Better Than Advertized

Last night I went to the Bo's Cafe release Party with about 500 other people. Paul Youngs, the author of The Shack was the key note speaker and he was definitely better than advertised. I was really impressed by the lives that authored these books. John, Paul and Brian of Bo's were not only very likable, but committed to be what they describe in their book. I have a new Discussion Guide ready for Bo's Cafe, but my Computer is on the blink so I can't post it yet. (I am using Dee's now). Even if you don't like to read, get a copy of both books. I haven't seen if Bo's is on audio yet. I suppose it will be. It would be great if they could record it they way it was done last night. It will support the Grace Cause! Grace really is greater than all the problems that can over power every one of us. the shack discussion guide

The Shack Annotated discussion guide, Ch 9

A well meaning friend suggested that I read some reviews of The Shack posted on some popular web sites. I have already read many and I don't agree with most of them. Typically they take a line from the Shack and create a theology on that line entirely out of context. Besides, I have already written the most extensive review of the Shack (and compared it to scripture) that can be found on-line. I am pretty sure I know what the Shack says. The following is my notes on Ch. 9 which is available to anyone who wants it. Compare it to the scripture yourself and see what Sarayu has to say to you.

CHAPTER 9
A LONG TIME AGO IN A GARDEN, FAR, FAR AWAY
128 What do you think of the description of Sarayu?
129 What is a fractal?
A an indefinitely complex pattern that looks simple at first glance.
How is your life a fractal?
A More complex than the sum of the things I do that consumes my time and energy. There is more to me than what even I see. I am a mess in many ways but beautiful to God.
131 God created all things good, are all things still good? Explain.
A Mankind’s attempts at self direction and independence has turned things that were created good into things that are very bad. Relationships have turned to abuse, sacrifice becomes slavery, Truth is relative, God is absent. Creation itself groans.
132 Detail how a good creation is being dragged down.
A Abuse of people, misuse of the environment, pollution of every sort that poisons the body, soul and spirit. No God, No Glory, no hope. Nothingness is all that can be hoped for in a godless world.
How and why is it happening?
A Mankind’s stubborn self seeking independence instead of cooperating with and enjoying a living relationship with the creator.
Why is creation full of mysteries? Which ones fascinate you the most?
A It is a gift of love from the creator and it also directs us back to him. My personal Favorite: Hubble telescope space shots.
How does Sarayu define freedom? Based on that freedom, are you personally free? Free from what to do what?
A freedom is trust and obedience inside a relationship of love. We are free from the tyranny of rules, regulations, lists, have to’s, shoulds, Should nots, performance, points, expectations, failure, success, shame, guilt. We are free to live in love, accepted, protected, guided, empowered, inspired, visionary, simplicity, humility, grace, joy, fearless, confident.
133 What might the roots symbolize that Sarayu and Mack are digging up? Is it just good gardening or something more?
A the roots are the unseen attitudes and intents of the heart that could spring up and choke out the new plants they were planting before they had time to take root.
Why was it a disaster for humans to have eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
A It started the race down the path of independent living, each deciding for himself what was good or evil based on how he was impacted personally.
134 Besides the Garden of Eden what other “rumors of glory are hidden inside of what many consider myths and tales”?
A The flood, The exodus miracles, Jonah, the miracles of Jesus, The resurrection.
Why do people resist the biblical accounts of creation as fantasy and yet accept inconclusive or contradictory scientific theory as fact?
How is your process for determining good from evil different from Mack’s process?
135 What happens when there is no absolute reality to objectively define Good and Evil?
A There is no basis for judging anything. Do whatever you want until someone with more power stops you. There are no standards, no morality, no right, no wrong. Nothing matters. It should be the norm of life IF we were not created.
What did eating from the Tree do to man and creation?
A The spiritual was ripped away from the physical leaving man to wander on his own in an aimless, pointless, lost existence, coming from no where, living for nothing and going no where. The spirit of Man died that day.
How much time do you spend trying to acquire what you see as good and avoid what you see as evil? How’s that working for you?
136 What happens when humans determine good and evil for themselves? What is the chief result?
A It allows man to play god in his self determination and independence without any of the prerequisite abilities for doing it successfully. Man becomes fuzzy in his thinking about God and seeking to be free ends up in a bondage he cannot break out of.
What is Evil?
A The absence of Good. Read the third paragraph pg 136 for the complete description.
What are the implications of “Both evil and darkness can only be understood in relation to Light and Good; they do not have any actual existence”?
A The do not have the power we credit them with having. Simply add light and the darkness disappears.
How does light and good actually exist? What are the relationship implications of that?
A They exist only in God. The further we are from him the darker it is. With God living in me, light exists in me, not darkness.
Why does independent living always result in evil? Are there any exceptions?
A It always ends in death and darkness because it is not where god is.
137 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?
A Rights are something I determine and must fight for to protect and keep, even if it means infringing on your rights. First rule of rights is mine come first. I get to make them up as I go, change them on a whim and never have to communicate the lines to another until they are threatened. I will use any power, strategy, system, institution, threat, or force at my disposal to keep my rights as I see them. To surrender is tantamount to the death of me.
What does Sarayu mean “rights are were survivors go, so they won’t have to work out relationships”?
A Rights are a life long struggle to find and defend. Battle scars abound of every sort. Rights are a walled fortress that must lock out every other human being and God lest they be challenged and overthrown. I can only live in relationship to the degree I surrender my idea of personal rights.
When a person is demanding their rights, what are they actually doing? Where will that lead?
A choosing to live independently of everyone. To maintain their rights they will have to destroy another’s rights. It will lead to darkness, separation, loneliness, despair, grief and to exactly the opposite of what they think enforcing their personal rights will lead.
Can you get your rights by demanding them?
A of course. You have the right to be alone, live in the dark, trapped by unrealized dreams and desires, defeated, deflated and on the way to being destroyed, void of what you thought you were getting by demanding your rights.
What is the net result when we surrender all rights to God.
A Freedom, light, liberty, the pursuit and possession of happiness, the fruit of the spirit, confidence, life, purpose, power, fulfillment, adventure, mystery, surprise, glory, praise and the like.
In relationship to God?
A A peek into the depth of the love of God. Participation in his actual activities on earth now and for eternity. A chance to bring him glory. Understanding, loss of fear, regret, guilt and shame.
In relationship to others?
A The opportunity to love and be loved, to share, fulfill and be filled, to understand, fellowship, worship together. To be more than you could be alone. Be free of expectations, performance, demands and fear of abuse. To live and serve with no fear of being taken advantage of. To know friendship, experience a oneness like the oneness that exists in the godhead. To have a little bit of heaven on earth. To live and love free. When I give up my rights I don’t have to protect myself from you. I have nothing to protect thus nothing to lose but much to gain.
Why did Jesus give up his rights as God to become Man?
A To make all the above possible.
How does God react to our anger? Elucidate
A With eternal love of purpose.
138 What does the garden of your soul look like? Is it a mess or a fractal?. Why do you say that?
A Fractals are only possible when Romans 8:28 is in effect with God’s children. Without his working, it is just a mess, and ugly at that.

