I'm just not sticking to this blogging thing, am I? I seem to get into it for a short while and then forget to keep it up for a long while. In hopes of remedying that, I'm gonna start writing stuff in this blog about whatever happens to come to mind, whether it has to do with "stretchychurch" issues or not. Most of the time, there will probably end up being some kind of connection--even if I don't anticipate it.
Anyway, I saw X-Men 3: The Last Stand tonight with a couple guys from my youth group. Awesme movie!! I think it's my favorite of the three. It does some pretty amazing and surprising things plotwise. I love it when a movie does something that totally catches me off guard. (Side note: Deep Blue Sea is a terrible movie, but it's got one of the best "catch you totally off guard" scenes I've ever seen in a movie! That scene almost made the movie worth watching. If you see the movie, you'll know right away which scene I'm talking about--it involves Samuel L. Jackson giving an inspirational speech.)
X-Men 3 also does a pretty good job of allowing the characters to make drastic decisions. Spoiler alert: Rogue (who is unable to touch anyone because she sucks the life force out of them) gives up her mutation by receiving a mutant "cure" injection. Traditionally, most movie lines would never allow for such a change in a character--certainly not a superhero! Gotta keep those superpowers (e.g., The Thing goes back to being The Thing in Fantastic Four--totally unrealistic!). But Rogue (or, rather, Marie) wants to be able to share in community. She wants to be able to give and receive hugs, hold hands, and kiss. Who can blame her?
And I guess here's the stretchychurch connection. People just want community. Any kind of community. Sometimes people can get into some pretty bad stuff all for the sake of community. The church needs to offer true, authentic community--a place where they can give and receive hugs, hold hands, kiss (I'm talking "holy kiss" here, people!! heh heh... ). People just want to know they belong. If they find that in a community of Christians--church--that's what brings people back. That's what helps people take that first step toward Jesus.
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