Thursday, May 31, 2007
Good Times...Bad Times...Great Times...It is all well...
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well,
with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,It is well,
with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well,
with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,It is well,
with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
...You're all over me
Sometimes you hear a song way too many times and you tend to forget the true meaning of the words behind it, cliche no? However, let's use this song as an example, take 30 seconds of your day and just meditate on it:
Inside outside, under my skin
Never ending love I don’t know where it begins?
I don’t know where it ends, I don’t know how high
I don’t know how deep, I don’t know how wide
Outside inside around the world
Never ending love envelops me like a cloud
I feel you in front, I feel you behind
I feel you up above, And I feel you at the side
And you, you’re all over me, you’re all over me
Your banner is over me, I give it all ‘cos
You still captivate me, fascinate me
You still captivate me, saturate me
Inside outside, pulling me in
No matter where I run I know you’ll never give in
I see you in the storm, I see you in a kiss
I’ve been around the world and never found a love like this
You’re all over me, you’re all over me
You’re everything I want to be
I’m all over you, you’re everything I want to see
You’re all over me
You, still captivate me, fascinate me
You still captivate me, saturate me
You still captivate me, liberate me
You still captivate me
So...what do you think?
I tell you what I think...let this song be my prayer...for as long as I live! God Bless,L.
CAMPAIGN TO END CONSUMER CHRISTIANITY
This is one of not only the coolest sites I've seen recently, but also one of the coolest concepts that someone had the guts to come up with.
See it for yourself and tell me if you agree with their points:
See it for yourself and tell me if you agree with their points:
WHAT IS TOTAL DEPENDENCE?
I read something this week on "Relevant Magazine" that in my opinion simplified and put into words what total dependance is; I've been receiving many emails and comments on this blog...can't wait to hear what your opinion is on this one. God Bless, L.
"...He was right. I should be totally used to the role of being completely dependant, but I’m not. Too often, I forget that nothing I do—not my Bible studies, not my singing on Sunday mornings and not my positions of leadership—made the rescue of my soul possible. Nothing that I do in service to God changes the fact that I do not deserve this abundant life He has given me. There is nothing I can do or have done that changes the fact that I am a sinner who deserves death. Yet, Christ has chosen to redeem me and speaks on my behalf to the Father. This is complete dependence. It is a role I should know, because I’ve been filling it for my entire life." - by Audrey Ferguson
if you want to read the complete story click on the link below:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7360
"...He was right. I should be totally used to the role of being completely dependant, but I’m not. Too often, I forget that nothing I do—not my Bible studies, not my singing on Sunday mornings and not my positions of leadership—made the rescue of my soul possible. Nothing that I do in service to God changes the fact that I do not deserve this abundant life He has given me. There is nothing I can do or have done that changes the fact that I am a sinner who deserves death. Yet, Christ has chosen to redeem me and speaks on my behalf to the Father. This is complete dependence. It is a role I should know, because I’ve been filling it for my entire life." - by Audrey Ferguson
if you want to read the complete story click on the link below:
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god_article.php?id=7360
But...But..
Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues "without ceasing"; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life of the saint. Beware of anything that stops the offering up of prayer. "Pray without ceasing . . ."— maintain the childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.
Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the unlimited certainty of knowing that prayer is always answered. Do we have through the Spirit of God that inexpressible certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when it seemed that God did not answer our prayer? Jesus said, ". . . everyone who asks receives . . ." ( Matthew 7:8 ). Yet we say, "But . . . , but . . . ." God answers prayer in the best way— not just sometimes, but every time. However, the evidence of the answer in the area we want it may not always immediately follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?
The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile. The things Jesus taught about prayer are supernatural truths He reveals to us.-- No author assigned in CUT
from "My Utmost for his Highest" by Oswald Chambers
Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the unlimited certainty of knowing that prayer is always answered. Do we have through the Spirit of God that inexpressible certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when it seemed that God did not answer our prayer? Jesus said, ". . . everyone who asks receives . . ." ( Matthew 7:8 ). Yet we say, "But . . . , but . . . ." God answers prayer in the best way— not just sometimes, but every time. However, the evidence of the answer in the area we want it may not always immediately follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?
