Movie devotions: Les Miserables - Exodus 9:7

Exodus 9:7     Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.

Like most movie goers, I went to see the new production of “Les Miserables” on the big screen. It’s part of a Christmas tradition with the Stuarts. On Christmas Day, we go to the latest blockbuster in the morning and then sit down to dinner when we get home. We usually discuss the movie at the table which helps us strengthen our bonds of commonality and love.

“Les Miz” was an amazing movie in so many different ways. The computerized special effects made it appear as if it was actually being shot in the Paris of 1832. Some of the songs were wonderful and the acting was first class. It was, however, a bleak tragedy at times, and the amount of misery that was displayed was harrowing.

I’ve always been intrigued by the character ‘Javert’ and I thought that Russell Crowe played him almost perfectly (Robert Newton has always been my favorite actor to portray Javert). Javert is a police inspector who lives his life devoted to the Law. Justice for him is served by applying the Law clinically and perfectly. Javert has no compassion for anyone. He idolizes the Law and is soulless. His lack of mercy and unswerving dedication to fulfilling the Law is what ruins him in the end. He cannot abide being weak and cannot live with himself when he allows the hero, Jean Valjean, one act of mercy. His dispassion destroys him, causing him to leap to his death into the cold waters of the River Seine in Paris.

Both Bible passages for today (Exodus 9:1-7 and John 8:1-11) involve dispassionate people whose merciless judgments lead to their subsequent destruction. When Pharaoh stubbornly refuses to let the Hebrew go free after the death of livestock, he is choosing to selfishly follow a hard-hearted path that will eventually lead to the death of his son, the destruction of his army, and the end of his reign.

In the Gospel, we come across religious fanatics who want to stone to death a defenseless woman. They are self-righteously full of vengeance and seek to dispassionately destroy a sinner in their midst, in order to preserve the illusion of perfectionism in their religious community. It’s only when Jesus intervenes with some home truths and close to the bone remarks that their attitude changes. However, within a short time, the same kind of religious fanatics are going to go after Jesus, baying for blood, and eventually seeking to have Him crucified. The religious community perfection that they try to harshly maintain will be destroyed within a generation.

We are on the threshold of a New Year. We each will be faced with many different choices. Some of them will be good, but at other times we will make mistakes. Depending upon what we do, our good choices may outweigh our poor decisions, but at the outset of the New Year, we need to be aware of this: all of our choices have consequences.

Question for personal reflection

What are the main choices that I have ahead of me in 2013? Am I willing to listen to Christ’s Voice as the prime directive for my decisions?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, a new year lies ahead of us and none of us knows what kind of journey we will experience. We have dreams and goals, as well as choices and decisions that can bring goodness into our lives and those of our loved ones. Guide us with Your wisdom; lead us by Your love. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Mackintosh Rose drawings. It’s called “Lo, How a Rose E’r Blooming” in the style of the renowned Scottish art nouveau artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8309689684_8543d1c119_b.jpg

Movie Devotions: The King's Speech - Fulfilling Our Calling - Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4:1             As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

 As per our usual custom, our family went to the movies on Christmas Day. We’ve done this for several years because we enjoy the atmosphere at the picture house, as well as the blockbuster of a movie that we choose to see.

This year, we chose “The King’s Speech,” which is definitely not a blockbuster but it may win more than a few Oscars. It’s about the story of King George VI of Britain who suffered from a terrible stammer. Each time he was called upon to make a public speech, his stuttering took over and ruined his presentations. When his older brother abdicated the British throne, George was thrust into the forefront of the British Empire and had to make many broadcasts. When war came to Britain in 1939, King George had to rally the nation. Without the determination of his Australian Speech therapist, the new king would never have been able to do this and the encouragement that the British public needed in the darkest days of war would never have been accomplished.

The movie is fantastic and I heartily recommend it to everyone. There is some cussing involved but it’s used to express the utter frustration that the king experiences with his stammer. Both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush play their roles perfectly. This is a classic drama and a great representation of both these award winning actors.

