Righteous Insanity

The Gospel According to B-Movies

Emo Phillips tells a story about being in a movie theater. A man comes up to him and asks, "Is this seat saved?" Emo responds, "Well if Aquinas argued that animals do not have souls, how much less chance does an inanimate object like this chair have of obtaining salvation?"

People like to debate whether films can be Christian or not. Given Emo's logic above, the answer would clearly be no. But that doesn't mean a film can't convey a Christian message. The question then becomes, how best to deliver that message? Do we work it into a watered down family drama with heavy-handed dialogue that acts as mini-sermons throughout the picture? or can story alone communicate the gospel truth?

I think Christian filmmakers undervalue the power of story. They don't trust their skills (wisely, perhaps) as story tellers to deliver a message for them, so they cheat by the use of their mini-sermons and in-film altar calls.

I appreciate their desire to make sure the message gets through, but the end result is bad art that no one wants to watch. 

It's ironic, because we have decades of bad art that is not only watchable, but just as full of the gospel truth as any sappy modern day Christian drama. I'm speaking of films with things like monsters and ghouls and aliens and zombies. I'm talking bad acting, low production values, poor camera work, shoddy editing, and terrible dialogue. These were not films with a mission. These were films made to make a few bucks, and as bad as they are, there's a certain charm to them that you simply can't manufacture.  

These are the B-movies, the sci-fi and horror films of the 50's, 60's, and beyond. And they have just as much - if not more - to say about Christianity than anything being produced by evangelism-minded Christian filmmakers of today.

We Are Not Alone. Whether it's aliens from above, creatures from below, or vampires in the night, B-movies reflect our innate understanding that we are not alone. There is something other-worldly or supernatural in or around the world. These films are all about putting a face - good or bad - on that unknown, and probing the question of what we would do if we were to encounter this supernatural entity in the living (or undead) flesh. 

Something is wrong... and it's probably our fault. Godzilla was the result of the atomic bomb. Klaatu and Gort came in response to our war-like nature. In fact, our "st-yoopid minds" were the reason the aliens in Ed Wood's epic decided to go with Plan 9. And how many times has a science lab accidentally doomed us all by creating the zombie virus? The cause of our woes isn't always known. It certainly was a mystery on the Night of the Living Dead. But most times, when given the chance to probe a little deeper, we find the blame lies solely with us.

There are consequences for our actions. B-movies often feature people trying to play God with science, grab power, or simply get laid. Such actions - which Christians would refer to as "sin" - are never without consequence. Dr. Frankenstein and many of his off-spring were destroyed by their own creations. And how many horny teenagers died because they were in the woods having sex instead of home in bed?

We cannot save ourselves. We're powerless against alien invaders. There's no resisting or turning back the invading hordes who, I might add, are often not truly evil vessels, but faceless, mindless executioners merely carrying out the sentence that men, women, and naughty teenagers have brought upon themselves. It is not evil destroying man because it is evil, but simply the carrying out of the death sentence. The wages of sin is death, and the wages must be paid.

Someone is coming (or has come) to save us. For every alien come to destroy us, there's always one coming to save us, usually at a great personal sacrifice. This hero's story almost invariable follows the classic hero's journey as laid out by Joseph Campbell - a journey that Christians would see as a Christ allegory. We see it on our planet, and others. Klaatu and Gort. Flash Gordon. Even Mom and Dad once saved the world in a strangely Messianic way. (Seriously, go back and watch it, if you can take the bad humor.)

There is hope. There's always a chance for the world to be saved. If we put down our guns, if we stop trying to play God in the science labs, if we put our differences aside. But that can only happen if we make a choice.

We must choose. Klaatu left us the choice, whether we would learn to live in peace or be destroyed. Criswell left us with a chilling warning not to dismiss his tale of the aliens and Plan 9. We can ignore the signs and go on with our lives, but we may do so at our own peril.

Lydia

My daughter turned four today, which means in a day or so, this blog will turn four too. But that's not important right now. 

Lydia shares the same name with a woman mentioned briefly in the Book of Acts. She was not named for this woman; she was named for a song made famous by Groucho Marx and later Kermit the Frog. That's not really important right now either. 

I'm doing a lot of writing for children's ministry right now, and I just wrote a brief devotion about the woman Lydia. As my own daughter turns four, I hope and pray that she will grow up to emulate the qualities I've written about the Biblical Lydia. Those thoughts are below, and you're welcome to use them if you like. 

Happy birthday, Lydia, I love you!

