The Magesterium Seeks To Control Every World


THE GOLDEN COMPASS (rated PG13)
In one of the many parallel worlds to our own, the souls of people live outside of their bodies. These spirits are called Daemons (pronounced "demons") and take the form of animals.
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Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is a young girl who attends a private school with her Daemon Pan where her Uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig) works. He is a bold scientist who discovers a mysterious and legendary substance called The Dust in the northern part of the world and embarks on a quest to investigate it.

The Magesterium, the world's dogmatic authority, opposes his research and dispatches the beautiful and controlling Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) to keep tabs on Lord Asriel. She befriends Lyra and invites her to explore the northern country with her.
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Meanwhile, several children have gone missing, including Roger, a close friend of Lyra. The rumor is they have been kidnapped by The Gobblers, a group of people who sever the connection that children have to their Daemons. A school official secretly entrusts Lyra with an Alethiometer, or Golden Compass, that can tell her the hidden truth about things, but warns her to keep it away from Mrs. Coulter and The Magesterium.
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Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter's intentions and escapes. She bands together with the armored bear Iorek Byrnison (voiced by Ian McKellen) and an air rider Lee Scorseby (Sam Elliott), a band of nomads called the Gyptians and a clan of witches led by Serafina Pekkula (Eva Green) to find the children and set them free.

INTENTIONS OF THE FILMMAKERS
This movie is written by noted atheist and author Phillip Pullman, and is based on the novel "Northern Lights," the first book in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. The book refers to The Church (which the movie calls The Magesterium) as an evil, oppressive organization that seeks to control every world.

The Director, Chris Weitz and New Line Cinema have removed any direct references to God or The Church from the film so as not to alienate American audiences. The studio is hoping that The Golden Compass film is a big hit so they can produce the next two installments of the trilogy.

THE TONE OF THE FILM
The Golden Compass has been marketed as a big budget fantasy epic for kids, but despite having a young girl as the main character, this is not a film for children.
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Now, I'm all for serious fantasy films that deal with mature subject matter (like The Lord of the Rings), but not one under the guise of being geared toward kids. The Golden Compass is rated PG13 for a reason. The movie contains several violent and scary scenes that may frighten younger children.

The whole world of the film is dank, dark, bleak, and depressing. You can really feel the European influence in the dismal, foreboding countryside. The visual effects are complex and interesting, but nothing you see is beautiful. Almost every person looks pale, dirty, drab and awful. The color of the costumes are muted and the music is somber.

Hardly anyone is truly nice or kind. Nearly every character has a rough edge to them. Even the kids. Smiles are hard to come by. People help each other not out of kindness, but for what they can get from each other.

To put it quite simply, this movie is joyless. There's nary a shred of hope to be found, and as far as a movie-going experience, it's not a lot of fun.

POSITIVE ELEMENTS
I always like to give a fair shake to the filmmakers, cast and crew, so here's what's good about "The Golden Compass."

There is no swearing, sexuality, or nudity.

For a big, sprawling, fantasy film, it's thankfully under 2 hours long.

Lyra has a tremendous amount of courage.
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The production design is unique and appealing. Everything is designed in the vein of some sort of steampunk 1930's clockwork world, that, while not exactly beautiful, is interesting to look at.
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The whole concept that your soul walks alongside you in animal form is clever. Children's Daemons change depending on their mood or circumstance. Lyra's Daemon can be a ferret, a bird, a cat, a mouse, etc., externalizing the situation. Pretty cool. Adults' Daemons reflect their personality or character. In one scene, Mrs. Coulter hurts her own Daemon, realizes what she's done, and feels remorse.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sam Elliot's character, Lee Scorseby. He's a warm southern prospector-type guy, and he's the only one that doesn't speak every line of dialogue laden with world-weary dread. I also like it that his "daemon" is a jackrabbit (voiced by Kathy Bates), who acts like a nagging wife, constantly giving him grief.

The armored bear fight between Iorek (Ian McKellen) and the ill-gotten king bear Ragnar (Ian McShane) is pretty good. It's fierce and scary (these are bears fighting each other), but involving and intense with a shocking and satisfying ending to the fight.

