Bob at his desk in the Sports area of his newspaper’s office.
July-August 2006
What actually helps church members to live the baptismal covenant?
Member mission’s worksheets do! Typical comment:
“Why did I have to wait forty years to hear and see this!”
Go to Basic Tools > Basic Tools 3, 3A, and 3B.
This month
STORIES
• Serving God in Hollywood
• A woman who cleans homes part-time
• A sports editor works at being fair
• “ . . . vehicles of change . . .”
• From a Cub Scout den leader
• Will The Episcopal Church come still closer to member mission?
RESOURCES
• 50 Ways to Pray: Practices from Many Traditions and Times
• “The Child as Consumer: A North American Problem of Ambivalence Concerning the Spirituality of Childhood in Late Capitalist Consumer Culture”
• Joy at Work: Bible Study Companion
• Initiatives: In Support of Christians in the World
FOR MEDITATION
• Why are member missions harder than congregational missions?
• On immigration policies
STORIES
Serving God in Hollywood
Two members of the film community in Hollywood talked of their learnings and experiences at the annual consultation of the Coalition for Ministry in Daily Life, April 21-23, 2006 at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA: Scott Derrickson, a screenwriter and director (fourteen screenplays, most recently The Exorcism of Emily Rose); and Ralph Winter a producer (Star Trek films, Fantastic Four, X-Men).
Derrickson, who grew up in Colorado and termed himself an “ex-fundamentalist,” said, “I spent a good number of years of my life trying to answer the question, What does it mean to serve God? For me, as a Christian in the film industry, everything changed when I got that first paycheck . . . If I'm going to put myself out there as a Christian in Hollywood, I'd better be good at what I do. I’ve felt fulfilled when professionals find out that I'm a Christian and admire what I do – and I realize that I've changed the picture for them."
Winter echoed Derrickson, saying, “It is about excellence . . . But beyond excellence, it’s also about integrity. I hope my films get people talking about what’s important, what life’s all about.”
They were asked: “Were there times when you had to make a choice that could have jeopardized your career?”
Derrickson: “One of the benefits of a Christian working in Hollywood, is that they don’t care about what you believe. They care about money . . . When it comes down to doing the right thing or the wrong thing, do the right thing and if you have to pay the price for it, pay it . . . But I’ve had to learn that the situations that come up in the workplace are rarely that simple . . . What I like about Jesus is that he always seemed to look for the meaning and motive behind a question . . . I took a script to Tri-Star Pictures about angels and demons. I was asked, ‘Do you really believe that stuff?’ I figured the executive wanted to know if I was a guy with an agenda who would try to usurp his studio. I answered, ‘What I believe is not really relevant. What matters is that people want to believe in angels and the spiritual realm. This story appeals to that desire.’ He nodded seeming to say that he appreciated that I was, at least, smart enough to answer that way. In my car driving home, I got my wife on the phone and wailed, ‘I denied Jesus!’ I was panicking but then I realized that I had made the right decision.
. . . I went to a studio with a real story where a 17-year-old girl has a vision of the Virgin Mary and dies. I believed the movie had some redemptive value and some beauty in it. The head of the studio said, ‘We have to cut this scene. You’re just some Christian with some Christian agenda.’ I was so mad. It wasn’t true. I was trying to tell this real person’s story. I said, ‘Look, I do believe it. It does matter to me. But that’s the story. If you don’t want to do this scene, let’s not make the movie.’ He backed off. That scene became the poster of the movie. He and I are now good friends.
. . . Situational ethics are downplayed. Ethics are always situational and cater to the specifics of a situation. I’ve turned down projects because of my faith. So, what! Everybody in their work place has to do that. I believe in being thoughtful and shrewd and not throwing yourself on the sacrificial altar too quickly. You can be self-righteous in doing that. It’s all about the struggle and being willing to do the work to figure out in each situation what truly is for the longer, greater good and deal with it accordingly.”
