The Princess Bride with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney discuss the 1987 movie The Princess Bride starting Carey Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Robin Wright. Invitation and opportunity often show up looking like pain, inconvenience, and interruption. We can accept the quirks of our story, or get frustrated and fight it. When life isn’t fair, when we are mostly dead, doctrine and theology isn’t enough to get us through—we need story to show us the way.
Join us as we discuss God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
Invitation and opportunity often show up looking like pain, inconvenience, and interruption.
Service is how she realizes he loves her.
Fezzini reminds them of their past, just like our enemy. And he profits off division.
Friends playfully remind us of our gifts and passions.
Westley leading Buttercup through the fire swamp mirrors how Christ leads us through life.
We can be given all kinds of great choices, but love is what counts.
True miracles take time, faith, believing.
God doesn’t do anything that he could delegate to us. CS Lewis?
Even when things look dead, love brings hope.
God gives us what we need for the plan.
Sometimes you need a dream-you never really arrive.
The love of the Father doesn’t always look like a happy story.
We want love, passion, and hope…but those don’t exist in a vacuum of convenience and comfort.
Living happily ever after sounds boring.
Christianity lost the culture when we stopped telling stories and focused on doctrine.
Story can tell you what matters more than a statement of truth.
When life isn’t fair, and we are mostly dead, the five points of Calvinism won’t get us through it.
Story tells us that truth must be lived to be real.
Forging a weapon requires hammering and heat, and our lives are full of hammering and heat.
Stories tell us what to aspire to.
Themes
The power and legacy of story
Forces are set up to divide nations, ruling by fear
We dignify others when we listen to their stories.
“Death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it a little while. I’ll never doubt again.” – Story of the resurrection
“It doesn’t matter. He’s going to come. You can’t hurt me.” - How we should look for Jesus’ return
We can accept the quirks of our story or get frustrated and fight it.
Stories reveal our deepest longings.
Interesting stories need struggle, opposition, and conflict.
We were created to live in a story where it all works out, in spite of all odds.
We need miracles.
We have a desire to see things set right.
We are called to produce miracles, and share those stories.
We need friends who encourage us.
The enemy gets us to believe lies, and believe that it lasts forever.
We pursue empty lovers that don’t satisfy to drive us to the One who knows us.
The power of the story isn’t simply that she gets something, but she is a part of something.
The gospel is a story, an epic, and adventure that we’ve been invited into.
Theology and doctrine isn’t enough to get us through the suffering of this life—we need story.
The 8 truths from the Princess Bride.
There is true love and it is worth believing in.
There is evil out there to destroy you.
With love, there is hope in even the darkest times.
There is true friendship and we need it.
Cowardice is its own hell.
You can be a hero and this is how.
There is a happily ever after, and the worlds you long for really exist.
It’s good to laugh.
Resources
Princess Bride: Home Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8pA_WV9QI
Questions
Why do we tell stories?
Why do we LOVE stories?
Why do stories matter?
How do you respond when the story (your life) doesn’t go how you think it should?
Why do we want a story that works out in the end?
Why do we love miracles?