Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Blu-Ray DVD

It was 2001 when I first reviewed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for Hollywood Jesus. It was a unique experience because at that time, and still to this day, I hadn’t read the books but I was keenly aware of the controversy in Christian circles regarding the books and the story. I was aware of the criticism of Harry Potter, yet the praise of The Lord of the Rings, both similar in so many ways as to the concepts of story. I have followed the series all along the way, watching young Daniel Radcliffe and the rest of the cast grow up. The story over the years has matured, as has the story and in my opinion J.K. Rowling is today’s L. Frank Braun. While Braun told a remarkable story in The Wizard of Oz series, Rowling has taken the young wizard Harry Potter to a place that had some Christians apologizing for their demonization of the story early on before they knew how the story ended. Many now know how the story ends and they are calling Harry Potter one of the best Messiah figures in movies ever, even comparing him to Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. We can’t quite see that comparison yet with the latest film, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1, but we can see the set up, and with that set up, we see one of the better films of the series.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 isn’t a children’s story. Much like the characters Rowling’s expects that the reader and viewer has matured. We see a dark story, (literally in the lighting) with adult themes that have taken Harry beyond growing up, to the concepts of life, death, and sacrifice. The editing, special effects, score and acting is actually quite brilliant. While the overwhelming majority of scenes are dark, the story, and action keep the viewer entertained. I was never bored with the direction as I have been in previous episodes of the adventure. While I haven’t read the books, (yet) I have heard from faithful friends that this rendition is actually quite accurate to the book and while many fans were disappointed with the previous film, they were quite pleased with this one. While there are benefits to the Blu-Ray rendition, the scenery is so dark I had a hard time believing it would be much better than the standard DVD. That doesn’t mean one should be wary of the Blu-Ray rendering though, there are ample special features, a higher quality sound, and features that are quite nice. Warner Brothers has done a very good job packaging the product and it includes on one version a digital version, standard DVD version and the Blu-Ray version.

Another aspect that has to be commented on regarding the technical nature of the film is the quality of acting and the continued effort at providing spectacular special effects. As stated earlier, the actors here, especially Radcliffe and his band of friends have truly matured in their skills. They were always good, now they are exceptional. They are so good in fact that the three primary characters of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) are in virtually every scene, not having anything overshadow their ability by the likes of a supporting cast including exceptional actors such as Ralph Finnes and Helena Bonham Carter.

One of the draw backs of the film is one must be familiar with the story enough to know what is going on. That requires either reading the books, or watching the previous movies. The movies and story have held up though and it is easy enough to watch the films and not feel short changed in any way. The direction provided by David Yates has the story flow nicely. One of the concerns I had with the film was that it would end abruptly since the last book in the series is actually broken up into two movies. That wasn’t a let down though as there is a good place to end the story in anticipation of the final chapter of the series.

As the Harry Potter story has moved along, the spiritual overtones are plenty and can’t be ignored. Recently while watching Rowling’s on the Oprah Winfrey Show she spoke of her own Christian beliefs and the influence that had on the story itself. After seeing this feature, I am pleasantly surprised at the spiritual applications in the story. From a sinister dark character that resembles Satan and even uses as one of his tools a serpent we see a battle between good and evil. We see the importance of how light penetrates darkness, all symbols significant to Christian beliefs. We even see a symbol that mysteriously mirrors the symbol of the Holy Trinity. The symbol in the movie represents three important characteristics in the battle soon to be engaged in by Harry Potter. We also see in Harry Potter an individual who can cross worlds, but has a purpose in life of providing salvation, not just for wizards and witches, but humans. Ultimately, the only thing missing is the sacrifice of ones self for others, but I am also reminded that the story is not over. There is more to come, and more that I expect out of Harry. The use of witches, wizards and so forth is where many have found fault with the series, yet, I see the story as Fantasy, much like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. In many ways, the redeeming values of friendship, the need of salvation, and the sacrificial love provided by a savior is vividly portrayed in the latest episode.

