Thursday, December 8, 2005

Good Morning!

Remember that Will Willimon, who is the Bishop for the North Alabama Conference, is going to preach at the 11AM service -- actually, we will only have one service on this Sunday. Bishop Willimon is the author of over 50 books, and by all accounts, he is a terrific preacher as well.

If you look around some, you should be seeing some of the PR about the movie opening. It is interesting how some people involved with the movie (actors, directors) are backing away from the Christian themes. Some are substituting "religious" for Christian, and some are even saying that the movie is just spiritual, rather than Christian or religious. C.S. Lewis backed away from it a bit as well, but only from the idea that he set out to write a Christian story for kids -- he simply said that those elements just came into the story as he wrote it - but he never disowned the Christian elements of the story.

It is just interesting how those who are deeply immersed in the culture of Hollywood feel the need to distance themselves from anything that remotely feels like an embrace of Christianity.

Today's Overview - Chapter 15 -- Deeper Magic From Before the Dawn of Time

The story moves out and up from its low point. As Susan and Lucy keep watch over Aslan's body, they notice that the hundreds of mice are biting at the ropes that the Witch had used to bind Aslan to the Stone Table. At dawn, they are awakened by a loud rumbling noise, and when they look to the Stone Table, it has been broken in two and Aslan is gone. As they look at the broken table, Aslan comes to them and tells them about the Deeper Magic that the Witch did not know -- that if anyone willingingly was killed in the place of a traitor, then the Table would crack and Death would start working backward.

So this is the story of Christ -- someone who was without sin, who willingly took on the punishment required of others for their sins, so that they might not have to face it themselves. I think that one of the things that we will take away from the movie is the idea of sacrifice. We understand the substitution of Jesus for us, but I think what the movie will bring to the front a bit is the idea of how much a sacrifice that was. We will see it in Aslan's humiliation and death, and we should remember how much love Christ had to have for us to sacrifice as he did.

The scriptures today talk about the atoning work of Jesus

Today's Scriptures

John 3:16-17, Romans 3:23-26, Hebrews 9:14

Today's prayer request: Those around us who are not Christians

There are those around us who are not Christian, and we need to pray for these people to find their way to Christ. Think about one specific person that you feel is not a Christian, or not involved with a church, and pray that God reaches out to them. Note that you may be the one who God sends to talk to them.

Today's class member prayer:

Matt Rocksvold

Have a great day.

Jay