Movies as Ministry

Here are more highlights from another article in Catalyst Monthly.

Movies as Ministry                
By Brandon McCormick

...For thousands of years, humanity has had a steady love affair with the "story".   ...Stories explained love,   life, and every other magical thing that they encountered. Today, filmmakers   like Steven Spielberg tell stories that remind us to continue to see the world   as a child. Before him, Shakespeare told stories that made us marvel at the   workings of love and hate. And even before him, Jesus told stories to show us   what the kingdom of heaven is like. ...

...although the motion picture is relatively new to society...it has quickly become   the mainstream vehicle of story for the masses.

I believe that there is no better way to understand and critique the world   around us than through film. For that reason, movie watching groups within the   Church has become a popular and important way to understand and connect with   the culture we live in.
Art in film has become a reflector of our society. For example, the award winning   film "Crash" addresses racism and prejudice that still exists in   society today. ...More and more films   are bringing awareness to social justice issues. In the upcoming movie "Trade",   the audience will be exposed to the problem of sex trafficking of young girls   through America. Films like these can become a call to action, inspiring Christ   followers to do something about these issues.

A theme found in many blockbusters is simply a re-telling of the grand story   of good overcoming evil. We relate to these stories because in them is found   the very same story of the Gospel-of a great evil overcome by a true good.   In fact, when we look closely, there is a very real thread with all great stories--the one true story--the story of redemption...
The story of the Gospel is all around us. It's in our favorite films,   with our favorite characters. As Christians, it is our responsibility to understand   the world around us and find redemption in the media that has become a part   of our lives. If we were to understand this, we would then speak the language   of culture fluently, and for the cause of Christ and the redemption he brings.

(Brandon McCormick is a 22 year old filmmaker from Lawrenceville, Georgia. He   creates short films weekly for Crossroads Community Church. Brandon has launched   a production company called Whitestone Motion Pictures (www.whitestonemotionpictures.com)   and is currently working on a short film for Sundance. He is also planning his   first feature film.)