Take my last time in a theatre, for instance. For our 'Youth Christmas Extravaganza' this year, we opted to split our evening playing games at the church and taking in a late movie. There are numerous ones available this time of year and so I decided to allow them to vote online for their pick.
This year's pick was Hugo.
Now, sure, it wasn't my first choice--but I maintained a very open mind. After all, it has gotten great reviews and several people I know were particularly excited about it. After all, the trailer seemed promising enough and the synopsis of the film describes it as "a thrilling journey to a magical world". So, I popped on my 3D glasses and settled in for a magical ride.
Man, I was bored.
That's hardly an exaggeration either. I mean 'bored'. It's one of only a handful of film experiences I've had that I can say that I chose to go to sleep for a bit. Not dozed off. Chose.
Now, let me pause here for a minute. Oddly enough, I'm not even really being critical of the film. I could see that it was particularly well-made (although, to be honest, I felt the 3D aspect was entirely unnecessary). The film was relatively well-acted and included valuable themes of value and hope. What's more, Hugo even referenced classical cinema in a way that provided a veritable cornucopia of film history. (A Trip to the Moon! In a children's film!)
All of this sounds like it's right up my alley, doesn't it? And yet, bored.
For me, this begs the question of 'why?' After much thought--and yes, I spent time investigating why I didn't like a movie--I think I've come to an answer.
I felt like I'd been lied to.
To digest the promotional materials for the film, Hugo is billed as a wild ride into whimsy yet what the we're given is actually quite different. For example, take a moment and compare the one-sheet posters for Hugo and newest vision for The Adventures of TinTin. Although they maintain different content, I would argue that the visuals in both scenes are virtually identical in tone. In all seriousness, this type of advertising does not do Hugo justice. The film is not the adventure that is sold to us. In fact, it's more of a character study. There's a depth to the piece here that puts the film far above Arthur Christmas.
They sell you Narnia but, in actuality, you buy a Dickens novel.
Interestingly, I can't really blame the marketing campaign either. They're simply trying to give the film as general an appeal as possible. It's their job to make money and movies like Hugo are a pretty tough sell to the general public. Usually, I'm fairly self-aware of these things. They just simply caught me off guard this time. (Besides, the last thing that I want is to come across as this person...)
Nevertheless, in light of this, I found myself wrestling with the issue of expectation and preparation. In truth, we do prepare ourselves for a film before the lights dim and camera rolls. If we're viewing a serious drama, we anticipate experiencing the film differently than if we were seeing, say, anything with Tom Cruise. Further, there are also many factors that play into our enjoyment of a particular film as well. Issues such as stress, exhaustion, personal interests or even motivation for seeing a certain film all play a role in whether or not we can engage a film properly. Heck, even distractions in a theatre can ruin a film experience. (Bah! Cell phones!) In fact, if you were to be totally honest with yourself, you might admit that--most of the time--you have already decided whether or not you'll like a film at all before you watch it anyways. (Incidentally, Greg Wright has some good insight into this idea in his recent review of 'The Help'. You can read it here if you're interested.) Regardless of the issue at hand, our movie experiences do not exist in a vacuum.
Ironically, I find that this is also the case with Sunday morning services as well.
Now, obviously, I'm not really comparing a worship service with attending the Cineplex--at least practically speaking anyways. They both serve different purposes in our daily experience. Nonetheless, when you think about it, it's not really that big of a stretch in the context of this conversation, especially in the North American church. For instance, in our culture, attending a Sunday morning service really isn't that different from going to the theatre. (Maybe that's why so many churches thrive in theatres?) For instance, in both scenarios, you come and sit down with people that you may or may not know, stare at the front and are encouraged to digest what is presented to you. Good churches try to break out of this mould and engage the people more directly... but, in our culture, its not all that common.
With this in mind, I have heard (and stated) many arguments as to why someone (myself?) does not get anything out of a time of worship. Like going to see a film, I believe that there is definitely responsibility that lands on the leaders of the church to create an environment that is conducive to engaging God and one another. This includes worship that draws people to the heart of God, a sermon that challenges the hearts, lives and theology of the people and a community which supports, engages and cares for one another in a way that exemplifies God's presence. These are absolutely essential to meet people where they are and invite them to a deeper faith journey.
But it doesn't end there.
I do believe that there is something to be said for our own preparation and motivation on a Sunday morning as well. It is true that responsibility lies on the church for what is presented... but, like my experience in Hugo, my own issues and preparation affect how I engage the worship. Again, stress, exhaustion, motivation... all of these are things that we bring into church on a Sunday morning. We can't avoid them. They're part of our lives.
Still, if we are largely unaware of these things, we risk missing out on what God has for us in these moments. In an echo of our experience with the arts, worship requires a heart of openness and intent to engage in the moment. It requires a willingness to own our distracted and sinful hearts and allow ourselves the freedom to offer them to God so that we might be made new by meeting with Him. It is one thing to be aware of these outside factors and release them. It is quite another to hold onto them in a way that allows them to shape our experience of God. As such, if we can allow God to help us move beyond these barriers, connecting in a worship service can provide opportunities for us to be spoken to in a way that leaves us unsettled.
