Greetings all! Here are some thoughts ...
I was having a daydream - one of the best sort. I imagined just what a wonderful person I would be, if only I found a treasure chest (or inherited an astonishing amount or just became incredibly successful). As a consequence, I would have millions and billions to throw around, proving to the world what a great, noble, and generally pleasant person I am.
My plan I daydreamed was something like this: I would pop all my hard-earned treasure in the bank, use the interest as my living allowance (cos you don't REALLY need a whole lot to live on, if you don't waste it on rubbish), and then - my crowning glory - I would give away huge amounts of money. I would be generous! Charitable! Love-filled and blessing the world!
What a wonderful man I am. Or would be, if only I won the Lottery.
And so I realised the truth: I'm not really great, noble and generally pleasant; I am a hypocrite. When I write it down like this it seems so obvious, but I realised that being generous when it doesn't cost me is not generosity at all. Where is my integrity?
This is the process I am in at the moment. I may never end up being super-crazy-wealthy or anything, and that's okay, cos generosity should never be based on affluence, should it? (check out the Widow's Offering in Mark 12:41-44). As I thought about it, I realised that it's not even about money - often the most generous thing to give is not our cash but our energy, our work, our quality time. Sometimes giving money - being 'charitable' - is actually the easy way out, with very little real cost involved.
So this is me. I'm trying to learn to be generous - in lots of different ways - now. To have it as part of my character. Generous people in the past have often been called 'philanthropists', and I love that word - philanthropist (in Greek) literally means 'lover of people'. That's what I want to be.
BIBLE PASSAGES TO LOOK AT:
- James 1:17
- John 3:16
- Acts 20:36
- 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Got Artisan?
Artisan Initiatives has a great resource, which I've been enjoying, by reading online.
They write,
"Every quarter we grapple with an issue relating to being a Christian involved in Media Arts and Entertainment and up to now we have looked at the issues of Ambition, Rejection, Image, Money, Sexuality, Touring, Success, The Bible, and Jesus... If you would like to subscribe to cover the costs of having the publication delivered to you we would be very grateful - this functionality will be available soon. In the meantime, register on the site so we have your address for the next publication mailout."
You can subscribe to their magazine on artisaninitiatives.org
blessings,
davita at bpn
Friday, September 14, 2007
Welcome Bollywood to Hollywood
I want to welcome Bollywood to Hollywood. I'm glad that there is now a connection between entertainment professionals in Bollywood and entertainment professionals in Hollywood. Is there anyone from India on this blog? Karen Covell, Hollywood producer
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Comfort and Encouragement
By David Rowe
When we're afraid, when we're hurt, when we're worried, it's good to remember that our Father is the God of all comfort. He comforts us in our need, so that we can bring comfort to other people. He loves us so that we can love others. He gives us life so that we can wake up the sleepers around us.
"Don't be afraid!" said Gabriel to Mary, when he was about to give her the scariest news in history.
"Don't be afraid!" said Jesus to His friends, when He was about to leave them to be witnesses and martyrs.
"Don't be afraid!" says God to us.
You may feel that you're a small cog in a very big machine, or you may feel as if you are carrying the destiny of the world upon your shoulders. In some way, both are probably right! And either way, God is available to
comfort you. The word 'comfort' literally means 'with strength', just like the word 'encourage' literally means 'to cause courage'. The world is a hard place to be a Believer - life can be very tough - but God will give us the strength and courage we need.
So don't be afraid.
Apparently, that phrase - "Don't be afraid!" - appears 365 times in the Bible, probably because it's something we need to hear every day. Sometimes we're afraid of failing or of dying, but often it's more simple stuff like being worried about how other people see us (or would see us, if only they knew who we really are). But God sees you, He knows you - You're His to care about.
So let's not be fakers and hypocrites, looking good on the outside but inwardly wasting away with worry. Let's be children in the arms of God. May the Holy Spirit - the comforter - give us strength and courage to be ourselves in the best possible way.
And may it not stop at that. Having been comforted, let's be a comfort and an encouragement, a salt-seasoning to bring out the God-flavours of this earth. That's why we're here.