I especially liked Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1, more so in fact than anticipated. It is a wonderful story, with redeeming value, well told, well filmed and very entertaining. The special features on the DVD are outstanding and for the fan of Harry Potter, alone worth the cost of purchase of the DVD. I highly recommend the Blu-Ray version but the editions with additional special features are well worth the cost.

In closing I would also recommend the following links in regards to the latest rendering of Harry Potter.

J. Allan Sharrer Article - http://live.hollywoodjesus.com/?p=647

Mike Furches 1st review, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/harry_potter.htm

Mike Furches, Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince - http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/dvdDetail.cfm/i/1D5D3A2B-A98F-2697-81717D5A025ED7A2/a/1

Hollywood Jesus Harry Potter Links - http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/searchResults.cfm

To see the trailer posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzfEH0UPEBo


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Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

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email Mike at: mike@furches.org

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If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don't Rise, A Spike Lee Documentary

HBO Television has a reputation of putting out some wonderful documentary films. I like most of them. I am also a fan of a recent contributor to the form, Spike Lee. With some anticipation, I was looking forward to the new documentary by HBO Documentary Films, a Spike Lee Joint; titled If God is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise. The Documentary looks at recent tragedies in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast area since Hurricane Katrina, up to and including, the BP Oil Spill. I had expectations from Spike Lee but I was also expecting, like his other works, some surprises that would leave me thinking and contemplating. I got what I expected, but I had many unanswered questions. I was left wondering where this film took a left turn and lost its vision.

Spike Lee is normally a wonderful story teller and a respected filmmaker. While this effort has all of the ingredients that Lee seems to excel at, camera angles, a good use of music, and interesting characters, it lacks a compelling thought provoking story. Unfortunately, Lee seems to lose some of his directorial skills. The story jumps from one place to another and the editing is somewhat lacking and interrupts the flow of the material making it difficult to watch, and frankly boring.

One of the things If God Is Willing, does is to focus on the humanity and tragedy of New Orleans. We see in many of the scenes, the destruction of the Gulf Coast. There is tragic footage that keeps the viewer anticipating the next scene, even though the commentary and flow creates boredom. When Lee is on, he is on, but there are scenes in this documentary that seems to be a blame game catering to certain political positions. There even seems to be an attempt to bring about disdain between states which have differing political parties in charge. While there are glimpses where it appears as if Lee is presenting a fact finding, fair representation, it soon ends as we see blame largely placed on Bush for Katrina. We see blame placed on the delayed actions, and at the same time, refuses to address in the same manner what many consider the slow response of Obama in the BP issue. There is likely much deserved blame to go around, but the obvious favoritism is evident in the criticism. To Spike Lee’s credit, there are moments of fairness but they are few. There just doesn’t seem to be a cohesive purpose to the story with the exception of how New Orleans and the people of Louisiana have been dumped on not just the political system, but many of the people of America.

Throughout If God is Willing…, Lee incorporates some positive things in the way people have responded to these disasters. We see actors Sean Penn and Brad Pitt along with the people of the region making a difference. Both of the actors come off in a positive light, especially Brad Pitt. Both are involved in not just trying to identify blame, but in doing something about the tragedies. The community that seems to be seen in the most positive light though is the Faith Community. There is the recognition, that in tragedy, sometimes all people have to turn to is their faith. We see the faith community drive much of recovery taking place. It was refreshing to see people come to the aid of their fellow man. It was also disheartening to see the government not been efficient in helping, or listening to the people. It is here that Spike Lee shines. When coming together, despite political differences, to serve others in need, we see hope. We also see what happens when one serves self as opposed to their community and fellow humans.

There are segments of this documentary that shine. When Lee is interacting or interviewing people who have been impacted by the tragedies, one can’t help but feel touched. The images of dead bodies are horrific as Lee uses these images to impact the emotion of the viewer. Unfortunately, the story never seems to have a point, or a solution. I felt more negatively about the experience than I did positive. I wanted more, I expected more, but I got less. I also expecting more from the special features of the DVD, especially since it is wonderfully packaged. Outside of commentary and a feature titled Pickin’ Up Da Pieces, I was disappointed as there was never really anything special about the ‘special features’.

