Table Talk

Epic Live DVD

Have you read John Eldredge's Epic?   If not, you should. Better yet, watch the Epic Live DVD. Perhaps I can best equate reading Epic and watching the DVD like reading Shakespeare and watching the play. It's almost like Epic was meant to be heard, or seen. In the DVD, John essentially narrates the books (really, almost acts it) in front of an small audience. Consider this commentary from ChristianCinema.com:

Discover the story God is telling.

Life, for most of us, feels like a movie we've arrived at forty minutes late.

Sure, good things happen, sometimes beautiful things. But tragic things happen too. What does it mean? We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, usually a confusing mixture of both, and we haven't a clue how to make sense of it all. No wonder we keep losing heart.

We need to know the rest of the story.

For when we were born, we were born into the midst of a great story begun before the dawn of time. A story of adventure, of risk and loss, of heroism...and betrayal. A story where good is warring against evil, danger lurks around every corner, and glorious deeds wait to be done. Think of all those stories you've ever loved-there's a reason they stirred your heart. They've been trying to tell you about the true Epic ever since you were young.

There is a Larger Story. And you have a crucial role to play.

The Gospel is an Epic, a Drama that has been unfolding now for some time. Journey with John as he explores this Epic in four acts:

• Act One: The beginning of the Trinity and the birth of Eternal Love
• Act Two: The villain enters the story. Evil follows.
• Act Three: The Battle. God fights for the hearts of His people.
• Act Four: Heaven. It is paradise regained, the life we've always dreamed of. The time when God makes "all things new."

In this exciting re-telling of the Gospel, you will discover why you love and connect so deeply with the movies and stories that you do. For God has written a story on the human heart, and every other epic we love is inviting us in and telling us about the true Epic-the Story that God is telling.

I loaned the DVD to my friend Dave and he and his wife Cindy watched it one evening. They were blown away. "Never heard anything like this before", Dave said. "It soooo puts things into perspective." He asked if they could take it to a Sunday evening service they have for boys who are in a group home for sexual abuse. Dave said quite a few of the boys were romanced by the story...to realize that they are a part of a LARGER STORY and they have a part that only THEY can play.

Dave asked today if we could watch the DVD in our small group meeting next week, and then gave it to our friend John to watch this week. Guess I'll have to get another copy.

The Battle

The other day my son and I had a chat regarding his position with God. He's 19 and was away at college at the time. After the conversation I realized the importance of “story” and the allusions that came up in our conversation. Needless to say, but I think he's a great kid!

