Feb08_03

Movie Rated PG - for Christianity, Group Says

(CNSNews.com) - A conservative advocacy group is
bristling over the PG rating given to a new family film
with a "pro-God theme." According to the movie
poster, the theme of Facing the Giants is, "Never give
up, never back down, never lose faith." But the movie
poster also says parental guidance is suggested "for
some thematic elements."

The American Family Association is outraged. It
accuses the Motion Picture Association of America --
the movie raters -- of putting Christianity on the same
level as sex, violence, and

profanity because it might offend non-believers. "The MPAA is controlled by
Hollywood moguls known for their bitter opposition to Christianity," the American
Family Association said in an email to supporters.

According to its website, Facing the Giants tells the story of a Christian high
school football coach who uses his faith to battle the giants of fear and failure.

The plot includes answered prayers, a medical miracle, and messages from God.
In one scene, the coach tells a student to change his ways with God's help. The
boy tells the coach that not everybody believes "in all that honoring God and
following Jesus stuff." The coach tells the boy that no one's forcing anything on
him: "Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you're going to have to make for
yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it will change your life. You will
never be the same."

The American Family Association believes that's the exchange that earned the
movie its PG rating. The AFA is urging its supporters to send an email to the
MPAA, asking it to "stop their anti-Christian bigotry."

The group says the MPAA refuses to warn parents about movies that promote the
homosexual lifestyle in a positive manner; and it wonders why a movie that bills
itself as "a powerful experience for the whole family, inspiring viewers to live with
faith, hope, and love," would need a warning attached to it.

Greetings! How quickly the Lenten season comes upon us with this year's dating
of Easter;
Ash Wednesday begins Lent on February 6th with our look to Easter Sunday,
March 23th.
For many of us Lent is a time of denial (our traditional giving up something for
Lent"); for many it is a time of "doing good" and helping in areas of ministry and
mission that we do not usually do throughout the year. Bishop Lyght, our resident
Bishop, has invited and urged in an appeal to our churches to raise Lenten
offerings for support of the Global AIDS Fund of our United Methodist Church
during the Lenten season.

For centuries in the Church universal, the Lenten season has been a time of
spiritual preparation and examination. The liturgies of the Church have included
expressions that cause us to examine our conscience, our lives, our actions, and
our thoughts. A special form of spiritial discipline practiced at night prayer
(Compline) - the personal and private time of prayer before going to sleep - is
called "The Examen". This examination of our daily experiences, our actions,
behaviors, attitudes and relationships is truly a matter of discipline. The spiritual
discipline of "The Examen" calls for regular examination. The discipline helps us to
not ignore the places in our life where we need God's Grace or growth in faith or
change inactions and attitude. To practice regularly (especially in Lent) is to work
at getting it!

Begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercise! Let me encourage you to
practice this spiritual discipline of "The Examen" in this holy season of Lent. It may
be as simple as a night time reflection of your day before retiring to sleep at night;
it may be a more personal review of your life at this point in time; or it may be a
complete personal inventory of who you are and what God is calling you to be and
do in life.

Thank God for Lent! May we entrust ourselves to the mercy and peace of God!
May wee all entrust ourselves to the mercy and peace of God! May we open
ourselves to the transforming power of God's grace! Examine yourself! Pray that
God will have mercy! Know that "in the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven!"
Examine as we prepare our hearts and minds, bodies and souls for the Easter
celebration.
Grace & Peace,