SPECULATION
The character of Mrs. Coulter seems to obviously refer to the ultra-conservative author and columnist Ann Coulter, a tall, thin, blonde woman who shocks and irritates liberals with her ideology. I'm not necessarily a proponent of Ann Coulter, but she has been referred to by the mainstream media as an "ice queen" or someone with "ice in her veins." In the film, it's interesting how one of Mrs. Coulter's (Nicole Kidman's) lines of dialogue comments on the dinner party she just attended. She tells Lyra, "They never put enough ice in their drinks."

NEGATIVE ELEMENTS
The Magesterium is obviously The Church, just as the novel states (the author gets even more specific about The Catholic Church). They are seen as a dogmatic organization that seeks to control the world and suppress society. Anyone who questions their authority is seen as a "Free Thinker" and a "Heretic."
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Secular and scientific knowledge, especially secret knowledge, is held up as the ideal thing to have.
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Lyra's courage comes only from a defiant, anti-authority stance. Not even a belief in herself. She also considers being called "a lady" an insult. She, and in retrospect, the entire film, is built solely on being AGAINST something. Not on being FOR anything.
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When Lyra asks what the Magesterium is for, Mrs. Coulter is aghast that Lyra doesn't know. Then she remarks something akin to, "Oh, that's right, you've been living in an Ivory Tower." (Apparantly people of the Church tend to talk down to those who are secular and college-educated because they don't know anything about organized religion.)
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Mrs. Coulter then explains that The Magesterium tells people what to do. Not in a mean way of course, but in a nice, helpful way. (As if that makes it better.)
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The Garden of Eden story is referenced when Mrs. Coulter tells Lyra that after "our ancestors" disobeyed "The Authority," then "The Dust" entered the world.

In other words, Adam and Eve ("our ancestors")
disobeyed God ("The Authority"),
and Sin ("The Dust") entered the world.

But in the film, the story is twisted and distorted. The Dust is seen as a mysterious and intriguing substance, a way to open up knowledge and pathways to parallel worlds where people can escape from the authority and control of the Magesterium. (That's why the Magesterium wants to keep people from exploring the nature of The Dust.)

So, indirectly, Adam and Eve's willfull act of disobedience and defiance is exonerated as a good thing! Unbelievable. If only we could get in contact with the enticingly forbidden Dust (Sin), then we could truly shatter The Magesterium's (The Church's) power. And sin is seen as a wonderful, positive substance that liberates us from The Authority (God). Nice.
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The children's souls (again, pronounced "demons") are cute, funny, vulnerable, sweet, and protecting spirit animals. They are specifically created so young children will like them. So let's get this straight: Kids love their demons. A demon is their only true friend. (Shudder.)

A group called The Gobblers (later revealed as part of The Magesterium) kidnap children and perform an operation that severs the connection between children and their Daemons, thus forcing the children to "grow up." This act is shown as incredibly scary, painful and awful, killing the spirit animals and rendering children to become shells of their former selves. This is intended to make children absolutley HATE The Magesterium (in the books, called "The Church").

Witches, whose Dameons have the ability to exist far from their hosts, are shown as good allies who fight for the freedom of the world against the Magesterium. They fight alongside the Gyptians, a ragged group of nomads who belong to no society or country.
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Anticipating the next two films, at the end of The Golden Compass the witch leader Serafina tells Lee Scoresby that a war is coming. Lee says, "I haven't heard any rumors of war." (Sound familiar?) He asks her what the quarrel is about. She responds, "Nothing less than Free Will."

CONCLUSION
If this movie was a teacher, and the child who watched it a student, here are the lessons:
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Knowledge, especially secret knowledge is true power.
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Questioning every authority and being defiant are the most admirable traits.
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Dogmatic authority is completely evil. Its only purpose is to suppress inquiry and destroy individuality. In its clutches all that you love and hold dear will be destroyed.
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APPLICATION
It's up to you whether or not to see The Golden Compass. But now that you've educated yourself and know the intentions of the author and filmmakers behind it, you can prepare yourself and your children for the opposing ideas promoted by the film and the books.
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REFERENCES
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See you next time at THE DECODER RING.
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Do Not Be Frightened.

A cool October night proved to be the perfect setting for our screening of "The Village." Both scary and solemn, M. Night Shyamalan's spooky thriller provoked great discussion from our group.

