Three years ago at my ordination I received a tremendous gift. My grandpa’s wife, Sue, gave me a blue book called A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants. It’s a wonderful devotion with prayers, scripture and readings from different Christian authors. The book is very dear to me as my ordination was the last time I saw Sue alive. She had been ill but made the trip from San Diego for my ordination and to give me her book.
I use the book every morning during my time with God. I appreciate the structure that it gives me in my devotions. My favorite part about the book, though, is the different readings. This week I was particularly taken aback by this quote from A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie.
“Leave me not, O gracious Presence, in such hours as I may today devote to the reading of books or of newspapers. Guide my mind to choose the right books and, having chosen them, to read them in the right way. When I read for profit, grant that all I read may lead me nearer to thyself. When I read for recreation, grant that what I read may not lead me away from thee. Let all my reading so refresh my mind that I may the more eagerly seek after whatsoever things are pure and fair and true.”
Baillie wrote A Diary of Private Prayer in 1936, a time when books and newspapers were the main form of entertainment along with the radio. Instead of waking up and checking Twitter, people would read the newspaper. Instead of binge-watching Jessica Jones at night, people would spend their evenings reading a book. Baillie looked at the entertainment options available to him and asked that God would be present in the midst of them.
I have never once asked that God would fill my Netflix with his presence or bless my video game playing.
When applied to books, Baillie’s words don’t seem that revolutionary. Reading a book takes plenty of commitment and, when I read something, I want it to be worthwhile. If I read a book for profit, I definitely want it to get me closer to God. When I read a book for entertainment, I want it to offer themes that make me think about my life with God.
Applying those same principles to our most popular forms of entertainment, though, seems ridiculous.
A movie is a movie, that’s all it is. Why would I ask God on the way to the theater to reveal himself to me through a movie?
What if I did ask God to keep my TV shows from leading me further from him? At some point would I be convicted to stop watching certain shows because they were keeping me from him?
We spend so much of our lives digesting various forms of media and entertainment, something of which I am a big fan. I love watching movies, reading comics and playing video games. But if a large portion of our lives is devoted to those practices, then shouldn’t we at least think about inviting God into the midst of them?
Inviting God into our media may not have a huge impact on our lives. If we’re already trying to follow Jesus then there’s a good chance we’re not watching a lot of late-night Cinemax. However, it can never hurt to find more of God in our shows, movies and books. He’s always reaching out to us and the best stories reflect his story.
I don’t think we need to have a devotion and moment of silence before firing up Netflix or Hulu, but being mindful of God’s presence could add a little something extra to our Netflix and chill (actual chill, not hooking up chill).
What do you think Jesus has to do with you entertainment choices?
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