Preaching with Pixar

MUMC7/10/16

“The Incredibles”

1 Cor. 12

I want to welcome you again as we begin our new sermon series “Preaching with Pixar.” Disney's Pixar movies tell great stories that touch on some deeply biblical themes such as friendship, community, sacrifice, reconciliation, healing and hope. So for the next 5 weeks we are going to be looking at some of the Pixar movies and examining how elements of those film stories help to illustrate biblical themes. Today, we will be looking at the movie “The Incredibles” to see how it can illustrate the passage that Jennie read for us from 1 Corinthians 12. But before we go any further, will you pray with me?

Holy God, not because of me, not through me, but inspite of me, let your perfect word come to your people. And all God’s people said, Amen.

So, the movie for today is “The Incredibles.” I want to give you a little background in case you haven’t seen it before. At the start of the movie, we encounter several super heroes, like Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. They are busily saving the world. Mr. Incredible has as part of his persona—the idea that he won’t work with others, telling his potential helpers “I work alone.”

But that doesn’t keep him from falling in love with Elistigirl. The two of them get married, but then life changes for them. Due to a series of lawsuits, Super Heroes are sent into hiding as part of a government relocation plan. Mr. Incredible becomes Bob Parr, and Elistigirl becomes his wife Helen. While in hiding they have three children—Violet who has the super power abilities to cast force fields and to become invisible, Dash, who is wickedly fast, and Jack Jack whose super powers are not revealed until the end of the movie.

But because they are in hiding, none of the Incredible family can use their powers in public. This is frustrating for all of them, but especially for Mr. Incredible. He becomes withdrawn and depressed. He is disconnected from his wife and his children. And he feels stifled at his job for an insurance company.

Let’s watch this clip that shows us what it was like for Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr not to be able to use his gifts:

Show clip – Bob’s Encounter with his boss

In the passage from Corinthians, we are told that we are all given gifts. The apostle Paul is writing to the church that he established there and encouraging them to value all the different gifts that God has given (not just a few of them). He says to them:

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

God has gifted each and every one of us in different ways. And God has created us so that we are meant to use those gifts in our lives. There is a wonderful quote by the author Marianne Williamson that highlights the importance of using our gifts:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

“We are all meant to shine and to manifest the glory of God” by using the gifts that God has given to us. They are not the same gifts for each of us—but each of us is gifted and when we can use those gifts, we find joy and happiness in our lives. When we cannot use those gifts, we find ourselves as defeated and as angry as Bob Parr did in the film clip. It is important to use the gifts we have been given.

But the story continues—after the scene we just saw, Mr. Incredible gets fired. However he is also offered a new super secret super hero assignment, which he accepts. No longer Bob Parr the insurance guy, he is again, MR. Incredible. He is thriving in this set up, so happy to be able to use his gifts again. He starts working out, paying more attention to his children, connecting with his wife. Using his gifts is allowing him to grow in all the other areas of his life.

But there is still a problem. Mr. Incredible wants to go it alone. Again. And in going it alone, he discovers that he has been set up. He has been sucked in by his nemesis, Syndrome. As the plot unfolds, Mr. Incredible is taken captive by his enemy; so his wife and children come to save him.

It is only when all the Incredible family comes together—along with the help of their friend “Frozone” that they can defeat the enemy. It takes each of their gifts—Mr. Incredible’s strength, Elasti-Girl’s flexibility, Dash’s speed and Violet’s invisibility—all working together, in order to win. Let’s watch:

CLIP— Super Heros fighting the Omnidroid

What a great illustration of how our gifts are meant to work together. In our passage for today, Paul puts it this way: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

God gives us gifts—but those gifts are not just given for our individual benefit—they are given for the good of the community. We are to use our gifts together, functioning as one body, to accomplish the work that Christ has called us to do.

Two weeks ago, our church had VBS. It was a great success—and part of what made it so amazing was the way that so many people came together to share their gifts, to accomplish what God called us to do.

Snacks, Science

Music, Recreation

Bible Stories, Organization/Administration

We could not have done that without a wide array of gifts.

Each of us has been given gifts—talents and abilities—by God. And we are at our best when we use those gift, not just for ourselves, but with others—so that we can accomplish what God is calling us to do. That is what scripture teaches us—and that is Incredible. Amen.