KENT'S NEW FILM - STAINED GLASS RAINBOWS

For those who are interested, please check out the blog for my latest film Stained Glass Rainbows... exploring the bed wrestle between homosexuality and faith.

In this film I bravely go where few Christians dare to tread... to gay pride parades, to the living rooms of gays and lesbians, to the depths of the struggle between conservatives and liberals... asking questions like, "is homosexuality a sin?"

Hear from the lesbian minister, the ex-lesbian who fled the country with her little girl, the gay pastor who wanted to pull the trigger and end it all, the ex-gay man living with AIDS, the conservative theologian who explains the biblical standards, the God Hates Fags protestor, the man and woman ministering to the homosexual population, etc.

Stained Glass Rainbows - Blog
Stained Glass Rainbows - Website
Stained Glass Rainbows - Facebook Page

Rebellion of Thought Study Guide

Finally... the Rebellion of Thought Discussion Guide has been published to the website... Check it out at www.RebellionofThought.com.

This is the perfect thing if your small group is watching the film. It works with the Group Viewing Segments on the DVD and is designed to help make a lot of the heady stuff in the film more understandable and to give people something to guide them through the jungle known as Rebellion of Thought.

It's written by Stephen & Amanda Sorenson... they've written numerous study guides for some big name folks.

Download the Rebellion of Thought Discussion Guide

and best of all... it's FREE!

This Is My Body - Ekklesia As God Intended

A review by Kent C. Williamson of the book by Keith Giles

Allow me to start by saying This Is My Body is FANTASTIC! And I’m not just saying that because I’ve known the author for nearly 25 years. I say it because This Is My Body is a much needed treatise about the state of the church in North America. As most of those who claim to follow Christ know, the church is not made of brick and stone, it is made of spirit, of flesh, of bone... for the church is made of nothing more than the Spirit of God dwelling in those who seek Him. How His followers connect with each other is the essence of the greek word Ekklesia and the topic that Giles explores within this book.

Giles reminds us that one of the most mind-blowing elements of the crucifixion of Christ was the mysterious tearing of the temple veil. Prior to that historic event the high priest alone had access to the Holy of Holies. Only on special occasions could he enter the dwelling place of God behind the veil, which had to be an amazing event for the lone participant. But the symbolism and substance that springs from the torn veil is even more amazing... that we all can now approach the One who for so long was unapproachable.

Giles asks the question, will anyone dare pick up a needle and thread to repair the torn veil? It's obvious that only an extremely arrogant person would attempt such a thing, but unfortunately the institutional church has had their share of such men who desperately attempt to repair the veil, mainly because their livelihoods depend on it.

The days of "Professional” Christianity are over! The Holy Spirit is reclaiming it for the common man and Keith Giles is helping to blow the trumpet! I can hear pastors of the institutional church screaming "heresy" as they desperately cling to their salary, their staff, and their beloved "book funds"! My hope is that This Is My Body will become required reading in seminaries and bible colleges across the land. Unfortunately, it's more likely that it will be added to the bonfire by the hoity-toity elite who see their security being threatened.

As much as I loved reading This Is My Body, it is not perfect. There is one missing chapter of this book, which should be called Exit Strategy. Giles does a great job setting up the problem with the typical top-down church structure in America, but I would have liked to see a section devoted to helping people move from the comfy pews of “spectator Christianity” into this brave new world where the only safety net is the Holy Spirit. A chapter where the reader could gain valuable information on how to leap from the train known as the institutional church... a train that, as my brother and I pointed out in our film Rebellion of Thought, is tragically on the wrong track, barreling blindly toward the wrong destination. (I might add that Rebellion of Thought didn’t offer that type of help either!).

When the Sunday Morning Business Men take to their pulpits to drone on-and-on "teaching the Word of God", my prayer is that the brave few who get their hands on This Is My Body will move out into their communities and neighborhoods "living the Word of God", being Christ to those who need it most. Only then will we experience the sense of Ekklesia that our New Testament brothers and sisters knew so well.

