Sermon for February 11th, 2018
Contents
2 corinthians 4:15-18
15 Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18 because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
Faith & Film VI: The Last Jedi
- Film Clip #1 - Trailer
Three Minute Film Synopsis
Two years ago, I preached on the Star Wars film "The Force Awakens" and I told myself at the time that I probably wouldn't preach on another Star Wars film for a long time. So why did I change my mind? Quite simply, it's this: More people saw "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" than any other film in 2017. In just under three months, it has already become the 13th most watched film of all time, and that number will only continue to climb. If you haven't seen this movie, you are in the minority.
A big part of why I do this series every year is not because of any merit the films may have in themselves (although this one does have quite a bit of merit!) but because the films we pay money to go see in droves each year tell us a lot about ourselves--what we're interested in, what we're afraid of, what we hope and dream and think. And then when you throw in a popular film franchise like Star Wars, with a four decade long history, you really have a chance to see how we as a culture are changing, growing, evolving through the years.
On the surface, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is just another familiar Star Wars film with a very familiar plot line: It begins with some rebel fighters (the resistance) in space on the run from a militaristic empire (the First Order) with a tyrannical leader (Supreme Leader Snoke) and his evil henchman (Kylo Ren). One of the rebels (in this case, the young girl Rey) is dispatched to a distant part of the galaxy to find a reclusive Jedi (Luke Skywalker) who can save the day, or at least train her to become the next Jedi and the next great light of hope.
Where Can Hope Be Found?
- early church, despair