Son: hey there
Son: what are you doing?
Dad: I’m home
Son: cool
Son: so are you busy?
Dad: naw
Son: naw??
Son: that’s different
Son: that’s not usual for you
Son: anyway
Son: so did mom talk to you about what I talked to her about last night?
Dad: a little
Son: ok
Son: well I really want to talk to you about some stuff if you’re not busy and have time
Dad: sure
Son: ok, basically this is how I feel about stuff
Son: ok, there is a lot to this so just wait till I get it all out
Son: lol
Dad: k
Dad: go 4 it
Son: I feel like I am on the edge of a battlefield, the thing about it is, the person on the other side is not my enemy, but my friend, my companion, God.
Son: I am staring him in the eye, taunting him, saying, "lets see what you got"
Son: behind me I have an army of questions, filled with a legion archers armed with arrows of doubts, an infantry armed to the tooth with questions, a cavalry of with weapons of anger, and giant monsters of fears.
Son: and I know this is kind of, "weird" if you will in terms of describing things, but this is exactly how I feel.
Son: behind my army I have things I do not wish to lose
Son: my thoughts, my desires, my loves, in short, me.
Son: Then while I stare God in the eye, I realize that its just him, no archers, no cavalry, no infantry, nothing gigantic on the other end, no army at all, just him. Dressed in the armor of a king, with nothing but a sword.
Son: And in that I know that I should win, I know there is no competition here, but in my heart I am still afraid.
Son: I feel him return my stare and in his eyes I see him say to me " I have what you want, and you know it, now come and get me!" And then a big challenging yet loving smile breaks across his face as he grips his sword.
Son: I almost feel that he wants this challenge
Son: and with that stare
Son: I know I will lose, I know that even with my armies and everything I have to throw at him and I will still lose.
Son: oh, btw the infantry that I have is armed with pride not questions.
Son: I will lose myself, and I don't want that at all, but almost even more so, I want what he has, and he knows it.
Son: I feel the courage to go out and fight him and be willing to risk it all and lose everything, but at the same time I feel the cowardice that pulls me back.
Son: It’s just like going into a battle you know you will lose
Son: you do it for the right reasons, but you know that it will seem in vain so you hesitate.
Son: So there I sit, staring down at one end, while God staring back at the other end by himself at the other.
Son: The thing is I am not ready to charge in
Son: Its almost as though I have to wait for just the right time, then there will be an explosion of battle.
Son: Almost like on Lord of the RIngs: The Two Towers, where they are at Helm’s Deep staring back and forth at each other, one arrow will slip, then the battle ensues
Son: So, I hope that wasn't too over bearing but at the same time descriptive enough to kind of explain the feeling I have been experiencing.
Son: I don't care if you share this with any body either
Dad: so...who's going to let the arrow slip?
Son: That’s what I don't know, God may throw something at me, but at the same time, I might as well
Dad: let me first say..........I LOVE YOUR PASSION!!!!!
Son: :D
Son: thanks
Dad: you are still my hero
Son: its good to hear that
Son: real good
Dad: and I'm just crying with love for you
Son: :-)
Son: I almost want to cry but at the same time I don't
Dad: it sounds like you have some fears
Son: yeah, big ones, like I said monsters
Son: and its like, I am strategizing in what ways I should send out my army, should I start with showing God with the arrows of my doubts and keep my distance, should I ride in with my anger, or start with my monsters of fear.
Son: I just don't know where to start
Son: what to start with
Son: or when to start
Son: its like I am waiting for something to tell me its time
Dad: the King can handle anything you can throw at Him...the question then becomes whether you can handle the rebuff. You may just want to ask Him, "What should I throw first?" He's big enough to understand it and knows what and when you need to hear.
Dad: behind it all, the King still has a father's heart
Dad: not like an earthly father, but of a perfect father
Son: Dad, your great
Dad: ...and so are you
Son: ;-)
Son: :-)*
Dad: let me give you some context for what I think some of your fears might be...
Son: ok
Dad: He says in Jeremiah, "I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed."
Dad: does that scare you?
Son: yeah, those are basically a lot of it
Son: if not all.
Dad: so when the King makes a promise like that...you can take it as a context...a premise for the construct of what it will be like to engage Him
Son: I know his promise, and its good to be reminded, but I am mostly afraid of him.
Son: lol
Son: I don't know if that makes sense to you
Dad: yes...like Aslan
Son: yeah, just like that
Dad: Like when Mrs. Beaver says, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, their either braver than most or else just silly." Then Lucy says, "Then he isn't safe?" "Safe? said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
Son: :-)
Dad: “I'm longing to see him,” said Nathan, “even of I do feel frightened when it comes to the point.” “That's right, Son of Adam,” said Mr. Beaver bringing his paw down on the table with a crash that made all the cups and saucers rattle. “And so you shall. Word has been sent that you are to meet him...”
Son: :-)
Dad: so...what's your next move, Son of Adam?
Son: hhhhmmm...figuring out which ones to throw at God first
Dad: if you can, it may help to journal them, if you haven't already
Son: no, I haven't but that’s a great idea
Dad: don't just write them in a sterile manner but address them to the King...maybe even write Him a letter.
Son: ok
Dad: it's a start...and remember to ask him for the favour of His reply
Son: yeah
Dad: ask Him to make you ready to hear, or see, or feel, so you're ready for His reply. Sometimes He replies in ways we don't expect
Son: ok
Dad: and then write down what you think His answers are...don't be afraid to ask for confirmations...like me, I sometimes have to hear things from Him from different sources
Son: yeah
Son: I will do that
Dad: it's a start...just keep after Him...you were right when you said, " I have what you want, and you know it, now come and get me!"
Son: yeah, I know it, and that’s exactly how it is, and its almost frightening at how sure he is, you know what I mean?
Dad: yeah, i do know
Dad: but remember when you were little and we would wrestle and you knew I could take you...you still went for it...it wasn't winning or losing but the joy of the engagement
Son: yeah
Son: :-)
Dad: it's like that...it's in the engagement that things happen
Son: yeah
Dad: so don't be afraid of it...just start writing
Son: ok
Son: hey, thanks a lot for talking with me, it means a whole lot but I am hungry and everyone is going to eat, and I am going to join them
Dad: ok...just keep up your hunger for the King
Son: yeah
Dad: we'll talk more later
Son: ok
Son: thanks again
Son: I love you
Dad: any time...I love you too
Son: and like I said its ok if you share this with anyone
Dad: ok...thanks
Son: byes
Dad: bye