Sunday Recap: "at the movies"pt.3

Week three of actionchurch "at the movies". Today we watched the final few minutes of I am Legend where Will Smith is yelling " I can save you" "you're sick", " I can save all of you" to all the zombies trying to eat him...even though he has the "antidote" for their sickness in his blood. That scene reminds me so much of Jesus saying "Father forgive them...they don't know what they are doing" while he was dying on the cross. My talk was from John 12:23-28 where Jesus explains his coming death as a "grain of wheat falling into the ground and Dying". I ended by asking the question which would honor the one who sacrificed their life and blood for our "cure"... to waste the blood "antidote"? ...keep it for ourselves? ...or to share it with everyone and save the world? We are here today because the followers of Jesus chose the third option.

The Highlights...

• Great sound today...I actually told Scott that it was (believe it or not) a little "quiet" last week. Turned out he forgot to turn on the amp that runs the low end woofers...it was thumping like normal today. Thanks to Jake and Scott for giving us great sound and lights each week.
• The Gulls on stage today for the first time. This is a really original (in a good way ) band. We will definitely be hearing more from these guys...The started with an accoustic cover of smashing pumpkins "disarm" but the real highlight of the morning was their originals. They are one hot "sea faring" band from Lancaster county...
• I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the bathtub up front today...we borrowed it from downstairs in case anyone needed to curl up in it during the movie clip like Will Smith did in I am Legend...not sure if anyone "got it" but it made Josiah and I laugh...
• This had to be the most technically difficult service we have ever attempted...we have come a long way since February.
• Lori and Michele make the rest of us look like we work in slow motion...thanks!
• Today was the first time I ever had to cut a slide from my PowerPoint during the service...I just attempted to "cram" a little too much stuff in this morning. I am very serious about ending on time (12 noon). People bring their friends every week and they need to know that they can "trust us" to end on time...if I have to cut something to make that happen...so be it.
• This was the most work I have ever put into a sermon...I want so badly to convey the "greatest story ever told" in an understandable and entertaining way...I hope we accomplished that today.
• We had a lot of people out today but attendance was still really good. Great to see new folks checking us out.
• I know we had a few people of "field trips" from other churches...we've been doing this five months now so actionchurch on Sunday morning seems pretty "normal" to us...it must really be a "culture shock" to church folks though...
• Several people told me how much they "hate" me for "making" them watch I am Legend...I guess there were a few sleepless nights....sorry:-)
• our graphics look so much better since Josiah "took over"...our stuff looks like a graphic artist did them(example above)...instead of a house painter....!!
• One more week of "at the movies"... we will definitely repeat this series (with current movies of course) next summer.
• I am looking forward to the 3 sermon series we will be doing in August/September...the best is definitely yet to come...