Month: September 2019

Scripture on ordination

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
This passage stresses the need for preparation, spiritually and otherwise. The approval of God, relative to the task, is the basic element of being set apart.

1 Timothy 5:22
Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.
Here Paul emphasizes deliberation before setting apart someone for ministry.

Acts 14:23
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Here is a model for the way we think of ministry ordination, committing them to the Lord.

Acts 6:3
Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
We commonly think of this verse as the foundation for deacon ordination. Notice the role of the congregation in this.

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Although this is an admonition to observe the positive example of their leaders, it also sounds like a general call to discern the integrity of a leader’s ministry by the way they live.

1 Timothy 3:1-7
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? …
This is the go-to passage for qualifications for a pastor. Paul stresses high standards in all aspects of a spiritual leader’s life—again, observed by those with whom he worships.

Revelation 2:2
I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
The Ephesian church is praised for testing (by the Scriptures) the message and lives of those who claim to be spiritual leaders.

1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
“Elder” in this case refers to maturity rather than a role but the usual pattern for examination of a ministry candidate
is that the ordainers are more experienced and the ordained is new to vocational ministry.

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
With a high calling comes high accountability. One purpose of examining a ministry candidate is to protect him and his hearers from  false teaching and foolish talk.

SBTC Disaster Relief responds to Harvey-like damage in southeast Texas

HOUSTON As torrential rains caused Harvey-like damage throughout southeast Texas on Thursday, Sept. 19, Southern Baptists in Texas mobilized to serve the region. As of the time the Southern Baptist Texan went to press on Sept. 20, an SBTC team was on the ground in Houston and preparing for a statewide response to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Imelda on Thursday.

Four SBTC units headed to First Baptist Church of Vidor on Friday, Sept. 20, where their first task will be to clean up the church so it can serve as a base for future teams. Shower, feeding, and at least one mud-out unit will be among the teams who will be on site Friday afternoon.

The response comes after Tropical Storm Imelda hit the same general area as Hurricane Harvey did two years ago, causing many observers to draw parallels between both storms’ intensity and the impacted area. The storm was the first named storm to hit the Houston area since Harvey.

The Houston Chronicle attributes two drowning deaths already to a “relentless downpour” from Imelda. By Thursday night, flood waters had begun to recede. The Chronicle notes that Harris County officials had reported at least 1,700 high-water rescues and evacuations. Though the area had been bracing for the arrival of Imelda, its intensity and longevity surprised the region.

As of the Texan’s publication, SBTC Disaster Relief team members were beginning plans to gather and deploy more teams to the impacted region. All SBTC Disaster Relief units have been put on alert status for further deployment to southeast Texas.

Meals offer fellowship time for SBTC messengers and guests

Multiple groups will gather in conjunction with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention annual meeting, Oct. 28-29, at First Baptist Church, Odessa. Meetings will include pre-convention events beginning Sunday evening, Oct. 27, and Monday, Oct. 28, as well as gatherings during the convention.

Spanish session & reception
The Spanish Session and Reception will begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, in the Old Sanctuary at First Odessa. The evening will feature worship, led by Grupo VII, prayer, testimonies and a message from Oscar Tortolero, mobilizer from the International Mission Board. A reception with finger foods will follow the service in the Fellowship Hall.

Interim training
Monday’s events begin with “Today’s Interim Pastor” training from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Parlor. This seminar focuses on training interim pastors who will be able to use their experience, training and ministry gifts to provide high-quality leadership to pastorless churches that are in a time of transition. The cost to attend this class is $49 per person and you must register online in order to attend.

Look Like Heaven symposium
What do you do when the demographics of your church do not reflect the demographics of the community you have been called to reach? The “Look Like Heaven” symposium will help church leaders find the answer to this question and many others related to engaging, reflecting and reaching your community. The pre-session symposium kicks off in the Old Sanctuary at noon on Monday, Oct. 28, and ends at 4 p.m., and features speakers Gary Smith and Jason Paredes of Fielder Church, Arlington, and Randal Lyle of Meadowridge Church, Fort Worth. Lunch will be provided only for the first 50 attendees and no registration is required.

