A good movie has the potential to be a transformational experience. When a much anticipated release is premiered, people flock to the cinema not just to be entertained, but to enter into an experience, and to perhaps walk away having their view of the world and life changed.
Story has always worked in this way - we love to be able to enter into another world, and more often than not, we come away from that world back into our own as changed human beings.
God's story has far more capacity to bring transformation into our lives than any well-crafted modern story - because it is the greatest story of all time.
Why then, do we persist in presenting the Bible as the manual for life? My contention is that it is far more than that - this is a story to be experienced and embraced and retold.
We have unprecedented access to the "screenplay of God's story" ... He is the greatest ever writer/producer/director, and He is intentionally including us in the ongoing retelling of His story, and mysteriously incorporating us into His plot as it continues to unfold.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Bible as a Screenplay - 6
THE PREMIERE
A good movie has the potential to be a transformational experience. When a much anticipated release is premiered, people flock to the cinema not just to be entertained, but to enter into an experience, and to perhaps walk away having their view of the world and life changed.
Story has always worked in this way - we love to be able to enter into another world, and more often than not, we come away from that world back into our own as changed human beings.
God's story has far more capacity to bring transformation into our lives than any well-crafted modern story - because it is the greatest story of all time.
Why then, do we persist in presenting the Bible as the manual for life? My contention is that it is far more than that - this is a story to be experienced and embraced and retold.
We have unprecedented access to the "screenplay of God's story" ... He is the greatest ever writer/producer/director, and He is intentionally including us in the ongoing retelling of His story, and mysteriously incorporating us into His plot as it continues to unfold.
A good movie has the potential to be a transformational experience. When a much anticipated release is premiered, people flock to the cinema not just to be entertained, but to enter into an experience, and to perhaps walk away having their view of the world and life changed.
Story has always worked in this way - we love to be able to enter into another world, and more often than not, we come away from that world back into our own as changed human beings.
God's story has far more capacity to bring transformation into our lives than any well-crafted modern story - because it is the greatest story of all time.
Why then, do we persist in presenting the Bible as the manual for life? My contention is that it is far more than that - this is a story to be experienced and embraced and retold.
We have unprecedented access to the "screenplay of God's story" ... He is the greatest ever writer/producer/director, and He is intentionally including us in the ongoing retelling of His story, and mysteriously incorporating us into His plot as it continues to unfold.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
unresolved & displaced
How is it possible to celebrate when conflict remains unresolved, or you're dealing with a sense of feeling displaced?
Christmas is no doubt typified by overlooking differences, and bringing family together, but what if conflict is so sharp it feels hypocritical to "carry on" without seeking swift resolution? ... or if there are circumstances beyond your control where you're not where you intended to be - not among family in the way you hoped? Unresolved and Displaced.
In reflecting on this through a couple of realities I'm facing this Christmas, the scenario began to sound strangely familiar - it was into the picture of unresolved conflict among the people of Israel (indeed the whole of Creation), and into the family unit of a young couple displaced from their home where "God with us" entered.
My hope this Christmas is that the Christ will again enter into unresolved conflict and displacement, and, as He is capable of doing, brings healing and transformation in a way I never expected.
Come to think of it, a long gaze into the unassuming eyes of God the Son can again bring perspective in the context of feeling unresolved and displaced.
That's not a bad cause for celebration!
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Bible as a Screenplay - 5
THE EDIT - HOW CAN WE BEST TELL THIS STORY?
Now, here's where we can run into some trouble with this concept. Not because it doesn't have merit, but if we don't take the time to undo our typical understanding of editing we walk a dodgy line.
There are people who love editors, and people who hate them. I'm no politician, but I would hazard a guess that political leaders have found themselves at the mercy of news editors on more than one occasion. In the realm of news reporting there is certainly a stereotype of editors being the key players in "not letting the facts get in the way of a good story". A clever editor can make anyone seem like they're saying the opposite of what they've actually said in context.
If this is our only understanding of an editor, and we call ourselves editors in God's story, then we're in big trouble. (And, ironically, we add ourselves to a long list of heretics who have done the same thing throughout history).
However, if we pick up a more credible picture of the place of someone who edits the shoot of a great film, then we might find ourselves in a more inviting space. A space where we have all of the work of the shoot at our fingertips, the screenplay in front of us, and the Director over our shoulder coaching us in the best way to tell, and retell, this story to the people of our time.
