Family Matters

A publication of Arlington Heights Church of Christ

This bulletin is updated on the 1st of each month.

July 2008

Examples of Redeeming This Culture – Part 2

Do you enjoy curling up on the couch to watch a movie?  I can tell you that this is one of my favorite pastimes, and one that I try to put into practice on a regular basis.  I don’t know about you, but I like to watch movies that will make me think.  Because of that, I like to create dialogue after watching a thought-provoking movie.  One of these movies that I have just recently viewed is Chocolat, which was released in December of 2000, by Miramax.  In the interest of providing you another example of how we can redeem the culture around us for our Lord so that we may make it our tool in conversation to bring the world around us toward redemption, I submit to you some excerpts from Al Maxey’s theological review of Chocolat:

“You see, after all, this is a film contrasting the tyranny of religious oppression and the freedom that comes when one simply seeks to practice our Lord's command to "love one another." A woman who is free finds herself surrounded by a village enslaved. The story shows the leavening power of a love for freedom and how it affects one person after another as it spreads throughout the village. As the movie unfolds before my eyes, I see all too clearly the battle being waged even today within the community of the redeemed. Many are enslaved to the tyranny of legalistic, patternistic theology (clearly portrayed in Chocolat), while a few, who truly know and appreciate their freedom in Christ, seek to bring the leavening power of liberty to those captives who live all about them.

As the story opens, Vianne and Anouk are carried by a strong north wind (perhaps symbolizing being led by the Spirit) to a small, quiet village in France around the year 1959. As they arrive, most of the citizens are assembled at the local Catholic church. It is the season of Lent, and the restrictions of that religious season are strictly enforced in this village. The citizens are ruled with an iron fist by the mayor -- the Comte de Reynaud. He lords it over the village and the villagers, even spying upon them to make sure they stray neither to the right nor to the left from the "straight and narrow." There is little joy in this village. They are slaves to the religious tyranny of the Comte de Reynaud. Even the young Catholic priest, Pere Henri is controlled by the mayor. The priest is forced to read sermons written for him by the Comte de Reynaud, sermons designed to instill fear into the hearts of the people and increase the control of the village lord. The young priest longs to be free, but hasn't the courage to oppose the intimidating mayor. Thus, he is a puppet on a string, and the people sit stoically within their pews enduring the service, too fearful to do otherwise. The mayor even tells Pere Henri at one point, "If you haven't seen the chocolaterie, you might want to take a look. It's important to know one's enemies." Thus, anything and anyone who opposes this man's rigid religious tradition is "the enemy" .... an attitude often seen even to this day among religious extremists and legalistic patternists.

Into this village comes Vianne and her daughter. They locate an empty shop, lease it, and begin working to open a chocolate shop...during Lent. The townspeople are cautiously curious, not daring to show too much interest, however, lest the spies report them to the village mayor. However, their hunger for something sweet and pleasant grows within their hearts. The mayor is greatly troubled by this "heresy" that has crept into his town, and he employs the typical "smear and fear" tactics of such tyrants, seeking to rid the village of this godless spirit that has come among them.  Chocolat presents in compelling fashion, through memorable character studies, the unfolding struggle between religious dogmatism and the yearning within the hearts of the oppressed to simply be free. NOT free from God, but free from those who would lord it over them and quench the spirit within them. The interactions throughout the film, quite frankly, parody some of the very struggles and squabbles found within the church today. In particular, it visualizes for us the magnitude of the clash when grace comes within the walls of the village known as legalism and opens shop!”  - Used with permission from http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx198.htm

Have a redemptive month!                                                                                                 In His Service,

Shepherd’s Corner   

Might I Have a Heart Problem?

The Bible speaks of the mind, the seat of the intellect and emotions, as the heart.  Thus, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23).  The heart may bring forth good or evil treasure (Mat. 12:35).  Christians obey from their hearts (Rom. 6:17; Eph. 6:6), pray from their hearts (Rom. 10:1; 2 Tim. 2:22), give from their hearts (2 Cor. 9:7), and sing, making melody in their hearts (Eph. 5:19).  The hearts of others may be hardened so they will not be converted (Jn. 12:30), or be filled to lie (Acts 5:3), or otherwise not be right in the sight of God (Acts 8:21). 

Annanias and Sapphira were disciples, husband and wife, who had heart problems (Acts 5:1-11). The concern to minister to needy disciples was so great in the early church that those who had abundance sold their possessions in order to provide for those who were in need (also Acts 2:44-45).  The giving and sharing of the early church is emphasized as much as faithfulness to doctrine, assembly, and evangelism!  While many disciples gave freely from their hearts, Annanias and Sapphira conspired in their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit, God, about their giving.  The apostle Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, confronted them with their sin, and gave them both an opportunity for repentance by questioning what they had done.  When repentance was not forthcoming, they were judged and condemned for their sin.  God would not be mocked, and they reaped what they had sown (Gal. 6:7).  They were not condemned for withholding a portion of the proceeds from their possession, but for conspiring to lie about it to the Holy Spirit. Heart problems always result in lies.  When Christians choose not to give, assemble, worship, or serve faithfully, although they may begin by lying to themselves, they invariably end up lying to God.  The hypocrisy of Annanias and Sapphira served as a powerful motivational example for the early church (Acts 5:11).  It should be just as powerful for Christians in every age, including ours, as we examine ourselves for potential heart problems that can limit the work of the Lord’s church.  

                                                                                                                                Blair Anderson