The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile. The things Jesus taught about prayer are supernatural truths He reveals to us.-- No author assigned in CUT
from "My Utmost for his Highest" by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Our Rights Vs God's Choice for us = ????
As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you. This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.
Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.
Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, ". . . walk before Me. . ." ( Genesis 17:1 ).-- No author assigned in CUT
Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.
Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, ". . . walk before Me. . ." ( Genesis 17:1 ).-- No author assigned in CUT
Friday, May 18, 2007
Cego de Jerico - RODOX
Another song that has so much meaning to me, Rodox is the Hardcore band that Rodolfo Abrantes (Lead singer of one of Brazil's most Famous Rock Bands "Raimundos")started when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. I heard this song so many times and decided to translate parts in the lyric that really caught my attention (and my heart.):
"I've felt the touch from the hands of someone that was alwyas there..."
"I saw Kings falling before a name and it's by love that I exist today, I'm reborn in Christ another blind man in Jericho"
"I know you heard me, when I got on my knees and asked for forgiveness and said goodbye to the sad man."
and its by LOVE that I exist, today Reborn in Christ...another blind man in Jericho...
God Bless! L.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
From The Inside Out
What was so "Corny" one day, now is what I believe in; What I had no time for, Now is what I make time for...it's a priority. "Little Wise Boy" is dead...A New me was born not too long ago, Salvation is only the opening to a new life, yet I cherish with all that I am! I thought I'd lose my freedom making this decision...yet, I had no idea of what freedom was...trust me, I had the priviledge of being born in a "Christian Home" yet, had no idea of what I was really missing; Everything is secondary, I'm seeking his kingdom first and everything else should be added; "...In My Heart and My Soul, I Give you control...Consume from the Inside Out Lord"
"From The Inside Out"
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Sin of Self Pity...
I've been Looking for words to express my feelings on the subject, actually I've been gathering thoughts for a while; My Best friend (Who's not a Christ Follower yet) always says: "Everybody Jumps on the chance to be a Victim...why? Because it's easier". I have to agree with him, and it amazes me to see how many people have learned the "art of Self Pityness" (is there such a word?)
Well...let me cut short and just say that I've found once again in the words of Oswald Chambers, a very clear explanation; Tell me what you think...God Bless. L (Listening to "Take it All" by Hillsong United)
We are made "partakers of the divine nature," receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, "Oh, I can’t afford it." One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, "Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle." And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.
Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, "All my springs are in You" (Psalm 87:7 ). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 9:8 )— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time
By Oswald Chambers (My Utmost For HIS Highest)
Well...let me cut short and just say that I've found once again in the words of Oswald Chambers, a very clear explanation; Tell me what you think...God Bless. L (Listening to "Take it All" by Hillsong United)
We are made "partakers of the divine nature," receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, "Oh, I can’t afford it." One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, "Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle." And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.
Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, "All my springs are in You" (Psalm 87:7 ). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you . . . may have an abundance . . ." ( 2 Corinthians 9:8 )— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time
By Oswald Chambers (My Utmost For HIS Highest)
Best Christian Video I've ever watched! Oh Boy...I love Pop Culture!
Oh My...I'm so in love with this video! Who produced this? Kubrick? Honestly...is there a better way to spread the word to a "Tv on the Radio meets Stereolab" music listner, Bape rockin', Tea Drinker, Movie and Pop Culture Aficionado??? Ok...if this video doesn't fascinates you...tell me what does? God Bless! L.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Rejoicing through Hard Times...
God's been talking to me in many different ways, like he always does; And my prayer has been that the Lord gives me sharp ears to listen to what He's saying.
Within this past 6 months, God's been telling me to rejoice through hard times, even though I sincerely have had the best six months of my life...God's made me whole once again and I honestly feel just like the Psalmist described on Psalm 91:1 :
" He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty"
This past week, The Lord spoke loudly and clear once again...and last night the perfection of his plan was shown by something I read on my daily devotional "My Utmost for his Highest".