Editing is more than just cutting bits out to suit our agenda. The edit is an integral process in the telling of a great story - finding the best way, under the supervision of the Director, to engage our culture with the story before us. If this is editing in it's pure form, then we need to freely step into this role and tell God's story.
Now, here's where we can run into some trouble with this concept. Not because it doesn't have merit, but if we don't take the time to undo our typical understanding of editing we walk a dodgy line.
There are people who love editors, and people who hate them. I'm no politician, but I would hazard a guess that political leaders have found themselves at the mercy of news editors on more than one occasion. In the realm of news reporting there is certainly a stereotype of editors being the key players in "not letting the facts get in the way of a good story". A clever editor can make anyone seem like they're saying the opposite of what they've actually said in context.
If this is our only understanding of an editor, and we call ourselves editors in God's story, then we're in big trouble. (And, ironically, we add ourselves to a long list of heretics who have done the same thing throughout history).
However, if we pick up a more credible picture of the place of someone who edits the shoot of a great film, then we might find ourselves in a more inviting space. A space where we have all of the work of the shoot at our fingertips, the screenplay in front of us, and the Director over our shoulder coaching us in the best way to tell, and retell, this story to the people of our time.
Editing is more than just cutting bits out to suit our agenda. The edit is an integral process in the telling of a great story - finding the best way, under the supervision of the Director, to engage our culture with the story before us. If this is editing in it's pure form, then we need to freely step into this role and tell God's story.
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Bible as a Screenplay - 4
THE SHOOT - HOW CAN THE STORY LOOK?
The actual shoot is a complex and pressured environment, but if done well can be an excellent example of a team working together to see a dream of come to fruition.
A good shoot assumes that a whole host of things have come together - mostly initiated by the director.
(There's a lot more to directing a film than what I first thought. My impression of the director just being the one who sat down on set and told everyone else what to do has pretty much been blown out of the water.)
Without the vision of the director, there is no film. The quality of how this story is told is dependent on the director's dream for the project, and there is a specific progression of events that take place for that dream to be realized. Here is some of that progression:
1. PRE-PRODUCTION ... Script selection - it is the director's responsibility to firstly identify a script that is going to work - there is much to be lost if the script that is chosen is a dog... Script wash - once a good script has been chosen, the director then needs to read, read, read it until it becomes a part of who they are, they understand the characters and what motivates them, how the flow of the story will work, and how it can be broken down into a story board, then shot lists in conjunction with the cinematographer. Alongside of this comes things like story boarding and shot listing, casting, location selection, wardrobe, music, etc. ... and all of this is pre-production
2. PRODUCTION ... Here the director needs to ensure that the story is told well, the right shots are taken to tell it, and to coach the actors according to how the story needs to be told as he's envisioned it. The shoot is where all the elements of pre-production should align, and all the elements for the next part of this process are gathered... That being:
3. POST-PRODUCTION... We'll get to this in the next post :)
In the meantime, consider the story of all creation, and how the One who has written the screenplay is not only the main character in this story, but is the director as well - He's done all the pre-production, ensuring that all the elements align for "the shoot"- the production. God's story comes to life as the players deliver their parts on set, trusting themselves to the Director's vision for how this story will look.
Sure, it might be argued that the characters in the Bible, and indeed the characters in this story today (us!), aren't just actors in front of a camera, but real people living real lives ... But nevertheless, the picture of God as our producer/writer/director is a helpful one.
So, where do we fit in this analogy? Could it be that we are the editors?
The actual shoot is a complex and pressured environment, but if done well can be an excellent example of a team working together to see a dream of come to fruition.
A good shoot assumes that a whole host of things have come together - mostly initiated by the director.
(There's a lot more to directing a film than what I first thought. My impression of the director just being the one who sat down on set and told everyone else what to do has pretty much been blown out of the water.)
