The last couple of days have been a blur. During this past week of class we’ve continued to listen to and appreciate one another’s sermons, even as we’ve worked to refine our ideas about what we want to pursue as a thesis. I’m feeling not just a little lost. We’ve been exposed to a variety of methodological models and some unbelievable tools for doing research, but I’m still very much at sea when it comes to defining what I want to be working on for the next three years. And understandably so. I’m just beginning, but even so, I realize that first steps are important steps, and I want to get off on the right foot.
My research hunch is that film has something to teach me about effective preaching. I’m not talking about using film in preaching, but rather the medium itself. Along with popular music, the movies have become one of the principal ways in which our society and culture communicate. Movies make a huge impression on people, and sometimes movies even change lives. That’s where I think the sermon and the film intersect. Every preacher wants his or her sermon to communicate the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, just like every movie maker wants his or her film to move the audience to think, feel, laugh, cry, or maybe even approach life in a new way. There’s something to be learned here, and as I start my reading and research, I’ll be glad to hear whatever insights or resources you have to share.
I have to wonder what impact film today has in comparison to films of our youth. I remember seeing most movies that others were talking about. Today, that is not the case. I have no idea who most of the actors are who are “featured” in the tabloids. That means that the common experience that is possible when many people see the same film is lost – at least to me. Even television programming is facing the same issues. Are you a Lost fan or an America’s Got Talent one? I’m not, so I lose out in that commonality.
But I don’t think that’s what you are talking about. I think it’s about the genre and the method it uses to get a point across. An interesting comparison. So the question I bring to the discussion is do you attempt to preach a “movie” that is intellectual or emotional or just plain sappy? My movie choices are always sappy. I’m not sure my spiritual ones should be. I believe I’ll find your exploration in this area valuable as will others in the congregation.