We praised God for the artists and their fine work, especially the strong performance of Bryce Dallas Howard. We enjoyed the moving soundtrack accompanied by the phenomenal violinist Hilary Hahn, and the gorgeously muted look of the film, by master cinematographer Roger Deakins. And finally for the precise and deliberate direction by storyteller M. Night Shyamalan.

This was a unique DECODER RING, as for the first time we did not critique the film, but instead turned the spotlight on ourselves. There is little in "The Village" that could be discerned as an agenda, so the film served as a backdrop for one of the least comfortable aspects of our faith, the concept of Christian Isolationism.

We are constantly told of the evils in the world, and how we should abstain from it. But all too often the lists and rules we make completely remove ourselves and our witness from those around us. We segregate ourselves from non-believers. We are so caught up in being "morally pure" that we neglect the good fight of the faith. We teach our children to avoid evil, but not how to overcome it.

Of course, the opposite stance is hardly desirable either. To be so immersed in the world that we are consumed by it leaves us powerless. We can be easily influenced by the corruptness of the culture so that our witness isn't just hidden, it's non-existent. We are in the world but have no distinction from it.

So what are we to do? Jesus' prayer for us is "not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one" (JOHN 17:15). And that we would "be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (MATTHEW 10:16). We are to be IN the world, not OF the world.

These extremely uncomfortable truths are part of a biblical concept I call The Divine Balance. We are to be in the Word and in the world. To hold onto both truths at the same time. But how can we do this? Certainly not on our own! 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 says "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." We have the Holy Spirit in us. A spirit of POWER!

Following Jesus' example we can walk out our faith, with a foundation in the Word, the support of the church, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to engage the culture, reach out to the world, and "by all possible means... save some" (1 CORINTHIANS 9:22b). Praise God that we're not in this fight alone!

Next time at THE DECODER RING, we'll plunge into... oh, I'm not gonna tell you yet. You'll just have to show up and find out :-)
See you soon! God bless.
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Don't Let Them In!

THE VILLAGE (2004)
rated PG13
(scary situations, violence)

Written and Directed by
M. Night Shyamalan

Starring
Bryce Dallas Howard
Joaquin Phoenix
Adrien Brody
William Hurt
Sigourney Weaver







Watch it with us
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27 at 7:00pm
bible verse
JOHN 17:15
My prayer is not that you take them out of the world,
but that you protect them from the evil one.
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What "Truth" ?

The world as you know it is not what it seems. "You've been living in a dream world," Morpheus tells Neo. "This is the world as it exists today."

"The Matrix" blew the doors off the theater back in 1999, overshadowing even the new Star Wars film as the best sci-fi movie of the year. A great script, stylish action sequences, cool costumes, and heavy philosophy made it the film to see. And crowds went to see it over and over again.

Larry and Andy Wachowski tapped into themes of religion, philosophy, systems and controls, choices, fate, and the concept of reality. So much is packed into "The Matrix" that it's easy to see reflections of your own faith or worldview in it. The Wachowskis have taken the stance to never explain their motivations behind the film, and purposely stay mute on how to interpret it.

At THE DECODER RING, we usually go right to the heart of the creator's intentions, and most of the time, they are more than happy to explain why they made their film. With "The Matrix," we are left with only our own interpretations, as the creative forces behind it stay silent.

But that silence speaks louder than anything.

Our discussion centered on the concept of truth, and how the modern world responds to it. We discovered that the Traditional method of discovering truth through scripture has been discarded not once, but twice. It used to be "The Truth." Then the Enlightenment came, and the Scientific Method dominated the world's thinking. Soon "The Truth" became "a Truth." One of many. That is the Modernist view.

But we're not done there. We now live in the Postmodern world, where we've gone from "The Truth" to "a Truth" to "my truth." It's all about you. Your perception, your interpretation. It only matters what you believe and what is important to you. And that's what the real message is about "The Matrix." That you are just as much an author of the truth as anybody else. Even the creators themselves.

With all this nonsense swirling around our heads, we dove into the only place to find clear answers, The Bible. In it, Pilate asks Jesus the ultimate question, "What is Truth?" (John 18:38a). And Jesus makes it very clear. In John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Then in John 17:17 He prays to God saying, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." And in 1 John 5:6b, the Bible says "the Spirit is the truth."

