Time for a follow up!

For those of you who read my birthday post and were keeping me and our church in your thoughts and prayers, it's time for me to give you an update!

This past month we officially hired a new senior pastor! YAY! So that is a big answer to prayer, since it took 9 months for it to happen (and for those of my family dealing with pregnancies, that's the closest thing I'll experience to that unless until I meet "Mr. Right" and marry him... but that's a different prayer request. *wink*).

Tom Hopkins has been here several Sundays now, and his enthusiasm and ideas for our church's future are contagious. One thing he's mentioned to me as part of the tech crew is that he would like to see us have a little more media during the service (i.e. moving backgrounds, videos, and the like). Another plus is that he does his own slides for his sermon, which, if you know how difficult it is to try to take someone's notes and get into their head in order to have the "right" things shown up on the wall, you know that this is a blessing! (and Chris, I can't say I envy you your job... I really understand the amount of work you must put in every week!) Anyways, having Tom wanting to see us do more things is definitely one of the things I was hoping for - because I can see that we have the potential to do that sort of thing, but it's getting past the mentality of "this is the way it's always been done" that's hard to overcome... and when your senior pastor wants it to change, well, then that's a hurdle that's a little easier to cross!

We have also moved into the 20th century, as we now record the Sunday sermon digitally! Granted, we can't get CDs to folks until Wed, but being able to put them up on CDs or even up on the internet is a great improvement from the cassette tapes we were using. And we're going about it in probably the least expensive (and possibly not the best) way, as it gives the computer guy (me, or whoever is on that week) one extra thing to do before we can sit back and just listen to what's going on and what God has to say. But it gets the job done!

So, although we don't have a worship leader on staff yet, I'm already starting to feel like a burden's been lifted off of me - I've been wanting to see something like this happen for a long time, but "just me" and my lack of tact isn't going to make that sort of change. I'm really excited about where this could go, and am now thinking that prayers need to shift slightly to us getting a few more "tech savvy" folks (or at least those who can learn computers and software programs quickly and can control their ADHD for a few hours) on rotation... we have willing workers right now, but they will need a little training and continued coaching to keep things running smoothly if we are going to start changing things... or maybe a few more people who can work together when we have a Sunday with just a few more visual requirements than in other weeks.

Seriously, I'm excited about the changes that should be coming in our church soon, and I think I can hold off on wanting to do a major Christmas production like we did in years past for another year or two!

The Bible is a Banned Book too!

Wow. I really had no idea that my little postings would lead to such discussion! (and here I thought no one was even reading this!)

And since the comments offer limited space to respond to all of those very thoughtful comments, I have an excuse to write another note! (and now I realize how much time it will take for all of the thoughts I have on the HP series to get old... yeesh, seems it will never end! *in a good way*)

I totally see the satire in the original letter now, and I think I had the right feeling early on about how the logic in the writing seemed too skewed to be an accurate account. And yet, I know some very logical people who have never read THAT article, but because that account (or similar ones) spread through the Internet so rapidly, it has weaved its way into the chain of reasoning behind removing the Harry Potter series from bookshelves. I think they've probably never read that exact chain e-mail, but as Christians we are sometimes quick to avoid books, movies, people, events or ideas that contain elements that represent something against our beliefs. Without knowing the full story, we condemn it before doing all of our homework, and, as we are human and stubborn, we are slow to change our thinking if someone tries to share the views of the other side of the argument.

The first week of October was Banned Books Week, for those of you who may not have known, and as part of that week, I found it interesting that Harry Potter was brought up in many discussions and articles as one of this decades' most controversial books. For some reason, it was at the same time suddenly becoming as hot of a topic among those who are against the books. And even though I've come across some books that I felt inappropriate to be reading while in school, I've somehow always felt that it was important that those books were out there to be read, that as much as I disliked having to discuss one particular scene from a story - much less read that section - I perhaps did learn something from the story - and surely someone else may learn even more from it than I did. And when I came across the previously mentioned posting where fellow "Christians" were condemning the Harry Potter series, I suddenly felt compelled to share some of my own thoughts - that, as much as we may object to a particular theme or idea, they do have the right to share that idea, and we have the right to either ignore it, or listen to their idea and see if there is anything we can learn from it.

Granted, not everyone is sharing messages that we will find informative and/or uplifting... some of the stuff out there is garbage... but if we only let one person - one human who has flaws just like the rest of us - determine what we will believe without taking the time to do our own research, then we don't learn anything at all (even if all we learn is that it was garbage). As much as I hope I've presented my reasonings to others to encourage them to keep an open mind about other viewpoints, ideas, books, etc., I do think that there will still be many people whose minds will not be changed, no matter how loving and sincere we try to come across to them. But part of me hopes that, at the very least, people will think to do their homework before jumping to condemn a book, person, or idea (though I think it's perfectly fine to have reservations about it, and just avoid the topic if you feel uncomfortable about it).

