Sunday Matinee #90 Renfield
Grow to your OWN full power!
James 5:13-20 | EnterTheBible.org
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost | 09.29.2024
Context: The writer of James concludes his letter with a call to prayer. But not just a prayer for what you want. Instead, it’s praying for one another, being there for one another. Your community members cannot grow to full power from their maladies without you at their side.
13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up, and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
Renfield | 2023
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: Young Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is not as young as he seems. For centuries, he has been servant of Dracula (Nicholas Cage), getting him fresh people on which he may feed. But in the 21st century, Renfield is having second thoughts about his life. He is in a support group for co-dependents and here, he has a true breakthrough as group leader Mark (Brandon Scott Jones) gives him food for thought on putting his own needs first for a change.
Mark: You’re the one with the real power! And all you gotta do is take it back.
Renfield: How do I do that?
Mark: Focus on your needs.
Renfield: I mean, I just haven’t thought about any of my needs in years.
Mark: But if you were to stop focusing on his needs, what would happen?
Renfield: I don’t–
Mark: Yeah, what would happen?
Renfield: He won't grow to full power!
Mark: Exactly! “He won't grow to full power.” What? That's so weird. Why would you phrase it like that? But, yes, he’s right!
Commentary:
I need to get my life together.
I won’t make anyone raise their hand to acknowledge if they’ve said that to themselves, Dear Reader. I’ll say this, though: I’ve been there. Getting it together, for me, often involves prayer and planning and teamwork and action. Hmm, sounds like all of the major themes we read about in James the past few weeks!
The writer ends the letter encouraging people to support each other through prayer. He doesn’t write pray for yourself or for the things you want but for one another. This premise suggests a community of mutuality, filled with relationships that understand the value of give and take. That’s where you’ll find healing, accountability, confession and repentance, and new restoration. Is that a far-fetched utopian fantasy? No, it can happen!
Small groups are for everyone. I’ve heard it said that if you have a problem at 3 in the morning and you don’t have 5 friends you could call to at least talk about it, you need a small group. Thing is, many people don’t want to try those because A. you have to be vulnerable, 2. you have to take in other people’s vulnerability, and D. if you already have baggage you may feel uncomfortable bringing it all with you. Perish the thought. Small groups are exactly the place to work through all of those things. It may not always be pretty, but it can always be pretty good. I think that’s what James is getting at for this young faith community - it won’t be easy, and you can do amazing things if you work together.
Houses of worship have small groups, schools and other organizations have small groups, and then there are the classic support groups. People who come together once a week to share and listen and grow. What better place for Dracula’s assistant to bare his soul?
Renfield talks about what it’s like serving Dracula for centuries, though in a skewed way so as not to arouse suspicion. Finally, he has a breakthrough: his relationship with this creature of the night is not mutual. Dracula has made Renfield more vulnerable. However, Renfield is the one with the power. He realizes hey, maybe if I stop (literally and figuratively) feeding this (literal and figurative) vampire’s narcissistic cravings, I might actually get my life together! Because, really, what does he get out of this? Dracula never helps Renfield achieve anything except an impressive collection of blood-stained clothing.
James calls for the community to pray for one another. Mark encourages Renfield to share his struggled in group. James suggests helping others. Mark’s advice to Renfield is to help yourself by not helping a vampire overlord every second of your life. James writes of healing as a community. Mark speaks of emotional detaching from a toxic relationship. If James was in this support group, maybe he’d give Renfield a slap on the back and say, “Finally, bro, you’ve got it. No more serving the wrong master!”
In both this scripture passage and this group session, the overall vibe is, “You’ve got this.” Do you need healing and restoration to get your life together? You’ve got this. Do you need boundaries and less murder to get your life together? You’ve got this. Once again, let’s hear it for small group communities!
If you haven’t seen Renfield yet, it’s a lot of fun. Bloody, bloody fun, but fun nonetheless. We do get to see more of this support group, including what happens when they go to pieces and as they find restoration. Those scenes are part of the fun twist of modernization for this ancient, blood-sucking tale. And, if you aren’t currently in a small group of people who trust one another, I truly recommend that, too.
May you find - and offer - ways of healing in mutual support. Who knows?
Maybe you’ll get your life together and learn how to finally stop doing the emotional heavy-lifting for the Dracula in your life.
Again, I won’t ask anyone to raise their hands today, Dear Reader…
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