Two seemingly unrelated stories recently captured my attention. One came my way while on an afternoon date with my wife. The other arrived the same night, as I sat down and read a book written by a long-term friend. By…
‘Bapticostal’ comic rising Hollywood star
By Jeff Brumley Nowadays, comedian Michael Joiner is billed as “God’s Smart Aleck” to gently remind audiences that his clean humor comes from a Christian perspective. But there was a time when the Indiana native, raised a Baptist, was anything…
Jesus, Easter, and the always-awesome “Office Space”
Once, when I worked at a job that had regular staff meetings that I quite abhorred, I found great and sacred solace in the profound film Office Space. How could it not provide a plethora of holy moments? Here, in this…
Prof shares passion for film
By Linda Brinson If Noel Manning were a betting man, he’d have an edge in predicting the winners at the Oscar awards ceremony Sunday night, Feb. 24. As a voting member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Manning evaluated most…
Bill and Ted’s excellent Lenten journey
Our church partners with a rehabilitation organization in town with whom I occasionally have the opportunity to worship. At the beginning of all of their worship experiences, they sing a song that repeats this same opening line – “I woke…
A house divided still
Stephen Spielberg’s “Lincoln” pulled in $34 million over the Thanksgiving weekend, running a distant but respectable third behind the new Twilight and James Bond movies. When I saw the film over the weekend, the audience applauded as the credits rolled….
The theology of the living dead
The zombies are coming! The third season of the hit show “The Walking Dead” is out. This hit TV show is based on a popular comic book series by the same name. This new series is not your typical ‘horror’…
Why we love the paranormal
What is it about the paranormal that Americans find so fascinating? A Gallup poll found that about 75% of Americans believe in the paranormal (ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, etc…) Nearly 50% believe in ghosts and 41% believe in extrasensory perception….
Colorado tragedy affects Texas family
By Bob Allen The impact of last week’s shooting rampage at a Colorado movie theater was felt as far away as Texas, where a family well-known among Texas Baptists mourned the loss of a brother and son. Texas native Gordon…
‘The Blind Side’ removal brings backlash
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources’ recent decision to no longer stock The Blind Side DVD on bookstore shelves has struck a nerve with Christian authors. Rachel Held Evans, who was asked by Thomas Nelson Publishers to remove the word…
“The Blind Side” gets blindsided
Baptist news wires carried the story recently about a successful protest by a Baptist preacher to remove a movie from LifeWay stores. The movie is “The Blind Side,” starring Sandra Bullock. It was based on the book by the same…
LifeWay pulls ‘Blind Side’ from stores
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Stores will no longer sell videos of “The Blind Side” after a Florida pastor proposed a resolution for next week’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting protesting the sale of a PG-13 movie that contains profanity…