Without the vision of the director, there is no film. The quality of how this story is told is dependent on the director's dream for the project, and there is a specific progression of events that take place for that dream to be realized. Here is some of that progression:
1. PRE-PRODUCTION ... Script selection - it is the director's responsibility to firstly identify a script that is going to work - there is much to be lost if the script that is chosen is a dog... Script wash - once a good script has been chosen, the director then needs to read, read, read it until it becomes a part of who they are, they understand the characters and what motivates them, how the flow of the story will work, and how it can be broken down into a story board, then shot lists in conjunction with the cinematographer. Alongside of this comes things like story boarding and shot listing, casting, location selection, wardrobe, music, etc. ... and all of this is pre-production
2. PRODUCTION ... Here the director needs to ensure that the story is told well, the right shots are taken to tell it, and to coach the actors according to how the story needs to be told as he's envisioned it. The shoot is where all the elements of pre-production should align, and all the elements for the next part of this process are gathered... That being:
3. POST-PRODUCTION... We'll get to this in the next post :)
In the meantime, consider the story of all creation, and how the One who has written the screenplay is not only the main character in this story, but is the director as well - He's done all the pre-production, ensuring that all the elements align for "the shoot"- the production. God's story comes to life as the players deliver their parts on set, trusting themselves to the Director's vision for how this story will look.
Sure, it might be argued that the characters in the Bible, and indeed the characters in this story today (us!), aren't just actors in front of a camera, but real people living real lives ... But nevertheless, the picture of God as our producer/writer/director is a helpful one.
So, where do we fit in this analogy? Could it be that we are the editors?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Bible as a Screenplay - 3
THE SCREENPLAY - WHAT IS THE STORY?
My perception of a screenplay is that it isn't worth much, unless it's really good ... And even then the final film may not look like anything like the original script once the director, actors and editor have all gotten to it.
I'm no movie producer, but I imagine the average producer's desk will have a high level of screenplay traffic. Everyone thinks they're an awesome writer, and that their idea is what will change the world, or make lots of cash at the box office. And so the producer faces the unenviable task of finding the one masterpiece amidst the drivel, or at least one that a great director can work from.
That's my stereotypical perception of a screenplay - it's usually not worth much.
This changes, of course, if the producer is an outstanding writer/director. Then the screenplay takes on a whole different priority. In this scenario, the one who writes the story brings the creative genius to visualize and direct it, and the capacity to see the project to completion.
So, when I think of the Bible as a screenplay, I don't so much see it as one of the many offerings that floats across a producer's desk hoping to be noticed - only to fall into the hands of a director who shows no concern for the original intent of the author, and a producer who is more than willing to sacrifice artistry on the altar of marketability and consumerism. No, this is THE screenplay that all of the industry longs to be a part of.
Written by the writer of all writers, who knows how this story should look, how it can be told ... and He has the capacity to see the project through to it's ultimate completion.
My perception of a screenplay is that it isn't worth much, unless it's really good ... And even then the final film may not look like anything like the original script once the director, actors and editor have all gotten to it.
I'm no movie producer, but I imagine the average producer's desk will have a high level of screenplay traffic. Everyone thinks they're an awesome writer, and that their idea is what will change the world, or make lots of cash at the box office. And so the producer faces the unenviable task of finding the one masterpiece amidst the drivel, or at least one that a great director can work from.
That's my stereotypical perception of a screenplay - it's usually not worth much.
This changes, of course, if the producer is an outstanding writer/director. Then the screenplay takes on a whole different priority. In this scenario, the one who writes the story brings the creative genius to visualize and direct it, and the capacity to see the project to completion.
So, when I think of the Bible as a screenplay, I don't so much see it as one of the many offerings that floats across a producer's desk hoping to be noticed - only to fall into the hands of a director who shows no concern for the original intent of the author, and a producer who is more than willing to sacrifice artistry on the altar of marketability and consumerism. No, this is THE screenplay that all of the industry longs to be a part of.
Written by the writer of all writers, who knows how this story should look, how it can be told ... and He has the capacity to see the project through to it's ultimate completion.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Bible as a Screenplay - 2
FILM-MAKING HAS LEVELS
Recently I went to a 10 day film school - and to be honest I was out of my league with some of the folks there, but I learned heaps.
I came away feeling better equipped in the opportunity of making short films for a ministry context, but better than that, the time gave me an insight into the art of film-making and how it can serve as an excellent paradigm for spiritual formation.
The first thing to realize is that there are so many levels to this art - writing, producing, directing, cinematography, acting, audio, editing ... not to mention the myriad of roles on a film crew and then the response of the audience.