Firstly, I'd like to post one of my favorite Bible verses and from the bottom of my heart...I hope it touches you as much as it touched me.
In him, Now and Forever...(listening to "We Fall Down" by Donnie McClurkin)
L.
Romans 5 3-4
3 And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
4 and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope
We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that "the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation of "myself" that I would have apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me.
No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, "Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.
You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30 ). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God’s sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your need" ( Philippians 4:19 ).
Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you.--
By Oswald Chambers
Friday, May 11, 2007
How Big is your love for me...
Hey...It's me.
You know, I haven't really written any comments down (besides little "explanations" on my point of view about the videos) on this site (blog).
Mainly, because...I lived a life that was very much egocentric; and my ideas, thoughts, conversation and whatever else...definitely reflected that.
When I decided to create this blog, which i had no intentions of doing...All I had in my mind was:
"I could care less about anything, as long as I reflect through this blog Who I'm really living for."
Today, I once again experienced how "sweet it is to be loved by you".
Maybe it was because my two and a half year old niece (whom I hadn't seen in 6 months) still remembered my name...
Maybe because my sister is graduating later on today and I see the wonders God has prepared for those who really walk in his path through her life...
Maybe because I drove eight hours straight listening to nothing but some old school Brazilian Christian Songs and truly felt the meanings of the words...along with my mom and her best friend Valda.
Maybe it was because I was surrounded by people that I love and that truly loves me...what a beautiful feeling!!!
Last but not least...by the miracles I can see God operating in each and every single detail...If "Perfection is in the details"...God is definitely spoiling me.
It's 2:08 am...I got to get up early tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to get home to share my happiness and whatever is inside of me right this moment ...so, I ask you? How big is his love for me? Giving his son to die on the cross was the fulfillment but also seems like just the beginning of experiencing a feeling mere words can't describe...ok, let me try...salvation, happiness, joy, grace,mercy...ok, let's stop here. The list could go on forever...and I gotta wake up tomorrow to go to my sisters graduation.
Just wanted to share this moment with you...
In him,
L.
ps*(typing straight from Evelyn's Dorm)
You know, I haven't really written any comments down (besides little "explanations" on my point of view about the videos) on this site (blog).
Mainly, because...I lived a life that was very much egocentric; and my ideas, thoughts, conversation and whatever else...definitely reflected that.
When I decided to create this blog, which i had no intentions of doing...All I had in my mind was:
"I could care less about anything, as long as I reflect through this blog Who I'm really living for."
Today, I once again experienced how "sweet it is to be loved by you".
Maybe it was because my two and a half year old niece (whom I hadn't seen in 6 months) still remembered my name...
Maybe because my sister is graduating later on today and I see the wonders God has prepared for those who really walk in his path through her life...
Maybe because I drove eight hours straight listening to nothing but some old school Brazilian Christian Songs and truly felt the meanings of the words...along with my mom and her best friend Valda.
Maybe it was because I was surrounded by people that I love and that truly loves me...what a beautiful feeling!!!
Last but not least...by the miracles I can see God operating in each and every single detail...If "Perfection is in the details"...God is definitely spoiling me.
It's 2:08 am...I got to get up early tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to get home to share my happiness and whatever is inside of me right this moment ...so, I ask you? How big is his love for me? Giving his son to die on the cross was the fulfillment but also seems like just the beginning of experiencing a feeling mere words can't describe...ok, let me try...salvation, happiness, joy, grace,mercy...ok, let's stop here. The list could go on forever...and I gotta wake up tomorrow to go to my sisters graduation.
Just wanted to share this moment with you...
In him,
L.
ps*(typing straight from Evelyn's Dorm)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Has our perception of beauty become distorted?
My view of Beauty was distorted for quite sometime...don't get me wrong, the physical still has its importance...however when it did it become everything the main priority in choosing "right or wrong"??? Whatch the video and let me know what you think...
Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus Christ
How would you introduce Christ to someone? What about a Large group of people...why not try an unexpectable angle? check it out...
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Publicity Whose Business is it?
Ran into this text, found it very interesting...
