Project for entertainment, scripture, and culture

1. Contemporary Expressions of Christianity
Nevin (John) Crow, Aryn Groves, Gabrielle Mellody, Michael Saunders

2. “Why I Believe There’s a God”
This episode was between host Sadie Robertson and pastor Louie Giglio. This weeks podcasts main talking
points were on: science, what it means to truly know God, and social media. This episode talked about social media
in a different light then she normally does. Some of her previous episodes talk about how younger generation can
struggle with comparison with social media or only seeing the “highlight reel” of someones life. This week it talked
about the opposite side of the highlight reel and the work that goes into it. She discussed how social media can steer
us wrong from seeing the truth behind the pictures. She talks about how on social media you make judgements
based on someone’s successful moments, but you do not get to see all of the hard work they put in for those
moments.You also do not see all the things people work so hard for that they do not succeed in. An example I
immediately thought of was seeing graduation pictures on instagram of the senior nursing majors. Glamorous photos
in lab coats all done up and your first thought is that nursing school was a breeze for them. With those successful
snap shots you do not get to see the hard work put towards that degree: all the hundreds of hours studying or 12
hour clinical shifts. “Young people have this perspective that it is supposed to be easy, and if it's not easy then it isn't
right. But actually most things in life that are worth it and that are good come from a lot of hard work” (Sadie
Robertson). I LOVE THAT!! This is so relatable to relationships with God! It is hard work, it is supposed to be time
dedicated and put aside to build a relationship! All relationships take work, and God is supposed to be the top
relationship you have in your life.
One of the other main topics of discussion in this podcast is why science will never undermine God. Louie
Giglio talks about science studies in 60’s that really took an aim about faith. This is where the divide began where
Christians are thinking that scientists are trying to undermine our faith. He says that if we truly worship God and
believe who God says He is, there is no science that can ever undermine him. He goes onto say that at the end of
the day if you truly believe in Jesus we will all end up at the same place, at the feet of the Lord. He calls God the
ultimate scientist and that always brings me back to the creation story. “This is the account of the heavens and the
earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens” (Genesis 2:4) God is the
ultimate creator and has been since the beginning of time.
On this week’s
post: Check out
Sadie Robertson’s
New Podcast!!!

3. Podcast Comments
Michael Saunders - Within the podcast you mention that it talks about how social media can steer you away from
seeing the truth. I totally agree with this as you are able to portray a different perspective through an image and give of
totally false information. As well as not being able to see someone's hard work behind a post as it cannot be displayed,
however you can also be deceived through social media as you are able to lie.
Aryn Groves- The reflection of this podcast is so relatable, especially about social media being a “highlight reel”
because it often leads to putting ourselves down. I think it tied in really well with with another point you mentioned
that good things don't come easy!! It is hard not to get wrapped up in what the world wants us to look like, but if we
stay constant with believing in our God, it will all be worth it in the end. I love this overview!
Nevin Crow - I definitely found the discussion about the relationship between religion and science to be interesting. I may be a
little bias, but I do not think any real science has the goal of undermining religion or faith; if it did, then the authors would not be
doing valid science, they would be writing an opinion piece using scientific evidence. Many of the scientist who contributed to
these findings that are deemed anti-religious were actually christian themselves: Gregor mendel, one of the forefathers of
evolution, and Georges Lemaître, who made the big-bang theory, were both catholic priest. Most of the time the people who are
doing science are not trying to question the nature of the world God created, but are rather trying to appreciate and understand it.

4. Music
Despite being released in 2006, “All Around Me” by Flyleaf to this day manages to surprise
listeners with its christian message. Most recently on Tiktok, a micro-trend emerged with many
young adults documenting themselves learning of the religious message in the song that was
popular in the early 2000’s alternative rock scene. This dilemma of the authors intent being
misinterpreted by their audience reminds me of Lynch’s discussion in chapter 7 of
“Understanding Theology and Popular Culture” and how sometimes the intent of the author
can be missed because the language as a series of symbols used may represent different
meanings to the author than it does to the broader audience (Lynch, 138). In this particular case,
the lead singer Lacey Mosley defines the songs intent when stating:
“It's a song about meeting God… I don't know how many times I've experienced something where I felt like God
showed up and saved me or loved me for no reason sometimes”
While the song is intended to represent an encounter with God, it is popularly interpreted as an
intimate encounter between two people. Despite this misunderstanding, when examining the
song aware of its intent, the encounter with God in the song shows blatant similarities with
biblical accounts. Firstly in the lyric that begins the chorus, “I can feel you all around me,”
Flyleaf touches on the omnipresent nature of God (Proverbs 15:3). Furthermore, Flyleaf makes
an allusion to the countless times God uses angels as messengers in the lyric “The angels
singing say we are alone with you” (Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke 1:14-19, Matthew 28:5-7). Beyond just
simple allusion, the presentation of an encounter with God in the song is paired with powerful
instrumentals which I think captures the overwhelming nature this experience would possess.
While I know the song is about an encounter with God, I can totally see how others would
interpret it differently. With lyrics like “I feel you on my fingertips; My tongue dances behind
my lips, for you” the song definitely has some sensual elements to its presentation. I do
ultimately think that these provocative lyrics are likely due to it wanting to fit this alternative
rock genre.
All Around Me
Flyleaf -2006-

