The Morning Five

Our Response to Poverty and Injustice

Jesse Carey — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:45:41 GMT

This morning on The 700 Club, Gordon interviewed American Bible Society President Lamar Vest. (The interview is embedded below). Vest discusses a new project ABS has partnered with World Vision to produce, called “The Poverty and Justice Bible”. The idea behind this Bible is to highlight every verse that deals poverty and justice. Scholars combed through the scriptures and found that there are almost 2,100 verses dealing with those issues—almost 10 percent of the Bible.

It's easy, especially in tumultuous economic times, to become focused on what God promises to us as individuals. But to see the huge emphasis the Bible places on living outwardly—serving those in need, and those suffering from injustice—is both inspiring and challenging.

In the interview, Gordon mentions how this idea relates to ideas found in the book of James. There are a few verses that stuck out to me in James as well: James 2:14-18: What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, "Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well"—but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

As we approach the holidays—particularly in a year when many families are in need—this should be a challenge to us as Christians to do what James encourages, and put our faith into action. Seek out those that have need; come beside to those who have been unjustly treated by others; pray that God gives you opportunities to give of yourself and share his love.

This is more than just an act of obedience; it’s an act of love and an expression of faith in a God who cares deeply for the poor and the victims of injustice.

James 2:26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

Fox Goes Biblical

Jesse Carey — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:08:58 GMT

While there’s been much talk in recent months about the recession hitting Hollywood, Twentieth Century Fox doesn’t appear to be shying away from the big-budget epic. According to this story from Variety, the movie giant will produce a large-scale retelling of the story of Moses.

The film was reportedly pitched as a “300-like” visual epic with lots of action. Executives are wanting to create a film in the vein of Mel Gibson’s Academy Award Winning Braveheart that will follow the story of Moses from his birth to his leading of the Israelites out of Egypt.

No word yet on who will play Moses.

A CCM Controversy, the Return of Eduardo and More ...

Jesse Carey — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:42:08 GMT

Eduardo Returns
Eduardo Verastegui, the actor who gained mainstream notoriety for his role in the 2007 breakout indie film Bella, is returning to the screen. His latest is for the Doorpost Film Project, a short film competition with a mission to "to encourage truth-seeking visionaries by honoring their creativity as filmmakers, serving them in the context of building community and sharing their discoveries with the world so that others may have hope."

Verastegui is the lead in a film called the The Butterfly Circus—one of the competition’s top-10 finalists. Also among the finalists is a the film debut of evangelist Nick Vujicic, whose resent interview on The 700 Club in which he tells about living with no arms or legs, became a YouTube sensation.

CNN on Larry Norman
CNN has posted an article about the life, legacy and influence of rocker Larry Norman. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Norman’s provocative take on Christianity, combined with his rock ‘n roll style, made him a favorite among fans and drew criticism from some leaders. A documentary about Norman’s life is scheduled to be released in early 2010.

Speaking of Controversial Artists …
Christianity Today has posted an interesting feature about singer/songwriter Derek Webb, whose latest album Stockholm Syndrome is being released with two different versions. One version contains the song “Fin”, which also happens to contain an expletive.

The former Caedmon’s Call singer is no stranger to controversy. His previous solo efforts also ruffled some feathers with subtle political commentary and lyrics that aren’t exactly traditional CCM fair. One Christian retailer even refused to sell his 2003 debut because of its “strong language”.

The CT article talks to both Webb and executives at his label about the controversy, the compromise and the context of Webb’s latest album.

Blair and Bono speak, Cliff gets spiritual, a blogger's last letter and more ....

Jesse Carey — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:22:23 GMT

Rock ‘n Roll Leadership
U2 frontman and AIDS relief activist Bono and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are among the speakers who will be featured at the leadership summit this weekend being organized by the Willow Creek Association. Willow Creek Church, which is one of the most influential evangelical churches in America, will broadcast the summit to affiliated churches across the country.

What If …
Jenkins Entertainment (the movie production house from father and son team Dallas and Jerry Jenkins—one of the authors of the “Left Behind” series) is reportedly working on a new film starring Kevin Sorbo and John Ratzenberger. In “What If …” Sorbo, who is best known for his roll as TV’s Hercules, plays Ben, a high-powered businessman who abandoned his calling and the love of his life years ago in favor of wealth and status. According to a press release, “Ben is visited by a mysterious (divine, perhaps?) tow truck driver (Ratzenberger) who knocks Ben into an alternative reality--the life he should have had. Ben awakens on a Sunday with his wife Wendy and two daughters getting ready for church, where Ben is scheduled to give his first sermon as the new pastor. If Ben wants to escape this "What If..." scenario, he must first learn the value of faith and family.”