So there you have it. What is Truth? Jesus, God's Word (The Bible), and The Holy Spirit. And the author of our faith has no problem telling that to us! Praise Him. We also gleaned from the scriptures how to discern the truth and understand our commission to explain it to others. This was a pretty in-depth discussion, and I thank everyone for all their focus and input into this critical exercise.

At the end of our time, as is our tradition, we prayed for the filmmakers and actors, crew members and artists, thanking God for their talents, and praying that He would redeem them so their marvelous craft could be used to give Him glory.

Join us for the next DECODER RING, hopefully in October. God bless!
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You Know The Question.

THE MATRIX (1999)
rated R
(violence, disturbing images, language)

>>left/designate:
screenplay<<
WRITTEN BY
Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski

>>left/designate:
direction<<
DIRECTED BY
Andy Wachowski
Larry Wachowski


>>left/designate:
>>center/designate: location, date, time<<
Join us at the NEW Church Building
Saturday, September 22 at 7:00pm
HACK DETECTED
FIREWALL BREACH
Message From The Resistance:
arrive_early_for_the_matrix_pre-show_at_6:30pm
Operator Session Terminated.
END TRANSMISSION
SYSTEM SECURE
>>center/designate: scripture verse<<
JOHN 18:38a
"What is truth?" Pilate asked.
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Now That's A Prayer

If you could be God for one week, what would you do?
And what if you were Jim Carrey?

Moviegoers everywhere flocked to find out the answer. The result was one of the funniest comedies of all time, "Bruce Almighty." This hilarious feature was directed by Tom Shadyac and re-written by Steve Oedekerk. These filmmakers have a long and goofy history together, stretching back to Jim Carrey's big break, the "Ace Ventura films." But they share a much deeper connection than that. Something that bonds them far more than their work in Hollywood. They are both Christians.

At our last meeting of THE DECODER RING (at the NEW Church Office :-) we laughed ourselves silly watching "Bruce Almighty." We enjoyed Jim Carrey's outrageous behavior, Jennifer Aniston's redeeming heart, and Morgan Freeman's soothing presence. We also witnessed Steve Carrel's scene-stealing performance, which lead to him starring in the spin-off film "Evan Almighty."

We confronted some of the controversial aspects of "Bruce Almighty," which involved premarital sex, swearing, seemingly blasphemous dialogue, and the God character telling Bruce that everybody's problem is they "keep looking up." The director, thankfully, answers all of these objections: the characters in the film are not perfect people. They are imperfect, and thus behave outside of God's parameters. The out-of-wedlock sex and foul language falls into this realm. The accusatory words thrown at God mirror those found in the Bible, specifically Psalm 27. And as far as the problem that people "keep looking up," the director tells us what he meant. People should be ready and willing to put their hands to the work of the Lord on this earth, by personally helping those around them in need. If we keep looking up, he suggests that we won't help others here and now because we'll expect God to do everything.

This is the only part that doesn't quite fit theologically. I get where the director is coming from, but the truth is much more complicated than that. According to the Bible, Jesus clearly says in John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

It also says in James 1:17-18
It also says in James 1:17-18
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

God desires that we do BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. Look up AND walk. It's an uncomfortable balance, but that's how He operates. God's sovreignty and our responsibility. You may never get used to it, but it's the truth.

We also wrestled with the big idea this movie is trying to bring to the audience. That God desires an honest, loving relationship with his increasingly selfish and worldly children. The best insight into God's dilemma captured on film is when Bruce asks God, "How do you make people love you without affecting free will?" To which God replies, "Welcome to my world, son. You come up with an answer to that one, you let me know." The film demonstrates how much God yearns for a relationship with his children, but that he also respects us enough to make our own choice.