It's in these moments when we can be shaped.
It's in these moments that we meet God.
So, as we ingest a film, book, song, or sermon for that matter, we must be aware of the factors that shape us in that moment. If left unchecked, these issues can prevent us from connecting with the text in a way that impacts us. Maybe Hugo deserves a second viewing. Maybe it doesn't. Either way, I'll never know what God may/may not have had for me in that theatre that night.
And, as an avid believer that God speaks actively to us in all forms of media, that is the real disappointment.
All of this sounds like it's right up my alley, doesn't it? And yet, bored.
For me, this begs the question of 'why?' After much thought--and yes, I spent time investigating why I didn't like a movie--I think I've come to an answer.
I felt like I'd been lied to.
To digest the promotional materials for the film, Hugo is billed as a wild ride into whimsy yet what the we're given is actually quite different. For example, take a moment and compare the one-sheet posters for Hugo and newest vision for The Adventures of TinTin. Although they maintain different content, I would argue that the visuals in both scenes are virtually identical in tone. In all seriousness, this type of advertising does not do Hugo justice. The film is not the adventure that is sold to us. In fact, it's more of a character study. There's a depth to the piece here that puts the film far above Arthur Christmas.
They sell you Narnia but, in actuality, you buy a Dickens novel.
Interestingly, I can't really blame the marketing campaign either. They're simply trying to give the film as general an appeal as possible. It's their job to make money and movies like Hugo are a pretty tough sell to the general public. Usually, I'm fairly self-aware of these things. They just simply caught me off guard this time. (Besides, the last thing that I want is to come across as this person...)
Nevertheless, in light of this, I found myself wrestling with the issue of expectation and preparation. In truth, we do prepare ourselves for a film before the lights dim and camera rolls. If we're viewing a serious drama, we anticipate experiencing the film differently than if we were seeing, say, anything with Tom Cruise. Further, there are also many factors that play into our enjoyment of a particular film as well. Issues such as stress, exhaustion, personal interests or even motivation for seeing a certain film all play a role in whether or not we can engage a film properly. Heck, even distractions in a theatre can ruin a film experience. (Bah! Cell phones!) In fact, if you were to be totally honest with yourself, you might admit that--most of the time--you have already decided whether or not you'll like a film at all before you watch it anyways. (Incidentally, Greg Wright has some good insight into this idea in his recent review of 'The Help'. You can read it here if you're interested.) Regardless of the issue at hand, our movie experiences do not exist in a vacuum.
Ironically, I find that this is also the case with Sunday morning services as well.
Now, obviously, I'm not really comparing a worship service with attending the Cineplex--at least practically speaking anyways. They both serve different purposes in our daily experience. Nonetheless, when you think about it, it's not really that big of a stretch in the context of this conversation, especially in the North American church. For instance, in our culture, attending a Sunday morning service really isn't that different from going to the theatre. (Maybe that's why so many churches thrive in theatres?) For instance, in both scenarios, you come and sit down with people that you may or may not know, stare at the front and are encouraged to digest what is presented to you. Good churches try to break out of this mould and engage the people more directly... but, in our culture, its not all that common.
With this in mind, I have heard (and stated) many arguments as to why someone (myself?) does not get anything out of a time of worship. Like going to see a film, I believe that there is definitely responsibility that lands on the leaders of the church to create an environment that is conducive to engaging God and one another. This includes worship that draws people to the heart of God, a sermon that challenges the hearts, lives and theology of the people and a community which supports, engages and cares for one another in a way that exemplifies God's presence. These are absolutely essential to meet people where they are and invite them to a deeper faith journey.
But it doesn't end there.
I do believe that there is something to be said for our own preparation and motivation on a Sunday morning as well. It is true that responsibility lies on the church for what is presented... but, like my experience in Hugo, my own issues and preparation affect how I engage the worship. Again, stress, exhaustion, motivation... all of these are things that we bring into church on a Sunday morning. We can't avoid them. They're part of our lives.
Still, if we are largely unaware of these things, we risk missing out on what God has for us in these moments. In an echo of our experience with the arts, worship requires a heart of openness and intent to engage in the moment. It requires a willingness to own our distracted and sinful hearts and allow ourselves the freedom to offer them to God so that we might be made new by meeting with Him. It is one thing to be aware of these outside factors and release them. It is quite another to hold onto them in a way that allows them to shape our experience of God. As such, if we can allow God to help us move beyond these barriers, connecting in a worship service can provide opportunities for us to be spoken to in a way that leaves us unsettled.
It's in these moments when we can be shaped.
It's in these moments that we meet God.
So, as we ingest a film, book, song, or sermon for that matter, we must be aware of the factors that shape us in that moment. If left unchecked, these issues can prevent us from connecting with the text in a way that impacts us. Maybe Hugo deserves a second viewing. Maybe it doesn't. Either way, I'll never know what God may/may not have had for me in that theatre that night.
And, as an avid believer that God speaks actively to us in all forms of media, that is the real disappointment.