It is here I find myself giving a cautious recommendation. While the documentary, despite its flaws is worth watching, I can’t recommend its purchase. I watched it once; I doubt I will watch it again. I do see the possibility of some good discussion topics especially in regards to the responsibilities of Government, and the need to address the question, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people’. As a documentary movie, I believe Spike Lee could have done better. I was rooting for this one; unfortunately I’ll have to look elsewhere for a compelling story and rendering of the events in the Gulf Coast. I will say this, I still respect Spike Lee enough, that if he were to do a feature film on the subject, I would be there opening day to see it. But this isn’t a feature, and it isn’t a film I can recommend outside of a rental and even then, most will likely be disappointed.

To see the interview with Spike Lee regarding this project click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDegC5M4Z-k


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Interview with Jack Watts, Author of Recovering from Religious Abuse, 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom

I recently had the honor of spending some time talking to Jack Watts the author of
Recovering from Religious Abuse, 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom. The following is the transcript of that interview. We had a good deal of conversation prior to the interview starting regarding my own experiences and the process of me working through the book. I especially appreciated the willingness of Jack to help me in that process. In that we spoke about the process of recovery and while I am trained as a social worker/mental health professional, I found his comments positive and helpful. The spirit of how the book is written was mirrored in the experience of speaking with him. Now to the interview:

Mike Furches (MF) - Hey Jack, can you tell us some about your new release of Recovering from Religious Abuse, 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom.

Jack Watts (JW) - If people who are wounded and recognize that they are, God’s people who are living essentially below the radar, living in times where they are eating, spending, drinking too much, watching pornography or anything that can numb the pain because they are alienated from God because of a religious experience where someone has abused them, if they work these 11 steps and go through them, take the time to do the work, they can experience a spiritual renewal and reconnect with God in a new and powerful way. They can rid themselves of all of the debris, filth, and low self esteem that they have had that’s come from the abuse and become the people they were created to be. That’s what they can get from this.

One can go to a Zig Ziegler or Tony Robinson conference or something of the like and most of the people that go there are functioning real well and if they do everything they are told their lives can improve 1 or 2 percent. The people who do these steps are living in negative numbers. They can go from that negativity all the way to profound positive numbers. This can be a dramatic change. This is a huge problem in America, not a little one. Interestingly, there was some research just done by the Barna Group in February. They categorized Americans on their religiosity, and approximately 1/3 is what they call unchurched. When you multiply the numbers including kids; that comes out to a little over 100 million. Of those, 37%, or close to forty-million people are now considered unchurched because they have had such a negative experience with it that they have dropped out completely to the point where they aren’t even marginal, they are just gone from the church. Goodbye! Totally out! Those who have been religiously abused are a large part of those forty-million people, when you think about forty-million people, that is like every man, woman and child in the state of California, or the entire country of Canada. That’s a lot of people. Then you recall Jesus said, to leave the 99 that are saved and to go after the 1 that is lost, and the one that is lost is a sheep. These are sheep, these are people, who have a relationship with the Lord, and yet, they represent 12% of the entire population. That’s a big problem. It’s a huge problem. You want to know something interesting?

MF – What’s that?

JW – The Huffington Post recognized how profound some of this stuff was and they are running articles that I’m writing. The book can be found in every Barnes and Noble in America, but you can’t find it in Lifeway or at Parables, or in Family Bookstores what was the Zondervan chain. It isn’t there because there is such a denial of this problem. That’s huge! It isn’t just pedophile priests and it isn’t just crazy people like who kidnap people like Elizabeth Smart or the situation like here in Atlanta where a pastor is messing around with little boys. This is big time stuff in nearly every major church and Christian ministry in America.

MF - I’m running into the same type of thing with my book The Keystone Kid because it uses some language in it. I can contact 50 churches about going in and doing a presentation that deals with abuse and I may find 2 that let me come in and do it. There seems to be a lot better reception from the non Christian world than even within the Christian world.

JW – Yes!