5. Music Discussion
Michael Saunders - Within this post i found it so interesting that religious messages was seen and listened through new
social media such as TikTok. Also really liked how you connected misinterpretation of the song lyrics to the Lynch book
about Theology and Popular Culture. The ending when you mention the link between provatice lyrics and rock genre
was very clever as within this day and age you need to target the right audience and incorporate what they would want to
hear to make song’s successful.
Gabi Mellody- I loved this message! It was so interesting seeing how the book related to real life situations where
authors convey a message that can be understood differently by each listener! I love the imagery used in the song
that really makes you feel like you are living through this Godly encounter amongst him.
Aryn Groves- This was a great song to analyze and tie to religion along with our readings in class! I had never listened
to this song until now, but I can see how some people interpret it in different ways, however listening to the specific
lyrics you stated in this post, it was simple to connect it with the Gospel. I think we can all relate to having specific
instances where we felt the most connected by God or even a moments where he has saved us!

6. Art
Contemporary is a form of Christianity that appeared within the 20th century
and was originally narrowed to the charismatic movement. Expressions of
Christianity can be explained and seen through art. Christian art uses
themes and imagery from Christianity to portray its significances and
provide meaning.
This painting is called The Good Shepherd (Atlas Mountains),
was painted by Henry Ossawa in 1912. Inspiration for this painting,
Henry had travelled to the Atlas Mountains within Morocco and decided
to paint the impressive landscape. However, the meaning behind this
great piece of art involves his son as he remembered that The Good
Shepherd's was his father’s favourite subject. In the words of his father
“God needs us to help fight with him against evil and we need God to
guide us”. So this piece of art is meant to portray this and remind people
of God and how he needs out help to fight against evil.
The Good Shepherd

7. Art Discussion
Nevin Crow - I enjoyed. this piece, It feels very calm yet still captures the grand nature of the scene. I know this is not
the artist’s goal with the piece from your description of it; however, when I first say it it reminded me of the story of
Moses receiving the ten commandments of Mount Sinai. I can definitely see a type of divine guidance within the piece
given how the light in the sky gives the whole piece this directional, ethereal glow that directs the viewer's eye to the
sky.
Gabi Mellody- I adore this painting! I love how the shepherd is not the main focus and if you do not truly analyze
the painting you might miss Him amongst the rocky terrain. I love the sharpness of the lines and how your eyes are
immediately drawn downwards following the flow of the painting. Jesus is the main shepherd and even in the most
rocky of situations we are to blindly follow His lead!
Aryn Groves- This piece of artwork is a great choice to portray! At first glance, I was confused on what I was supposed
to look for, but after analyzing it a bit deeper and reading about the painting, it instantly clicked. My favorite part of this
art is the bright light glowing in the sky against the dark contrast because to me this represents God always watching
over us and battling evil at all times.

8. Podcast STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF
In this podcast, influencer sensation Madison Prewett joins the Relevant Podcast
to share her take on what the world wants for us vs what the Lord wants for us.
She goes into more depth on this topic by relating it to younger generations these
days and how we are more susceptible to being swayed to others perspectives
rather than our own. One quote that stuck out to me in this media was when it
said “how you prepare in private will determine how you perform in public”
(Madison Prewett). This was so eye opening because in order to stay true to
ourselves in this world, we must strengthen our connection with the Lord who has
created us and paved a way for us. The podcast also does a great job of providing
helpful tips for its audience such as staying consistent with our convictions and
knowing our own values before surrounding ourselves with those with opposing
thoughts.
Isaiah 30:21: “To walk along the path of freedom, you must keep your mind firmly
fixed on me”.
I think this is a great reminder to only have our eyes fixed on God in this world and
that will lead us to be true to ourselves and continue following in the light of the
Lord!!
The Relevant Podcast
with Madison Prewett

