Sermon for January 7th, 2024 - Revision history

Iraneal at 07:13, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T07:13:09Z

Iraneal at 07:11, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T07:11:45Z

Iraneal at 07:03, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T07:03:45Z

Iraneal at 06:39, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T06:39:44Z

Iraneal at 06:21, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T06:21:18Z

Iraneal at 05:18, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T05:18:56Z

Iraneal at 05:11, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T05:11:43Z

Iraneal at 04:29, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T04:29:45Z

Iraneal at 04:21, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T04:21:33Z

Iraneal at 03:22, 7 January 2024

2024-01-07T03:22:38Z

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 Actually I think Noodle resembles a mix of Jesus' followers, including the sisters Mary and Martha. But in the end, she most resembles...us!  You and me.  Like Noodle, we were (spiritual) orphans until Jesus reconciled us to God, our long-lost heavenly parent. At one point in the film, Noodle and Willy are both being buried alive together in liquid chocolate. And then they are both raised up together, out of the chocolate, and out of the underground vault (representing hell).  Our scripture passage from Colossians reminds us that "when [we] were buried with him in baptism, [we] were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Chocolate burial, chocolate baptism.
-====Chocolate Communion=====
+====Chocolate Communion====
 Which leads me to chocolate...probably one of the most pervasive motifs of the film.  After all, Willy Wonka makes chocolate.  It's an extension of his self, his identity, his magic. He learned how to make chocolate from his parent, his mother, and she promised him that when he shared his chocolate with the world, she would be there right beside him.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:11, 7 January 2024
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	====The Wee Little Man====		====The Wee Little Man====
		+	*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vsWjh-KhIk Film Clip #3: Oompa Loompa]
	At first, I couldn't quite figure out how the Oompa Loompa fit into thee Jesus story. I think it was my daughter Abby who figured it out first--she said, "Dad, he's a Wee Little Man," referring to the children's song about Zaccheus, the wee little man who sat aloft in a tree waiting to see Jesus (the Oompa Loompa tells us his name is "Lofty"). Zaccheus, in the Bible, is a tax collector--and Lofty the Oompa Loompa takes a percentage of Willy's chocolate that he feels is owed to him.		At first, I couldn't quite figure out how the Oompa Loompa fit into thee Jesus story. I think it was my daughter Abby who figured it out first--she said, "Dad, he's a Wee Little Man," referring to the children's song about Zaccheus, the wee little man who sat aloft in a tree waiting to see Jesus (the Oompa Loompa tells us his name is "Lofty"). Zaccheus, in the Bible, is a tax collector--and Lofty the Oompa Loompa takes a percentage of Willy's chocolate that he feels is owed to him.

