The Hunger Games is a dystopia set in North America and told from the first person perspective (the last book I read in this voice was Robinson Crusoe for what it’s worth). The political world is heavily influenced by 1984 and (I suspect) Kurt Russell’s Escape from New York.  The story is based on an annual event where two teenagers from each district are chosen at lottery to represent their district in mortal combat in a televised arena.

The main character is redemptive choosing at key points to sacrifice herself for the needs of others.  This plays well against the backdrop of adolescent gladiators.  She fights for love and family – others fight for glory and honor.

There is a strong satirical emphasis on the correlation between violence and entertainment. I think that this topic in particular would be a worthwhile discussion when talking about the book with people who have read it. The description of the violence is not gratuitous by today’s standards. That being said – friends who have read the book have called it “dark” and “creepy.”

If you’ve read “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell – you have a good idea of The Hunger Games.

I would encourage you to read it (it will take no more than three hours) – if only for the opportunity to build relationships with people who have. I didn’t know anything about it seven days ago but I have already had several thought provoking opportunities since reading it.

JK

• If your teenager reads Potter, Twilight, or Eragon they have probably already read The Hunger Games – so go and ask them what they thought of the book.
• Here’s a link to my favorite review of Twilight by Sydney’s Miranda Devine.
• I haven’t seen the movie.

Here’s a quote to wet your appetite: 

“But what if our mental image of the congregation was not a network of departments or structures or ‘ministries’, but a list of people. That’s all. Just a list of people. And next to everyone’s name on the list was two things: to the right of their name, there was a spectrum or set of columns that showed where they were up to in their growth and maturity in Christ (from rank non-Christian outsider to fairly mature Christian), and a couple of ideas about what they needed to do next in order to grow (whether to hear the gospel, or grow in doctrinal understanding, or be trained in how to follow up someone else, or whatever). And to the left of their name was some initials—the person who was going to take responsibility for helping that person take that next step towards maturity in Christ.”

Coming back to Infocus – here are a few questions for discussion:

1) Are we too program-driven in our church ministries?

2) Would this approach be helpful if someone supported you in this way?

3) How do you quantify spiritual maturity?

~ JK

CS Lewis wrote about death for his character Reepicheep in the Chronicles of Narnia:

“This,” said Reepicheep, “is where I go on alone.”  They did not even try to stop him, for everything now felt as if it had been fated or had happened before.  They helped him to lower his little coracle.  Then he took off his sword (“I shall need it no more,” he said) and flung it far away across the lilied sea…”  Voyage of the Dawn Treader (185)

CS Lewis in The Last Battle:

“But for them it was only the beginning of the real story.  All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.  The Last Battle (172)

John Bunyan in Pilgrim’s Progress:

The pilgrims then began to inquire if there was no other way to the gate. To which they answered, Yes; but there hath not any, save two, to wit, Enoch and Elijah, been permitted to tread that path since the foundation of the world, nor shall until the last trumpet shall sound. The pilgrims then, especially Christian, began to despond in their mind, and looked this way and that, but no way could be found by them by which they might escape the river. Then they asked the men if the waters were all of a depth. They said, No; yet they could not help them in that case; for, said they, you shall find it deeper or shallower as you believe in the King of the place.  Then they addressed themselves to the water, and entering, Christian began to sink, and crying out to his good friend Hopeful, he said, I sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head; all his waves go over me. Selah.  Then said the other, Be of good cheer, my brother: I feel the bottom, and it is good.  Pilgrim’s Progress, Tenth Stage

~ JK

Here are some thoughts for people who are feeling rejected:

You can forgive because you are forgiven.  The parable of the forgiven servant resonates during times of rejection.  When you are forgiven in Christ – how much more can you forgive someone who is rejecting you?

You can fortify the soul.  I often think of personal attacks in the context of a castle.  Personal attacks that come through word of mouth by other people run straight through the main gates into the castle keep.   These attacks can be belittling, petulant, and downright mean.  Start by fortifying the soul with your sufficiency in Christ.

Choose your counsel wisely.  You should read Macbeth by William Shakespeare – it’s a good character study in how family advice can turn a bad situation into a tragedy.  Stirring up the problem without looking for a solution feels good at the time but ultimately it won’t resolve anything (kind of like picking a scab!).  Walk through the historical books in the Old Testament or Proverbs to see how true friends help you with rejection.

It may not be resolved – God knows.  The crowd rejected Jesus Christ and chose Barrabus.  Yet this was a part of God’s plan that even the disciples could not comprehend until Pentecost.  God’s work is mysterious – but he will fulfill his purpose.

Two lesson here: 1) Understanding takes time.  A flash of lightning convinced Luther that he should enter the laity – Over five years of Bible study brought him to the revelation that salvation is by faith alone.  2) People can change.  How often do we denounce someone because of what they said at one time in the past?  If John MacArthur wrote the 95 Theses – there would be Christians who would never forgive him for it.  Food for thought eh?

On to the reading:

• Point 40 – Sole Fide anyone?  (Also Point 69)
• Point 48 -50– Luther visited Rome seven years before he wrote the 95 Theses.  I wonder if he was thinking back to this visit when he wrote point 48.
• Point 56-57 – Christian relics were very common in this period.  A merchant would product a piece of the cross or some other icon with power to grant relief for the dead.  At this point in the narrative, Luther questions the quantity and the authenticity more than the concept itself.  (Also Point 82)
• Point 62 – I love this statement: “The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.”
•  Point 92 – Great use of Scripture: “Away, then, with those prophets who say to Christ’s people, “Peace, peace,” where in there is no peace.”

