Only two movies this week:
- Twilight Saga: New Moon
- A Serious Man
Let’s do this thing.
Pop Culture Christ Movie Guide: 19/11/2009
November 18, 2009
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
Pop Culture Christ Movie Guide: 12/11/2009
November 11, 2009
For those of you not suffering under the burden of exams, here’s this week’s Movie Guide.
This week:
- Amelia
- Dorian Gray
- The Brothers Bloom
- 2012
- The Boys Are Back
- Sister Smile
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Movie Reviews | Tagged: 2012, Amelia, Boys Are Back, Brothers Bloom, Dorian Gray, Movie Guide, Sister Smile | 
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
Just How Sinful Were Your Prices?
November 5, 2009
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” 1 Peter 3:18
Let me check that again. Christ died so that I could be in a relationship with God. Does it mention supermarket prices anywhere? Did Christ die for consumer gain? Nope, didn’t think so.
Bad form Safeway. Bad form.
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
I Want V Now!
November 4, 2009
Why are you doing this to us Channel 9? Why are you holding back on showing V. You know I want to watch it. Is that the reason? Are you going to pull a Pushing Daisies and promise that you’ll show it and then bury it?
By the sounds of things, V is going to be very, very good.
The original had a great take on fascism. It looks like the new version will also be including some religious themes and characters which has, of course, grabbed my attention.
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
Pop Culture Christ Movie Guide: 05/11/2009
November 4, 2009
This week at the movies:
- Capitalism: A Love Story
- Genova
- The Time Traveller’s Wife
- A Christmas Carol
- Case 39
Leave a Comment » | Looking Forward | Tagged: A Christmas Carol, Capitalism: A Love Story, Case 39, Genova, Michael Moore, Time Traveller's Wife, Uncanny Valley | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Internet Church
November 3, 2009
The idea of an online church has been around for as long as the internet. This online church in Indiana has been getting 60,000 unique hits a week. Has any ever checked this out (or a similar online church community)? What’s the difference between this and downloading a preacher’s podcast each week? Is it able to move beyond being something you watch and become something you engage with? Church is not just something you witness each Sunday. It’s something you actively experience and engage with as you work together to build the body of Christ. This is the biggest challenge I see for online churches.
And would buying up Google search words like “Sex” and redirecting people to your internet church really be helpful? I can see a lot of people getting mighty frustrated and angry at the church for that.
1 Comment | Misc. Culture | Tagged: Church, Internet, Internet Church, Online Church | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Reaper
November 3, 2009
Birthdays can be a lot of fun. Presents, parties, people filling your Facebook page with happy messages. Sam, however, is not enjoying his 21st birthday. You wouldn’t either if you found out your parents sold your soul to the Devil. Now it’s time to pay up. Sam will have to juggle his day job working at a hardware store with his new job as the Devil’s bounty hunter, capturing super-powered souls escaped from hell. Life isn’t easy on Reaper.
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
Wicked: The Musical
November 2, 2009
Is someone born wicked, or is wickedness thrust upon them? Is wickedness a result of your actions? Is it part of your nature? Or is it something you are called purely because you are different? The bad guy in The Wizard of Oz was the Wicked Witch of the West. Why was she called the Wicked Witch? Was she really wicked? Or is there something that we’re not being told? The hit stage musical Wicked takes us back to the beginning to show us that not everything is as it seems in the magical land of Oz.
4 Comments | Theatre Reviews | Tagged: Elphaba, Ephesians, Galinda, The Wizard of Oz, War on Terror, Wicked, Wicked Witch, Wicked: The Musical | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Michael Jackson’s This Is It (2009)
October 30, 2009
Michael Jackson’s This Is It (2009)
Rated G
It was going to be one of the biggest concerts ever. After ten years, Michael Jackson was set to return to the stage. However, days before the final dress rehearsal, Jackson passed away. People all over the world were in mourning. And many wondered what that last show would have been like. This Is It takes video recorded during numerous rehearsals to give us a glimpse of what we might have seen. It also serves as tribute to the man named “The King of Pop”. This is both more and less than a concert recording. It’s less than a concert recording for various reasons which I will outline below. More importantly, it is more than a concert recording because of the glimpse we get not only of Jackson: the man, but also of Jackson:the object of worship.
