Chapters 10-13
Happy Wednesday, friends! Next Wednesday I will post some questions over the last 5 chapters, but I also just want to talk about the book as a whole to get your reactions and such.
Can’t wait!
Chapter 10:
-Was Mack wrong to ask for clarification before he stepped of the dock? How do you clarify what Jesus is asking you to do?
-How does imagination make man like God? Where do you spend most of your time living, the past, present or future? Explain
-What commands your sense of the future? How accurate is it likely to be? Remember your past projections of the future. Were they accurate? Is life today what you thought it would be 5 years ago? Share the difference with us. What does Jesus say was Mack’s basis for thinking of the future?
What is your biggest fear right now? What are you failing to believe? How can you tell How much God loves you?
-To you, what is “utterly ridiculous and impossible” right now?
-What is submission all about? How can God be in submission to his creation?
-What does this mean and imply?: “we want you to join with us in our circle of relationship. I don’t want slaves to my will; I want brothers and sisters who will share life with me”? Is this what Jesus really wants? If this” circle of relationship” is salvation, how is it different from what you have thought? How is it the same? How could Jesus be “Mack’s life”? How is submission natural?
-How did the world break? What was lost? How is power the opposite of relationship? Seriously now, doesn’t someone have to be in charge? What is the only way anyone can submit?
-Is Jesus’ life inside you literal or figurative? If it is literal, how do we get it? What happens?
Chapter 11
-What was Sophia’s point in asking Mack which of his children he loved the most?
-Why did Mack not truly believe God is good? What area in your life causes you to wonder if God is truly good to you? Be brutally honest with yourself even if you don’t answer out loud
-Who do you sit in judgment on? If it is easier to answer, who don’t you sit in judgment on?
What authority does it take to be a real judge? Do you have that authority?
-What are your personal criteria for judging? Who or when do you act superior over another person?
-What was the last thing you judged God about? What are the ways we usually judge God?
How effective is judging God in relation to getting our own way?How can we learn to stop judging God? Others?
-Was Mack’s anger with the man who killed his daughter justified? Why or why not? Was the Little lady killer deserving of any compassion or forgiveness? Is there a difference between Justice and forgiveness? Under what circumstances should a person not receive forgiveness? Under what circumstances should a person not receive justice? Would Mack be denying justice to Misty if he were to forgive her attacker? Explain. Can / should God be held accountable for not stopping the evil that is in the world? Why do you say that? If you decide to hold God accountable, how would you do it?
-What did Mack discover about God when he pleaded to go in his children’s place?
-What was the lie Mack needed to let go of? Are you living with a lie you need to let go of?
What did Sophia mean when she said “Judgment is not about destruction, it is about setting things right”. What implications does that have for the cross?
Chapter 12
-How was Missy not alone in her captivity? Have you ever been alone, but not alone?
-Why did Mack sink the second time he started to cross the lake? What is the lesson here?
-How can a person “live loved?” Are you living loved? By who? What did Jesus mean when he said “we’re meant to experience this life, your life, together”? Is this imagery or reality?
-What was the point of the trout? Is it possible that the real Jesus wants to experience His life through us?
-Why do people assume the worst of God when they are in pain?
-How does a person get to be part of the church Jesus is talking about? In your experience, is the church today more relational than institutional or more institutional than relational?
-How is being with Jesus different from the well intentioned religious stuff? What kind of stuff happens in the institutional church in Jesus’ name that he has nothing to do with? Why is marriage not an institution? Why would Jesus say he is not fond of religion, politics or economics?
-What did Jesus come to give? How would living Jesus’ life be different than the one you are living now? How is it the same?
Chapter 13:
-How long does it take for God to put our sins in the past? Why did Papa say she did not even want Mack’s sorrow for his judgmental attitude?
-Have you ever heard someone try to explain a tragedy like Mack did? “Did Missy have to die for you to change me”. Why do people think that way? Have you ever seen God work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies? Why doesn’t grace have to depend on suffering to exist? What did Papa mean: “She was not your sacrifice Mack. She is and always will be your joy”?
Why doesn’t God get exasperated with our continual failures?
-What is Guilt good for? Why will guilt prevent us fro finding freedom in Christ?
What does it mean to “hide in lies”? What lies do people typically hide in? Hide from who for what?
In what way is a lie a “little fortress”? How was Mack lying about not telling Nan about the note?
Do you ever lie to yourself just to feel better or avoid some internal pain or conflict? How’s that working for you? What was Papa’s cure for lies? How is Papa bigger than lies? What does that mean?
