If you want a quick, yet thorough, primer on the whole Da Vinci Code issue, Pastor Mark Roberts has put together a wonderful Da Vinci FAQ. It might be well worth your time to take a look so you can be better equipped to enter into the crucial conversations I talked about yesterday.

Thanks Mark!

The long awaited day has arrived; Ron Howard’s new movie, The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks, hits theatres nationwide. While I can’t see it tonight, I plan to check it out soon. But what I’ve read so far tells me that this long anticipated and controversial film will leave many disappointed.

The Daily Variety, THE publication for the entertainment world, boldly proclaimed:

Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have conspired to drain any sense of fun out of the melodrama, leaving expectant audiences with an oppressively talky film that isn’t exactly dull, but comes as close to it as one could imagine.

USA Today gave it 3 stars (out of 5) and titled their review: “This Da Vinci is No Masterpiece.” Even more pointed:

Ron Howard and Tom Hanks miss the boat with this uninspired and flat adaptation of Dan Brown’s controversial bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. It’s sad (even disturbing) to admit but those who’ve banned the film may actually have done potential ticket buyers a favor.

Ironic, isn’t it? The book has sold more copies than any other fictional work in our history (approaching nearly 50 million). Some estimate that maybe 30 million adults will see the film. It has created so much controversy of late that many, including me, have grown weary of the hype.

I fear, however, that what has been missed by many non-thinking Christians is the positive side of this movie. Yes, it is fiction; yes, it’s probably a “bad” film from a critical perspective. But – it gives you and me and the entire nation an opportunity to talk about Jesus. In the words of one, “You [and I] have unprecedented opportunity.”

I love what Erwin Lutzer, Senior Pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, and author of The Da Vinci Deception says:

The movie will confuse lots of people, but Jesus will become the centerpiece of many conversations. For those who are prepared to explain that Christianity rests on solid foundations, the opportunity will be tremendous.

Think about it: not since Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ have we had an opportunity like this. We who call ourselves “Believers” need to be ready to share with the world the magnificent message of the Gospel (instead of yelling at the world about a poor movie).

If you’d like to check out more of the controversy, questions, answers, and perspectives surrounding the Da Vinci phenomenon, check out Focus on the Family’s special Da Vinci Code website. I don’t always like or agree with every Focus on the Family position (Is that legal for a Christian pastor to say?), but they’re a solid organization and they’ve done a good job here. Check it out.

And check out the movie too…then talk about it.

How interesting to find in my daily USA Today briefing the other day an article in the Life Section on Victoria’s Secret Sexiest Who’s Who List. Evidently the executives at this modern cosmopolitan company, knowing that sex sells and is good for the profits, decided to inquire about what is sexy.

So, looking at cities, cars, food, videos and movies, as well as individuals and celebrities, Victoria’s Secret asked and answered the question.

What’s sexy to Victoria’s Secret? On the lingerie company’s first “What is Sexy?” list, winners were subject to debate, says spokeswoman Monica Mitro. “Sexy always changes,” she tells USA TODAY. “We looked at self-confidence, humor, presence, achievements.”

Now don’t misunderstand. I like sex; I like sexy. But maybe because my upcoming weekend message at my church is on what true Godliness looks like (and how important that is); or maybe because I know often the Biblical view of sex differs from the world’s view, I found the study and resulting article most interesting.

Particularly intriguing to me was Monica Mitro’s comment that they “looked at self-confidence, humor, presence, achievements. Given how fleeting one’s looks are (i.e. they will eventually fade), and that I’ve never had them (looks) to begin with, what struck me most is that what Ms. Mitro looked at is the complete opposite of what God looks at.

Witness the conversation between God and the Old Testament Priest, Samuel, when Samuel was given the task of anointing the next King of Israel:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

Do yourself a favor – think about it.

A recently released study by The Barna Group reveals something that we in the pastor ranks have known for quite some time: Americans have commitment issues.

The introduction to Barna’s study states:

More than seven out of ten Americans (72%) claim they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is important in their life today. But a survey examining some of the other commitments that adults make – and avoid – suggests that people are inconsistent in their spiritual perspectives.