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 ==Faith & Film XII: Wonka==
-*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNh9bTjXWg Film Clip #1: Trailer ]
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNh9bTjXWg Film Clip #1: Trailer]
 ====Three Minute Film Summary====
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ====Come With Me====
+This story should be ridiculously familiar to most of you.  Where else might we have heard the story of a young man returning from the wilderness to start his career, who works miraculous wonders, feeds crowds, transforms lives, and gathers followers, saying to them, "Come with me" -- who confronts and confounds powerful rulers, who then plot to kill him. He is betrayed, and the crowds turn against him.  But he willingly lays down his life to pay the insurmountable debt of his friends, purchasing their freedom. For a time, it seems he is dead and the powerful rulers have prevailed--but then he returns to life, appearing to his followers.  Simultaneously, he descends into the bowels of hell in order to set the captives free forever, defeating his enemies in the process, and assuring us all of our place in the kingdom of God, the world to come with pearly gates, streets of gold, and many mansions.
 This story should be ridiculously familiar to most of you.  Where else might we have heard the story of a young man returning from the wilderness to start his career, who works miraculous wonders, feeds crowds, transforms lives, and gathers followers, saying to them, "Come with me" -- who confronts and confounds powerful rulers, who then plot to kill him. He is betrayed, and the crowds turn against him.  But he willingly lays down his life to pay the insurmountable debt of his friends, purchasing their freedom. For a time, it seems he is dead and the powerful rulers have prevailed--but then he returns to life, appearing to his followers.  Simultaneously, he descends into the bowels of hell in order to set the captives free forever, defeating his enemies in the process, and assuring us of our place in the kingdom of God, the world to come with pearly gates, streets of gold, and many mansions.
 The Wonka story, as presented in this film IS the Jesus story.
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 Actually I think Noodle resembles a mix of Jesus' followers, including the sisters Mary and Martha. But in the end, she most resembles...us!  You and me.  Like Noodle, we were (spiritual) orphans until Jesus reconciled us to God, our long-lost heavenly parent. At one point in the film, Noodle and Willy are both being buried alive together in liquid chocolate. And then they are both raised up together, out of the chocolate, and out of the underground vault (representing hell).  Our scripture passage from Colossians reminds us that "when [we] were buried with him in baptism, [we] were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Chocolate burial, chocolate baptism.
-====Chocolate & Communion=====
+====Chocolate Communion=====
 Which leads me to chocolate...probably one of the most pervasive motifs of the film.  After all, Willy Wonka makes chocolate.  It's an extension of his self, his identity, his magic. He learned how to make chocolate from his parent, his mother, and she promised him that when he shared his chocolate with the world, she would be there right beside him.
 For this reason, I think the chocolate is to Willy Wonka what the Word of God is to Jesus.  Willy shares his chocolate with the people and his mother is with him.  Jesus shares God's Word with the people, and his heavenly father is with him.  Jesus is the Word made flesh, and Willy Wonka IS the heart and soul of his chocolate.  His chocolate transforms lives, just as Jesus transforms lives through his words, his parables, and his preaching.  Incidentally, in the gospels, the religious leaders thought they controlled all access to God's Word.  They thought they alone knew what God's Word was and wasn't.  So too, the leaders of the chocolate cartel:
-*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7StEEBRjJ8 Film Clip #?? - A Good Chocolate]
+*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7StEEBRjJ8 Film Clip #4 - A Good Chocolate]
-At the end of the film, when all the chocolate has been liberated from the vault of the chocolate cartel, and liquid chocolate is streaming out of the fountain in the town square, Willy Wonka fills up a pitcher and pours out chocolate into the cups of the people.  Then he takes the chocolate bar his mother made for him, and in a (very familiar) gesture, he breaks it and shares it with his friends.
+Near the end of the film, when all the chocolate has been liberated from the vault of the chocolate cartel, and liquid chocolate is streaming out of the fountain in the town square, Willy Wonka fills up a pitcher and pours out chocolate into the cups of the people.  Then he takes the chocolate bar his mother made for him, breaks it, and gives it to his friends.  And of course, we recognize the gesture, because we do the same thing every month.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 ====Come With Me====
-*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7StEEBRjJ8 Film Clip #2 - A Good Chocolate]
 This story should be ridiculously familiar to most of you.  Where else might we have heard the story of a young man returning from the wilderness to start his career, who works miraculous wonders, feeds crowds, transforms lives, and gathers followers, saying to them, "Come with me" -- who confronts and confounds powerful rulers, who then plot to kill him. He is betrayed, and the crowds turn against him.  But he willingly lays down his life to pay the insurmountable debt of his friends, purchasing their freedom. For a time, it seems he is dead and the powerful rulers have prevailed--but then he returns to life, appearing to his followers.  Simultaneously, he descends into the bowels of hell in order to set the captives free forever, defeating his enemies in the process, and assuring us of our place in the kingdom of God, the world to come with pearly gates, streets of gold, and many mansions.
@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ====Chocolate & Communion=====
 Which leads me to chocolate...probably one of the most pervasive motifs of the film.  After all, Willy Wonka makes chocolate.  It's an extension of his self, his identity, his magic. He learned how to make chocolate from his parent, his mother, and she promised him that when he shared his chocolate with the world, she would be there right beside him.