-Why does man have a small view of what it means to be human. What does it mean to be human? Is that a big deal? What are the possibilities for man in Papa’s view of being human?
-”You demand your independence, but then you complain when I actually love you enough to give it to you.” How does Papa define his purposes? Why must all things be permitted to unfold?
What did Jesus accomplish in dying? What links our purpose and your destiny forever? Why? How?
What is God’s plan B?
-What did Jesus dying on the cross accomplish? For WHO?
How big a risk did God take in the offer?
-According to Papa, The nature of love is to do what? Do you agree or disagree, why?
Chapters 6-9: so late-sorry
**Friends, this is DAYS late..my internet is jacked up. Please forgive me! I also wanted to know if any of you are interested in posting next week since I will be out of town? Please email if you can help out: mcdonkate@gmail.com**
Some Things to Think about:
-In general, how do you respond to God talking and relating in such a “human” way? Does it feel irreverent or like a relief to you? Does God ever sound like that in your mind or heart?
-“Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship”. In your life, does relationship really triumph over answers?
-Was Jesus alone on the cross, forsaken? Was that in his humanity only?
“Mackenzie I never left him, I never left you”. What is the message and point here? How is God with us in our suffering? have you ever experienced that?
-How do people make up their versions of God according to Papa? How much of God can man comprehend?
-“Humans are not defined by their limitations but by the intentions I have for them”…Clarify.
“relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself—to serve”- how does this relate to God?
-Mac felt most comfortable with JesusOf the three, who do you feel the most comfortable with or know the best? Why?
Why did Mack feel guilty about enjoying his time on the dock with Jesus? Have you ever had a similar experience? Why
-How can Papa say “I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It is not my purpose to punish it, it is my joy to cure it”?
-What captured Mack about the way Papa, Jesus and Sarayu communicated? What do you think this has to say about the Trinity?
-What is the difference between a circle of relationship and a chain of command.
Why would they NOT need or desire an authority based structure?
Why is it hard for humans to reach true relationships?
-Is it always dangerous to chose independence over relationship? Are there any exceptions?
-Why does God not stop evil?
If God does not stop evil, does that make him complicit in the evil? Explain
-What do you think of the description of Sarayu?
-Why is creation full of mysteries? Which ones fascinate you the most?
How does Sarayu define freedom? Based on that freedom, are you personally free? Free from what to do what?
-What happens when humans determine good and evil for themselves? What is the chief result?
- What is the difference between personal rights and being loved. What are personal rights, where do we get them, how to we keep or enforce them?
What does Sarayu mean “rights are were survivors go, so they won’t have to work out relationships”?
When a person is demanding their rights, what are they actually doing? Where will that lead?
Can you get your rights by demanding them?
What is the net result when we surrender all rights to God.
In relationship to God?
In relationship to others?
Why did Jesus give up his rights as God to become Man?
How does God react to our anger? Elucidate
-What does the garden of your soul look like? Is it a mess or a fractal?. Why do you say that?
Chapters 1-5 Discussion
Well, our first discussion day is here!!! I know several of you are past Chapter 5, so please make sure you aren’t sharing anything that will ruin facets of the story for everyone else. Also, I am going to post some general questions, but you do not need to answer all of them or even any of them. I just know if I say “Ok discuss” without any other questions we will all end up saying, “yeah I like it” or something general (myself included)
Feel free to share anything that stuck out to your or is gnawing at you or touched you. Write a sentence or a paragraph or just ask questions…whatever you like! I am looking forward to your responses!
INTRODUCTION
-what do we learn about Mack’s childhood?
-what kind of religious man was his dad?
-Mack says “Nan saved his life and paid a high price to do it”- know any marriages like that?
-”since most of hurt comes from relationships so will our healing” – do you agree?
-what is a love/hate relationship with religion?
CHAPTER 1
-what is your favorite name for God?
-Mack told Nan “I’m sure God knows what he is doing” even though Mack did not personally believe it. Do you ever try to encourage people with things about God you do not believe? For instance? How does this help them? What does it do to you?
CHAPTER 2
-Mack speaks of “the Great Sadness”- do you have one? what is it? what does it feel like?
-Reflect on the story of the princess…the idea of legend/reality..how Jesus and the Princess are alike, etc?
-Missy is free to ask openly as a child- how many of her very raw questions do we struggle with?
-Does God ever ask us to go farther than we want?
CHAPTER 3
-Mack says he doesn’t call God “Papa” because it seems “too familiar”- how do relate to that?
