In the Broken Bread

Communion-lg
Originally uploaded by Gregg Brekke.

This week marked the end of Nexus Church's book study on "The Heart of Christianity" by Marcus Borg. Our loyal group of five participants discovered a lot of wonderful things about the person of Jesus, how we as 'progressives' fit in the world, and our need to continue on as a prophetic and grace-filled voice of Christianity to a world struck by fear.

Two participants were unable to make this final night so Warren and Judy Waldron and I met at Panera Bread.  We arrived sort of late in the evening and as I paid for coffee and treats the clerk asked if I wanted a free baguette.  They were clearing the shelves for the evening so I said sure and took it to our table.

In our closing devotion we were asked to consider the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  When Jesus broke bread their eyes were opened and they knew who he was.  In hospitality and unfettered grace Jesus was fully revealed...

Looking at one another we concluded that breaking the baguette and sharing it among us would be the last sacramental act of our group.  In the near silence of the closed Panera Bread store we broke bread and each felt the presence of Jesus with us - looking toward the new ways we would see Jesus in the world and be amazed by how he was there with us all along.

Cidade de Deus / City of God (2002)

Wow. We watched City of God last night - what an amazing film.

Based on true events around the fight for gang control in a Rio de Janeiro slum it is visually stunning and almost too brutally honest in places.

This film is an unvarnished look at the struggle for power, possession, and respect that is all too common in areas with limited economic opportunity. Especially telling is how one of the lead gangsters, Lil' Ze, masks his insecurities with bloodlust. The lives of the gangs revolve around the main character, Rocket, and his escape from the gang culture to his emergence as a photojournalist.

City of God is subtitled and the dialog is fast. Needless to say it isn't a "sit and read email at the same time" sort of movie. The movie deserves its "R" rating while often shielding viewers from full visual reality in its portrayal of violence and sexuality. (A+++ for cinematography!)

Video Gamer

A Danish company named Serious Games contacted me yesterday about using two images from my Border Lives photo documentary in a game that is still in development.

Look for Invasion Living and Rough Shack to grace the landscapes in Serious' upcoming release of Global Conflicts: Latin America.

Pretty cool. These images were taken in February 2006 and have only recently begun to be purchased/published so I guess staying in the game long enough is part of this photo documentary deal...

See the below post regarding the documentary Beyond Borders which also features lots of images from this project.

Beyond Borders Documentary!

Good friend and soon-to-be-ordained Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) pastor Rebecca Bowman Woods has just released her documentary on ministry and policy in the US/Mexico border region.

Rebecca is also the news and website editor for DisciplesWorld magazine - a talentent journalist to say the least...

I was proud to be a project advisor as Rebecca completed this documentary during her final year at seminary. There are also quite a few pictures taken by yours truly inserted as b-roll in this film.

It is a very different view of the border and immigration - told by those who work most closely with and are affected by this human traffic.

The video is well worth the $12.95 Amazon is charging. Challenge yourself, your family, your small group, or your church and get this documentary...

Order from Amazon!