Over the past weeks I’ve had quite a few DVDs added to my collection and today I thought I’d offer brief reviews of some of the more notable selections. Every one of them is available from Vision Video.

The Gladys Aylward Story

he Torchlighters video series is a series of animated DVD’s dedicated to “Highlighting the honor, integrity and life-changing experiences of those well-known and little-known Christian men, women and children who in response to God’s call, dedicated their lives to a life of whole-hearted commitment and passionate service to Jesus.” It is a production of Christian History Institute along with International Films and Voice of the Martyrs. The first in this series was The Jim Elliot Story and this was followed by The William Tyndale Story, The John Bunyan Story and The Eric Liddell Story. The fifth entry in the series is The Gladys Aylward Story. Much like its predecessors, this video gives a half-hour animated look at the life of a Christian hero. It is targeted at children from ages 8-12. It focuses on Aylward’s perilous 100-mile trek to rescue orphaned children from the ravages of the Japanese Army. It challenges children to understand what God can do through a Christian devoted to following him at any cost.

I’ll admit that, though the animated video was enjoyable, I preferred the hour-long documentary included in the DVD’s extras. Prepared, I believe, specifically for this project, it provided a very enjoyable and informative overview of Aylward’s life. Her story is one that is well worth telling. This is a great addition to the DVD and one that extends its value.

Steve Saint: The Jungle Missionary

I think it is safe to assume that most people who read this site know the name “Steve Saint.” He is, of course, the son of Nate Saint, one of five missionaries serving in the jungles of Ecuador who was martyred there in 1956. Nate Saint, along with Jim Elliot and three others, were in the midst of making contact with the Aucas, now known as the Waodani, when the tribe turned on them, spearing them all to death. After this tragedy, Steve’s Aunt Rachel and Elisabeth Elliot, Jim Elliot’s wife, carried on the work among that primitive tribe, even living among them for many years. Upon the death of Rachel, the tribe asked Steve to come and minister to them. He brought his wife and children to Ecuador and settled in among the people there, befriending and serving the very tribe who had slaughtered his father. This video, a documentary of nearly one hour, tells Steve’s story and shares his testimony. It is a great story of tragedy, forgiveness, commitment and answering the call of God.

Journey into the Amazon

Journey into the Amazon also features Steve Saint. In this video, which clocks in at one hour, shows Saint leading a group of Americans into the jungles of Ecuador to spend several days among the Waodani. Many of the people in the group are related to the five missionaries who were killed near the village some fifty years earlier. As the Americans live among the Waodani, they learn the Wao way of life, living in a stone age society so far removed from any of the conveniences of modern life. They also see the remarkable transformation among the people and hear of the faith that was brought to them through such sacrifice. This is an interesting video that aptly portrays the night-and-day difference between modern North America and stone age South America. Yet we see that even in these far-off corners of the world is a family, knit together by a common Savior.

Eric Liddell: Champion of Conviction

Though most people know the name Eric Liddell, few know the details of his life beyond what was portrayed in the film Chariots of Fire. While this documentary covers Liddell’s early days with his improbable and inspiring Olympic victory, it focuses more on his career as a missionary in China. The story is told by Liddell’s biographer David McCasland, his daughter Patricia and Rev. John Keddie who served as a consultant on Chariots of Fire. There are also appearances by people who were with him during his long internment in a Japanese camp. The viewer learns about his service in that camp—as a friend, mentor, teacher and pastor. This is as good an overview of Liddell’s life as I’ve seen (and, believe it or not, I’ve seen several).

A Heart Set Free

This DVD is a biography of Charles Wesley, focusing on the life, ministry, lyrics and legacy of the great hymnwriter. Professionally made and without a hint of amateur production, this film simply tells the life of Wesley. It is shot in a variety of historical locations in England and the United States and features discussions with Wesley scholars. It is feature length, clocking in at just over 100 minutes. Nicely detailed and well-researched, this is an excellent look at a much-loved poet and hymnwriter whose legacy lives on in the thousands of hymns he left as a gift to Christ’s church. I very much enjoyed this one.

Reasonable Doubt

Reasonable Doubt pits evolution versus modern microbiology. The cover says, “Discover the fascinating modern science, unknown to Charles Darwin, that is shaking the scientific and academic establishment’s ‘holy grail’ of biologic evolution theory.” Using video clips and plenty of computer-generated graphics, a narrator explains how Darwin’s theory of evolution has been largely disproven by subsequent scientific discoveries. “As scientific knowledge grows exponentially, Darwin’s theory of evolution becomes more debatable and hotly contested by researchers on both sides of the growing scientific controversy.” I’ll admit to being unable to validate the facts presented here, as they are far above my rudimentary knowledge of science. The quality of this presentation is solid enough, though perhaps slightly amateurish, and the narrator has a voice that threatens to lull the viewer to sleep.

