“The Chosen has literally changed my life and my faith.” — KATHARINE MENNING
For such a time as this, as the world began to change and shake in 2019, God was about to do some of His greatest work. He used The Chosen to turn back to Him those who will say yes, come closer, see His righteousness and follow Him.
The Chosen team and the Holy Spirit, through cold and storm and COVID tests did dare believe that what God intended no man could stop. It is a lesson all of us creatives need to learn.
Katharine Menning was only one of the blessed chosen to be part of The Chosen’s Sermon on the Mount, but she’s the one Jesus said to highlight in this 12th Issue.
Katharine’s name in Hebrew means pure, and something tells me it’s an accurate description of her heart, her motives and her life. If anyone would cherish a gift it would be this special young woman. Truly kindness and goodness resonate in her smile and joyfulness exudes from her demeanor. I was excited the Lord said to highlight her. Surely, I know she will blush or laugh as she reads this small, but heartfelt tribute to The Chosen and—The Chosen Ambassador, Katharine.
I love the fact that Dallas Jenkins named this series The Chosen, the name itself speaks volumes. The Chosen was selected by God to let us all know how chosen we really are. Katharine was chosen to be an ambassador, but not only by The Chosen, but by Christ. I believe soon the Holy Spirit will prophesy to her heart how seen she really is.
She’s the kind of person that will lift up her head when I know in my spirit there were crushing moments she wanted to do nothing more than cry.
“I see Katharine is a ‘type’ of young creative of this new era that God Himself wants to mold for His purposes. She’s a type because there are others out there too.”
A diagnosis would like to label her, but she gets to choose, like me and like you, which label she will wear. I believe it will be one that would resonate through from heaven to earth from Jesus’ famous words: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
This evening as I write and dot the i’s in this final piece to this 12th issue’s new section “The CHOSEN” I realize it is the 1 year Anniversary since that day where she went from being a dedicated fan, to someone much more. I believe it will be a memory forever etched into her mind (as well as others), a gift she prayed for that finally was given.
There she was with a multitude of other extras in the freezing cold, all full of hope for the opportunity to be a small, but committed, part of something big, The Sermon on The Mount, no one who was there, will ever forget.
If only we could believe and imagine what God could do with our pure heart, and with our honest yes. I think somehow Katharine can now imagine after all that’s happened what a dream buried deep and a hope beyond hope really looks like—God came through.
It’s her pure, childlike heart that longs to know Jesus that touches me, and I believe, touches Him. However large or however small, what lovely thing could happen if we would be willing to give it all? Only a few would dare say, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you wherever you may go.”
It’s not always fun or easy for the chosen ones—Katharine has experienced loss and pain and a sad diagnosis (as many of us have) but still she looks to Jesus and NOW, BECAUSE OF THE CHOSEN, MORE THAN EVER. She says “The Chosen has literally changed my life and my faith.”
Not only did Katharine have a dream, but God had a plan and the two lined up beautifully to provide an exciting journey for her, her younger sister and Mom. They made it to The Sermon on The Mount.
You see, she has her own story to tell (which she’ll be sharing on her blog soon), like all the others highlighted in the Journey to The Sermon on The Mount documentary. God has miraculously breathed hope, healing and purpose back into all these lives. If you haven’t watched the documentary, I suggest you do.
The people selected to be part of the documentary are also part of reigniting an ancient story, should they continue to carry the torch to reach Dallas’s billion goal. I believe all of us fans will continue to carry the torch, because this tv series is wooing Christians, backsliders and prodigals back to this Man of truth and grace.
This Is What I See
The journey to get to the Sermon on The Mount production wasn’t easy and the journey to get to where God takes The Chosen crew next won’t be easy either, for anyone, including Dallas, the film crew, the actors or the extras. But, it doesn’t take an accurate prophetic word to tell you this. It’s clear, anytime you do a God project of this magnitude, the enemy will try to deter the plans of God, and I think God has BIG PLANS.
Imagine the real thing—all the commotion on that day where Jesus would stand up and teach and preach the greatest sermon ever written or heard. Although there is no comparison to that biblical day, in some strange way it seems there are ancient shadows and types playing themselves out in this movement God is brilliantly flaming across the globe.
I see many obvious and profound things God is doing through The Chosen. I see He’s using it as part of a global spiritual awakening, and a shaking (of everything shakeable) that began about the time Dallas and The Chosen came on the scene.
I see all these things leading us back to the Man and Son of God, and whom better to portray and carry an anointing that feels like Jesus, than Jonathan Roumie. I’m certain no one could do it any better.
I see the Holy Spirit revealing Jesus in ancient, but new ways we haven’t seen probably since Jesus walked the earth.
I see Katharine Menning is a type of young creative that God Himself wants to mold for His purposes. She’s a type because there are others like her too, like Noah Bennett, who, at 13, started “Against The Tide Media as a school project.” Now 3 years later he’s built (along with the help of Holy Spirit) a small empire working over there at ATTM, interviewing the cast of The Chosen, and in some cases, even the cast is interviewing the cast. It’s truly amazing! We’ve never seen such a rallying of the troops to get behind a TV series. Only God could be this brilliant.
