Spencer Burke :: Weblog

Tomorrows CS Monitor Story

I was interviewed about the passion film and here is the closing of the article you can read the full story here.

Evangelicals have seen the movie principally as a great vehicle for reaching the unchurched. In addition to buying out theaters and inviting people to attend, they've developed other outreach projects.

Spencer Burke, an evangelical pastor in California with an Internet ministry, questions that effort. While he enjoyed the film, "if I was interested in striking up a conversation with someone in my community tonight by purchasing a ticket to a movie, inviting them to dinner and a spiritual conversation, my money would be on 'In America', " he says.

Both films deal with the same themes, he says, but he thinks "In America" speaks more "to the soul of the average person who wonders about the struggles of everyday life and whether God is good or bad.

"The passion is only one part of the story, he adds. "My thought is that the passion wasn't about the cross. Jesus didn't really look at the cross; he looked at me."

"Lost Angeles" - Daily Meditaion

"Lost Angeles" this image is taken downtown LA and I like the play on words (1988)

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Guest Book

This is my makeshift guest book. If you would like to sign in or make a comment please use the comment link or comment boxes below (if you used the "Guest Book" link). Looking forward to your thoughts,

Spencer

"ChildLike" - Daily Meditation

"Childlike" my son and his cousins at the Maui Aquarium (2002)

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Spencer's Monthly Email Update

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Our Church This Week

I will try to keep you up to date on what our church is up to. We run our meeting together more as a rave or “smart mob” mentality than a traditional weekly Sunday event. This past week we joined together with the 1st AME Church in South Central Los Angeles. We attended the 8am service and Al Sharpton was the guest speaker. He had all of us engaged. Story, singing and an improvised sound track… Give it a listen HERE.

This is an Mp3 – file size is 6.8mb / 14 mins. in lenght (well worth it). If it does not play you may need to download an Mp3 player for your computer, here are 2 free players WINDOWS - APPLE.

1st AME has many CD, DVD and Tapes of there services, you can order them by calling (323) 730-7750 ext 6017.

"Inside" - Daily Meditation

"Inside" This is a close up of a rose I took in my backyard (2003)

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Saw the Passion Last Night

As someone who was well acquainted with the back story - context - I enjoyed the film.

Mel has said he wanted to be "over the top" (Diane Sawyer interview), and I think some will see the biblical character as caricatures.

If I was to invite a friend out to see a movie tonight, with the desire to engage in a spiritual conversation - my money would be on "In America", if you have not seen it, I encourage you to.

If you get a chance on Monday to pick up the Christian Science Monitor (or go online) I was interviewed as to my personal reaction to the film. It will be interesting to see what they use...

"Path" - Daily Meditation

"Path" I took this photograph of an outdoor bar and chairs at the Block in SoCal (2002)

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"Dry" - Daily Meditation

"Dry" This photograph was taken in northern California during the drought of 1977.

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"Mother and Child" - Daily Meditation

I will try to post a daily image for personal reflection or meditation. These images are from my travels or portfolio of photographs that I have taken over the years. My hope is you will look for your own interpretation and insight from each image/meditation. Each picture I post has been personally influential in my own spiritual journey. I welcome your comments and thoughts as you reflect on these "ICONS" from my daily life.

"Mother and Child" original photo taken by Spencer Burke in downtown Los Angeles (around 1982).

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The Passion Thread on TheOoze

I wrote an article for TheOoze this month about the passion movie. The article has a discussion thread and it has been quite active. Here is a post I wrote this morning in response to "clamdude"
_________________________________________________

[QUOTED]
This movie can be a great opportunity for you to share your faith...but from what I've seen in your column...it seems you've "written off that idea".
[/QUOTED]

Again my comments are not about the content of the movie - although the more I hear about it and talk to those who have seen it, I get the impression that only “insiders” who have the context for the brutality will be able to appreciate it. Maybe it could be compared to the last hours of Gandhi or MLK as they were cut down by assassin’s bullets – without seeing their lives and what they LIVED for you will never understand what they DIED for.

[QUOTED]
Besides our goal here isn't to be cool and liked by the world...last I checked the Jesus said we’d be hated by this world because they first hated Him. (Just so you know I've worked in Hollywood for 8 years now, and I have a great love for the movies).
[/QUOTED]

As we near the opening – tomorrow - I would argue that most of culture does not “hate” us because they hate Jesus, they hate us because we appear to not “love” them the way Jesus loved them. (This is the main point in my book about evangelism, when we use a “warrior” metaphor rather than a “gardener” mindset).

[QUOTED]
Why worry about how people go about doing it...Who cares if believers act like freaks and run around selling this film...God bless them (Read Phil 1:18). Besides our goal here isn't to be cool and liked by the world...
[/QUOTED]

I do believe we can do more damage to the gospel by not seriously considering the ways in which we choose to “love our neighbor”.

In the last 12 months we have seen the activation of the “Do Not Call Registry” and the legal right to legislate sales calls was upheld in the courts. Then the passage of the first sweeping “Anti-Spam” laws, criminalizing unsolicited email. So why do some Christians believe that “unsolicited” – “sales calls” in front of theaters, with free bibles, tracts and cleaver signs with slogans like “saw the movie now read the book”, will be effective?