-he also says Nan can call God “Papa” because her own father was good- how related are our ideas of our earthly and heavenly fathers? How is that affecting you?
-Have you ever felt like you narrowly escaped one tragedy just to fall head-long into a worse one? How has that left you feeling? esp. toward God?
CHAPTER 4
-have you ever promised God something ridiculous in a moment of panic?
-how did Kate & John differently handle the tragedy? Which one do you more identify with?
-Why might John have “fared better”?
-does tragedy always create a rift with God? Has it in your life?
-why would someone take on a “stoic, unfeeling faith” in the face of Great Sadness?
-does God often meet us in the place of our worst pain?
-do you think God still communicates with us?
-do you ever wonder if religion changes anyone?
-do you ever feel like God loves someone else more or differently than you?
CHAPTER 5
-do you think faith is suprarational?
-Mack wonders if God is getting him back for what he did to his own dad- would you have that same thought if you were in his shoes?
-If God were to speak to you in some way, would people be skeptical? How could you prove it was God who spoke or acted?
- What does God look like to Mack? Does everyone have their own favorite mental picture of God?
-Since Mack is essentially angry with God, why does Mack pray to him at all?
Is this kind of praying beneficial? Does it show at least a shred of faith and hope?
- “If God was really here he was more than ready to get things off his chest, respectfully of course”…Does Mack really respect a God he does not trust?
- Why was Mack so angry with God? Did Mack really hate God?
-Mack viewed God as the active killer of his daughter and at the same time being indifferent. What is his true heart attitude and hope. Why?
-What exactly is Mack accusing God of when he complained “you’ve never been around when I needed you, not when I was a little boy, not when I lost Missy”.
-Mack sensed a pattern of rejection from God all his life. Was God rejecting him? Have you ever sensed a similar pattern of rejection in your life?
-Mack was in some ways comfortable with the great sadness. Why did he accept it as a friend, painful as it was?
-Mack declares he is “done God…I can’t do this anymore. If God wanted him, God would have to come find him”. Who was really looking for who?
- Can anyone really run away from God?
- What was your initial reaction to Papa as a black nanny?
-Did you ever get comfortable with the image? Why or why not?
-Papa acknowledges that Mack is hurt, confused and angry and encourages him to let it out. How is that different from David’s prayers in the Psalms?
-Can we really hide what we truly feel from God?
-Does God really let us do things on “your terms and time”?
- What was your reaction to the depiction of the Holy Spirit in Sarayu? Did it change? Why?
What was your reaction to the depiction of Jesus. Did it change? Why?
-Why was it hard to focus on Sarayu?
-Papa and Sarayu are both pictured as women. Does this contradict or compliment any biblical depiction?
-Mack asked which one of you are God. “I AM all three said in unison”. How can that be?
-Does the relationship of the trinity become clearer as the story unfolds?
How does it compliment or contradict scripture?
FIRST DAY..
So October is here and so begins our Book Club!
-I wanted to clear up a few things… you don’t need a blog to join, but blogging is fun so you should get one and join the party! *grin*
-Its never too late to join! Just respond to a post and I will add your info to the Book Cove Readers Page.
** If you commented or emailed me and don’t see your name on the list, forgive me for the oversight and remind me to add you by posting again, ok?**
-I will post some thoughts Tuesday night over the first 5 chapters so we can DISCUSS our thoughts and reactions all day Wednesday- can’t wait!!!
Welcome to the Book Cove!
Welcome to the Book Cove friends! We are going to have a monthly Book Club here and I would love to eventually have a collective reading list paired with book reviews!
But let’s just start with the Book Club, first ok? Normally I think we should nominate 3 books and then vote on which to read, but since this is the first month, I am going to pick a book that’s not too long and one I have been hearing a lot about. I know some of us may have read it, but I am going to read it again…
THE SHACK!!!
Even if you’ve read it and want to just skim it again, I think it will make for some really good discussion.
So here’s the reading schedule…
October 8th: Chapters 1-5
October 15th: Chapters 6-9
October 22rd: Chapters 10-13
October 29th: Chapters 14-18
So I will post some general questions on those days, and everyone is free to post and ask questions or bring up quotes or whatever…we discuss those chapters,…just try not to post about things that happen in chapter 7 if we are still in the first week, ok?
Amazon is a great place to find the book at a good price… spread the word! This is going to be awesome!
And email me with your blogs and addys so I can add you to the group…also if you have book recommendations and want to write a review of the book, send those my way too!
mcdonkate@gmail.com
