Lost Season 1 Episode 7

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." – Joshua, leader of Israel after Moses (Josh 24:15)

Having a choice, making decisions based on more than instinct (pointing to the boar) is the only thing that separates you from him. – John Locke

I remember being in my early teens, my parents owned a Bakery/Coffee Shop in the Wilshire District of Los Angeles. I was working there when a man came in and loudly disrupted our lunch time “crowd." We kindly asked him to leave and he said it was a free country. I repeated something a teacher had told me, “Freedom is the ability to choose the good and reject the bad.�

I had no idea what I was talking about…I just spewed it out like a computer. It was a programmed response. But today I see the wisdom in those words. We have serious choices to make in life as Charley did in this episode. And each of the choices we make have lasting consequences. The theme of choice is what MovedMe about Episode 7, The Moth.

This episode started great with the confessional scene. In shocking fashion Charley, newly popular because of his band, confesses to some pretty raunchy stuff. The priest lays it out for him saying “We all have our temptations, but giving in to them, that’s your choice.� To Charley’s credit he took that to heart and had every intention of leaving the band and fixing his life.

But the temptation was too strong. Aided by his brother’s plea he made the choice to stick with the band. It seemed he couldn’t make any other choice…but it led to a downward spiral that led to a heroin addiction. Choices...once you start making them they lead you to the next choice and the next.

Back on the island, Locke tells Charley that he doesn’t only know about his addiction he wants to help. In a wonderful twist Locke teaches Charley that he really does have a choice in the matter by giving him three chances to ask for his drugs back. That way either way Charley knew it was his choice to continue or to stop.

If you are anything like me you’ve found that you are powerless to choose. You may think you have the power to turn down that 2nd or 3rd donut but you don’t. Or maybe you are one of those that are in denial and you think you do have control but if you take a good look at your life you really don’t have any power over the choices you make.

I’m here to tell you that we absolutely have the power to change…the freedom to choose the good and reject the bad. If you are a seeker, the first step is to fall on your knees and accept Jesus Christ into your life. Without his power you don’t have the freedom to choose…trust me on that, I didn’t. For Christians reading this, Jesus didn’t die on the cross and rise from the dead so that you could make bad choices. That same power that raised him from the dead is alive in you.

Choose the good and reject the bad…the choice so to speak is yours and mine.

Lost Season 1 Episode 3

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. – St. Paul (Rom 6:4)

Three days ago, we all died. We should all be able to start over. – Dr. Jack Shephard

As I discussed in one of my Narnia reviews, I have issues with my names. My wife and I were contemplating a move to another state a couple years ago and we decided we’d change our names…well sort of. I would go by my first name Ariel (said like the letters R – E – L) and she would go by her middle name Christine. Just for fun and to change things up a bit.

A new job, a big move to another town/city, changing ones name: all of these things are opportunities to be a different person…to start over again. Isn’t that what we need sometimes? A change of scenery, new hope, and maybe just maybe I can right all those wrongs in my current situation.

What "MovedMe" about Tabula Rasa, which by the way means clean slate in Latin, is that these castaways or survivors are all given a wonderful opportunity to start over…create a new life for themselves. Think of it the ultimate Mulligan or Do Over! Most of these people don’t have a history together so they get to start from scratch. They get to write a new life for themselves at least until they get “rescued�.

Kate Austen tries to tell Jack Shephard, towards the end of the episode, about her story…why she has a mug shot and was in handcuffs on the plane. Jack, wanting to be everyone’s savior, tells her he doesn’t want to know. It doesn’t matter, he says we all get to start over. For Kate this is good news indeed.

This is the promise the Bible writes about so often, that if we believe in Jesus Christ we too can have new life. Old things have passed away and we are new creations (2 Co 5:17). If you are anything like me, that makes messes of life wherever he goes, this is good news indeed!