 

At the beginning of this devotional, show the kids a piece of fine cloth or linen that is purple in color. 

How many of you like the color purple? Purple was a very special color back in Biblical times. Do you know who wore the color purple? Purple was usually reserved for royalty and people who were very wealthy.

The book of Acts tells us a story about a women whose job was selling purple cloth. Her name was Lydia, and because we know she sold purple cloth, we know that she was a wealthy woman. She was also a believer in God because when we meet her, she is at a prayer meeting with Paul and Silas.

Lydia heard a message that day in which Paul told these believers in God that they needed to also believe in God’s Son, Jesus. Paul told them that Jesus was a descendant of David, and that God had raised him from the grave in order to offer forgiveness from our sins.

Lydia believed in Jesus that day, and she and her whole house were saved. But Lydia’s story doesn’t end with her accepting Christ. Lydia invited the believers to come and meet at her house! In fact, the scripture says she begged Paul and Silas to stay with her so she could take care of their needs.

Later on in this same chapter, we read where Paul and Silas were put in prison. As soon as they were released, guess where they went? They went back to Lydia’s house, where they were cared for once more.

A lot of people think becoming a Christian is all about what we call their personal walk – their relationship with Jesus. They think it’s about Bible study and small groups and Sunday School and quiet times and prayer. It is, but that’s not all! Being a Christian means putting our faith into action the way Jesus, his disciples, the apostle Paul, and Lydia did.

Lydia didn’t wait two or three years to start serving God. She didn’t say, “As soon as I get my walk with God straight, I will serve the Lord.” She accepted the Lord, and she immediately offered what she had – her home – to God.

Having a personal walk with Jesus is very important, but if we never open our eyes to see the needs that others have, if we never step out and take action to meet the needs of others, are we really acting like followers of Christ? Lydia reminds us you don’t need a lot of years of walking with God to serve him. You just need to be willing to take action! 

"If you don't go..."

I've often heard it said of missions, "If you don't go, who will?"

 

While it's true that it takes action to take the gospel to the world, to phrase it in that context is misleading and blasphemous. God commands us to go because he is sovereign Lord of our lives. He doesn't need us to reach others. God can speak through storms, through trials, through all of Creation. God does not need anything of us, and the Christian who appeals to the ego (or tries to instill a sense of guilt) in others in order to recruit workers for the harvest is doing a disservice to his brothers and sisters, to the unsaved, and to the Lord.

 

We go because God is our Lord and Master. It is he who works through us to save others. It is by his hand that we and they are saved, and by no other way.

 

He must become greater. We must become less. "If you don't go..." God can still do his marvelous work of salvation. He doesn't need us. We are completely helpless without him. We go because he is our Master, not because we are needed.

Top Sellers on Kindle for Summer

These were the top sellers for me on Kindle over the summer. Give them a look when you get a chance!

Left Overs: A Left Behind Parody. A short and sweet spoof of the Left Behind franchise that takes on everything from Kirk Cameron's sitcom roots to the blatant rip off of GI Joe that is the Anti-Christ's origin story.

Demonica: Confessions of a Small Town Super-Villain. I'm surprised but pleased to see this book doing well. It's a memoir of a former super-villain who returns to her home town for Christmas, only to find her arch enemy and her past stalking her. Can a former super-villain find redemption?

Company Man. A business parable about learning to be the kind of Christian who draws others to Christ. We seem to have gone the other way the last few decades with our judgmental outlook on sinners and sin. It's about time we remember how Jesus modeled personal evangelism for us.

Throwing Eggs in the Shower: Embracing and Enjoying the Single Life. Another surprise hit on the sales chart. This memoir of a single life was written as an extension of the singles website parody www.getyoked.net. It seems to be finding an audience on Kindle, which shouldn't really be a surprise because there aren't many voices out there encouraging singles to embrace their single status and use that time to further their relationship with the one who matters most, Jesus.

There's plenty more of my work on Kindle, especially if you like science fiction. Paperback editions are available for all except Left Overs.

Hypocrisy is no excuse for unbelief

Some deep thoughts I had while prepping Clive and the gang for a video shoot. 

Jesus himself claimed to be God’s son. Only he is divine; only he is without blame. Jesus made this claim with his words, and he confirmed it by his actions. He asks us to accept that he and he alone is perfect, and therefore the perfect atonement for our sins.

