My "complaint" surfaced but slowly to my consciousness, but eventually I couldn't suppress it. Why did I almost invariably feel more "centered" after leaving a movie than after leaving Church? I feel/felt guilty having even harbored such a thought, even if it was absolutely true.

    I mean even at my age who wouldn't be absolutely inspired by the great acting of Julia Roberts in Flatliners? And a psychologist has explained to me the benefits of cinematic fun-our brain secretes epinephrine, or some such chemical, and it gives us a feeling of pleasure. And because I identified more closely with the two more sympathetic characters, Roberts and Kevin Bacon, of course I left the theater feeling good about myself.

    And even though I am your basic WASPMM (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Middle class Male) I felt the same way after watching Dances with Wolves. I mean, who didn't identify with Costner and the native Americans and thus left the theater feeling very self righteous as we climbed into our German and Japanese cars and drove home?

    The entire Godfather says let me experience some of the thrills of crime without our having to bare the consequences, or guilt, of having been a criminal. And shedding a tear for Pacino's daughter was most cathartic.

    Defending Your Life was so enjoyable I was even able to laugh at Shirley McLaine and her cameo appearance. It's great to imagine facing "judgment" and only having to face my fears instead of my sins. Surely if you laugh at Shirley you can laugh at yourself, and feel cleansed.

    The Five Heartbeats is so reassuring. Five young men with some talent and a lot of luck may become fabulously successful in America, but they'll pay for it with broken friendships and marriages, alcohol and driving abuse, and loss of personal fortunes. Whew! And to think God might have made me successful.

    Why do I leave movies such as these feeling so good about myself, but usually leave Church feeling a bit irritated, or alienated, or caustic, or offended, or smug, or damaged, and so often out of sorts? Why does going to the movies make Church boring?

    But, (and here's my thesis statement even if I've waited until the eighth paragraph to share it) how is it that while movies tend to make Church boring, Church makes movies enriching? The answer: Church allows one to take a set of strong values to the theater by which to evaluate what has worth in a film. This makes for an enriched viewing experience. There is no such set of historically proven values within movies, per se, that allows one to appreciate the value of the Church.

    With regard to the five films "reviewed" above, I think a Christian viewer is likely to have a much greater appreciation of those films' theme of "atonement." In Flatliners, Kevin Bacon finds atonement in finding forgivness from the person he had scapegoated in school. Because we know the lessons of David, Jesus, Revelation, we know that forgiveness was possible even for the Godfather. Although he does not find it, we sympathize with him and grieve for him in the loss of his daughter. We can laugh even harder at Albert Brooks defending (his) life from our confidence that without grace my judgment would be a nightmare. Perhaps the overwhelming success of Dances with Wolves is our corporate guilt and corporate need to be reconciled to our own country's history. In the Five Heartbeats, Robert Townsend finds reconciliation with his friends and brother, significantly and symbolically, at Church. My argument is that bringing a strong set of values to an appreciation of such films make them deeper, more meaningful, enriching experiences. Thus, in a sense, one can take Church to the movies, but can't take the movies to Church.

     _{That's my explanation of how Church improves the movies. Reflecting on your values in the face of literally million dollar cinematic images makes for "centering" experiences. I think it is fairly obvious why a local Church service cannot compete with movies in capturing our attention. Among other reasons the camera angles don't change on an average of every seven seconds.}

   However, I think there is a deeper reason why Church services are often so much less satisfying than going to the movies, and I think I can use Paul Tillich's concept of a "Courage to Be," to perhaps explain. Tillich explains the need for a courage of individualization, to be apart from the group. Sitting in a darkened movie theater allows one a strong sense of being alone and having a strong sense of one's personal values. But even though the film may be shared with an audience, this is not communion. Tillich explains that complementary to this courage to be apart, one must have the courage to be a part of humanity. The tension between being apart and a part is a dynamic of faith. Church forces the issue of the courage to play one's part as a part of the body. This has the imminent prospect of causing irritation, sarcasm, strife, injured feelings, frustration, even damage. But that's what makes it Church, the body, the need for communion, and why Church makes movies more exciting, but why movies, as passive entertainment, don't do much for our confronting our own and others' short comings in the active life of a congregation. Who dressed Joe Piasentin this morning, his mother? And I know LaGard Smith liked that remark even though it was wrong. And this service seems longer than the entire Godfather saga. And so it Gose...

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