Dan Merchant Blog
When you traverse across the country in a jumpsuit covered in bumper stickers, chances are you have a story or two to tell. Dan Merchant not only creates interesting movies like Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, but he also is one dedicated blogger.
Check out his latest thoughts below…
- A Weary End to Week One
- THE CLIMB
- Taking a Leap
- Conversations Are Happening!
- Eight Days and Counting!
- Going (to) Hollywood!
- Original Road Trip
- Someone IS Watching!
- Senator Al Franken
- Your Own Personal HollywoodJesus.com
- Three Weeks and Counting!
- Catching Up
- Bill Maher Plagiarizes; Dan Merchant Does Too!
- Bono Leads the Conversation ...
- The Conversation Continues …
- Tweeting Excerpts from the book
- Dan Merchant ... Cultural Diplomat
- New and Improved Final Cut
- Lord, Save Us ... Coming to Theaters
- INTO THE GOOGLE-WEB I GO!
- 2009 Beliefnet Film Awards
- UPDATE – Beliefnet Film Awards
- Bumpersticker Man visits the Crystal Cathedral
- Recommendations
A Weary End to Week One
October 2, 2009
Hour fourteen of what is, basically, an ordinary work day for me. Okay, I did take a dinner break, but no lunch break, so my time card is clean, Jack.
I am realizing how deep I am in now. I suppose I have been torn down to a foundation and I am building back up from there and in this process have been, “blessed” with clarity of vision. I guess that’s it. It sounds pretentious as I re-read it, but, to carelessly toss out a football metaphor, I do feel like a quarterback leading his team on a two-minute drill. The plays are unfolding in slow motion and I am seeing the field, so clearly, 360 degrees baby. The game is tough, we’re out matched, I’m tired, but I’m in the middle of something special and it’s clear what I’m supposed to do. Now I expect the game enough to know I could get blindsided by a defensive end at any moment, but I am alert and up for the challenge.
What’s really interesting, in this moment of self-reflection is that this clarity is the byproduct of surrender. When you relent and let God show you what He wants to show you, you begin to see things. For me it started with painful things about myself. When I saw these ugly things for what they were, it became a simple necessity to leave them behind. And without all that baggage blocking my vision, I began to see other things more clearly.
My heart has been broken, remolded, re-broken again and again until it sort of feels like my heart now takes up my whole torso. This process isn’t a bad one. It is a hard one, but if you get used to being on your knees with your palms pointed at the sky, it goes easier. Hah.
Getting your heart re-built isn’t the way I imagined it would be. But in retrospect, I suppose it’s a bit similar to the beautiful moment at the climax of the old cartoon “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Remember when the Grinch sees a little loving kindness and his heart grows “three sizes too big.” Yeah, that part makes me cry every time I see it. I didn’t realize it moved me because the little girl from Whoville was demonstrating grace, but my heart sure recognized it.
I think that’s what is happening with this movie. People are recognizing something real and true—and that’s God’s grace. When we treat each other as He commands us to there is something that just seems familiar and liberating. Yeah, that whole “love one another” thing didn’t quit working just because the world decided to call itself post-modern or post-Christian or whatever.
Take one week and drop all of your “Yeah, buts…” and lead every engagement you can manage with kindness, consideration, understanding, patience, grace and love. This is THE truth that Jesus demonstrated (yeah, I’m always going to bring it back to Him). And I just figure He did it that way for a reason. So write me in a week and tell me what you find. … I’m going to seal the answer in an envelope right now because I’m pretty sure I know what you are going to find. HINT: You are going to like it.
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The Climb
September 25, 2009
I have never climbed a mountain. I grew up within a hour of Mt. Ranier in Washington state (14,000 plus feet) and now live within an hour of Mt. Hood in Oregon (11,000 plus feet). Oh sure, a casual hike now and then is fine, but climbing to the peak to stick your flag in the snow takes commitment.
While I have never climbed a mountain, I can tell you what it’s like. After all, I’ve been climbing this rugged indie mountain of a movie we call Lord, Save Us From Your Followers for more than four years now.
As you can imagine, climbing this mountain has looked like a foolhardy endeavor to many.
“It’s too tall,” cried some. “You aren’t an experienced enough climber,” cautioned others. “You’ll never make it back alive,” some worried. “What’s the point anyway?” wondered some.
I can only imagine what a mountain climber thinks as he admires the towering peak at the outset of his ascent. For me, I was egged on by a voice, let’s call it God, who said, “Come on up, I want to show you something.” And thus the climb begins.
Now having God invite you to scale such a mountain is an interesting proposition because He’s fat on concept and skinny on details. He could’ve said, “Those shoes won’t work on the glaciers.” Or, “You’re going to need more than a day pack you moron.” Or, “Turn back now before I have to call Mountain Rescue.”
But no, God just let’s you climb, occasionally urging, “A little further.” Of course, there were times where He probably was trying to tell me something but I couldn’t hear Him over my own babbling, “Show me what? What did you want to show me? How much further? Are you sure it’s on this mountain? Seriously, what is up here? Should I take the East Loop or cross the ice fields?”
