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Jesus

Christian Takes (On Rogan, Whoopi, Wordle, Superbowl, Book of Boba Fett…)

February 10, 2022 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

There’s always so much in the news and current culture! How can a Christian develop a solid take on so many things? Does a Christian even need to always have a take? Why? What principles can guide us as we attempt to see and communicate things correctly from a Christian point of view?

Find out in this brand new episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast…

With wisdom on having a solid Christian take in place, we tackle a grab bag of current topics to put it into practice. Things that come up (in rando order): Joe Rogan, Whoopi Goldberg, Spotify, Wordle, The Oscars, The Superbowl, The Olympics, Pokemon GO, The Book of Boba Fett, God Reforms Hearts by Thaddeus Williams, the current Canadian trucker protests, mask mandates, abortion, free will and predestination (more later?), ice skating, small groups at CiD, Epic by John Eldredge.. plenty more unremembered items 🙂

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Bible, boba, Christian, church, culture, current, events, fett, goldberg, Jesus, joe, Olympics, Oscars, Podcast, politics, pop, rogan, spotify, star, Superbowl, wars, whoopi, wordle

Christmas Themed Theological Riff Fest

December 10, 2021 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

It’s the holiday season. A time for friends, family, food, traditions…. and riffing on complex and controversial Christmas themed theological topics!

In this episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we’re joined by Levi Goodwin – local purveyor of fine viewpoints – for discussion on a range of topics related to Christmas and Advent: The incarnation, angels, Marian doctrines, miracles and more.

We also take time to examine the question of “When is it essential to have a firm opinion on a specific doctrine or topic?” and share some Holiday Hot Takes 🙂

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: advent, angels, Christ, Christmas, culture, demons, holidays, incarnation, Jesus, marian, Mary, Miracles, politics, pop culture, Religion & Spirituality, Santa

What Non-Christians Get Right; Suicide Squad; Green Knight; Ted Lasso

August 12, 2021 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

your-sunday-drive-christian-podcast

Is Christianity “metaphorically true, but literally false?”

In this episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we look at recent critiques of (and hopes for) the faith from non-Christian “new pragmatists” such as Jordan Peterson, Bret Weinstein, Tom Holland and Douglas Murray. Along the way we discover some things non-Christians get right, some things they get wrong, and ask how the church can be faithful to its message, but still relevant in a changing culture.

We also chat about our current pop culture faves, including Ted Lasso, The Suicide Squad and The Green Knight. These are all good, btw, and you should watch them all, btw, but for different reasons…..

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: bret weinstein, Christian, christian podcast, Christianity, church, culture, douglas murray, Faith, green knight, Jesus, jordan peterson, pop culture, Suicide Squad, ted lasso, tom holland

Chauvin Verdict Reaction; Race & Policing

April 22, 2021 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murdering George Floyd. In this episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we talk about the trial, the verdict and the related issues: race, racism and justice in America; the influence of politics and media; policing and how race is related; what this event could mean for the future.

Most importantly, we try to approach the topic from a Christian perspective, asking how we might respond to and participate in this moment of change.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Black Lives Matter, blm, brutality, chauvin, Christian, church, floyd, Jesus, murder, Podcast, police, policing, race, racism, social justice, trial, verdict

Plot Twist! Why We’re Thankful for 2020

November 20, 2020 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

Between the pandemic, social upheaval, political turmoil, etc., 2020 has obviously been a challenging year. In this Thanksgiving episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we flip the script and explain why – plot twist! – we’re thankful for 2020.

We start with some reactions to the current election drama and positive spins on this year’s political and media-related issues. Then we discuss a bunch of things we’re thankful for, such as kids’ resilience, the goodness of people, possible fruitful changes to work culture, and “small things” to appreciate such as video games (including an impromptu aesthetic discussion about the definition of art 🙂 ).

Finally, we examine how hard times, our view of God, trust and thankfulness are all intertwined in the Bible.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: 2020, Bible, biden, christian podcast, church, culture, drive, election, Faith, God, Jesus, Pandemic, politics, Thanksgiving, Trump

Black Lives Matter; Remembering Ravi Zacharias

June 3, 2020 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

your sunday drive podcast

In this new episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we discuss the current unrest following the death of George Floyd, including conversation about Black Lives Matter vs. “All Lives Matter,” protests vs. looting, the role of social media and politics, biblical examples (including Jesus flipping tables) and frameworks for understanding justice, value, etc.

We then take a brief moment to reflect on writer/speaker Ravi Zacharias, who passed away recently, sharing some takeaways and highlights of Ravi speaking.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Black Lives Matter, christian podcast, culture, george floyd, Jesus, police brutality, politics, protest, ravi zacharias, riot, Temple, Trump, your sunday drive

Who Would Jesus Vote For?

March 3, 2020 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

your sunday drive podcast

Finally, the “answer” to the question on everyone’s mind: Who would Jesus vote for?