As Season 1 unfolds we will see that even this opportunity for a clean state is just that…an opportunity that must be chosen. Will Sawyer decide to take the opportunity to be different than pre-crash Sawyer? Kate? Jack? Charley? Jin? This is one of the reasons this show has hooked me, because I need to find out. It is also the dilemma those of us presented with the Gospel have. Will you, if you haven’t already, decide to take the opportunity for new life?

I’ll leave you with the last few lines of Wash Away by Joe Purdy, the song that played at the end of this episode:

I got troubles, lord, but not today
Cause they’re gonna wash away
This old river’s gonna take them away

*Did you connect with this review? Come join us in discussing it at the Hollywood Jesus Forum in the DVD section. Or if you are viewing this on CoachZ’s blog leave a comment!

Lost Season 1 Episode 1 & 2

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - St. John (1 John 4:18)

“So I just made a choice. I’d let the fear in. Let it take over. Let it do its thing. But only for five seconds. That’s all I was gonna give it.� - Dr. Jack Shephard

I’m finding that the older I get the more fearful I am. I just went on a father son campout and we were at a swimming hole where there was a rope swing with a 20 ft. drop. When I was younger I had no fear about doing anything like that so I climbed the rocks to the rope swing and was ready to jump only…there was that 20 ft jump. Not to mention my wife, kids, job, mortgage, etc.

Finally, just like Jack, I got over the fear and just jumped. It was exhilarating and I did it at least three more times…each time the fear was less. I ended up surviving all of those jumps no problem and had bragging rights along with the admiration of my young son Joshua.

I’m glad I didn’t give in to that fear, which is why the scene in Pilot 1 where Jack and Kate talk about fear "MovedMe" so deeply. Jack was cut, presumably from his fall from the plane into a bamboo grove, and he asked Kate to stitch him up. Kate can’t understand why he seems so calm…so unafraid. That’s when he goes into the story of his first surgery, when he realized fear is a choice.

After that story you could almost see Kate becomes stronger…even more poignant later in the season when we find out more about her. She sews Jack up and you can tell there is a connection. Later, when the chips are down and it looks like Jack has been attacked by the “monster� Kate chooses to not give in to fear and goes after him. It’s another great scene where Kate counts for five seconds as Jack taught her and then goes after him.

I’ve been learning that fear and its cousin inaction are choices. Just like that jump in the swimming hole…I could have given in to fear and climbed down instead of jumping. When my wife is struggling through something and I’m afraid I won’t have the answers for her…I could give in to fear and not engage in the conversation. When I’m given a big assignment at work and I worry that I won’t be able to get it done right…I could give in to fear and procrastinate.

But I’m learning these days to only give fear a few seconds in my life and then choose to give it no more time. Even more helpful is knowing what St. John said, “perfect love drives out fear.� Loving my wife helps drive out the fear of engaging with her and pushes me to pray and talk her through her struggles. Loving my job, and the fact they pay me good money to do what I do, drives out the fear that I’ll do it wrong and helps me to work hard and do my best.

So I encourage you not to let fear drive you in the important moments of life…let love drive you instead. Especially the perfect love that only God through his son Jesus can give.

*Did you connect with this review? Come join us in discussing it at the Hollywood Jesus Forum in the DVD section. Or if you are viewing this on CoachZ’s blog leave a comment!

Green Day?

'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. – Acts 2:17

PATRICK
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Irish, English, French, German
Pronounced: PAT-rik (English), pat-REEK (French)
From the Roman name Patricius, which meant "nobleman" in Latin.

My eldest son, Joshua, asked me this morning who St. Patrick was. After hemming and hawing about getting rid of snakes I had to admit that I don’t know! So I did a little studying and this is the quick version of the story of a regular man led by God to accomplish extraordinary things.

March 17th...what's all they hype about? Green rivers, green beer, green clothes, getting pinched, finding four leafed weeds? Actually it's about one of the most powerful movements of God the world has known. It's about a man many believe was the first missionary to reach out to a "barbarian" people...or those outside the influence of Greco-Roman civilization.

