away to others.

The Missional Quest: Becoming a Church of the Long Run (2013) Lance Ford & Brad Brisco 

When Christ calls people, he invites them on a journey--a journey taken together in community. We have reached a point in history, however, when we think of the church as a fixed place where isolated individuals show up, consume a Christian message, drink some coffee, and get on with their lives. The times demand, and the gospel proclaims, that we recover our identity as a church that is a people on a quest for the kingdom of heaven, formed intimately by a loving God and called onto a long journey for the sake of our neighbors and our world. InThe Missional Quest you?ll learn how to take your church on a long run, and how to sustain yourselves and one another along the way, through the power of God for the sake of the world.

The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History (2013) Robert Tracy McKenzie 

The Pilgrims' celebration of the first Thanksgiving is a keystone of America's national and spiritual identity. But is what we've been taught about them or their harvest feast what actually happened? And if not, what difference does it make? Through the captivating story of the birth of this quintessentially American holiday, veteran historian Tracy McKenzie helps us to better understand the tale of America's origins—and for Christians, to grasp the significance of this story and those like it. McKenzie avoids both idolizing and demonizing the Pilgrims, and calls us to love and learn from our flawed yet fascinating forebears. The First Thanksgiving is narrative history at its best, and promises to be an indispensable guide to the interplay of historical thinking and Christian reflection on the meaning of the past for the present.

Luminous: Living the Presence and Power of Jesus (2013) T. David Beck

When pastor David Beck went to Haiti with a ministry team he found himself deeply experiencing the power of being Christ's own hands and feet. Reflecting on what it means to be Christ to others, he writes: "We come to fulfill Jesus' words that we are the light of the world and are here to let our light shine so others will glorify God (Mt 5:14-16). God intends for his children to be luminous." But how do we get there? Through both personal and spiritual reflection, this book explores the formational practices of those who long to become the embodiment of Christ to the world around them--who long to be what Jesus declared them to be: the light of the world.

Resources on Meditation - Coming Soon to the Resource Center

A few weeks ago, Pastor Brian recommended three resources on meditation. Those three books just came in and should be available soon at the church Resource Center. 

Contemplative Bible Reading - Richard Peace

Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer - Eugene Peterson

Contemplating the Cross - Tricia McCary Rhodes