The Shack Annotated discussion guide, Ch 8

Our group finished Chapter 8 tonight. Thought some might like to see our discussion.

CHAPTER 8
THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
118 How do you know God is especially fond of you?
A Typically we look for some favorable circumstances to determine the depth of God’s love for us or lack of it. While any pleasant experience may provide some emotional comfort, it is not a good basis for determining the strength of God’s love for us. It is as fleeting as the emotion it brings forth. ONLY in His Word can we see the depth of His love and commitment to us. Creation, the cross and His Coming again says it all. The Spirit bears witness to our spirit that he loves us. No emotion, experience or evidence, pro or con, can trump the declarations of God’s love for us.
119 Who is God angry with? Does God get angry with believing children? Why do you think so?
A I personally would disagree that God becomes angry with his believing children, but it is not a big deal to me either if you disagree. God can be mad at you if you want. In this conversation Papa is including ALL children, some of whom will be consumed by her Loving Wrath. That part I see. My reason: God has no reason to be angry with believing children is because He is in total control, He is in me and I am in him (see above, Col 1:27-28, Romans 8, and Eph 3)and he does not hold, count or remember any of my sin against me. The sin issue was settled on the cross when Jesus was made to BE sin for us and broke it’s power over us in his resurrection.
Isa 1:18 Come now let us reason together, Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
PS 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
HEB 10:17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
PS 103:12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. What things would you find much easier if you were just to accept what is?
What is included in “What is”?
A Everything that is unsettled, contradictory, incomplete etc about God revealed in the Word.
120 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”?
A The eternal plan was to recapture the original purpose in perfection. Jesus did that on the Cross. Papa is working it all out now. Originally man walked and talked with Jesus in the garden but independent thinking moved Adam and Eve to sin. Our problem today is NOT sin (which was taken care of on the cross) but independent self will. We have been saved from our sins, we need to be saved daily from our independent self and consciously live IN CHRIST and Christ IN US. If we concentrate on the relationship independent living that expresses itself in sin will not be an issue.
121 What captured Mack about the way Papa, Jesus and Sarayu communicated?
A The simplicity and beauty of their relationship, their oneness, their love for each other, how they lived in harmony.
Who is the leader in the trinity?
A Jesus said in John (above) the father was greater and he was the same as the father. This is one of the contradictions that is declared and never explained. It is part of the WHAT IS above. Where we are used to seeing hierarchy, the trinity only knows unity. Jesus is submissive to the Father, but not in the way we understand submissiveness. There is no disagreement here. If you try to figure this out perfectly you’re going to get a migraine and or ulcer! Young’s purpose here is to help us to see the relationship that we are invited to partake in, not to understand the incomprehensible. This section really challenges us to consider how we relate to each other in our institutional churches. Jake Coleman’s So You Don’t Want to go to Church Any More takes a serious look at the inherent flaws in the typical institutional church. He does not call for the overthrow of the institution, but the renewal of working and living in relationship in the body church, not the building church. He is calling for the institution to promote relationship, not sacrifice relationship for the institution.
Unfortunately some people may take an extreme view of this general subject and decide that institutions and hierarchy are not a part of God’s plan for people. Clearly this is not the message intended here. God does have a hierarchy in the home, church, business and government. Of course there are going to be abuses in a fallen world, but the plan and commands in respect to authority is still in scripture. The issue is not leadership but relationship.
122 What is the difference between a circle of relationship and a chain of command.
A There is perfect unity, agreement and oneness in the circle of relationship that exists ONLY in the trinity. Because of sin, that probably can not and so far has not existed among any circle of believers. Our fallen nature makes it impossible for us to live without some sort of hierarchy and command structure. Each of us are too selfish and independent to live in that kind of harmony. It hinders us from joining in true relationship but there is NO REASON WE SHOULD NOT TRY. Obviously there would have to be some basic agreement on the plan or submission would be tantamount to becoming someone’s slave. Ideally, a body of believers could, should and will adopt a new ideal and head in this direction. Sadly, until we are perfected we will fall short. Better to fall short trying. To the degree we succeed in community, we will experience a little heaven on earth. A good place to start:
PHP 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