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THE COMING EVANGELICAL COLLAPSE

Here's a snippet from and a link to an interesting article called The Coming Evangelical Collapse...

"We can rejoice that in the ruins, new forms of Christian vitality and ministry will be born. I expect to see a vital and growing house church movement. This cannot help but be good for an evangelicalism that has made buildings, numbers, and paid staff its drugs for half a century."

This goes hand-in-hand with parts of Rebellion of Thought.

Read the whole article here!

A VIEW FROM A VIEWER

After viewing Rebellion of Thought, Kelly Dominguez wrote...

Towards the end of the documentary of "Rebellion of thought", Brad told of what happened when he went to tell his pastor he was leaving the church. The Pastor ask him a question and he responded with something. Forgive me, I can't for the life of me remember what exactly was said. My memory is really bad. Would you please refresh my memory? I rented the movie through Christian Cinema and already returned it, my bad. I should have watched it again.

Lately, I've been very dissatisfied with what I see in our church. Not more then two days before watching your movie, I had a conversation with a friend about how our neighbors were moving and I didn't know them..............because my family is so "busy" (something I believe comes from the devil) "going to church". So your movie was food for the brain. Thank you.

Brad replied...

Thanks for asking about Rebellion of Thought. I appreciate you taking the time to view it and am encouraged that you find the discussion valuable.

You asked what my response was to my pastor when I told him I was leaving our church (note that I did not leave the 'church', the body of Christ, but a specific assembly that met in a certain building!)

Kent has provided the transcript from that portion of the film, which is great, because I'd have a hard time remembering as well.

When you look at what’s going on it’s seems that maybe the church is part of the problem here.

I’ll go way out on a limb here. This hopefully will be edited out. What the church is designed to do is to seduce believers into thinking that they believe…

Beep! (CENSORED)

Probably the greatest indictment of the church today is that we don’t practice the gospel. We preach it. We teach it. We do all kinds of things with it. We put it on banners. We sing songs about it. We just don’t actually do it. Just go automatically to church every Sunday, week after week and do the same things over and over again. We will never observe what it is that’s going on there and be able to do something different. And then you have the danger of those people who have a vested interest in making sure that we don’t examine the traditions of the church or the North American church because you know we even ______ teaching that that…

...When I left the church that I was with I had been with the church for about, oh, six or eight years. When I was asked why I was leaving I told the pastor, I said I’ve I’m having a problem with the church because it’s not adequate, it’s not sufficient for me to be a part of a church where the gospel is preached. I said the desire of my heart is that I that I’m part of a church where the gospel is practiced.

There you go - I'm still on my quest - and by the way, when I look at the church I left, I would say without question that it comes closer to the mark of practicing the Gospel than any church I have been a part of, and I still felt compelled to leave.

Part of the problem, as you touch on, is that there is a distraction in the church that I am convinced is part of the Deceiver's plan, to convince believers that by being involved in church they are serving Christ. I believe that this is the greatest deception ever conceived against those who would follow Christ, and we are, for the most part, blind to it.

To close, let me fill in the censored part of the script, with a paraphrase of what the distributor insisted we remove.

The organizational church today is designed to do three things:

Seduce believers into being part of the organizational church community with attractive services, songs, programs, 'ministries', and facilities...

Anesthetize the believer with many 'good' things (worship, praise, care of other believers) so that the believer does not realizing that what he or she is doing has little connection to the mandates Christ communicated in the Scripture...

Deceive the believer into thinking that going to church, singing and praising, tithing, and caring for other believers (all truly good things) are what Christ would have us do.

Ultimately, the church is most successful at enabling even mature believers to miss the point, that God called us first to love Him with all our heart, mind and soul, and second, to love our neighbor as ourselves, which turns out to be a whole lot more difficult in our culture than going to church.

So, Kelly, your journey begins. It will not be easy or popular, but you aren't alone. More and more followers of Christ are starting to act on their dissatisfaction with the organizational church. Pray that you will not be discouraged, deceived, or misled as you seek Christ and work to serve Him.