9. Discussion
Gabi Mellody- I was looking for another Christian podcast to listen to on my drives and now I found one! I
definitely think it is tougher for our generation to “keep our eyes on the prize”. There are so many distractions in
this world but i love how the podcast points out that if we strengthen our relationship with God in private, we will
be able to follow His word in public!
Nevin Crow - I thought the discussions about how the pressures of social media, both internally and externally, shape our
attitudes and behavior towards the rest of the world is very relevant today. It reminded me a lot of the discussion in chapter 3 of the
“Understanding Theology and Popular Culture” book we read for class and how as new technologies emerge (in this case social
media), the we become exposed to a whole host of new and unfamiliar influences. I especially liked the tip of knowing what you
value as an individual before you surround yourself with people with different points of view.
Michael Saunders - I found this podcast very interesting and eye opening as it made some great points. For example you
should not care about what other people opinions are within certain matters as you should have your “eyes fixed on
God” as that will allow you to be you and lead a fulfilling and successful life. Also the podcast had great tips on how to
stay true to yourself and not filling your mind with bad thoughts.

10. Podcast DON’T PLAY THE COMPARISON GAME
In this podcast lead by Sadie Robertson and special guest Bob Goff, the two
converse over letting our guard down with others and not connecting our
experiences with others. In the podcast we hear that we should always be
obedient to God and live our full biblical truth as opposed to positive
affirmations in life we receive. A lot of the comparisons we face nowadays root
from social media and being influence by others, but in this episode we are
encouraged to stop long enough to get away from these distractions to “become
who you want to be” (Sadie Robertson). This ties in with a quote from
John 14:23 saying “anyone who loves me will obey my teaching”
because the Lord has a plan for all of us in life and we must remember to follow
His ways rather than anyone else's. This podcast really stood out to me
because I think it is so easy to get wrapped up in other how we are seen in
others’ eyes instead of focusing on how the Lord sees us! We are all fearfully
and wonderfully made by God and should follow the path he has paved for us!
Sadie Robertson's
podcast: Whoa That’s
Good

11. Podcast Discussion
Gabi Mellody- I LOVE this podcast!! It is so so important for us to be reminded that God created us in His likeness
and therefore we are perfect. I think Sadie does such a great job reminding us of that and letting us know that
everyone has insecurities but we can find security and confidence in the Lord! Social media can be distracting and
powerful and she has great tips on how to find the more positive side of it!
Nevin Crow - I definitely liked the message of this episode. I think that social media has the potential to be a good
influence just as much as a bad one. Taking breaks and making a conscious effort to know who you are an what you
want to become can help you identify what influences on your social media will inspire you to become the person you
are trying to be. I also liked how you connected this to the fact that we are all seen the same in the Lord’s eyes -- there is
definitely an equalizing nature to this concept.
Michael Saunders - I totally agree with stepping away from social media and becoming yourself, as i think social media
in this day and age puts so much pressure on people to become someone who they are not. People need to stop trying to
please other people and think about who they are and what they want to become. Also social media has a who huge
influence on people so it's easy to get put into the trap of unrealistic standards and people need to remember only their
opinion should matter.

12. Music
The song “Dust We Are and Shall Return” by The Brilliance is a contemporary worship song
and functions as a direct reference to the verse “All go to the same place. All came from the dust
and all return to the dust” (Ecclesiastes 3:20). Overall, the song covers themes of the nature of
humanity and how we are united in our limitations. Specifically, the song begins with, “From
dust we've come and dust we are and shall return,” which reminds the audience of the story of
the creation of man (Genesis 2:7). While doing so, the writer uses the communal pronoun “we”
rather than the individual “I” which forces the audience to consider how we as people are
united in the very nature of our own mortality. Furthermore, the song makes acknowledges a
loss of innocence in humanity in the lyric “Naked we came and shall return into the grave” --
making reference to how humanity initially had no awareness of being naked (Genesis 2:25,
Genesis 3:7). Again, The Brilliance is calling their audience to unite by forcing them to consider
the aspects that we share in creation.
While I could not find The Brilliance’s intended meaning of this particular song, by looking at
their discography and their advocacy for social justice issues like immigration and racial
equality, it is clear that the goal of the song is to bring people together to promote social
change. The songs that are also featured in the album “brother” are all thematically centered
around accepting our differences and recognizing one another as brothers and sisters in christ.
Dust We Are and
Shall Return
The Brilliance -2015-

13. Music Discussion
Michael Saunders - I really enjoyed this song choice as it has so many different meanings and has no complete meaning
to it, leaving the meaning up to your own imagination. The part of the song when it mentions “From the dust we’ve
come and the and the dust we shall return”, to me this indicates that no matter how you acted or perceived yourself in
the world everyone still ends up in the same place as dust.
Gabi Mellody- I love how you point out how “we” is used instead of “I”. It really shows us that no matter how
successful you are, at the end of the day WE are all the same. We will all end up the same way we were made.
Powerful message and powerful song!
Aryn Groves- This worship song is a constant reminder of where we come from and where we are going! I think
sometimes it is easy to compare our lives with people around us, so songs such as this one are great to listen to to
remind us we were all created by the same God and if we stay constant with Him, we will all end up in his kingdom
together!

