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This episode I introduce the Lenten Movie Club, where we will discuss a religious movie you may not have seen before.
Whereas it may have been hard to access these movies, they are now easily accessible through both a Netflix account, an Amazon account, and/or a Hulu+ account. Each of these programs can be watched through one’s computer, if one does not have these services through their television, XBox or Blu-Ray Player
I believe that we live in a blessed time, where we have access to some of the most acclaimed religious movies of all time, through streaming. We just have to be open to trying new experiences.
I first go into the story of how I wrote This Time of Forty Days, and later how I worked on a video that went (somewhat) viral.
Are we really engaging the world, or are we hiding away in our little circles?
We live in a culture that is inundated with tons of stuff–movies, music, TV, blogs, video games, news reports, etc. Our culture is inundated by story, entertainment, distraction and laughter.
There is so much fear in the religious community by some of these stories. I shared an experience about hearing people complain about a massively popular young adult book series, as if this series alone would lead people away from the faith and towards witchcraft.
In contrast, I believe that we as Christians ought to be engaging culture as much as possible, trying to find those stories/songs/experiences that we can share with others.
Good people do great work in all these areas, but we do not do enough to support their work.
The Lenten Movie Club is my hope to introduce the Best Religious Movies You’ve Probably Never Seen. They were made mostly outside of Hollywood, and some are in other languages than English.
Lent is a great opportunity to watch these films; Lent is about dying to our own selves, and growing from others’ experiences. These films are considered (by many) to be the very best at what Christianity entails, and we ought to support all quality efforts that share the faith, even if we’re not used to watching black and white movies, with subtitles.
The schedule is as follows:
Lent 1: The Diary of a Country Priest (available on Hulu+)
Lent 2: A Man For All Seasons (available on Amazon.com)
Lent 3: Into Great Silence (available on Netflix)
Lent 4: Ordet (available on Hulu+)
Lent 5: The Passion of Joan of Arc (available on Hulu+)
HolyWeek: The Gospel According to St. Matthew (avail on Hulu)
There is a PDF download available for this worship session, which has all the show notes and lyrics to all the songs. Right-click “Save As” on the term PDF Download.
SONG OF THE WEEK
“From the Dust” by Aaron Strumpel
From the album “Chair and Microphone, Vol. 2” (2006)
Copyright (c) 2006 Worship Circle Records
NOT THE SONG OF THE WEEK
“This Time of Forty Days” a parody of “King of Pain” by The Police, by Nick Alexander
EPISODE LOG TIMES
4:27 – Worship Session (Music and Prayer)
5:57 – Blind Man
8:54 – When Jesus Wept
10:00 – Out of the Depths
12:54 – Let Us Adore
15:30 – Jesu, Salvation’s Sun Divine
18:57 – The Glory of These Forty Days
21:40 – Emendemus In Melius
22:53 – Spoken, Spontaneous Prayer
30:25 – Song of the Week (“From the Dust” by Aaron Strumpel)
39:14 – Personal Reflections (“God’s Unique Plan for Lasting Change”)
57:01 – Final Comments and Doxology
******************SONGS*******************
BLIND MAN
Spiritual
1. Blind man stood by the way and He cried
Blind man stood by the way and He cried
Blind man stood by the way and He cried
Oh… oh… oh…
Show me the way…
Show me the way…
Show me the way… the way to go home.
2. The Leper stood by the way…
3. The Sinner stood by the way…
Copyright unknown
WHEN JESUS WEPT
William Billings, 1770
When Jesus wept the falling tear
In mercy flow’d beyond all bound
When Jesus groan’d a trembling fear
Seiz’d all the guilty world around.
Public Domain
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
Martin Luther (1483-1546) Tr. by Benjamin Latrobe (1725-1786)
Walther’s Geistliches Gesangbuchlein” Wittenberg (1524) arr by JS Bach (1685-1750)
1.Out of the depths I cry to Thee:
Lord, hear me I implore Thee.
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
Let my pray’r come before Thee!
On my misdeeds in mercy look
O deign to blot them from Thy book
And let me come before Thee.
2. Thy sov’reign grace and boundless love
Show thee, Oh Lord, forgiving;
My purest thoughts and deeds but prove
Sin in my heart is living:
None guiltless in Thy sight appear
All who approach Thy Throne must fear,
And humbly trust Thy mercy.
3. Like those who watch for midnight’s hour
To hail the dawning morrow.
I wait for Thee, I trust Thy pow’r
Unmoved by doubt or sorrow;
So let Thy people hope in Thee
And they shall find Thy mercy free,
And Thy redemption plenteous.
Public Domain
LET US ADORE
Unknown
Let us adore… the ever-living God…
And render praise… unto Him…
Who spread out the heavens…
and established the earth…
And whose glory…
is revealed in the heavens above…
And whose greatness…
Is manifest throughout all the earth.
He is our God… There is none else!
Copyright unknown
JESU, SALVATION’S SUN DIVINE
O Sol salutis, intimis. Ambrosian, 6th century
Tr. by the Primer of 1706, prob. by John Dryden
Music by Dijon Church Melody (A.G.M.), arr. by Nick Alexander
1. Jesus, salvation’s Sun Divine,
Within our inmost bosoms shine,
With light all darkness drive away
And give the world a better day.
2. Now days of grace with mercy flow,
O Lord, the gift of tears bestow
To wash our stains in ev’ry part
Whilst heav’nly fire consumes the heart.
Oh….. Oh…..
3. Rise crystal tears, from that same source
From whence our sins derive their course
Nor cease, till harden’d hearts relent
And soften’d by Your streams repent.
Behold the happy days return
the days of joy for them that mourn
May we of their indulgence share
And bless the God Who grants us pray’r.
4. May heav’n and earth aloud proclaim
The Trinity’s almighty fame;
And we restored to grace rejoice
In newness both of heart and voice.
Public Domain
THE GLORY OF THESE FORTY DAYS
OLD HUNDREDTH
Asc. to Gregory the Great, c. 540-604
Tr. by Maurice F. Bell, 1862-1947
The glory of these forty days
We celebrate with songs of praise
For Christ, through whom all things were made
Himself has fasted and has prayed.
Public Domain
EMENDEMUS IN MELIUS
Roman Gradual
Emendémus in mélius, quae ignoránter peccávimus:
Ne súbito praeoccupáti díe mórtis,
Quaerámus spatium paeniténtiae, et inveníre non possímus.
Atténde Dómine, et miserére: quia peccávimus tíbi.
Let us amend ourselves better
Where we do not know where we’ve transgressed
Lest if we’re swiftly overtaken by the day of death,
And we seek a moment to be penitent,
But we obtain it not, forever.
Give ear to us O Lord, and grant us mercy
For we have all transgressed before You.
Public Domain
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