I will pray that you find a small group of like-minded believers who will commit themselves with you to living Christ as you abandon 'being busy' for the sake of the organizational church.

Feel free to write and share you experiences. We'd like to hear from you.

Brad

STAINED GLASS RAINBOWS... CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION

It's time to start plugging our next film Stained Glass Rainbows.

For those who don't know, Stained Glass Rainbows is an exploration of the bed wrestle between homosexuality and faith. We've interviewed the left, the right, conservatives, liberals, & moderates. We've filmed at Gay Pride Parades as well as Gay Protests. We've talked with folks that believe people are born gay along with people who were once in gay relationships that through their faith have left it behind... so to speak.

Why this topic???

I believe this is the most controversial subject facing the modern church. The majority of conservatives tend to want to keep their heads in the sand and pretend this issue will go away. Meanwhile, progressive denominations are not only embracing homosexuals, but they are also ordaining them. The recent controversies surrounding Gay Marriage and Proposition 8 are only proof of the volatility and timeliness for Stained Glass Rainbows.

This issue is tearing churches apart. It's tearing denominations apart. And it's tearing families apart. Is there an answer? And if there is, what is it? Is homosexuality a great sin or merely a lifestyle? What does a book written 2,000 years ago have to say about it and should that have any relevance on us today?

Stained Glass Rainbows explores the controversy, dives into the heart of the issue, and gets inside the hearts and minds of people of faith across the country.

Keep an eye out for Stained Glass Rainbows... coming soon!

REBELLION OF THOUGHT ON THE RADIO

Kent recently was interviewed about Rebellion of Thought by Joe Thomas on WCHV 1260 AM. Listen to the interview here...

REBELLION OF THOUGHT... GIDEON FILM FESTIVAL

Rebellion of Thought will be screening at the Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina.

DATE: Wednesday, April 16, 2008
TIME: 1:15pm

The film will be followed by Q&A (if the crowd is civil) or Tar & Feathering (if it gets out of hand). If you know anyone in the Asheville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Knoxville, or Atlanta areas, tell them to head to Ashville for the screening. In the mean time, start planning your trip... it matters not where you live, cause like Steven Wright would say... "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."

FYI, a portion (if not all) of the Brothers Williamson will be on the receiving end of the "Pitching to Producers" event on Tuesday the 15th, where a select group of published authors pitch their latest ideas.

Also, keep your eye out for two new Rebellion of Thought trailers to be released soon...

DEVOTION... WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Please bare with me... I feel another rant coming on. Recently, I started chewing on the word "devotion". What does it mean? Where did it come from? etc., when the thought hit me, is this another word the Church has hi-jacked and stripped of it's original meaning and intent?

Growing up in the Church I was continually bombarded with phrases like... have you had your devotions today? How are your devotions going? Are you having a consistent "quiet time"? Did you get your copy of the devotional? Kent, sit still while Mr. S0-and-s0 leads us in a devotion.

Devotion was a word that carried with it much guilt. It was a word with good intentions, designed to encourage me to read the Bible (or a supplement) more, but I remember as a teenager hearing the word and realizing I was a failure. I could never read the Bible more than some of the other kids in the youth group. I could never spend an hour a day reading and praying or even a half hour for that matter or even 15 minutes, because for some reason I would miss Thursday or Saturday or Monday which left me feeling guilty, unworthy, outside of God's perfect will, a loser that couldn't consistently have his devotions.

On days when I might be successful I remember being able to check it off my spiritual to-do list. "Boy, God must be proud of me now!"

Now that I'm officially "getting older" things haven't changed much. Today you can click your way to Amazon and find pages of devotional books and resources to improve and enhance your "quiet time". Now, don't get me wrong, some of these resources may be valuable, but doesn't the mass marketing of "devotion" seem to be a little... tacky?

What does "devotion" mean anyway? Dictionary.com offers these in it's list of definitions...

"profound dedication"

"feelings of ardent love"

"earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc."

