Difference between revisions of "Sermon for February 11th, 2024"

Revision as of 19:57, 10 February 2024

John 8:2-11

2 Early in the morning he [Jesus] came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Psalm 34:15-18

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Faith & Film XII - Waitress: The Musical

• [Film Clip #1: Trailer] (1:34)

Three Minute Film Summary

Jenna Hunterson is a Waitress, and according to everyone who knows her, a "Pie Genius." But the pies she makes at the diner where she works are for Jenna an escape from the hard reality of her life: An abusive husband and an unwanted pregnancy. She daydreams of entering and winning a local pie making contest that will give her enough money to leave her husband and start a new life. She also begins to have an affair with her gynecologist, a kind, gentle (but married) man who notices her and listens to her. For Jenna, the affair (like the pies she makes) is an intoxicating escape from the harsh reality of her life. Jenna is encouraged by her two friends and fellow waitresses, Dawn and Becky, who are also trying to fill the void in their lives in the best ways they can. She is also sometimes antagonized and sometimes encouraged by Joe--the cranky old man who owns the diner, and several other establishments in town (which should give you a clue as to his identity). Through the course of the film (and many songs) Jenna wrestles with her desperate situation, her own choices (which often seem to make things worse), and with the new life that is growing inside her womb.

Three Dreamers

In this (somewhat longish) clip, Jenna's friend Dawn is about to go on a blind date, and asks Jenna to make her a special pie to take to her date. Pay attention to the three ingredients, the three friends, and the connection between dreams and believers.

• [Film Clip #2: Dreamers] (5:06)

Like we saw last month in the movie "Holdovers" the number three is important here. Sugar, Butter, Flour coming together to create something more than themselves, three friends working in sync to help, support, and even transform each other. This is a human reflection of the work of the Trinity--God in three persons, working to create, sustain, and transform the world. But there is another Trinity at work in the film, too--not a human one that deals only in dreams, but a more subtle one, a divine Trinity that has the power to actually transform reality. More on that later.

Adultery & Judgment

Jenna's affair with her doctor is an undeniable and substantial part of the film. She knows that it's wrong, and says as much several times. And yet, as a viewer, you find yourself rooting for this adulterous affair, because of how horribly bad Jenna's husband is, and how the doctor genuinely cares for her, and helps her to see find value, worth, and significance in herself. In this next clip, as Jenna embraces the doctor, she speaks out loud a wish for her unborn baby:

• [Film Clip #4: You Matter to Me] (1:37)

In so many films that came out this year, with values that are decidedly less biblical, less scriptural, an affair like this one would have been portrayed as justified, even liberating. But even while it might be "understandable" given Jenna's situation, I like how the film doesn't shy away from the real moral dilemma it presents.

• [Film Clip #3: Joe] (2:23)

• [Film Clip #5: Old Man] (2:32)

Amazing Grace

• [Film Clip #6: Everything Changes 1] (3:10)
• [Film Clip #7: Everything Changes 2] (3:16)