Recent statistics indicate that almost half of America’s adult population attends religious services on a given weekend. Yet fewer than one out of five believes that a specific church congregation is a critical element in their spiritual development. So while a commitment to faith seems to be important, a commitment to a community of faith does not rank so high. Even among those who would be considered most conservative, the centrality of a local church in the development of their spiritual life seemed to wane (only 25% stated its importance).

Further, while most Americans, according to the study, want their lives to matter, very few actually affirm their commitment to helping make the world and other people’s lives better. And only a slight majority of Americans (54%) expressed enough commitment to “having a deeper connection with God” to “do whatever it takes” to have that relationship.

“These figures emphasize how soft people’s commitment to God is,” Barna explained. “Americans are willing to expend some energy in religious activities such as attending church and reading the Bible, and they are willing to throw some money in the offering basket. Because of such activities, they convince themselves that they are people of genuine faith. But when it comes time to truly establishing their priorities and making a tangible commitment to knowing and loving God, and to allowing Him to change their character and lifestyle, most people stop short. We want to be ‘spiritual’ and we want to have God’s favor, but we’re not sure we want Him taking control of our lives and messing with the image and outcomes we’ve worked so hard to produce.”

Hmm. I seem to remember God commenting on that a couple thousand years ago – another time, another generation, another place, same phenomenon.

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Isaiah 29:13 (NIV)

It seems to be everywhere you look these days – The Da Vinci Code. The movie is coming out later next month and in the days leading up to it the film is swimming in controversy – both legal and theological. You can find any number of posts in “Blogdom.” If you’re interested in further reading from a theological perspective I’d recommend some of the “God Blogs” referenced in the right hand margin of this one. I know my son has written on it as well, somewhere in his column.

I must warn you – I have not read the book. I started it once but it couldn’t keep my interest. I know – silly me. Neither have I weighed in on the subject. Again – it just hasn’t interested me. What does interest me, however, is the millions of people who forget the fact that this is a fictional story. While I haven’t read the book – O.K. now I guess I have to – I’m enough aware of some of the subtle messages and glaring inaccuracies to be alarmed that non-thinking and naïve people everywhere (including many Christians, by the way) will believe its hoax to the point of ignoring the overwhelming historical evidence that proves the Biblical message.

I came across an interesting article today that has put The Da Vinci Code back on my radar screen. It comes from an organization called To the Source. The article, written by Carl Olson, takes a head-on look at three of the most significant theological distortions in the novel.

I heartily agree with his beginning assertion:

Historical truth takes much abuse in Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. But even greater damage is done, I think, when the novel makes assertions about theological matters, especially to relating the person of Jesus Christ and early Christian beliefs.

I encourage you to check out this article as well as other “credible” sources on the subject. Being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ does not mean checking your brain at the door! We Christians, who are so naïve at times, need to remember that. We also need to stand for truth – particularly truth about Jesus Christ, the risen Savior!!

A new report by the Barna organization reveals a truth of which most people in my profession are already acutely aware. In America, spirituality is hot but church attendance is not.

Marketers devote billions of dollars to penetrating the Baby Boomer market – the generation of 77 million individuals that populate the nation. There is another market segment equally as large that is of interest to the faith community: the 76 million adults who regularly avoid going to church.

A new report based on its annual tracking survey by The Barna Group reveals that one-third of the adult population (34%) has not attended any type of church service or activity, other than a special event such as a funeral or wedding, during the past six months.

As Barna proceeds to describe the profile of this huge segment of our population, he also points out a very important reality:

We are approaching one of the two times of year when massive numbers of the unchurched alter their pattern and attend a church service. “Every year, many previously unchurched people return to a church for one or more Easter season services. More often than not, this is the result of one of two motivations: the compelling invitation of a close friend who accompanies them to the service, or a personal crisis that compels them to seek God more fervently. Impersonal marketing efforts generally have limited impact in persuading the unchurched to break their normal Sunday morning habits.”

I think Barna’s point is solid: people will come to your church this Easter, not because of some glitzy promotional campaign, or because they receive a mailer, or even because you put up a sign or billboard. They will come because you asked them.

So – ask away, my friend. Ask away.