Mark D. Eckel > Quotes

“storytelling often wishes to keep the conversation going after the screen fades to black. Sermons, on the other hand, are often used to argue a point and win others over to that way of thinking. Movies should not be sermons. While many Hollywood films use this tactic in their storytelling, they do not make for those ‘transcendent’ experiences I mentioned earlier. This is why movies like God’s Not Dead, Religulous, Inconvenient Truth, etc. will be enjoyed solely by those who agree with the premise of the story and hated by those who don’t. If Christians want to be heard through story, they must be willing to tell their story in such a way that it invites others to participate in the conversation and does not make them feel they are simply listening to a lecture while having zero input of their own.”
― Mark D. Eckel, When the Lights Go Down: Movie Review as Christian Practice

“Study must begin by preserving the past, for by it, we know better how to live, what to live for, and what is most important. Nations, churches, families, and individuals have no future if they forget to study their past.”
― Mark D. Eckel, I Just Need Time to Think!: Reflective Study as Christian Practice

“In theological terms, the perseverance of the saints teaches in part that we bear the responsibility of obedience without expectation of certain outcomes.”
― Mark D. Eckel, I Just Need Time to Think!: Reflective Study as Christian Practice

“Lord, when the alarm clock, stove clock, and time clock demand my presence, When the pace of life is hectic, When I wish there were six more hours in a day, When the traffic light is stuck on red And my family’s schedule demands I be in three places at one time, May I take time to rest, Lord. Lord, when people expect too much of me, When the boss has forgotten about the eight-hour day, When I am constantly at others’ beck and call, When the cell phone, Twitter, fax, and email all go off at once And I begin to hate the human race, May I take time to rest, Lord. Lord, when work occupies all my waking hours, When television commercials say I must have more, When my neighbors flaunt their newest toys, When alcoholic does not apply but workaholic does And I decide to go to the office on Sunday to catch up, May I take time to rest, Lord. Lord, when money means more than people, When I read The Wall Street Journal more than my Bible, When overtime becomes my primetime, When promotions and pay hikes are my ultimate goals And looking out for number one has become my slogan in life, May I take time to rest, Lord. Lord, may I refocus my life on you. May I restore my thoughts in your Word. May I refresh my schedule by meditating on all your blessings. May I relax my activity every week to enjoy the life you gave me. May I take time to rest, Lord.”
― Mark D. Eckel, I Just Need Time to Think!: Reflective Study as Christian Practice