Cultural Friday Five

Sally, one of our RevGalBlogPals from across the pond, offers us this F5 today:

I have spent the week at Summer School studying the Gospel and Western culture, we have looked at art, literature, music, film and popular culture in their myriad expressions. With that in mind I bring you the cultural Friday 5.

Name a
1. Book
2. Piece of music
3. Work of art
4. Film
5. Unusual engagement with popular culture that have helped/challenged you on your spiritual journey.

Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why?

Book: Necessary Losses, by Judith Viorst. I picked this one among many because "... those who lose their lives will save them" and because others might not think of it.
Piece of Music: The 23rd Psalm by Bobby McFerrin, listen [I hope.]
Work[s] of Art: Two panels of Matthias' Grunewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, Crucifixion and Resurrection. I have shared these before.
Film[s]: Schindlers List, Places In The Heart, The Color Purple
Unusual: Hey, let's talk some architecture, shall we? How about the Community of Christ temple in Independence, MO, which you can read about here on Wikipedia. Unfortunately the pictures don't do it justice.

Now for the Bonus question ... yes, engagement with the world beyond the boundaries of church is very essential to my faith, because I believe that "God is still speaking" there [thanks UCC] and I don't want to put a period where God has placed a comma [say good night, Gracie]. The world is also where the church's mission and ministry is to take place, and where its witness to God's love, peace and justice is CRUCial ....