Two quotes from two of my favorite movies have been in my mind the last day or two:

In "Point Break," an old surfing movie, the guys and girls are sitting around a fire on the beach telling "big wave" stories when the "hundred year storm" becomes the subject. I think it's this fictional tale of a big storm begun in Antarctica that sends massive swells to the southern beaches of Australia. Anyway, Body, the main character played by Patrick Swayze says, "Next year, the hundred year storm is going to hit Bells Beach in Australia AND I WILL BE THERE." Sends chills down my spine just thinking about it. I bring that up since this Friday evening, Alicia Keys will be performing in Chicago AND I WILL BE THERE! A dream come true.

The second quote comes from "Good Will Hunting." Matt Damon goes to visit Robin Williams who plays this eccentric psychologist. I forget if it is the first or second visit, but Damon struts around William's office checking out his book display. I'll never forget the next line (paraphrased): "Look at all of these f---- books. All you people, you read all these books, but they're the wrong books. You all read the wrong books." I feel like that with the evangelical church right now. I constantly talk with friends who I would consider "modern" Christians (nothing wrong with that term, just a different way of looking at the world and a way that I believe is out of date) and they tell me the books they are reading, and I just feel like telling them that they are reading the wrong books. I'm not judging, it's just that I feel the old way of church and ministry is proving not to work in our culture and things need to change. And these books aren't focusing on the issues at hand. They need to be focusing on how we need to love God and love our neighbor, and what that means. They need to focus on our purpose as believers both individually and collectively. They need to focus on what with all that is happening in the supposed strong evangelical church why every Sunday there are less people attending a church and more persecution of Christianity. They need to focus on who Jesus is, both historic and present, and what that means for us. I also believe they need to focus on life as it happens, not the feel good stories we read about but what really happens in the world to real people. I happen to be reading some of these books and this evening I hope to sit down and write some of my favorite books in this space that address the issues I was just talking about.

Hope to interact again soon!