I posted an article like this one in the past and did so only with great trepidation. Yet today (during the lowest-traffic day of the year) I will do so again in the hope that you’ll be willing to give my motives the benefit of the doubt. I write about this not for my benefit but for the benefit of my fellow bloggers. With Christmas fast approaching, the timing just seemed right.

I first wrote about this subject when I was the guest on a radio program and received a call from a reader of this site who asked an interesting question. He wanted to know how he, as someone who reads the blog, could serve as an encouragement to me. I thought it was a good and kind question and one I answered the best I could “on the spot.” Today I want to address it a little bit more. This could so easily be seen as self-serving, so I do encourage you to take anything you learn here, head to another blog, and apply it there!

Bloggers, or at least the bloggers who have sites that convey valuable information, typically put in a lot of work for very little tangible reward. It’s the nature of blogging, I guess. While I’ve heard that the big-name bloggers—the one whose sites draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each day—can make a handsome living doing what they do, I’ve also heard that even they make relatively little. I tend to believe the latter. The blogosphere, at least in my experience and at least as it pertains to “amateurs” like myself, has not yet found a great way of generating substantial income. Lots of people place advertisements on their sites, either banners or Google AdWords, but these tend, at least in most cases, to generate only small streams of revenue, especially since site costs increase with site traffic. As revenue goes up, so too do costs.

Thankfully, most bloggers do not blog for the financial benefits. Christian bloggers in particular work for the higher ideal of furthering their own faith and serving the church. As they do this, they can always use a bit of encouragement. This article is geared primarily towards Christian bloggers, though most of it is applicable more widely. Let me provide just a few ways you can be an encouragement to the bloggers whose sites you enjoy.

Leave a Comment. This is likely the easiest thing you can do but it can be very encouraging, especially for people whose blogs do not receive a great deal of traffic. Simply leave a comment, noting that you read and enjoyed the article. If you feel there was a problem with the article, leave a rational comment and the reason you disagreed. Just knowing that an article is being read can be a real blessing to a blogger.

Send a Note of Encouragement. Short of leaving a comment, this is probably the easiest thing you can do. Find the person’s email address or contact form and send him a brief note, mentioning that you enjoy reading his blog (and perhaps why you enjoy the blog) and encouraging him to continue seeking the Lord.

Pray for Them. I find that the greatest source of encouragement is to know that people are praying for me. Of course it is always a blessing for a Christian to know that another person is holding him up before the throne of grace, but I think in the case of blogging is also stands as validation that his efforts are sufficiently significant that they are worth praying for. So pray for a blogger and drop him a note to let him know that you’re doing so.

Tell Someone Else About the Site. When you find a site that you enjoy and that has been a source of encouragement to you, tell other people about it. While most bloggers will say (and, in most cases, truly mean) that they do not much care how many people read their site, it is an encouragement to see more people gravitate to a blog. So tell your friends!

Look For Affiliate Links. Many bloggers join affiliate programs through Amazon, Monergism Books, Westminster Books, and other stores. This means that we typically receive a small commission (of about 6 or 7%) on any item you purchase after clicking a link from the blog to the store. So if a blogger posts a link to a product on Amazon and you click on the link and then purchase the product, the blogger will receive as reward a small percentage of that amount. Also, the blogger will often receive a similar percentage of anything else you purchase during that session. This is unlikely to generate a great deal of revenue, but even a gift certificate that allows the blogger to purchase a couple of books per month is a nice little bonus. So when you are thinking of shopping at Amazon or another store, find an affiliate and enter the storefront through that person’s link. This is a simple but effective way of sending some support to a blogger. And best of all, the store foots the bill!

Look for Wishlists. Many bloggers maintain an Amazon wishlist (or a wishlist for another store). This is simply a list of products they would like to own. You’ll often see a link to this list from a blog or you can even visit the Wishlist section at Amazon and search by name or email address. You can then send a small gift anonymously or with a small note of encouragement.

Again, I trust you’ll take these in the spirit I intend them, not as a plug for you to do anything for me, but as an encouragement to take notice of the people whose blogs you enjoy and to serve as an encouragement to them for the glory of God.