Winter: “It’s not always a clear decision. I don’t have to choose between doing Snow White and a porno movie. It’s always more subtle – shades of gray. This is the way our work place is no matter what we do . . . The daily temptation is to skew that email in a way that elevates me and diminishes someone else . . . I’ve walked away from movies because they were bad stories. Sam Ramey, George Clooney, and I were going to make ‘Frosty, the Snow Man.” We had a great opportunity to build a great franchise. The studio would not endorse the story we wanted to tell and pay for it. They wanted to spend a lot money and I said, “You know what – you’ve got the wrong guys.” And I talked Sam and George out of doing it and we walked away. “Don’t pay me any more. I’m not going to cash the checks anymore,’ I said.
. . . There was one time I had a huge decision to make. I had taken a movie to build my career – to get away from ‘Star Trek’ and do other things. United Artists asked me to break away from what I was doing, ‘We need you to take over the James Bond movie.’ It would have been a terrific addition to my resume. My wife, Judy, and I talked and she helped me to see that it would mean another six months away from my family. It would do nothing for my family. I had to be away when her father died. We decided I would not take it. For six months after I finished the movie I was working on, I didn’t find work. It was a very trying time. I thought, ‘God, is this how you will honor the decision that we made.’ All of our accounts went down to zero. Then, out of the blue came an offer to work on a televison show that filmed in the valley. Ironically, the executive producer of the show was Stephen Spielberg. My career took off in a whole different direction. And we’ve been married 32 years!”
When asked about using film clips in the context of worship, Winter advised, “The movies are not good at answering questions - they're good at asking questions. If you find a clip that answers questions, don't use it - it's not a good film.”
A woman who cleans homes part-time
How do you see God to be connected with this part-time work?
“If it were not for God, I could not do anything. God is always there.”
How does God help you to do it?
“God helps me all the time. One time in particular, the woman I was working for asked me how I was doing. I confided I was having difficulty with my husband. I had been enduring twelve and a half years of abuse. My family was telling me I must never divorce. This woman said, ‘You know your own mind. There is no reason to keep enduring this abuse.’ That night, he was abusive again kicking an electric fan at me while he was drunk. I got the divorce and have been married for five years to a man who loves me.” [Note her employer’s mission, as well.]
A sports editor works at being fair
Bob at his desk in the Sports area of his newspaper’s office.
How does your faith guide your work as sports editor?
As Sports Editor for the Plattsburgh, NY Press-Republican, Bob Goetz tries to be fair to all sides in covering events. He finds that people are very goal-oriented and impatient today. “I try to give all callers a chance to say what’s on their minds. I get both sides and I try to meet their needs. There’s only so much space available so I have to strike a balance. Faith helps me to see the problems are not the end of the world and to step back and to be reasonable.
How do you see God working with you to help you to do it?
God gives me security that I am doing the right thing. I respond better to crises now. I used to be very defensive. I learned this through being active in the church. As I helped the priest, John Sorensen, at funerals and nursing homes, I saw that he never let things get him down. Also, in the nursing home, I saw people having far more to cope with than I did. I learned to relax from John and it carried over to my work here. I began to take calls seriously without being defensive.”
“ . . . vehicles of change . . .”
The Rt. Rev. John Privett, bishop of Kootenay in Canada, tells of the happy time of being with a small town congregation which “saw themselves as vehicles of change and well-being in the community.”
From a Cub Scout den leader
“Tonight we had the first den meeting since our den was split from the other one. I have not felt very qualified to be a den leader, but wanted to be sure the boys, and especially my son, had a den – he loves scouts. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and uncomfortable with this role. Finally, just a couple days ago, I realized what I had forgotten. When we get ‘jobs’ to do in our church, they are called ‘callings’ – just like a minister being called to a parish. And we’re supposed to do our best to ‘magnify our calling’ – meaning to do the best job we possibly can with the Lord’s help. I finally remembered to ask for the Lord’s help with this ‘calling’ of being a den leader. I say ‘calling’ because though I would never have initiated being a leader in this area, it became clear that I had to be the one to do it. Sometimes we can discern where we need to be, but other times we simply need to discern that we are needed, and then provide the help.
