This one is for all the Whale Rider fans out there...
I found this excellent PDF study guide which is very insightful and asks some good questions to get you thinking more about the film.
This quote from the director is also good:
"I needed to understand what leadership is, and as the leader of this film, as the director, I understand that leadership is not about shouting and screaming. It's about being the person that serves the rest and creates an environment in which people feel encouraged to do their best work." Niki Caro (director of Whale Rider).Posted by: jonny_norridge | 1/28/2004 05:51:00 pm |
Rethinking Church Models Through Scripture
I thought the above article was interesting. Bruggeman was ahead of his time, it seems to me. Interesting how our view of church is and, in fact, can be shaped by Old Testament history.
Here is the 'taster' paragraph for those who can't be bothered to navigate away!!
"There is no one single or normative model of church life. It is dangerous and distorting for the church to opt for an absolutist model that it insists upon in every circumstance. Moreover, we are more prone to engage in such reductionism, if we do not keep alive a conversation concerning competing and conflicting models. Or to put it positively, models of the church must not be dictated by cultural reality, but they must be voiced and practiced in ways that take careful account of the particular time and circumstance into which God's people are called. Every model of the church must be critically contextual. "
[for those interested on how I got there, it was referenced in the notes Jason posted from Alan Jamieson]
Whale Rider
Last Friday I commenced my image pilgrimage. It started by turning my front room into a mini cinema! I got the church projector, hung a white sheet over the end wall and reconfigured my surround sound, and we were away. There were 7 of us, two friends from work, the rest from church. My friends from work were intrigued by the idea of blogging friends all watching the same film and writing about it – I think they’ll come next month too!
We thoroughly enjoyed Whale Rider. It is remarkable story of a small Maori community dealing with the challenge of change. The tribe chief, Koro, passionate about the ancient traditions finds the next generation sadly lacking in their zeal. His woes continue as he finds his next hope for a new chief, his grandchild, is born a girl.
This girl is remarkable, however. Clever, skilled in many ways, a clear leader, with a clear sense of destiny and purpose. Clearly the one the tribe needs. But the old ways will not allow it.
Thoughts on the old generation: Koro, desperately holding on to the traditions, resulted in him putting immense pressure on the next generation. This is what caused the next generation to lose interest, asking the question: “What if I am not who you want me to be?” [This vocalised and felt pressure I totally identify with]. Koro’s strong passion resulted in his rejection of the next generation, his children. He looks elsewhere in the tribe, looking for another to fit his mould but is consistently disappointed. Even this is not enough to cause to see what is under his nose. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to give up what you see as core to your belief system when those coming after you don’t see things the same way. In the end it just about breaks a strong man. It took near loss of everything to see what was going on, and allow his love for his granddaughter to make room.
Thoughts on the next generation: Pai’s childhood is actually heart-wrenching. She suffered rejection upon rejection, but still she persisted. Her sense of responsibility and destiny prevents her running away however. Her love for her grandfather, and the tradition that he stands for is what keeps the relationship and the future of the tribe intact. Her actions often looked rebellious to her grandfather, but she didn’t let that either result in hatred or giving up, even though people before her had bitterness and had given up. That love and that courage is what caused her to lay hold of all she had in her heart, and was the very qualification for it.
I hope I am not spoiling the story. The film is fantastic. A great story and beautifully shot. I defy you not to be moved by it!
A day in the life...
I've come across two interesting accounts of a day in the life of Eugene Peterson. One 'Peterson's routine' by Eric Keck the other 'Two Days with Eugene and Jan Peterson. Interesting how the same events can be told in totally different ways. Reading the accounts has left me being challenge on the discipline of my spiritual life. Every morning at 6am Eugene makes his wife a coffee and does a morning ritual of Mikvah, a ritual purification bath in the lake taken by Jews. Eric's response to this is fantastic: "At 6:00am in MT, if you have to walk down 100' of snow covered wooden steps that cascade down to an ice covered lake, in your sweats only do rub ice water on your head, heart and feet. there is something very mystical transpiring."
I undertook my first step on the Emergent Image Pilgrimage last night.
'Cold Mountain' took me by surprise. There I was in the cinema wishing I was watching 'Lost In Translation'. But I was soon caught up in the story, characters and fantastic cinematography. The balance of drama, homour, war, love was brilliant.
As Chris Curtis said, nature plays a huge role in the film. It reminds me a little of one of the themes in the Lord of the Rings - where mans desired for power, control and technology is contrasted with the goodness of creation. Inman's journey through the amazing landscapes and his meetings with people along the way are all part of his charter and spiritual formation - or "innards" as Inman would put it. [It makes me want to get out of the city and go for a walk.]
Chris said:
"I don't think it twists the movie too much out of context to ask if there's a parallel here with our own journeys towards redemption and new life in God?"
- I'd agree, I think that analogy can be made. I love the plea from Ada to Inman: "If you are fighting, stop fighting. If you are marching, stop marching...Come back to me."
[Stop reading now if you haven't seen the film] The ending is bitter sweet, a land that is not fully healed, wrongs that can't be undone; but even in this there is new life, spring new lambs, and a new family formed around an Easter meal. Fantastic.
Following Graham's request, I've just added the ability to comment on the articles. Have fun.
.Posted by: jonny_norridge | 1/07/2004 04:12:00 pm |
Jason Clark has made a request for Organic Church to enter the world of RSS - I'm planning on setting this up now, once active you should be able to use the URL: http://www.organicchurch.org.uk/index.rdf in your newsfeeder.
.Posted by: jonny_norridge | 1/05/2004 03:08:00 pm |
