HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-04-26, Page 20MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Tim Purvis, Interim Moderator
11:00 a.m. - Morning Service
- Sunday School
9:30 a.m. - Belgrave Service
We welcome you to come and worship with us.
BRUSSELS UNITED CHURCH
Rev. Cameron McMillan
Church Office 887-6259 Manse 887-9313
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
"St. Peter and St. Paul"
Church School - Nursery
------------
9:30 a.m. Ethel Morning Worship
Church School
"Give God joyful praise"
Welcome
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
You are welcome this Sunday
APRIL 30 - EASTER 3
Holy Eucharist
Ms Nancy Beale, Lay Pastor
Trinity, Blyth St. John's, Brussels
9:30 a.m. 11:15 a.m.
HURON CHAPEL MISSIONARY
CHURCH
PASTOR JAMES H. CARNE AUBURN 526-7515
Sunday 10 a.m. - Family Bible Hour
11 a.m. - Morning Service
8 p.m. - Evening Service
Wednesday 8 p.m. - Prayer & Bible Study
Friday 7:30 p.m. - Youth - Pastor Bob Lewis, 526-7441
You are Welcome at
the
BLYTH CHURCH OF GOD
9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for Children and Adults
11 - 12:15 - Morning Worship
Bible Studies - Wednesday 10 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Phone 523-4590 McConnell St., Blyth
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
HIGHWAY 4, BLYTH--523-9233
Sunday 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Rev. Adrian A. Van Geest
The Church of the "Back to God Hour" and "Faith 20"
Back to God Hour 10:30 a.m. CKNX Sunday
Faith 20 5:30 a.m. Weekdays, Global T.V.
WI Visitors Welcome Wheelchair accessible
PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1995.
From the Minister's Study
Casting ideas for a version of a classic
By Randy Banks
Walton-Bluevale Pastoral Charge
Easter is the tradition-
impoverished compared to
Christmas, but one of my customs
is an annual viewing of Cecil B.
DeMille's 1956 biblical epic The
Ten Commandments.
DeMille possessed a brilliant
aptitude for shaping great stories
into large-scale moving and
unforgettable masterpieces. Never
one to let the dearth of historical
detail stand in he way of his
cinematic craftsmanship, he had
already demonstrated that the Bible
was a favourite motherlode of
inspiration when, in 1949, he
portrayed in living colour the lives
of the biblical personages Samson
and Delilah, liberally embellishing
in the process, the original story as
found in the Old Testament book of
Judges (Chapters 13-16).
For The Ten Commandments,
DeMille opted to take his star
Charlton Heston with him to do
some spectacular location shooting
in Israel and Egypt - a feat that
required a multitude of extras as
well as soldiers of the Egyptian
army. So demanding was this phase
of the film-making that he suffered
a near fatal heart attack while atop
a huge boom overlooking a shot he
was setting up for the exodus
scene.
The end product was unarguably
an enduring classic, despite the
film's sometimes unconvincing and
amateurish special effects and an
over-reliance on budget-saving
rear-projection scenes filmed in
Hollywood sound studios.
In a pre-movie appearance,
DeMille claimed that his intention
"was to create a story, but to be
worthy of the divinely-inspired
story created 3,000 years ago."
The service at Blyth United
Church April 23, was the second
Sunday of Easter. It was also
camping Sunday with the seasonal
colour being white. The church was
decorated with a tent and a lot of
camping gear.
Greeters were Lavern and Joan
Clark, while the ushers were the
Sanderson family - Elmer, Maria,
Jonathon, Antony and Stephanie.
Looking after the nursery was Diane
Ferguson while Marlene Toll looked
after the junior congregation.
Rev. Stephen Huntley, opened
with Call to Worship, Prayer of
Approach and Words of Welcome.
This was followed by the hymn All
Creatures of Our God and King.
For the children's time, the
minister's message was on camp-
ing. He asked them what they
Brussels United Church had a
special Palm Sunday Service on
April 9. The service opened with
the Call to Worship, led by Rev.
Cam McMillan followed by Holy,
Holy, Holy. Hymn Hosanna, Loud
Hosanna was sung.
Rev. McMillan called Mrs.
Lillian Beer to the front of the
church to present for dedication, in
memory of Jack Mitchell, the
Easter Pulpit Drape and
Communion Table Runner. The
Drape is on behalf of friends and
neighbours and and the Runner is
on behalf of the Beer and Mitchell
families.
Jack passed away two years ago
April 1. He was a member and
faithful usher at the church for
many years. He had served on the
board of trustees, the stewards and
His thesis was: "Should man be
ruled by God's laws or by the
whims of a dictator?...Are men the
property of the state or are they free
souls under God?"
It is important to note that
DeMille spoke these words in the
context of the East-West Cold War.
He was determined to do some
political instruction about the
perceived merits, sanctity, and
superiority of democracy.
Nevertheless, I feel that DeMille
strove to be faithful to the biblical
texts insofar as he used them. He
admitted that other ancient sources
needed to be researched in order to
fill the gap between the time Moses
was an infant to point at which he
killed an Egyptian and fled into
exile.
As I watched The Ten
Commandments this year, I began
to imagine committing a
Hollywood sacrilege - a 1995
remake of the film. In addition to
more authentic location shooting,
there would have to be a new
director-producer and an entirely
new cast of principal actors who
are recognizable to contemporary
audiences. Indeed, the only
surviving original cast members of
note are Charlton Heston, Yvonne
deCarlo, Nina Roch, John Derek
and Debra Paget.
