Let’s All Go To The Movies

Pastor Fredrick will be using movie clips during our July worship services.  As you review the list of clips, you might wonder how these movies clips could possibly relate to a Sunday sermon.

Movies often connect faith and culture.  Looking past the surface, movies challenge us to be wise interpreters.  Drawing us together through the message, meanings, and influence the film has on our hearts, minds and spirit. This past week Pastor Fredrick used a clip from Shawshank Redemption with a sermon titled: Shield by Peace.  

The character of Andy Dyfresne a quiet, thoughtful, and proud man. Andy refuses to let the dehumanizing atmosphere of Shawshank break his spirit.  During a challenging and uncertain time in his life Andy was endlessly hopeful.  In the clip Andy plays a recording of “Le Nozze Di Figaro” over the loudspeaker, which invited all the prisoners to experience a reminder that they were more than prisoners, regardless of their past transgressions, they remain people.  Andy states “There’s something inside that they can’t get to, that they count touch, it’s yours. Hope.” 

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Movie Schedule

• July 9th  –As Good As it Gets – Sermon: Love Motivates Change
• July 16th – Field of Dreams – Sermon: Reconciling with the Father
• July 23rd – Hoosiers – Sermon: Facing New Challenges with Faith
• July 30th – Dead Poet Society – Sermon:  Our Verse in Life’ Play

You might want to take some time in July to watch one of these movies or another movie with friends and then discuss the movie. Here’s a few questions to get you started.

• What was the message of the movie?
• What choices do the characters make? What motivates them? What were the consequences?
• How is our attention drawn to particular images? How are particular visual elements used as symbols or metaphors?
• How did the camera view enhance a particular scene?
• What theme do you think the director/producer/screenwriter was trying to convey?
• Are their religious themes or connections? How is faith treated (if at all)?