Getting Cozy in an Institutionalized Manner
Six weeks ago, I broached the topic of Hollywood and the Church cozying up to one another in unseemly ways. In that article, I cited a real-life example of a publicist marketing a film directly to churchgoers, strategically targeting worship time as the platform for exposure.
Two weeks ago, I participated in an event of quite a different sort, and I’d like to use the incident as a means of dissecting the business of publicity—and the Church’s role in the whole thing.
As part of my editorial responsibilities with Past the Popcorn, I received a press pass for a promotional screening of a mainstream major-studio release. The screening time? 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning.
Did I go? Of course I did. My job requires me to work every third weekend anyway, so I’m not locked into a rigorous observance of the Sabbath on Sundays. (Perhaps I should be; but that’s an entirely different discussion.) And I wasn’t about to assign the film to any of our other writers, all of whom have regularly-scheduled Sunday morning responsibilities.
As it turned out, the reason for the odd screening time became evident: this family-oriented film was steeped in a worldview distinctly non-Christian. The studio was marketing the film directly to people who were the least likely to be church-goers.
So, how offensive is it that a publicist would think of screening a film for the press on a Sunday morning? How devious (or considerate) is it to screen a movie that Christians might find offensive in a context which prevents them from even seeing it? Are there precedents?
As rare as Sunday morning screenings are, I can think of one other similar occasion—a junket a couple of years ago. The talent for the film in question was only available on a Sunday, so members of the press corps were flown in on Saturday for the screening, and after a night at the hotel sat in on roundtable interviews during normal church hours. Needless to say, with such a schedule, the religious press contingent was a bit thin. Those in attendance of more orthodox persuasions managed to get in a local midnight mass and nothing was lost.
But the rarity of such events needn’t lead us to conspiratorial conclusions. Many factors influence marketing schedules: facility availability, talent schedules, print availability, access to the target demographic, budgets, and so on. The only ones whose schedules tend not to be considered are the critics; but hey—that’s our job, isn’t it? And nobody says we have to cover every movie.
I have to confess, though, to harboring a niggling suspicion that the screening I attended the other week was deliberately dodging attention from Christians. The content was offensively propagandistic, stopping just short of Da Vinci Code-style heresies. I found myself thinking, “Wow! They sure managed to sneak one by this time!” I had heard nothing from the usual suspects warning me about the content. Where were the AFA, the SBC, and A&F when I needed them?
On reflection, though, I realized that I was probably just being paranoid. Sure, the studio might have directed publicists to set up Sunday morning screenings. But my local publicist knows me very well, and knows that I write for a Christian publication. And the studios approve the invite lists. Nobody was trying to hide anything from anybody. I didn’t sneak into that screening.
So what was going on? This, plain and simple: product being delivered to the target market. It was transparent business practice served straight up, no more or less calculated than Mel Gibson courting evangelicals for The Passion of the Christ. Heck, Gibson doesn’t even care for the theology of most of his “fellow” Catholics; so why should we expect studio heads in Hollywood to behave any less commercially than Mel? They’re all businessmen.
And that gets to the crux of the matter. Publicists exist to connect products to markets. That bears repeating. Films cost extraordinary sums of money to produce, and studios can’t earn a return on their investment if ticket and DVD sales projections aren’t met.
To explain this factor a little more clearly, I’ll borrow an example from when I was president of a local community theatre. Year after year, the outfit had struggled to survive; still, I was shocked to learn when I assumed leadership that no kind of return-on-investment analysis had ever been done. And in community theatre the principle is pretty simple: butts in seats—not great works of art—pay the bills. If you conservatively estimate how many butts you can expect to have in the seats, that tells you how many dollars you’ll have in the till. The estimated number of dollars in the till then lets you know what kind of shows you can afford to produce.
So back to film: the studios have already worked all those details out before they ever talk to publicists. What the studios are after at that point is merely hiring experts who know how to get the desired number of butts in the seats. Publicists know demographics; they are experts in networking; they are savvy with communications and advertising. They know their role and they stick to it.