The Call by Os Guinness is a book that was on my list of things to do for a long, long time before I actually settled down to read it. But once I got into it, I was amazed at just how much wisdom it contains. At one point Guinness discusses the importance of living life for an audience of One. He begins the chapter by reflecting on Andrew Carnegie and his lifelong desire to be able to parade through the streets of the city of his birth to prove to them that he had been able to become fantastically wealthy. He desired to be seen and known by a human audience.

Guinness talks about other examples of people who have been obsessed with the praise of men. He mentions Marlene Dietrich who would record the applause given at the end of her performances and would then play the recordings for visitors to her home. She would gather friends such as Judy Garland and Noel Coward and play them both sides of a record filled with applause, telling them solemnly what city each round of applause was from. Guinness quotes Mozart who wrote to his father, “I am never in a good humor when I am in a town where I am quite unknown.” He quotes an old French story which tells of a revolutionary who, when sitting in a Paris cafe, hears a disturbance outside. Jumping to his feet he cries, “There goes the mob. I am their leader. I must follow them!”

Such narcissism is shocking, yet is all too common. Some time ago a reader forwarded me a link to a copy of Sharon Stone’s rider, the document that describes her requirements when she accepts a role in a film. Reading the document is almost nauseating, yet is no doubt not uncommon for Hollywood standards. She demands, among other things, $3500 per week in unaccountable “per diem” funds, three nannies, two assistants, presidential suites, first-class travel, a deluxe motorhome, and the rights to keep all of the jewelery and wardrobe items she uses in the film. Even more shocking, to myself anyways, were the requirements dealing with publicity of the film. The rider insists that her name is given first position in the credits for the film and that her name be at least as big as the movie’s title. Her picture, if it appears in advertising, must be at least as big as, if not bigger, than any other person’s likeness. It goes on and on. As I read this I thought of a friend who used to work in the special events industry. She tells of a particular musician who insisted that no one turn their back on him. People serving him had to, quite literally, walk backwards when they left the room lest they turn their back on him. Reading this is enough to turn one’s stomach.

In The Call, Guinness discusses narcissim in the context of audience. Christians are to be motivated to serve and to please an audience of One. We are to called to seek the pleasure of God. Guinness finds it odd that in a century which began with some of the strongest leaders the world has known—Churchill, Roosevelt, Lenin and Stalin—has ended with a “weak style of leadership codependent on followership: the leader as panderer.” He quotes Winston Churchill, a man who had an amazing way of cutting to the heart of issues. “I hear it said that leaders should keep their ears to the ground. All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture.” At another time he said, “Nothing is more dangerous…than to live in the temperamental atmosphere of a Gallup Poll—always feeling one’s pulse and taking one’s temperature.” Violet Bonham Carter once said of Churchill that he was “as impervious to atmosphere as a diver in his bell.” Why was this? Because Churchill knew his mandate and sought to fill it to the best of his abilities. He was far from perfect. In many ways he was a troubled, rude, unkind individual. Yet he led the British nation through a dark hour and his name lives in history as an example of a great leader.

The application to the church is obvious. In our day we have leader after leader, teacher after teacher, telling us that the leaders of the church must take their cues from the people. Leadership is seen ever more as leading the people where they want to go, not necessarily where they need to go. Leadership is shaped by fleeting public opinion more than objective standards.

Yet what the church needs is leaders who serve the audience of One—leaders who, like Churchill, are sure of their calling and their mandate. They care nothing for the whims of their followers or potential followers, but only for pleasing the one who has called them to be leaders. These words from Spurgeon, sent to me by a friend, seem particularly pointed:

Never think of the Church of God as if she were in danger. If you do, you will be like Uzza; you will put forth your hand to steady the ark, and provoke the Lord to anger against you. If it were in danger, I tell you, you could not deliver it. If Christ cannot take care of his Church without you, you cannot do it. Be still, and know that he is God… When you begin to say, “The Church is in danger! The Church is in danger!” what is that to thee? It stood before thou wert born; it will stand when thou hast become worm’s meat. Do thou thy duty. Keep in the path of obedience, and fear not. He who made the Church knew through what trials she would have to pass, and he made her so that she can endure the trials and become the richer for it. The enemy is but grass, the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

Twilight is a phenomenon; or that is what I hear. I began to receive emails about it a short time ago and the requests for a review have increased as the release of the Twilight movie has approached. Strangely, I get more requests to review teenage fiction than any other genre. I usually reply with an apologetic email saying that I do not review such titles. But because of the popularity of this series I decided to make an exception. With great trepidation and with eyes fixed firmly on the floor, I went to a local store and purchased the whole series—four books. I read the first volume, which I will review today, and left it to Aileen (the fiction expert in our home) to read the rest of the series.