October
02
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Grace Unplugged…Plugged.
It seems like everyone is pretty excited about the release of the new film, Grace Unplugged.
I have no doubt this film will be incredibly popular.
From the Grace Unplugged facebook page:
Grace Trey aspires to more than just singing at church. When she begins tasting the stardom she’s always dreamed of, will it lead her to reject her faith … or rediscover it?
Plot Outline
Having just turned 18, Grace Trey aspires to more than just singing at her church, where the worship leader is her father—a former pop star. But with the help of Mossy, her dad’s former manager, Grace records a cover version of her dad’s old Top-10 hit, runs off to Los Angeles, and begins to taste the kind of stardom she’s always dreamed about.
Yet with each rung of the ladder she climbs, Grace feels more and more pressure to compromise her values, further straining her relationship with her parents. Will everything she experiences lead her to reject her faith or rediscover it? GRACE UNPLUGGED, in theaters October 4.
Here is the official trailer. After you watch it, I want you to consider a few things.
I’m sure this film is going to be very entertaining and, no doubt, has a great message – in the ending.
It’s the message at the beginning that bothers me.
If you noticed in the trailer, within the first .30 seconds, we’re introduced to:
- Applause, for the entertainers during a meeting of the local body of Christ for worship of God.
- A young woman who has aspirations of being a famous star, and she’s using the Church to facilitate that dream. How unchristian is using the Church to further that aspiration?
- The ‘worship leader’ is a musician, not the Pastor-Teacher.
- A church that uses a band for what many these days consider to be the most important time of Sunday mornings – the “worship and praise” segment. In reality, in churches across the country, this portion of Sunday mornings gets more time than the actual preaching of the Word of God. It is usually explained that the reason for this is because “that’s where young people are at these days.” In other words, worldly means to attract members and visitors.
- Use of hymnals (and thus, corporate praise) are traded for flat-screen projections of the words of contemporary, worldly music and entertainment.
- It was the local church and its ignorance and/or indifference to biblical doctrine that sent this girl on her journey.
Listen, I am not suggesting that you do not see this film.
I’m not suggesting that you go see it either.
I am merely concerned that people will be so entertained by the plot, perhaps even blessed by the ending, that they miss the corrupt, unbiblical and worldliness of the message that is being made at the beginning of it.
And the message that is being sent to the Church in the beginning of this film is clear: It’s O.K. to accept and participate in that which God forbids.
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Everyone assumes that’s how church is supposed to be these days. Sad.
Someone will say you’re nitpicking of course. But your post is exactly right. People don’t watch critically anymore to see what unbiblical or untrue stuff they’re swallowing / assuming that is in there beside the main point. The main point may even be a valid point.
I remember taking issue with someone a few years ago bringing up the heretical Cindy Jacobs’ call to repentance for the USA. Yeah, who would argue that people in the US in general needs to repent? But the way Jacobs came about calling for the US to repent was because she received a vision from the Lord. She went on in detail about this vision and whatnot. Apparently the Lord in the vision quoted from the Message version of the Bible too. Ummm.. yeah. So, while repentance is a great thing and should be always going on, the devil is happy to feed you as much truth as you like, if it will get you to swallow a lie along with it.