14. Art
Christ of Saint John of the Cross – It was painted in 1951 and was painted by
Salvador Dali and remains in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. It depicts a
darkened background with Jesus on the cross floating above a pool of water
where a boat lay. The inspiration for this painting came from a dream where Dali
saw the colour of a nucleus atom where later on this nucleus atom became a
metaphysical sense “the very unity of the universe”. The painting has created lots
of controversy as they believed that the production a traditional painting was a
stunt by an already famous artist who was known for his surrealist art.
Christ of Saint John of the cross, was well known as he was one of the thirst
seven Doctors of the Church. Also known as the Mystical doctor as he was one
of the greatest Christian mystics and Spanish poets as well as cofounder of the
contemplative order Discalced Carmelites.
Christ of Saint
John of the Cross

15. Art Discussion
Nevin Crow - This is actually one of my favorite paintings of all time, so I am glad you picked it. From the very explicit
imagery the piece is very obviously depicting the crucifixion of Jesus; however, due to the drastic foreshortening of the
figure and the starge contrast in value, the artist is able to portray the magnitude of the sacrifice christ is making for the
whole world. I feel like the whole piece perfectly captures the verse “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the sins of the whole world” (John 2:2).
Gabi Mellody- WOW! This art is incredible! I have never seen this and it instantly took my breath away. I love the
way it has Jesus risen above and has Him centered in the painting. Everything kind of fades away when you stare at
the realistic center of the painting. It shows Him above all be crucified to save US from OUR sins! It shows His
burden of the world on His back yet He is still risen above.
Aryn Groves- This is such a powerful painting! I always find biblical paintings that tie into Jesus’ crucifixion to be so
deep and beautiful to analyze. I interpret this painting as Jesus dying for our sins and sacrificing himself in the dark top
of the painting while we live in the beautiful bright creation he allowed us to exist in!

16. “The Genius of Jesus”
Jesus’ message is still relatable 2000 years
later!
This weeks post is on the podcast “The Genius of Jesus” , featuring author and pastor Erwin McManus.
This week's episode is focused on the topics of anxiety and how Jesus could have an impact on our life
2,000 years later. I chose to talk about this podcast because anxiety is so so common amongst our
generation today. It affects so many college students and with the end of the school year and exams
creeping in I thought it could be helpful to discuss this anxiety driven by fear! When I struggle with
anxieties I love to look to this verse:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
Erwin talks about how when he first became a believer he would read scripture and say how is this
completely relatable to my life and talking to specifically me. I think about that alot when im reading
scripture and how accurate it is to me, 2000 years later. With anxiety especially there are tons of quotes
in the bible telling us to be rid of these fears and solutions to overcoming them. A tip Sadie gives on
anxiety is to be still and breathe life into your bones. She discusses how tense we get and we don't even
recognize it.
I love how Erwin discusses that we have a view of God that He limits us to only one good path, but it is
God in fact who gives us freedom. Love God and do what YOU want! Living in part of God’s will, will
come naturally when you are loving God. When you build a relationship with God and give Him your
heart, doing what you want will align with His will.
Another Sadie Robertson
post!! Hear about this
week's episode and what
it means to me!

17. Podcast Comments
Michael Saunders - I really happy you chose this podcast as i believe so many people deal with anxiety throughout their
lifetime and sometimes its very hard to cope with. Anxiety is definitely be driven fear and fear of embarrassment and the
only way to get past these fears is to overcome. The tip about how to release tension i really liked as you do become very
tense when experiencing anxiety and this will definitely help.
Nevin Crow - I feel like there is definitely some truth to what Erwin discusses about looking to scripture to put things
into perspective when you are anxious. Much of the Bible is written like parables, an I have found that this style of
writing can define help put things into perspective by addressing problems and then providing solution -- in this case
trusting in God and his will.
Aryn Groves- I thought this podcast is something I definitely needed to hear, especially with finals coming up! Having
anxiety along with fear has become so common in society, however that doesn’t make it less serious. It is hard to
attempt to get over this feeling by ourselves, therefore (as stated in this podcast) we must give all of our worries to God
and trust in Him and the plan He has for us!