This multiple-faceted nature of film-making alone attracts me to the notion of seeing the Bible as "the screenplay of God's story", but the three key levels of this process are what's most helpful.
1. Level one - the screenplay - this answers the question, "what is the story?"
2. Level two - the shoot - this answers the question, "what can this story look like?"
3. Level three - the edit - this answers the question, "how do we best tell this story?"
There are some immediate objections that arise in my mind if the metaphor of film-making is used for the story of God, especially around our understanding of screenplay and editing. Keep reading this series and help me deal with some of these objections.
Recently I went to a 10 day film school - and to be honest I was out of my league with some of the folks there, but I learned heaps.
I came away feeling better equipped in the opportunity of making short films for a ministry context, but better than that, the time gave me an insight into the art of film-making and how it can serve as an excellent paradigm for spiritual formation.
The first thing to realize is that there are so many levels to this art - writing, producing, directing, cinematography, acting, audio, editing ... not to mention the myriad of roles on a film crew and then the response of the audience.
This multiple-faceted nature of film-making alone attracts me to the notion of seeing the Bible as "the screenplay of God's story", but the three key levels of this process are what's most helpful.
1. Level one - the screenplay - this answers the question, "what is the story?"
2. Level two - the shoot - this answers the question, "what can this story look like?"
3. Level three - the edit - this answers the question, "how do we best tell this story?"
There are some immediate objections that arise in my mind if the metaphor of film-making is used for the story of God, especially around our understanding of screenplay and editing. Keep reading this series and help me deal with some of these objections.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Bible as a Screenplay - 1
MORE THAN A MANUAL
Bent down over the evaporative air conditioner on our rooftop, I had an epiphany. After playing with the control panel and circuit breakers for half an hour, then pretending like I knew what I was doing in taking some of the unit apart, it became so clear - I should probably look at the manual.
The manual could tell me of the air conditioner's design, the potential problems I might encounter, and the best way to efficiently keep my family cool. It is full of helpful information that any air conditioning technician will get excited about, and it was, admittedly, the one thing that brought resolve to my hot weather woes.
However, as good as the manual is, I reckon I've looked at it three times in the 5 years I've had it. Once, when it was installed so I could set up the controller right, and the other two times was when something went wrong.
You might be able to see where I'm going with this. If this is the way I treat a manual, and then I use that same picture in describing the Bible to my students, then how can I expect them to be motivated to read it outside of their "set-up" and "troubleshooting" phases?
I'm becoming increasingly convinced that if our only understanding of the Bible is that it's "the manual for life" then this might not only be unhelpful, but culturally repulsive.
So, I wonder whether a more helpful way for us to think about the Bible is as "the screenplay for God's story". I'm going to explain what I mean over the next 6 posts, and as I do, I invite you to consider whether this is a helpful way to communicate the role of the Bible to an emerging generation, and also if this is a helpful way for us to interact with the Bible ourselves.
Bent down over the evaporative air conditioner on our rooftop, I had an epiphany. After playing with the control panel and circuit breakers for half an hour, then pretending like I knew what I was doing in taking some of the unit apart, it became so clear - I should probably look at the manual.
The manual could tell me of the air conditioner's design, the potential problems I might encounter, and the best way to efficiently keep my family cool. It is full of helpful information that any air conditioning technician will get excited about, and it was, admittedly, the one thing that brought resolve to my hot weather woes.
However, as good as the manual is, I reckon I've looked at it three times in the 5 years I've had it. Once, when it was installed so I could set up the controller right, and the other two times was when something went wrong.
You might be able to see where I'm going with this. If this is the way I treat a manual, and then I use that same picture in describing the Bible to my students, then how can I expect them to be motivated to read it outside of their "set-up" and "troubleshooting" phases?
I'm becoming increasingly convinced that if our only understanding of the Bible is that it's "the manual for life" then this might not only be unhelpful, but culturally repulsive.
So, I wonder whether a more helpful way for us to think about the Bible is as "the screenplay for God's story". I'm going to explain what I mean over the next 6 posts, and as I do, I invite you to consider whether this is a helpful way to communicate the role of the Bible to an emerging generation, and also if this is a helpful way for us to interact with the Bible ourselves.
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