(This is from an e-mail sent to me a few years ago.)
Went to a really excellent service yesterday and wanted to tell everyone about it. It was a Christmas message, the third is a four-part series, and gosh I was blown away. The series uses Christmas movies to drive home an important point from the Bible—at least that I/we were told the purpose was.
Well, it was really something. We were treated to several 3 or 4-minute clips from the film and I cannot begin to tell you how I was affected by seeing Will Farrell up there on the theater-sized screen in a Sunday morning church service. ELF as the means by which to preach the Gospel? Oh yes indeed. Elf left his home and traveled the globe searching for his father just like our heavenly father goes searching all over the world looking for his orphans. And, unlike James Caan, He will never throw us out of His office.
And you know what is even better? We learned about all the paperwork and money that is involved in adopting two Ethiopian orphans and how one has to travel across the globe to save them. God spares no expense in searching for his own. Yes, and then this ELF admiring elder showed us a picture of his new kiddies. He said he had five natural children as well but for some reason, they were not in the picture. They were no doubt somewhere rejoicing over their new siblings.
Christmas Eve the final message will be presented and the congregation will get to hear the Gospel through It’s a Wonderful Life. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed on the big screen at church!!
How cool is that?
Frank Barrington Fields