Missions Dinner
Monday evening attendees will have the opportunity to gather for the Missions Dinner from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Downtown Room, featuring a panel discussion on a Church Planting Pipeline. Speakers include Danny Forshee, pastor at Great Hills Baptist Church, Austin; Steve Cochran, pastor at CrossWalk Church, Round Rock; Josh Ellis, executive director of Union Baptist Association; and Jason Crandall, pastor at CityView Church, Pearland. Cost of
attending the Missions Dinner is $10 per person.

Church revitalization
Pastors, deacons, and church leaders who are interested in church revitalization are encouraged to attend the Church Revitalization Dinner in the Fellowship Hall from 4:30-6 p.m. Hosted by Kenneth Priest, SBTC director of convention strategies, and Rodney Harrison, MBTS dean of post-graduate studies, the dinner will address the topic of revitalization in the local church and steps a pastor can take to begin the process. The SBTC revitalization team will be available immediately after dinner for questions. The cost to attend is $10 per person.

NextGen Late Night
Pastors and wives younger than 40-years-old are invited to the NextGen Late Night from 9-10 p.m. in the Uptown Room to have coffee and dessert with Paul Chitwood. Childcare is available when requested at pre-registration. Come connect with other young pastors and wives, interact with Dr. Chitwood and walk away with free gifts and resources. Cost is $10 per person. Register by Oct. 27.
Activities begin early on Tuesday, Oct. 29 with three alumni and friends breakfast meetings.

SWBTS breakfast
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Alumni and Friends Breakfast will meet in the Fellowship Hall from 7-8:30 a.m. President Adam Greenway will give an update from Seminary Hill. Cost is $10 per person.

SBTS breakfast
Southern Seminary Alumni and Friends will meet in the Parlor from 7-8:30 a.m. for a time of breakfast and fellowship. Edward Heinze will share about all that God has done in and through Southern Seminary and Boyce College in the past year. Cost is $10 per person.

Criswell College breakfast
The Downtown Room will play host to the Criswell College Alumni and Friends Breakfast from 7:30-9 a.m. Alumni and friends of Criswell College will have a time of food and fellowship as they enjoy a panel discussion on the joys and challenges facing pastors of average-sized churches.

President’s breakouts
Fellowship meals and meetings end with the President’s Panel breakout sessions from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Breakout sessions on evangelism, mental health, religious liberty and sexual abuse prevention will take place in two different 40-minute time slots. Attendees will be able to select two of the available topics. The President’s Panel is free and includes a box lunch. No registration is required.
Registration for any of the meals can be accessed at
sbtexas.com/am19.

Childcare
Childcare is available for newborns through 9-year-olds during the annual meeting sessions beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28. Pre-registration is
required and is open through Oct. 21. No childcare registration will be taken on site.
For questions concerning messenger registration or childcare, visit sbtexas.com/am19 or call 877-953-SBTC.

Resolutions
Resolutions give convention messengers an opportunity to express a consensus statement on timely public issues, or to speak prophetically regarding issues of specific interest to Southern Baptist churches. Any member of an SBTC church may submit a resolution to the resolutions committee. The committee will consider submitted resolutions and produce a report to convention messengers for their consideration.

The deadline for submitting a resolution for the 2019 annual meeting is Friday, Oct. 18. All submissions must include the name, church membership, phone number and email address of the submitter. Mailed submissions must be typewritten for the sake of legibility. Email resolutions to Gayla Sullivan at gsullivan@sbtexas.com or mail to SBTC, Gayla Sullivan, PO Box 1988, Grapevine, TX 76099.

New entity leaders deliver first reports to EC

NASHVILLE Four of the five newly-elected Southern Baptist entity presidents delivered their first reports to SBC Executive Committee members, noting some of the challenges they face and thanking churches for supporting their work through the Cooperative Program.

Among the new leaders speaking Sept. 17 in Nashville—in addition to EC President Ronnie Floyd, who gave his first report as president to the committee in June—were Ben Mandrell of LifeWay Christian Resources, Jamie Dew of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Adam Greenway of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Paul Chitwood of the International Mission Board.

Chitwood, who was elected last fall, shared reports on the IMB’s progress and that the entity “is fully committed to promoting all of the cooperative mission work of Southern Baptists, certainly including the Cooperative Program.”