And publicists are in business, too. But they don’t worry about butts in seats, really; they worry about projects in the pipeline. A lack of projects means a lack of business—so the pipeline must be kept flowing. And as in any other business, publicists are all in competition with each other, vying for a share of the studios’ project-allocated advertising dollars.
The implication for the publicist is the same: just as no movie theater is likely to turn away a paying moviegoer, a publicist has to think very hard about which projects to turn down—particularly because turning down a project might mean turning away an entire studio’s business for good. That damages the pipeline in a big way; so sometimes the pipeline has to carry some sludge along with the sweet stuff.
From that perspective, film publicists are no more suspect or trustworthy than any other promoter. They need to keep movies in the pipeline to pay the bills; but to maintain their connections with the target markets, they can’t come off as complete whores, either.
And also from that perspective, publicists are merely a special case of businessmen in general. Yes, there are probably publicity firms that are the correlate of Enron; but assuredly, none are the equivalent of Mother Teresa.
So is it execrable for a “Christian” publicist to accept pay for promoting films like The Reaping or Norbit?
I suppose one can only answer that question properly if one has a sound theological answer for the dilemma of ministry-as-business; and be sure to ask yourself: what church have you ever attended that was not incorporated? In my experience, God was the true Chairman of no board on which I ever sat—no matter how prayerful the meetings may have been. Those darn sinful people (including me) always got in the way.
So if anyone out there has a pat answer for the larger question, by all means start lobbing some stones. Until then, a little humility is probably in order.
Getting Cozy in an Institutionalized Manner
Six weeks ago, I broached the topic of Hollywood and the Church cozying up to one another in unseemly ways. In that article, I cited a real-life example of a publicist marketing a film directly to churchgoers, strategically targeting worship time as the platform for exposure.
Two weeks ago, I participated in an event of quite a different sort, and I’d like to use the incident as a means of dissecting the business of publicity—and the Church’s role in the whole thing.
As part of my editorial responsibilities with Past the Popcorn, I received a press pass for a promotional screening of a mainstream major-studio release. The screening time? 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning.
Did I go? Of course I did. My job requires me to work every third weekend anyway, so I’m not locked into a rigorous observance of the Sabbath on Sundays. (Perhaps I should be; but that’s an entirely different discussion.) And I wasn’t about to assign the film to any of our other writers, all of whom have regularly-scheduled Sunday morning responsibilities.
As it turned out, the reason for the odd screening time became evident: this family-oriented film was steeped in a worldview distinctly non-Christian. The studio was marketing the film directly to people who were the least likely to be church-goers.
So, how offensive is it that a publicist would think of screening a film for the press on a Sunday morning? How devious (or considerate) is it to screen a movie that Christians might find offensive in a context which prevents them from even seeing it? Are there precedents?
As rare as Sunday morning screenings are, I can think of one other similar occasion—a junket a couple of years ago. The talent for the film in question was only available on a Sunday, so members of the press corps were flown in on Saturday for the screening, and after a night at the hotel sat in on roundtable interviews during normal church hours. Needless to say, with such a schedule, the religious press contingent was a bit thin. Those in attendance of more orthodox persuasions managed to get in a local midnight mass and nothing was lost.
But the rarity of such events needn’t lead us to conspiratorial conclusions. Many factors influence marketing schedules: facility availability, talent schedules, print availability, access to the target demographic, budgets, and so on. The only ones whose schedules tend not to be considered are the critics; but hey—that’s our job, isn’t it? And nobody says we have to cover every movie.
I have to confess, though, to harboring a niggling suspicion that the screening I attended the other week was deliberately dodging attention from Christians. The content was offensively propagandistic, stopping just short of Da Vinci Code-style heresies. I found myself thinking, “Wow! They sure managed to sneak one by this time!” I had heard nothing from the usual suspects warning me about the content. Where were the AFA, the SBC, and A&F when I needed them?
On reflection, though, I realized that I was probably just being paranoid. Sure, the studio might have directed publicists to set up Sunday morning screenings. But my local publicist knows me very well, and knows that I write for a Christian publication. And the studios approve the invite lists. Nobody was trying to hide anything from anybody. I didn’t sneak into that screening.