At some point along the climb I learned a little bit about being still and listening. At other times I would feel a tug, a change in the wind, which would direct me to a new and surprising pathway. Mostly, I began to admire the view. As hard as the climb was the more I trusted, the clearer the route became.
Today, I pause to look back with a new appreciation for how far this journey has taken me, how fresh the air is, and how strong I have become through the taxing climb. To be honest, I’ve seen so many wonderful, challenging, illuminating things that I find myself wondering WHICH things God wanted me to climb up to see. Or maybe I’m not even to the peak yet and He is still waiting for me to scale the summit to find out.
Lord Save Us opens in seven cities today, another seven or so next Friday (October 2), and it expands further still on October 9. Will people come out to the theater? I don’t know. I hope so. Will they like it? I expect they will. Will it move hearts and expand conversation? I believe it will. Have I reached the summit and am preparing to place my flag in the snow? No.
This whole climb has been beyond my expectations and imagination. I don’t dare start limiting what God wants to show me.
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Taking a Leap
September 23, 2009
In Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, Dan Merchant set up a confession booth at Portland’s Gay Pride celebration. In this post, Dan sets up this pivotal scene from the movie …
My friends who had read Blue Like Jazz and were deeply moved by the confession booth event at Reed College thought I was nuts. I was disappointed they weren’t more encouraging, but I suppose it did sound a little odd, “Hi, I’m a Christian, I want to set up a Confessional Booth at Gay Pride, sounds awesome, doesn’t it?”
In fairness, when I told my own pastor about what I had planned, he managed to force a smile and say, “Well, that should be controversial.” I thought to myself, “If I do it properly it won’t be controversial.” But I could understand the apprehension, when was the last time Christians and Gays got together in public and avoided controversy?
Any second thoughts I was having were driven away the week before Gay Pride when I received an email from a buddy who had been faxed a letter of warning from a local pastor. According to the email, God was going to destroy Portland with a tsunami as an act of vengeance against the wickedness of the gays and those who tolerate them … at least according to some pastor’s prophetic dream. The waves would crash, the rivers would rise, this group had a safe hilltop south of Portland all picked out and everything.
If I were going to be killed in an Act of God, I would at least be doing what I felt God had called me to do. Using my best Socratic reasoning, I figured if the prophetic pastor and I were both right, if we were both called to do this, I’d drown sharing God’s love. If he was right and I was wrong, I’d skip the whole thing and watch the disaster on television. But if I was right and he was wrong, there was no way I would sit home and find out later that yet another prophet had misinterpreted God’s message. No, I HAD to go through with it.
Besides, if God calls you to do something, go, He probably knows something you don’t know.
We set the Confessional Booth up on crisp morning in late June. As I watched the other booths being erected around me, I began to pray. Usually, right before I screw something up, I’ll remember to pray. I desperately wanted to undo the perception of Christians and of God that many of the people I was about to meet undoubtedly will hold. I wanted to beg people to listen to me: “We’ve been showing it wrong. Don’t judge Jesus on my lame-o example. You’ve heard that part of the Bible where Jesus said, ‘he without sin cast the first stone?’ I think that part is important.”
I prayed for my words in the confession booth to His words. I prayed I’d be able to see anyone who entered the booth as His child. I prayed I wouldn’t do or say anything to damage His reputation. I prayed I would serve Him well.
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Conversations Are Happening!
September 21, 2009
There is a little movie coming to theaters THIS FRIDAY! We can’t tell you how excited we are for the movie to finally open. But we’ll try: We’re really, really, really excited that the film is opening in these cities this Friday:
- Atlanta
- Birmingham
- Houston
- Nashville
- Portland
- San Antonio
- Seattle
Old friend Tom Krattenmaker posts eloquently about Lord, Save Us From Your Followers over at his blog. Among his thoughts is this glowing endorsement:
“Even though Dan and I come from different theological perspectives—Dan is a evangelical, albeit a mavericky one, and I’m way more on the theologically liberal side of town—I endorse his message wholeheartedly. To sum up that message, this country needs to get out of our culture war trenches, and we need to stop using Christianity as a weapon.”
New friend Abe Levy had a piece this weekend in the San Antonio Express-News. In it, he quotes Nils Smith, student minister at Trinity Baptist Church:
“It was a challenge to all Christians to think about how we interact and who we come in contact with,” Smith said. “The core of the movie is really how to begin to grasp what it means to love each other and our neighbor, just as Jesus spoke about.”
If you’re in one of the towns where the film is opening, let us know what you’re doing to get the word out. Let’s get this conversation started!
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Eight Days and Counting!
September 17, 2009
Five years in the making. A little more than a week of anticipation remaining.
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers begins its theatrical run next Friday, September 25. It will open over the course of four Fridays in cities across the country. The cities that will have it open on September 25 are:
- Atlanta
- Birmingham
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Nashville
- Portland
- San Antonio
- Seattle
Many churches are utilizing this film as well. In Everett, Washington, Northshore Christian Church has purchased all of the tickets for the 7 p.m. service on Friday. Members of the church are encouraged to buy tickets not only for themselves, but for their friends as well. Executive Pastor Rob Cizek told the church,
“This is a movie designed to start a dialog about our culture and Jesus. You have an opportunity to invite a friend to see this film in a local movie theater. This is important. It can be much easier to invite skeptical friends to a movie theater than to church. After the movie, plan to grab a bite and talk about what you have seen.”
Let us know if you live in one of these cities and what day you’ll be going to see Lord, Save Us From Your Followers! View home page.
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Going (to) Hollywood!
September 16, 2009
We’re excited about a great event coming up in Los Angeles on Monday, September 21. There is a screening of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, followed by an exciting panel discussion featuring not only Dan Merchant, but also Bill Lobdell, the author of Losing My Religion.
The other panelists are Everett Piper, the president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and Michael Levine, author of Guerilla PR. The moderator is Mark Joseph, the founder of BullyPulpit.com. In addition to Bully!Pulpit, the free event is also sponsored by LBN 6and Yozilla.com.
The screening begins at 6:30 p.m. at . You can register here.
“I’m looking forward to the conversation on Monday,” Dan says. “This tour leading up to our September 25 release date has been a blast!”
Dan has been to Nashville, Chicago, Charlotte, Austin, and is heading to San Antonio today. If you are in San Antonio, you are invited to a special screening of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers this Thursday, September 17, at TriPoint, beginning at 7 p.m. Dan will lead a Q&A session after the screening. You can register here.
What more could you ask for? You get to meet Dan, join the conversation, and see the movie for free! Who's coming?
Original Road Trip
September 11, 2009
Dan is in the midst of a couple of weeks on the road in anticipation of the opening of Lord, Save Us in theaters two weeks from today! We will hear his reflections as he travels, but for today, take a look back at a conversation he had when he was touring the country making the movie.
Cody was not the kind of cat I expected to meet in Waxahatchie, Texas. In his mid-twenties, long blond hair, loose beard, kind eyes, he was so laid back I almost fell asleep talking with him.
DAN: How did the universe begin?
CODY: Evolution. I believe in that theory. Little stuff here and there all combined to make us.
DAN: Where will you go when you die?
CODY: I do believe in reincarnation. You choose what you want to come back as or you just float forever in peace.
DAN: Name something Jesus is known for.
CODY: He died for all of us, up on that cross, getting brutalized … it was just wrong.
DAN: Name something Christians are known for.
CODY: Unyielding faith.
DAN: If Jesus came back today would He vote Republican or Democrat?
CODY: (laughs) I think He’d be peaceful too. I think He’d just groove. He’d just look around and say, “Dang it man.”
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Someone IS Watching!
September 10, 2009
I have been richly blessed (not to sound too Christian about it) to receive so many encouraging letters (remember those?!?), emails, and Facebook messages in recent days. The road to create and now, finally, to release Lord, Save Us From Your Followers has been the most difficult and rewarding adventure I’ve ever been on.
I am looking forward to the coming weeks as the film is released into theaters and entire communities will have a chance to join the conversation. I feel it’s about time we all took a breath and tried out the conversation, with people who believe like us and people who don’t, people who agree with us, and people who don’t. I have been so rewarded to enter into such conversations while boldly trusting in God’s truth and grace—and depending on the conversation, that may be your only way in and your only way out!
A recent note from a well-wisher generously shared that Lord, Save Us reminded her of Psalm 37:3. The next day I was driving to my production office thinking of this reference … and I couldn’t remember the verse! All I could come up with was, “Something, something and do good.” Dang. What was it? “Love God and do good?” No. “Praise God and do good?” No.
As I struggled to reclaim the verse from my short-term memory, my car turned the corner and came upon a church reader board. Want to guess what it read? “Psalm 37:3—Trust God and Do Good.” No, I’m not kidding. Weird, huh?
I laughed out loud, and for the umpteenth time on this journey I felt God wink at me. I wonder what He’s going to do with this movie when it hits theaters on September 25?
I guess we’ll find out together.
Senator Al Franken
September 9, 2009
Al Franken was one of the first interviews I conducted for Lord, Save Us. His willingness to sit with me to discuss the various issues was a big encouragement when the project needed some, and for that I will always be grateful. Now whether you like Al or don’t like Al, you probably don’t really know Al—even if you are familiar with his characters, his radio persona, or his biggest role to date: United States Senator. One of the big takeaways I gleaned from this interview with Al was that there is a world of difference between a sound bite and conversation.
Al Franken appeared, on time, wearing a blue oxford, navy blue jacket, khakis, and white sneakers, humming some old Johnny Cash tune. He settled into a chair opposite me in a plain conference room in the office building in Minneapolis that hosted his Air America radio program.
Al smiled, studied me for a second, “So what’s this for again?”
What’s this for? You have to love a guy who will show up for an interview just because someone asked. I explained to Al my whole “Why is the Gospel of Love Dividing America?” journey. Al nodded. I saw interest and understanding in his eyes, familiar territory to him no doubt.
DAN: I was fascinated and confused to see that a conference was held last month in Washington, D.C. called A War on Christians. What do you make of that?
AL: I suppose there is a war on Christians…in Sudan, and China and evidently Afghanistan, I mean, there is actually, but there’s not one in the United States. And it just cracks me up.
DAN: Last Christmas we heard a lot of noise about a War on Christmas, earlier today we were over at the St. Paul City Hall where the Easter Bunny was ejected.
AL: I’ve never seen anything like this. This is really silly. There’s no war on Christians. There may be Christians who think this is a Christian country, when our constitution is very, very clear.
Al explodes with laughter. Something he does quite regularly and loudly. There is something I trust about a person who is so comfortable owning such a boisterous laugh. Having myself been teased for decades about my own explosive, synapse-disrupting laughter, I find yet another thing in common with this liberal, secular Jew from the Midwest.
DAN: Religious Liberty and Christian country are two different things?
AL: They’re the actual opposite. The whole point is that there is no established religion. The government can’t establish religion. And they think that they’re not allowed to practice their faith by not doing prayers in school. You can pray silently to yourself in school and kids do I’m sure all the time before exams. But a public school can’t sanction “a prayer” because that’s been ruled to violate the establishment clause. You know, I’d be perfectly happy to have school prayer in the country if it were The Schmah.
Al laughs again, then pauses, waiting for some kind of recognition from me. Meanwhile, my brain is swimming. The Schmah? Okay, I guess I’m supposed to know this prayer, clearly a Hebrew prayer – another embarrassing example of how we Christians don’t bother to know anything about beliefs that aren’t held by us. This is particularly embarrassing considering half of our Bible is the Jewish Scriptures (more than half really, if you count pages) and, yeah, Jesus was a Jew too. A couple significant connections between Christians and Jews so forgive me if I feel a little lame I have no idea what Al Franken is talking about.
AL: You know, “Schmah Isarael adonai Elohenu, Adonai echad.”
Okay, I’m sure that was Hebrew, or wait, is it Yiddish? What’s the difference? I’m so pale. In high school I was cast in “Fiddler on the Roof”, but couldn’t do the Jewish inflection like all my friends so I was quietly ushered into a much smaller Gentile role. After a beat, Al responded to my blank stare with the English translation.
AL: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” Fine. You want prayer in school that’ll be it. But, you don’t do that.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Your Own Personal HollywoodJesus.com
September 5, 2009
One of the best pieces about Lord, Save Us From Your Followers appears on the website HollywoodJesus.com. Take the time to read Mike Furches’ post … or at least this excerpt:
“This film by Dan Merchant should be required viewing and discussion for any church. The good thing is that some churches will take up this task; the sad thing is most churches will ignore the challenge.
“One of the amazing points in showing the power of being like Jesus comes not through the mouths of the religious, but those who are outside of the institutional Church, or mainstream Christianity. It is here that, if those individual people who make up the Church choose to listen and learn, a great deal of effective work can be done. Now don’t get me wrong; one of the reasons I loved this movie is that it doesn’t ask us to do these things to make projects out of people: we do it because we love them, just as Jesus loved them.
“When Jesus says to love your enemy, to pray for those that would do you harm, where do His followers get off saying and doing the exact opposite? When we do, is it any wonder people are confused? When taking these questions, our methods, and our results seriously, is it any wonder that real followers of Jesus would say about many in Christianity, Lord, Save Us From Your Followers?”
Wow!
Three Weeks and Counting!
September 4, 2009
Five years ago, Dan Merchant took a short-term mission trip to Africa. In some ways, that journey continues … and you can join in on his adventure starting three weeks from today: September 25 when Lord, Save Us From Your Followers opens in selected theaters across the country.
“When I went to Ethiopia, I saw people living in a hut who were enjoying life much more fully than the people I knew back home,” Dan says. “These people were relying on God for everything and I’m looking at them and thinking, ‘this is so weird.’”
As he returned home, Dan began to think that perhaps the “weird” happenings were actually more prevalent in our land of plenty. Like all of us, he would hear Christians tearing down the thoughts and actions of non-believers … all in the name of Christianity.
That’s when Dan had one of those life-changing “a-ha” moments. He decided he would make a movie that would answer the question: “Why is the Gospel of love dividing America?”
The results are Lord, Save Us and you you can help us celebrate the three-week countdown by watching the trailer … and then sharing it with a friend. You can also make plans now to be in a theater showing Lord, Save Us on September 25.
It’s asking a lot, we know … but at least we’re not asking you to go to Ethiopia!
Catching Up
September 2, 2009
Catching Up
Are you new to the whole Lord, Save Us From Your Followers concept? Just finding out about this film that opens in theaters across the country on September 25? Then, welcome to the conversation.
A form of this film has been here, there, and everywhere for more than a year now. Of course, the version you will see later this month has ALL NEW CLIPS and EXCITING NEW ADVENTURES … or whatever it is marketers would say to let you know that it’s been updated to capture some of the latest news about civil discourse (or lack thereof).
Before we take you to what people are saying about the Theatrical Release Version of Lord, Save Us, we want to take you back to what early viewers said and wrote about the film.
Join the conversation by letting us know your thoughts after you read through theirs.
Sojourners, Cathleen Falsani:
(http://blog.sojo.net/2009/02/10/lord-save-us-from-your-followers-neo-apologetics-and-a-return-to-civility/)
“Perhaps the most powerfully moving scenes involve Christian volunteers who regularly set up camp in an area of Portland, Oregon, frequented by homeless folks, providing health care, washing and cutting their hair, even bathing their feet. That quiet service, unconditional love, and hands-on compassion, Merchant says, is what Christianity really is. And that’s a message that cannot be heard if it’s shouted.”
Christianity Today, Brandon Fibbs
(http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/2008/danmerchant.html)
“Merchant is ready with a quick answer for what he sees as Christianity's principal failings. With a nonchalant manner that miraculously never comes across as judgmental, Merchant zeroes in on politicians who use God to win elections, Christian organizations who bait the world and then cry foul when the world fights back, religious leaders who set themselves up to interpret global events as God's wrath, and the church's attitude toward abortion and homosexuality as its pet sins.
“Wherever he goes, Merchant runs into the same situation—non-believers who don't have a problem with Jesus, but vehemently dislike many who claim Him. For Merchant, their ability to separate faith from founder with such ease indicates a disastrous PR problem for Christianity.
“What makes the film so powerful is its intractable ability to embrace both the baby and the bathwater. This is a film made by a follower, and therein lies its unique musculature. Merchant never lets us forget the powerful words of St. Augustine: ‘The church is a whore, but she is my mother.’
“Lord Save Us From Your Followers is incisive and fair, goofily funny and deeply moving. There is no watering down of the gospel. Merchant knows sin when he sees it. He simply finds the plank in his own eye of greater importance than the mite in his neighbor’s.”
Relevant Magazine, Rebecca Cusey
http://www.lordsaveusthemovie.com/pdf/RELEVANT_Dan%20Merchant_Article.pdf
“Using interviews, humor, and man-on-the-street conversations, the film attempts to move away from the ‘us vs. them’ mentality that Merchant feels has tainted the Christian message. … ‘Christians who actually give of themselves on a daily basis—it’s a tiny fraction,’ he says.”
Bill Maher Plagiarizes; Dan Merchant Does Too!
September 1, 2009
This is the United States of America and our Founding Fathers were smart guys, they knew with the kind of freedom America was to have there would be disagreements and so John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest put safeguards in place.
So the Founding Fathers created a venue in which two opposing sides could work out their points of view in full view of the population; that’s right, I’m talking about the bumper sticker. Okay, my history might be a little off, but this “Fundamentalist versus Secular” struggle has been going on for a while. Bill Maher, comedian, host of HBO’s “Real Time” and noted anti-Christian liberal monster once commented that he was only the latest in a long line of people who believe organized religion is a mass-psychosis.
Bill’s right, not necessarily about the psychosis part, but he IS just the latest, this modern era of Christian mistrust of media and public discourse dates back to the summer of 1925 and the famous tongue lashing that columnist H.L. Mencken gave to Fundamentalist Christians as he covered the Scopes Monkey Trial.
Mencken wrote in the Baltimore Evening Sun in July 27, 1925: “The way to deal with superstition is not to be polite to it, but to tackle it with all arms, and so rout it, cripple it, and make it forever infamous and ridiculous. Is it, perchance, cherished by persons who should know better? Then their folly should be brought out into the light of day, and exhibited there in all its hideousness until they flee from it, hiding their heads in shame.”
Oh yeah, H.L., if you’re so smart why don’t you have a real first name? Huh?
Mencken churned out article after article and not all of it is as charitable. This gives you some idea of the genesis of “Liberal Media Elite.” No wonder believers chose to keep faith a more private matter. But in recent years, as expressions of faith in political life were warmly received by many, Christians in America began to step back into the public discourse … albeit with baby steps.
But stepping back into the conversation without losing sight of our true calling is the trick. Bill Maher has created an engaging persona and a successful career plagiarizing H.L. Mencken. But my job isn’t to try and be as smart as Bill and H.L.; it’s to plagiarize Jesus … and trust that God’s truth and grace will do the rest.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Bono Leads the Conversation …
August 29, 2009
We wanted to point you to a great blog post at US News and World Report. Guest blogger Bill Hybels, the pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, touches on some highlights from his recent interview with U2’s Bono that was part of this month’s Willow Creek Leadership Summit.
Take a look at what Bill writes:
“The evangelical church has taken a lot of justifiable heat in recent years for being vocal about the things we hate while staying silent about some of the most pressing needs in our world. There are times when I believe the church should be the conscience of our culture, but to Bono’s point, a reframing must occur, one where the divisiveness that once defined us as people of faith gets edged out by a unity around great societal causes. And what has to unite us in this day and age is the fight against poverty and disease. Faith leaders the world over expected this day would come. What we didn’t expect was that it would take an Irish rock star to demand the dawn.”
You can read the full blog post here.
The Conversation Continues …
August 27, 2009
In part 2 of an excerpt from Dan Merchant’s book, he looks at the divisiveness in our rhetoric. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this and all of our posts. Be sure to go to LordSaveUs.wordpress.com to join in the conversation.
To me, the division of America, this separateness, isn’t getting any of us anywhere. And both sides are making the same mistake: they think the so-called culture war is a winnable war. Some think, eventually, one side will win out over the other. I don’t see it that way.
I’m concerned that calling it a culture war presumes a few things, like, if it’s a war there is an enemy. This kind of adversarial posture serves to further entrench us in our own positions. The sad fact is our country is polarized because we like it that way. It so much simpler to pretend the world is black and white. An “us versus them” attitude is just simpler than critical self-reflection and allows us to blame the Other.
It’s funny because I see bumper stickers as a symptom of the disease. A bumper sticker is, quite possibly the weakest, most strident form of communication possible – because of its one-way nature. In this information age, communication styles are more influential than ever. I’ve identified four primary ways that have, seemingly, become the accepted ways we communicate our ideas, both through the media and in person.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Tweeting Excerpts from the book
August 27, 2009
You know you’ve hit the big-time when someone retweets you. So imagine how big it is to have someone using an excerpt from your book! Of course, that might lose a bit of its impact when it is your own blog excerpting your own book!
The thing about the bumper-sticker suit that stops people is the dichotomy on parade. Most nut jobs on the street who are wearing a ridiculous get up like this only display their own point of view. It becomes clear to any onlooker, “This guy is just going to shove his idea of the world down my throat and I don’t need it.” That wasn’t going to work for me,
I wanted the bumper-sticker suit to mirror the debate we’re having in our country. The suit is an invitation of sorts to anybody who wants to have a conversation. That’s why I went out of my way to represent as many points of view as possible with the bumper stickers and emblems. You can see people trying to reconcile why there is a Jesus Fish positioned next to the Darwin Fish, a “Real Men Pray” sat next to “Free Jesus”, “Where’s My Church, Dude?” contrasted with “Vote Pro-Life” and so on. All the assumptions go out the window, “Hey, whose side is this guy on anyway?” I hoped this playful complication would signal to people that I was “open”, I was willing to listen and my main priority was to jump-start a dialogue in this country.
In a way, the Bumper-sticker Man suit is my twist on the time-honored tradition of the believer on the street corner with the sandwich board. You know the classics, “Repent or Burn”, “Repent Sinner”, “Jesus Loves You” and even the more friendly “John 3:16”, but somehow, over the years this one-way, one-sided approach failed to foster engagement and mostly just alienated the folks they most wanted to connect with. That approach always seemed like: “I have the answer and you don’t. Come over here and I’ll tell you why you’re screwed up.” Even if we do have the answer do you think anyone is going to listen to that?
And as a believer, a Christian, a guy who loves Jesus, these street preachers would offend me because they assumed I needed them to lecture me, to save me. They never asked where I was coming from and it didn’t seem as though they cared. Well, I want to know why the Gospel of Love is dividing America and if I’m going to find the answer I’ll have to do more listening than talking … but first I have to get people to talk.
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers
Dan Merchant ... Cultural Diplomat
August 22, 2009
Dan Merchant.
You know him as the bumper-sticker-clad, jumpsuit-wearing host and director of the new documentary film Lord, Save Us From Your Followers—which opens in select theaters beginning September 25.
What you may not know is that Dan is much more than that. Yes, Dan Merchant is a Cultural Diplomat. In fact, he is the inaugural Cultural Diplomat, according to this story.
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2009/s09080102.htm
The story quotes CeaseFireStrategies’ founder Eric Bumpus, who recently announced that Dan was selected for this honor by a panel of judges.
“CeaseFireStrategies wishes to congratulate Dan Merchant, for his film 'Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, as the inaugural recipient of the Cultural Diplomat award for 2008,” Bumpus said. “As the film continues to gain ground and find success (including a theatrical release starting September 25), CFS is honored to present Dan with this award.”
Bumpus added: “Seeking to find the answer to the question, ‘Why is the Gospel of love dividing America?’ will be a defining moment for the direction of US culture and an issue that CFS is proud to recognize as ‘Diplomacy in action’.”
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New and Improved Final Cut
August 21, 2009
Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is finally coming to the big screen at selected theaters beginning September 25. That’s great news for the majority of you that have not yet seen this film.
But what about those of you who have already been to an advanced screening, a college or church event, or perhaps received this movie from a loved one? Are you thinking, been there, seen that?
Well, let me spill the beans on what you’ll see new based on the tweaks in the new theatrical edition of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. First off, the film will be projected in 35mm. Yep, just like a real movie. Hah!
I’ve also made a few judicial edits in the God and Politics section to include the election of President Barack Obama, and to place President George W. Bush’s contributions to the conversation in an historical context.
There is also the addition of a bonus interview featuring Wm. Paul Young, the author of the runaway bestselling book, The Shack. That interview weaves its way into the fabric of the movie in a couple of spots—but it feels like he’s been there all along.
We have added a new graphics bit that pays homage to the ongoing struggle to get along with each other. This features updates on Pastor Rick Warren, President Obama, Miss California, and Al Franken. There are also a few new little bits and jokes that you may or may not pick up on, but I will be laughing at because they’re HILARIOUS (he said humbly).
Musically, we’ve added a snippet of a wonderful song by Nashville artist Evie Nicole called “The Pope Song.” This is featured, you guessed it, during the segment on Pope John Paul II. Also, I’m thrilled to announce we’ve secured use of the new single by EMI-CMG artist SAMM, “We Are All the Same,” for the end credit music.
We will be posting that music video on our website and on YouTube and Tangle in the coming days. We’ll keep you updated here and on Twitter.
Speaking of which, be sure to follow the movie at twitter.com/LordSaveUs. It’s a great tool for keeping the conversation going …
Lord, Save Us ... Coming to Theaters!
August 20, 2009
With the brand-spanking-new 35mm theatrical cut of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers debuting in theaters on September 25, it’s time to get blogging!
I'm really excited that the film will finally be released nationally and that EVERYONE can enjoy the film in a comfortable, neutral setting and on a BIG SCREEN. As a filmmaker, I totally love how the movie looks on a big screen. Also, there is nothing like watching Lord, Save Us with an audience.
Over the past year I've had the chance to watch the film in theaters at film festivals, with a very diverse crowd, and it has been so eye opening and affirming. To have Christians and atheists, gays and straights, young and old, Catholics and Lutherans, Quakers and Southern Baptists all watching the movie together, laughing and crying in all the same places! What? Impossible you say? Perhaps we have more in common that we've been willing to let on. And when the lights come up, the conversations have been positive, open, and thrilling. God is doing something through this movie and I am humbled to be a part of this wild ride.
So I look forward to seeing you out at theaters. Even if you've seen an earlier version of the film, you’ll definitely want to see the updated version (details in my next post). Grab a friend and take them to the movies. It doesn’t matter what church you go to … or if you don’t go to church. Same with your friend.
If Lord, Save Us is playing near you, I hope you will stop in … and join The Conversation.
INTO THE GOOGLE-WEB I GO!
January 26, 2009
I have to tell you it is a surreal experience to stumble around the Internet and discover thoughtful words of kindness or abrupt words of anger describing the creative work that has consumed my last four years. Of course, I enjoy and much prefer the kind words of understanding, agreement and considerate challenge. The journey of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers became much more than the creation of a film project or the writing of a book. The road became one where many of my beliefs were challenged or more accurately, my own lack of concrete belief in, well, uh, my beliefs was exposed. Now expressing that to the world wasn’t as hard as I thought – there is a simplicity to forging ahead, telling the truth, admitting you don’t know everything and trusting in this Grace and Truth I say I follow. The freedom that comes from surrender is, in fact, exhilarating.
As you can probably imagine, the writing of a book and the editing of a film is a fairly solitary endeavor. The publisher and book editor may have or thought or two, and the editing of the film is pretty much two guys in a dark room staring at the flickering screen. The point is I really wasn’t sure what kind of a reception Lord, Save Us From Your Followers would have. The former Clash t-shirt wearing punk rock fan in me is very comfortable with provoking thought. But the big hearted Jesus lover in me wanted the byproduct of that provocation to be positive. I’m so tired of all the bomb throwers trying to be right all the time that I just want to curl up on the sidewalk. In this case, my version of curling up on the sidewalk meant directing a feature documentary film and writing a book, but you understand the sentiment.
As an analog based creative person who still swears that his Exile on Main Street sounds better on vinyl than it does on his iPod, I’ve been fascinated by the interconnection of commentators and pundits on the web. The random comments and reviews have been a cyber affirmation of the reactions that I’ve been finding as I travel around the country screening Lord, Save Us From Your Followers at churches, colleges and in theaters. Of course, on the web I can’t see the tears in the eyes of people who have been deeply moved by the film, but the Internet commentators are adept at sharing in their own way. I’ve also been surprised that despite the cloak of anonymity the ratio of positive to negative comments is just about the same as it is at any venue I’ve screen the film – which seems to be about 85%-15% positive. Most people seem to appreciate the opportunity to consider why they believe what they believe and most people, after having seen the film or read the book, clearly understand where we’re coming from. Hah. But I suppose you’d have to be me to truly appreciate what the understanding and affirmation of our effort means. There were times when I was up alone late at night typing or when Jim and I were crafting a scene in the edit bay where I wondered if I was the only person who felt this way. Was I only the one asking these questions? Was I the only one who thought maybe, just maybe, we could step it up a notch so that when people thought of Christians they’d also think of Jesus? Turns out, I’m not the only one. Duh. I know, but I truly didn’t expect to feel like the persona Sting adopts in The Police classic “Message In A Bottle”. Remember, he throws his desperate S.O.S. out to sea and “a hundred million bottles” wash up on the beach on his lonely island. Corny? Yeah, but it feels good.
In recent days, these two random posts gave me great encouragement: http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/recommendation-and-review-lord-save-us-from-your-followers which devoted 800 or so thoughtful words to examining the movie and http://corrienteministries.org/blog/2008/06/27/movie-review-lord-save-us-from-your-followers/ which commented on both the book and movie, apparently last summer sometime. I was encouraged by the twenty or so follow up comments on the Internet Monk post because I could read for myself the positive conversation the mere discussion of Lord, Save Us… had provoked. In making this film the goal wasn’t to create the greatest documentary in the history of cinema (happy coincidence I guess – THAT’S A JOKE!), it was to spark a healthy, robust conversation that leads to action and change outside the church, inside the church, inside my heart, heck, anywhere that needs changing.
So thanks to all for contributing to the conversation and I’ll look forward continuing to expand this conversation in our own little way as Lord, Save Us From Your Followers finally gets a wider release this Spring and Summer.
2009 Beliefnet Film Awards
February 17, 2009
2009 BELIEFNET FILM AWARDSMaking an independent film is not for lightweights. The road is lonely, treacherous, unforgiving and long baby, long. With a film like Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, we are operating in an odd no-man’s land between the left and right, the blue and red, the church and Hollywood – of course it’s a place where most of us live, work and breathe but it’s not a place easily marketed to. The journey to find the proper distributor has been full of ups and downs. As an executive at Sony Entertainment once remarked, “This is what you get for doing something original, Dan.” And while we are hopeful we’ll be announcing something exciting soon, it’s the affirmation from audiences that has kept us going this far. From our theatrical tests, media reviews, feedback from college and church screenings to comments sent in to the website or on Facebook, the response to the work and the openness to the conversation have been a daily reminder that this is the mission I am supposed to be on. So thanks everybody.
One recent boost was the news that Beliefnet.com has nominated Lord, Save Us From Your Followers for Best Spiritual Documentary as part of the 2009 Beliefnet Film Awards. The voting just closed last night, but here are the details to this honor. I am thrilled and humbled to be included among Oscar nominated work and Bono in 3D.
Nominees: Best Spiritual Documentary
View the Best Spiritual Documentary awards given by BeliefNet.com
“U23D”
“Trouble the Water”
“Lord Save Us From Your Followers”
“Waltz With Bashir”
“At the Death House Door”
For the fourth year in a row, the Beliefnet Film Awards will recognize the films and filmmakers whose highest quality work reflects the most significant spiritual and inspirational themes in entertainment today—allowing Beliefnet viewers to acknowledge the most inspiring spiritual films and performances of the past year. Nominees are chosen in two categories, the People’s Award―given to the film receiving the most votes from visitors to the site, and the Judge’s Award, based on quality and spiritual impact of the films, performances, and documentaries of the year, as determined by Beliefnet editors and a panel of judges.
Please find links below where you can watch clips and vote for Best Spiritual Film, Best Spiritual Performance, and Best Spiritual Documentary. Voting begins Friday, February 6th and ends Monday, February 16th. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, February 18th for both the People’s Award and the Judge’s Award.
UPDATE – Beliefnet Film Awards
February 2, 2009
Beliefnet.com announced the winners of the 2009 Beliefnet Film Awards and Lord, Save Us From Your Followers swept the documentary category winning both the Judge’s Award for Best Spiritual Documentary of 2008 and the People’s Award over Oscar nominated competition like Waltz with Bashir, Trouble the Water, U2’s “greatest concert film ever made…ever” U23D and the powerful At the Death House Door. It is an honor to be recognized alongside such compelling and excellent work and to crush them in head to head competition is even better (THAT’S A JOKE PEOPLE, RELAX).
Beliefnet.com is also running a feature called “Recovering the Gospel of Love” with an interview with me conducted last summer.
View BeliefNet.com's interview with Dan Merchant.
Bumpersticker Man visits the Crystal Cathedral
February 28, 2009
In late January I had the pleasure of appearing with Dr. Robert Schuller Sr. at Sunday service at the Crystal Cathedral. It was affirming to be received by a figure whose “God loves you and so do I” sign off had been a part of my Christian TV watching household since I was a kid. That line was one of the few things I saw on religious TV that made sense to me on some level. So it was an affirmation of sorts to show up in my Bumpersticker Man suit and find that Dr. Schuller, now 83, completely understood what I was trying to accomplish with Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. My appearance on The Hour of Power is paired with a sermon from Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church and begins airing nationally tonight, February 28 and runs throughout the week on TBN and Lifetime cable.
Or, visit:http://www.crystalcathedral.org/hour_of_power
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Recommendations
March 3, 2009
Hey All,Wanted to let you know about a few new books/movies to keep your eyes peel for.
Angry Conversations with God by Susan Isaacs is a sharply written, funny confessional of a book by a talented creative woman trying to come to terms with her relationship with God…by taking Him to couples counseling. Cleverness aside, the book stands on terrific writing, valid questions and Susan’s willingness to bare her soul.
Churched by Matthew Paul Turner is a spot on memoir about growing up in a fundamentalist church from the point of view of a young boy seeking God, despite all the “church” in his way. Turner’s warm and yet direct storytelling style offers meaningful revelations and many knowing laughs.
Train Master is a sweet children’s adventure film directed by fellow Portlander and all-round nice guy Phil Bransom.
Here’s the Amazon link to Train Master. You get a nice discount.
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