White Christmas, Holiday Inn & Irving Berlin

Saw White Christmas again for the upteenth time. This time, I noticed that not only was the song White Christmas written by Irving Berlin, but all the songs in the movie were written by him. Impressive. I also saw or heard a note that the song originally appeared in Holiday Inn, filmed about 10 years earlier - most notable for the songs in it, especially the introduction of White Christmas, which had a profound impact on the troops serving abroad and mostly not at home during Christmas in the war years. So I also took the time to watch Holiday Inn, and again noticed Irving Berlin wrote all the music. So though I had heard about Irving Berlin, I decided to look some more into him.

Turns out Irving Berlin (Israel Baline), a Jewish immigrant from Russia, is considered one of the greatest songwriters in America. Amoung the many songs he wrote include Blue Skies, Putting On The Ritz, Easter Parade, God Bless America, Annie Get Your Gun, This Is The Army, and many others. He wrote between 1250 and 1500 songs, 25 of which became number one hits. His songs appear in 15 films. Irving Berlin's creative contribution to our culture probably affects us more than we know, and makes up a part of Americana enmeshed in our subconscious. I intend to take the time to listen to more of his music, and I hope you will as well, even if he might seem to be somewhat of an old hat to some these days.

Seal Soul

I recently listened to an album (CD) by Seal simply titled Soul. In it, he covers 12 classic soul songs in an outstanding manner. I really enjoyed it. I came across it because I was looking through my local online library catalog for artists who covered Peopel Get Ready, since I recently saw the Original Kingdom Travelers perform a great rendition of it at the First Presbyterian Church in Petaluma.

The tracks are:

1. A Change is Going to Come

2. I Can't Stand the Rain

3. It's a Man's Man's Man's World

4. Here I Am (Come and Take Me)

5. I've Been Loving You Too Long

6. It's All Right

7. If You Don't Know Me By Now

8. Knock On Wood

9. I'm Still In Love With You

10. Free

11. Stand By Me

12. People Get Ready

Return to Rome - Beckwith

I finished reading "Return to Rome: Confessions of an Evangelical Catholic." It tells the story of the President of the Evangelical Theological Society who resigned when he decided to return to a full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Francis Beckwith initially planned to wait till he finished his term as President of the ETS. However, his plan got a kick in the pants when his nephew asked Francis to become his sponsor for his confirmation. In order to be a sponsor, Francis had to be a full Catholic, which he understood to mean in his case, he had to return to full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, which he had been contemplating for a while, but which he speeded because of his nephew's request.

Beckwith, a professor at Baylor, grew up a Catholic, but left in his teens. He relates in the book how he became an evangelical in his later teens, with many ties to Maranatha ministries, but also eventually attending attending Fordham, a Jesuit college where he received a doctorate. He later taught at Whittier College and Trinity International University before settling at Baylor.

Beckwith relates how many of his evangelical friends think he became a traitor, though some remain friends. I am an evangelical who doesn't think he is a traitor. I think of Catholicism as a branch of Christianity, much as Walter Martin did. Though many pressured him, as an expert on cults, he refused to declare Roman Catholicism as a cult. Though there are differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestants (including non-denominational churches who are usually Protestant, though they claim to be neutral), I tend to think they have much more in agreement than they disagree, especially since they agree on all points in Nicene Creed, which I have touched on before in this blog.

I was baptized a Roman Catholic in infancy, took First Communion, was confirmed, and participated as an alter boy, before departing as a Catholic in my early teens. I was saved as an evangelical in my late teens, so there is much I can relate to in Beckwith's story. Though I initially tended to reject my Catholic heritage for some time, I am reconnecting with it in my later life, and tending to find the differences are not as great as I once thought, especially in light of the Joint Declaration on Justification, and some of the documents issued by Evangelicals and Catholics Together. I do not mean to minimize the differences that still exist, but to put them in their context.

First of all, I am Christian, regardless of the denominational differences. I would rather focus on the similarities and unities, especially on the basis of something like the Nicene Creed, rather than focus on what I consider the minor differences, relative to all to what all the branches agree on in something like the Nicene Creed. I do not agree with everything in Beckwith's book, which I might describe in another post in this blog.

However, I hope to do what I can in my brief life to promote a Historic Christianity that brings unity to Body of Christ based on an orthodox faith based on doctrines expressed in the Apostolic and Nicene Creed based on the teachings of Jesus, the apostles, and the Church Fathers.

The Bridge Over the River Kwai

I recently finished reading The Bridge Over the River Kwai by Piere Boulle. I decided to read the book because I have enjoyed the film by the same name directed by David Lean. I usually read the book that forms the basis for a film after watching the film. I find when I read the book first, and then watch the film, I am usually disappointed. However, if I see the film first, and then read the book, with all the extra details, I enjoy that much better.

Part of the enjoyment is to see how the film differs from the book. I don't think a filmaker has to slavishly follow a book. They are two different mediums. What works well in a book sometimes doesn't work that well in a film. In addition, as an artist, the filmaker has the freedom to make his own choices.

So, for example, one major difference between the book and film - in the book, the bridge was not blown up. The screenwriters and David Lean felt this wouldn't work as well on film, so they decided to have the bridge blown up spectaularly.

Another example - in the book, Shears is British and the leader of the commando group (No. 1). In the film, Shears is an American (played by William Holden), and is not in charge of the group, except briefly while Warden is too injured to command. Probably the filmmakers needed a well-known American actor to guarantee box office success, and so a part was rewritten for an American role. The role was enhanced by having Shears escape from Kwai prison camp, which never happened in the book.

Some get mad that the filmaker has deviated from the book. However, Boule deviated from history in order to write a good fiction book, though some history underlies the story. The Japanese did build a death railway through Burma. Of the Western prisoner of war who worked on it, most were French, including Boule himself for a time until he escaped. Nicholson and the other officers at the camp were mostly drawn from French officers Boule knew. The conditions of those who worked on the railway were much worse than depicted in the book or the film.

A bridge was built over the River Mae Klong, not the River Kwai. (This was an honest mistake by Boule.) After the film, many tourists came to Thailand looking for the bridge over the River Kwai. To fix the problem, the Thai government renamed the Mae Klong River so the tourists could find the Bridge over the River Kwai (though it is called the River Kwae).

Nicene Creed - Part 3

The third part of the Nicene Creed deals with the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Nicene Council of 325 did not include this section which was added by the Council at Constantinople in 381, which also modified the rest of the original creed as set forth at Nicene in 325. Therefore, the complete Nicene Creed is sometimes called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. (There was also a small addition in the 6th Century, which I will discuss in a later post.) As in the first part, and the second part, I have broken down the Creed line by line, and placed a one or two word summary next to it of the doctrine that line expounds on.

THE NICENE CREED - Part 3 - Pneumatology

WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE LORD, THE GIVER OF LIFE - Trinity - The Holy Spirit

WHO PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON - Double Procession

WHO WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON IS WORSHIPPED AND GLORIFIED - Worship of the Holy Spirit as God

WHO HAS SPOKEN THROUGH THE HOLY PROPHETS - Inspiration of Scripture

WE BELIEVE IN ONE HOLY CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH - The Universal Church - Apostolic Teaching (Ecclesiology)

WE ACKNOWLEDGE ONE BAPTISM FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS - Efficacy of Baptism - Sins Forgiven

WE LOOK FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD - Resurrection of the Dead (Eschatology)

AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME - The New Heavens and Earth

Again, in a few short statements, the Nicene Creed sets forth the essential nature and work of the Holy Spirit, and includes a few brief statements about the Church and the end times, which all orthodox churces affirm.

Back to Part 2.

Start at Part 1.