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A Summer of Movie-Discussion Nights[Part Four: "Sense and Sensibility"]
By Steve Lansingh | The homework idea I mentioned in the previous installment didn't work out as well as I'd hoped; two of the four couples who were at the last meeting couldn't make this one, and I'd forgot to remind Amanda, so there were only three of us to talk about it. I decided to give it another try anyway, though: our question to pray over this time is "What does God want you to do with your life?" or "What is your spiritual dream?" (see question #3 below).
I dispensed with the pen and paper this time and we just each went around the room and gave an answer. (I can see that this won't work when we have all 12 members of our group together; it took a while with just 8.) I liked how everyone was able to give an answer to the question, but it does tend to cut down on discussion when everyone's waiting their turn. Perhaps you can't have it both ways.
This time we didn't bring popcorn, but we made little finger sandwiches and bought little cookies that seemed somewhat English, and Amanda braided up her hair ornately to help add to the atmosphere. Doing theme nights might be a fun idea if you're looking to start up a movie-discussion group -- although not every movie lends itself as well (next meeting is "The Hurricane").
Now, onto the questions: (Oh, wait, I forgot to mention that portion of the movie we watched starts 17:30 into the tape I have, whenEdward and Elinor begin their walk, and ends at 56:30 -- when the Colonel tells Elinor not to wish for Marianne to be "better acqainted with the world"):
Are you like your siblings in temperment or are you different?
Elinor and the Colonel have different ideas about whether Marianne should "become better acquainted with the world." The Colonel wants her to be sheltered while Elinor thinks she needs to experience life with all its lumps. Which do you prefer in your own life -- do you prefer to learn from a teacher or book how to live or do you need to learn from making your own mistakes?
Which would you like more of in church: teaching of Biblicial principles or sharing of what people have learned in their lives?
Edward's parents would rather have him in the army than the clergy. What did your parents want you to do with your life?
What does God want you to do with your life?
Discuss which values from back then and from today you value more highly:
Attire: beauty vs. casual
Manners: hospitable vs. polite
Time: leisurely vs. hurried
Class: rigid social status vs. free market
Marriage: duty vs. freedom
Which do you think God values more highly?
In the movie, the sick and dying are cared for at home. Do you consider that preferable to hospitalization today, or not?
Are there any professions of today that you feel should still belong to the family? (A friend of mine prefers to teach his kids sports himself rather than a coach, because even though a coach might train them better, he wants to build up trust and communication with his kids.) (Another example: homeschoolers find value in taking on the teacher's role themselves.)
Next time I'm thinking about trying to teach our group to come up with questions on their own -- we'll see how that goes!
Don't forget that we want your feedback -- discuss any of the questions above, or share tips about discussion groups!
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