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 The Wonka story, as presented in this film IS the Jesus story.
-Now...let me be clear: I doubt this is intentional on the part of the scriptwriters, directors, producers, or actors.  And some of you may think that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail--so to a pastor, everything looks like the gospel story.  But I really think the connections here are too strong to ignore.  And while they may not be conscious, they are certainly unconscious.  God's story, the story of Jesus, is the greatest story ever told--it permeates through all of our culture, art, literature, and storytelling in ways we often don't intend or anticipate. But we can (and should) recognize it, claim it, and proclaim it wherever we find it.  That's a big part of why we do this series every year.
+Now...let me be clear: I doubt this is intentional on the part of the scriptwriters, directors, producers, or actors.  Some of you may think that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail--so to a pastor, everything looks like the gospel story.  But I really think the connections here are too strong to ignore.  And while they may not be conscious, they are at least unconscious.  God's story, the story of Jesus, is the greatest story ever told--it permeates through all of our culture, art, literature, and storytelling in ways we often don't intend or anticipate. But we can (and should) recognize it, claim it, and proclaim it wherever we find it.  That's a big part of why we do this series every year.
-====Flamingoes, Chocolate, Books, Zacheus, Son of Zebedee====
+====Flamingoes & Sheep====
-====Communion====
+Flamingoes are a recurring theme throughout the film. At one point, Noodle sees a flock of flamingoes in the local zoo, and says she's always wondered why they don't just fly away?  Willy says "Perhaps they haven't thought of it." Noodle gives him an incredulous look and says "You're kidding" to which Willy replies, "No, I’m serious. That’s the thing about flamingoes. They’re flock animals. They need someone to show them the way."

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:11, 7 January 2024
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	Willy and friends finally save enough money to open their own store, but at the grand opening the laundry owner secretly poisons his candy, and so the crowds turn against him, destroying the candy and the store. At this point, the leaders of the chocolate cartel offer Willy enough money to pay off the debts of his friends, if he will leave town and never come back. He agrees, and they put him on a boat to Alaska...which they subsequently blow up as it sails away. Miraculously, Willy escapes the explosion and returns to his friends. Together they come up with a plan to sneak into the headquarters of the chocolate cartel (an underground vault hidden beneath a cathedral), to find a book--an accounting ledger--which which would prove the crimes of the chocolate cartel, vindicating Willy and his friends, while also liberating the vast store of chocolate the cartel has been withholding from the town. I won't give away the ending, since there are a few surprises, but I will say that right before the credits roll, Willy Wonka sings the iconic song from the 1971 film adaptation: "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination..." as he strolls into an abandoned castle he has purchased, painting a picture for the audience of what it will look like when he has transformed it into his iconic future chocolate factory.		Willy and friends finally save enough money to open their own store, but at the grand opening the laundry owner secretly poisons his candy, and so the crowds turn against him, destroying the candy and the store. At this point, the leaders of the chocolate cartel offer Willy enough money to pay off the debts of his friends, if he will leave town and never come back. He agrees, and they put him on a boat to Alaska...which they subsequently blow up as it sails away. Miraculously, Willy escapes the explosion and returns to his friends. Together they come up with a plan to sneak into the headquarters of the chocolate cartel (an underground vault hidden beneath a cathedral), to find a book--an accounting ledger--which which would prove the crimes of the chocolate cartel, vindicating Willy and his friends, while also liberating the vast store of chocolate the cartel has been withholding from the town. I won't give away the ending, since there are a few surprises, but I will say that right before the credits roll, Willy Wonka sings the iconic song from the 1971 film adaptation: "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination..." as he strolls into an abandoned castle he has purchased, painting a picture for the audience of what it will look like when he has transformed it into his iconic future chocolate factory.
		+
		+	====Come With Me====
		+	This story should be ridiculously familiar to most of you. Where else might we have heard the story of a young man returning from the wilderness to start his career, who works wonders, feeds crowds, transforms lives, and gathers followers, saying to them, "Come with me" -- who confronts and confounds powerful rulers, who then plot to kill him. He is betrayed, and the crowds turn against him. But he willingly lays down his life to pay the insurmountable debt of his friends, purchasing their freedom. For a time, it seems he is dead and the powerful rulers have prevailed--but then he returns to life, appearing to his followers. Simultaneously, he descends into the bowels of hell in order to set the captives free forever, defeating his enemies in the process, and assuring us of our place in the kingdom of God, the world to come with pearly gates, streets of gold, and many mansions.
		+
		+	The Wonka story, as presented in this film IS the Jesus story.
		+
		+	Now...let me be clear: I doubt this is intentional on the part of the scriptwriters, directors, producers, or actors. And some of you may think that to a hammer, everything looks like a nail--so to a pastor, everything looks like the gospel story. But I really think the connections here are too strong to ignore. And while they may not be conscious, they are certainly unconscious. God's story, the story of Jesus, is the greatest story ever told--it permeates through all of our culture, art, literature, and storytelling in ways we often don't intend or anticipate. But we can (and should) recognize it, claim it, and proclaim it wherever we find it. That's a big part of why we do this series every year.
		+
		+	====Flamingoes, Chocolate, Books, Zacheus, Son of Zebedee====
		+	====Communion====