You may recognize Ratzenberger—he played Cliff on "Cheers" and voices characters in all of the Pixar films. The film kind of sounds reminiscent of the Nicolas Cage Christmas movie “The Family Man”, but it sounds like an interesting project. You can check out the filmmaker’s blog to learn more about the movie: http://whatifmovie.wordpress.com

God of this City
A church in Michigan has responded to the recession by setting up a booth at city hall and offering a unique service—prayer. The prayer station has become so popular (they say they’re averaging about 125 prayers a week), that word is spreading around town. Even the manager of a local 7-Eleven and a the owner of a gas station in town want prayer stations set up at their businesses. The church volunteers (who take turns manning the prayer booth) say that residents, who have been hit hard after the loss of so many auto-industry jobs, appreciate the opportunity receive ministry.

A Blogger’s Last Letter
Blogger Ed Stetzer has posted the result of an interesting and solemn exercise called “The Last Letter.” The idea is based on the tradition of soldiers and missionaries to write letters to their families before embarking on dangerous journeys in case they do not return. Obviously, it’s an incredibly vulnerable and introspective writing exercise, but, as you can read from the couple examples on Stetzer’s blog, it can yield powerful results.

What we've been up to ...

Jesse Carey — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:43:05 GMT

You may have noticed the lack of activity on the blog recently. First off, I apologize for the inconsistent updates lately. But you may have also noticed a new feature that launched—my.CBN.com. For the last several months, the CBN.com team has been working to create our very own social network; a place where users can create profiles, connect with others, help sponsor fundraising goals and grow in their faith together. So even though the blog has been a little stagnate, we have been staying busy! (Thanks for your patience by the way!)

The launch of our own social network has come at an interesting time for social media. When the mainstream media had their access restricted in Iran during protest following disputed election results, the world turned to another medium to see what was happening. Citizen journalists, activists and protestors armed only with cell phone cameras, lap tops and internet connects posted images and updates about the oppressive crackdown on social networking sites. Even the United States government attested to the power of this new medium. During the heights of the upheaval in Iran, the State Department requested that the micro-blogging site Twitter post-pone pre-scheduled site maintenance because “tweets” from the protests had become so vital to allowing the world to see what was happening on the streets of Iran.

In a later press briefing, an official from the State Department said, "I think, as I was following this … I began to recognize the importance of new social media as a vital tool for citizens' empowerment and as a way for people to get their messages out.”

And though the social media concept of “citizen empowerment” has captured the world’s attention for its ability showcase political oppression and social unrest, it is just one of the reasons why traditional media is giving way to a new kind of mass communications—one that is relational.

The example of what happened in Iran is just one of the signs of a shifting tide in the way people communicate. In the last year, thousands of CBN.com users have received ministry through live chat rooms during our Spiritual Gifts webcasts. Now, connection can happen around the clock as users create profiles, invite friends and post their own content to the community.

To learn more about the new community, you can read my recent article, “What Is My.CBN.com?” and of course, join the community and try it out for yourself. We can’t wait to connect with you.

A Few Quick Links

Jesse Carey — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:34:44 GMT

Sorry for the lack of new posts lately. As you can see from poking around the site, we've been pretty busy with some changes and new features (CBN Radio, CBN TV, the new CBN News). Thanks for your patience! Here's a few stories from around the web that caught may attention this week:

Marketing the Church
With the numbers of Americans who call themselves “unaffiliated” from a religious denomination on the rise, what are churches doing to re-present themselves to the public? Advertising Age has posted a new story called “Churches Get Religion on Marketing” that looks at new, media-centered initiatives some churches are undergoing to each the masses.

Brewing up Discussion
A recent article in Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal magazine about the growing role of alcohol (and positions on drinking) is causing quit the stir. The feature story “Trouble Brewing”, which was published early this month, has become a hot source of discuss on some Christian message boards and among some church leaders.

Life-Saving Faith
Stephen McEveety, one of the producers of The Passion of the Christ, has acquired the rights to the autobiography “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust." The book is the tells the story of a women who survived the genocide while clinging to her faith in God.

Baseball's Salvation.
Baseball star Darryl Strawberry was a guest on The Club this week. During his interview he recounts his powerful testimony of going from a sports superstar to hitting bottom after a battle with addiction. His story of faith and redemption reminded me of another ball player whose testimony has also been getting a lot of attention lately—Josh Hamilton.

Looney Tunes, Religon Stats and David Garibaldi

Jesse Carey — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:59:23 GMT

The Belief Decline
There has been a lot of research lately that looks at the decline in traditional Christian beliefs in the United States (including this recent Newsweek cover story, “The End of Christian America”), but now a new study shows it’s not an isolated decline in North America. A poll conducted North of the border shows that the number of Canadians that believe in God has dropped from 84 percent in 2000 to 71 percent today.

A Looney Controversy
A painting by Glen Tarnowski (based on the work of Looney Tunes animator Chuck Jones) has stirred a huge controversy at a gallery in San Diego. A painting titled "The Gathering" depicts Leonardo da Vinci’s "The Last Supper", except the traditional figures have been replaced with Bugs Bunny and the gang. According to employees at the gallery, they’ve been inundated with complaints since the display went up. Ironically, Glen Tarnowskis is a devout Christian, and claims he meant for the painting to be a fun reminder of how God wants to “gather” with us.

