Sermon: How to Respond to Disaster
Herein lies one of the life messages that God has written on my heart over the course of the past year. When I chose this topic for my second sermon for Preaching III, I wanted to allow God to speak more fully into my life after having experienced a lot of significant events in 2010 and 2011:
Last spring, I lost my cousin in a motorcycle wreck.
Since the beginning of the year, I‘ve watched and prayed from afar as one of my fellow DTS graduates cancelled Ph.D plans to fight cancer.
This summer Stacy and I spent five days counseling victims of the tornado in Hackleburg, Alabama.
This fall I’ve been on a number of deployments as a Chaplain for crime events in the city of Dallas, including a homicide at a local bank.
Needless to say, seminary deals with the tough questions of life, but I wanted more than complex theological answers about sin—I wanted to formulate a message that I felt Scripture itself compellingly communicates to us when we experience tragedy. So many sermons I hear on this topic tend to shock us by delving into the messy details of the story, say a few things about God, and then end with a fluffy, feel-good ending of someone who experienced the tragedy and came out better. That can inspire us, but it usually does not ground us God’s words to us. It just leaves us feeling good for the person whose story we’ve heard.
God has a better message for us than that. God has a message that applies to all of us—not just those of us that come out of the tragedy blessed. A message that leaves the Words of the Bible ringing in our ears, so that we can hear God when the storm hits our lives.
Brace yourself…this is not a feel good message…it’s a challenge.
Don’t argue with me…argue with the Bible…that’s the source of the message.
Don’t just listen to me…my message is just part 1 of what God says to us in disaster, the essential part. There’s a lot more that needs to be said, and should be considered. If you need more answers, consider reading C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain or another relevant book.
And finally…send me feedback. Your responses will make me a better preacher!
Sermon Exegetical & Theological Outlines (What the Bible says)
Sermon Homiletical Outline (How I present what God is saying)
Sermon Typed Transcript and Audio (My Presentation)
Prince Capian: C.S. Lewis would be Disappointed
In Disney's latest release of the Chronicles of Narnia, the writers and directors take a large departure from the storyline of the original author, and in doing so, destroy the reason he wrote the story.
C.S. Lewis is well-known and criticized for writing clear allegories to the spiritual lessons of the Bible, especially in reference to his popular Chronicles of Narnia. His engaging stories teach people, young and old, just as parables in ancient times hoped to do.
Unfortunately the God of the Chronicles of Narnia movies is not the God that C.S. Lewis portrayed. Gone from both movies is the Emperor across the sea and the majestically sovereign Lion. Instead we find a Lion who works more as the magical king of the region of Narnia, than as the creator of the world in which Narnia resides. Instead of hearing of power of God, we are told of "deep magic", which appears to be more reflective of George Lucas's Force, from Star Wars.
In the lastest addition, Prince Capian, we are met not with the Lion who brings the four Pevancys into Narnia and leads them to Aslan's How in correlation with Prince Caspian's blight, but we find them struggling to it's location on their own, aided by a dream and a momentary vision, rather than by the walk of faith that Lewis portrayed.
In a greater departure from the original story, we find the characters of the Chronicles to be very different from Lewis' intent. We find the children raiding the castle of the Talmarines at the bequest of a prideful King Peter, rather than defending Aslan's How at a humble and sacrificial Peter's request. We further see a King Peter tempted by the White Witch, rather than destroyed by Him. And we fail to see King Peter humbly raising up Narnia's new king through an understanding and submission to the plans of the true king...Aslan.
Finally...and saddest of all, We miss C.S. Lewis' glorious conclusion to the story of Prince Caspian, and the greatest spiritual metaphor of the book. For after the battle of Aslan's How, we read through the liberation of the faithful Narnian people and lands(including human men and women) and the judgment of the unfaithful. We see the sovereign Aslan lead more than the kingdom to a new ruler, we see him reward those with faith in Him.
For a similar opinion, read the following article:
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/narnia-film-long-on-action-short-on-faith/
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