Big Screen Faith
"Life (and faith) for most people, feels like a movie or a story that they've walked into 40 minutes late!" -- John Eldredge in Epic: The Story God Is Telling
One short sentence, but it expressed my deepest thoughts as if he were reading my mind.
Maybe that's why life seems so random and chaotic all the time.....I'd love to stop and find a way to catch up on the "plot" but life does go on.......oh well, some day I'll figure it all out........
-- I continued reading --
"Think of all those movies you’ve ever loved, the tales that have stirred your heart - there’s a reason they move you so. They’ve been trying to tell you about the true Epic ever since you were young. It is a breathtaking series of events, and you play a crucial role."
WOW! 35 years in a Baptist church and not one preacher could ever explain the structure of life and faith as well as this guy!
And so began my quest to discover what movie producers and authors have known for years..........What kind of story makes people leave their problems and shut down their busy schedules for several hours at a time and leave them laughing, crying, shaking, loving.........thinking???
I soon discovered that it's not A story, but THE story.
ACT ONE
"In the beginning" there was relationship, and "It was good!"
In Spider Man it's MaryJane & Peter--
Lord of the Rings--Bilbo Baggins and Frodo.
The Trinity was before all things --made up of The Father, The Son, The Spirit.
My life? -- There's Jeanie, Tori, Emma & Robert.... my family tree.
ACT TWO
Disaster Strikes!--The Gauntlet is thrown--
Uncle Ben is killed, Aunt May becomes destitute,the Green Goblin is created--
Lord Sauron wants the ring back
Satan decides he wants to be like God.---
My life? --job loss, multiple miscarriages, cancer, misunderstanding, lack of money, fear.......
ACT THREE
The battle begins. All seems Lost.
Spider Man wars with Green Goblin....and himself.....
Bilbo is attacked by the horsemen & Gollum......himself.
Satan starts a war in Heaven and is thrown out to deceive the human race and create a kingdom.........for himself.
Me? I struggle with discouragement, fear, prejudice, lusts, laziness.......self.
ACT FOUR
A Hero rises!
Spider Man kills the Green Goblin
Gandalf rescues Bilbo and the ring is destroyed.
Jesus enters the story of mankind and creates a way of escape.
The plot of my life changes with a new source of power to overcome......myself
ACT FIVE
All is made new!
Peter gets the girl....Middle Earth is restored
My Story?......As I move through act four of life's story, I am filled with an ever increasing assurance of the future restoration of all things once destroyed!
Understanding that my life is only a small part of the plot of my faith gives me a reason to grow and to connect with other "players" on life's stage.
The fact that I can use movies to help explain faith to my children is an added bonus.
As a family leader, I've decided that I will have faith in the Author and central figure of life's tale.
I will grow in the knowledge of and participation in a tale much larger than my own,
I will intentionally and strategically connect with other people in this tale,
and I will courageously lead my family to become generational storytellers.
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More Info:
 | Epic Study Guide
By John Eldredge / Nelson Impact
Discover how to view your life as an exciting story---in which God is not only the author, but the main character! This companion volume to Eldredge's bestseller will help you learn why we all love movies and fairy tales from childhood---and how the universal longing for a "plot" testifies to God's existence. Use with the DVD Curriculum for seven weeks of group study. 96 pages, softcover from Nelson. |
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