~ JK

Then I started thinking about all of the famous texts that have been used to spark debate and discussion in the church.  These are texts that often get referenced in passing but are rarely discussed in detail.  So I thought you might enjoy reading through important documents in church history with me and having an excuse to start a discussion.  What i’m looking for are your first impressions – not a wrestle through the source material.

Have you ever read the 95 Theses by Martin Luther?  Let’s start here with Theses 1-40.

• Luther on the purpose of the 95 Theses: “He [Luther] requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.”  This sounds like a blog post.
• 1-7 contrast Biblical repentance to the church practice of penance and the role of the Pope in the remitting of sin.  Point 1 is beautiful: When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”  Point 7 hints at the idea that he still considers himself a Catholic.
• Point 14 is an interesting observation on human nature: “Defective piety or love in a dying person is necessarily accompanied by great fear, which is greatest where the piety or love is least.”
• The discussion on purgatory and indulgences gives us a window into how Luther is debating the issue in his own mind.  In Point 17 he appears to validate purgatory.  In Points 24 and 27 he attacks the idea that souls can be delivered from purgatory by indulgence.  In Point 29 he even uses the writings of saints to posit the idea that there are souls in purgatory that choose to minister to those who are suffering.
• Point 36 and 37 sharpen the argument against purgatory and indulgences.  “Any true Christian whatsoever, living or dead, participates in all the benefits of Christ and the Church; and this participation is granted to him by God without letters of indulgence.”

Next post I will cover Theses 41-95.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this section of text.

~ Jeremy

While waiting for the wedding to start I took some notes on what I saw around me in the building:

The church seating reminded me of the family box pews found in Europe and America.  I remembered the story of Charles Simeon – a minister who faced significant opposition from his congregation in the form of locking the pews to stop people from worshipping.  At the base of the box pews were foldable prayer benches with no padding at all.  I could not imagine kneeling on these benches (have we grown soft?).

There was a series of stain glass windows in the gothic arches and Scripture engraved in the sandstone including Psalm 122:1 – “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”  I noticed the huge granite baptistery  (not quite like our fiberglass tubs) and beautiful choir loft set at the back of the chamber.

It wasn’t until after the wedding that I noticed the most famous feature of St. Stephen’s – the glorious spire attached to the church.

Here’s my question – does church architecture enhance worship?  Are there design elements that hinder worship?  Any thoughts or comments would be welcome.

I recommend the following articles on the anniversary event:

Time Magazine – What took so long?

NY Times – Artists Reflect Video

I attended a Christian school in Sydney for the majority of my K-12 schooling years.  Recently, someone asked me answer this question: “How do you know that you attended a Christian school?”  I’ve thought through the question and in relation to my experience at the school I could answer it this way:

1. The school name had a reference to Christian virtues and a denomination.
2. The insignia I wore had Christian iconography on it.
3. The staff members were (to my knowledge) all Christian and attending the same church.
4. Class time included time for prayer, formal doctrine classes, and chapel time.
5. There was a strong Christian ethos in the school.
6. General classroom conversation could include elements relating to the Christian worldview.
7. I had many faith-based conversations with my teachers and most of my friends attended church.
8. There was a identifiable connection between faith and practice.
9. There was a strong student behaviour code (this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with it being a Christian school).

I remember the first time I saw a data projector used in a church service.  The unit was the size of a carry-on piece of luggage and it also acted as a convergence device with a built in VCR!  Today, you would be hard pressed to find a church without some integration of a data projector into the worship or teaching time.

Here are some suggestions for data projection software in church:

1. Powerpoint/Keynote – Both Microsoft and Apple have presentation software that can be adapted for church use.   They have the best feature set and graphic options for presentations.  You can create video announcements and dynamic slides if you combine iMovie (live motion) and Keynote (still frames).  You’re looking at $100 for the Apple iWork suite or $150+ for different versions of Microsoft Office.   Ultimately, you trade the flexibility of creating anything you want with a custom-designed workflow that is better suited to a church service.  For example, how do you manage a large library of songs for weekly services?  Copy and paste?  I don’t think so.
2. Open LP – Open LP is a free cross-platform tool specifically designed for church services.  There is a passionate community behind Open LP with a track record of adding features and support.  You’ll find library management , integration of CCLI licensing and savable service orders.  As a Mac user, the Mac version isn’t as mature as the PC version but it all works.  Also, it’s hard to argue with free.
3. ProPresenter – The team at Renewed Vision have taken presentation software to the next level with lots of features aimed at a large congregation.  You’ll find things like DVD pre-syncing (so there isn’t any lag), centralised song management on a web server (so you can have one database with multiple users), and a wireless monitor tool that lets you broadcast the presentation to an iPad on the lectern.   Here’s the catch – it costs $400 for a non-concurrent license and the most mature feature set is only available for the Mac version.

Our church uses ProPresenter (after two years of Keynote) and I can definitely say that dedicated church presentation software is better than the standard office programs in a church context.  I would love to hear about any other programs that I’ve missed and the combo that you use for your church.

~ JK