During our time together we had a great discussion with some thoughtful moments about what God has done in our lives up to this point. We encouraged each other with our hope in God's plan for the future. And, as is our tradition, we prayed for the filmmakers and actors: Tom, Steve, Jim, Jennifer, Morgan, and Steve. God loves them very much, and joins with us in our prayers that they will be open to him and seek a real relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next time,
Steve


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I Am Bruce Almighty. My Will Be Done.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY(2003)
rated PG13
(language, sexual situations, comic violence)

Written by
Steve Koran, Mark O'Keefe, Steve Oedekerk

Directed by
Tom Shadyac

Starring Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston,

Steve Carell, Catherine Bell, and Philip Baker Hall

Watch it with us
SATURDAY JUNE 23 at 7:00pm
ISAIAH 55:9
ISAIAH 55:9
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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The Force Will Be With You, Always

This group just keeps getting better and better. Watch out! God is moving!

THE DECODER RING screened one of the most popular films of all time, Geroge Lucas' original STAR WARS. We were transported back to that galaxy (far, far away from CGI enhancements) to the hot, desolate deserts of Tatooine, the cold grip of the Death Star, and the new hope of the Rebellion. We enjoyed the story of a young farm boy who believed he was meant for something greater; and met a spiritual mentor that helped him achieve an incredible victory. He learned to have faith, and only when he "let go" did he truly make a difference.

We saw how a near-fatal accident changed George Lucas' direction and how he has worked to fulfill that purpose in his life. We learned that the timeless elements found in STAR WARS come from the legends and stories that have weaved throughout all of human history. Mr. Lucas tapped into the common threads all of these tales share, and crafted a saga that literally changed movies forever. We discovered his inspiration from the films of Akira Kurosawa, and the writings of Joseph Campbell. And we celebrated the landmark achievements of his ratty band of misfits who became the industry leaders in visual effects and sound design.

At the end of of our time, we prayed for George Lucas, his children, producer Gary Kurtz, and the stars of the film, Mark, Carrie and Harrison. We lifted them up to the Lord and asked that He reveal himself to them and that He would work powerfully in their lives. God will cause amazing breakthroughs. Just wait and see.

Please join us for the next meeting of THE DECODER RING, hopefully toward the end of June. Take care, God bless... and May the LORD Be With You! :-)
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You've Taken Your First Step Into A Larger World

STAR WARS (1977)
rated PG

Written and directed by
George Lucas

Produced by
Gary Kurtz

Original Music by
John Williams







Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guiness,
Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew,
David Prowse, and James Earl Jones.

Join us for the PRE-SHOW at 6:00 PM
PRE-SHOW PRE-SHOW PRE-SHOW
followed by STAR WARS at 7:00 PM
STAR WARS STAR WARS STAR WARS
(for directions, click the link above)
ECCLESIASTIES 3:11a
ECCLESIASTIES 3:11a
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.
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Where Is God In All Of This?

Several years ago, a young writer in Hollywood was asked to adapt the Gospel of Luke into a screenplay for Warner Bros. He agreed, was paid a meager sum for his work, and went on his way. That script became "The Jesus Film," and it has gone on to become the most viewed film in all of recorded history. The screenwriter's name was Barnet Bain.

Later in his career, Barnet Bain met Stephen Simon, and they formed a production company, "Metafilmics," with the sole purpose of making spiritual films for a broader audience. Their first endeavor, "What Dreams May Come" was a modest hit. But it rode on a wave of similar films, including "City of Angels," "Meet Joe Black," "The Truman Show," and "Contact."

What is the appeal of films like these? Why do the studios keep making them? And why do they consistently find an audience? Because they all deal with what I call the Ultimate Issues: Life, Death, Heaven, Hell, Sin, Redemption, Free Will, and Divine Sovereignty.

At our last meeting of THE DECODER RING, we watched "What Dreams May Come" and marveled at the astounding visual effects in the film, and the beautiful 19th Century-inspired paintings. We struggled through the heavy emotions the actors portrayed on screen.

We discovered that the concepts and visuals in the film stemmed from Dante's "The Divine Comedy," the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the spiritism of the novel's author, Richard Matheson. And we learned that the most direct influence on the film came from its two producers, Barnet Bain and Stephen Simon. At the end of our screening we took a refreshingly long time to pray for everyone involved in the film, especially for these two men, who have seeking hearts but have been led astray.

People look around at their all too brief life on this planet and wonder why they are here, who God is, and what happens to them when they die. They might even look to movies like this for answers. It is my hope that by comparing the incomplete and inconsistent messages in this film with God's Word, that we can gird ourselves up in the truth, and help them to know Jesus.

