my movie review of "the Letters"

Last night I saw the movie The Letters. I recommend it and will offer my “two cents” on it:

·         I noticed Mother Teresa responded to those who opposed her, both within the church and outside the church. She went to God in prayer first; defended for the glory of God but not for her personal reputation; showed bravery in the face of enemies even when she was afraid; Spoke boldly when needed; asked for help from the men in her life when needed.

·         Mother Teresa was able to work within the religious system she was in (diocese of the Catholic Church) and still obey what God was asking her to do personally which was to leave the cloistered convent, care for the sick and dying of Calcutta and eventually start a new congregation/order (church planting).  I have hope that our denominations and institutions can partner with people who are hearing God’s direction for their lives.

·         I found it interesting that those evaluating her life for sainthood were so surprised and taken back with the darkness/depression/doubt Mother Teresa battled that were expressed in her letters.  That’s really pretty normal considering the challenging assignment she was carrying, physically and spiritually. Their response may speak more to their own lack of understanding of mental health, having an easier assignment or unfamiliarity with the transparency of Mother Teresa’s letter writing.

·         She didn’t set out with a goal to build and establish all that she did but rather sought to be obedient to God day by day.  That’s a different leadership model than we often find in ministry today.

·         Everything about her life started with prayer. How different things might have been had it not been for that significant train ride to a prayer retreat.

·         I don’t remember any use of the Bible by Mother Teresa being shown.

·         It was interesting the use God made of the waiting periods as letters were exchanged and how different that is today with our instant electronic communication. Sometimes it would serve me well to not be able to hit “send” so fast.  What might we be missing from God and His building of our patience and character with today’s instant communication?

The acting was good by Juliet Stevenson. The pace was slow at times but overall, well done and worth seeing for sure!

My movie review of WAR ROOM

What did I think about the movie WAR ROOM? Well, I can’t just give a thumbs up or down on this one because I want to tell you what I liked about it and what I didn’t like about the movie. If you go see it, watch for these points and make a few notables of your own:

HONESTY AMONG FRIENDS

I liked how true friends held each other accountable and called one another out in love.  Michael got in the face of his friend, Tony while they were working out in the gym and asked him straight up questions, even when he got push back about it. Miss Clara said to Elizabeth something like “we have an hour together are you going to sit there and complain about your husband or are we going to talk to God?”  That kind of loving honesty made a difference.

PRAYED THE WORD OF GOD

If we only pray our personal preferences and how we think things should turn out in our limited knowledge, we’re treating regarding prayer like a vending machine.  Elizabeth was taught by her mentor to write out scriptures and agree with God’s nature and will expressed in the Bible when praying.

ROLE OF THE PASTOR

The pastor’s role was very minimal, almost non-existent. I liked that. At the beginning of the movie, The Jordan family sat through the Sunday service as nominal Christians, sporadic in attendance, far from God and going through the motions. They  The pastor has a part, but the bigger role goes to YOU as a Christian friend through the week.

were exposed to God by individuals in their daily lives (client, friend, mentor, co-worker) in response to believing prayer.

SACRED SPACE

Sure, God is present everywhere. But a designated “war room” Miss Clara used for years was space the next owner of that home sensed as special territory.  The prayer closet Elizabeth designated and developed over time was an important part of the story.  At a tipping point of courage, Elizabeth declared her kitchen and dining room and entire home as space where Christ was King and satan was no longer welcome.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE

The viewer could be left with conflict over two issues. #1 “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers that quickly?” To that I would say, may God give us patience to walk out in real time what a movie only had 120 minutes to depict. It’s the movies!  #2 “What do you say to the person who prays like Elizabeth yet doesn’t get the desired outcome like the movie shows?” That’s a hard one. It helps to remember that individuals still have a free will to choose. It happened that the characters in this story yielded to God’s appeal to them in response to believing prayer.  Here’s the win for any Christian who wars in prayer.  Anytime we draw nearer to God in prayer, that right there is the win for us!  Sometimes the outcome isn’t what we want. Sometimes it’s not what God wanted.   And when it is not, we still win because we’ve gained a relationship with God in prayer that helps us walk out whatever the circumstances that are in our story.

Bottom line, I loved WAR ROOM and hope you go see it while it’s still in the theaters to give support for more movies with a message!

LUNCH BREAKS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

When I worked in a law office in Youngstown, I remember just wanting to get out of the office at lunch time.  There was so much to pray about and so much I needed from God by mid-day. I often would get in my car with my packed lunch and Bible, drive to a nearby church parking lot and spend my lunch hour praying. Had the sanctuary of that Church building been open, I would have gladly gone inside to pray, especially on those cold Northeast Ohio days when I’d have to keep my car running to stay warm.

At least in the movies, many Catholic churches seem to keep their sanctuaries open for the next passerby wanting to pray.  Seems like a great idea to me!

So we’re trying something we’ve never done before. During September on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 AM to 1 PM, our church’s meeting space (sanctuary) is open to the public to simply seek God in prayer and worship.  Our sanctuary fronts Rockside Road in an office building surrounded by 35,000 business professionals. What a perfect opportunity to slip in whether for 15-20 minutes or the whole time and talk to God and hear from Him.

With minimal structure, we’ll simply provide live worship music, a chance to pray and meditate and hear brief encouragements about God. Bottled water and coffee will be provided and you’re welcome to bring your own lunch to eat and spend your lunch break with God.  Bring a Bible or borrow one from our table. Listen to God’s voice and pour your heart out to Him.

Think about this with me! How might September be different for you personally and for the business community of Greater Cleveland if we carve out mid-day breaks to hear from God and seek Him?  I can’t wait to see what God does with this idea of His!