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
At The Movies – 28/10/09
October 28, 2009Want to know what’s starting at the movies this week? Look no further.
Leave a Comment » | Looking Forward | Tagged: Coming Soon, Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, It Might Get Loud, Michael Jackson, Movies, Prime Mover, The Box, This Is It | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
October 27, 2009
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Comics are awesome. I know that’s not a controversial statement coming from me but I thought I’d put it out there. Full text books are good too but I like me books with pictures. If only there was something out there that could meet me half way. If only there was some kind of full text/comic book hybrid.
Thank you Jeff Kinney. Thank you.
Thank you for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the story of Greg Heffley and his adventures in th 7th grade. One part slice of life written journal, one part cartoon, 100% funny.
Leave a Comment » | Book Reviews | Tagged: Book Review, Cartoons, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney, kids books, Romans | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Legion
October 27, 2009
The movie Legion has got me interested. Here’s a plot synopsis from IMDB:
After a terrifying biblical apocalypse descends upon the world, a group of strangers stranded in a remote truck stop diner in the Southwest unwittingly become humanity’s last line of defense when they discover the diner’s young waitress is pregnant with the messiah.
It’s due out in January 2010 in the US. No Australian release date yet.
Leave a Comment » | Movie Reviews | Tagged: Angels, Apocolypse, Legion, Messiah, Movies | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Help! I’m A Frustrated Youth Worker! by Steven Case
October 26, 2009
Help! I’m A Frustrated Youth Worker!: A Practical Guide To Avoiding Burnout in Your Ministry
By Steven L. Case
I love youth ministry. I love getting alongside teenagers and introducing them to Jesus. There are few things better than being there to see that look in a young person’s eye when it finally clicks and they commit themselves to Christ. It’s a great privilege to be a youth minister. But it’s not easy work. There are pressures from parents and ministry staff. People don’t understand what the task involves and can think all you’re doing is hanging out. And with many youth ministers being younger themselves and early in their ministry life, they don’t always have the skills needed to deal with these pressures. That’s why a book like Help! I’m A Frustrated Youth Worker! is a must read.
5 Comments | Book Reviews | Tagged: Burnout, Going The Distance, Help! I'm A Frustrated Youth Worker!, Peter Brain, Steven Case, Youth Minister, Youth Ministry | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
What Pepsi Meant For Sleeze, Can We Use For God?
October 23, 2009
Pepsi have (rightly) received a lot of flack for their “AMP Up Before You Score” iPhone app. The app breaks women down into 24 different categories (or to be more accurate – caricatures) and gives you all the information you need to pretend to be a guy that they would want to sleep with. In other words, it was a tool to treat women as objects and deceive them into having sex. Classy move Pepsi.
But it got me thinking. Is there an app like this for evangelism? Let me set the scene. Your non-Christian friend sends you an SMS asking if you want to catch up for coffee in ten minutes. You know they’ve been struggling with issues of faith and that this would be a great opportunity to share the gospel with them. But you’ve only got ten minutes to think about what you’re going to say. Now say you had the Evangelism app on your phone. You put some info into your phone and the app points you towards Two Ways To Live tracts, apologetics sites, tips for opening discussions with people from different faith backgrounds, you name it. It could even give you a hand with follow up if things go well, such as churches near where they live that are offering Christianity Explained courses. It wouldn’t do the work for you, because the person you’re talking about isn’t a project that needs to be conquered. But it would aid in your relationship with them and help you introduce them to a relationship with Jesus. Would that be a helpful app?
Does such a thing exist? If not, does someone want to work on it?