True "devotion" is not a noun. It's not something I do but it is something I have... or do I? Am I truly devoted to Christ? Am I truly devoted to seeking Him? Am I truly devoted to picking up the cross daily? Am I truly devoted to the concept of crucifying myself so that He may live through me?

How about you? Are you devoted?

MY ADDICTION TO TRADITIONAL CHURCH

My struggle (prior to converting to the house church) was that I was (like most of us) a creature of habit. I had a Sunday morning habit/addiction that looked like this...

- wake up
- race around the house getting myself and my kids ready for "church"
- drive 20+ miles (as fast as possible) to a good sized church-building of my liking
- drop kids off at various Sunday School rooms (all the while hoping they'll learn something and simultaneously releasing myself from the responsibility of teaching them)
- teach an Adult Sunday School class (which I often viewed as baby-sitting the grown-ups who wanted their kids to be in a Sunday School class and had nothing better to do for the hour)... did that come across as cynical? Sorry!
- cut my lesson short due to time-restraints.
- race down the hall to the "sanctuary" for "worship" and to fulfill my obligations as a deacon (which mostly consisted of serving the "found" instead of those truly in need of Christ)
- drop a check in the plate (and wonder what really happens to the money besides keeping the machine running)
- wave goodbye to people I didn't really know on any deep and meaningful level, but found myself with week after week

I was addicted to the traditional church. God had to take me all the way to China to get a glimpse of the underground house church to break me of my addiction. I had a habit that at that particular church had lasted for 9 years, but the Holy Spirit broke me of it.

There is hope... He is moving still in the hearts of people. Hopefully he'll keep nudging people toward true community, toward deep and meaningful relationships with other believers, toward the image of Christ without all the trappings of modern day Churchianity.

--------------------------------------------------
This was a response I gave to an article called "Something Different" my good friend Keith Giles wrote over on his [Subversive Underground] Blog.

WILLOW CREEK APOLOGIZES...

As Brad and I hit on in Rebellion of Thought, the Supersize Me mentality of program-oriented Churchianity in America misses the point of what being a follower of Christ is all about.

Apparently research has come out that even Bill Hybels (founder of Willow Creek) finds “earth shaking,” “ground breaking,” and “mind blowing.”

Here's a snippet...

Willow Creek Repents?
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years... So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?

Read the full article on Christianity Today's Out of Ur Blog...

I can't wait until the research comes out that says this is true for the majority of smaller, program oriented, non-mega churches as well.

-------------------------------------------

In an effort to promote transparency and full-disclosure it should be known that in the 80's (back when I had lots of hair and little discretion) I was very active at Willow Creek. I attended multiple services on a weekly basis and was involved in the "Video Ministry" where we helped "spread the gospel" to needy jumbo screens via closed-circuit television for youth group Rah, Rah, Rah's.

Ironic that today, twenty years later, my "Video Ministry" includes such lovely pieces as Rebellion of Thought which, when it comes to Mega Church mentalities like Willow Creek, I guess would be "biting the hand that fed me"... Ooops!

Rebellion of Thought... In Stores Today!

November 13th, 2007... this just in... Rebellion of Thought officially goes on sale today.

Here are a few links to stores where you can purchase it, rent it, etc.

Amazon = $15.99
Barnes & Noble = $20.69
Borders = $??.??
Christian Cinema = $16.92
Crown Video = $??.??
Family Stores = $??.??
Gospel Direct = $19.99
Netflix = Rental
Midwest Tape (via public library system)

Also, in C'ville you can buy it at Splintered Light. Here's a photo of the Splintered Light Bookshop... doesn't that look like a great place to go and browse the shelves?

They're located at 128 Chancellor St. just off the corner in the Center for Christian Study.

HOLLYWOOD JESUS REVIEW OF ROT

Here are a couple of links to the Hollywood Jesus review of Rebellion of Thought by Mike Furches.

Hollywood Jesus - Rebellion of Thought
Hollywood Jesus - About Rebellion of Thought

Furches says things like "sure to cause waves in the world of Christianity" and "may end up being one of the best documentary films of the year."