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 ====Three Minute Film Summary====
-Wonka is a prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl children's story, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."  The film explores the early life of the eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka, before he became the legendary candy maker known to the world.  The film opens as a young Willy Wonka returns home to start his career after seven years abroad. He doesn't have much money, and so ends up in debt to a crooked hotel and laundry facility--where all of the residents/workers owe exorbitant debts they can never hope to repay, making them functionally enslaved to the owners.  Here, Willy makes his first friend and follower, an orphan named Noodle.  The pair make chocolate each night, and sneak out of the laundry facility each day to sell Willy's chocolates in the town square.  The chocolates are magical, and have transformative effects on those who eat them. Willy's presentation begins to draw large crowds, but also the attention of the "chocolate cartel"--the owners of three rival chocolate companies, who tightly control the flow of chocolate in the town, and also control the local law enforcement.  They attempt to get rid of Willy, but he eludes them with the help of Noodle and several other enslaved laundry workers. Somewhere around this time he also encounters Lofty, a small orange man with green hair who has been stalking Willy for several years.
+Wonka is a prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl children's story, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."  The film opens as a young Willy Wonka returns home to start his career after seven years abroad. He doesn't have much money, and so ends up in debt to a crooked hotel and laundry facility--where all of the residents/workers owe exorbitant debts they can never hope to repay, making them functionally enslaved to the owners.  Here, Willy makes his first friend and follower, an orphan named Noodle.  The two of them make chocolate each night, and sneak out of the laundry facility each day to sell chocolate in the town square.  The chocolates are magical, and have transformative effects on those who eat them. Willy's presentation begins to draw large crowds, but also the attention of the "chocolate cartel"--the owners of three rival chocolate companies, who tightly control the flow of chocolate in the town, and also control the local law enforcement.  They attempt to get rid of Willy, but he eludes them with the help of Noodle and several other enslaved laundry workers, now part of Willy's inner circle. Around this time, Willy also encounters Lofty, a small orange man with green hair who has been stalking him for several years.
-Willy and friends finally save enough money to open their own store, but at the grand opening the laundry owner secretly poisons his candy, and so the crowds turn against him, destroying the candy and the store.  At this point, the leaders of the chocolate cartel make their move--they offer Willy enough money to pay off the debts of his friends, if he will leave town and never come back. He reluctantly agrees, and they put him on a boat to Alaska...which they subsequently blow up as it sails away.  Miraculously, Willy escapes the explosion and returns to his friends.  Together they come up with a plan to sneak into the headquarters of the chocolate cartel (an underground vault hidden beneath a cathedral), to find a book--an accounting ledger--which which would prove the crimes of the chocolate cartel, vindicating Willy and his friends, while also liberating the vast store of chocolate the cartel has been withholding from the town.  I won't give away the ending, since there are a few surprises, but I will say that right before the credits roll, Willy Wonka sings the iconic song from the 1971 film adaptation:  "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination..." as he strolls into an abandoned castle he has purchased, and paints a picture for the audience of what it will look like when he has transformed it into his iconic future chocolate factory.
