Exploring the life of faith can be made possible in many different ways. God is revealed in scripture but God can also be found in the stories that scripture inspires and the art that is created in response. Some of these stories are told on pages while others make their way to the screen. This summer we’re taking time to look for God and how God might be speaking to us in three different stories. We invite you to watch these movies, hopefully before the Sunday they’re scheduled to be the featured illustration for our worship. (Note: worship will only include a few references to the movies.) Fill up your popcorn bowl, settle in and keep your eyes and ears open.
Read the movie synopses and watch the trailers below. These movies are all available for viewing from a variety of streaming platforms.
After you’ve watched the movie and shared in worship, join A Really Lazy Book Club™ on Sunday, August 30 at 7pm for a time of deeper conversation around the film and the themes it presents. Read more here…
Sunday, August 30 – Hidden Figures
Focus Scripture Texts: Genesis 1:26-28a, Galatians 3:26-29
As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as “human computers”, we follow these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history’s greatest minds specifically tasked with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.
earlier this summer…
Sunday, July 12 – Just Mercy
As people of faith, we are responsible for the communities in which we have been placed by God. God expects us to care for these communities and to work relentlessly on behalf of our neighbors. This movie holds up a mirror and asks us to take a look at how we are doing on this front.
Focus Scripture Texts: Psalm 146:5-8, Luke 18:1-14
“Just Mercy” is based on the powerful and thought-provoking true story of young lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the main testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings, as well as overt and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the system—stacked against them.
Sunday, August 2 – Coco
Through this movie, we get a rich picture of Mexican culture through the story of Miguel and his great great grandfather on the Day of the Dead. We understand the conflict between pursuing one’s individual identity balanced against the competing desires of family members and our heritage.
Focus Scripture Texts: Genesis 12:1-3, d15:3-6, Psalm 150
In Disney/Pixar’s vibrant tale of family, fun and adventure, aspiring young musician named Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) embarks on an extraordinary journey to the magical land of his ancestors. There, the charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael Garcia Bernal) becomes an unexpected friend who helps Miguel uncover the mysteries behind his family’s stories and traditions.
Coco | Trailer