Kris Rasmussen: February 2009 Archives

Every year, in addition to searching for books to help me reflect on Advent, I also look for thoughtful books to read during Lent.  I hunted on Amazon.com and stumbled upon some worthy new selections to add to my collection.

Here are three choices that will inspire and help you focus on the meaning of this season.

Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter - An anthology that includes the essays and poetry of theological heavyweights such as C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Frederich Buechner.  There are also literary surprises from Dylan Thomas and John Updike.

Christians at the Cross by N.T. Wright - A collection of Holy Week sermons given to a community that is suffering through hard economic times. Could this be more timely? Plus, it's a short, easy read.

The Voice: The Book of Matthew by Lauren Winner - A new translation of the Gospels that features commentary by one of my favorite authors, Lauren Winner. She gives some great historical insights from a Jewish perspective that really enhance the narrative of the Gospel itself.

For complete Lent features, visit Beliefnet's Lent Page.

One of the most successful rock bands in history certainly knows how to exploit today's technology. Though U2's first recording in over four years is scheduled to debut on March 3, "No Line on the Horizon" is already getting rave reviews in magazines and U2 fans can listen to the entire album on the band's Myspace page. As several columnists quickly pointed out, though at first glance the web page seems to only have the single available to listen to, clicking on the album artwork next to the single reveals that all of the songs are available for live streaming .

I'm a little late in making a Valentine's Day romantic comedy movie pick, but then again, who say s that some of us don't need an even bigger reminder that true love is possible after Valentine's Day is over, huh? So I am picking a movie that, in spite of its very dated 80s look and feel, is still a sentimental favorite of mine when it comes to old-fashioned movies about courting. "Crossing Delancey" is like a PG version of "Sex and the City" mixed with a little bit of John Hughes-style angst and a funky soundtrack by The Roches. Oh, and the best part of all is that the movie has the best depiction of a "bubbie"-- a Jewish grandmother-- on a big screen, ever.

Just last week I reported that a new movie about " Mary, Mother of Christ" is scheduled to come to a theater near you next Easter season. Now Variety is reporting that another biblical film is also slated for an opening at the same time -though not in America. The twist is that "The Resurrected," a movie about Jesus Christ's life told in lashbacks from the point of view of Mary Magdalene, is being produced by Arabs

Though I may be a little late to appreciate the trend, I have become really fascinated with the whole explosion of movie content on the web these days. There's a new company headed up by Oscar winner Rob Fried that allows you to watch, and send to someone else, a variety of short films.

Instead of sending someone an electronic greeting card , Spirit Clips are short films-- usually 2-4 minutes in length--that you can send to a friend with a personalized greeting. But these short films, which cover a wide range of inspirational topics, have other possible uses as well. There are also Bible study guides for purchase to go with some of the films in case church groups want to use the movies for small group talks as sermon starters.

I previewed several of the short films on the site and was surprised by the quality. Spirit Clips seems to have found a niche by providing an option that falls somewhere in between an unfiltered site like YouTube and a more religious, sometimes more cheesy, site like GodTube. The films on Spirit Clips are clean and embrace traditional values, but aren't preachy.

Click on the video below for a taste of what Spirit Clips has to offer.

My enthusiasm for this year's Oscar extravaganza is at an all-time low, as I am disappointed in many of Oscar's choices. Still, I can't help but make my usual Oscar predictions. I like my odds this year of being right,...

While promoting the movie "Two Lovers," which is in theaters today (you can watch a clip from the film on Beliefnet's Entertainment page), actor Joaquin Phoenix appeared on David Letterman's talk show earlier this week, and, um, well, had a...

When I support a movie underdog, I tend to bang the drum relentlessly. I have said before here at Idol Chatter, that "Frozen River " is a great, completely overlooked film. Now that it is out on DVD this week,...

This time of year I long for some sunshine and even the tiniest sign of spring 's soon arrival. Alas, it has been one brutal winter in my neck of the woods, and in my community we have this great...

You might think that Hollywood has given up on sweeping Biblical epics after the so-so results of a movies like "The Nativity," especially compared to the relatively high box office results of low-budget Christian films like "Fireproof," but avid readers...