The Lady in the Water & M. Night Shyamalan

I saw The Lady in the Water FRI. Of course I heard all of the bad reviews that were out there before I went. However, I did NOT care, because it is another M. Night Shyamalan film!!!! I am a fan of every one of his films so far. The Village was probably my least favorite, but I still enjoyed it. His movies ALL seem to be more than just entertainment. Everytime I watch one of his films, I find many messages. Some more powerful than sermons from Sunday morning church.

The Lady in the Water is no exception. Almost from the beginning the messages start....BUT only if you are looking for it. So, that might be my point here. There is something for all of us to hear, see, and learn everyday of out lives, BUT only if we are willing to listen, see, and hear.

I came across this on Relevant yesterday.


The Gospel and M. Night Shyamalan
Mickel J. Cardinell

I love M. Night Shyamalan movies. I love them because, if watched back to back, they present a spiritual journey. The Lady in the Water, the writer/director’s latest effort is in many ways very similar to his other films. Let me give you a little synopsis:

[SPOILER WARNING: The following analogy contains a few details of the plot of Lady in the Water.]

A savior comes to earth. The savior comes from a land of perfection that, while it knows evil, is not corrupted by evil. The savior comes with the power to lead the earth into love and peace. That power is instilled into man, and that man will suffer a martyr’s death as he fulfills his purpose. With the completion of the good work, the savior must ascend to the perfect world. The evil beast is working to kill the savior and prevent the ascension. The ascension must happen to usher in the kingdom of peace promised by the savior. Those chose before the foundation of the world all play their part to usher in the kingdom. The guild works, the healer heals, the interpreter teaches humanity and finally the guardian is there to protect.

Sound familiar? It should. This movie has the aura of a bedtime story, and like every bedtime story, this story has a moral. This movie tells us, like Signs, that we are all here for a purpose. However, this story moves past the generalities of Signs.

Lady in the Water is very much like a picture of the Christian Church. The plotline spends most of its energy finding the disciples who will usher in the kingdom. These disciples must all use the skills given to them by fate (or God?) to accomplish their purpose. If it were not for these disciples, the kingdom of peace could not take its place in the world. However, it is only as they come together as one body that they are able to fulfill this purpose.

The Lady in the Water does not stop with ecclesiology. This story touches on the question of theodicy as well. This is the human question. The story asks us, where is justice? Why is evil allowed to wage war without judgment? We learn from this bedtime story that, while justice may seem slow in coming, it is coming. Justice comes just in time—just in time to teach us what we need to learn and to let us see what we need to see.

Did M. Night Shyamalan set out to write a story about the Church? I don’t know. Maybe he is just answering the questions that plague all of humanity. Why am I here? Why do I enjoy doing crossword puzzles? Why have I been placed in this seemingly meaningless situation? Moreover, does God care about me; does he care that I hurt? I don’t know M. Night Shyamalan, but one has to wonder about his spiritual journey. From The Village’s critic of religion, to Signs’ observance that their is some sort of order in the universe, to this present bedtime story, we can see that he (or maybe we as the viewer) is headed somewhere. I wonder where the journey will lead.

Deafening Silence

Deafening Silence
By Chad Jarnagin


If we step back from our busy lives for a moment of reflection we will start to hear a deafening silence. The ironic thing will be that it is truly the still silence that is so deafening. Everyone that I live in community with has struggled with a noisy, crazy hectic schedule running from meeting to meeting, coffee to coffee, service to service.

Let's come back to the opening sentence, step back from the busy life for the few minutes that you read this and reflect. After you read this take 5 minutes and sit in silent solitude. NO phones (texting, etc), NO computer(AIM, MySpace, etc), NO music, No XBox 360, NO talking. Nothing, but silence. If you haven't experienced this in a while the sound will be loud, you'll see what I mean. If you have seen the Nooma "Noise", go check it out.

In the book Facedown (Matt Redman), Bill Hybels (WillowCreek) asked, "is the ambient noise level of my life low enough for me to hear the whispers of the Lord?" A. W. Tozer has said "in some instances, absolute silence might well become our greatest act of worship". I don't believe the silence Tozer is talking about just happens in our worship service times. The worship service of life is where the tire meets the road. What, how and why we do what we do in our daily life.

Everything in our culture is screaming with a DB level that is dulling our hearing the Creator's voice. When your people come into worship on Sunday let's try to remember that life is fast and loud. It can be voluntary or involuntary, but our communities still live in the fast and loud. If we are living there as well, how can we lead them into the Holy? When I come into church I NEED the music peeps to help lead me to a place of silencing & yielding my world in order to seek God in everything. I think we know that God is everywhere AND in everything, but how often do we live acknowledging that? We usually let our little worlds dictate response to the Almighty.

In order to effectively lead people into worship of God, we must be clear to hear where He is leading us. We can't always be clear to hear if we aren't seeking Him in silence and solitude waiting and listening. Application of a TRUE "quiet time" or "silent time" is the only means of execution here. Writing, reading, or doing will only delay the secret place that God is calling us to seek. He WILL be in the secret silent place. It probably looks differently for everyone. Let us all go there to hear and learn from the Father for His glory and fame.

Banana= I dunno!??!?!?!

My homie @ Ragamuffin Soul (HT) posted this on Sunday. I couldn't believe my eyes. WARNING: Do NOT have any food or beverage in your mouth while you watch this.



Even if this video is "taken out of context", I STILL have to ask, "What are you thinking DUDE?!?!?" Even Kirk Cameron is having a hard time holding it together.

Thoughts & comments?! There has to be. Besides HAHAHAHA!!!!

It Is America...

Among Thorns was a "nice" Christian Rock name. We had a few shall we say "non-fans".

