In Oz the Great and Powerful, a prequel to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, Oscar “Oz” Diggs is a self-centered, cynical, small-time traveling circus magician in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Kansas who dreams of being a “truly great man.” When a tornado takes him to the magical land of Oz, he uses sleight-of-hand, smooth talk, and sneaky stagecraft to convince people there that he is Oz’s long-expected supernatural savior. But he’s not; he’s a hypocrite. Few things are more frustrating than hypocrisy, especially when it comes from people in positions of influence or authority. But most of us have been guilty of pretending to be someone we aren’t or of behaving in ways that don’t match our words and values. LinC talks about how we can reject hypocrisy in favor of authentic faith. Key Scriptures: Psalm 32; Matthew 6:1-18; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. In the upcoming movie The Host, based on a popular novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, alien parasites called “souls” possess human beings, taking complete control of their minds. The hero of the story is also possessed, but by a gentle “soul,” with whom she is able to work. Soul is a word that we use frequently in the church but seldom take time to define. Next week we’ll talk about the soul—the essential part of us that most fully reflects the image of God. And we’ll talk about how we can live a Spirit- and soul-filled life.