And so, in my mind, I set out to
create my Ten Commandments cast
of thousands with the following
results:
Director: There was no contest
here. Stephen Speilberg emerged
the clear winner. Who else would
more gleefully practise his special
effects wizardry on the possibilities
of this film and, in so doing, make
sure that he outperformed DeMille?
I am certain that his parting of the
Red Sea would make us feel as
though we were crossing it with
would take on a camping trip.
They replied, "clothes, bathing
suit, sleeping bags, flash light, bug
killer".
The minister added, "A Bible".
He told them that by going
camping they get to hear about
God. Everything He has made is
outside, water, birds, flowers,
sunshine fish. By going to camp,
they can worship as well as love,
fun and good fellowship.
The New Testament lesson, from
Acts 5: 27-32 was read by Lorna
Fraser. The Old Testament Lesson
was from Joshua 3: 1-8, 14-17.
The choir sang an anthem
entitled, Lord Jesus I Love You.
The theme of Rev. Huntley's ser-
mon was on camping. He continued
on from the children's message,
a Sunday School teacher of the
boys' class.
Rev. McMillan dedicated the
Drape and Runner to the "Glory of
God" in memory of Jack Mitchell,
followed by prayer.
Barb McMillan called the
children with their palms to the
front of the church for their
Storytime and Palm Parade.
Children then left for their Sunday
School class.
Ralph Watson read the scripture
lesson, Luke 19: 28-40 followed by
the choir singing the anthem The
Communion Hymn. The choir has
given faithful hours of service to
this church.
Rev. McMillan spoke on the
"Symbols of Jesus".
Hymn Let Us Break Bread
Together was sung, followed by the
Moses. So ostentatious would
Speilberg's effort be that it would
probably qualify as the 11th plague
for those have grown jaded of his
grandiosity that he has flaunted in
one movie after another.
The Musical Score: John
Williams immediately sprang to
mind. No price would be too high
to pay for the former conductor of
the Boston Pops and composer of
the eminently successful
soundtracks for such noteworthy
Speilberg classics as Raiders of the
Lost Ark, Star Wars, and E.T.
The Dramatis Personae: This
offered limitless possibilities. Mel
Gibson and Harrison Ford tied for
the pat of Moses, the great
deliverer. As Nefretiri, the
sensuous Egyptian siren who
carried a torch for Moses
throughout DeMille's version, I
envisaged Marissa Tomei to
replace the late Ann Baxter. Ben
Kingsley who sported a shiny dome
for his role in Ghandi was my
choice for Rameses. However, both
he and my second choice, Patrick
Stewart (Star Trek: The Next
Generation) may lack the
uncontrived cold-heartedness and
exoticism of the late Yul Brynner.
For the slinking, ingratiating
Dathan, I finally chose Danny
DeVito, who I am confident would
bring just the right combination of
repugnant despicability to the role.
See Tom Cruise as Joshua. I
would cast Demi Moore as Lila, the
water girl and Joshua's love
interest.
Sally Field, fresh from her role as
the mother of Forrest Gump, was
given the nod as Yoshebel, Moses's
mother. His wife, Sephorah would
be played by Holly Hunter (The
Piano). Bithia (Moses's surrogate
saying "camping is not that new. It
goes a way back to the history of
the people of Israel who once lived
in tents. When Joshua was camp-
ing, crossing the River Jordan. God
was performing His many miracles."
The hymn, Lord of the Dance
was sung followed by Minute for
Missions which was read by Bill
Howson.
Preceding Commissioning, Bene-
diction and Choral Response, the
hymn, Mine Eyes Have Seen the
Glory was sung.
In the hospital is Molly Grant in
Wingham.
The London Conference of the
UCW is being held at Lambeth
United Church, April 23, 24, 25.
The delegates attending from Blyth
are Lenora Davidson, Shirley
Rutledge, and Susan Howson.
sacrament of the Lord's Supper.
Hymn Jesus Thou Joy of Loving
Hearts was sung and the response
"May the Grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ from us ne'er depart"
brought the service to a close.
Many guests attended this special
Palm Sunday Service.
Missionary news
Mark Woods of Goderich was
guest soloist at Auburn Missionary
Church on Sunday, April 23. He
sang People Need the Lord, He
Gave Himself and The Choice is Up
to You.
Pastor Carne's message on
dealing with discrimination was
taken from Acts 6: 1-7. We all
prefer our friends, he said. In the
Continued on page 25
Egyptian mother) would star Kate
Nelligan.
Baka, the master builder (another
ruthless villain) seemed perfect for
Jack Nicholson. Others include:
(Moses' brother), Tommy Lee
Jones' Memnet (an Egyptian,
servant woman), Emma Thompson
(The Remains of the Day); Old Seti
(The Pharoah), Jason Robards;
Pharoah Rameses' son, McCauley
Caulkin (wouldn't he look quite
sweet with a bald head and a
prince's lock?); Pentaur
(Commander of the Guard), a
rather wooden role so why not a
hulk with severely limited acting
ability such as Danny DeVito's
twin, Arnold Schwarzenneger.
I could not find a role for Tom
Hanks so his Oscar streak may be
grinding to a halt.
I almost forget the voice of God.
That must surely be in the
repertoire of none other than Robin
Mrs. DoubOre Williams.
As for my own involvement in
the film, I believe that I would
make an ideal second assistant to
the Key Grip.
As for all you nitpicking,
omniscient Siskels and Eberts who
give thumbs down to my choices,
you are free to try to do better, if
you can.
Come to think of it, I hope I
haven't planted an idea in
Speilberg's head - as if he needed
any.
Call me hokey. Call me old-
fashioned. Call me a Hollywood
purist. But I think I like The Ten
Commandments just the way
DeMille made it.
Clarks greet at Blyth United
Dedication service at Brussels