“IMB is the largest single recipient of Cooperative Program funds and as such should have the loudest voice in CP promotion,” Chitwood said. “Rest assured, today’s IMB fully understands and enthusiastically accepts this stewardship.”

To ensure that missionaries are equipped to promote CP, the IMB has added an SBC identity component to its seven-week personnel orientation, “and I personally am teaching that,” Chitwood said.

“My goal is for every IMB missionary, regardless of their background or church origin, to become an active mobilizer who helps all Southern Baptists join in the work of praying, giving, going and sending,” Chitwood said.

“The IMB looks forward this next year to helping Southern Baptists celebrate the fact that for 175 years we have not been without a gospel witness among the nations. Southern Baptists’ generosity, Southern Baptists’ prayers and Southern Baptists’ support of the IMB have made that possible.”

Dew, who was elected in June, said he has been assessing New Orleans Seminary during his first six weeks on campus.

“We’ve been delighted to discover a team of people there that love that city, love that school, love each other and are excited and ready to go,” Dew said.

During discussions about the seminary’s mission, Dew has identified some main principles motivating the work. The seminary wants “to be a people that are passionate about being servants,” he said. They also want “to be a people of great devotion.”

With a goal of taking the gospel to the nations, New Orleans Seminary is underscoring opportunities for impact available in the city, Dew said. He also addressed how the seminary is prioritizing the potential of its undergraduate arm, Leavell College, and renovating the former location of the campus LifeWay store for use as offices for both the college and enrollment, as well as a campus welcome area.
“In our city, the nations sit on our doorstep,” Dew said. “In our city, you have great wealth. You have great poverty. You have great opportunity. You have great brokenness. And if you can do it in that city, then you can do it anywhere.”

Greenway, who was elected in February, expressed gratitude to the “largest cumulative donor in the history” of the seminary, the Southern Baptist Convention.

“We are advocating, championing the work of our convention of churches through the Cooperative Program,” Greenway said, noting the establishment of the B.H. Carroll Center for Baptist Heritage and Mission with Gregory Wills as the founding director and David Dockery as the inaugural theologian-in-residence.

“We are trying to do everything we can to articulate for our convention of churches, for our students, what it means to be authentically and credibly Baptist in the 21st century,” Greenway said. “At a time when many people are trying to run away from our identity and our cooperative methodologies, we want to run into these things to help pass along this rich DNA of what it means to be Southern Baptist.

“It matters because truly God has used our convention of churches to make an eternal impact, and I do not believe God is finished with us as Southern Baptists,” Greenway said.

Mandrell, who was elected in late June, said during his first 90 days on the job he is focusing on, among other things, tightening up mission, vision and values language. He’s investing in a rebranding discussion too, noting “it’s time for LifeWay to rebrand. Our current logo and look was created in 1998.”

Mandrell also presented the Executive Committee with checks for $356,744.73 for the International Mission Board and $197,002.30 for the North American Mission Board from offerings given by this summer’s participants in LifeWay’s Fuge, CentriKids and World Changers ministries.

Mandrell shared how he is taking time to learn more about the products LifeWay offers. “I did not know before coming to LifeWay how much LifeWay does,” he said. And LifeWay continues to see year over year growth in its resources, which is the future of its ministry, he noted.

“We’re up 6 percent over last year in our non-store channels,” he said.

In July alone, traffic to LifeWay websites, Mandrell said, was more than four times larger than the normal monthly traffic to LifeWay Stores.

REVIEW: “Ad Astra” is an awe-inspiring celebration of family, love and life

Roy McBride is an introspective and emotionless man who has always lived in the shadow of his space-faring father — the great H. Clifford McBride, who was the first astronaut to travel to Jupiter and then Saturn.

Roy was 16 when his father left Earth. He was 29 when his father’s spaceship stopped transmitting a signal, apparently due to a tragedy near Neptune that claimed his life.

The youngest McBride — who also became an astronaut — still hasn’t recovered from the loss.

“I’m angry,” Roy says. “He left us.”

Roy, though, has moved on in life by keeping his emotions in check. He doesn’t make decisions on a whim. His choices, he says, are always pragmatic.

