Coming this summer…
A few months ago, we brainstormed ideas for our summer worship series in our weekly worship planning meeting. Our thoughts went all over the map, but it was felt because of schedules, the season, and events that something “fun” would be good. When we say fun, we don’t mean anything unchallenging, derogatory, or dismissive. But rather engaging and unique! At one point, I think it was Norma who offered the idea of “Gospel according to…” and different topics and sources came up. One of which may have been Pixar! We didn’t settle on anything, but as I walked the 50 or so feet back to my office, “the Gospel according to Pixar” idea wouldn’t leave my head. The more I looked into it, the more I felt compelled to do this, not just for a few weeks but the entire summer!
If you are familiar with Pixar animated films, you likely know why I was so enamored with the idea. They are fun, thoughtful movies that operate on many levels. I have yet to watch a Pixar feature and not find myself thinking… “yeah, that’d preach.” So, we are going to give it a go this summer.
Now the key to this series is not, in fact, Pixar, but rather the word Gospel. As Lutherans, a big part of our theological tradition and way of thinking is based on the proper division of Law and Gospel. The law places demands on us, and the Gospel shows us how we are freed in Christ by what he has done for us and promised us in baptism. As simple and as different as these two concepts seem, we often forget and even more often confuse the two. We will be using scripture from both the Old and New Testaments to share the Gospel, the good news of God’s love for us. The movies simply provide us with a medium to share this message.
I liked the idea of using Pixar so much because they do a great job telling stories. Not only are these movies technologically fascinating productions (which is something else I love about them), but they also let us touch on serious and lighthearted topics in a distinctive way. This summer, there will be moments of sadness and joy, silliness, and thoughtfulness, all of which Pixar captures in its characteristic way. We aim to use these movies to tell God’s story of forgiveness, grace, and life in Jesus Christ. I hope you will be able to join us, and if you have a favorite Pixar film, I hope it is one of the ones we chose!