Last night after the worship led by Justin Dillon, we participated in a forum on Christians and the arts... and Christians who are artists. I told the audience that I strongly recommend the book
Roaring Lambs by the late Bob Briner. In the book, Bob discussed the many artistic ventures that Christians ought to be participating in and that the church should encourage participation in the arts. Read the chapter titles in the link above and you will get a feel for the book. I've actually posted on this topic before
here.
The person that brought this book to my attention is Steve Taylor. I didn't know him and I still don't. He brought it to my attention because a new album he produced was coming out. The album was called Roaring Lambs and contained songs by some of my favorite artists including: Sixpence None the Richer and
Over the Rhine.
The thing is: for me, Steve Taylor epitomizes what a roaring lamb should be. Steve would make Briner proud. In fact, he did make Briner proud--But if Bob could see this movie I think he'd be jumping for joy!
The Second Chance is a powerful film about a white suburban worship leader named Ethan, played by Michael W. Smith, and an African American inner city pastor named Jake, played by Jeff Obafemi Carr.
Ethan is the worship leader at a fictional Nashville megachurch called The Rock. Jake is pastor of The Rock's sister church, Second Chance Community Church.
At the beginning of the film we hear a rousing choir performance led by the Ethan. Applause and cheers erupt. A minute or so later Ethan introduces their special guest Pastor Jake Sanders. Ethan lifts the pledge card that has been handed to the attendees and says something like, 'Pastor Jake, why don't you tell these people what they're money will do."
I'm not articulating well the annoying way that Ethan says this, but it certainly riles up Jake. Jake goes to the pulpit and says that The Second Chance Church needs more than handouts. It needs people to help work with the in their tutoring program, their ministry to the local prostitutes, the homeless... and then, frustrated at the typical "I'll write you a check and then never have to see you or your problems again" mentality, Pastor Jake says, "you know what? You can keep your damn money."
This statement makes the papers (after all The Rock is broadcast live on TV every week) and forces the board of the church to make some difficult decisions on how they want to manage the damage control.
Ethan's father Jeremiah, played beautifully by J. Don Ferguson, is the senior pastor of The Rock. After meeting with the church board, Rev. Jeremiah Jenkins tells his son that he needs to go to the inner city church to hang out with Jake.
At this point in the story, many screenwriters would create a movie about a white man who came to the ghetto and saved the community. It's been done before. Thankfully, that is not what happens in "The Second Chance". Instead, Ethan is challenged by the constant, and very much different, ministry that goes on at Second Chance Church.
There are some very funny moments in this film. Jake refers to Ethan as Gucci throughout the film due to Ethan's pension for fine clothing. When Ethan insists on following Jake everywhere he goes, Jake takes him to a hair salon and introduces him as follows, "Jake this is (name) and (name), this is a white man.
But, as time goes by, the two slowly start to understand each other and Jake starts to recognize how ridiculous the riches in his life have become. We learn that Jake was once a successful artist with gold records who toured with artists like Tina Turner. We learn that, earlier in life, Jake did time for drugs and that Ethan was sentenced to rehab for his drug habit. We learn how different ministry at a small church in the inner city can be from a large suburban church.
One of the most powerful scenes in the film follows one of the most powerful scenes in the Gospels - a footwashing. I won't take away from the scene by describing it, but the forgiveness and Christ-like attitude in this scene is something that I would love our non-Christian friends to see.
This is a movie that, much more than
The Passion of the Christ, may actually change lives. This is a movie that the church needs to endorse, invest in, and promote. I am disappointed that the Emergent Convention did not promote this film preview to it's attendees the way the National Pastor's Convention (happening simultaneously at the Nashville Convention Center). This is a movie the emergent crowd can really get behind.
When
The Passion came out, churches bought out entire theatres for showings of the film and followed the film with a time for questions and answers. The emerging church should do the same for
The Second Chance.
The Second Chance has been picked up by Sony Pictures who will release the film September 9 in 250 theatres. While that may be dwarfed by
The Passion opening in 3,043 theatres, consider that
Napoleon Dynamite opened in only 6 theatres.
Napoleon would eventually grow to 1,027 theatres. So there is potential for any quality independent film. A movie more suited for comparison is TD Jakes'
Woman Thou Art Loosed, which released on 408 screens and yet debuted at #7 it's opening weekend. It grew to 521 theatres and is doing well on DVD.
We have an opportunity to be lambs that roar on the weekend of September 9. Ask your local theatre manager if they are bringing this film to your town. If they are... take your church. If they aren't... see what you can do to change that.
The Second Chance is the first "Christian film" for which I have not needed to say, "well it was pretty good... for a Christian movie." This is simply a very good movie with a lesson we can all use.
If you saw the screening with me, I'd love to hear your comments. You should also rate it on sites like Yahoo and
imdb.com.
After I saw The Second Chance at the Emergent Convention last year I wrote a review here at ye ole blog. I re-posted it 
I just saw a free preview of Elizabethtown - one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Elizabethtown could have been about any town and it would have been wonderful. It just so happens that it's about one of the places I call my hometown. I grew up all over Kentucky and technically never lived in E-town. I spent part of my high school career every day in E-town. My best friend lives just outside of E-town. So, it's one of my stomping grounds.