He’s also calm under pressure, which is one reason why the U.S. government wants to send him through the solar system to investigate a threat to Earth.

It seems electrical surges from space — technically, the “uncontrolled release of antimatter” — are causing explosions all over the planet. Thus far, 43,000 people have died, and if it continues, the rest of humanity will be gone, too.

Can Roy find the cause before it’s too late?

The science fiction movie Ad Astra(PG-13) opens this weekend, starring Brad Pitt (Ocean’sseries) as Roy, Tommy Lee Jones (Men in Blackseries) as Clifford McBride, and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Gamesseries) as Thomas Pruitt, a family friend.

The film is set in the “near” future, when civilians can travel to the moon and a trip to Mars take less than three weeks.

Ad Astra, though, is not a shoot-em-up space film. Instead, it’s quiet, and slow-paced, and cerebral, and entertaining, and wonderful. Some critics are comparing it to 2001: A Space Odyssey, yet it tackles some of the same weighty subjects of more recent science fiction movies like Arrivaland Interstellar.

Ad Astra examines what’s most important in life — family and love and even faith. It encourages us to find the right balance between our home life, our work and our hobbies. It even reminds us of the uniqueness of our planet — and urges us to be grateful for it. 

Except for a few unnecessary strong words (more on that below) and a few bloody images, it could have been rated PG.

Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!

(Scale key: none, minimal, moderate, extreme)

Violence/Disturbing

Moderate. People fall off a tall tower. (We don’t see them hit the ground.) Astronauts engage in a laser-gun battle on the moon with pirates; a few people are killed. A primate attacks astronauts in space, killing one of them. (We see a bloody face.) We see a fight inside a spaceship. (Three people die, although it’s not bloody.) 

Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity

None.

Coarse Language

Moderate. H-ll (3), GD (3), f-word (1).

Other Positive Elements

We see an old clip of Roy’s father, from space, saying: “I thank God” for everything that’s been accomplished. He adds that he’s “feeling his presence so close”

Later, when an astronaut dies in space, the crewmates prepare the body; before pushing it into space they say a Catholic prayer: “May you meet your Redeemer face to face and enjoy the vision of God forever.”

“Amen,” another astronaut adds.

Life Lessons

Emotions are not a curse: Roy spends his life trying to suppress his feelings, which prevents him from experiencing the greatest of emotions, including joy and love. Before the film ends, he corrects his ways.

Family is priceless: Roy, while in space, expresses regret for the way he treated his wife. He has power and fame, and yet is focused on his home life — millions of miles from Earth.

Humanity is depraved:Sure, you already knew that, but watching nations battling for minerals on the moon drives this point home even further. 

It’s never too late for redemption: I won’t spoil the plot for you, but Roy gets a second chance — in several areas of life. 

Earth is a blessing: Once they reach the outer limits of the Solar System, the astronauts begin yearning for life back home — not only for their families but also for things like oceans and birds and trees.

Worldview/Application

Spoilers ahead! The best movies celebrate the good in life. They discourage the bad. They force us to examine our own lives. They encourage us to live better lives.

Ad Astradoes all that.

Roy’s father traveled to the other side of the solar system looking for intelligent life, but abandoned the very intelligent life closest to him — his own family. He chased after his dream at the expense of those who loved and needed him, including his son. “He missed what was right in front of him,” Roy says.

It’s only science fiction, right? Not really. How many of us make that mistake every week or every day? We chase our dreams, our hobbies and our paycheck and forget about our family back home. As his wife tells him, “You seem preoccupied with your work. I feel like I’m on my own all the time. … You’re so distant, even when you’re here.”

Discussion Questions

  1. Why do we tend to embrace the fleeting at the expensive of what’s most important in life?
  2. When are emotions a good thing? A bad thing? What’s the key to finding the right balance?
  3. Can regret be a positive emotion? Was it a good thing for Roy?
  4. Did you like the ending? Why or why not?

Entertainment rating:4 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating:3.5 out of 5 stars.

Ad Astra is rated PG-13 for some violence and bloody images, and for brief strong language.

The church has left the building

SPRING  North Oaks Baptist Church of Spring in suburban north Houston believes its duty is to serve God in the community, with an aim to take the gospel into every interaction and event.  

