Modern Family - Season 6, Episode 8 ("Three Turkeys")

Episode Summary: Thanksgiving, Modern Family-style.

This will be brief because I only want to point out that this episode was very funny. Laugh-out-loud (literally) funny. So funny you talk about it with coworkers the next day. So funny you re-watch it several days later. (At least, it was for me.)

This is in contrast to an illustration used by Alistair Begg in his sermon on James 1:22-25 ("Do What It Says!", Part 1 of 2)... are we meditating on God's Word this way--talking about it, revisiting it, letting it be our source of joy?

[Photo Credit: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt4106068/?ref_=m_ttep_ep_ep8]

MasterChef Junior - Season 2, Episode 1 ("The Next Generation")

Episode Summary: In the second season premiere, 16 junior chefs are tasked to prepare dishes featuring the season 1 winner's favorite ingredients. The winner selects the proteins used in elimination round before 12 contestants are chosen to advance.

How many wonderful things can I say about "MasterChef Junior"?

This show reminds me of a lot of good things in life for which I can be thankful...

...Thank You, God, for blessing us with gifts and talents.

I will never be accused of being a chef--master, or otherwise.  I am top-notch at using a microwave and rolling through a drive-thru, but I am not a chef.  Even still, there are many other gifts and talents I have been given in Christ and I pray that I use them to further His kingdom on earth.

...Thank You, God, for friends who walk beside us.

In the season two premiere, Isabella (11) has a problem when she serves under-cooked chicken to the judges.  (Hint, hint: Salmonella does not impress the judges.)  All of the other Junior Chefs surround Isabella, sympathizing with her in her hard time and encouraging her.  The youngest contestant, Abby (8), tells Isabella that she needs to follow her dad's cooking advice: always have fun.  I pray that I can be a friend who share's Christ's love and the comfort of the Spirit to my neighbors.

...Thank You, God, for hope.

When Abby presented her dish to the judges, Joe Bastianich tells her that she may be the youngest contestant participating in Season 2, but she has a lot of potential.  Even though many of us (honestly, it's probably all of us) reading this are well beyond eight years old, we still have potential -- our journey of sanctification is a progressive development toward Christ-likeness in the strength of the Spirit.  We may get discouraged by our lack of progress, but we always have the hope of glorification.

...Thank You, God, for peace.

When Samuel presented his dish to the judges, to positive reviews, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief.  It reminds me of the peace that passes all understanding that we have in Christ.  I thank God for His peace in the midst of all of life's troubles.

[Photo Credit: http://awesomedlbk5.blogspot.com/2014/11/masterchef-junior-season-2-episode-1.html]

Mom - Season 2, Episode 2 ("Figgy Pudding and the Rapture")

Episode Summary: Christy, her two kids, her mom, and (occasionally) Luke spend time in the motel, dealing with their near-miss eviction. Christy's dad refuses to help get them out of the jam, the motel blows up in a meth lab raid (forcing them to move in with Marjorie), Christy's attempts at increasing her tips fail, and Violet calls Christy a failure (and they fight).  Oh, yeah, and (**Spoiler Alert**) Jill falls off the wagon and Violet moves out.

 

Looking at the IMDb Message Boards for "Mom", I saw a recurring opinion: the issues that this show addresses (addiction, teen pregnancy, poverty) are too serious for a comedy show; observing how one family deals with all of this through the lens of a sitcom is irreverent and inappropriate.

 

I don't know that I agree with that.  Do I think that the way in which the family deals with all of their issues are in line with the Bible? No. But they're not claiming to be followers of Christ, so why would I expect that of them? (1 Corinthians 2:14)

 

Therefore, I am not holding up the show as a paragon of morality, but I am holding up the show as an example of, when we dig deeper, a sitcom with value.  The show's willingness to tackle the hard issues allows us to also wrestle with those same issues.

