Canadian Mennonite
Volume 10, No. 16
August 21, 2006
Real issues from ‘reel’ life
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As a self-declared film buff, it is rare to find the DVD player in my house without some movie in it—whether a comedy, action, sci-fi or a drama. Much like the culture they are produced by, movies are products of society. Cinema provides us with an honest—and oftentimes frank—commentary on our society. The most recent Star Wars movie, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), could be considered George Lucas’ commentary on the current American political situation.
Films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001, 2002, and 2003) or The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) have the ability to take us to another place, allowing us to leave behind the real world. Film can teach us lessons and ask us questions about our own frailty and limitations. It can also push us to confront issues or fears that society is struggling with. In the action film The Island (2005) or the drama Gattaca (1997), audiences are presented with ethical questions surrounding genetic cloning and engineering.
As Christians, we should view films critically—not necessarily to strip them down and take away their entertainment value—but rather to notice messages that might be presented by the director. We need to ask what the film is saying between the lines of dialogue, amongst the visual effects, or with subtle camera angles and symbols. Superman Returns (2006) and E.T. (1982) are both loaded with religious symbolism; watch them through this lens, looking for Christological imagery, and you will see the films in a whole new light.
Suggested screenings by themeBelief Growing Up Reconciliation Social Issues (Genetic Cloning/Engineering) Fantasy Alternative Jesus Films |
During the Faith, Film and Fiction class at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, we approached a number of different films and short stories, focusing on such elements as the author or director, the historical settings, and the meaning of the work in cultural and social settings, as well as the moral or ethical meaning of the film.
We analyzed the films in relation to Scripture or Christian doctrine, and ultimately explore different religious themes portrayed in the film. The professor had us reflect on what personal experiences are aiding or hindering us in our interaction with the film.
Using these approaches I have discovered a couple of “diamonds in the rough” which might have been overlooked.
Life as a House (2001) explores the damage that divorce causes and the subsequent reconciliation between estranged spouses and a father and his son. Another movie about reconciliation—and growing up—is Garden State (2004). The story follows Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) as he returns home to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral after nine years away. There he begins to connect with his past and discover his future. Both of these films are rated 14A for language and portrayals of drug use and sexuality.
Thirteen (2003) is a powerful story about Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood), a 13-year-old girl who just wants to fit in. Parents and youth leaders would do well to watch this film, as it takes viewers on the teen’s downward spiral as she explores drugs, sex and petty crime in the company of her cool but troubled best friend—from a youthful point-of-view.
Though good films may not be “true” or “real” in the sense that they portray reality, they should not be considered any less valid. Each film provides a front row seat from which we can learn truths about ourselves, our society, culture and world. Keeping this in mind can enhance the movie experience and allow us to see films in an alternative way, perhaps even finding Jesus at the movies.
Memoir recalls commissioning for first woman pastor
Waterloo, Ont.
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The face of leadership in the Mennonite Church “has changed significantly during the past 50 years,” noted Henry Paetkau, president of Conrad Grebel University College, at the annual fundraising banquet for the Lebold Endowment for Leadership Training. “Through his many involvements in a variety of key roles, Ralph Lebold helped lead the church through those changes.”
This year’s banquet celebrated the publication of Strange and Wonderful Paths: The Memoirs of Ralph Lebold, which chronicles Lebold’s life through periods of rapid social change from the 1960s to the ’90s.
According to Herb Schultz, retired MC Eastern Canada pastor and conference minister, “Ralph Lebold’s journey has profoundly impacted the calling and equipping of church leaders in Ontario and beyond. His call, preparation, vision and service fostered development of new programs in an era when pastoral leadership styles and demands changed drastically.”
In his memoirs, Lebold recalls the first commissioning service for a woman pastor in Ontario—Doris Weber. For the occasion, he preached a sermon based on Acts 10—the visions of Peter and Cornelius—that opened the door for Peter to minister to the Gentiles. Similarly, Lebold suggests, “God was calling us in new directions by being open to women as God’s ministers.” He notes that this was a pivotal event in opening the door for other women to serve in active leadership roles in the Mennonite Church.
In recognition of his role in introducing women to ministry roles in the church, this year’s banquet also celebrated “Three decades of women in ministry: Reflections on the changing face of leadership.” A panel of speakers, moderated by Marianne Mellinger, coordinator of Leadership Formation for MC Eastern Canada and supervisor of the master of theological studies ministry option at Conrad Grebel, included female representatives of women in ministry from the 1970s to the present.
Martha Smith Good, a now retired pastor, was the first woman minister called to serve in the Mennonite Conference of Ontario in 1977. When she first came from Kansas, she thought Ontario had already dealt with the issue of women in ministry. She soon discovered, however, that she was actually a pioneer herself.
Lebold encouraged her to persevere, saying that the conference needed only to experience competent women ministers, after which there would no longer be an issue or problem. Good felt she was “on trial” at first, but eventually she became the first woman to be ordained in the Mennonite Conference of Ontario and Quebec.
Renee Sauder, currently an interim pastor at Waterloo North (Ont.) Mennonite Church, didn’t think she would be permitted to be a minister when she grew up in Ontario. But despite the lack of female pastor role models, her sense of God’s call was so strong that she pursued ministry anyway.
Sauder said that when she was called back to Ontario as a pastor years later, the situation had changed dramatically. What she experienced at that time was like “a stream of life-giving water for a woman parched for hope that there would someday be pastoral equality.”
Unlike Sauder, Wendy Janzen, now a pastor at St. Jacobs (Ont.) Mennonite Church, recalled that she knew she could be anything she wanted to be as a child. She was affirmed in her calling to ministry and came to Ontario in the 1990s because of MC Eastern Canada’s support for women in ministry. Janzen has not felt any inequality due to her gender, but encourages women pastors to find a balance between personal life and work.
MC Eastern Canada conference minister Muriel Bechtel provided some statistics on women in ministry. Currently, 35 percent of MC Eastern Canada pastors are women, compared to 25 percent of pastors in MC Canada and 22 percent in the U.S.. As well, half of all seminary students are women.