So on Aug. 10, for the fourth straight year, the church hosted a back-to-school outreach as 22 church members distributed 800 door hangers in two low-income trailer communities a few miles from the church campus and shared the gospel with residents. The hangers announced the upcoming Operation BackPack the following Saturday, Aug. 17, featuring free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, food and entertainment at the church. 

“It is important for our church to go out and serve the community,” said NOBC Pastor Caleb Fleming. “Operation BackPack is a project that offers witnessing opportunities, reaps professions of faith and results in new members.” He said since the project was initiated by the church, attendance has grown steadily.

Leading up to the event, coordinator Beverly Jones organized volunteer collection efforts for supplies and backpacks for 350 students—100 more than the previous year. She said most of the items were donated by church members and a participating store. Volunteers worked the night before and that morning to set up the school supply stations, a food truck, two bounce houses, tables, chairs, and stations for free haircuts, food, cotton candy and snow cones.

About 9:30 a.m., parents and excited children started to arrive at the sign-in station and from there were directed to backpacks and school supplies. After filling those needs, families exited to another room where they were offered New Testaments and gospel tracts, free haircuts from Salvation Stylists, free family pictures,  lunch and outdoor attractions, including a fire truck manned by Klein Fire Department volunteers. 

Erin Taylor, who brought her daughter, a niece and some neighborhood children to the event, said she recently moved to one of the trailer communities, received a door hanger, and is happy she attended the event. “We would be struggling to provide school supplies for our children without the support of the church,” she said. “My daughter is having a great time, and now we are ready to start the school year.” Prior to leaving, Taylor spoke to Fleming about her faith in Christ, and she promised to visit the church again.

Deacon Venkat Koripalli said the communities served this year for Operation BackPack are mostly Hispanic, move often and are economically challenged, so kids without the assistance of NOBC or other community resources enter the classroom without a backpack, and school supplies, creating the hardship of a negative stigma for the rest of the school year.  He said the annual event has become a “labor of love for the church, done in obedience to Christ.”

Gary Schill, another deacon, noted that the church provided about 100 volunteers for the event. “I think the church demonstrated what it means to be Christian,” he said. “More than 200 kids received supplies, had haircuts, ate and played games. It went very well.”

NOBC’s sphere of influence was extended into the community as families departed with needs being met. 

“My heart is full this afternoon,” Fleming reflected. “It is such a joy to serve the people of North Oaks Baptist, and the people of our community. Today, people’s physical needs were met and the gospel planted to satisfy eternal needs. God is good.”  

2019 Presidential Appointments

The following committees were appointed by the state convention president. 

REGISTRATION

Scott Pomeroy (CHAIR) Barksdale Baptist Church, Barksdale

Mario Martinez Iglesia Cristiana Genesis, Odessa

Nathan McCravey South Side Baptist Church, Abilene

Awi Sang Bethel Christian Church, Midland

Lila Stueart Midway Baptist Church, Lamesa 

RESOLUTIONS

Christopher Graham (CHAIR) First Baptist, Dallas

Celeste Barnett Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church, Mesquite

David Galvan Primera Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida, Dallas

Jo McGuire Cornerstone Baptist Church, Haskell

Steve McMeans Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, Lubbock

Terri Stovall Cross City Church, Euless

Del Traffanstedt Mission Dorado Baptist Church, Odessa

Daniel Walker High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin

TELLERS

Ken McMeans (CHAIR) College Baptist Church, Big Spring

Jose Arzate Paramount Baptist Church, Amarillo

Clayton Bennett First Baptist Church, Odessa

Bruce Burk Heartland Baptist Church, San Angelo

Joshua Fitchett Cornerstone Fellowship Baptist Church, Haskell

Terry Hovey First Baptist Church, Higgins

Johnny Knowlton Calvary Baptist Church, Pampa

Mario Martinez Iglesia Cristiana Genesis, Odessa

Teresa Martinez Iglesia Cristiana Genesis, Odessa

Tammy Pomeroy Barksdale Baptist Church, Barksdale

Wes Terry Broadview Baptist Church, Abilene

Blake White South Side Baptist Church, Abilene

PARLIAMENTARIANS

Barry McCarty Cross City Church, Euless

Terry Wright First Baptist Church, Vidor 

COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES

2019-2020 Chair: Sonny Hathaway, LaBelle Baptist Church, Beaumont

Term Expiring 2022

Juan Gaona Iglesia Bautista El Mesias, Odessa

Tom Goodman Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin

Mary Kay Stelter Southcrest Baptist Church, Lubbock

REVIEW: “Downton Abbey” is marvelous (with one major caveat)

Lord Robert Crawley is a distinguished 20th-century gentleman who is caretaker of Downton Abbey, a historic English estate fit for a king, with dozens of bedrooms and a large staff to cook and clean.