King George fulfilled his calling to which he was appointed. He never chose to do this, but when called upon to lead his people, he put duty first and set aside his own preferences. He was one of the most beloved rulers that Britain has ever known and his own daughter Elizabeth epitomizes all that was best in him, as well as her devoted mother.

We are all given a calling in this life. We may not be called to be kings and queens of the nations, but are we expected to live our lives as heirs to God’s Eternal Kingdom. This means that as Christians our lives are meant to be significantly different from those around us. Our faithful calling is Christ’s vehicle to a fallen world and a faithless culture. If we set aside Christ’s desire for us in His work, then all that we accomplish in this life are our own preferences instead of the purposes that God has in store for us.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are all different and individual. Our backgrounds, cultures and influences over our lives are as varied as we are. Yet with all of our differences, You call us to that one sameness in You. Help us to cast aside our preferences and to carry with us Your purposes each day. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Movie review: Clash of the Titans

Two words best describe this current blockbuster: too dark. I’m not talking about the battle of evil vs good, I’m referring to the failure of this movie photographically. There are too many shadows, dark spaces, and dim lighting that the film suffers. If I was editing the movie, I would have upped the brightness level by 5-10%. If you really can’t see the actor’s mouth, you really can’t hear what they’re saying.

Even watching it in 3-D had no charms for me. Compared to Avatar, COTT is like one of those bad Japanese sixties movies that is all effects and nothing in dialogue. The 1981 version is a far better movie to watch. It has more pace, character, and imagination.

So if I was classifying this movie, what would I give it? D for Dud. The movie producers can release the Kraken on me or send me to Hades, but it would be far too dark for me to see or care.

Movie Review: The Young Victoria

It’s about time that this historical royal love story was told in a way that reflects the devotion, charm, and wonderful love that Victoria and Albert once had for each other. Jean-Marc Vallee’s “The Young Victoria” is a beautiful movie which portrays the young queen’s romantic relationship in such a positive and alluring way.

The scenery, which mainly takes place in both Kensington and Buckingham Palaces, is breathtaking. The costumes are perfectly astounding, which makes this dramatic movie instantly comparable to anything that David Lean produced decades ago.

Whilst these things are essential to make a compelling and attractive movie, it’s the growing relationship between Victoria and Albert that keeps the audience enthralled. Emily Blunt was perfectly cast as the young Victoria and portrays the young princess’s frustrations and fears in ways that make the viewers want to cheer her as she faces down her opponents. Albert’s loving courtship and utter devotion to his future bride are utterly believable through Rupert Friend’s tremendous characterization.

The movie covers the early years of Victoria’s sixty three year reign and all of the political intrigue that occurred just before her coronation. The young princess is practically a recluse and prisoner in her mother’s home. She is used as a pawn between political foes and her ambitious relatives at home and abroad. Her uncle King William, remarkably played by Jim Broadbent, in the midst of his own spells of rancor and madness, tries to protect the young heir to the throne. His only wish is to live long enough for Victoria to reach the age of adulthood so that she will not be controlled by those around her.

In the midst of all this aristocratic skullduggery and Machiavellian machinations, young Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg comes into Victoria’s life and lovingly rescues her. It is Albert who makes Victoria strong by believing in her ability to successfully reign over her people. And it is this loving relationship which grows at a distance through the sharing of love letters that is beautifully portrayed in this film.

Some critics have panned the movie as being over-romantic and superficially sentimental. The audience that I experienced the movie with enjoyed the whole spectacle from start to finish. It’s a tear-jerker, but not what some would call a ‘chick flick.’ It’s an historical drama that brings to life the utter devotion and incredible love that Victoria and Albert shared.

If I was rating this movie, I would give it five stars for quality performances, historical settings, marvelous costumes, an excellent screenplay, and a wonderful ensemble of European actors. Miranda Richardson’s portrayal of Victoria’s mother and Paul Bettany’s charming and scheming Lord Melbourne are also highly commendable.