In this one-year-anniversary, Super Tuesday episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we discuss the different economic and governmental systems vying for votes this year, and ask some key questions: What are the basic differences between right and left economic systems? Does capitalism or socialism or some other -ism best fit human nature? Are there biblical principles to help us understand these options? Are there governmental models in the Bible and do they apply here and now? How do we weigh economic vs. social/moral concerns?

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive



Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: capitalism, christian podcast, church, democrat, economics, election, Government, Jesus, politics, Republican, socialism, super tuesday, Trump

The Holidays & Mental Health; Star Wars

December 18, 2019 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

your sunday drive podcast

It’s nearly Christmas – a joyous time, but also a difficult time for many.

In this episode of the Your Sunday Drive podcast, we welcome local family medicine physician’s assistant Dave Mulder to talk about the holidays and mental health, trying to lend a Christian perspective to an issue that many face this time of year.

With The Rise of Skywalker just days from release, we also take a quick few minutes to discuss the spiritual significance of Star Wars.

Come along for Your Sunday Drive – quick conversation about current events, politics, pop culture and more, from the perspective of a couple of guys trying to follow Jesus.

Hosts: Matt Hill and Nate Polzin. Presented by the Church in Drive of Saginaw, MI, as often as possible. Please visit churchindrive.com and facebook.com/thechurchindrive

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: blue christmas, christian movie review, christian podcast, christian review, church, depression, holidays, Jesus, medication, Mental Health, skywalker, spiritual, Star Wars, suicide

Smallfoot: Truth Can Be Costly

December 6, 2018 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

As a child, I remember reading about the legends of Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman, also known as the Yeti.  What in the world were these huge hairy creatures, and why were people unable to capture anything other than shadowy pictures of them?Were they simply afraid of people? Did they have something sinister to hide? Or were they allergic to anything relating to humanity?

Past films have done one of three things involving Bigfoot and/or Yetis: (1) identified them as gruesome monsters nobody wants to mess with, (2) portrayed them as creatures worth exploring the woods and mountains for, or (3) simply casting them as misunderstood beings.  Fairly recent examples of this last phenomenon include Harry and the Hendersons and Monsters, Inc.. We can now add to that Smallfoot, a animated feature from Warner Brothers.  Based on a book called Yeti Tracks by Sergio Pablo, Smallfoot offers viewers a story about discovering the truth that’s wrapped in layers of colorful, pastel-tinted computer graphics. There are definitely some things kids (and adults alike) will take away from the film, but I feel like it cobbled too much from past movies, limiting its effectiveness.

In a nutshell, Smallfoot is about a land of Yetis who seem to have the perfect life living on their mountain perch.  Nobody visits their ‘world’ and they don’t visit anyone—mainly because the world ends in a cloudbank of unknown depth (paralleling Storks). Nobody is convicted to go beyond what they already know as safe (paralleling The Giver).  A tight set of rules, drawn on stones in pictorial form and worn by the Stonekeeper (voiced by the rapper Common), governs the Yetis in an attempt to keep them safe and insulated (again, paralleling The Giver).  Questioning is severely frowned upon (paralleling 1984).  When Migo (voiced by Channing Tatum) spots a Smallfoot—err, human, he’s immediately fascinated.  Maybe the stones were incorrect!  But the human suddenly parachutes below the bank of clouds, leaving Migo (and later, a few additional Yeti) curious at what lies below.  When he discovers humans aren’t as bad as one might think, Migo brings his discovery to the attention of the people and the Stonekeeper. At this point, the film spirals into the realm of why humans and Yetis cannot co-exist before a betrayal-redemption sequence (including a chase through the Pac-Man inspired town where the humans live) occurs. In addition, a number of peppy songs contribute to making the film lighthearted, even when the subject matter becomes more serious in nature.

The quality of the animation is quite good, though it’s in more in the vein of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs versus anything Pixar-related. As for the characters, Migo is somewhat memorable for a lead, as he discovers himself and what he truly believes in while filling in the blanks about questions he’s always had. The Stonekeeper has a unique outfit along with truths to tell—and hide (although it’s pretty jarring to hear a rapper’s voice leading the group at first). The group that seems to understand Migo are completely serviceable—except for Fleem (Ely Henry), who attempts comic relief but completely falls flat. Percy (James Corden) is a Steve Irwin wannabe who wants to get rich but finds something more when he looks beyond his dreams, plans, and numerous selfies.

There are a number of themes kids and adults alike will be able to take from a viewing of Smallfoot, especially in the area of telling the truth. Migo sees the Smallfoot (i.e., Percy) and, when he tells the community, he is banished because it goes against the stones and causes the other Yetis to start questioning. At this point, he could’ve simply accepted the ruling of the Stonekeeper and moved on, but he held fast to what he believed, found Percy, and proved they exist.  Later, he suppresses this truth in the name of keeping the Yetis safe.  However, Migo learns that telling the truth can be costly. In a similar vein, we can consider the apostles who were commissioned by Jesus in Matthew 28 to tell the world about him.  They knew what the truth was, but not everyone wanted to hear and/or believe it.  As a result, persecution followed (and, in some cases, death).  We need to understand that it’s always better to tell the truth about what we believe rather than give in and confuse and/or deny our beliefs.

