"The Shack" - book reflections (6-5-09)

The Shack - By William Paul Young

Trinitarian Images: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

1. I can't help but think of the book by Christian Schwarz, The Threefold Art of Experiencing God, when I think about the trinity and the various aspects of God as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer
2. Elouisa; “EL” is God, like El-Shadai, El-Ohiem, Dani-EL; etc.
3. Holy Spirit – wind, as in the “ruah” (Hebrew) of God that moved over the waters in creation.The Holy Spirit is wind, fire and breath; when someone dies, we say they gave up their spirit in their last breath. When you lose you breath we say you got the wind knocked out of you

Book Reflections

1. The shack is where his daughter was killed. When he is called to return their a few years later, he is brought into a higher place of dwelling with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This seems to connect with Paul’s vision of being caught up into “paradise” and his thorn from 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. This dwelling is the eternal Dwelling Place of God. The shack becomes the temple of the Lord; Jesus “dwelt” (abode) with us in John 1:14 & John 15:4-7.The 23rd Psalm says, “Surely, His goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Garden of Eden – dwelling place with God.Heaven is a future redeemed dwelling place with God.
2. In the middle of this reading, I woke one night singing these words: "Let us go into the house of the Lord. Let us worship, praise and adore; singing this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us go into the house of the Lord." Dwelling in this relationship brings peace and joy. Singing is a fruit of that joyful abiding.
   
3. Praying the Lord’s Prayer, it says “Our Father” and the word in Hebrew and Aramaic is “abba” and “papa” is another way of refereeing to this endearing and intimate quality of a father or dad. Perhaps this book will rekindle in people the call to pray and develop a relationship with God.
   
4. The weekend away seemed very much like the three days Jesus was in the tomb
5. Image of surrender –page 139
6. Sophia – Greek word for wisdom (Proverbs 2:1-7 encourages seeking out understanding)
7. There were aspects of religious pluralism that was either supportive of or denouncing it on page 184.
8. The purpose for the "LAW" is just to point us to grace it seems from the page 204 writing. We also remember that the "law" is given first of all for good order, to address the human desire to "trespass" boundaries in relationship with God and others. The law also convict us of our sin, like a mirror, pointing us to our need for grace.
   
9. The Holy Communion image from page 238 was too privatized.
   
10. The focus of the ministry of reconciliation that the book seems to come to a conclusion with is rooted in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 24 where repentance and forgiveness is to be proclaimed by the disciples.
    

Bible Passage Related in the story

1. Page 103 – suffering compared to the future glory from Romans 8:18-19 where it says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God…”
2. Page 103 – God is love from 1 John 4:7-12, as when we read verse 8, “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
3. Page 129 – Redemption of our bodies from Romans 8:22-23 where it says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
4. Page 135 – Tree of knowledge from Genesis 2:17
5. Page 138 & 175 – God is light from John 3:18-21
6. Page 168 – Chasm or Veil from Luke 16:26 – “Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” Or from 1 Corinthian 13:12 where it says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
7. Page 179 – New city is Jerusalem from Revelation 22 with trees and river
8. Page 180 – “Church” is in Matthew 16:16 – “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” The word church here is ekklesia (ecclesiology) in Greek and it’s the only time used in Gospels. It means a community or group of followers.
9. Page 183 – Holy Spirit guides as in John 15:26 – “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”
10. Page 184 – People are beloved as in 1 John 4:7; Romans 1:7 & Jesus at his Baptism and Transfiguation
11. Page 184 – We are all children of God, as in John 1:12 and Romans 8:14 and Galations 3:26
12. Page 195 – Mack is called an idiot; Luke 23:34 where Jesus said, “Father forgive them, they don’t know (idios in Greek) what they are doing.”
13. Page 205 – “All things are lawful” from 1 Corinthians 10:23 - “All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial. All things are lawful, but not all things build up.” This passage relates to the freedom of the Christian.
14. Page 224 – God’s Purpose from Romans 8:28 where it says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
15. Page 227 – Ministry of reconciliation from 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 where it says: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.”
16. Page 245 – Time-warp displacement” – God’s time from Psalm 90:4 – “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.”
    

Reflections by: Rev. Dr. Michael E. Thomas
pmethomas@comcast.net
June 5, 2009