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I saw a casting notice in my email this morning for a Christian film out west. The filmmaker gave a little info about the project, and what he was looking for. The last part jumped out at me: …must be a believer who attends a gospel-believing church. Hmm. I understand where this guy is coming from. He’s doing this as a ministry after all. But I’ve never been a fan of this type of exclusionary casting. Even when I ran a youth drama group in a church, I refused to close the door on non-believers. (We had a standard code of conduct every student signed and agreed to follow, but being a baptized believer was not a prerequisite.) Every summer the youth pastor would ask me if we could change the policy. Every year, I’d have a longer list of names to show him why we shouldn’t: kids who accepted Christ because they were involved in drama. As I have moved into the filmmaking world, I’m even more open to using non-believers. From a practical standpoint, it gives you a much larger pool of talent to select from. Christian actors are just far and few between, and there are so many hungry actors out there who will bend over backwards to add one more credit to the resume. What’s more, when you’re on a schedule and a budget, professionalism is far more valuable than salvation. My shooting days are usually jammed; we’ve done 6-7 shorts in a single day. I need an actor who is going to show up on time, know their role, and take direction in a serious, professional manner. I’m not saying Christian actors are unprofessional; there are plenty who act in a serious, professional way. But I’ve worked with some who have not only been unprofessional in their actions, but expect me, the director, to forgive them for it because, after all, they are a Christian, doing it out of the goodness of their heart. There is a legitimate concern some Christian filmmakers have that a non-believer will not get into a Christian role. You certainly don’t want someone with a vendetta against Christians sabotaging your production. So far, everyone that I have used has been very professional and brought their best work every time the camera is turned on. My advice there is to be as open as you can at the start with your actors. Let them see your script, and let them decide if this is something they can do comfortably. A good actor will give you a solid performance no matter what their personal beliefs off camera. There’s a much bigger reason to use non-believers in film projects, and I’ve already alluded to it: evangelism. This is a chance to reach out to others who might not hear the gospel, which is the whole point of filming your movie, right? It’s a chance to show non-believers that you’re not an exclusionary Christian who wants to be in his/her safe little Christian bubble isolated from the world. It’s a chance to expose them to the gospel through your script. And if both those elements are there, it’s a chance to do some personal evangelism. You’d be amazed at the impact you can make simply being a serious professional working on a movie set. When you let Christ shine through you in words and actions, you can really open eyes and hearts to the gospel. I know it’s scary; an all Christian film set is a safe comfort zone, and when everyone’s working hard, it’s great. But every day, I read countless blogs about how depraved it is in Hollywood , and how we need more Christians making an impact in film. This IS your chance to make an impact on actors (and crew members, by the way!) right in your own backyard. Don’t dismiss it. Pray over it. God might open an opportunity for a film ministry like you never imagined.
Evel Knieval, born in 1938, spend years of his life wowing the entire world with his death defying motorcycle stunts. His first show was in 1966 and was a complete success. Over his long career the daredevil broke nearly every single bone in his body and always went back for more. Knieval has been ill with a variety of different illnesses in recent years, and interestingly enough converted to Christianity in 2007 and announced publicly that he for the first time believed in Jesus Christ. He was baptized by Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral. He died Friday, November 30, 2007, at the age of 69. You can see some of his most famous stunts here.
A True Christmas Gift I met a wonderful sister in the Lord recently. She recalled a particular gift that she received from her employer year after year. She wondered why they kept giving her the same unusual gift time after time. Each year she unwrapped her gift, it was the same thing. She made known that her employer was a church and the gift was a bible. I supposed that they subscribed to the adage ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.’ The times that they gave the bible as a gift, she from her heart did not trust in, nor serve Jesus Christ-she just had a job at a church. Then, one day she gave in. She couldn’t hold out any longer. She accepted Christ in her life as Savior and Lord. Now she is serving the Lord with readiness of mind, great Godly passion, and joy in the Holy Spirit. She found out that ‘Yes ’tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace.’ The gift she received was a true Christmas gift. It was thoughtfully given from one who saw significance in another. There was loving intent. Love should be the foundation for all giving for in giving by love you gain in return. The apostle Paul advised, If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:3 New Living Translation) That was just the way the first true Christmas gift was given. The first gift truly was not gold, or frankincense, nor myrrh. The first gift was the babe lying in the manger, the baby Jesus; the one who would save His people from their sins. Our heavenly Father thoughtfully gave Him unto us. He saw value in us though sin had marred, stained us deep within. He knew us for He knows all men; He knows what is in our hearts. We were just like strangers to Him, aliens. We were alienated, ignorant, and blind because of our desperately wicked hearts. Yet because of His loving nature, our heavenly Father desired intensely to give us a gift. How about that? Giving a gift to a stranger? But, a man’s gift makes room for him. (Proverbs 18:16) Then, how much more would God’s gift make room for Him in the heart of those who gladly welcome and receive His gift! And, He gave not just any gift. But, He gave unto us a heavenly treasure. It came in the form of a pretty little package. A little baby boy wrapped in swaddling clothes. He gave unto us His only begotten Son. Love compelled Him to do it. The reason His gift is so wonderful is because His gift meets our deepest need. Our deepest need is to be reconciled unto God. Our relationship with God was severed in the Garden of Eden. Sin ravaged, ruined our communion with Him. God being concerned about our predicament, lovingly and thoughtfully gave His Son, delivering Him up to be crucified to redeem us from the curse brought on us by sin. According to the scriptures Jesus died for all our sin, was buried, and then was raised from the dead by God’s mighty power. Through faith in Jesus saving grace we can have eternal life. Christ Jesus is the true Christmas gift. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. Larry D. Reed, Sr.
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