What do programmes like The Apprentice, The Voice and The Bible have in common?
The answer is Mark Burnett!  Today on the  History Channel, a new miniseries is being launched-  but this is no ordinary series; it is one that is going to cover The Bible in much detail.  What also makes this miniseries unique is that the producer is a household name  in the film & TV  industry.

I have been privileged to see a 50 minute  preview of the series and it promises to bring The Bible to life. Mark Burnett has produced this series with his wife Roma Downey and they have shared their passion for The Bible and the importance of bringing it to a modern audience.

With a budget of $22 million, they hope to use modern effects to show the power of God and some of the miraculous events in ways that have never before been shown on film.  Many well known evangelical Christians have been involved in the project and churches are being encouraged to make the most of the series by launching church events, small group studies and  bible study parties.

The popular Bible App, YouVersion, is soon to release as part of their study plans, clips from the series with devotionals.

I personally think this is a great opportunity for us Christians to help others see and understand the relevance and impact of the Bible. So far, it seems they have made much effort to stick to what the Bible actually says with additions that make it more understandable e.g. you will hear the story of creation through the eyes of Noah while he was on the boat. Also, watch out for the scene of Adam being created as well as a very moving scene when Jesus calls Peter and he tells him “We are going to change the world”!

So far, the only controversial scene I have seen is Ananias pouring a jug of water over Paul as his baptism! Apart from that it is going to be one mini series that many will use for reference and in church sermons as we progressively move into a multimedia age.