10 Worst Movies of 2005

Let the discussions begin!!!

Weigh in with what you think of my 10 Worst List... Stay tuned for my 10 Best of 2005.

Movies - Worst
1. Be Cool - Granted, expectations were high for GET SHORTY fans, but still, this was an absolute mess from beginning to end. I honestly felt dumber for having been subjected to it. Even the brilliance of Vince Vaughn couldn't save this train wreck.

2. Must Love Dogs - Formulaic, dry, awful writing, and a colossal waste of talented actors. I kept waiting for John Cusack to hoist a boombox over his head and play "In Your Eyes" to try to woo Diane Lane. Awful.

3. Bewitched - I think you'll pick up on a theme of great talent that is wasted by bad writing. Classic example here. Will Ferrell who is hilarious in almost everything he touches, and Nicole Kidman - still reeling from the Stepford Wives debacle, both manage to survive a terrible script and cheesy story. Best line in the film is uttered by Will Ferrell playing a pampered TV star - "Make me 20 cappuccinos and give me the best one!"

4. War of the Worlds - Oh my gosh. This was a huge disappointment to me. Spielberg and Tom Cruise? Ok - setting aside the fact that Tom Cruise is now officially a freak, who would guess that these two would put out such drivel? The scene in which Tom Cruise leads the people to fight back against the man eating aliens is especially cliched. Oh, and not to mention how his entire family survives the vicious and catastrophic attack of the aliens by merely hanging out in their downtown Boston townhouse. The last time they worked together we got Minority Report - let's hope that next time we return to that level.

5. Fantastic Four - Sweet mercy. Talk about a waste of a huge budget! Who are these people? Let's do the world a favor and return them to their normal jobs - as performers at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Great effects - too bad you couldn't computer generate some better acting.

6. Hide and Seek - Robert DeNiro and Dakota Fanning - two of the most popular actors in Hollywood these days - team up for a tired, predictable, "horror movie" that was mildly disturbing but never scary. Cliched, formulaic, and too easy to figure out.

7. Man of the House - Tommy Lee Jones plays pretty much the same character in every movie, his Oscar Winning turn as US Marshall Samuel Girard. It has worked in many ways (Men in Black, US Marshalls, Double Jeopary) - but this time it is a bit of a stretch. The sight of Tommy Lee Jones living with a group of Texas cheerleaders was just too much to bear. Should have gone straight to DVD.

8. Sahara - I'm sure this one is going to generate some bitterness. Right out of the gates, I need to say something about Penelope Cruz. Why does she have a career? And how much would it cost to get her some stinking English lessons. It is painful to hear her try to speak. I have nothing against Matthew McConaghey or Steve Zahn, I think they are both very talented and I have always enjoyed their work. But this movie was a bad combination of the worst parts of the Indiana Jones films, mixed with The Mummy, and a little Tom Clancy. Too much poorly written comedy, unbelievable action sequences, and the always problematic presence of Penelope killed it for me. William H. Macy's presence was not enought to save it.

9. Rize - Since no one has ever heard of this documentary, I'll be brief. It plays out like a really long and pointless dance music video. I finally shut if off because I couldn't take it anymore.

10. The Wedding Date - Can someone find Dermot Mulroney a new genre? His romantic comedy career is starting to get a little stale. The story is a little far fetched - to say the least. To think that Debra Messing (Will and Grace) would have to hire an escort for an event is a bit like trying to convince me that Matthew McConaghey is still living at home at the age of 35 (woops, I guess that's the story behind another great romantic comedy). No thanks.

What do you think??? Let me know...

Voices in our heads

Again, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

I'm starting to notice a scary trend in churches today. I'm starting to see something happen in church leadership that so far are just the sounds of distant gunfire and cannon blasts, but are quite possibly going to turn into a full fledged war in your backyard. This battle is starting to take shape between generations of leaders. Between Pastors that have "earned" their positions through years of disciplined study (degrees), years of toiling in lesser ministry positions, and years of serving in smaller churches - and a younger generation of Pastors, or leaders, that haven't "paid their dues", earned their degrees, or worked their way up from the bottom of pastoral jobs.

What I see happening all over the country is a generation of pastors that are unwilling to change their style or content to reach a changing culture, and as a result, the people are longing for a communicator and leader that is relevant to the culture. This person is typically, though not always, younger, greener, and more brash in his spirituality. Passionate and desperate in his relationship with God. Conversational, dynamic, and relational in his speaking. The "senior" pastor is preaching the way he always has, doing what he was taught in seminary, or how he was mentored by another older pastor. He sees a change in style as a compromise and as watering down the gospel for the masses. He is unwilling to change and therefore digs in his heels and remains steadfast in his methods.

All is well until the young buck gets his chance to preach and unleashes a message of passion and zeal that has been repressed in his heart week after week. He has been longing for his moment to "set people free" from the oppression that is perceived to be keeping the church from freely pursuing and worshipping God.

Good things happen initially. His style is thought of as "fresh", or "different", or "passionate". A different wind begins to blow into the minds of some of the more aggressive church leaders. The people and leaders are very free with their words of "encouragement" - which at first make the young pastor uncomfortable, but soon he finds himself craving these words of affirmation. Suddenly the "young people" of the church are excited about Sunday morning again. Parents are ecstatic.

Now, firmly planted in the head of this young pastor are statements like, "You should preach every Sunday". Or "You are the only pastor in this church anointed by God to preach." Suddenly, his current ministry assignment is intolerable. The next year is unbearable. He can't stop thinking about those moments when he was speaking to the entire church. To all generations.