Jesus made no such claims in regards to his followers. In fact a close examination of the gospel reveals very clearly the kinds of people who will follow Jesus. They are rebels, scoundrels, liars, hypocrites, tax cheats, and more. They are sinners saved by grace. They go to church, they serve the needy, they share their faith. And they still sin because they are, by nature sinners.

Therefore the man who rejects Christ based on the hypocrisy and sin of his people is a man who has not clearly understood the message of Christ. Jesus did not say, “Believe in me, and you will be made perfect like my followers.” He said, “If I can save sinners like these, think what I can do for a wretch like you.”

I’m not writing this to let the saved off the hook for their sins. They will be held to account for being hypocrites. But any man who uses that hypocrisy as his basis for rejecting Christ will also be called to account. 

Keeping God First for the Artist

The challenge for Christian artists is not to get caught up in what the experts, gurus, or market for your particular art say you should and should not be doing. If you are committed to Christ (truly committed, I should say), the end purpose of your life is not to make money or even make art, but to glorify God. God can be lifted up through art, yes, but the primary way in which God is glorified is when we pour our lives into the people we encounter - encounters made possible by the art and work we do. It is relationships, one on one connections, that matter most. That's how Christ won people over, remember?

 

That's not to say we should not study, practice, and improve on our art. There are too many well-meaning Christians neglect to hone their skills and give Christian art a bad name. But we should keep a proper persoective on what our end goal is. It's not a movie deal. It's not a major exhibition. It's not a recording contract. It's letting the Holy Spirit reach through us to people who desperately need us.

 

Sacrifice everything else - even your own career. But never sacrifice your devotion to Christ.

Perspective with Charlie Peacock

Was listening to Charlie Peacock's "Secret of Time" album in the car tonight. If you've never heard it, it's a Contempo Christian album circa 1989 with a heavy 80's new wave feel, filled with lyrics that could just as easily have been woven into to a deep, theological non-fiction book. Listening to songs like "Way of Love" and "Secret of Time," I couldn't help get a little sad, realizing that no matter how much I write, I'll never write anything that will come close to being as deep, as profound, and as moving as he did. Some of us are made to make deep, moving, and powerful works of art. Others of us are meant for something else. 

Speaking of something else, here's a metaphorical piece about the wages of sin I shot three years ago over 4th of July weekend featuring a carnivorous cute and fuzzy alien from outer space. Enjoy! 

Oswald Chambers

Loved this in today's reading from "My Utmost for His Highest." Thought it was worth sharing. 

"Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are - not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace." - Oswald Chambers

Prayer and "Keeping the band together"

Back in the day when I ran the youth drama team (the Dramamaniacs) at my church, I had a prayer list that I kept in my daily devotional book (usually My Utmost for His Highest). The list was broken into 8 parts. One part included my family and close friends whom I prayed for daily. The other 7 parts were labeled Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc., and each day was devoted to praying for a specific group of people: my fellow youth leaders, the junior high drama kids, senior high kids, graduates, etc.

 

I don't recall when I stopped keeping and keeping up with that list, but it was long gone by the time I had the Righteous Insanity touring company going. I thought about that fact the other day, and I can't help wonder if such a list might have kept that ministry going longer. The travel was great, and there are many good memories. But there are some unfortunate ones as well, things that could have been helped by fervent prayer, outside accountability, and a little humility.

 

I think all of us can look back at times in our lives where we weren't where we needed to be and wonder what opportunities were missed. The temptation is to look back with regret and lament the past. The challenge is to let the memory of the past drive you to do better not just in the future, but the present.

New skit - 491 Times

This script ties in nicely with Company Man, but it's also a nice stand alone piece for introducing a sermon on forgiving others and that tricky passage about seven times seventy. You always wondered what would happen if someone got up to 490 times, right?

 

491 Times

By John Cosper

www.righteousinsanity.com

 

CHARACTERS
Dave- An angry boss

Kip- A brown-nosing assistant

Jensen- A carefree employee

 

A desk is on stage - a very messy one covered in papers. There's also a trash can beside it. Dave enters, drinking his coffee. Kip follows on his heels with a clipboard as Dave checks the desk and then checks his watch.

 

DAVE: Well, well, look at what we have here. An empty desk. It's 8:05, and no sign of Jensen! Kip, you see Jensen this morning?

KIP: Not today, sir.

DAVE: Did he call in?

KIP: (checks his clipboard) Uhh, no, sir.

DAVE: Then he's late. Again. Which makes this the...  How many times does this make?

KIP: According to my count, this would be ther 491st time.

 

Dave gets a gleam in his eye.

  

DAVE: 491?