Speaking of Painting …
This video of David Garibaldi was a hit over the Easter weekend, drawing tens of thousands of users to the site. David is an amazingly talented artist who combines painting with unique a style of performance art to create a work he calls “Portrait of Christ”. If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check it out: http://www.cbn.com/media/index.aspx?s=/vod/AR62v1

Haggard heading to Divorce Court, NBC's Kings, CS Lewis, the devil's debate and more ...

Jesse Carey — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:38:21 GMT

Ted Haggard update ...
Ted Haggard is heading to the Divorce Court. He and his wife will on the TV show April 1. Don't worry, it's not what you think.

Before there was the Da Vinci code ...
According to a new BBC documentary, CS Lewis hid a secret code in the Chronicles of Narnia books. Apparently, each of the books is linked to a planet. From a Guardian UK article: "It has long been accepted that the classic children's series features Christian symbolism, but scholars have laboured for years to discover a third level of meaning, trying unsuccessfully to fit the themes of the seven sacraments, the seven deadly sins, and the seven books of Spenser's Faerie Queene to the novels." Apparently, it's cosmology.

Is there hope for Kings?
The new NBC show Kings, which is a modern-day retelling of the story of David, (you can read my review here) got killed in the ratings this past weekend. Despite a strong critical response, the show's debut failed to grab an audience. Personally, I really like the 2-hour premiere. Hopefully it can pick up some stream this Sunday night.

Debating the Devil
ABC's Nightline is hosting another religous debate on March 26. A few months back the network aired a debate called "Does God exists?" featuring evangelist Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron arguing against two atheists. This time pastors and philosophers will debate the topic "Does Satan Exists". Should be interesting.

The Pope Controversy
The Vatican is trying to defuse the controversy over the Pope's recent statement that condoms were not effective in the prevention of the spread of HIV in Africa. Here's the story.

Coach K, Christopher Hitchens, American Idol, MTV and the Basketball's Christian Roots

Jesse Carey — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:50:35 GMT

Christopher Hitchens Promoting Christian Books?
What do Don Miller, Max Lucado, Don Piper and … Christopher Hitchens have in common? They will all be appearing at the Christian Book Expo in Dallas this weekend. Hitchens, the well-known atheist and author of the best-seller “God Is Not Great”, will be debating several Christian apologists.

Idol Worship
American Idol + MTV.com + Christian contestants = “A Heated Reaction”

Pass the Rock
I love March Madness (Go Duke!), and basketball has always been my favorite sports. Here’s a really cool story that looks at the game's Christian roots.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Speaking of March Madness, blogger Brett McCracken has posted a surprisingly spiritual look at the NCAA tournament (Go Duke!)

Coach K vs. Obama
Speaking of Duke and the NCAA tournament. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski wasn’t very happy after seeing President Obama’s NCAA tournament bracket choices on ESPN (Obama had Duke rival North Carolina winning it all). (Go Duke!)

Losing our religion?

Jesse Carey — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:32:32 GMT

The new American Religious Identification Survey has been getting a lot of press in the last two weeks. The study, done by Trinity College, measures the religious orientation of the American public throughout the last two decades. Although the study breakdowns a lot of interesting numbers about people’s religious affiliations, there are two stats that stick out: More American Christians are calling themselves “nondenominational” or “evangelical” than ever before, and the amount of Americans that say they have no religion is the only number that has gone up in all 50 states.

Even though these results have led researchers to ask different questions (“It deepens the conundrum about who evangelicals are" and why are people abandoning their faith across the country), I think both stats indicate the same thing: Americans have grown dissatisfied with organized/denominational religion.

Whether they are leaving a mainline Protestant denomination in favor of a “nondenom” church or abandoning religion altogether, the trend shows that Americans are increasingly weary of traditional religious structures.

The challenging part is that there is no clear answer as to why these trends are happening. Although there are several factors that may be contributing to a cultural abandonment of organized faith, a recent (unrelated) Barna poll may offer some answers.

According to Barna, since 1995, Americans that maintain a “Biblical Worldview” has been on the slow-but-steady decline. The group says that the amount of Americans who believe in basic Biblical principles is falling.

Of course, a worldview is reflected through a person’s behavior, but their outlook is ultimately shaped by their beliefs. You could make the case that because Americans know (and believe) less and less about Christianity and the Bible, they are walking away from faith in general.

I think that, if anything, this information should not only make Christians more passionate about evangelism, but also about teaching people what the Bible really says. The research shows that even people who call themselves Christians know very little about what the Bible teaches.

Practical lifestyle books, uplifting sermons and praise and worship music are all good things, but they shouldn’t completely replace regular teaching and reading about the foundations of the Christian faith. I think these new stats show that we need to become more intellectually secure in our faith.

Coincidentally, last week we launched a new 45-day email course that walks subscribers through the Foundations of the Christian faith. Each day, users get a short, topical lesson as well as Bible memory verses. It's an easy way to grow deeper in the knowledge of scripture and the Christian worldview. (You can subscribe for free here).