3 Comments | Misc. Culture | Tagged: Evangelism, iPhone, iPhone App, Pepsi, Pepsi AMP | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Prophecy Ain’t What It Used To Be
October 23, 20091 Corinthians 12 lists prophecy as one of the gifts of the Spirit. What is prophecy? Is it predicting the future or something greater? Is it a gift that is still available today or was it limited to a certain time period? If you’re not careful, you’re understanding of prophecy can lead you in some dodgy directions.
It can also leave you looking stupid.
6 Comments | Fun | Tagged: 1 Corinthians, Prophecy, Fail Blog | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
PC vs Mac: Nobody Wins
October 22, 2009
There’s a good chance you’re reading this article either on a Windows based PC or on a Mac. (If you’re using Linux, keep reading. This will all apply to you as well.) For years, these two computer platforms have dominated the industry. Chances are you’re either a PC user or a Mac user. Rarely do the two overlap. It’s not uncommon to find people who are very passionate about their choice of computer. The kind of passion that leads to friendly rivalry. But after reading this article on Windows 7 and Mac users, I’m no longer convinced that this rivalry is friendly.
It’s a war.
And it’s a war we shouldn’t be fighting.
24 Comments | Misc. Culture | Tagged: Apple, Evangelism, Love, Love Thy Neighbor, Mac, Neighbour, PC, Windows | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
John Safran’s Race Relations
October 21, 2009
I’m really looking forward to John Safran’s Race Relations tonight. Safran has a talent for bringing up issues in an insightful and funny way. Especially when it comes to matters of religion. From placing voodoo curses on his ex girlfriend, to door knocking dressed as Prince talking about the Jehovah’s Witness faith, to going on a date with a Roman Catholic Priest, Safran’s work is thought provoking, informative, and hilarious.
Make sure you check it out. The trailer is underneath the jump.
2 Comments | TV Reviews | Tagged: John Safran, John Safran's Race Relations, Race Relations | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
How To End World Hunger
October 21, 2009
Sarah Silverman is an American comedian with an interesting suggestion on how to solve world hunger. Sell the Vatican. The Roman Catholic Church have a lot of property and possessions that would be worth a fair bit of money. Is this a valid suggestion?
What is the Church’s responsibility in managing resources and looking after the poor? There are a lot of things Christians could be spending money on. And in some regards it’s easy to say sell up everything and give it away. That’s what Jesus would have done, isn’t it?
But what about spending money on property so that there’s a building where you can go hear about God? What about printing and distributing Bibles so that people can read what God has to say to them?
How do you decide where you spend your money? How do you balance the tension between social concern and investing in the gospel?
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
Fame (2009)
October 20, 2009
Fame (2009)
Rated PG
The New York Academy of Performing Arts is a high school that’s pretty tough to get into. Each year 10,000 teenagers apply. 200 make the cut. This is a school where being good isn’t good enough. You have to be the best. As the students begin their time at PA, the principal warns them that it’s going to be hard going. There’s going to be a lot of sweat, blood and tears. That they’ll have to work twice as hard as any other student. That some of them won’t make it. That’s the price these talented youngster have to pay for being the best.
That’s the premise of Fame. Shame they didn’t do anything with it.
2 Comments | Movie Reviews | Tagged: 1 John, Fame, Movie Review | Permalink
Posted by Joel A Moroney
Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye
September 30, 2009
Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go
by Dale E. Basye
Where do the bad kids go? If a really rotten kid dies, do they go to a) heaven, b) hell, or c) somewhere else? If you answered c, then maybe you’ve been reading the kids book Heck: Where The Bad Kids Go. Welcome to Heck. It’s not quite hell, but it isn’t a pleasant place to be either. Heck is where underage sinners go to be rehabilitated or punished for all eternity – or until they turn 18. Heck is not a place you want to spend any time. Are you in danger of spending time in Heck?
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Posted by Joel A Moroney
