The Fourth Lateran Council (1215 AD)

Note to readers:  Everything I write on my blog is indexed in some form or manner by the U.S. government (and by Google), so I wanted to elevate the content just in case it is useful for evangelizing!

There’s a lot of interesting background about the history of this council which was both religious and political.  Check it at Fourth Lateran Council, Papal Encyclicals Online.

When the council began in the Lateran basilica in November 1215 there were present 404 bishops from throughout the western church, and from the Latin eastern church a large number of abbots, canons and representatives of the secular power. No Greeks were present, even those invited, except the patriarch of the Maronites and a legate of the patriarch of Alexandria. The bond with the Greek church was indeed neglected, and matters became more serious through the actions of Latin bishops living in the east or through the decrees of the council.

Old Fashioned--a great movie

Despite the snow and some white outs on the way to the theater, our St. Valentine's date worked well. We saw "Old Fashioned" at Lennox 24 near the OSU campus then had dinner out. The movie truly is old fashioned, with gorgeous cinematography filmed in Tuscawarus County, Ohio, in Oct. and Nov. 2011. In fact, I'd say NE Ohio had a supporting role. The opening in theaters was held back to coincide with the opening of “50 shades of Grey.”  It truly is the antidote to the 50 shades movie.

Rik Swartzwelder wrote, directed and acted in the film. (He's from New Philadelphia, Ohio, now lives in California). He plays Clay, a guy who not only owns an antique store in the college town where he has a not so lovely past, but old fashioned ideas about who he will marry and what their courtship should be. He meets Amber, the free spirit type, who reminds me of some of the loopy 1970s film characters--on the run when a problem comes up, 3 credit hours from her degree, a cat lady, odd fashion taste and a horrible marriage in her past. These two people, one who can't forgive himself for his past, and one who flees her past, fall in love. There are interesting supporting sub-plots, like Clay's buddies, and Amber's co-workers at the flower shop. This is not an overtly Christian film, but has Christian values, and you can leave the theater without having heard a single swear word even though the story line includes some crude characters in its backstory.

As we left the theater my husband said it had a "168" feel (short films with a Biblical theme organized by John David Ware) so I looked that up and see that Rik Swartzwelder has worked with Ware (who grew up in our church) in workshops for writers and directors that is also a part of the 168 project.

We suggested the film to our waitress--that she take her boyfriend. She said she didn't have a boyfriend and would see if she could get a group of her friends to go. And that's just the crowd that should see this movie. Searching singles tired of the hook-up culture of meaningless sex and moving on.

http://www.timesreporter.com/article/20111001/NEWS/310019937

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fashioned_(film)

http://www.fandango.com/oldfashioned_176952/moviereviews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxW2lhzbVQ

Five shades of Grey

“Rick McDaniel, senior pastor of Richmond Community Church, 11801 Nuckols Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23059, says that while human sexuality is certainly a normal phenomenon, we need to understand it through the lens of God’s morality. McDaniel says Fifty Shades of Grey, with its explicitly erotic scenes that feature bondage, dominance and sadism, is dangerous, destructive and against the teachings of God’s promise of marriage. So he is planning a sermon series titled 5 Shades of Grey, in which he will tackle the five topics of adultery, divorce, cohabitation, pornography and gay marriage.”