I had the meeting at our home, which I’ve wanted to do from the beginning – and it went very well! The boys had a good time, and seemed to begin a bonding process for the first time. The other three parents were talking and laughing when I got back from outside with the boys, and we made plans to do fun things over the summer that would work toward badge requirements. There is one smaller child, and my son and I talked about how we wanted to be especially friendly to him. I said a prayer before the meeting, and it was answered.
It is so important to call upon the Lord, and see every job as an opportunity to do His will – especially when working with children.”
Will The Episcopal Church come still closer to member mission?
General Convention 2006 resolution A088 called for “develop[ing] liturgies which recognize and celebrate ministry in daily life for inclusion in the next edition of the ‘Book of Occasional Services;’ and . . . carry[ing] out this work in collaboration with the Standing Commission on Ministry Development.” Explanation: “This liturgy would more directly enable congregations to support the baptized as they live out their baptismal covenant in their families, their communities, and their work.” Also, round table discussions at the Convention during the morning Eucharist included questions on connecting the Gospel and daily life.
Why doesn’t the next Convention request all congregations to develop ways to help each member actually to discern their present missions in each of their daily mission fields – the three above plus the wider world (all from cultural patterns to business and government); leisure; and church (one’s own spiritual growth and one’s share in church life and outreach). Only a dream?
RESOURCES
“The Child as Consumer: A North American Problem of Ambivalence Concerning the Spirituality of Childhood in Late Capitalist Consumer Culture” – Sewanee Theological Review (Christmas 2004), by Joyce Ann Mercer. Advertising teaches children to accept TVs and cell phones in place of their parents. Relationships with children are structured around consumption and the market values of self-interest and utilitarianism. For a PDF copy, Email str@sewanee.edu. Also see Mercer’s book, Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood, Chalice Press, 2005, ISBN – 9780827242517 in paper. [A repeat as a useful resource for work with parents.]
50 Ways to Pray: Practices from Many Traditions and Times, Teresa A. Blythe, Abingdon, 2006. Fifty prayer and reflection exercises offer past leaders in spirituality, present methods, reflection on the media, and a leader’s guide for each exercise. It is written for both individual and group use. Member mission users will want to add application to what’s ahead in each of the daily mission fields for the coming week. $13.00; ISBN: 0687331048
Initiatives: In Support of Christians in the World – this newsletter (eight issues per year) reports on “taking the initiative” in a wide variety of social, cultural, and business settings. For example, the June 2006 issue carried stories about migrants, complaints of workers, colleges, immigration, and peace. Subscribe with a donation to National Center for the Laity, PO Box 291102, Chicago, IL 60629.
Joy at Work: Bible Study Companion (with a DVD), Raymond Bakke, William Hendricks, and Brad Smith, PVG, 2005. Wanting work to be a place of joy, not drudgery, Dennis Bakke built AES, a worldwide energy company, around values such as workplace freedom; accountability and feedback on performance; social responsibility; the employees as well as the stockholders as stakeholders; individual creativity at every level; and all employees on salary. Based on Bakke’s Joy at Work, this ten-session study draws out the biblical basis for a joyful workplace and the values to sustain it. It combines biblical readings, theological principles, and questions for small-group discussion, with guidelines for immediate and long-term application by both for profit and not for profit organizations. The three authors combine wide experience in management and teaching Christian values for daily life. ISBN: 0976268639
FOR MEDITATION
Why are member missions harder than congregational missions? Congregational missions work under the protective cover of the institution and are made up of like-minded people. For members on mission, it’s just you and Jesus and whomever the two of you can get to work with you. The ongoing miracle is the number of members who don’t give up.
On immigration policies: Jews and Christians share this scripture: “You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt” (Exod. 22:21). God’s people are to regard sojourners not with fear, indifference or loathing, but with love and respect. Bring this to bear on questions of how to work with illegal immigrants and those who aid them when they are in need; also on their role in farming and industry. The idea that the alien among us is anything other than beloved elicits some of scripture's strongest words: “‘Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.’ All the people shall say, Amen!’” (Deut. 27:19). [Adapted from The Christian Century of 7/11/06, p. 5.]
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