Cowboy Hats & Coffee Huts: March 2015

Look! ^^^ 7 Brides For 7 Brothers! Now THAT is worth the watch!

We all know those movies; the ones quoted about a gazillion times, the ones whose merchandise and collectibles swamp stores around the holidays, the ones OTHER movies even reference. Yep, the movies that have slipped from entertaining film to legendary folklore.

But are they all deserving of the title "EPIC"? My answer? A resounding NO.

Below is a list of the top five most overrated films in cinema history. Keep in mind, this is not a list of bad movies; the flicks listed here pass as good. However, they are no where near deserving the cult following of fans they've adorned throughout the years.

Buckle up Betsy; this might just take a jab at one of your all-time favorites (but all in fun.) Here we go:

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Beautiful everything. Underwhelming movie.

There, I've finally said it. Gone With The Wind is overrated. Wow, that was liberating; like announcing the emperor isn't wearing clothes, I've daringly stated what many of us think. Yes the costumes and acting are to die for but after all the hype around this classic film, I really expected more when I first watched it.

What's wrong with it? Well, first of all, it's loonnngggg; this isn't always a bad thing for a movie... unless it feels as loonnngggg as it is and, trust me, Gone With The Wind feels very, very loonnngggg. Maybe it's because the main character has no redeeming qualities at all. Seriously people, Scarlett O'Hara is a horrible human being! Urgh. I spent the second half of the movie begging the screenwriting gods to throw in a twist and have Rhett and Melanie run off together leaving whiny Ashley and conniving Scarlett to each other. And then, good riddance I say! Now that would have made the 36 hour long story worth sitting through.

What to watch instead:

My Fair Lady (1964) ~ If you're in the mood for a classic film with mind-blowing costumes and great acting then this one is the better bet AND, as a bonus, the main character is actually likeable. Thumbs up for that!

Little Woman (1949) ~ Dying to watch a classic film set during the Civil War? This little hidden gem is charming, endearing, and beautiful.

Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)

Classic Audrey but not her best role.

Audrey Hepburn was a great, beautiful actress but even she couldn't redeem this film. Why do people love this movie? Why is this considered an iconic romantic hit? I honestly have no idea. The main characters are shallow, selfish, and desperate. The script drags on and on and nothing important ever happens. Sorry Tiffany lovers; this is the type of film that should have been popular for a few years afterwards and then fizzled off. It certainly is not worthy of note over fifty years after its release date.

What to watch instead:

An Affair To Remember (1957) ~ This movie is everything Tiffany's is not and perfect if you want a vintage "modern" love story to enjoy.

Grease (1978)

Nope and no. Still don't get it.

Aw, Grease; the ultimate "had to be there" type film. Seriously, that is the only reason this film has hung onto its popularity; people who love it do so because it reminds them of a time that's long gone. In reality, it lacks charm which is something a film this campy desperately requires. Maybe I would "get" this film if I had a huge John Travolta crush but since I don't, I'll pass on it if I ever make an epic cinema must-see list.

What to watch instead:

Hello, Dolly! (1969) ~ Dolly! blows Grease out of the water any day. The songs are not only catchy but catchy AND good. It's campy AND funny. AND, Barbra Streisand with Walter Matthau -- now that's a treat for the ages!

E. T. (1982)

A plush E.T.?! Okay, seriously, this has gone too far everyone!

It's been over thirty years since E.T. first debuted on the silver screen and people still love this film. It's supposed to be a memorable and delightful children's romp with an adorable alien but, quite frankly, E.T. comes across as more than just a little creepy. I'm pretty sure I've picked shriveled bits of food out from under my kitchen table that look a lot like this little extra terrestrial. Despite the cult following that surrounds it, E.T. is void of the warmth we've come to expect in what are timeless children's films. It's cold, complicated, and the adults in it are detached and aloof.

What to watch instead:

Old Yeller (1957) ~ A heartwarming tear-jerker, Old Yeller is a timeless and lovable story of a boy and a dog who adopt each other and then have to say good-bye in the end. Includes loving parents who are attune to their children and, also, some lessons in responsibility and coming-of-age are tackled along the way. (Geez, I've just made this film sound so good I'm tempted to go watch it again!)

A Christmas Story (1983)

This film has still yet to make me laugh, even once...

Look! A Christmas movie totally void of Christmas spirit and magic. Nothing says holiday cheer like watching a potty mouth dad lose his cool repeatedly, a boy spending the whole film trying to figure out how to get the stuff he wants (yes, because Christmas is all about the stuff), and a weak and haggard mother trying to hold everything together. Sounds exhausting and not fun to me.

