April Lunchtime Prayer Meeting Reflections
‘We need to be radically authentic,’ said Jenny Lee (Author, Speaker, Filmmaker & Founder/Director: I Will Tell International Film Festival), as she shared about her film making experiences with us at our April Lunchtime Prayer Meeting.
There’s a demand for authenticity in any form of storytelling, and even more so within the filmmaking world, whether this be mainstream or Christian content. Stories are central to this genre: there are so many to share. Yet, within the film making machinery we know how difficult it can be to bring a story to creation from finance to marketing and distribution. Challenges come from all angles. But despite these, Andrew Maclean (Multi-award Winner & Founder/Director: First Last Film) encouraged those attending our meeting to ask themselves, ‘Where can we be braver to walk into the media excellence we’ve been called into? Because the dreams are true, and God is calling you.’
We know from various Bible stories and our own everyday experiences about the challenges that surround us. Some feel like those massive obstacles. Think of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) or crowd feeding dilemma (Matthew 14:17). Others don’t feel so big yet chip away at us from either continual knock backs or the disappointments that our dreams aren’t taking shape. But the passion and stories our three filmmakers shared with us about the challenges in their own lives, reminded us that with God ‘all things are possible’ (Matthew 19:26). That as well as being ‘radically authentic we also need to be audacious’ (Jenny Lee). That our intent, vision and purpose is what helps us to power up and continue to run the race. But we do this from our standpoint and strength that comes through our faith.
As Rebecca Peacock (Actor, Multi-instrumentalist, Composer & Film Producer: Top & Tail Productions) reminded us, we need to recognise the unique contribution we bring. In this world of comparison, ‘Be yourself – there is no one like you’. For those who have a story on their heart to tell, pursue it. And while you’re pursuing it, Rebecca shared how it is important not to dwell on when things aren’t going great. That this is when we learn and to keep pushing through. Crucially though, as we pursue those projects on our hearts, she said we need community not isolation. We need, ‘praying people around us’. Comments from those attending affirmed this remark. There are many who need our prayers and support.
That’s why we’re committed to praying for church media family here at Christians in Media. We know prayer is central to our faith. And it is central to our charity. Prayer is powerful and we were all reminded of that during our meeting. All of those leading our time together echoed the importance to continue to pray for the UK film making industry. From indie producers to distributors, film making companies, and the list goes on.…we want to see Jesus glorified. Not just from the content produced but that our fellow media church family called to work in these spaces (secular or Christian) flourish in their faith, feel supported and not alone.
We were blessed through gathering online with our community. We were encouraged to hear they were too. And we received lots of positive feedback from those attending, such as Annmarie Miles who said, ‘It was great. I was really inspired. I immediately messaged a film maker friend and reminded him of God’s power to do great things.’
Let’s continue to pray for media and remind each other that our God does ‘great things’ (Psalms 126:3). We will continue to organise events and opportunities that enable you to build your community with others who work in, or with, media.