MF – Why do you think it is that the church is seems to be sweeping the issue under the rug and not dealing with it?

JW – They don’t like the reality of it. It really is so different than it was in the time of Christ. Once Jesus was resurrected, and Pentecost came, and the church started to move away from what we read in the Bible and become an institution, they consistently tried to squelch anything that had to do with the truth. I find that these churches are remarkably in denial. There is a narcissism that is at the head of some of these major ministries, where their view of reality is their own grandiose perception that they have been anointed with a kind of God consciousness. When people get in the way they are just like ‘off with their head’, and they damage people right and left. I’ve worked with major Christian ministries for over a quarter of a century and I have seen it in nearly every one of them where there is this kind of pattern of abuse that exists. Yet, at the same time, there is this love for the lost, the people that they don’t know, but the people they are abusing; they end up not caring two wits about them. They discard them and say a quick prayer and they are done.

MF – While you have kind of answered it to some extent, what moved you to write the book?

JW – Having seen this for so long and being jaded by it, by working for these ministries and doing some of these things, witnessing some of this stuff, it caused me enormous pain. I kept saying, why doesn’t somebody do something about this? In my own recovery from religious abuse; I was an alcoholic for quite a few years, just trying to numb the pain. In developing my own sobriety, which is 18 years now and counting, I recognized that there are certain things that you can do; one step, building upon another, to pull yourself out of the hole of alcoholism and lead not just a good life, but a really fulfilling life. I then said, you know what, this is what the Lord wants for all of his people. I used some of my tools that I have gained in AA and in ALANON to create the 11 Steps to Recovery from Religious Abuse. They are different in that this is not the God of your understanding. This is for Christian people who believe that Jesus Christ is the only son of God and that we have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is straight Christian stuff and it is heavily, heavily Biblical. The book is a way for God’s people to reconnect instead of just doing the proverbial, ‘cursing the darkness.’ I decided that I would light a match to help lead people out of the darkness and back into a relationship with the Lord that can be very fulfilling to them. You know what? In our country, if Christian people can be truly united by the Lord, that’s what can turn this nation around. Not making different laws, not saying that in the next election we will get rid of this president and get another one that has different view points. That’s not going to change the nation for long. What will change the nation for long periods of time is if God’s people are restored to Him and He is leading them. Now that works!

MF - The style of the book is different in that it is kind of like a workbook, one that requires some work including journaling, why this approach?

JW – Reading a book isn’t going to help you recover from religious abuse. In reading a book you’ll agree with it, disagree with some things and be done with it, but it really isn’t going to help you. In order to heal, really heal, it takes time, it takes consistent effort, it takes full-searching honesty and you cannot do that in one day, you can’t do it in two days, and you can’t do it in a week. Now you can do it in three months and this is what the 91 days are about, each step taking a week. For some people it will take a little longer, for some maybe a little less, but if you genuinely, really want your life to change, you’ve got to do the work. The way and method is easy, but doing the work is gut wrenchingly hard, because it requires a level of honesty that most people don’t ever get to. You know though, if you are God’s person, you’ve got to be open and if you aren’t then the things won’t work.

The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword and it will go to the bone. Bone wrenching, bone splitting honesty is what is required for people who have been abused because in their rebelliousness from this stuff, their acting out behavior, they have done a lot of things that they have to be accountable for too. It can’t be like, ‘well they did this to me and that’s why I’m this way and I’m okay this way.’ That isn’t true, even though a person has been abused, they are still responsible for their own behavior and owning up for what they have done, making amends to the people they have wronged and getting back into an intimate relationship with the Lord.

MF - What are some of the indicators of religious abuse and the long-term consequences?

JW – The long-term consequences are that it destroys people’s lives, period! It destroys people’s lives! Just like alcoholism and other things like it. Spiritual abuse is when someone uses their authority to enhance their own position at another person’s expense, wounding them in the process. In can be done when someone twists scripture too, for example, one may say, you can throw a $20 on the plate and Jesus will give you $200. That’s religious abuse all the time. Telling somebody that God wants you to sleep with me, inappropriate sexuality is always abusiveness. When you humiliate somebody, give them a verbal dressing down because they disagree, not on a spiritual basis land you like living in sin, that’s one thing, but if they’re just not going along with your program , and you use your position of authority to belittle, effect, and impact their self-worth then that’s always religious abuse. The Consequences to the people are profound, life altering!

