Two Nights Out

I went out two nights in-a-row this week - not something that happens much around my house...

On Tuesday night, Mimi and I joined some friends at the Crosstown Station to see the band Oriole Post, who opened for Oakhurst (wow). Oriole Post (different link) is fronted by Rachel Bonar, she of the angelic voice, who can be heard throughout the JW record and is often seen and heard leading worship for our community.

Oriole Post was absolutely fantastic. They play self-described, "folky hill music that you want to sing along and break your heart to." Indeed. If you go to their myspace page (first link), you can hear a little bit of their music - though I believe what you will find there is what Rachel recorded herself, singing into Garage Band on her MacBook. The full sound of the band includes stand-up bass (Roger), mandolin (Seth), percussion (Bill), violin (Michaela), and backing vocals (Michelle), and the good news is that the full band is currently in the studio at Jacob's Well recording a 12 song record with Mike Crawford. See pics below (and click to embiggen).

        

      

     

Night two? I received an email yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon from Corby Pons from Disney Studios. Kind of random, but I generally like random - especially when it involves invitations to movie screenings. He invited me to a screening of a new film called Earth, the first film Disney Nature is releasing from the Planet Earth series. Here's how he described it:

"Earth is the most captivating and compelling footage of life on earth ever recorded and is regarded as a cinematography break-through as it follows three animal families from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans over a five-year odyssey. It is 'not' political or an agenda film. Earth captures images we have never before seen in ways we never before imagined. The movie is narrated by the incomparable James Earl Jones. The first movie from Disney Nature, Earth will provide families a total immersive experience into the wild wonders of God's creation."

So, I took my 12-year-old daughter with me to a packed AMC theater for a 7:00 p.m. screening. And I pretty much agree with his description. The footage and cinematography were breath-taking. It was 'not' a political or agenda film. It was an immersive experience for my family (at least the part of my family that was able to go with me - my youngest came down with the flu and was bummed to be left at home) that we really enjoyed. I would have loved to see this film in IMAX. Even so, you definitely get a sense of the scope and grandeur of God's creation, as well as its fragility and resilience.

I think Corby is working to promote the film among people of faith, many of whom are, for the first time, beginning to see stewardship of creation as part of faithful discipleship. What a good thing. Towards that end, I recommend it highly. There is something so good and so humbling to regularly be reminded of the scope and grandeur of God's creation - particularly as it relates to the biblical narrative and that God's plan is for the salvation and restoration of all things - including creation. As the Apostle Paul writes in the New Testament letter of Romans, "...for the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up the present time."

The film will be released on Earth Day next week. And by the way, I sat in front of the Kansas City Star's film critic Robert Butler. When he posts his review, I'll link to it. Also, if you do go see it, stick around for the credits. They include footage of the filmmakers going to various and, at times, extreme lengths to capture creatures in the wild - the most amusing is a film rig that is basically two lawn chairs tied to a hot-air balloon flying at low-levels over the African savannah - comedy (and pain) ensues. Check out the trailer below.