While we're at it
Not for everyone
revelation can be governed by timing: sometimes God reveals something to a person but does not authorize immediate, unrestricted publication.
Daniel was told to seal the revelation in 8:26, 12:4, and 12:9. This is more like: Receive it, preserve it faithfully, do not force its fulfillment or pretend its time has arrived, future generations will need it.
Since the visions didn't address Daniel's current situation, their usefulness would be for the future.
Jesus did the same thing. In Mark 1:43-44, Jesus healed a leper and told him to say nothing to anyone. After the man spread the word anyway, the gathering crowds kept it from happening. There are other verses where Jesus told people not to spread the word.
- Mark 5:43 Jairus's daughter
- Mark 7:36 The deaf man
- Mark 8:29–30 Peter's proclamation
- Mark 9:9 Transfiguration
- Also Revelation 10:4 Sealing of the 7 thunders
- And Paul, caught up in Paradise, also knew of things not to be said (2 Corinthans 12:2-4)
Withholding or limiting information can keep people from building an erroneous interpretation about a genuine revelation.
CRIMSON Fellowship: Lessons from the acronym
One more way to look at this from Jennifer Kunz.
CRIMSON Fellowship: Another version of the acronym
Here's another way to look at the CRIMSON acronym, courtesy of Jennifer Kunz.
CRIMSON Fellowship: The acronym
Jennifer Kunz kindly sent some variations of what CRIMSON in Crimson Fellowship can stand for. Check this one out.
Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin
I just finished watching The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin (@PendragonCycle) on Amazon Prime video and enjoyed it very much. I understand it just came out on Prime this month and has been getting a large audience. Prime has labeled it #1 in fantasy TV shows.
It's based on Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon novels that came out a while back and chart the rise of King Arthur. Unlike the Game of Thrones novel series, Lawhead finished this novel series.
If you liked Narnia and Lord of the Rings and other such fantasies, you'll probably like Pendragon. Reviews range from very negative to very positive. You can look up background information on your own, so here are some things to look for when sitting down with a bowl of popcorn:
Don't get turned off by Episodes 1 and 2. They blow through a full and rich novel in order to get to the development of Merlin and the set up for Arthur.
Those first 2 episodes primarily establish Merlin's parentage. It's too bad because I could tell from the episodes there was a lot more to the characters of Taliesen, the sisters Charis and Morgian (get it?), the whole Atlantis myth worked into early British history (the bull jumping scenes were exciting), and the contact between the Druidic and Celtic Christian worldviews. That last item suffered from the abbreviated story telling because, while supportive of Christianity and respectful of the Druidic history, the treatment of religions still came across as preachy. More episodes would have made it a richer viewing experience.
The rest of the series (7 episodes total) show the rise of Merlin as advertised, with Episode 3 kicking off his adventures. Even then, I thought there could have been more episodes to do Merlin's story justice (some instances seem to rely on deus ex machina).
The series had the requisite skulduggery amoung tribes and kingdoms, wonderful scenery, and (I thought) very good acting that kept me engaged. The world-building is engrossing with the Arthurian age being born in mud, stone, and a fractured post-Roman Dark Ages Britain in need of a unifying figure. It's a fascinating take on how a society is born.
I understand this was a private effort, so money wasn't as available as it would be for a major studio production. Perhaps this season will be successful enough to spawn more seasons and then create a prequel that expands the story hinted at in Episodes 1 and 2.
I wouldn't consider this something to watch with younger children because the battle scenes might be too intense. The other bugaboo (you know what I'm talking about) is very minimal, generally a husband and wife kissing each other and the camera cutting away. Attraction between men and women is shown in a courtly manner, both keeping some distance until the father's give their blessing. I also noticed that Charis's apparel seemed to become more modest as the series kept going, perhaps to signal an outward expression of her faith.
For the Christ-followers, the series creates a world that operates according to Christian theology. It's broken, war-torn, and unfair, but the characters function according to their faith in the middle of their own fallibility to redeem the world. They work alongside others who think their Christian faith is superstitious belief in the wrong thing. You'll see that tension with Merlin in Episode 7.
Overall, this was an enjoyable series and should make you want to read the Lawhead novels, which have a reputation as a gold standard of the genre.
Our own missional moments
Do you have a missional moment to share locally? Send me your reflective paragraph or essay, and I'll put it in this section.
Squad Sunday at Calvary Baptist Church (1121 Paul W Bryant Dr, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401), 8/30 at 5 PM. Calvary Baptist Church will welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide football team to their 5 PM services. All are welcome. The Charlie Compton Award will be presented to a player who demonstrates Christian leadership both in the locker room and on the field.
