One worthy gift

God there are days when we gather for worship in this community when it's easy to acknowledge your beauty but nearly impossible to find any within ourselves.

We come to you broken in so many ways. The weight of wrong choices or difficult circumstances, the burden of wrecked relationships or dwindling resources -- sometimes these things make it hard for us to find value and worth within ourselves.

And yet you see beauty within us, Lord.

You have seen us for who we are and loved us in spite of it all, and in this we find so much hope.

We pray today that we might claim that which you love within us, and relentlessly seek out things to love within others. May we see through brokenness and frailty and circumstance and struggle to know others as creatures made in your image, for your love.

May our lives reflect this one beautiful and worthy gift: that we love others as we are being loved by you.

Joy for sharing

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

What a wonderful gift to the world this guy's (kinda goofy) little dance is! I love seeing the interaction he attracts and the impromptu micro-communities he joins or creates. If I saw him, I would totally get out and dance my own little (really goofy) dance.

Sparks Fly...

I grew up loving movies. Probably had something to do with the fact that my folks were early adopters of cable tv, movie channels, and the VCR. (We had both VHS and Beta formats with hundreds of movies recorded, organized and cataloged. Yes, one of my parents could be described as a tad obsessive.) Aside from the entertainment factor, I was drawn to films because they allowed me to experience worlds beyond my own. Movies made me feel, think, ask questions and seek dialogue.

At one point, I was in danger of losing this tinder that sparked so much thinking and conversation in my life. Shortly after I started following Jesus, I began limiting my intake of art to the stuff labeled "Christian", believing that this would make God happy and protect me from negative influences. (The latter might have happened to some extent, but I'm not sure about the former.)

Fortunately, I eventually came to my senses and began to think that all truth and beauty really belongs to God and that almost any source can serve as a conduit. (Case in point- the story of Balaam's ass.) So, if we go to the movies together, you'll know I liked the film if I start bombarding you with questions and wonderings before we even make it to the car. I'm not exaggerating, this really happens- just ask my wife, Jen.

The debrief torrent hit her as we stepped into the parking lot after seeing JUNO last week. For me, this film opened the door for reflection and discussion on a slew of real life issues: teenage sexuality & pregnancy, abortion, infertility, consequences, disappointment, materialism, divorce, parenting, commitment, image management, judging others, being yourself, forgiveness, trust, real love, suburbia, etc.

I'd highly recommend it, especially if you have pre-teens/teens or work with them in any fashion. If you want to know more about why I heart Juno, read the full review on my personal blog.

So, how about you? Seen Juno or another good movie lately?

Where do you catch regular glimpses of beauty and truth?

What serves as your tinder- sparking insights and questions that lead to reflection and good conversation?
(Hint- use the comments feature!)