Perhaps that’s one reason the king and queen have chosen to pay a visit.

Yes, King George V and Queen Mary of the United Kingdom are visiting Downton Abbey for one night during a stopover on their journey to another town, and “Lord Grantham” (that’s Crawley), and his family and servants have exactly two weeks to get ready.

The servants will polish the silver, dust every nook and cranny, and purchase the freshest food for the finest meals.

Then again, maybe not. The servants learn that the king has his own butler and his own servants to tend to matters. Even worse, the king’s servants are, well, snobs.

This means Lord Grantham’s beloved servants won’t be needed for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Instead, they’ll be serving the servants. Not fair? You better believe it. As Daisy (one of Lord Grantham’s cooks) says, “We’re not footballs … and we don’t deserve a kicking.”

The film Downton Abbey(PG) opens next week, continuing the story from the popular PBS miniseries of the same name that ran from 2011-2016. It has the same actors and actresses (Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary), the same music (with a slight twist), and the same pace. Most fans of the series will walk away pleased. Lord Grantham’s mother, Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith), returns with multiple zingers, while her intellectual counterpart, Isobel Grey (Penelope Wilton), returns to counterpunch.

Yet the movie isn’t a one-dimensional “get-ready-for-the-king” film. It has several romantic side angles, a surprise or two, and even a few good lessons.

The film also has a major caveat — a gay angle that will turn off many viewers (details below).

Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!

(Scale key: none, minimal, moderate, extreme)

Violence/Disturbing

Minimal. Someone tries (but fails) to shoot and kill someone.

Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity

Moderate. Several couples share brief kisses, although the film has no bedroom scenes. We see Lady Edith in a corset.

The film continues the story about Thomas Barrow’s homosexuality, although it seems more noteworthy during the span of a two-hour movie, instead of the plot being spread out over six seasons. We see him and another male character go to a gay nightclub, where men are dancing with one another. We see two men kissing. Later we see Thomas and his companion briefly kiss, too. Referencing the taboo nature of homosexuality, Thomas says, “Will they ever see it our way?” His companion responds, “I don’t know. Fifty years ago, who would have thought men could fly?”

Coarse Language

Minimal. I counted only two words (a single “my G-d” and a single use of the British slang “bloody”). Kudos to the filmmakers for not filling it with coarse language, as happens far too often when TV shows are turned into movies.

Other Stuff You Might Want To Know

The film opens with a recap of the TV series, in which a rape is referenced. The flashback also references a “gay man in 1920s England.”

When the Crawleys wake up to sunshine instead of rain, someone says, “God is a monarchist.”

Life Lessons

Serving is a virtue: The servants take pride in their work. Mr. Mosley embodies this trait best, wanting to wait on the king and queen.

Humility is appealing. The film puts both snobbery (demonstrated by the king’s servants) and humility on display. The latter is demonstrated by the entire household, including by Lord Grantham and Lady Mary, who don’t view their servants as beneath them.

Your sins will find you out: One minor character discovers this biblical truth. 

Worldview/Application

At first blush, Downton Abbey would appear to be a film about greed (why are the Crawleys hoarding their possessions?) and elitism (what else would you call a plot about aristocracy?).

In fact, though, it’s just the opposite.

When Lady Mary wants to sell the castle and become a normal person, Anna Bates, a servant, tells her, “You employ people. You give people jobs. Without your family, this community would crumble.”

The Crawleys are anything but snobs. When portable chairs must be moved during a downpour, Lady Mary and Lord Grantham get to work — opting not to force the servants to perform the task.