This remarkable movie's website can be found at http://theyoungvictoriamovie.com/

Christmas Movie Clips: Christmas Journey

Christmas Movie featuring art of Stushie



Suitable for presentations at Christmas Eve services

Book of Eli Trailer: Biblical Violence being glorified or Holocaustic holiness?

I wonder if this is a new trend...

Movie Devotions: End Stoning

Jeremiah 9: 20 Now, O women, hear the word of the LORD; open your ears to the words of his mouth. Teach your daughters how to wail; teach one another a lament.

It was both brutal and harrowing. I wept buckets of tears and left the movie theater angry. In fact, I was so angry that my teeth were clenched throughout my fifteen minute drive home.

Every woman and every man in this land should see “The Stoning of Soraya M.” Women should see it because of the brutal stoning and gender discrimination that is portrayed. Men should see it because of their wicked use of faith to squash human rights and their weakness in standing up against falsehoods.

The leading actresses in the movie, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Mozhan Marnò deserve Oscars. They are strong and beautiful, resolute and courageous. But because this is a foreign movie and Hollywood is so narcissistic, they won’t even be mentioned. And yet, I honestly have never seen a more powerful movie in my life. It has changed me completely.

The movie doesn’t entertain the audience, it educates them. I don’t know if America is ready for this because we’re becoming so tabloid titillated and paparazzi pampered that we don’t know how to deal with serious global issues anymore.

I want to set up a new online ministry called “End Stoning.” I’ll highlight the verse (John 8 v7) from the Gospel where Jesus says, “Whoever amongst you is sinless, let him cast the first stone.” I’ve even set up a new blog at www.endstoning.wordpress.com. I’ll put information about stonings from around the world and list the contact addresses of politicians and leaders that people can write to in order to end this barbaric, satanic, and inhumane religious practice. If you want to help me, then send me an email to traqair@aol.com.

Go and see the movie. Women are lamenting all around the world because of this horrific occurrence. This is not God’s work, God’s way, nor is it God’s judgment. This is about man’s inhumanity to women. This is the 21^st century. This has to stop.

Prayer: O LORD, let Your Spirit move amongst us so that we can begin the work of removing this scourge from the Earth. Help us to do whatever we can to save people from being stoned to death. Educate and inform us in order that we may rescue and liberate those who live under this diabolical tyranny. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Movie Devotions: The Stoning of Soraya M

Today’s devotion may be alarming to some. Please do not read if you are squeamish.

Isaiah 53: 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

I’m going to a movie this afternoon, but it’s not one that I’m going to enjoy. It’s called “The Stoning of Soraya M.” It’s about a young Iranian woman who was falsely accused of ‘unworthy conduct’ in her village and who ended up being horribly stoned to death, just for being a woman.

I cannot believe that in this 21^st century that women are being stoned to death in Iran. Gays and teenagers are also being killed in their communities by religious fanatics who wrongly believe that God wants these people stoned to death.

About eighteen months ago, I watched a horrifying video which was smuggled out of Iran of two young people being stoned to death. They were semi-entombed in a pit and covered in a white shroud. They were absolutely terrified and their families were desperately trying to protect them. When the mullah gave the word, stones the size of baseballs were harshly thrown against the bodies, faces, and heads of the unfortunate couple. Their agonized screams were drowned out by a fanatical chorus of “Allah akbhar!” (God is great!). The execution took fifteen minutes and when the camera secretly panned over the bodies all that could be seen was blood, guts, and brains.

How long can the United Nations allow this to happen? How long will Western governments dependent upon oil put up with these satanic injustices? How long will liberated women in the West ignore the plight of their sisters in Iran? And how long will Christian churches, whose Savior died a similar agonizing and repulsive death, who also spoke out against the stoning of women, how long will our churches refuse to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves?

Prayer: Lord God, this world is tarnished by religious monsters and zealous terrorists who commit atrocities in Your Holy Name. Stop allowing them to hide behind the trappings of faith and raise up Your Son’s Church to courageously and boldly speak out against these evils. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray for the women, the gays, and teenagers of Iran who live in fear of false accusations and satanic executions. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Tron Legacy Movie Clip

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the movies....