Enjoy!

REBELLION OF THOUGHT REVIEW

Here is a review of Rebellion of Thought that appeared in the November issue of the CBA Retailers Magazine...

"Rebellion of Thought is a superbly made, thought-provoking film. It juxtaposes discussion by leading Christian thinkers, people on the street, and filmmakers Brad and Kent Williamson to examine what postmodern thinking is and how the common idea that there's no absolute truth demands a new response from Christians.

The sheer film-craft beats almost anything I've seen in Christian film. The medium often becomes the message with stunning visuals, creative editing, and excellent (mostly indie) music. The explanation of post-modernism and its effect on culture is well-honed, thought overlong.

The Williamson's challenge–that church is irrelevant when it busies itself with traditional activities but never touches those outside–is undeniably true. The problem comes when they equate this irrelevant church with Hitler's state-run church and make the leap that the only way to relevance is ditching the church entirely, rather than recreating it on a biblical pattern.

This film will appeal to an intellectual and somewhat disaffected audience. Nevertheless, it raises questions that should be discussed (perhaps with a group and the corresponding study guide).

–Sue Grise"

REBELLION OF THOUGHT... NOVEMBER 13, 2007

The official launch date for Rebellion of Thought is just days away (November 13th). Here's a list of what you'll find on the DVD...

• Rebellion of Thought... the film (imagine that... the DVD will actually have the film on it!)
• Group Viewing Feature

BONUS MATERIAL
• A (Not So) Simple Response (a pastor responds to seeing the film)
• Anchored in the Harbour (my challenge to the church to move beyond the walls & pews)
• More Rebellious Thoughts (where Brad, myself and the experts discuss things like The Hardwired Church, Life Worship, Merchandising the Gospel, and Embracing the Mystery. This section alone is over 90 minutes of additional material)
• Expert Bios of all the cool philosophers and theologians that appear in the film.
• The Soundtrack - 25 songs from bands like Abby SomeOne, Audrey Hatcher Woodhams, Greg Allen, Hugh Wilson, Inner Surge, JJ Plasencio, Stereovolt, Joniqa, Low In The Sky, Michael Handler, Mixtapes for Girlfriends, Verona, and composer Will Musser (This section also includes bios and photos of the bands).
• Trailers & Credits

I'll try and post a list where the DVD can be purchased. In the mean time, go ask for it wherever you buy your movies.

VIRTUAL PEW RADIO INTERVIEW

Today Brad and I had the pleasure of being interviewed on Virtual Pew Live, a BlogTalkRadio show hosted by Mike Furches. It was an interesting discussion about Rebellion of Thought and our journey through the making of the film.

Listen to the archived webstream or download the mp3.

Here's a quote about Rebellion of Thought from Mike's Blog and MySpace page...

"This is one of the most important, thought provoking documentaries to come about in years. It should shake the very foundation of Christianity and the Church as to the direction society is taking, and the direction of how we reach that society."

Just a reminder to watch for Rebellion of Thought on store shelves November 13th.

REBELLION OF THOUGHT... DOVE SEAL OF APPROVAL

We just learned that Rebellion of Thought has been awarded the Dove Foundations Seal of Approval. Read the review.

RELEASE DATE... 13 NOV 2007

Just a quick note to let folks know that Rebellion of Thought is scheduled to hit store shelves on the 13 of November, 2007. Please help us spread the word.

REBELLION OF THOUGHT... THE DVD

A quick update on the status of Rebellion of Thought...

First, we signed a distribution agreement back in May with Exploration Films to handle north American and international sales for dvd, broadcast, etc.

Second, we've been working like mad to finish all the bonus material, soundtrack, programming, etc. of the DVD. I'm happy to say that it shipped to the kind folks at Exploration last night. I'm sure there will be a few tweaks here and there, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Third, the film is currently set for a fall release. When we receive a firm date, we will post it here.

In the mean time... here's a shot of the Scene Selection page from the upcoming Rebellion of Thought dvd...