So what was going on? This, plain and simple: product being delivered to the target market. It was transparent business practice served straight up, no more or less calculated than Mel Gibson courting evangelicals for The Passion of the Christ. Heck, Gibson doesn’t even care for the theology of most of his “fellow” Catholics; so why should we expect studio heads in Hollywood to behave any less commercially than Mel? They’re all businessmen.
And that gets to the crux of the matter. Publicists exist to connect products to markets. That bears repeating. Films cost extraordinary sums of money to produce, and studios can’t earn a return on their investment if ticket and DVD sales projections aren’t met.
To explain this factor a little more clearly, I’ll borrow an example from when I was president of a local community theatre. Year after year, the outfit had struggled to survive; still, I was shocked to learn when I assumed leadership that no kind of return-on-investment analysis had ever been done. And in community theatre the principle is pretty simple: butts in seats—not great works of art—pay the bills. If you conservatively estimate how many butts you can expect to have in the seats, that tells you how many dollars you’ll have in the till. The estimated number of dollars in the till then lets you know what kind of shows you can afford to produce.
So back to film: the studios have already worked all those details out before they ever talk to publicists. What the studios are after at that point is merely hiring experts who know how to get the desired number of butts in the seats. Publicists know demographics; they are experts in networking; they are savvy with communications and advertising. They know their role and they stick to it.
And publicists are in business, too. But they don’t worry about butts in seats, really; they worry about projects in the pipeline. A lack of projects means a lack of business—so the pipeline must be kept flowing. And as in any other business, publicists are all in competition with each other, vying for a share of the studios’ project-allocated advertising dollars.
The implication for the publicist is the same: just as no movie theater is likely to turn away a paying moviegoer, a publicist has to think very hard about which projects to turn down—particularly because turning down a project might mean turning away an entire studio’s business for good. That damages the pipeline in a big way; so sometimes the pipeline has to carry some sludge along with the sweet stuff.
From that perspective, film publicists are no more suspect or trustworthy than any other promoter. They need to keep movies in the pipeline to pay the bills; but to maintain their connections with the target markets, they can’t come off as complete whores, either.
And also from that perspective, publicists are merely a special case of businessmen in general. Yes, there are probably publicity firms that are the correlate of Enron; but assuredly, none are the equivalent of Mother Teresa.
So is it execrable for a “Christian” publicist to accept pay for promoting films like The Reaping or Norbit?
I suppose one can only answer that question properly if one has a sound theological answer for the dilemma of ministry-as-business; and be sure to ask yourself: what church have you ever attended that was not incorporated? In my experience, God was the true Chairman of no board on which I ever sat—no matter how prayerful the meetings may have been. Those darn sinful people (including me) always got in the way.
So if anyone out there has a pat answer for the larger question, by all means start lobbing some stones. Until then, a little humility is probably in order.
By Greg Wright
Have you played Bible Kombat?
Have you heard about it? I'm not a video game fan..but couldn't help to upload this picture...I hear you can choose different Bible characters to "fight against evil"...if you heard anything about it, let me know...
Remember Stryper? They are back.C'mooooon!!! I know that unlike me, you loved them! I've never been a fan, even though I give'em a lot of credit because once...I tried to talk about Jesus to a taxi driver and he said..."Oh...I like Christian Music, I went to a Stryper concert in the 80's and they gave out Bibles at the end of the Concert"! Well done boys!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Starbucks...what do you think?
An Ohio woman is steaming after reading an anti-God message published on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup.
The message that got Michelle Incanno's blood boiling reads:
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."
Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks' 'The Way I See It' campaign (Dayton Daily News)
The message that got Michelle Incanno's blood boiling reads:
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."
Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks' 'The Way I See It' campaign (Dayton Daily News)
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Face of The Earth - TobyMac
Another video I made...for some reason, I've seen myself in the situation the singer describes in this song.
I know I can't take time back, however...I'm willing to show true friendship as talking about the love of Jesus to everyone I become friends with.
Straight up simple and efficient.
May God Bless you.
L.
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