One thing I've come to appreciate about Harry Potter is how it has brought about so much discussion between family members and old friends and new friends. It seems a little crazy to become so frenzied over a book that we run to the library and movie theatre to hang out with people (mostly strangers) who all share that same energy. Though I'm sure there are worse things that could bring groups of people to gather together. But still I think that it is important that we as Christians don't let ourselves get too swept away in this world that is all in our heads. We can be looking for good in many places outside the Church and what is considered Holy - yet we also have to keep a discerning eye out for those things which may cause us to stumble. We have to remember to separate what is true and what is fake, what is good and what is evil. And in any story, it's important to go over what mistakes the characters made and what they learned from those mistakes (and hopefully, learning to avoid what got them into those tough situations in the first place). Lots of people in the Bible made mistakes (and some phrases and stories in the Bible even seem to touch on risky *or risque* topics...) and yet there are many lessons we can still learn today. It's amazing the sorts of things that a book can do - the marks that they can leave on the world. It's that sort of revolution that I mentioned in that previous post - even the sort that start with a few disciples who wrote about amazing things that happened and caused many to turn away from teachings that were widely accepted as proper and in accordance with being obedient to God to follow the teachings of a carpenter. No wonder it's banned in so many places around the world.

IN and not OF this world (Thank God for Harry Potter)

Shame on me for trying to speak up in an opposing camp on this issue...

I stumbled across a blog the other day where they posted a story of an individual who was involved with witchcraft and sees the Harry Potter series as evil and a means to introduce the occult to young minds. For some strange reason, the chorus of approval in the comments gave me a bit of a sinking feeling. And then I felt a strong urge to respond:

Interesting post…
I think the line that hit me the most was the following: “Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.”
From one who has read the Harry Potter books, I find this statement a bit confusing… I couldn’t help but wonder what’s so wrong about children getting away from TV and video games to read a book… especially considering what they are putting on TV these days!
One problem I see in the logic here is that the person who made this statement came from a background of already being involved with witchcraft - so of course her/his first reaction would be to recognize similar names or see a reflection of what s/he already knows so well…. Most kids are not going to know of these references, many which are actually names from all sorts of literature and myths - and not necessarily having anything to do with witchcraft. I mean, no one thought it was a bad thing to teach my 4th and 5th grade class Greek and Roman mythologies when we were learning about those ancient cultures… and I don’t know a single person from my class that is now going around believing that Zeus is god.
So what’s wrong with Harry Potter? I think it’s going to cause a revolution in reading. And who’s to say that’s a bad thing?

Needless to say, my post was soon followed by comments from a series of individuals who will be praying for my soul until Kingdom come. At least the original blogger had the courtesy to explain a bit of their personal viewpoint - they themselves had dabbled in witchcraft when they were younger and saw the HP series as something that would cause them to stumble as a follower of Christ. Alright, so they didn't say that outright, but that was the impression I got. But just to calm the fears of some of the other posters, I followed up:

Thank you for sharing your own personal story, and I thank God you were guided away from the occult. I suppose it is difficult for me to understand how some people make the jump from make believe to finding aspects of it in the real world, especially when I grew up in a loving Christian home where we would sit down as a family and read stories like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, and JRR Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, all of which take place in magical worlds, but tell stories with good morals.

Hearing your story only confirms an idea that I’ve had on children’s literature in general: that it is important for parents to read to their children and get involved in discussions with their children when they read stories that might bring up tough questions. If parents can guide their children to understand the difference between what follows God’s plan and what may not be God’s will for them, then they will not stray from that knowledge when they are older. (Proverbs 22:6) As you spend time with your children, you may discover that they DO know the difference, and then you can decide if they are prepared to handle more difficult topics or stories to prepare them for the things that the secular world will show them. They can be the ones who are lights in dark places by sharing Christ’s love to their non-Christian friends, all because they may have read the same stories growing up.

I hope that you continue to fight the good fight and keep our changing world in your thoughts and prayers.

I probably won't post again, as I've noticed a continuation of the worrying about what I might be risking by sharing this with my [future] children. And I think what I read explains my gut sinking feeling - "we will only read, view and talk about the Lord…for that is all they need to know." - as much as I hope for my family to know the Lord and know the Word well enough to stand up for what is right and defend themselves from evil, I know from my own experiences that solely a knowledge of the Bible is not enough when faced with people who believe just as strongly that it is completely fiction. If you are going to be "in" the world and trying to reach to them and share Jesus to them, you've got to be able to speak the language. This does not mean that you become a part "of" the world as in worshiping the gods they serve. If you completely isolate yourself from the world and don't find a way to stay connected to the "unreached" part of the world, then you risk becoming a cult. (There, I said it.)

