for the past 6 months, we’ve been going, verse by verse, through jesus’ sermon on the mount. beyond that, for the last year, we’ve focused very specifically on the life, teachings & values of jesus. the most fundamental expression of our faith community is living in the way of jesus, so we’ve put a great emphasis on exploring what that means.
with our next teaching series, we’re committed to continue with that. we’re turning a bit of a corner, though. whereas we’ve dealt, largely, with more broad themes, we’ll begin to focus in on more specific theologies and issues. in order to do this, we wanted to choose a vehicle for doing so that was both engaging and in alignment with our values as a church.
so, we’re excited to announce, the gospel according to…
beginning september 25 (and running through the end of the year), we’ll be looking at 4 films to offer some insight into some of the theological issues that we think are particularly salient following our lengthy conversations about jesus. we’re a big believer that culture isn’t at odds with christianity, but actually a particularly helpful way to experience and see god at work. this series will help to affirm that value.
instead of simply pulling a few clips from movies and expounding on them, we’ll actually be watching the movies in their entirety. four times over the next few months, we’ll dedicate an entire sunday gathering to watching the films. it should be fun, with a theater vibe complete with popcorn and cokes. the dates are as follows:
- september 25
- october 16
- november 6
- december 4
in the following 2 weeks after watching each film, we’ll engage the correlating theologies and issues through interactive discussions, “expert” panels, regular teaching times & guest teachers.
on the 25th, we’ll kick it off with the 1995 film dead man walking featuring sean penn and susan sarandon. this is an intense film exploring issues such as the extent of mercy and forgiveness as well as the death penalty. the subsequent teaching times should be a good chance to really wrestle with some complicated issues.
so, make some plans to join us. if nothing else, you’ll get a free movie and popcorn out of the deal! as the series progresses, we’ll announce the other movies. we’ve chosen a good mix of dramas and comedies and documentaries. there should be something for everyone.
see you on september 25!