Kids are going to find Smallfoot to be an entertaining, joyous romp peppered with lessons they’ll be talking about on the way home from the theater. Adults may also find this to be the case.

Smallfoot is in theatres now.

For audio of our interview with Smallfoot writer/director Karey Kirkpatrick, click here.

The special features on the Blu-ray include the Yeti Set Go Sing-Along, the “Super Soozie” Mini Movie featuring Soozie, the featurette on “The Secret of the Yeti Stones,” “Yeti or Not, Here They Come!”, and the music videos for Nial Horran’s “Finally Free,” Cyn’s “Moment of Truth,” and “Wonderful Life.”  

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: 1984, A Walk in the Dark, Acts, Bigfoot, Channing Tatum, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Common, Harry and the Hendersons, james corden, Jesus, Migo, Monsters Inc, Sergio Pablo, smallfoot, Stephen, steve irwin, Stonekeeper, storks, The Giver, truth, Yeti

The Ready Player One “Easter Egg” That Bypasses the Backlash

April 18, 2018 by Matt Hill Leave a Comment

this quick post plays
through three short stages

the third contains
the Easter egg

all three potentially
contain SPOILERS


Stage One: “Microreview”

if you haven’t seen Ready Player One
(or read Cline’s book),
you really should;
particularly if you’re the
target demo:
a “nerd,” “geek,”
pop culture afficionado
of a certain stripe
(70s-80s gaming, sci-fi, etc.)
(more on this later)

but even if you’re not
the target demo du jour,
you should still see it,
cuz it’s a fun,
eminently Spielbergian,
bombastic popcorn flick
(tho, prepare to
suspend plenty disbelief
and prepare to groan
at the too-neat ending)


Stage Two: “Context”

if you’ve seen this movie already –
more certainly if you’ve
read the book,
have this kind of thing
on your radar, etc. –
you may have a sense of the
Ready Player One backlash
that’s been afoot:

e.g. 1: Steven Spielberg’s Oblivious, Chilling Pop-Culture Nostalgia in “Ready Player One”

e.g. 2: The Ready Player One backlash, explained

(those two pieces are helpful
primers and there are others)

the gists of the criticisms
have to do with
Cline, Spielberg, or both
succumbing to certain
negatives of nostalgia and some
nasty exclusivity concerning
particular pet passions
(this involves something
called “Gamergate”)

i think there’s obv
plenty valid points here,
but delving in fully
is beyond this post

(for some
thoughts on nostalgia, see my
good, bad, ugly: nostalgia edition)

(for some
thoughts on how groups
(like gamers)
crave things like
ownership, community, etc. –
relevant to them
playing out negatively
re: Gamergate – see my
a pop invite to the church)


Stage Three: “Spiritual < Spiritual”

while in general i agree with
Rob Bell that
“everything is spiritual,”
i think some
desires
(longings,
hungers,
senses of privation,
experiences of lack,
problems,
issues,
whatever)
are more clearly so

in this instance, by “spiritual”
i mean something like
“essential to our being
as humans;”
i also mean something like
what’s at play here:

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

here, in other words,
spiritual = supernatural

and HERE is where we discover
the titular EASTER EGG –
the “secret” that “saves”
Ready Player One
from some potential negatives
brought up in Stage Two….

Ready Player One, really,
is about these spiritual/supernatural
longings/desires;
specifically, i see
The OASIS
(the movie’s VR game world)
as a proxy for
desires for
things like:
love, belonging, community,
escape, freedom, victory,
meaning, enjoyment, passion

Ready Player One
says this about people:
people need
love/meaning/etc.
and they’ll do
whatever it takes
to get it
(including create
fictional worlds where they do)

but now notice how
Ready Player One‘s
counterintuitively anti-gaming ending –
when we’re told something like
“the real world is what’s real” –
also says this about people:
real (read: spiritual) problems require
real (read: spiritual) solutions,
and *bigger* ones, too

in other words: spiritual < spiritual

it may seem like The OASIS
can give Wade (the main character)
what he needs,
but nah: he needs Samantha (the girl)
irl for that;
in this same way,
our ultimately
spiritual/supernatural
desires for
love/meaning/etc.
must be “solved” by something/someone
ultimately
spiritual/supernatural –
and *bigger –
too

and,
to me,
with this Easter egg
of perspective in hand,
Ready Player One –
though imperfect –
communicates something
very valid,
very real
about being a human

(for some
thoughts on how
humans often
sneak these kinds of
Easter eggs
into pop culture, see
what it means that you like things that are like other things that you like
and
Get Re-Enchanted: Stranger Things 2, Pop Culture & God)

 

 

Filed Under: Editorial, Film, Reviews Tagged With: 1980s, atari, backlash, Christian, easter egg, ernest kline, gamergate, games, gaming, God, interpretation, Jesus, meaning, media, movie, negative, nostalgia, OASIS, ready player one; steven spielberg, religious, review, spiritual, video game

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