Video ventures: two alternative to 'Alpha'

SINCE ALPHA APPEARED in 2001 in Great Britain, several efforts have been made to create alternative versions of that popular evangelistic video series. Though approaches differ, the new versions are generally inspired by Alpha's success in helping seekers to learn about the Christian faith, and in helping churches to offer a compelling overview of the faith in an informal, encouraging setting.

One recent series, Living the Questions, bills itself as an "unapologetically liberal alternative to Alpha." But whereas Alpha offers a somewhat systematic introduction to basic issues--God, Jesus' life and death, the Holy Spirit--from the perspective of a theologically conservative believer (Nicky Gumbel), LTQ offers a collage of persons, stories and arguments which seems to assume an audience of people involved enough in church to have been wounded by its fundamentalist versions.

Another new set of video catechetical materials is Beginnings, put out by Cokesbury, the United Methodist publishing house. Like LTQ, though in a different key, Beginnings tries to do non-fundamentalist outreach.

Beginnings is hosted by Rob Weber, pastor of a United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is such a relaxed presenter one may get impatient for him to get to the punchlines and reveal the relevance of his stories. But he wears well. After a few presentations, the listener is eager for the next anecdote, knowing that it will be entertaining and that it will address a vital question. Weber uses humor and speaks with plainspoken conviction. He creates a safe space for believers or nonbelievers to talk.

For Weber, the important question is not "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" but "If there's a loving and creative God, why is the world so messy? And how do I find purpose in it?'" To expect quick and tidy answers to prayer, he observes, is to treat God like a gumball machine. Weber treats the Bible critically but not as a dead historical document. He quotes Martin Luther: "the Bible is alive--it has hands and grabs hold of me, it has feet and runs after me."

The videos offer 20-minute sessions filmed before a small group gathered in a studio. Topics are organized roughly according to the traditional "way of salvation"--from creation, to sin, to justification, to sanctification and so on. The topics are introduced not with churchy lingo, but with questions like "Is this all there is?"; "Who is Jesus and why should I care?"; and "What happens when I die?"

The accompanying book with the same title by Andy Langford and Mark Ralls offers material for students who want to dig deeper. Video segments and chapters alike begin with a story from the Gospels in which a character meets Jesus, told--especially with Weber narrating--so that we identify with the character and meet Jesus in judgment and grace. Intellectual qualms are not ignored--one segment is called "If I don't feel lost, why do I need to be found?"

While contemporary in its references, Beginnings also embraces classical forms of faith. Weber tells of being drawn by Thomas Merton's work to worship at a Trappist monastery. The result: "In the hospitable living of some people who loved Jesus, I met Jesus. Or Jesus met me." The videos include allusions to lots of other theological figures (John Ortberg, Mother Teresa, Frederick Buechner, Anne LaMott, Richard Foster, Walker Percy) who serve as reference points for listeners and suggest resources for further study.

If there is a criticism to be made of Beginnings, it is that it seems aimed primarily at individuals, without much attention to politics or social justice. Its writers do aim to shift from asking "I questions" to posing "We questions" in a forthcoming series that will consider spiritual practices, life in community, and mission in the world. This first series has been used in some 1,600 churches in North America and seen by 20,000 people.

THE 13 PRESENTATIONS that constitute Living the Questions include "Restoring Relationships," "Compassion: The Heart of Jesus' Ministry" and "Lives of Jesus." The sessions are made up of interviews with a dozen participants, each of whom is seen several times throughout the series. Each presentation is a collage, with a musical introduction (jazz versions of hymns), reference to a spiritual practice (walking a labyrinth, journaling), and a kind of aesthetic interlude (scenes of an orchid nursery, shots of a potter at work).

Some participants share personal experiences: a childhood in Korea (Siyoung Park), the life of faith in the segregated South of the U.S. (Emilie Townes), a childhood lived in poverty (Minerva Carcano). Tex Sample's stories, always entertaining and compelling, are a highlight of the series. But while the testimonies and stories are moving, their relevance to the topic at hand is not always clear.