Here are some things to think about from the first section of The Shack. Feel free to share your thoughts by commenting on this post.
Why do you think the author describes Mack as someone you probably wouldn't notice in a crowd?
Many people find the first section of the book painful to read. Was it painful for you? Do you think it is necessary for this section to be so painful for the rest of the book to work?
How would you describe your relationship with God? How do you picture God?
Would you have accepted the invitation to the shack?
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I wouldn't have noticed this had I not typed these discussion questions before I reread the book...the narrator describes both Mack and Jesus as not standing out in a crowd. What does this say about divinity?
ReplyDeleteAlso, wasn't Mackenzie Phillips the name of one of the stars of One Day at a Time?
I get that the divine is also often the mundane and that the division between the spiritual and the material is one made by man not by God. I like that the God in the book listens to all types of music. Isn't all human artistic expression akin to the divine?
ReplyDeleteThe first part of the book was *very* painful for me to read, in part because my own children are about the age of Missy at the time of her abduction. I do think it has to be painful for the reader in order for us to truly consider whether or not God is "in control," the issue of humankind's free will, and whether God can/does bring good from such tragedy.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I took away from the book was the concept of simply "being" with God, just as you would simply "be" with a friend. I often get into the trap of coming with my wish list (prayer requests) and forgetting to just "be."
Ryan said . . .
ReplyDeleteThe image of devotions at the table with Jesus telling Papa how much he admires and appreciates the way he is dealing with Mack is something that struck me. Is simply being with those whom we love and lifting them up a kind, maybe the best kind, of prayer?