Let me add, I utterly loved the book this tale is adapted from; it's hilarious and resoundingly true in it's depiction of growing up "back in the day" in small town USA. Living in the shadow of this awesome novel might be what makes A Christmas Story feel so empty to me.

What to watch instead:

ANY Christmas movie would be a better pick for holiday fun!

Riding In Cars With Boys (2001) ~ If you truly want to enjoy a movie of family dysfunction and life in vintage, small town America, Riding In Cars is a treat. It's subtly funny without being obnoxious and the whole cast does an excellent job of making each character feel real.

~~~

So, what's your favorite forgotten, underrated cinema masterpiece? Let me know, because I'm always looking for a good movie to take me away on a cloudy day...

Transforming Discipleship

Greg Ogden

Last year, in a moment of brilliance (*insert sarcastic tone here*), I embarked on an extensive reading list on discipleship and ministry, one of the recommended books being Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden. It takes a lot for me to like non-fiction, so it's truly saying something when I share that I practically devoured this book! I love how it offered up a simple and practical approach to discipleship and still inspires a sense of urgency in the reform of current discipleship programs.

What Greg Ogden does is essentially lay out a plan for growing disciples in our modern church, emphasizing discipling triads (groups of three people growing together in the word) and relationships. He contends that a simple approach to discipleship is better than elaborate programs and believes the pastor's primary job is equipping the flock to minister to others (not doing all the ministry and care giving for the church by himself). He states that by investing in a few (the twelve apostles) and using multiplication through them, Jesus demonstrated to us the most effective way to see true growth within the church; growth that comes from "infant" believers making strides to full maturity.

I think what I loved about this book the most was how it validated feelings I'd had for years regarding my thirst for discipleship. I grew up in the church (well, several churches to be exact) so I'm well seasoned and familiar with the inner workings of the Christian community.  For most of my adult life I've struggled with the "one size fits all" approach to discipleship.  The standard programs the church puts out every year promising growth for believers left me feeling empty and detached from my fellow Christians.  There was something superficial about the process; people could sign up for these programs so they felt like they were growing in Christ but, in reality, all they were doing was thinking deep thoughts about Scripture without ever really practically applying what they learned (or where taught) to their lives. I often felt like part of the class was too advanced for the curriculum and the other part was being presented brand new information. I sensed people were going through the steps of what it meant to be a "good" Christian while the intimacy I longed for was barely there.

Please don't misunderstand me; there are several classes offered in churches and small group studies I earnestly enjoy. However, there have been many times where I have felt like I was studying the same material over and over again. I felt stuck in my discipleship, like I was trapped in a bizarre, religious twist on the "no child left behind" curriculum.

I cannot being to tell you how guilty I've felt for these feelings; as if I'm infested with a spirit of dissension and am causing mini-revolutions by my inability to stomach more of the same lessons without intimacy or growth from my fellow sisters.  I was frustrated beyond belief; how was it that I was an enthusiastic follower of Christ but was not fitting into a certain mold of what a believer should be like and how they learn? I just craved more and I wasn't being fed.

But not one to sit on my hands and wait for another human to take the lead, I began devouring the Scriptures on my own, as if I was starving, and there I found satisfaction and fulfillment. I began my own study and memorization regiment; it was (and still is) awesome! However, there were times I felt as if it would be even more amazing if there were a couple of other people there with me, learning the incredible things the Spirit was teaching me.  Jesus meant so much to me; there was no doubt about that. But why didn't the programs leave me feeling discipled or help me to produce the fruit I yearned to see?

Why was I upset at the assembly line approach to learning God's word? Why didn't I feel the programs offered by the many churches I attended allowed my sisters and I to really go deep and allow vulnerability? To bash through the ice and see each other for the broken but redeemed women we are?

Transforming Discipleship answered many of those questions for me. It validated what I've felt for so long but wasn't able to express and, honestly, didn't feel justified to speak of. This is a must read for anyone wanting more out of their spiritual growth.

So, what does this mean for me? Will I be able to apply some of Greg Ogden's suggestions on discipleship programs? I don't know, but it's given me much to think about.

~excerpts from book~

...from The Strategic Question