A Few Good Men: Handling the Truth

1 Samuel 3:17 "What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you."

Did you ever see the movie ‘A Few Good Men?’ it stars Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. It’s a courtroom drama and its gripping climax comes when Tom Cruise is cross examining Nicholson near the end. In a battle of words, Cruise passionately insists that he wants to hear the truth, to which Nicholson aggressively replies: “You can’t handle the truth!”

When old Eli insists that the boy Samuel tells him what God has spoken to him, he wants to hear the truth, no matter what it is. Samuel is reluctant to tell him because it is a prophetic curse upon Eli and his sons. But Eli persists and even curses Samuel with the same fate if he does not tell him what God has said.

I wonder if moments later Eli had wished he hadn’t been given the message. The truth was ruthless and full of judgment upon Eli and his family. Would he have been better off being ignorant of God’s wrathful message?

I try to preach the Gospel from the pulpit on Sunday mornings. Sometimes when I’m looking over a chosen passage, I wish that Jesus hadn’t said what He did. I know that when I start preaching the truth, it is sometimes too much for people in the pews to handle. So I’m left with a dilemma, do I please the people by diluting the Gospel, or do I please Jesus by not mincing His words?

The truth about the Gospel is this: some people can’t handle it, so they shape it into something that makes them comfortable and spiritually cozy. But they ignore this truth – how cozy is the Cross? How comfortable are the calls that Christ makes to us to repent, challenge our ways, and change our lives? A Gospel that is comfortable makes us all spiritual couch potatoes; Christ’s Gospel, which is awkward and challenging, makes us who God calls us to be.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we’ve let society become our Savior and allowed the world to become the Word. We’ve surrendered our souls to coziness and peacefulness, instead of aligning our spirits to the Gospel and You. We honestly can’t handle the Truth and so we make up our own Way, which leads us to no Life. Forgive us and rebuke us; direct us and renew us. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

A Feast of Easter

The Easter Story, as told through my Christian contemporary art.

High Noon - A Good Friday Devotion

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,lama sabachthani?" — which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The first time I ever came across the word “forsake” was when I saw the old black & white western movie, “High Noon.” You’ll remember that it starred Gary Cooper as a US Marshall who single handedly has a gunfight with four gunslingers whoa re out to get their revenge. As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, it’s also Gary Cooper’s wedding day and his bride, played by Grace Kelly is thinking about deserting him.

The title song of the movie, sung by Tex Ritter, is called “Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darling,” and it more or less tells the whole story of the picture. It’s a wonderful song and I learned it completely as a child. If I had the time, I could sing to you from start to finish.

So I learned from that movie that the word ‘forsaken’ means to abandon someone in the midst of deep trouble and possibly life threatening circumstances. When I later came across the passage from scripture where Jesus shouts out from the Cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” all that I could think of, was how abandoned Jesus felt by His Father.

It must have been both a terrible and terrifying moment for Jesus. As His life is fading away and the pain is most excruciating, it’s as if the Devil chooses this weak moment to tempt Jesus into believing that the situation is hopeless and that God can no longer bear to watch what is happening. Only the night before, Jesus pleaded with God to take this cup of sacrifice away from Him. He didn’t personally want to go through with it, but eventually Jesus surrendered Himself to God’s will.

As Christ calls out these words, beneath the Cross His beloved Mother is also going through the same agony, second by second, tear by tear, blood drop by blood drop. Jesus’ words must have pierced her heart and I imagine that Mary must also have felt forsaken by God and the promises that Gabriel had given to her before Christ was born. But perhaps she also remembered that another name was given to Jesus – that of Immanuel – which means God is with us. Mary could do nothing for her Son at that time, except to hold on to the promise that God had not forsaken them, but was still in the midst of the suffering.

As each Easter comes and goes, we all experience loss and grief, separation and suffering, pain and anxiety. During those moments, sometimes despair will rend our hearts and bring chaos to our minds. On Good Friday, we recall the suffering of our Savior, the heartbreak of His Mother, and the holy presence of the God who suffers with us. We are not forsaken nor forgotten by God. We are supported, embraced, and completely loved.