BIBLE PASSAGES TO LOOK AT:
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
- John 14:15-27
- Matthew 5:1-6:18
- Isaiah 41:9-16
When we're afraid, when we're hurt, when we're worried, it's good to remember that our Father is the God of all comfort. He comforts us in our need, so that we can bring comfort to other people. He loves us so that we can love others. He gives us life so that we can wake up the sleepers around us.
"Don't be afraid!" said Gabriel to Mary, when he was about to give her the scariest news in history.
"Don't be afraid!" said Jesus to His friends, when He was about to leave them to be witnesses and martyrs.
"Don't be afraid!" says God to us.
You may feel that you're a small cog in a very big machine, or you may feel as if you are carrying the destiny of the world upon your shoulders. In some way, both are probably right! And either way, God is available to
comfort you. The word 'comfort' literally means 'with strength', just like the word 'encourage' literally means 'to cause courage'. The world is a hard place to be a Believer - life can be very tough - but God will give us the strength and courage we need.
So don't be afraid.
Apparently, that phrase - "Don't be afraid!" - appears 365 times in the Bible, probably because it's something we need to hear every day. Sometimes we're afraid of failing or of dying, but often it's more simple stuff like being worried about how other people see us (or would see us, if only they knew who we really are). But God sees you, He knows you - You're His to care about.
So let's not be fakers and hypocrites, looking good on the outside but inwardly wasting away with worry. Let's be children in the arms of God. May the Holy Spirit - the comforter - give us strength and courage to be ourselves in the best possible way.
And may it not stop at that. Having been comforted, let's be a comfort and an encouragement, a salt-seasoning to bring out the God-flavours of this earth. That's why we're here.
BIBLE PASSAGES TO LOOK AT:
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
- John 14:15-27
- Matthew 5:1-6:18
- Isaiah 41:9-16
Friday, July 20, 2007
Bollywood in Hollywood
Davita Maharaj and Anjali Guptara discuss Bollywood while in Hollywood:
A: Tell me a little about what you're doing in Bollywood.
D: Well as you know, Bollywood is India's movie industry capital. This July, I'm in Bollywood helping kick-off a network for Indian entertainment professionals.
A: What kind of network?
D: It's called The Bollywood Prayer Network, or BPN. BPN is basically a worldwide network of people who are dedicated to praying for and with entertainment industry professionals in Bollywood.
A: I've met Karen Covell, the director of HPN, Hollywood Prayer Network. Do HPN and BPN have anything to do with each other?
D: Yes, in fact BPN is inspired by HPN. Like them, we're a non-denominational fellowship made up of individuals, small groups, and churches.
A: Most churches have not taken the time to pray for Bollywood. It's much easier to criticize people in the Bollywood industry, just as we do with Hollywood stars. But why have separate ministries to Bollywood and Hollywood?
D: From the start, Bollywood and Hollywood have always been separate. With recent movies like Bride and Prejudice, the lines between the two have faded a bit. But no other movie industry is quite like Bollywood. And of course geographically, it would be impossible for busy Bollywood stars to fellowship in Hollywood on a regular basis.
A: What makes Bollywood so unique?
D: Although there have been some recent nudity and unorthodox scenes in Bollywood films, many people still treasure Indian films for their family values, not to mention their color, humor, and musical melodrama! Annually, Bollywood produces more films than any other movie industry in the world, Hollywood included. In fact according to the BBC, more people have watched Indian movies than American movies, and the world's most famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan, is an Indian. Plus, for many years, Indonesia and other Muslim nations have preferred to watch Indian movies. Bollywood films are also popular in Russia, the UK, throughout the Middle East, Bangladesh, Latin America, and the US.
A: You're right, Bollywood actors and actresses have incredible spheres of influence. And with violence and sex selling in Bollywood, the need for strong and faithful hearts must be greater than ever before... So how can I start praying for Bollywood?