When Jesus was tempted by the enemy, it was really about taking the easy way out. The enemy knew that Jesus was preparing to begin the impossible work of teaching, loving, serving, and living in a new way. He was to live and die for three years in a way that has never been duplicated - before or since. There were going to be struggles. Hardships. Tough lessons. Great joys. Betrayals. Humiliations. And ultimately a gruesome execution. But through all of that pain - there would emerge beauty. Through the betrayals would emerge loyalty to death. Through the humiliations would emerge eternal glory. All of these stages had to be traversed through in order to accomplish God's mind blowing plan of love and redemption for all mankind.

But Jesus was offered a way around that. Instead of being the king of a kingdom of martyrs, servants, and outlaws, He was offered a real kingdom. Wealth, prestige, majesty, women, honor in the eyes of the world. He could sidestep all of the heartache and pain that would earn him an intangible invisible kingdom of love, and He could have an earthly kingdom right here and now.

The enemy knows the weakness of humanity. Pride. Entitlement. Self-importantance. The offer is to forget about the humble path - and take the easy way. You deserve it! People love you! They respond to YOU. YOU are what is causing this revival. YOU need to be given the head position. LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Now a movement is afoot. Plans are put in motion to make this young pastor into THE PASTOR. He goes along with it because he feels that it isn't for him, but for the people of the church. He wants to set them free.

The problem in this all too common tale is that God is forgotten in all of this. Jesus' response to the enemy's offer was "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." Satan wasn't asking Jesus to become a devil-worshipper. To go to Marilyn Manson concerts or sacrifice virgins. He was just asking Him to choose the path of pride. The path of least resistence. The path of going around God.

Remember Abraham and Sarah? They took the easy way out and the world is still paying the price to this day! God allows us to go through humbling times and learning times to give us what we need to live for the kingdom when all we have left is Him. When we are alone - and it seems that even He has forsaken us. To know that we are living and serving and striving for God alone.

How does the story end? My story isn't over yet... But round one ended badly. Very painful and messy. A lot of hurt, confusion, and bitterness. What about the rest of them? The young pastor bucking hard against the system. Will he stay and listen to the voice of God and then move in the direction He leads? Or will he believe his own hype. Will he take the kingdom that is being offered to him?

Thank you God for allowing me to go through this experience... I know that I made mistakes - I know that I got in over my head... Thank you for giving me love and peace that washes over me when I feel dry and broken.

God - I pray for your church. I know the enemy wants to pit generations against each other. I don't know an easy solution. I know I've been part of the problem. I pray that you would speak to our leaders, pastors, teachers, moms, dads, children, prophets, healers, and janitors - and that you would guide us all as we seek to heal and unite as your bride.

That our heart would beat in the rhythm of Jesus. To love You and the world. And to be willing to die for it.

Amen.

A shaft of light breaking through...

The last time I wrote in this - things seemed pretty bleak... I was coming to terms with some pretty dark days that I had chosen to run away from. That entry was the beginning of some healing for me. Translating those unspoken words from my heart to pixels turned out to be a first step towards some honest introspection.

To describe the past few months as a confusing time would be wrong. To describe them as a humbling time would be closer to the truth. I think I began to believe the hype. I stopped listening to the still small voice of God and I started listening to other voices. Voices that filled my head with different ideas. In some senses, I feel as if I was led to the edge of a cliff and tempted in the wilderness. Unfortunately, I didn't have the spiritual sense to know what I was being offered. I was entertaining offers that only God can make. I was being offered the world, in a sense, and I believed it.

The beautiful thing about life now is that I no longer am looking to blame anyone, no longer looking for a scapegoat. If I was to really arrest the guilty party, I would have no problem locating him. Every time I gaze at myself disapprovingly in the mirror - he's there... accusing, poisoning, wounding.

The only way that I can describe the way I feel now is... hopeful. I may not know what is next - but for the first time in my life - that's fine with me. I am waiting. But it isn't waiting with fearful expectation like I do before a tax appointment... It's a different sort of waiting. Almost like the waiting that comes after engagement, but before marriage. You have huge dreams and hopes for what married life will be like, but no real clue what lies ahead. All you know is that the eyes you are gazing into right now are the eyes that will be looking at you until you are old and gray. You are anticipating a new stage of life - one that will change everything. And with that, a new level of intimacy and dependency. You are passionately waiting. It means that life doesn't stop until your hope is fulfilled. It means that until that moment arrives, you are living life to the fullest. Serving, loving, enjoying, fighting, suffering, and everything else that goes with living. I think of my wife, Angela, when we were engaged. She was living at home with her parents to save money. She was working hard at a job she didn't necessarily love. She worked out every night. She ate like a bird. For 8 months she lived a monastic lifestyle. How did she do it? The hope of her wedding day. The excitement and nervousness of pictures being taken that would be eternal. The unveiling of her beauty. She was waiting for the big day, but she was actively waiting. She was passionately preparing.

There are things on the horizon for us now I guess. There may be things coming together that point us in a different direction. I may not be in this job for very long. But you know what? I might. It could take awhile. So I am going to wait on God... Passionately. Preparing. Living - loving - serving - dreaming.

I have finally found peace.

Peace in the midst of waiting.

Thank you God for loving us enough to humble us, test us, and teach us. Thank you for giving us something to wait for. Thanks for drawing close to us during the waiting. I long for your intimate touch - draw us in so that you can send us out.

Amen.