KIP: Yes, sir.

DAVE: Are you absolutely sure?

KIP: Positive.

DAVE: (in jubilation and exaltation) I can fire him! I can finally fire Steve Jensen!

KIP: Yes, sir, you can!

DAVE: Oh what a happy day! You don't know what this means to me, to be able to fire somebody. Actually fire someone after so many years! Used to be I could fire a man for looking at me funny. But ever since we got that new Chairman and his "Jesus is our CEO" policy, it's been a nightmare.

KIP: To be fair, sir, morale has improved, customer satisfaction is improved, and sales have climbed every quarter.

DAVE: Meanwhile, my blood is boiling on a daily basis because I have to keep on forgiving the incompetant morons that work in this office for their mistakes! Not once, not twice, not even three times, but--

KIP: Seven times seventy - or as we've already discussed 490 times.

DAVE: Kip, don't interrupt me! I told you never to interrupt me! (sadistically) How many times have you interrupted me?

KIP: (marks a tally on his clipboard, says nervously) Only three hundred seven, sir.

DAVE: Gah! You can't run a business this way, forgiving people left and right. You have to have a heavy hand. You have to have authority. People have to be scared of you! A man who has to forgive five hundred times minus ten before he can fire you is just not scary!

KIP: Very poetic, sir.

DAVE: Thank you.

 

Jensen enters.

 

DAVE: Ah, here he comes. Hold my coffee.

KIP: Yes, sir.

DAVE: I am going to enjoy this.

JENSEN: Good morning, sir.

DAVE: Jensen, you're late! This is your 491st strike, and I think you know what that means.

JENSEN: I do?

DAVE: YOU'RE FIRED, JENSEN!!! (to Kip) That felt so good! (back in character) Get your stuff together and get out!

JENSEN: I will, sir. But with all due respect, you can't fire me.

DAVE: Of course I can! Seven times seventy is 490. You've been late 491 times. YOU'RE FIRED!!!!

JENSEN: But sir, I don't work for you any more.

DAVE: I know you don't because YOU'RE FIRED!!!!

JENSEN: Sir, I don't work for you because... I took a different position.

DAVE: You what?

JENSEN: I took a job at the corporate office.

DAVE: You did?

JENSEN: I gave you a letter two weeks ago, remember?

DAVE: Letter? What letter?

 

Dave turns to Kip with an angry glare. Kip smiles and pulls an envelope out of his coat pocket.

 

KIP: I'm sorry, sir. But this is only the 97th--

DAVE: Just give it to me!

 

Dave takes the letter an opens it.

 

DAVE: "Dear Mr. blah blah blah... Effective immediately, taking a new position in the corporate IT department as head of... network abuse enforcement?" What does that mean?

JENSEN: Well, this is a little awkward, sir, but it means that I'm here this morning to talk to you about your Internet usage.

DAVE: Internet usage?

JENSEN: Of the 957 people employed by our firm, you're one of the top three in terms of bandwidth theft.

DAVE: What do you man, bandwidth therft?

KIP: I think he means surfing the Internet.

DAVE: Oh.

JENSEN: It seems you've spent an inordinate amount of time watching videos and... oh, that's interesting. Reading wrestling news blogs. 

KIP: Sir, I didn't know you were a wrestling fan.

DAVE: Shut up, Kip!

JENSEN: Now as you know, per our "Jesus is our CEO" action plan, the company will forgive any single infraction up to seven times seventy.

DAVE: (impatient) Right, right. So how many times have I violated the Internet policy?

JENSEN: Twelve thousand, nine hundred sixty eight.

KIP: Holy smokes, you are so dead.

DAVE: Look, Jensen, are you sure those numbers are right? I mean, given this is the first time anyone's been here to talk to me, are you sure it wasn't 489 times?

JENSEN: No, sir, we've checked and double checked. But since you mentioned it, you have hit the web page with that dramatic squirrel video 489 times alone.

 

Dramatic musical stinger as Dave looks at the audience, mocking the famous "dramatic squirrel" Internet video.

 

JENSEN: I'm really sorry, sir, but you're fired.

DAVE: Fired??

JENSEN: I'll wait in the lobby while you clean out your desk.

 

Jensen exits.

 

DAVE: Can you believe that? Of all the legalistic...

 

Dave storms off. Kip watches him go.

 

KIP: Bad news for him.

 

Kip rips the tally sheet off his clipboard and wads it up.

 

KIP: Clean slate for me.

 

Kip tosses the paper in the trash and exits.