CultureVulture Friday5

One of the revgals spent the week at Summer School studying the Gospel and Western culture, looking at art, literature, music, film and popular culture in their myriad expressions.
Not feeling like a high-falutin' answer to any of these...we'll see. And the spiritual journey thing...I don't know ladies...sometimes I feel like a passenger in this journey.

Name a
1. Book - Spiritual book. Spiritual book? Um... I find it fascinating that all these thousands of books have been written about one man, one book. I'm gonna go with, hmmm Simple gifts : great hymns, one man's search for grace by Bill Henderson.

2. Piece of music - Oh I don't know...Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffet? No no no. Um, whats that one by Rascall Flatts? I'll find it.

3. Work of art - I have this painting painted by a friend of my grandmothers of pink azalea bushes that were ruined by Hurricane Hugo. She'd gone through a depression and lost a lot in that storm and the twisted branches and the pink flowers. Its an amazing painting. Knowing its story makes it even better.

4. Film - How about Groundhog Day? Love that movie, it has humor and a message too. At the beginning he's only living for materialsm, then he helps others and develops his talents and then he gives it all up and he just lives, and then life continues for him. There are messages in it, right?

5. Unusual engagement with popular culture - Well, the film might have been one, right? I have a "performer"streak in me, and I love a good storyteller, professional or otherwise. Imagine the confidence, the memory power, to be able to do that.

That have helped or challenged you on your spiritual journey.

Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why?
I'm not sure I understand this one but I guess that the music and the sermon affect me most at church. I do not enjoy stained glass much. I'd rather my church was sparse with big plain glass windows. I like hymns that we sing aloud together and I like the catchy upbeat ones best. I am not against modern music, I just haven't seen it done really well in a church setting. I did see a fantastic signing choir once and I recommend seeing one if you can!