In other words, it is completely alright to dislike elements of today's secular world and culture and not participate in them - I have no problem with people who choose not to read Harry Potter because they're worried about the themes of magic and fantasy and how they may respond to that. I myself don't like to read romance novels, and am hesitant to watch most movies with sexual themes, because I know that I can start down a path that is not healthy for me in my walk with God and causes me to dwell too much on what I want in my future rather than wait for His plan to unfold. I have several friends who won't touch alcohol (even though they are of age) because they have a family history of alcoholics and don't want to take that risk.

But what it all comes down to is not so much a matter of what you are risking by stepping outside your door and mingling with the secular world, but what you are gaining by developing relationships with those who may never see the inside of a church building - but they have met you, who, although human, is doing their absolute best to show Christ's love to them.

Paul says what I want to say even better: (1 Corinthians 10, The Message Bible)
23-24Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.
25-28With that as a base to work from, common sense can take you the rest of the way. Eat anything sold at the butcher shop, for instance; you don't have to run an "idolatry test" on every item. "The earth," after all, "is God's, and everything in it." That "everything" certainly includes the leg of lamb in the butcher shop. If a nonbeliever invites you to dinner and you feel like going, go ahead and enjoy yourself; eat everything placed before you. It would be both bad manners and bad spirituality to cross-examine your host on the ethical purity of each course as it is served. On the other hand, if he goes out of his way to tell you that this or that was sacrificed to god or goddess so-and-so, you should pass. Even though you may be indifferent as to where it came from, he isn't, and you don't want to send mixed messages to him about who you are worshiping.
29-30But, except for these special cases, I'm not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I'm going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say? I thanked God for it and he blessed it!
31-33So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you—you're eating to God's glory, after all, not to please them. As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God's glory. At the same time, don't be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren't as free as you are. I try my best to be considerate of everyone's feelings in all these matters; I hope you will be, too.

Eating with sinners and tax collectors? Being invited over to a non-believer's house for dinner? Developing a friendship with a stranger all because you both read Harry Potter? Why shouldn't God bless these things?

WRock Chicago

Terminus 2008, here I come!

I have no clue what I'm thinking, but it's done. No backing out now! My registration is in, and I am very excited about what will be my first time seeing Chicago. This most likely rules out Portus for me, since it would be really difficult for me to take off that much time from work during the summer and still have vacation days left for family trips. I mean, I can count on one hand the number of times I've gone on a trip with no family involvement - and both of those were school related.

So, anyways, I'm excited! So much fun it shall be! And PotterCast, too! I'll have to think how to carefully pack my LeakyMug to take it along!

Did I mention I was excited?

More Ponderings on Potter

Okay, this may be getting old to some people, but I can't get it off my brain.
I'm still feeling a bit of a Pottermania vibe, and it's a habit I just can't kick. Eventually, I'll get to writing about my thoughts on the Harry Potter series from my viewpoint as a Christian. Right now, if you're really curious and just dying to read something on this particular topic, there are loads of articles out on the Internet, some praising the books, some condemning the books, and some taking the middle ground and saying that each individual is responsible for what they get out of the series. I hope to get back to this at some point, but for now, let me just say that I agree that each person will have a different perspective on the series, and that I personally love the books - and before anyone worries that this may becoming too much of an obsession, I went through a similar cycle with all of my favorite books - the one difference here is that this is the first time that a series ever finished within my lifetime, with a fan base to rival Trekkies and Ringers.

Meanwhile, I've discovered that there are two Harry Potter conferences taking place next year/summer: Portus and Terminus. I think I've made up my mind that I really want to attend one of these, but for various reasons, I'm finding it extremely difficult to make up my mind on which one I should attend, or if I should cave and do both.

Portus has its pluses in that it's close to home and I know of two friends from high school already planning to attend - which means rooming buddies and therefore shared hotel fees, and also the fact that I will actually KNOW someone before I set foot in the conference - which, as someone who only recently stuck her baby toe into the waters of fandom, is a welcome thought! They'd be my guides to a completely strange new universe.

Terminus, on the other hand, though taking place in a city much further from home (and one I've not visited outside of seeing the airport) seems to have a whole lot more going for it - which I've mainly noticed due to their great website and the loads of information they've been pouring out over the past month. So far, they seem to have the "feel" of the HP world down - by sorting attendees into houses (something Portus seems to be avoiding) and sharing weekly posts about the "history of the school" for the conference. And then, there's the fact that they've already penciled in a live PotterCast show in the schedule - something that Portus has not yet nailed down. To add another reason for me to be heading north to Chicago rather than south to Dallas, I saw this post today: Wrock Chicago. Wow. And just when I'm starting to get into the whole idea of Wrock or "Wizard Rock" as it's called (rock bands who incorporate themes/plotlines from the Harry Potter books into their music).

I'm in a pickle (no pun intended, for those of you who know the reference), and need some feedback. Thanks! - Em