Thoughts on God's Not Dead.

     I have this thing about Christian art. Well, two things.

      First of all, I have an issue with art being labeled "Christian." (I'll be using the term throughout this post for clarification purposes, but I'm gonna leave off the quote marks from now on, because they're just annoying.) Jason Dunn, the former lead singer of Christian rock band Hawk Nelson once told me, "Christianity is not a genre." Truer words, my friend, truer words...But I'm not gonna get into that, because Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot, who is a Christian NOT in a Christian band, said it better than me here.
 
     The second thing is, there often seems to be an imbalance when it comes to Christian art, specifically with music, movies, and novels. It's like they're trying so hard to be "Christian," that they settle for mediocrity. Quality is sacrificed for spirituality. For example, the majority of Christian romance novels read like the authors all learned how to write from a "How to Write a Christian Romance Novel" handbook. And then there's the Christian movies with terrible acting, weak plots, and an over-abundance of sentimentality. You know what I what I'm talking about. I bet you're thinking of some specific examples right now, aren't you? Truth be told, I avoid Christian movies like the plague. And Christian novels. There are so few Christian authors I actually enjoy reading. I can't handle the sappy, contrived, unoriginal stories that saturate the Christian fiction market. (However, Lisa T. Bergren, Jenny B. Jones, Ted Dekker, Jen Turano, Elizabeth Camden, Francine Rivers, MaryLu Tyndall, and Julie Lessman are all Christian authors that I read and keep going back to again and again.)

     So you'll understand that when I went to see the newly released movie God's Not Dead, I had extremely low expectations. I was banking on bad acting and extreme cheesiness. I really thought this movie was gonna suck.

     But it really didn't. In fact, it was REALLY GOOD. Really. I was shocked.

     For those of you who haven't heard of the movie, or maybe have no desire to see it, lemme break it down for you (Ahem...there are a few spoilers):

                                           

 
     The movie is about a college freshman (played by Shane Harper) who takes up his philosophy prof (Kevin Sorbo)'s challenge to prove the existence of God.

     It is the BEST Christian movie I have ever seen. (Unless you count Passion of the Christ). It was compelling, entertaining...and NOT sappy or overly sentimental. It WAS on the preachy side, but given the storyline/subject matter, that was kinda necessary.

     I LOVED the acting. Shane Harper did an amazing job as the lead, Josh Wheaton. Kevin Sorbo as Professor Radisson made a very convincing intellectually pretentious douche. Honestly, I thought the entire cast was great.

     I LOVED the filming location/setting. The movie was filmed in Louisiana and set in a fictional Louisiana town, which I personally loved since I have such close ties to that particular state. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing people walking around wearing LSU. But that's just me.

     I LOVED the accuracy. From theology to apologetics to cultural representation, God's Not Dead impressed me with its detail and accuracy. It was obvious that a fair amount of research went into this film. (And one of the subplots involved Prof. Radisson's girlfriend realizing she was unequally yoked. I LOVED this. But that's a soapbox for another day...)

     I LOVED the diversity of cultures represented within the film. There was a subplot involving a female student from a traditional Muslim family who converted to Christianity and was kicked out of her house when her father found out, as well as a subplot about a Chinese classmate of Josh Wheaton's who decides to follow Jesus after Josh presents his case to the class for the existence of God. As a missionary appointee with a degree in Bible and Intercultural Studies, I was impressed with the accuracy of these depictions as well as the film's boldness in doing so.

     The only thing I DIDN'T LOVE were the "celebrity" cameos. The appearances of Willie and Korie Robertson and the Newsboys added the only bit of cheese to an otherwise cheese-less film. (Especially considering Shane Harper's character also wore a Newsboys shirt AND had a Newsboys poster in his dorm room....overkill if you ask me.) Still, this small amount of cheese did nothing to detract from the movie's all-around awesome.

     Bottom line: GO SEE THIS MOVIE. As it turns out, quality doesn't have to be sacrificed for spirituality, after all. Go figure.