"I hear objections from pastors who say they can't have a few in whom they invest because they will be accused of having favorites... These suspicions are rooted in two assumptions. The first assumption is that the pastor's primary role after preaching is to be a caregiver... The second assumption revolves around an appropriate concern about the abuse of power. A perception can grow within a congregation that a small group controls what happens in the life of a church or ministry. Church members can then see themselves as outsiders who find it difficult to penetrate the invisible barrier of an undetectable inner circle. The egalitarian model of equal access, however, is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of the pastoral role. In the biblical view, pastors are gifts to the church, and they are to equip the saints for their ministry, not minister on behalf of the saints. Just so, Jesus thought that investing in a few was so important that he made the selection process public, even at the risk stirring up jealousy and pride."

...from Multiplication

"Jesus' strategy illustrates a principle that church leaders witness regularly: The reach of our ministries is directly proportional to the breadth of our leadership base. Only to the extent that we have grown self-initiating, reproducing, fully devoted disciples can new ministries touch the brokenness of people's lives. Therefore we see unmet needs because we have not intentionally grown champions to meet those needs. However, Jesus knew the human limitation of his incarnate state. As a solitary human being his reach was limited. His strategy was designed to touch the whole world through the multiplication of disciples who were carefully trained. On the eve of his date with the cross, he saw how much fruit his deliberate strategy of multiplication would bear. He said to his disciples, 'Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father' (John 14:12). How can it be that someone could do greater works than the Son of God? The 'greater works' were most likely a matter of quantity more than quality. By Jesus' multiplication of himself in the Twelve, they would geographically cover far greater territory than he ever did in his limited itinerant ministry. By the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit carrying them to the entire known world, the sheer volume of Jesus' ministry would expand exponentially. And so it has been. By focusing on a few, Jesus was not displaying indifference to the multitudes. Instead, Jesus had a different vision for reaching the masses than our approach through mass gatherings. Jesus had enough vision to think small. Robert Coleman captured Jesus' methodology with the turn of a phrase: 'Jesus' concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men the multitudes would follow.'"

...from Jesus' Preparatory Empowerment Model

"How did Jesus set about shaping these twelve into people prepared to carry on his work after he returned to the Father? Acts 4:13 echoes Mark's version of the call of the Twelve to be apostles: 'And he appointed twelve, whom he named apostles, to be with him' (Mark 3:14). Being with Jesus in a relational setting served as the basis to shape the disciples' character and instill Jesus' mission in them. What was the relational, developmental process that Jesus took these disciples through so that they would be ready to carry on his mission? At the outset we must acknowledge that there is no clear step-by-step formula outlined in the Gospels."

...from Developmental Stage Two: Jesus, The Provocative Teacher

[An] encounter in Mark 10 becomes another occasion in which Jesus corrects the theological myths that the disciples have absorbed. A man we have come to know as the 'rich young ruler' approaches Jesus. Here is a great catch, if he can be reeled in. The young man seems eager enough. 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' (Mark 10:17). Jesus responds with a mysterious retort, 'Why do you call me good?' In response to what he must do, Jesus enumerates some of the Ten Commandments. Upon hearing these, the rich young ruler pronounces himself spotless. But Jesus doesn't accept his self-justification. He exposes his god: 'You lack one thing; go, sell what you own...then come, follow me' (Mark 10:21). Jesus calls the question. The young ruler walks away grieving because of his attachment to his great wealth... Mark records the reaction of the disciples. They are perplexed. All of their life they have been taught that there is an inseparable positive correlation between wealth and righteousness... Jesus allowed the disciples to live with conundrums... He wanted disciples who would have to think through the issues... Jesus intentionally troubled the disciples by challenging their cherished assumptions."

...from Climatic Condition One: Transparent Trust

"What are the elements of transparent trust that will allow us to move gradually into the deep waters of transformation?
- Affirming one another through encouragement
- Walking with one another through difficult times
- Being a reflective listener who assists another to hear God's guidance in life's complexities
- Confessing our sins to one another that we may be healed"

...question posed from The Discipleship Difference

"What would happen to the health of your ministry five to seven years from now if multiplying discipleship groups proliferated in the church community?"

...from Leaving A Legacy

"'Every Christian must see themselves as the link to the next generation,' writes William Barclay. We need to practice the hand-off. When all else fails, read the directions. It is not that Jesus' way has been tried and found wanting; it has been largely talked about but not implemented. Return to small, reproducible, long-term relationships as the means of transmission of the gospel from one generation to the next."

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

5 Most Overrated Movies Of All Time

Thursday, March 5, 2015

What I'm Reading

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

5 Most Overrated Movies Of All Time

Thursday, March 5, 2015

What I'm Reading

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