Welcome to the TIGS blog!

Welcome to the TIGS blog! It may not end up being the coolest website in the world, but where else can you find your four favorite current TIGS sponsors writing about
God
and music
and movies
and TIGS
and whatever else we think of? :)

Enough said. We hope that this site serves you well.

Vince and Mike are BUFF

You can't deny the truth.

:)

Free Christmas music

This is a bit belated, but oh well.

Bob Kauflin posted "Glory Be to God," which he co-wrote with a dead guy named Charles Wesley. You can read his explanation and/or go to the direct mp3 link.

Rush of Fools released "O Come All Ye Faithful" as a free download at the official ROF website.

And Asthmatic Kitty Records is offering the ever-artsy Sufjan Stevens' "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" and "Sister Winter" from Sufjan's Songs for Christmas CD.

Pro-God up, anti-God down at the movies

The Golden Compass, which is based on the first book in a trilogy of books that is, according to its author, "about killing God," was unexpectedly unpopular at the movies these past two weekends: $26 million its first weekend and $9 million its second weekend. Many expected it to be amazingly popular, like the Lord of the Rings movies or the Harry Potter movies. Guess we were wrong! This may mean that the movie will have a smaller cultural impact than I anticipated.

On the other hand, I Am Legend, which some have dubbed a "pro-God" movie, set a record this past weekend for the highest-grossing December opening ever with about $77 million. Curious about how "pro-God" it is and willing to endure plot spoilers? Check out Plugged In's review and Christianity Today's review.

Very interesting trend!

Data from AP's David Germain

The Golden Compass information

The movie The Golden Compass came out yesterday and may become very successful at the box office. It's based on the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

On the positive side, it looks like an engrossing fantasy trilogy in the veins of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.

However, the author has said, "my books are about killing God." He has said that he hates Narnia. Apparently he and C.S. Lewis don't share the same worldview, to put it mildly.

(FYI, the first book apparently doesn't have as much explicitly anti-God content as the second and third. and btw, I'm guessing that the second and third books will be made into movies, propelled by the success of the first movie.)

I will be speaking about discernment with media in general and with The Golden Compass/His Dark Materials in particular at TIGS on January 11.