The Church-ization of Narnia
We had something unusual happen at church this weekend. As we walked in and took our kids to the children's depot we saw on one of the monitors that they have in the hallway what looked like a picture of a lion. I couldn't get a good look and our kids were running down the hallway and in danger of knocking old people over so I forgot about it for a bit. When we got them dropped off and entered the auditorium we were handed our usual Sunday bulletin. It's always a pretty snazzy deal, full color and high quality paper. There on the front was the lion again.
"No it can't be..." I began thinking with a dismayed feeling and then I saw the words printed right below our church's name on the bulletin: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Sure enough our church had an advertisement for the Narnia movie on the front of our bulletin.
We get into the service and there it is again on the big screen: Aslan the lion and several kids with swords forming a border around the screen while our church posted instructions in the center of the screen for people to please have a seat.
That wasn't all of course. No we had to have a skit with a young girl running down the aisle, up the stairs and onto the stage where a giant makeshift wardrobe stood and she opened it and walked inside. Then our minister preached his whole sermon on the movie and how it was clearly a "Christian movie" and a possible "evangelism tool" and how our church would be purchasing tickets and we could all go together.
The strangest thing was during communion. Up on the big screen was Aslan the lion and the kids with swords again and in the center of the screen was the message to please help ourselves to communion as it was passed down the aisle. Except in my mind it read "Communion tonight is brought to you by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A Walt Disney production coming to theaters December 9, 2005."
The whole thing struck me wrong. I've read a great deal of C.S. Lewis' writings and I can't imagine he'd be pleased with what's been done to his story. I do want to see the movie and I suspect I'll take my children but afterward I'm going to go on Christian Blackout so I don't have to have it beat into my head how "Aslan is Jesus!! He really is!! He's Jesus!!!! Don't you see it??"
"No it can't be..." I began thinking with a dismayed feeling and then I saw the words printed right below our church's name on the bulletin: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Sure enough our church had an advertisement for the Narnia movie on the front of our bulletin.
We get into the service and there it is again on the big screen: Aslan the lion and several kids with swords forming a border around the screen while our church posted instructions in the center of the screen for people to please have a seat.
That wasn't all of course. No we had to have a skit with a young girl running down the aisle, up the stairs and onto the stage where a giant makeshift wardrobe stood and she opened it and walked inside. Then our minister preached his whole sermon on the movie and how it was clearly a "Christian movie" and a possible "evangelism tool" and how our church would be purchasing tickets and we could all go together.
The strangest thing was during communion. Up on the big screen was Aslan the lion and the kids with swords again and in the center of the screen was the message to please help ourselves to communion as it was passed down the aisle. Except in my mind it read "Communion tonight is brought to you by The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A Walt Disney production coming to theaters December 9, 2005."
The whole thing struck me wrong. I've read a great deal of C.S. Lewis' writings and I can't imagine he'd be pleased with what's been done to his story. I do want to see the movie and I suspect I'll take my children but afterward I'm going to go on Christian Blackout so I don't have to have it beat into my head how "Aslan is Jesus!! He really is!! He's Jesus!!!! Don't you see it??"
posted by Paul at 9:12 PM
3 Comments:
LOL! I hear you!
Peace,
Jamie Arpin-Ricci
www.emergentvoyageurs.blog.com
Yeah, I have to admit to a wee bit of queasiness too. At good 'ole St Mark's Geneva, the homily was about, you guessed it, Narnia. Disney has discovered the untapped masses of Mel and the Passion.
We've been burned before. Remember the hype for the Left Behind movie, and what an awful embarrasment it was? Narnia certainly doesn't seem to be that kind of cheap rip off, but the merchandising in the churches certainly raises a few alarm bells in this ex-Baptist.
Hey, I know this will sound like spam but I came across a blog I think you'll like. It's really funny. www.justindunn.blogspot.com
The basic format is "Thank you_____, for making me embarassed to be a Christian. ~Sarah
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