D: Adding Bollywood into your prayer life is easy. You simply need to recognize that the media can be a powerful tool for communicating goodness, truth, and beauty to the world. And you need to recognize that Bollywood stars are people with real hurts and needs. The next time you are flipping through channels, magazines, or walking by a cinema, just pray for the industry professionals involved. Some of them are so lonely, and they deal with the same pressures we do: balancing jobs and relationships, depression, family problems, back-stabbing... Bollywood star or not, at the end of the day, people just want to be loved and known for who they are, rather than whatever mold the world shoves them into.
A: How did all of this start?
D: It started with my great-aunt, Revati Sairsingh. Even though she was a widow with barely a third grade education, God brought her to Bollywood stars' homes in the early 80s. There, she'd sit and listen to their problems, counsel them, and pray with them. Domestic abuse, loneliness, affairs... you name it, these Bollywood stars struggled with it, quietly, behind closed doors. She didn't have anything to offer them except her prayers, and Jesus' love.
I probably wouldn't even be doing BPN if it weren't for her, because she prayed for me on her knees every day... She prayed that I too would have a heart for fellow Indians, and that I would reach out to them and show them love, regardless of who they are or where they've been.
A: Tell me a little about what you're doing in Bollywood.
D: Well as you know, Bollywood is India's movie industry capital. This July, I'm in Bollywood helping kick-off a network for Indian entertainment professionals.
A: What kind of network?
D: It's called The Bollywood Prayer Network, or BPN. BPN is basically a worldwide network of people who are dedicated to praying for and with entertainment industry professionals in Bollywood.
A: I've met Karen Covell, the director of HPN, Hollywood Prayer Network. Do HPN and BPN have anything to do with each other?
D: Yes, in fact BPN is inspired by HPN. Like them, we're a non-denominational fellowship made up of individuals, small groups, and churches.
A: Most churches have not taken the time to pray for Bollywood. It's much easier to criticize people in the Bollywood industry, just as we do with Hollywood stars. But why have separate ministries to Bollywood and Hollywood?
D: From the start, Bollywood and Hollywood have always been separate. With recent movies like Bride and Prejudice, the lines between the two have faded a bit. But no other movie industry is quite like Bollywood. And of course geographically, it would be impossible for busy Bollywood stars to fellowship in Hollywood on a regular basis.
A: What makes Bollywood so unique?
D: Although there have been some recent nudity and unorthodox scenes in Bollywood films, many people still treasure Indian films for their family values, not to mention their color, humor, and musical melodrama! Annually, Bollywood produces more films than any other movie industry in the world, Hollywood included. In fact according to the BBC, more people have watched Indian movies than American movies, and the world's most famous actor, Amitabh Bachchan, is an Indian. Plus, for many years, Indonesia and other Muslim nations have preferred to watch Indian movies. Bollywood films are also popular in Russia, the UK, throughout the Middle East, Bangladesh, Latin America, and the US.
A: You're right, Bollywood actors and actresses have incredible spheres of influence. And with violence and sex selling in Bollywood, the need for strong and faithful hearts must be greater than ever before... So how can I start praying for Bollywood?
D: Adding Bollywood into your prayer life is easy. You simply need to recognize that the media can be a powerful tool for communicating goodness, truth, and beauty to the world. And you need to recognize that Bollywood stars are people with real hurts and needs. The next time you are flipping through channels, magazines, or walking by a cinema, just pray for the industry professionals involved. Some of them are so lonely, and they deal with the same pressures we do: balancing jobs and relationships, depression, family problems, back-stabbing... Bollywood star or not, at the end of the day, people just want to be loved and known for who they are, rather than whatever mold the world shoves them into.
A: How did all of this start?
D: It started with my great-aunt, Revati Sairsingh. Even though she was a widow with barely a third grade education, God brought her to Bollywood stars' homes in the early 80s. There, she'd sit and listen to their problems, counsel them, and pray with them. Domestic abuse, loneliness, affairs... you name it, these Bollywood stars struggled with it, quietly, behind closed doors. She didn't have anything to offer them except her prayers, and Jesus' love.
I probably wouldn't even be doing BPN if it weren't for her, because she prayed for me on her knees every day... She prayed that I too would have a heart for fellow Indians, and that I would reach out to them and show them love, regardless of who they are or where they've been.
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