Despite the beauty, emotion, and tragedy of "What Dreams May Come," the film does not proclaim the real truth about God, his plan for our lives, or the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. What it offers is an earthbound heaven, a silent and distant God, and an uncertain eternity.

My prayer is that we bring friends and neighbors who are seeking God to our screenings. That we honor the filmmakers by giving their work the best presentation possible. And that we use the words of the Bible along with the points of connection in each film to "gently instruct" (2 Timothy 2:25) people who want to know Him.

THE DECODER RING isn't a "saints only" club. It's for everyone. I pray God will continue to use this movie ministry to reach out to the Industry, that we consistently pray for people in the entertainment community, and that we become firmly rooted in author and finisher of our faith, the one and only Lord Jesus Christ.

See you next time!
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Time Does Not Exist Here

WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (1998)
rated PG13
(language, intense images)

From the novel by Richard Matheson
Written for the screen by Ronald Bass

Produced by
Barnet Bain and Stephen Simon

Directed by Vincent Ward

Starring Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Annabella Sciorra, and Max von Sydow


Watch it with us
SATURDAY, MARCH 24th at 7:00pm
at the Church Office!

COLOSSIANS 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
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We Are In History Now

When people don't believe in God,
it's not that they believe in nothing,
it's that they believe in anything.


Nothing could be truer of the publishing and cinematic phenomenon known as "The Da Vinci Code." Dan Brown's tale of secret societies and ancient conspiracies has tickled the eyes and ears of millions. The novel went on to be a worldwide best seller. The film became the third highest grossing picture of last year. And a prequel to the film is in the works.

One thing is certain. "The Da Vinci Code" has struck a nerve.

But with a little research, the truth comes to light. And believers can take heart. That's what we did at the last meeting of THE DECODER RING. We took a mini Art History class on Leonardo Da Vinci and his most famous works. We studied through the actual history of the church, including how the books were selected for inclusion into the New Testament, and who, when, and where that was decided. And finally, we tracked down the supposed proof for the existence of The Priory of Sion and the history of Jesus' bloodline, finding that it was planted in a museum a few decades ago, and has been proven to be complete fabrication.

We discovered that the lies told in the book and movie are centuries old, but they've been packaged together in an exciting new way. We learned that false beliefs about Jesus started even while the New Testament was being written! And the Bible predicted more false teachers would come:

"But there were also false prophets among the people,

just as there will be false teachers among you.

They will secretly introduce destructive heresies,

even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—

bringing swift destruction on themselves."

2 PETER 2:1

Hundreds of years after the original gospels were written, spurious and false "gospels" started making the rounds. Gnostics of every persuasion began warping basic Christian tenets. And falsehood started to spread. The recent "discovery" of the so-called Gospel of Judas, as well as interest in other ancient texts that give an "alternate" (false) view of Christian history, has only added fuel to the fire.

When I first read the book and saw the movie, I wrote about it in this post. "The Da Vinci Code" offers a completely fictional account of church history, clever fabrication of ancient history, and a view of Jesus that totally strips Him of his divinity. It has its believers and its detractors, and an audience of millions. How should a Christian respond?

Oddly enough, with hope.

You see, people are hungry for God, yet they keep getting fed all the wrong food. Every time some new "controversial" book, movie, TV show, or song comes out that touches on God in an offensive way, it gains a lot of attention.

What an opportunity to share the gospel.

More likely than not, you've encountered someone who has read or seen "The Da Vinci Code." So study up. Read the Bible. Talk about it. God can't wait to take someone's interest in spiritual things and lead them to Himself. Oh, and God loves Dan Brown too. Pray for him!

Until next time...
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Seek The Truth.

THE DA VINCI CODE (2006)
rated PG13
(violence, brief nudity, disturbing images)
From the worldwide #1 best-selling novel
"The Da Vinci Code"
written by Dan Brown

Written for the screen by
Akiva Goldsman

Directed by Ron Howard

Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen,
Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany, and Jurgen Prochnow


Watch it with us
SATURDAY, JAN 20th at 6:30pm
at the Church Office!

TITUS 1:9 "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it."

Read more about THE DA VINCI CODE on IMDB
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