It takes all kinds.

WARNING: This May Impair Your Hearing

See if you can make it through the entire thing. It gets better as it goes. Well, it doesn't, it does get funnier.

Leeland

I hung out with Leeland Mooring (pictured w/ Chad) and the guys from Leeland after they played a set last SAT night. Turns out that they were family and fans of Among Thorns (my old band). Since I would have to consider myself a FAN of Leeland, I found that to be pretty frikin sweet.

If you get sick of me talking this band up.....get used to it! These guys are one of the best new young bands in ANY industry. They are creating some amazing passionate art.

Their debut record drops AUG 15th! Check them out HERE.

Rob Bell's Everything Is Spiritual Tour NASHVILLE

Last night some friends and I (including William) were front row for Rob Bell's unorthodox "Everything Is Spiritual" tour @ Rocketown and a sold out crowd. Rob is a pastor, communicator, and author (Velvet Elvis). I have been with Rob before, but last night was a really cool thing. I didn't know what it was going to be like...

1. No band

2. No smoke or strobes

3. No hype

4. Science class

5. Stand up comedy

6. Bible class (unlike none I've ever had in church)

7. Insight from one of the most effective communicators of our day.

The list could go on, but one important truth that we probably all needed to hear for the first time or be reminded of is that God is everywhere... all the time.....He IS....HE will NOT be confined to the walls of a building OR to a service on Sundays. I won't go into detail more than that...I would be up all night.

"It isn't a question if you are spiritual or not, b/c it's too late. You are. It's about being awakened to the truth". "God is in the business of setting people free" says Rob. I believe him.

I have heard people that have bashed his book, and message. Whatever. I believe in the message he has to bring. It is truth. Some don't like what he sometimes focuses on. Probably because the truth can piss us off. BUT, it will also set us free.

If you have the chance to catch the tour before it ends, do it. Do it.


To see more of Rob, go HERE or HERE.

My Favorite New Music

Keane- Under The Iron Sea = A close 2nd for my favorite. Magic melodies, tasty progressions, and nice hooks makes a GREAT record.

Butch Walker- The Rise and Fall Of Butch Walker = Rock N Roll! I love this guy.

Thom Yorke- The Eraser = Radiohead frontman....CD sounds like, uhh Radiohead. Good stuff if you like Radiohead, like me.

Snow Patrol- Eyes Open = MY FAVORITE RIGHT NOW. I CAN'T STOP listening to it.

Muse- Black Holes and Revelations = Classic Muse. Great release!



More NEW Music Coming Up SOON!!!!

Twinky Cookbook

This is not a joke. I kinda wish that it were. Yuck.

Read more HERE.

Neat Public Restroom

Last year the city of Houston, TX tried these public restrooms. No joke. They eventually rejected the possiblity of adding more of these, but it was a great Swiss made idea.

All of the links for stories and such were all too old so they didn't work. (If anyone finds any that DO work let me know).

I think I would like these if we had them here in Nashville.

View from inside.

What about you? Would you actually consider using these facilities?












View from outside.

A Dangerous Word

Apathy.

Definition:

ap·a·thy

Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.

Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness.

Among Thorns Live Vol. 1

For those of you that don't know, I was a part of a band called Among Thorns for 5 years. We toured, recorded, and wrote alternative worship songs. By "alternative" I mean that we hoped that they were a little different than other tunes that might have been out there. By "alternative" that could actually mean that we didn't sell a ton of records....as an alternative to selling lots I guess.

We recorded a ton of live tunes last summer. Sometime in the not so distant future, Among Thorns Live Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 will be released. At the same time I don't know. No date is known at this point, but my guess would be by September.

Check a few tracks out HERE.

We loved what we did, and are continually encouraged to see that people all over the world are doing these songs in churches, youth, college, and Next Gen groups.

Let me know what you think.

Sex Slave Trade / Trafficking

What will it take for suburban America to wake up to issues like the following? Numbers? Knowing someone personally? What can we do anyway?

As many as 800,000 people are bought and sold across national borders annually or lured to other countries with false promises of work or other benefits, the State Department said in its annual survey of international human trafficking. Most are women and children.

Forced prostitution is a form of sexual slavery that is often directed at immigrants to Western and Asian countries. Often the "owners" of these people will confiscate passports and/or money in order to make the women involved completely reliant on them. This practice, also known as sex trafficking or human trafficking, is illegal in most countries.

The US has at least 20,000-30,000 people brought into the country every year for sex slavery.

CyberTipline handles leads from individuals reporting the sexual exploitation of children.

Sexual victimization of children is overwhelming in magnitude yet largely unrecognized and underreported. Statistics show that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys are sexually exploited before they reach adulthood, yet less than 35% of those child sexual assaults are reported to authorities.


For more info and ways YOU can help, go to:

HERE

HERE

HERE

Origins NYC

My friend Jon Tyson is a man of vision. Jon was once with us at TPC Franklin, then moved on the Discovery Church in Orlando, FL. Now he and his family have the crew in one of the most prime areas of Manhattan. I got to hang with Jon last weekend at a wedding we were both a part of. I was reminded of how frikin' studly this Aussie is.

Check out their new site HERE. Be sure to browse around to see the video on the Media page.

Happy 4th From *The Blogstar

This has NOTHING to do with July 4th...



"Mega church" Saddleback Community Church just hosted it's Purpose Driven Worship Conference and Festival. This video opened the conference. I don't know if I should laugh or shake my head. Maybe both.

Have a great independent from England day.

HT: Two Blonde Boys

Spiderman 3 Teaser!!!

Wanna see a teaser for Spiderman 3? Go HERE.