Amazing Grace

Hosea 14:4 I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.

Podcast Version here:

Sometimes when I make mean mistakes or selfishly sin, I think that God is deeply disappointed and angry with me. I find it difficult to approach Him with the right contrition and sincerity, so I end up wondering if I will be forgiven. I don’t feel worthy enough to be saved or good enough to be pardoned, and sometimes a darkness overwhelms my soul. It’s a frightening thing to fear God and to think that He will harshly judge me.

And then, just as I need it most, the Spirit leads me to a biblical verse which turns out to be a wonderful promise of God’s grace in action. Even as a pastor, I need to hear God speak to my soul. And He does today through these wonderful words of Hosea. It’s as if God is saying to me: “I will heal your waywardness and love you freely, for my anger has turned away from you.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie, ‘Amazing Grace.’ It’s all about William Wilberforce, the great anti-slave trade opponent who gave his life seeking to abolish slavery throughout Britain and her colonies. In one scene from the movie, Wilberforce is seen talking to John Newton, the slave trader turned preacher. Newton is agonizing over his sinful past and despairingly expresses his deep regrets. At one moment, he is almost overwhelmed with his past wickedness. Then he boldly declares: “I know two things – I am a great sinner and that Christ is a Great Savior.”

We all carry burdens of past mistakes and each of us have moments when we feel our guilt before God. But His grace through Jesus Christ is so almighty and complete, that all our sins can be forgiven, our past burdens can be relieved, and our future hopes can be restored. We just need to come to Christ in prayer to receive these wonderful blessings.

Prayer: Father God, we know that we offend, disappoint, and anger You with our sinful ways and selfish choices. We confess to doing stupid things and making serious mistakes. We seek Your mercy and forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice and grace. In His Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Some movies are like good wine – as the years go by, they mature into a great vintage. Take the 1969 musical “Goodbye, Mr. Chips,” starring Peter O’Toole and Petula Clark. When it was first released, the world was in awe of Armstrong walking on the moon. The musical seemed quaint and old-fashioned, and was quietly acclaimed, but not much of a success.

Forty years, however, have transformed this beautiful picture into a vintage movie-screen performance.

Most people think that O’Toole was magnificent in Lawrence of Arabia and that Petula Clark was an acclaimed sixties pop-singer with one hit “Down Town.” They have probably not seen this movie. Both these actors are truly wonderful together in this film production.

O’Toole plays a stoic and dull English Schoolmaster whose life is transformed and turned upside down by a talented and lively musical hall actress played by Clark. The chemistry between the two is evident on the screen, making the James Hilton’s classic story both charming and captivating. It is a wonderful tale of true love between opposites and a lifelong vocation.

The music is not exhilarating, but the songs touch the soul. Petula’s performances are a “hit,” and it is great to see and hear a classic actor like O’Toole croon the lyrics.

Although I still think that both Robert Donat and Greer Garson played their characters outstandingly in the original black and white movie, this musical and its two main performers tell the story in a wonderful way, too.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Laurel and Hardy: Lonesome Pine

Even after all these years, it still raises a pleasant smile!

Transfiguration Sunday: Gone with the Wind

A great moment in cinematic history and an intense transforming moment for Scarlett O'Hara.

The Legend of Bagger Vance

"The Legend of Bagger Vance" is a highly under-rated movie, but it displays the excellence of Robert Redford’s directing. I always meant to go and see this on the big screen because golfing movies need a giant screen to be truly appreciated. However, the movie is not about the game; it’s about the people who play it.

The scenery is fantastic. Kiawah Island in South Carolina makes a perfect backdrop for this wonderful feel good movie. The storyline is like “The River” (another excellent Redford movie) meeting “Field of Dreams.” It never lags or disappoints you; in fact it enchants you.