What else is God doing? He’s bringing the creatives together, to promote The Chosen movement, in our own unique way. God is doing things that we can’t even put words to sometimes, and often we’re too afraid to try. But we all see something phenomenal happening right before our eyes—a glorious tapestry of the love of Jesus and a revival of hearts where people are turning back to their First Love.
Also, it seems like God has called many artists and makers to join in His campaign to point the world to Jesus, through The Chosen “Fan Art.” I’m sure you didn’t miss the cover on this magazine, which is Chosen Fan Art by Guga Sanches (@guga.sanches) and we’ve highlighted others.
We’re in a season of celebration as we unite together as creatives, pray and pursue the hope of God’s love being displayed on a small, big or iphone screen (or in my case, a coffee-table-book-quality magazine). The Chosen has brought us all hope and excitement in that unified and purely-motivated pursuit to use our gifts to make Jesus Christ known. But, it’s so much more than that…God wants those who are thirsty to know, like the Samaritan woman at the well, He offers a living water where we’ll never thirst again. That scene is priceless! So many truth illuminating moments that are etched into our mind, and it’s why it was very challenging to narrow them down to a handful of spreads in this magazine issue.
A Few of the Scenes Etched in Our Minds
There’s that first impressionable scene (at least for me) where I believe we all knew The Chosen managed to grab hold of the emotion and desperation of a lost soul, without a name and without a purpose in a game-changing way. Mary’s experiences of abuse and lies led to sin and oppression and an invasion of the unholy. Oh but for the love of Jesus, He comes to her rescue and calls her by name—“Mary, Mary of Magdala, thus says the Lord God who created you, He who formed you, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine.” That scene from the end of the first show, I believe, left us all on the floor, totally undone! Then Jesus gently grabs her face and shows her so much love that her tormented mind is freed. That look as she is being healed, but at the same time you see the demonic wrestle for just one second on her face, and then the freedom comes—another priceless etching in our mind. She transforms from Lilith to Mary and she says later to Nicodemus in another show (S1:E7) “…all I can tell you is I was one way before and now I am completely different.”
Other etchings—We all love this scene (S1:E4) where Jesus tells Simon, “Put that down for a catch, a little farther out” and Simon rolls his eyes because he’s been fishing all night and says, “I don’t have a quarrel with you, Teacher, but we’ve been doing this all night—nothing.” Then Jesus makes that face, like just watch smarty pants! OMGOODNESS, I love that scene! The graphic artists that pulled that scene together with the massive catch of fish flopping everywhere and the struggle to try to get the net into the boat—oh what a thing of excellence and beauty!—from one designer to the next.
Simon—that first moment where Simon shows the potential for humility (S1:E4) and falls to his knees looking up at Jesus and says, “You are the Lamb of God, yes?” And Jesus says, “I AM.” This scene wrecked me! Then Simon says “depart from me, I am a sinful man, you don’t know who I am and the things I’ve done.” Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid Simon” and Simon responds, “I’m sorry, we’ve waited for you for so long, we believed, but my faith…I’m sorry.” Jesus tell Simon, “lift up your head fisherman.” Of course at this point Simon is surrendered and Jesus has him right where Simon needs to be, on his knees. Finally, that moment of humility comes and Simon says, “What do you want from me? Anything you ask I will do.” Now Simon’s finally ready to hear those words, “Follow me.”
Eden—The scene with Eden in the kitchen (S1:E8) with Jesus honoring her for letting Simon go on mission and including her because the “two are one in marriage,” acknowledging her for her sacrifice, “But, I see you.” Tears welled up in her eyes because she felt seen. Certainly a rare occasion for women back then.
Matthew—The scene where Jesus calls Matthew (S1:E7) to “Follow Me” and that look through the bars where he says, “Me?” And Jesus says, “Yes, you.” Priceless. And, the cocky response of Simon after Jesus calls Matthew, where he says to Jesus, “What are you doing? Do you have any idea what this guy’s done? Do you even know him?” As if Jesus needs to answer to anyone. Jesus is always calm and collected with Simon, but I confess I keep thinking Jesus is going to smack him in the face! I shake my head appalled at Simon constantly! Such brilliant script writing!
Truly, I could write pages and pages of these etchings where my heart and millions of others have been captured and healed by The Chosen.
From a TV Series to a Movement
It Belongs to God—A true movement of God is just that, it belongs to Him and moves by the power of the Holy Spirit. It’s like the wind, you don’t really know where it came from, or where it’s going, but it’s blowing and you can feel it. As soon as we build constraints or structures, then it’s no longer God doing it so the wind stops blowing.
Humble Beginnings—This is how you can tell God is creating a movement with the show. Dallas Jenkins said, “We both know that God is telling this story and we’re just trying to find it, as opposed to create it…I feel like there’s this…(the print page ends here — the quote continues on a page not included in this excerpt.)
In print, this piece runs alongside a photo spread of Sermon on the Mount extras (“#peoplemustknow”) and the full text of Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount itself.