Born under the name Succat in Roman Britain, actually in Scotland he was abducted in his teen years and sold into slavery in Ireland. There he served a hard chieftain for 6 long years. Those 6 years were attributed to his conversion from nominal Christian to one who regularly communed with God; it definitely must have been a shaping time.

One of the first of many dreams and visions came to him during this 6 years…he heard a voice saying, “See your ship is ready.� 200 miles away from the sea he escaped his master and boarded a ship back home to his family and familiar land, though he would never be able to recover those years both relationally or educationally.

At around the age of 40, having become an ordained Bishop and changing his name to Patricius latin form of Patrick, he finally heeded many visions and dreams that were calling him back to Ireland. His mission was simple, to reach the Irish where they were, converting their hearts to Christ not their culture to Rome or any other for that matter. He started with the chiefs. It is widely held that his former master, a chief himself, was one of the first to confess Christ.

The rest as they say is history although much is veiled in myth.

Did Patrick get rid of all the snakes in Ireland? No. It is widely held that there were no snakes in Ireland when Patrick was alive. These sources say that snakes were long since gone from Ireland during the Ice Age.

Many do believe that Patrick used the Shamrock to teach on the Holy Trinity.

Patrick, who is not canonized as a Saint by Rome, was not the first missionary to Ireland, Palladius holds that title.

It seems God used Patrick in a mighty way. One reference quoted this: “Patrick's ministry lasted 29 years. He baptized over 120,000 Irishmen and planted 300 churches.� Dreams and visions indeed!

Band of Brothers

Posted this on the Recent & Classic DVD Movie section. Check it out...BoB.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Part III

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. (Rev 2:17)

My whole life I’ve been pretty confused about my name. See I was born Ariel-Patrick Garcia Zalamea. So early on I was called Ariel. You can imagine how that went over first day of Kindergarten when the teacher called out my name…lot’s of giggles. I asked to be called Patrick and ended up being called Pat for all of my school life. When I went to work for a large company there was a Pat (Patricia) in my department so then I started going by Patrick and it stuck. Then of course The Little Mermaid movie came out and ruined the name Ariel for all men by that name. But in my current job they found out my first name is Ariel and have been calling me that (pronounced ARE-EE-EL).

In the Bible names had special significance…I’m not sure why or REALLY how it all works but your name is basically who you are. That’s why God would change people’s names like Abram to Abraham or Sarai to Sara or Simon to Peter, because it signified that the person had changed from whatever their original name meant to what their new name means. Do a little poll, I have (non-scientific), on people you know. Find out what their name means and compare that to their personality. For the most part I’ve found it actually works…it’s very weird.

All this to say, that the scene at the end of the movie where Aslan gives the children new titles truly MovedMe. They had overcome great peril and had been changed as their titles indicate. Peter had changed from a timid wannabe adult to Peter the Magnificent. Susan the once harsh pessimist became Susan the Gentle, Edmund was no longer the treacherous little boy but became Edmund the Just, and of course Lucy wasn’t just a cute girl but Lucy the Valiant. This is a beautiful picture of what will occur when the friends of God appear before His throne. As the passage above from Revelation tells us those friends of God who overcome will be given a stone with a name on it…that only they will know.

Ariel means lion of God (I know… so not fitting for a little mermaid!) and Patrick means noble. For most of my life I’ve wanted to be a lion of God: fierce, dangerous, and strong; but mostly I’ve been nice, passive, and merely agreeable. But I believe that God is changing me day by day to be a Noble Lion of God…fierce when necessary and kind when that is called for. I also believe the change will not be complete until I see God face to face and He hands me that little stone. I look forward to that day…until then, my prayer is that His strength will fill and define me as much as His kindness and mercy.

Maybe you are like me. There are certain things about you that you just don’t like or you feel uneasy about because…well they just aren’t you. Maybe you are timid, fearful, socially uncomfortable, dry but inside there is someone valiant, bold, fun-loving, the life of the party. God wants to reveal the real you, Christian and seeker alike. Ask Him what your name is and don’t give up asking until He tells you. I started that journey a few years ago and it’s been a wonderful adventure since. For the seeker it’s time to come to terms with Jesus…only then will you have access to ask God your name.

