COME SUNDAY

US, 2018, 106 minutes, Colour.
Chiwitel Ejiofor, Jason Segel, Condola Rashad La Keith Stanfield, Martin Sheen, Danny Glover.
Directed by Joshua Marston.

This is a very interesting film about a religious case, based on actual events and characters, in the United States in the late 1990s to the present. The focus of attention is a Pentecostal preacher, a bishop amongst the American Association of Pentecostal Bishops, Carlton Pearson. He has been a very successful preacher for 25 years, a protégé of Oral Roberts and his university in church at Tulsa, Oklahoma. In fact, he has grown up with Roberts as his father figure and religious exemplar. He has been so successful in his ministry that the church has increased in attendance, initially African-Americans?, now white congregation as well, and capitalising on his personality, ability to preach engagingly and make contact with the congregation, moving to television success.

There seems to be nothing that can prevent his progress. He has a supportive wife, with children, a devoted manager, a musical accompanist with great loyalty, an organisational team and promotion. His growing congregation response to his charm, to spirituality in down-to-earth terms, to music, to manifestations of the spirit, slaying in the spirit.

But, he experiences a crisis, partly of faith, partly of his experience with God, very much with the response of his congregation to his questioning of the narrow biblical interpretation of God giving heaven and salvation only to those who explicitly acknowledge Jesus as saviour. His experience of watching television and genocides, famines and death in Africa, especially of children, leads to an experience of God speaking to him, that salvation is for all and that no one is condemned to hell.

For those not part of Pentecostal or fundamentalist churches, the treatment by his congregation comes as something of a shock, they’re turning on him, the quoting of the Bible at him, walkouts, even Oral Roberts disowning him theologically. He is accused of heresy, is called to explain himself before the council of bishops. This causes a great deal of personal anguish – but leads to his opening up to his wife from whom he was always somewhat distant.

On the theological and spiritual level, and on the level of the nature of evangelisation, the film raises questions for the Pentecostals but also for members of other Christian denominations, the tradition of heaven and hell, the concept of God – as punishing/or as merciful and forgiving. This also raises the question of missionary work, is necessity or not, evangelisation, human behaviour and sinfulness if Heaven is for everyone.

The film’s appeal seems to be very limited, to church people (or to those prone to critical of churches and cannot understand doctrines and the binding force of doctrines) has the advantage of a strong screenplay and a cast, many of whom are well-known in commercial cinema. In fact, the screenplay is based on an episode of the radio program, This American Life (featured on ABC Radio National).

Audiences become involved with Clark Pearson because of the screen presence, dynamism, sympathetic charm of British actor, she retail and your for. Pentecostal audiences will infuse to his preaching sequences, zest full. And, like his congregation, they will be puzzled by his God experience and his’heresy on the existence of hell. Other Christian audiences will be asking more nuanced questions, about Pearson’s experience of God, questions about the nature of God and the tradition of heaven and hell, of sin and forgiveness.

Pearson is by no means perfect, has his moods, has his ambitions, ambitions which override his intimacy with his wife. But, audiences will feel his confusion and disappointment as his manager and longtime friend, Henry (Jason Segel) finds that he must separate from him and found his own church. The supporting roles a strong, Martin Sheen Venerable as Oral Roberts, Danny Glover as Pearson’s prison-serving uncle, and introducing a theme of contemporary understanding, likely Stanfield as the pianist, a gay man, trying his hardest to be saved, with Pearson allowing him sexually homosexuality but not to do homosexuality. This theme has been introduced by Roberts pushing away his son who committed suicide, a gay man, and Pearson has to examine his conscience, and his understanding of a merciful and unconditionally loving God.

The film was directed by Joshua Marston, who has directed quite a number of episodes of television but it was tackled unusual themes in his feature films, Latin Americans used as drug mules in Maria cup full of Grace and Albanian feuds and violence in the Forgiveness of Blood.

Audiences interested in the themes and characters will find a great deal to interest, to entertain, to challenge.

1. The title? Target interest? Expectations? The attraction of the central character?

2. A true story, an interpretation? The radio program, This American Life as the source for the film?

3. The Oklahoma settings, the city of Tulsa, the neighbourhoods, the church and the congregation, homes, travelling the countryside, the Ministry, Oral Roberts University, the Bishops conference, and the ordinary sequences in hotels, restaurants, family life? Supermarkets?

4. The musical score, the range of hymns, the verve and enthusiastic singing?

5. Carlton Parker, the background of his family, his mother, his uncle in jail, the visits to him, the protection of Oral Roberts, an equivalent son? His ability to preach, connect with the congregation? The Pentecostal theology, 25 years ministry, the congregation is getting larger, black and white, the music, the verve, slaying in the spirit? The television coverage? His personal ambitions, developing a following, and assured future?

6. The Pentecostal theology, Evangelical, the focus on the text of the Bible, the infallibility of the Bible? To be saved, to confess, to repent? Image of God, severe/merciful? Punishment and reward in Heaven and Health? Firm belief, the nature of the ministry, the nature of mission and evangelisation?

7. The performance by chili teller and you fall, embodying Carlton Parker, as a person, personable, in action, the background of his marriage and its being arranged, the lack of personal contact with her, his children, her role, in the church, her special hats, the staff and the tension with her?

8. Henry as his friend, manager, white? The years together, the ambitions, Higher Dimensions, surveying the posters, his head dominating the words…?

9. The range of staff, the woman in charge, friendship?

10. Reggie, the music, his devotion to Parker, no one else to go, his being affirmed, his performances? The fact that he was gay? Advise not to be gay in action? No relationships? Is striving to be saved, is being hurt by Parker? Going home to his mother, his illness? The condemnation of sin, Carlton and his going to Texas to visit Reggie, and attempted reconciliation?

11. Oral Roberts and his status, influence, his ministry, the University? Carlton visiting him, memories of the past? His reaction to Carlton’s sermon on hell? Coming to the church, walking out? The later visit, Ron and his being gay and suicide in? Rick and the revelation of embezzlement?

12. Carlton watching the television, scenes of famine and devastation in Africa, the children? The effect? Is God experience? God speaking to him? His doubts, God is saving all, the place of hell or not? The complaint that he did not consult members of the board about his experience and his sermon? Their shock, people walking out, friends going away? His being convinced, relying more on his wife?

13. Henry, his character, disappointment, long friendship, management, the meeting, walking out, the new church? People defining Carlton? Roberts and his reference to the letter to the Romans? Carlton and is using John’s letter, God wanting everyone saved?

14. The smaller congregations, the choir, his visit?

15. The theological issues, his standing firm, the contact from the Bishops Council, his decision to go, the interrogation, is asking the head of the Bishops about his own personal attitudes, about his father, and the Bishop loving his father but denouncing him and condemning him to help?

16. The challenge, to the image of God? Issues of faith, Sin, salvation? The issue of homosexuality, sin, condemning the scene, it compassion for Reggie? Visiting, talking, his illness?

17. The continued challenge, the final images and photos, the information about his continued ministry?

18. The impact for Pentecostal and Evangelical congregations? The responsible mainstream churches and more nuanced interpretation of the Bible and deeper theological exploration?