Because of Winn-Dixie

Last night was the final night of Vacation Bible School. This was the first year we offered an adult class, and Janelle and I served as its facilitators. Each night we watched a movie and then spent about 30 minutes discussing it together.

From Sunday evening through Wednesday evening, we watched The End of the Spear, Signs, Radio, and Facing the Giants. While the first and last films were overtly Christian in nature, the films for Monday and Tuesday were not. All four films have a very positive, uplifting message. I wanted to be a little more daring and previewed a couple other films, but I just couldn't bring myself to show them. They were Bruce Almighty and Million Dollar Baby. I've heard both given rave reviews by other pastors for their overall message. While I agree the films had positive things to say, I felt the language and sexual humor disqualified them for us in our setting. And while I'm aware other churches use such films as regular fare (and I think that's great), those are not the kinds of illustrations I'm comfortable using.

We worshiped at NewSong Community Church in Nashville for a few months while we were between ministry assignments. Pastor Dale Evrist called the room where they gathered for worship their Family Room. They would not only worship there, but enjoy church family dinners and various forms of entertainment all in the same room. He taught that whatever one did at home in one's family room should be okay in the church Family Room, but also that the things one would not do in the church Family Room should not be done in one's family room at home.

I'm sure some of the same people who wouldn't think twice about watching Bruce Almighty at home would be the first to scream, "Blasphemy!" if it were screened at church. But that's not really my point.

Last night our concluding film was Because of Winn-Dixie. It is a delightful family film, with nothing to be embarrassed over, and certainly nothing that pushes the church envelope. It's about a little girl, a pastor's daughter, who is relieved from her burning loneliness through the intervention of a scruffy dog she names Winn-Dixie. There was plenty to talk about following the film including the sources of and remedies for loneliness, the labels we give people and the effect that has on how we treat one another, the life-changing power of a listening ear, and whether or not the sad things of life disqualify its sweetness.

At one point in the film Winn-Dixie runs off, and the little girl decides to print up posters including ten things about her dog, which will help people to recognize him. I asked our group to imagine they were lost, and that "Lost Person" posters were going to be distributed around town to aid in their recovery. I asked them to imagine ten good things that could be written about them, and requested they share just one of those things with the group.

I was surprised that the first response was a question: "Isn't that bragging?" I replied that it most assuredly was not. I reminded each one there that God is on our side. If it were not so, there would have been no incarnation, no cross, no substitutionary atonement. God would have just wiped the universe clean of humanity and started over. I believe with all my heart that if God were introducing us, God would begin, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased," or, "This is my beloved, precious daughter, in whom I am well pleased." This in no way means we don't have room for improvement; just that God accepts us as we are. Luke 15:10 says it all.

Our problem is that we don't understand love like that.

God, on this Father's Day weekend please give us a glimpse of your love for your children. Let us bask in your love for us, and share that love with others. When those around us don't recognize your love for them, allow us to share your grace, so that they will. Amen.