Sex in the CIty, Churched and Hospitality

The following review was posted on a blog that I found through Matthew Paul Turner's blog written by a retired physician now homeschooling mom. The website is http://www.domesticadventure.blogsopot.com/.

Here's some reviews of some books I've been reading lately.Rapture Ready by Daniel Radosh - No, this is not a book about preparing for the supposed "Rapture" of the Church. Actually, it is a book by a non-Christian about his investigation into Christian subculture. He starts with a trip to to a Christian music festival and explored Christian bookstores, The Holy Land Experience, passion plays, Christian children's activities, and even Christian wrestling. This book was often entertaining, but at times disturbing. I wasn't always proud to be a part of this subculture. As Christians, we often put up with poor quality entertainment just because it's Christian. We even accept questionable theology because it is, overall, Christian. Radosh was open about things that bothered him - and they often bothered me, too. For example, a pro-life booth at a Christian music festival had pamphlets that stated that children born by in-vitro fertilization are just commodities. Radosh's children were conceived using this method, and he, quite understandably, took offense at the pamphlet. This is a very helpful book for those of us in the Christian subculture. We sometimes need to see from another perspective. I hope it will also give us an idea of how we can better impact the world around us. I highly recommend this book. A

At any rate, I thought her comments about the Christian subculture were interesting given my experience with hospitality and watching Sex in the City over the weekend, as well as thoughts and reactions I have had to reading Churched. It was the last three sentences that spoke to me in particular. The part about seeing things from another perspective. (Other than the "Christian subculture" perspective.) I see things from that "other pserspective" because I haven't been immersed or swallowed up by the Christian subculture. I love Jesus, but I only got to know him and "asked him into my heart" once seven years ago at the ripe old age of 41. But I also love all kinds of music and will watch an R rated movie.

But because I lived outside of Christianity for such a long time, I know I have lots of friends who are not Christians and I have not been absorbed into the Christian subculture the way some who have always and forever been a part of the church have. I definitely live in the world, but try to follow Jesus. I am by no means perfect. I am honest. And I mess up all the time. But it is really a foreign concept to me when I speak to some of my Christian friends who honestly share that they really don't socialize or get together with any non-Christians. I have lots of non-Christian friends (and relatives... In fact, I am married to one...the most wonderful, giving, caring, servant hearted and humble guy in the world; he just doesn't know Jesus...)

Case in point, I watched Sex in the City, rated R, the other night at a neighborhood girlfriend get together. I found myself wondering what Pastor Nolan, the fundamentalist Baptist Minister whose fire and brimstone antics are vividly recounted in Churched would have to say about this movie. If Rock and Roll were of the devil, then this movie, omigosh would keep the fire burning for ages and ages to come. Can one be a Christian and watch a movie like this? Pastor Nolan would say "absolutely not!" but I say, "certainly."

Yes, there were a couple of scenes that gave the movie its title. Yes, there were loose morals thrown around. Yes, at times I felt mildly uncomfortable. Yes there was infidelity, but there were also the underlying messages of searching for love and offering forgiveness through the journey of life. And isn't that part of the Christian message? After all, if we're honest, infidelity is everywhere, including the church. It doesn't mean we condone it. But it also doesn't mean we act totally horrified and pretend it doesn't exist. Instead we can glean from the very real struggles the characters deal with and do a little honest introspection and see if we either don't relate ourselves to some of their struggles, or at least know someone who does.

I also have to say that the evening gathering where we watched the movie was just a lovely show of hospitality. The hostess went out of her way to serve her guests wonderful treats in a relaxed setting. The food and company were delicious. And she opened her home to her neighbors.