Faith, Culture and the Sacred in the Secular...

Tonight we start a 5 part series of "Film, Faith and Culture" conversations at First Church with the hope that as we go deeper into these films, we will learn to discern the presence of God's grace and judgment in various expressions of popular culture. It will be a totally out there series that should be lots of fun, too.

+ First up is the film, "Pay it Forward," a tender look at what wounded people often do to one another and how hope can still be claimed amidst the chaos and pain. And it has that wonderful song, "Calling All Angels," too! (September 8th)

+ Second is the documentary, "Koyaanisqatsi," that starts with slow motion in the desert and ends up with fast speed life in urban America to document what the Hopi word for "life out of balance" really looks like in 21st century living. And the Philip Glass score is priceless. (September 15th)

+ Then we move on to the German film, "The Lives of Others," about how a man in the East German secret police tries to atone for his sins in contemporary Germany. Incredibly powerful look at what it is like to be in a double-bind with a conscience. (September 22nd) Fourth will be the great "music documentary" of the 60s using the tunes of the Beatles, "Across the Universe," one of the blessed rays of light in recent movie making. (September 29th)

+ And the series concludes with, "Born into Brothels," another documentary about how a photographer with a conscience helps children in India not only learn to tell their own hard stories with integrity but also change their lives. (October 6th)

As we discovered with both "Chocolat" and "Babette's Feast" last year, the presence of God's grace is all around us if we have eyes to see. And, using film and story telling as a way of learning to listen for God's voice in culture, is a gentle way of deepening Christian formation for those raised in a post-modern world. Come and join us at 7 pm if you are in the area! As a teaser, check out this tune: