Where the Wild Things Aren’t by Russell D. Moore
Posted on Oct 19, 2009
The following article is by Russell D. Moore and is being reposted from his website, Moore to the Point.
“This past Saturday I took my three oldest sons to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are. Some Christians are all exercised about the fact that the movie might be too frightening for children. They’re wrong. The movie is not a great one, but that’s not the reason why.As a matter of fact, Where the Wild Things Are fails because it’s not scary enough for your kids.
And there’s something there Chrisians can learn about children, horror, and the gospel.
From the time my sons were babies I’ve read to them the Maurice Sendack classic picture book. They love it, and so do I. They’d sit attentively through Goodnight Moon, but they’d squeal “Let the wild rumpus start!” whenever we’d journey with Max to the place of the wild things.
Children, it turns out, aren’t as naive about evil as we assume they are. Children of every culture, and in every place, seem to have a built-in craving for monsters and dragons and “wild things.” The Maurice Sendak book appeals to kids because it tells them something about what they intuitively know is true. The world around them is scary. There’s a wildness out there. The Sendak book shows the terror of a little boy who is frightened by his own lack of self-control, and who conquers it through self-control, by becoming king of all the wild things.
The Sendak book, with its muted words but fantastic drawings, achieves this sense of wonder and wildness. The movie doesn’t. That’s because the movie tames the wild things too much. It’s not that they’re too scary for children. It’s that they’re not believable as scary. The dialogue sounds like it was lifted from an old episode of Thirtysomething, as the beasts talk through their psychodramas and jealousies and interpersonal offenses with one another. Kids will be entertained because the special effects are good. But they won’t “get it” deep inside like they do the book.
I’m amazed though by the way some Christians react to things like this. They furrow their brow because the Max character screams at this mother, and bites her, even though this is hardly glorified in the movie. They wag their heads at how “dark” the idea of this wild world is. Of course it is “dark.” The universe is dark; that’s why we need the Light of Galilee.
Where the Wild Things Are isn’t going to be a classic movie the way it is a classic book. But the Christian discomfort with wildness will be with us for a while. And it’s the reason too many of our children find Maurice Sendak more realistic than Sunday school.
Too many of our Bible study curricula for children declaw the Bible, excising all the snakes and dragons and wildness. We reduce the Bible to a set of ethical guidelines and a text on how gentle and kind Jesus is. The problem is, our kids know there are monsters out there. God put that awareness in them. They’re looking for as sheep-herding dragon-slayer, the One who can put all the wild things under His feet.
Your kids might be bored by the Wild Things movie. They won’t be bored by the Wild Things book. It’s their story, and mine. But read them the story of Max and his monsters, and then show them the Story they were knit together to love.
And let the wild rumpus start.”
ten ways parents contribute to the corruption of their children
Posted on Apr 28, 2008
Throughout youth ministry, I have talked to many, many students who seem to have a rough relationship with their parents. For anyone with teenagers, they would probably say that it is one of the roughest times in that child’s growth and development. Many of the issues can be prevented if parents begin early addressing issues by dealing not simply with actions, but addressing the problems of the heart.My wife and I have received a great deal of instruction and encouragement in this area through books by Ginger Plowman, founder of Preparing the Way Ministries, who has written such books as Heaven at Home and Don’t Make Me Count to Three: A Mom’s Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline.
However, there are certain things that parents need to be disciplined in as well. Moms and dads need to hold each other accountable in order to avoid contributing to their child’s own inherent sinfulness. Therefore, I have compiled a list of things entitled “Ten Ways Parents Contribute to the Corruption of the Children”. Parents are always the greatest influence on the life of their child, whether for the good or for the bad. So, we need to avoid these things and take the positive side as exhortation to the good we should be doing with our kids. Additionally, they are all equally important, so they are in no particular order.
[ten ways parents contribute to the corruption of their children]
- Don’t have fun with them
- Don’t pray for them everyday
- Be their biggest critic without being their biggest fan
- Don’t be honest about your weaknesses and try to hide your sin
- Talk negatively about the church in front of them
- Allow them unlimited and unfiltered access to media (TV, internet, movies, music)
- Don’t be their spiritual leader
- Be inconsistent in discipline
- Major on the minors and minor on the majors
- Compartmentalize your Christianity
If you want your children to grow up without a concern for their own sin and immerse themselves in all kinds of pain and depravity then do these things. However, if you want your kids to have an accurate picture of God because of your example and leadership, guard your life against these snares.
family-driven faith
Posted on Apr 28, 2008
On Sunday night, I preached a sermon about God’s purpose for the family and explained the work that God has been doing in me to redefine my calling and refocus me on my purpose in ministry. I am grateful for the influences that He has been exposing me to, so I thought that I would share one of the most significant messages that I have listened to as God has shaped me in this area. It is by a man named Voddie Baucham, a phenomenal preacher and teacher, who has developed a ministry called “Family Driven Faith”. He has a distinct way of communicating truth and is a wonderful man of God, father, and husband.
To go to Voddie’s website and listen or download the message, click here.
mAdditionally, here are a few short videos that Voddie has recorded on YouTube, talking about this redefinition of youth ministry and the blessing and purpose of “Family-Driven Faith”. The following YouTube playlist has nine videos for your enjoyment and understanding of this vision for youth ministry. I highly recommend starting with the video entitled “The Value of the Family.” Stick around and watch all of them. They are each only a minute or two long, so enjoy!