Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

One of my biggest battles as a Christian is to balance time between myself, my family, and God.

One of the time grabbers many of us face is Entertainment.

What percentage of your time does it affect you?

Are there times you wished you would have chosen to serve Christ, serve the poor, pray and study; rather than watch the film or play the game, etc?

How important is it for Christians both to monitor content and regulate time spent? What point do you think Christ would call us away from most or all of it?

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I used to be a slave to "entertainment;" now I make things grow, and am entertained. One round a week of Wii golf now (he says, proud of himself : )

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

What if your work and entertainment partially, or mostly, overlap?

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I knew a former game reviewer who played video games throughout the week, around 60 to 80 hours. He was not able to enjoy the games because he was constantly reviewing them.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

This is a good question.

Ever since I discovered Royal Tailor Band, I've been thinking more about this.

I feel like in some ways, I allowed myself to be brainwashed by a very rigid interpretation of rules: "do's/don'ts: Ex: don't party or you'll go to the extreme and be like those heathens kind of thinking-"

I'll call this self-justification.

but to paraphrase what a Christian brother said,

"We can have entertainment and have traditions, but not allow entertainment and traditions to have us."

I was very interested in the reaction to Royal Tailor Band getting nominated for a grammy, since they are in what many would consider an ultraconservative fellowship, yet they do choreographed dancing, play rock and roll, wear skinny jeans and have women in their videos that don't have the UPCI look.

And yet I watched that Make a Move video and realized that what they were saying, how they were saying it, and the specific points in the video where the dancing occurs and where the lead guy gets up off the floor after talking about just running his mouth about doing something of significance for God, and the point where the women in pants and no sleeves show up, all make a point about evangelism.

So now I pray about my entertainment choices. I used to just default when I I felt that I needed to mentally check out by clicking on old school r and b or adult contemporary pop music (honestly most Christian music is boring to me, musically- the words might be nice or meaningful, but a lot of the musical elements are very mundane and unoriginal or make me feel strange, IMO). But much of the "safe" pop songs that I grew up listening to in from the 70s onward are about people's specific romantic situations that don't really pertain to me and aren't really all that edifying (not saying they can't be edifying to someone at some point, but really, to keep it real, Whitney Houston or whoever it is recorded a lot of those songs to make money- they're not anointed).

As for movies, I dunno, I'm a late 60s baby, so a lot of the films that are being promoted in the media now don't interest me. I could care less about Taylor Lautner or Tyler Perry or whoever.

I grew up watching a ton of TV, and I can enjoy the older, cleaner programs (the ones that aren't based on insult humor, sarcasm and insubordination, don't paint the male characters as idiots, don't show people being promiscuous and children who are more in charge than the adults, professionals who are crackerjack doctors or lawyers but can't maintain a decent interpersonal relationship, etc). Honestly, I've come to more or less side with the UPCish idea of just watching DVDs/videos and leaving the cinema/TV sets alone (when I'm watching these shows, i need to be in control of what I'm seeing, I need to fast forward, rewind, pause, ask myself what I'm watching, etc.)

However, I think it's not a good idea for some church to mandate that their people abstain from movies, TV and scream at them that they're going to hell every week if they partake of these things- I had to come to this realization for myself, and I will still go to the cinema every once in a blue moon, but honestly oftentimes the other patrons don't know how to behave and ruin the experience.

Since I don't have kids and I wasn't born into a pentecostal or conservative home, my question is, how do those posters here who have kids in a pentecostal or apostolic church approach entertainment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbELfw2H_Xc&ob=av2e

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

ya--there are many shades of "entertainment," (and we are called to be joyful, anyway). Combining work and entertainment is a way to make your entertainment flower, produce fruit--can only be a good thing (maybe need a pruning now and then, lol)

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

"Since I don't have kids and I wasn't born into a pentecostal or conservative home, my question is, how do those posters here who have kids in a pentecostal or apostolic church approach entertainment?"

The different should be in the lyrics, which are absorbed subliminally--I'm convinced this holds, even if it's rap. Positive lyrics is what you're after, it seems to me.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I enjoy listening to good Gospel music as well as 'Classical'. I do not have a video game system, although I did once. I do not have television and do not watch movies. I love to read, and I enjoy chatting on here for entertainment. It all depends on what you want to call entertainment.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

Some good points. If someone considers church "entertaining" does that factor into the question? (For the record, I think it does.)

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I do not go to church to be enertained. However, I will go to concerts and listen to cds for entertainment.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

to keep everything is balanced and in a healthy perspective is a struggle

there was a time in my 20s when I was overly focused on entertainment

there was a time in my 30s when I was overly focused on prayer, church, ect

I'm now more focused on living a simple, but disciplined life that includes devotions, church, work, family, healthy lifestyle, recreation, ect.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

Amen; sounds familiar.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I don't ever feel like it takes over my life. We don't even have time to watch regular TV. On weekends or some nights we will catch up on missed shows via hulu, Netflix or Amazon, but only if we don't have something better to do.

The kids, on the other hand, have to be limited. Not so much TV, but they can get caught up in facebook and other online activities for hours if I don't supervise their usage.

During the holidays, we'll watch several of our favorite movies with the kids. That counts as family time. We pop popcorn, the kids sprawl out on our bed and we watch the movie in our bedroom. We watched Secondhand Lions last night. I love that movie. Love it when they shoot the salesmen, love it when the lion finally becomes a "real" lion, LOVE it when Uncle Hub throws things into the hospital hallway and checks himself out--reminds me of my Dad. (He hated the hospital and would behave VERY badly while thus "imprisoned." :D) Princess Bride will be on the Must Watch List, and probably The Grinch.

My opinion: Media, entertainment, and technology should be an asset and a compliment to your life and your family. It shouldn't be allowed to take over, but no one should be scared of it. Keep things balanced. And if you find yourself languishing in front of the TV everyday for hours then you DO need to get your butt up and do something different. That's not good for anyone, especially children. :penguin

In regard to the time issue only, watching a television show is no different than reading a book. It's comical how some people will demonize watching a show for an hour, but they can sit around and read a good book for the same amount of time and have no problem with it. Bottom line, if you are shucking your responsibilities for a TV show OR for a good book, you need to man up and take care of your obligations first. The specifics of the time waster are less important. Take care of your responsibilities first (including your responsibilities to God) and then who cares how you spend your recreational time?

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

Wow... what a cool video. Thanks!

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

"However, I think it's not a good idea for some church to mandate that their people abstain from movies".

I agree on the quote above, however don't have a problem with being reminded of the potentials of too much and what you look at. I know many non-apostolics that avoid "R" rated. They draw the line and stick to it.
Using TV and movies as a measuring stick to qualify someone for leadership or singing in the choir is absurd. The ultra-cons are still spewing about TV while having some of the most professional church websites.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

I will spend the day skimming over news articles and aff. I need an intervention.

Re: Entertainment:How does it affect you?
 

AFF is all the entertainment I need.

:heeheehee