- Created on 25 April 2013
'The Bible' Miniseries Heads to the Big Screen
Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's popular miniseries "The Bible," which pulled in around 100 million U.S. viewers along its 10-episode stretch, is being recut into a movie.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Burnett said, "We're cutting a movie version right now, a three-hour version of Jesus and [we have] many, many offers from theaters globally."
Burnett, who is hoping for a fall release, says the film will focus on the Resurrection–and hinted that it will go farther.
"Very few people have ever done anything beyond the crucifixion. No one has ever seen Pentecost before. And the Ascension. And the following trial of Peter and John," he told the New York Post.
Should the story continue, the stories would fall "in the same world," Burnett said. "We feel there is a void, and we're filling that void."
"The Bible" debuted to 13.1 million viewers March 3 and wrapped up Easter Sunday with 11.7 million viewers. Internationally, "The Bible" beat hockey in Canada; it was tops in Spain, and it had a 37 share in Portugal.
For Burnett, he was confident the mini would be a success, crediting God as a vital force. "It's a God voice," Burnett said. "It's clearly a calling; clearly, we felt it was something we had to do, and too many things happened to explain it any other way. It's a juggernaut, and it's not going to slow down."
"The Bible," like History's Hatfields & McCoys, already has proven a valuable asset to the cable network as it looks to bolster its original programming. History used Bible as a lead-in for its first original scripted drama, Vikings, which already has been renewed for a second season.
"The Bible" is already the fastest-selling DVD for a miniseries ever.
- Created on 24 April 2013
Minute Meditation: Prayer For Working Parents
Today is the day that the working parents should know that you are appreciated.
Working parents in particular struggle to meet the hardest demands of every day living. Raising a responsible well- rounded adult may be the hardest job anyone has to do in life. When we attempt to guide young lives we shape the future. That future is stronger or weaker by what we give to it.
It does not matter if you are rich or poor, famous or infamous. All parents who are have the same concerns. It is just a matter of making sure that we place those issues in an appropriate place. Prayer is one place to begin.
When you hold a child it can be a dream come true for many. It is just the larger task of embracing, understanding and growing everything that entails.
Angela Basset once said, "Just standing there together, holding each other with the realization that this is the moment that we've been working toward, praying for."
So today let our prayer raise to the heavens for some divine help.
You know how really tired I am. On days when things are really frantic, I consider how you made the world in seven days — and then I try to remember that you aren't asking me to re-create that feat.
Please help me to remain a loving parent to my children and to keep some balance in my life. Help me to remember that you are with me in every packed hour of every day. As I am finishing a work project or planning dinner or buying the kids shoes, (sometimes all at the same time) help me to remember your loving care for me and let me sometimes stop for a moment and just wallow in that.
Most of all, my caring Father, let me remember to ask for help and to rely on you for strength when I have none left; for patience when mine is so often gone; and for the wisdom and endless well of compassion and love I need in my job as a parent. Amen
May you have days blessed with your family wherever you are.
- Created on 22 April 2013
Televangelist Juanita Bynum Arrested
Popular televangelist Juanita Bynum was arrested and spent the night in jail on a warrant charging that she failed to appear in court for a civil proceeding against her, reports DallasNews.com.
She spent the night in the Lew Sterrett Justice Center and was released after appearing in court the next day.
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- Created on 24 April 2013
Amen! 105-Year-Old Pastor Has No Plans to Retire
At Wayman AME Church in Minneapolis, folks gather in anticipation of hearing the gospel preached by one of its most senior pastors, Noah Smith (pictured), who at 105 years young still manages to belt out a sermon that sends chills down the spines of his devoted congregants, reports CBS Minnesota.
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- Created on 19 April 2013
Violence and the Response of People of Faith Explored at Event
After the tragic events at the finish line of the revered Boston Marathon, it has become even more apparent that the world has now become a place where violence seems eternally present.
Tackling the difficult questions about how individuals and faith communities react and respond to all forms of violence and discrimination will keynote discussions next Thursday, April 25, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church when the Higher Ground Group Meets for their annual "Meaningful Conversations" event.
From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the Group, composed of the four long-time Atlanta faith leaders, the Rev. Joanna Adams, Imam Plemon El-Amin, the Rev. Joseph Roberts and Rabbi Alvin Sugarman will gather and speak with a distinctive, interfaith voice to help navigate the key issues relating to violence and the interfaith response of the greater Atlanta community.
Moderated by St. Luke's Episcopal Church's rector, the Rev. Dan Matthews, the faith leaders will discuss the following topics:
• How do we each play a role in perpetuating a culture that is desensitized to violence?
• What is our moral obligation to those in our community who are struggling with mental illness, ostracized or deeply troubled?
• Are our fears preventing us from achieving spiritual wholeness as communities?
• How can we of diverse faiths work together towards a better more unified response to violence in the Atlanta community and the world?
Groups from all faith institutions and the public are encouraged to attend. Reservations are required; reserve seats online at www.trainingandcounselingcenter.org.