MF - Why do you think some people abuse?

JW – They believe they are doing what God wants them to do. They get to a place where they believe that their will and God’s will are essentially the same thing. There is no room for any kind of doubt or disagreement. So, they use their authority like a sledgehammer and beat the sheep that they are called to serve. There is a lot of narcissism involved in all of this too.

MF - What would you say is the most important aspect of your own recovery?

JW – The most important thing is always, 2 things. Recognizing and admitting, to yourself, that I am not where I want to be. Recognizing that my life is shipwrecked, and God is not a part of the abuse. People who misuse their authority are the abusers, not God. Now let me say just one more thing about this. Who understands abuse better than Christ? He was beaten, he was spat upon, he was stripped naked, and he was put on a cross, held out as a spectacle and murdered; by whom? Not the Romans, but religious leaders. He was religiously abused. None of us have been murdered for it, but God understands this type of abuse. People get that!

MF - What would be the most important thing you would share with people who have been hurt and abused?

JW- What I just said; that God understands your abuse. He doesn’t like it and he was abused himself, and there is nobody that understands abuse better than someone who has been abused. It’s not esoteric, it’s real.

One other thing that I would want to say, is to the people who read this book, is that you will never, never, never need to go back and sit at the feet of an abuser again. This is reconnecting with the Lord, and what he does with you when you are through, is his business.

Jack and I went on talking, about my own abuse, and the abuse perpetuated by others. Those are personal things, much of which will be included in the journaling blog I am doing. Of course you can continue reading my own 91 day journey by following the blogs at The Virtual Pew. I do believe this though, as stated in the original review for the book, for those going through abuse, or who have been spiritually abused in the religious community, this book can be of help to you, hopefully it will as it has been with me. Jack has assured me that he will follow the blogs and on occasion comment. It can be a place where you can go on my journey with me, but also have the author of the book following along and offering advice from his own experience.

To see my review of the book, click here:

To see my own journaling experience as I work through the book, click here

To see the video posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-snU6_zv24


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Recovering from Religious Abuse, 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom by Jack Watts

Over the years, there have been quite a few books written on abuse, but few deal with the specific topic of recovery from religious abuse. For those books that have been written, most deal with a novel or informative approach, few actually providing a resource that can actually help one recover; that is, until now! Howard Press, a label of Simon & Schuster, has just released a new book, Recovery From Religious Abuse: 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom by Jack Watts.

For me, the assignment of review quickly turned into something I didn’t expect—a process that I would apply to my own life, by working the steps to recovery offered in the book.

The concept of spiritual abuse is unfortunately, not a foreign subject to author Jack Watts. Watts decided to write the book out of his own recovery in a mode that would allow him the opportunity to help others. In his life experiences, the abuse and situations he faced from various religious groups and individuals led to his own substance abuse. In getting help for those forms of abuse, he became more aware of not only the process of recovery for his own abuse, but in ways that would give him insight into helping others.

Recover From Religious Abuse is not so much a book to read, but a step-by-step process that includes 91 days of exercises and journaling. At the completion of the process, the reader will go places most books won’t take them—to a legitimate life changing adventure that can make them a better person. It is here that I have to give some personal commentary.

Many, who have read my writings over the years, know of my personal history of physical and sexual abuse. I have even been accused at times of having issues with the ‘institutional’ or ‘traditional’ church. What many either ignore—or don’t know in their accusations—is the history of my own story, where individuals within the ‘established’ church hurt me. In fact, according to the definition of abuse provided by this book, I have been abused. It was after reading the first few chapters of the book that I realized that in order to give a fair and appropriate review of the book, I would need to work through the steps to see of the effectiveness of the book.