What Works

The music. The plot. The grandeur. Seeing the castle on the big screen is more enjoyable than watching it on a tiny television at home.

What Doesn’t

The gay angle with Thomas Barrow wasn’t surprising — the TV series tackled the subject, after all — but it will make it less palatable for some families.

Discussion Questions

  1. Name five positive characteristics about Lord Grantham and his family.
  2. Do you think the Crawleys are humble?
  3. What does the film teach us about finding joy in work?
  4. What can we learn from Thomas about loving those with which we disagree?
  5. Would it have been better to sell the castle? Was Lady Mary right?

Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Rated PG for thematic elements, some suggestive material, and language.

Thinking about leaving your church?

Our church is planning an anniversary celebration this month and part of the planning is for us to have about twice as many people as we had last Sunday. As I thought about who might return I realized that many of them are still local. It seems more interesting to think about why they left us than why they are coming back for one day.

Your church has probably had some upsets in the past 20 years or so. It’s a rare church that doesn’t have a few pastor turnovers during two decades; those transitions are unsettling. Most churches have had some financial hard times and drops in the attendance during that period. If you are involved enough to actually have friends at your church you’ve likely disagreed with somebody over something during your time as a member. Disappointment, discouragement and disagreement are three big reasons I’ve seen for church members leaving but staying local. Is that you?

Setbacks in local churches are as old as local churches. Read Revelation 2 and 3 or one of Paul’s letters for examples. Your disappointments seem unique to you and mine to me but they are probably not. Let me share a few questions I ask myself during challenging days in my relationship with my church.

Am I right to be as discouraged as I am? Be fair here; sometimes a person is just in a bad mood, or even wrong to be upset. If the actual problem is my attitude the situation won’t change because I stay home or sit at the back of some other church on Sundays. My spiritual health is not determined by the health of my church.

What exactly do I want to change? Most of our disappointments are with people. Do we need that person to leave? Repent? Change personality? Apologize? This is often a hard question to answer. I can get out of sorts but can’t say what I’d consider to be a solution. Again, that points inward. It’s not reasonable to expect another person to move aside to suit us, and it’s not usually true that an apology will make us happy.

Who do I need to forgive, or apologize to? I nod inwardly when someone says, “I’ll forgive but I probably won’t forget.” If forgiveness actually takes place, the offense still did happen and lives in the permanent record. So what? We won’t bring it up again or do things based on the former offense if we’ve forgiven it. A sincere reconciliation is a commitment to move on and to do intentional things that will strengthen the relationship. You can’t fix the other person but you can stop pouting, and you can make amends for wrongs you have done to another. The air smells cleaner after you do that.

What is the impact of my leaving? Maybe there are some things you do that will be neglected. If you’re a tither your departure will be felt by the church finances. If you neither give nor serve, your seat is still empty and those who greet you each week will miss you. This latter thing, the participation of an immature Christian, is not inconsequential. Discouragement flourishes amidst dropping numbers like mold in a leaky bathroom. You’ll also establish a habit of leaving rather than mending relationships. Don’t leave because staying is harder or you’ll be a wimp forever.

Is my leaving an act of hostility? Sometimes it is; and I can name names. If you feel unappreciated, maybe somebody will be sorry your gifts are no longer around. If you have been slighted or insulted, that person will be stung to see the consequences of his sin. If you don’t like something the church has done maybe they’ll see their mistake when you hold back your tithe or quit your Sunday School class. I am ashamed to entertain those thoughts. I’ve been in churches where some have left in anger. No one has repented and no church business has been rescinded because someone else joins My Couch Community Church.

A church is a body, a family, a connection that we didn’t select the way we choose from a menu in a restaurant. Part of God’s molding of our lives is done in fellowship with people with different gifts, bad habits and weird tastes in music. You dodge those annoying people and you dodge the sanctifying work of God given to them for your good.

I know that some disappointments in churches are objectively disappointing. My point is not that anyone who gets upset is making up an offence. These things come like sickness comes to your body. Think about how to heal those problems rather than detaching the offending member. It is rare that withdrawing from our church results in greater godliness in our lives. Pay the difficult price for reconciliation and healing. Maybe you’ll look back on this season as the time your church membership became more a blessing to everyone, including you.