Much has been made about this being one of Will Smith’s worst movies. I couldn’t disagree more. If you just want to see Smith as a smart-mouthed, high adrenaline, good guy vs. the bad guy black actor, then you will miss the subtlety and charm Smith hs to offer in this production. His acting is never way over the top. He plays Bagger Vance perfectly, and it makes me think that this will personally be one of his favorite roles. As the caddie who comes out of nowhere to help a has-been golfer, Smith excels. And the other great thing about the movie is this: Matt Damon does not compete with Smith on the screen – they both compliment and augment each other’s acting ability.

This is also a charming romantic movie. The chemistry between Matt Damon as local hero Rannulph Junnuh and Charlize Theron as the heiress Adele Invergordon is wonderful. Miss Theron is palpably beautiful throughout the screenplay. The highs and lows of the couple are depicted over twelve years, and in the end they happily find each other again.

Rachel Portman’s theme music is exceptional and wonderfully sets the mood for the legendary golfing showdown between Junnuh, Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. The whole era is magically captured on the screen and I found the entire movie a joy to behold and experience.

Jack Lemmon’s cameo appearance, as well as his narration throughout the picture is marvelous. You get the feeling that the whole cast enjoyed the entire movie and if there had been an Oscar for best ensemble, I think it would have won it.

Lastly, the young Hardy Greaves (whose elderly character is played by Jack Lemmon) is wonderfully portrayed by J. Michael Moncrief – a local Savannah lad who beat 2000 other applicants to play the part. He has the key character that holds the movie together – it says a lot about the acting security of Smith, Damon, and Theron to allow such a young local boy to do so well.

I wouldn’t have thought so before I saw this movie, but “The Legend of Bagger Vance” has become one of my Top Ten. I rate it five stars out of five for entertainment, character value, scenery, music and direction.

Matt Damon thought he was under attack from a lunatic stalker when an on-set explosion brought his new film to a standstill. He was practicing hitting golf balls for his role as a golfing phenomenon in The Legend Of Bagger Vance when he laid into a practical joke ball - shattering it into a hundred pieces and sending a cloud of smoke into the air. In the background, his young co-star J. Michael Moncrief collapsed giggling to his knees. Damon says, "My immediate reaction was to throw myself to the ground. I thought somebody, possibly a loopy fan, has thrown a grenade. "It was genuinely scary. The last thing I expected to happen. Then I saw JM and realized I had been the victim of a practical joke!"

Richard III

John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

I love February because it’s Oscars month on Turner Classic movies. I get to record and watch the old movies with famous actors like Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Greer Garson.

For the past two night, I’ve been watching Laurence Olivier in Richard III. He plays one of the sleaziest, greediest, and wickedest villains on the screen. I love Shakespeare’s plays anyway, but Olivier’s acting is absolutely amazing.

Richard, Duke of Gloucester, cheats, conspires, and kills his way into becoming the King of England. Along the way, he makes many enemies and at the end of the play, he is left destitute on the battlefield. That’s when Olivier utters the immortal lines: “A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” Justice is served and the villainous king is cut down and killed by his rival.

When I read the Gospel passage this morning, I was reminded that the people wanted to make Jesus their king, just because He supplied them with fish and bread. They wanted Him to provide for them, to heal their sicknesses, to satisfy their hunger, and to make their lives pleasant.

But Jesus was on a mission from God, so He couldn’t be tempted by such an offer. He was serving God, not Himself. He was doing God’s will, not His own.

This also reminds me that our faith in Christ is purely meant to glorify and honor Him. If we seek Jesus to bless us all the time and to make our lives easier, then we’ve crowned the wrong kind of king in our hearts. If we place our lives into His hands and seek to serve His kingdom here on earth, then we’ve truly made Him the King of our lives.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to place You at the center of our lives and to honor You with our service to Your Kingdom. Enable us to keep You as the King of our hearts and Lord of our days. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

New In Town - Renee Zellweger

This movie is absolutely hilarious and the perfect escapist remedy for the gloomy economic times that we’re living in. I’ve always liked Renée Zellweger as an actress, but she is also a terrific comedienne. I think that she must have had a great deal of fun on the set and it comes across in her character.