As a side note (somewhat related) the end of the movie finally featured one of my favorite quotes from the book. Tumnus tells Lucy that Aslan is not a TAME lion and Lucy responds by telling him no but he is GOOD. I believe that about God…he is not tame but he is good. And that’s why I’m beginning to like my first name Ariel more and more because I want to be like a lion of God…not tame but good.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Part II

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.(1 Cor 1:27)

So pretend you are Aslan, the mighty Lion of Narnia, and the kingdom with all its inhabitants are under a curse. (Remember always winter never Christmas.) Who do you call for reinforcements? Who do you entrust the greatest battle to? The answer is: CHILDREN. Did it move you as it MovedMe that these were four young children…expected to fight, lead in battle, heal, basically save the world? What is that all about? Let’s explore.

First, there is Peter the wannabe adult who in one scene looks at a soldier not much older than him…seemingly wondering “are they going to send me into this war soon?� Then there is Susan who just wants to be practical and safe…things that are totally unnecessary in battle or saving the world. Never forget Edmund the treacherous and selfish boy who cannot follow an order to save his life (literally…think bomb shelter scene.) Last but not least there is Lucy who seems barely out of the thumb sucking and blankie years.

If I am Mr. Beaver or that big Centaur General guy (Otmin?) I’m thinking huh? When the prophesy told of sons of Adam and daughters of Eve I thought they’d be…well full grown. I didn’t sign up for babysitting duty! But it’s a beautiful part of the story that these unassuming kids (even Peter says, “We’re not heroes!�) become heroes….yes even Kings and Queens.

On the surface this might seem to be the whim of an old professor writing a children’s story. It just seems so silly. But just as I wrote in Part I this story points to an even bigger story…one that God is unfolding on this earth. I’ve seen this concept lived out in my life over and over again. As I serve God in my local fellowship (check out my profile) I realize the leaders, especially me, are a group of ordinary people being called and lead by an extraordinary God. All you have to do is spy on us Elders when we are just hanging out…the term boys will be boys comes to mind!

Could it be that this is the way God has ordained it from the very beginning? I mean really look at the heroes of the Bible…they are anything but extraordinary. Who did God call to lead millions of Hebrews out of Egypt? He called an 80 year old man (Moses) who admittedly couldn’t speak in public. Who is God’s chosen King, “a man after God’s own heart� but a ruddy little shepherd named David. And of course God Himself chose to be a lowly Carpenter from Nazareth, Jesus. Oh by the way, Jesus left the fledgling new church to twelve ordinary men (mostly fishermen) that seemingly couldn’t get a long.

I’m sensing a pattern…and it’s an encouraging one. Because like I said, though I have a calling to minister to others, I’m pretty much a normal guy. I struggle with sin, passivity, and apathy. I get down on myself when I make mistakes and can’t seem to get it together. For the most part I always feel like I’m blowing it. But according to God’s standards above I’m qualified!

So how about you? Maybe you are a Christian as you read this and you don’t feel particularly useful in God’s Kingdom since you don’t have great skills or degrees you can boast of. Or maybe you are a seeker who thinks you’ve got to get it together before you can commit your life to Christ. Remember the kids who were called into Narnia to fight, lead in battle, heal, and help save the world. They should be an encouragement to us. For those who think much of themselves and their skills, attributes, and education…well maybe the children aren’t an encouragement.

As for me I go about my days thankful for the verse quoted at the beginning of this blog. I embrace it with all of my being. I’m also thankful that Aslan trusted the children of this movie to help save Narnia. I can dream to do big things for the Kingdom of God and its people then, because He has chosen me…one of the most foolish and weak people I know!

As a conclusion to Part II and an intro to Part III remember the scene in the end when Aslan gives the children NEW names…no longer are they known as children or timid or treacherous but…something much more glorious!