It was early on that I decided to take the 91-day journey. As a result, not only will the reader of this review have my initial review of the book, but I am also planning on posting and blogging my own 91-day journey through the blogging process. While the 91-day journey may seem like a long time, it isn’t really that bad, as each journey is a short step, normally no more than 2 pages, which includes a brief reading, scripture, a prayer, and a journaling and reflection step. I have found that the thought that goes into each step lasts far longer than the 10-to-15 minutes to actually read and do the work. For me, I have let the book be my daily devotional, and like any good devotional should, it challenges me, helps me, and moves me along in my walk—not just in my faith—but in my day to day life.

Watts does something early on that many authors of information and self-help books seem to ignore or forget. He tells his own story, and it’s a story the reader will appreciate because they can relate in a way that is easily understood. Watts writes in an easy flowing style that has the book being a page-turner, unique especially for a self-help book with a process, which resembles in some ways a workbook for the reader.

It will be easy for the reader to want to go ahead of the journey. I would recommend taking the time to devour the pages like a fine meal, or better yet, like a meal a body builder or elite athlete experiences—a meal that while it may taste good, also has a vital role to play in the high performance and development of the body and mind. Most elite athletes don’t just eat, they eat to experience the most out of the food and nutrients provided by the food. The reader really needs to do the same thing with the pages of this book. In doing so, they will go places, and experience things they may have never felt possible.

It doesn’t happen overnight though, which is one of the reasons to stick to it. As individuals go through my journey with me, they will see, for example, that there are several epiphany moments for me in the process, moments that are equivalent to stepping on the scales and suddenly seeing the effectiveness of the diet one has been on.Jack Watts has written a book that will, can, and has changed lives. It is a book that looks at religious abuse in a real way, yet at the same time, recognizing the importance of faith, religion, and spirituality. Watts is an unapologetic Christian, and while much of the abuse he experienced came at the hands of Christians, he recognized that Jesus—through the power of the Holy Spirit—is also the solution to recover from that abuse.

I am not completely finished with the book at this point as I am again, working through it. So far though, through the steps I have completed, I will say this: whatever the retail price of the book is, it would have paid for itself in the progress I have already made in this area. I have no doubt that, if given the opportunity, the person who has been hurt and abused will experience similar results as they go through the process.

I know that for me, with my own experiences of my own book, along with the work I do through The Virtual Pew and the pastor work I do, that the people I come into contact with who have experienced the horrors of abuse, this will be at the top of my recommended resources. I suspect that counselors from all walks of life, Christian or not, who are working with people who have experienced abuse, but still want to have an effective and impacting faith walk, this will be for them, as it has for me, a highly recommended resource.

On a scale of 1-to-10, if you add the numbers of the 91 days to recovery together, I give a very enthusiastic and deserving 10.

To see and follow my own journey as I journal the process, click here:

To see the video posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-snU6_zv24


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

I Love You Phillip Morris

With star power like Jim Carrey, and Ewan McGregor, incredible dramatic performances, a phenomenal soundtrack, one would think a movie would have a chance of success at the box office. That is until you consider the movie I Love You Phillip Morris. The story starts with Jim Carrey’s character, Steven Russell, playing the organ and getting down during the worship time at church. He meets Debbie, played by Leslie Mann, they fall in love, get married, have a family and spend time praying together prior to extra curricular activities, like sex. Steven eventually starts scamming people via various means after he is involved in an automobile accident. He discovers he is gay, gets involved in various inappropriate activities, is imprisoned, and falls in love with fellow inmate Phillip Morris played by Ewan McGregor, he then spends the rest of his life trying to escape from prison, often times succeeding while going back to his con games. The amazing thing about this unbelievable concept is the story is true.

I Love You Phillip Morris is wonderfully directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty of finding distribution in the United States 4 minutes of the European version has been cut from the film. Some speculate the language, sexual content and homosexual themes were one of the reasons for the reluctance to be picked up for major theatrical release in the United States. For many fans of Jim Carrey, there will be surprises in the role, but for many, the expected negative comments is unfortunate because Carrey gives one of his better performances in a dramatic role. He finds a way to take his comedic genius into its proper place in the brilliance of his performance, from bringing comedy and tears in a single shot; Carrey is a far better actor than many have given credit for. Unfortunately, one of the things I expect is that his performance will overshadow the equally impressive performance of Ewan McGregor. The marvelous editing keeps this thought provoking, surpassingly good film flowing and moving rather quickly.

