Friday, December 09, 2005
OK, It's Official - A Line Has Been Crossed
I saw it first on Transforming Sermons and a little later on Leadership Journal's "Out Of Ur" blog. Apparently Disney, through SermonCentral.com, is running a sweepstakes for sermons with a "Lion, Witch, Wardrobe" mention - the prize being a trip to London/Oxford, etc. Out of Ur links to a Philly Inquirer piece
Attention, pastors: You have just four weeks remaining to work a lion, a witch or a wardrobe into your next sermon.Random thoughts while I shudder:
Walt Disney Pictures is so eager for churches to turn out audiences for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which opens Friday, that it's offering a free trip to London - and $1,000 cash - to the winner of its big promotional sermon contest.
- I don't really blame Disney for trying. It's their job to sell movie tickets, and this frankly, is a good way to do so. I don't like this, but I don't blame Disney
- If you are a pastor that takes seriously your role in the pulpit, can you mention the movie at all in a sermon, since the story is a great sermon illustration source, without questioning your own motives? Might you not now avoid a mention just to make sure.
- If my pastor does use the movie as an illustration, do I challenge him on whether he has entered the contest or not?
- Is there any legitimate way for a pastor to participate in this sweepstakes at all?
- Why don't they do this for blogging?
You know, pastors are challenged enough trying to speak the Word and maintain an income, they don't really need this. This strikes me as a no win scenario for just about everyone involved.