    


    

Refiner of Silver

    
    
     Years ago, I went on a spiritual retreat where someone gave me a piece of paper with this little anecdote describing Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..." I realize it's probably this cheesy, maybe not even true thing that someone came up with to illustrate the verse, but at the time, it was really meaningful to me. The other day I was looking through some of my old mementos, and I stumbled across it again. Turns out, it's still meaningful to me. True or not, it's cool to think about. So, all that to say, here it is:

     A group of women were studying the book of Malachi in their Bible study. In their session on chapter 3, they were puzzled by verse three, which reads,: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." The women wondered what this statement could tell them about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to research the process of refining silver and report back to the group at their next meeting. During the week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention her purpose, just her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched, the silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the flame, where the heat is the hottest, in order to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us while we're in a hot spot...then she thought of the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if he must sit there in front of the fire the entire ti,e the silver was being fired. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the flames. If the silver was left even for a moment too long, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith how he knew when the silver was fully refined. He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy---when I see my image reflected in it."

Bam. Cheesy? Maybe. But I bet your mind was still a little bit blown.

A Surf What? Hostile?

 This was our hostel staff for part of the summer of 2010. The group is made up of several Aussies, five Americans, a Swiss guy, a Northern Irish guy, a Frenchie, and an English girl.

     Since I began sharing with people about what the Lord is calling me to do in France, I've sensed some confusion when people hear about what ministries my team is currently involved in. It seems like many people I talk to are clueless about what I mean when I say "surf hostel." This is understandable. Before I spent the summer in Biarritz, I never connected France with surfing. Anyway, I've decided it might be worthwhile to explain it a little bit since this is a primary ministry of the Biarritz team.

     So, first thing's first. What exactly is a hostel? "Hostel" is pronounced the same as "hostile." According to dictionary.com's definition, a hostel is "an inexpensive, supervised lodging place for young people on bicycle trips, hikes, etc." Basically, a hostel is like a bed and breakfast but less expensive and with communal accommodation---guests share a room with other guests and usually a bathroom. Hostels are very common in Europe, particularly among those who backpack around the continent. Sure, such an arrangement has its drawbacks (depending on the hostel it could be kind of sketchy), but it can also be an amazing opportunity to expand your cultural horizons and make friends from all over the world.

     Okay, that's a hostel. Now, how does surfing come into play? This area of southwestern France is the surf capital of Europe. Every summer, Biarritz hosts the Roxy Jam, a women's longboard surfing competition showcasing the best female surfers in the world. People come from all over the world to surf in Biarritz. When I was there back in 2010, we had guests in the hostel from all over Europe and the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and even Brazil.

     And there you have it. A surf hostel is simply a hostel that caters to surfers. For an even better idea of what the Biarritz team's two operating surf hostels are like (including pictures!), feel free to check out the website: Surf Hostel Biarritz. 

Things I Learned in France (2010 Edition)

    

    When I was in France during the summer of 2010, I kept a list in my journal of things I learned while I was there. Some of these things are serious or spiritual, some are funny, some have to do with French culture, some about surfing...Anyway, I thought I'd share of the things I learned here. Enjoy!

*Dogs are more than just pets in France, and they are allowed the freedom to poop on the sidewalk. (Seriously, no pooper-scoopers in France, so watch your step!)

*A grommit is a young, inexperienced surfer. (Although I think it's defined more by lack or experience than age.)

*God is working in Europe, whether people realize it or not.

*Soccer (aka football) is NOT my ideal spectator sport. (A whole summer of the World Cup and I'm still not a convert. I'll take American football over European any day.)

*How to avoid looking at naked people on the beach. (On French beaches women go topless, kids run around naked, and people have no qualms about stripping down to change where they are no changing rooms.) 

*There is a right way and a wrong way to slice bread.

*"Aussie" is pronounced like the "Ozzy" in Ozzy Osbourne, not like "Ah-see."

*How to share a small living space with four other people for 8 weeks and not commit murder. (This is a true life skill. Think about it: 3 girls. 2 guys. 1 bathroom.)