 

Think on this: if you had a neighbor (in the Biblical sense of the term) who was struggling with one or more of these issues, how would you use that opportunity to share Christ's message?  People around us are struggling with raising kids, making ends meet, and dealing with the consequences of their choices, and they need our message of hope and peace, not judgment. 

Think on this: in the same way as the characters in the show, we are probably dealing with some (or all) of these same things... or we have other issues we're dealing with.  Are we willing to be vulnerable and share our struggles too, in order that we can be encouraged and held accountable by our brothers and sisters in Christ?

 

My take-away from this show is not judgment.  "Mom" serves as a call for me to look for meaningful ways to share God's love with the hurting around me.  "Mom" encourages me to be honest about my own humanity as I seek to stop resting in my own strength and rely fully on God, as I seek to grow in Christ-likeness.

 

[Photo Credit: http://thefrugalfreegal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/CBS-MOM.jpg]

Stalker - Season 1, Episode 5 ("The Haunting")

Episode Summary: "While investigating a series of eerie threats, the TAU team discovers the victim's house has a creepy history and is believed to be haunted. When the danger turns deadly, the team spends Halloween night searching a wild costume party looking for a perpetrator long believed to be dead."

I watched this episode on Halloween night and, one might think the obvious "lesson" to be discussed with regard to this episode of "Stalker" is the haunting and Halloween and general "evil-ness" portrayed and how we should steer clear of this.

But I am leaning in another direction.  (**Spoiler Alert**)

The relationships on this episode intrigued me:

1. Jack Larsen (Dylan McDermott) has his first interaction with his son, Ethan (Gabriel Bateman) during Halloween trick-or-treating.

Although the writers are keeping their hand hidden regarding the history between Jack and Ethan's mom, Amanda Taylor (Elizabeth Rohm), and why Amanda won't let Ethan know that Jack exists (and I'm sure there's something there), we do see that Jack is pursuing a relationship with his son... sometimes to creepy lengths.

This leads me to think on God's relentless pursuit of us in spite of the fact that we come to Him with empty1 hands (Isaiah 64:6), completely undeserving of His love.  Thank God that He is a gracious and loving Father to His children.

2. Greg Miner (Kevin Sizemore) is "haunting" the house where his wife died because he wants to maintain a connection to her.

The loss of a loved one is difficult, but Greg took the grieving to a whole new level of crazy.

This leads me to think on our connection with our loved ones.  My mother died in 2004 and I took immense comfort in God's promise of eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  Thank God that we have an eternal hope.

That being said, hope is only for those that have a placed their faith in the work of Christ.  Is there anyone you know who does not have that eternal hope who needs to know of God's saving work?

3. Janice Lawrence (Mariana Klaveno) makes a trip to Jack's house toward the end of the show.

Janice tells Jack that she's there, not for a "booty call", but because he needs a friend.

This leads me to think on God's command for us to show love to our neighbors (Mark 12:31).  I'm not advocating splitting a six-pack with your coworker in a single night, but I do believe God's heart on this matter is clear: show kindness to others.  Is there anyone in your life who is hurting and needs a friend?  How can you show God's love to them?

4. Perry Whitley (Erik Stocking) continues his obsession with Beth Davis (Maggie Q) and discovers that she has a hidden past.

Perry discovers that Beth is not "Beth's" real name -- it's Michelle -- and her family was killed in a house fire; when interacting with Beth at the Halloween party, he makes a subtle reference to this.  This interaction with Perry unsettles Beth and she calls a mental institution to make sure that an unnamed detainee is still in the institution and that he hasn't had any visitors.

This leads me to contemplate the truth that we live in a fallen world, full of evil that threatens and, often times, frightens us.  In this, I am comforted by God's protection in my life (Psalm 5:11).  It also reminds me to turn over my fears to Him (Matthew 6:27; 1 Peter 5:7).

[Photo Credit: http://www.seat42f.com/stalker-season-1-poster.html]