In the special features Jim Carrey in the making of documentary speaks of how while studying the role, he finds himself changing his impression of the character and film from page to page. What we see is a character and a story that draws in the viewer and is wonderfully written. Ficarra and Requa in their direction help develop the characters all along the way from the start until the completion of the film. As soon as we think we have one of the characters figured out, we realize there are additional, unexpected turns. One of the things that drive the force of story is the ability of Carrey to come in and out of the part of comedian and dramatic actor. McGregor plays his part in a real and respectful way. McGregor also commented that he wanted to make the part of Phillip Morris as real to his nature as possible. It is one of the things that make this one of McGregor’s best and memorable roles.

One of the unfortunate things about this movie is that many will be turned off by the backdrop of the story, the homosexual aspects of the film. It is unfortunate, because as the movie points out, for many individuals who are gay, religion and spirituality is an important part of their lives, and an important part of making them who they are. Unfortunately, for many who are gay, there is often the impression that they are unloved and uncared for. Despite the display of judgment often given, the movie helps illustrate the importance in the search for love and meaning that all individuals have, including those who are gay. For all of the inappropriate aspects of the character of Steven Russell, he is still a character, an individual in search of meaning and love. Steven Russell has a love that is so deep, so passionate that he goes to extraordinary lengths to show his partner that he loves him. Later as the story progresses we also see the realization in his character that all he ever really wanted was to love, and be loved. He also realizes the mistakes and path he has taken could have kept him from fully experiencing a lasting and meaningful loving relationship. I couldn’t help but think of the various scenes in the movie where religion, specifically Christianity, plays such a prominent role, and yet for whatever reason, Russell never felt the love that is supposed to be a key ingredient of Christianity. It is here, that if given the chance, this film could raise appropriate questions for all people, gay and straight, that are the need for each of us to experience love. It is a love that is exhibited in the Christian faith that God loved us while we were yet sinners. He loves us unconditionally, and offers that love as a free gift to all who would receive it. Unfortunately, many followers of Christianity seem to often place conditions on that love that is not displayed in the love offered by Jesus on the cross. Russell has ample opportunities through out the film to come into contact with those who would love him from a Christian view. Fortunately, that love by the characters in the film is not judgmental, it is accepting, and loving, yet the script doesn’t take us in that direction for Russell.

In the area of behavior, don’t take my comments here wrong, there are consequences for inappropriate actions, both in the movie, and in real life, Steven Russell pays the price for his actions. I am not speaking about homosexual actions here; I am speaking specifically of the con man nature displayed for much of his life. While we see an extreme example of someone trying to be someone other than who they really are, for many of us, it seems as if we often go to places to please others which takes us to places beyond who and what we really are and believe. One of the aspects about Russell that we are left wondering about is if he is really happy with the choices he has made.

It is possible, that just as Philadelphia was a life changing role for Tom Hanks, I Love Phillip Morris had the same opportunity for Jim Carrey. It is certainly one of the most challenging roles of his career. The movie is thought provoking, challenging, and yes entertaining. Unfortunately, for many, due to the backdrop of the story and the characters’ sexual orientation and themes, it will also be controversial. That is a shame, especially when presenting a true story where the characters and community it represents deserves entertainment and thought provoking themes. It will be interesting to see the response to the DVD.

I was quite pleased with the special features on the DVD, form the commentary to the making of and various other features, there is enough for an enthusiast like myself to be happy. I was not personally impressed enough with the blu-ray visual quality to justify the blu-ray purchase if given the option. Personally, while a very good, thought provoking movie, I wouldn’t recommend it for purchase, but it is well worth an early check out as a rental.

To see the trailer posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoFANivV44g


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed