the red pill

Set in contemporary Nashville, Tennessee, Fulmer's novel ponders on what might happen if a prophetic gifting like that of an Amos or Micah might appear on the charismatic church scene today. I ’ m writing from the perspective of the UK church, so the sharp divisions that appear to exist in the American church between the Christian Right (which is here portrayed to be neither Christian nor right...) and more open evangelicals are less apparent in the church in Western Europe. Nevertheless, the attitudes towards prophetic ministry are worryingly similar, with prophecy being reduced to some encouraging "the Shepherd loves his sheep" message as opposed to the call to challenge corrupt systems and institutional wrongdoing. So the central question -what would happen if that kind of gift were exercised? - and the responses the book suggests would come from the wider church, people of other faiths, the media, government agencies and wider society have a resonance here...

Yesterday I took some time to witness for myself what is being described in some places as “Disney’s biggest flop”, the movie John Carter. Let me start by saying that I went with a friend, and we saw this as two guys who’ve been working a bit too hard recently, and needed something entertaining and not terribly challenging ( Tree of Life sits on my desk and mocks me for not finding time yet....). John Carter was perfect for us, lots of action, lots of effects and nothing too troubling in terms of plot. Taylor Kitsch plays the title role, and seems to be reprising some of his Gambit role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine . Battle-weary, and tired of serving others, this civil war veteran finds himself transported to Mars (a planet the locals call Barsoome) and becomes embroiled in a struggle for the future of the planet. It’s not a totally vacuous movie as some have claimed. There are interesting spiritual themes (a Goddess called Issus plays with Isis and Jesus metaphors, quotes from...

An Anthem to the Myth of Redemptive Violence Gerard Butler stars in (and perhaps equally importantly Exec. Produces) the movie based upon the real life story of Pastor Sam Childers, a drug-addicted biker who finds sobriety and hope by putting his faith in Jesus. Childers, after a mission trip to Uganda where he witnesses some of the atrocities of the Lord’s Resistance Army, becomes involved in fighting for the freedom and safety of orphans and freed child soldiers. Sam Childers is a real man, but the comments I make here are about the Sam Childers portrayed in the film. I know very little of the story of the real Sam, and so I want to be clear that my response is to the movie, not the man or his ministry. If, however, the real and the realised Sams are one and the same, then, as we say here, if the cap fits... So, a story about a terrible sinner who has a wonderful conversion, and who then develops a heart for church planting and mission, what’s not to like? Well, quite a lot. You s...

For the last few years I've used a montage to help churches reflect on the year past, and here is this year's. It's an easier one than in years gone by, the stories this year seem to have been written in marker pen on billboards, rather than in pencil in the margins. A small prize to the first person to corectly identify each person or story here. My prayer for you in this year ahead is that you'd know true prosperity; that you'd have enough to meet your needs, and the needs of those God puts in your way.

*Spoiler Alert - I will reveal some of the plot in this post* I was loaned a copy of The Shack by William P Young recently. Over the course of the last few weeks I've been reading it as spare time allows, and finished it this week. So, what to make of it, and it's popularity? Well, in reply to a friend who asked for a quick response I penned this: It's not entirely without merit, and there were some interesting thoughts that caused a few moments reflection. I did, however, find it quite sentimental. I guess if you imagine putting "The Road Less Travelled", "The Celestine Prophecy", "The Search for Significance" and "A New Kind of Christian" into a blender and whizzed "The Shack" is what might result. It's a good story, and it does involve and pull the reader in and along, but I'm not sure it's saying anything that an up-to-date reader of contemporary Christian thinking would have read better elsewhere. Oh, and it...