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C.S. Lewis, Narnia
C.S. Lewis, Narnia Entries in C.S. Lewis (3)
Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion: About The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 12:48PM 
There are few things worse than bad Christian art: well-intentioned, communicating a “correct” message, and just plain bad. It’s like taking medicine: you know it’s supposed to be good for you, so why is it so unpleasant?
That’s why discovering well-done works of art that honor Jesus is an experience to be treasured. And one of those treasures is Walden Media’s Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Having regained creative control of the Narnia franchise from the Monolithic Corporate Mouse (who shall not be mentioned here) Walden gave director Michael Apted the freedom to adapt C.S. Lewis’ third book of the Narnia series for the screen. Good moves all around: this is a fine film.
The commercial performance of Dawn Treader will likely determine whether the rest of the Narnia stories find their way into film: the darkened Prince Caspian movie, tweaked by the Mouse to resemble a teenage action picture made a profit, but only a small one. Small enough to drive the Round-eared Corporate Creature away--thank God for small blessings. Christians interested in seeing the entire series should vote with their feet (and dollars) immediately and support this movie.
It’s the best of the series, true to the spirit of Lewis’ book while condensing the lengthy tale. Georgie Henley shines as Lucy--my favorite character. This movie deserves your support because it’s well-made. And since everyone’s entitled to my opinion, I think you should march down to the cine-mega-monster-complex and watch The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Everyone's Entitled to My Opinion . . . About My Best Friends
Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 08:23AM In my opinion there are three people you absolutely must meet--and only one of them is dead. Every Student of Jesus needs to drink from the well of older brothers and sisters. Here are three sources of fresh water:
C.S. Lewis: I had been a high-school evangelical for three years when someone handed me this collection of essays, God in the Dock. They changed my life, and Lewis became my first teacher. He's more than the Narnia movie guy: if you have never read C.S. Lewis, you have missed one of God’s great gifts to the church in the last hundred years. God in the Dock was the most formative work of Lewis for me because it captured my heart and my attention. Thirty-plus years later, Lewis is my constant companion. There’s an excellent introductory website as well.
Dallas Willard: An ordained Southern Baptist minister, with a PhD in Philosophy, who teaches at USC: that ought to catch your attention! His book, The Divine Conspiracy, put into words things which I knew, but didn’t know that I knew! Willard cracks open our narrow ideas of “the gospel” and re-introduces evangelicals to “the gospel of the Kingdom of God.” It was the message of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul. That ought to be good enough for any disciple. There’s a killer-good iPhone app (you know Jesus used an iPhone, right?) entitled “Hearing God Devotional.” It’ll be the best $2.99 you’ve ever spent.
Bill Johnson: Oddly enough, I recommend his audio above his books. Bethel Church (Redding, CA) has a Sermon of the week (it’s also available as a podcast). Bill Johnson is the kind of guy who drives theological types crazy. “Everything you read in the scripture is an invitation to experience,” and "It’s unethical to take the promises of God and consign them to the millennium.” He is a practitioner. Take it from me--I’ve been to his church and seen the fruit--he’s the real deal. He and his staff will challenge you, but that's OK, right?
There you go: in my opinion these guys ought to be your new best friends.
At the beach with Clive Staples
Monday, August 17, 2009 at 10:29AM I’m on vacation this week, and it would be impolite not to invite you along. Imagine you’re at the beach: can you hear the gentle Gulf of Mexico waves coming ashore? Can you feel the breeze—which always feels just right? And of course, a beach companion, C.S. Lewis. Rather than try to write anything useful (I left my brain back in Kentucky), I think I’ll let you look over my shoulder and enjoy what I am reading: Reflections on the Psalms
From his essay, “A Word about Praising,” here are a few choice cuts.
“The most obvious fact about praise escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honour. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game—praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest and at the same time the most balanced and capacious, minds, praised most, while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praised least. The good critics found something to praise in many imperfect works; the bad ones continually narrowed the list of books we might be allowed to read.”
And later on:
“I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: ‘Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?’ The Psalmists, in telling everyone to praise God, are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about.”
To complete the thought:
“The praise not only expresses, but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete until it is expressed.”
So whether you are at the beach or on the job, I invite you to join the glad celebration: “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, enter into His courts with praise.” It will be the sanest thing you do today. Surf's up, gotta go.