*Being a servant (of Jesus, of people) is not about letting people boss you around or walk all over you, it's about love--willingly sacrificing your own needs or desires for the good of someone else.

God bless! 

France is in Europe, not the 10/40 Window...

   The other day, I was privileged to sit through one of my church's missionary's presentations on his work in the Philippines. During his presentation, he showed many pictures depicting the poor living conditions of the people and described the dangers (think typhoons and terrorists) of living and ministering there. He also shared the ways in which the Lord is working there and how responsive the people have been to the Gospel. Praise the Lord for that. 
    But here is what struck me: the God that called this missionary to the Philippines, is the same God that called me to France. The French may be wealthier and more educated than the people in the Philippines, but they need Jesus just as much. 
    The sad thing is, most people don't realize that the need in France (or Europe in general) is so great. 
    Yep. There are countries outside of the 10/40 window that need the Gospel, too. Now, some of you (maybe all of you) are probably thinking, "France has had the Gospel for hundreds of years. They're Catholic." True. Sort of. 
    France is a traditionally and predominantly Catholic country. They have a rich (often brutal and violent) religious history. However, France has seen a sharp decline in religious faith. The vast majority of baptized Catholics (58%) never attend Mass. In fact, only 12% of the French population as a whole attend any sort of religious service more than once a month. Nearly 50 million French people have no real link with the Christian church. 
    France is the most visited country in the world, and one of the least evangelized.
    Furthermore, Evangelicalism is often seen as a cult in France and looked on with suspicion. France is less than 1% Evangelical. Meanwhile, half of the French population believes in faith healing while 1/4 believe in clairvoyants or astrology. There are only 2,350 Evangelical churches in France but over 30,000 registered mediums and spiritual healers. 
    I want the people of the Philippines and the rest of the 10/40 window to know Jesus, but I want the French to know Him too. Please join me in praising God for the work He is doing in both countries, and ask Him for more workers into these harvests.

The point of all this...aka my story

    I didn't grow up in a Christian family, but I did grow up attending church. The church we attended had its pros and cons, like all do, but my favorite thing about it was their missions education program. At this church, I grew up learning about different areas of the world and real-life missionaries who got to live in these different places and travel to many others. I didn't understand what a missionary truly was at the time. I didn't even understand what the Gospel was. All I knew was I wanted to go to these places and be among these people too. This was the--very fitting--beginning of my fascination with all things foreign.
    As I got older, I drifted away from church and focused on fitting in with kids at school, trying to obtain that ever elusive prize--popularity. Still, my interest in other cultures and places remained. In fact, my interest had narrowed to a more specific area: Europe. (Still a bit broad, but a little more specific, at least. And this is not to say I lost interest in other parts of the world. It's just that Europe took precedence in my heart.) I'm not sure how my love for Europe began...maybe it was all the Travel Channel shows I watched that zeroed in on that particular continent, or maybe it was all the books I read by European authors, or maybe it was all the British accents I heard in movies or on T.V. Whatever it was, the Lord placed a love for Europe in my heart.
    At the beginning of my freshman year of high school, there came a point when I realized that a life consumed with other people's opinions and always trying to fit in was not working out for me. There was more to life than trying to get people to like you and doing whatever you could to fit in. I needed more. I needed Jesus. After I came to know Jesus, the Lord took my new found excitement to share the Gospel with others and the love I'd always had for Europe, and began to cultivate a desire in my heart to serve Him as a missionary in Europe.
    Fast forward a few years to the summer after my freshman year of Bible college. I was finally able to travel to Europe and figure out if this was where the Lord was calling me, or if it was just where I wanted to be. As soon as I set foot in northern Sweden, I knew the Lord was confirming my call to Europe. Being there felt like coming home. That whole summer, I had this feeling of rightness. I knew I'd be going back.
   Sure enough, the next summer, I had the opportunity to return to Europe, this time to France. The rightness was still there, and the Lord used that summer to show me that He was calling me to France.
    That's what this blog is about. God. Me. Europe. Maybe you're wondering: Why France? Well, that's a tale for another day. So, until next time, God bless.