+Willy and friends finally save enough money to open their own store, but at the grand opening the laundry owner secretly poisons his candy, and so the crowds turn against him, destroying the candy and the store.  At this point, the leaders of the chocolate cartel offer Willy enough money to pay off the debts of his friends, if he will leave town and never come back. He agrees, and they put him on a boat to Alaska...which they subsequently blow up as it sails away.  Miraculously, Willy escapes the explosion and returns to his friends.  Together they come up with a plan to sneak into the headquarters of the chocolate cartel (an underground vault hidden beneath a cathedral), to find a book--an accounting ledger--which which would prove the crimes of the chocolate cartel, vindicating Willy and his friends, while also liberating the vast store of chocolate the cartel has been withholding from the town.  I won't give away the ending, since there are a few surprises, but I will say that right before the credits roll, Willy Wonka sings the iconic song from the 1971 film adaptation:  "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination..." as he strolls into an abandoned castle he has purchased, painting a picture for the audience of what it will look like when he has transformed it into his iconic future chocolate factory.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:21, 7 January 2024
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	====Three Minute Film Summary====		====Three Minute Film Summary====
		+	Wonka is a prequel to the beloved Roald Dahl children's story, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The film explores the early life of the eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka, before he became the legendary candy maker known to the world. The film opens as a young Willy Wonka returns home to start his career after seven years abroad. He doesn't have much money, and so ends up in debt to a crooked hotel and laundry facility--where all of the residents/workers owe exorbitant debts they can never hope to repay, making them functionally enslaved to the owners. Here, Willy makes his first friend and follower, an orphan named Noodle. The pair make chocolate each night, and sneak out of the laundry facility each day to sell Willy's chocolates in the town square. The chocolates are magical, and have transformative effects on those who eat them. Willy's presentation begins to draw large crowds, but also the attention of the "chocolate cartel"--the owners of three rival chocolate companies, who tightly control the flow of chocolate in the town, and also control the local law enforcement. They attempt to get rid of Willy, but he eludes them with the help of Noodle and several other enslaved laundry workers. Somewhere around this time he also encounters Lofty, a small orange man with green hair who has been stalking Willy for several years.
		+
		+	Willy and friends finally save enough money to open their own store, but at the grand opening the laundry owner secretly poisons his candy, and so the crowds turn against him, destroying the candy and the store. At this point, the leaders of the chocolate cartel make their move--they offer Willy enough money to pay off the debts of his friends, if he will leave town and never come back. He reluctantly agrees, and they put him on a boat to Alaska...which they subsequently blow up as it sails away. Miraculously, Willy escapes the explosion and returns to his friends. Together they come up with a plan to sneak into the headquarters of the chocolate cartel (an underground vault hidden beneath a cathedral), to find a book--an accounting ledger--which which would prove the crimes of the chocolate cartel, vindicating Willy and his friends, while also liberating the vast store of chocolate the cartel has been withholding from the town. I won't give away the ending, since there are a few surprises, but I will say that right before the credits roll, Willy Wonka sings the iconic song from the 1971 film adaptation: "Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination..." as he strolls into an abandoned castle he has purchased, and paints a picture for the audience of what it will look like when he has transformed it into his iconic future chocolate factory.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:22, 7 January 2024
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	==Faith & Film XII: Wonka==		==Faith & Film XII: Wonka==
		+
		+	*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otNh9bTjXWg Film Clip #1: Trailer ]
		+
		+	====Three Minute Film Summary====