The storyline is a bit like Baby Boom meets Fargo. Minnesotan accents and characteristics are everywhere. Zellweger plays a highly attractive Miami jet-setting executive, Lucy Hill, who is sent to the Northern town of New Ulm to downsize the plant. The plotline is predictable, but that’s what makes the movie work so well. Everything that you’re rooting for in the movie transpires. It’s the old formula of a large commercial company taking over and closing down a small rural plant. And as the storyline develops, true to form, Zellweger’s Lucy Hill falls in love with the area, as well as the people.

In my opinion, the casting is perfect. J K Simmons plays Stu Kopenhafer, the typical curmudgeon of a maintenance manager who is totally pan-faced throughout the movie. He has some of the best one-liners in the film and his antics are a joy to watch.

Harry Connick Jr plays the local union representative, Ted Mitchell, and ends up becoming Zellweger’s romantic partner. The scenes between the two of them whilst hunting in snow-laden forest had me laughing until I cried. The whole audience in the cinema found it absolutely hysterical and it reminded me that the contagious laughter of ordinary people is one of the best things about life.

Siobhan Fallon Hogan steals the movie at times with her small town scrap book making, Jesus loving, factory secretary Blanche Gunderson. She plays opposite Zellweger’s city life Lucy Hill wonderfully, and the two of them light up the whole movie.

The small town setting and the snow covered landscapes are wonderful to see, but the best scene in the movie takes place on Christmas Eve. The whole community gathers around the town’s Christmas tree singing a Christmas Carol. It is pleasantly played down, so that it evokes a simple, rural hometown nostalgia that many urbanite city dwellers miss in the hustle and bustle of the season.

I also liked the touching relationship between Connick Jr. and his screen daughter Ferron Guerreiro playing Bobbie. Her prom night transition from Daddy’s little girl to a lovely young lady, under Zellweger’s direction, is very heart-warming.

I would rate the movie four out of five stars for the cast, characters, and side splitting humor. It is rated PG-13 for some adult humor, but nothing that I think is offensive.

Movie website: http://www.newintownmovie.com/

Wingclips.com has a few good clips for studies.

Persepolis

It seems strange to be writing about an animated movie about a Muslim girl in a Christian website, but Persepolis is an intriguing coming-of-age film that transcends language, culture, and religion.

The movie portrays the younger life of Marjane Satrapi who grew up in Iran during the 1970s when the Shah stilled ruled the country. Her independent and freedom loving family show us a part of Iranian life that has largely disappeared due to the Khomeini revolution and religious oppression that takes place in Tehran today.

Marjane’s rebellious streak is celebrated throughout the movie, which is a testimony to the real strength of freedom-loving Iranian women. Her adventures and setbacks, her family’s love of life and tragedies are well told throughout the story. Especially touching is the relationship Marjane has with her spirited grandmother.

Marjane’s feelings about sharia, as well as the decadence of the West are shared throughout the movie. Her survival and tenacity to remain independent are expressed as a remarkable journey of self-discovery and liberty. Marjane’s heart is firmly attached to her family and the country that she loves, but her fierce independence means that she must live in a self-imposed exile in order to survive.

The black and white animation is beautifully drawn and creates a bye-gone world that is hard to believe existed before the ravages of the revolution. The music perfectly accompanies the action and makes the whole movie very entertaining and appealing.

Some adult themes of free love and sexual encounters are portrayed in the movie. Drugs and binge drinking are also featured. Some crude language is used and heavy criticisms of all kinds of religions are mentioned.

The dialogue is all in French, but the subtitles do not interfere with the action. I would give the movie 5 stars and it has well deserved the many film awards that it has received.

The movie has its own website where you can read other reviews, watch scenes, look at interviews and listen to the wonderful soundtrack.

Movie website: http://www.sonyclassics.com/persepolis/

Movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PXHeKuBzPY

Interview with Marjane Satrapi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kRiyFb8lRk