intersections

Video: "God is not a white man"

My friend Samir writes at the Faith House Manhattan blog, "Here is [a] video that is as comforting as it is challenging."

I agree. This music video at once packs a big theological punch but then leaves me a little flat. It's clear about what God is NOT, and this is a message that really needs to be heard in our culture right now. Everyone wants to coopt God for their cause.

But in the end this song is weak on what God is. To say that "God is love" is, to me, to say almost nothing at all. Does this mean that God doesn't care about anything? Is there justice associated with God's love?

Interestingly, the epistle for this coming weekend, which I'll be preaching from, is 1 John 3:16-24. Check it out.

This post also made me think of a post I read today by my friend Kori at her new blog, Adventures of a Lamb Seeker.

Books I've been reading

I haven't updated my book list on the right column in a while, so I just put the last three books in there. I'm still working on Violence, by Slavoj Zizek. I'll be dropping quotes from that book here from time to time. I've only finished the Introduction and Chapter 1, and already it's rocking my world. I'm reading the Kindle version of this one.

Almost done with The Shack. Several of you saw my Tweet about my Kindle battery dying yesterday and asked what I thought of this book, so it seems I'll be writing a sort of review of this book in the near future. I say "sort of" because I really hate writing book reviews. I feel this compulsion to be comprehensive and thoroughly critical. I guess I'm just being lazy. Most books I just don't feel like going to that effort. But I'll share some personal opinions about it for ya'll.

Just finished What Would Jesus Deconstruct?: The Good News of Postmodernism for the Church by John Caputo. Amazing book. I'll be saying more about that book in the near future. Stay tuned.

Video: Holy Saturday worship

The video includes excerpts of our Holy Saturday worship service which I have written about here and here.

All of our Holy Week resources, including sermons and the program and liturgy we used for Friday, Sabbath and Sunday, are compiled at the Hollywood Adventist Church website.
Easter 2009: Holy Saturday on Vimeo.

A Prayer for Holy Saturday

This is the prayer I wrote to close our Holy Saturday worship service today.
-----
Loving God.
We have such fond memories of you.
The way you used to comfort us when we were sad.
The way you gave us such confidence in the face of uncertainty.
We miss you!

We had hoped that you were the one
    to fulfill our dreams and give us the desires of our hearts.
We are deeply disappointed and broken this morning by the realization that
    our hopes were misplaced.
We have dreamed for the wrong things.
We have prayed the wrong prayers.

Where shall we go from here?
We are lonely and in pieces.
If you can hear us…
If you can hear us now...

We’re not even sure what to ask for.
Amen.

Holy Saturday and the Death of God

"Cross"-posted at the Spectrum Blog

In Hollywood, our Lenten journey is nearly over. Today is Holy Saturday. For Adventists, every Saturday is Holy because we remember those words in the very beginning of the story, "So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation" (Gen 2:3). Each Sabbath is a wonderful pause in the creative work of God. Indeed, the pause itself is creative, like a musical rest or dramatic pause in theater. The absence of speech or activity is, itself, creative and moving.

But this Sabbath is different. As Eric Severson has said, "The gaping silence between Good Friday and Easter Sunday cannot be explained as a welcome pause or an artistic hiatus.... Holy Saturday is blunt and bleak and uncomfortable."

Holy Week Readings and Prayers | Monday

This week I'll be tweeting and emailing the texts for Holy Week and acompanying prayers. If you'd like to follow along with our congregation, please follow @adventhollywood on Twitter or subscribe to our church's email list. (NOTE: if you subscribe to our email, check your junk mail. This has been a problem in the past).

Here's today's readings...

"The Perfect Day" - a Cinema Divina production

The Perfect Day from Cinema Divina on Vimeo.

UPDATE: Now on YouTube as well, here! Spread the word!

The Perfect Day is a result of a 48-hour filmathon by the crew of Cinema Divina. The entire film was written, shot, edited, and had music scored for it within the 48 hour period.

The film, a comedy, follows one month in the life of Dennis, our hapless hero, as he attempts to live just one day perfectly.

For more information about cast and crew or to support Cinema Divina, please visit our website at www.cinema-divina.com

Stained Glass: Hollywood Blvd. (Episode 1)

I just realized that the first episode of the four-part documentary that the North America Division is doing about the Hollywood Adventist Church is now online at the Vervent website.

I'd love for you to have a look at it and tell me what you think. This was written and directed by one of our members, Melody George. (As an aside, you will be hearing a LOT more about Melody in the coming months...just sayin').

There are three churches that are a part of this project and each church will have four episodes. Stay tuned for the rest of these in the very near future.

Now, have a look at Episode one...click here and look under Featured Resources for "Stained Glass: Hollywood Blvd - Episode 1."