As Our Trinity Lenten Journey Continues...

"The Movie"
     "Have you seen it yet?  And what did you think?  Was it good?"  These questions often come to me about "the movie" - not just at Trinity but wherever I go in the community.  Several Trinity members and I went to see "The Passion of the Christ" movie the week it came out and spent about an hour and a half discussing it after the viewing.
     I think it was good - really well done - and I can recommend it for most adult Christians to see.  The level of graphic violence is quite high and while we're perhaps too used to seeing violence in movies, this is really different.  We KNOW Jesus and can't imagine such things being done to him, while the characters in movies we would have less connection with.  I do NOT recommend that young children see it, and that even older teens should be allowed to see it with adults who are able to help them understand the context of the events in the movie (I also do not recommend doing what I heard some are doing - going to see the movie EVERYDAY during Lent. Yikes!).
     Having experienced the movie for myself, I would say that Mel Gibson was trying to recreate the actual crucifixion for people to see today, hoping that it would have the same impact in our time as it did in Jesus time.  Modern movie making technology allows this to be done in such a way that what we see on the screen seems more real than what people who were actually there and a part of the historical events might have seen.  It really worked pretty well, too.  I haven't spoken to anyone who was unmoved by it, and many long-time Christians were given greater appreciation of the events of Jesus' last days. There were audible gasps and moans from the audience during the movie.  It is quite well done.
     But The Passion isn't the end of the story, is it.  We don't leave Jesus on the cross, nor do we put all the emphasis on the events of Holy Week and Good Friday - Easter is coming!  The victory over darkness, suffering, and death was won!  And that's what makes his Passion a world-changing event.  To
focus in an extreme manner on the Passion alone - which the movie really does try to do - can be a problem without seeing it in the light of the resurrection.

First Communion Classes
     I will be leading these again this year for 5th graders (and those who missed it).  Please see the article later in the newsletter.

Welcome to Brad Newsom and David Reeder!
     Brad Newsom, our new Music Director; and David Reeder, our new 
Organist for the 8 am service, are now fully engaged in the music ministry here at Trinity.  The Music Committee would like to invite you to a Welcome Coffee Hour on Sunday, March 14th, between the services.  Please join us in helping them feel welcome.

And finally...
     Our Lenten meditation services continue with the series, This Lenten Road, continues on Wednesdays up until Holy Week.  Please join us for a soup supper at 6pm and the service at 7.

Pastor Larry