PHP 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:…..


Why would the trinity NOT need or desire an authority based structure?
A They are one, united, equal, indivisible, unique, infinite, perfect, complete, finished. They have no need to grow in any sense.
Why is it hard for humans to reach true relationships?
A Independent spirit always looking out for self first. Unworthy, unwilling, untrusting.
Does a hierarchy have to act like a circle of relationship?
A NO and realistically as much as possible, yes. I am the pastor of a small church made up largely of interrelated families. I am the unchallenged leader by all standards. I would love to live in unity with all but I do not know how to stop babies from acting like babies. NO way will I let the toddlers decide what they are going to do in the nursery. They need protection and love. If I just let them run they would play in the parking lot and eat all the cookies. A very strong hierarchy must exist for their protection. Similarly, I cannot just encourage every young Christian to do whatever they want when they want. Some structure must exist and God has placed me there to lead. My goal is simple: Unity and maturity according to Eph 3:14ff. I know I will die without reaching it completely, but maybe I can set the stage for the next generation to come closer to the “wonder of relationship we intended”. Right now if I killed off every aspect of institutionalism, the patient would die also. It is the best I can do today.
123 How have we confused “adaptation for intention or seduction for reality”?
A Because of our stubborn independence we have had to adapt to a hierarchy over relationship, but that was not the original purpose in the garden. Reality of life exists in relationship with people, not power over them. Note here that Papa tried to get Mack to go easy on the greens making him pull twice. She warned him he was eating too much and told him she was looking out for him, but let him eat all the same. Why? Papa already has a solution at hand. Sarayu gives him the herbs to settle his stomach later, but he still got sick to his stomach first.
Is it always dangerous to choose independence over relationship? Are there any exceptions?
A To the degree that we choose independence (read I want it my way) over relationship in any human, be it church, work or marriage, there is danger. Independence produces power struggles, each side looking for some advantage, neither side willing to give in for fear of the loss of control. The golden rule of the street kicks in here. “He who has the gold makes the rules!” Proverbs is full of wisdom of who to stay away from. In relationship living the other golden rule applies; Do unto others.
How does God work within our systems while trying to free us from them?
A As we learn to live loved in relationship with God and each other we will discover that God works in, around, through or without the institution and approaches the individual and offers a new way of living in relationship with Himself that is void of institutional trappings, rules, expectations, performance, demands and any laws that do not fulfill the first and great command to Love God and each other.
What systems do you need to be freed from?
124 Why was man made in the first place?
A To live in relationship with Him and each other.
Are you yielding to the matrix?
A PHP 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. PHP 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
PHP 2:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
PHP 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. PHP 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! PHP 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, PHP 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, PHP 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
What would life be like “unencumbered by structure and simply free to be in relationship with God and one another”?
A Heaven
What kind of hierarchy will there be in heaven for eternity? What could that imply?
A Assuming there is not a hierarchy as we would understand here on earth, we would live in the circle of love and relationship with God, sharing all that he is. If that is correct, to some degree we can begin that kind of living now by consciously refusing independence and choosing relationship with God and others.
In your life has “everything that has taken place …occurred…exactly according to this purpose, without violating choice or will”?
125 Why does God not stop evil?
A He will not over rule free choice in general and the evil that effects any individual can only be understood in the context of his life and eternity. We cannot understand all that God knows and sees now. People living under the illusion of the God of their imagination instead of the God of revelation will turn against their God for failing to protect them from harm. They confuse WHICH God they are angry with, often blaming the God of revelation for something He did not desire or cause. They become hardened against God in general insisting on their own independence and power. The alternative is to recognize the difference between the self inclined God and embrace the scripture defined God who promises to work it all together according to his purpose. The God of Scripture is not a liar. He wins every case in court.

If God does not stop evil, does that make him complicit in the evil? Explain
A To make God complicit because he does not use the totality of his power to control all evil is comparable to making the US Army complicit in terror attacks. One well placed nuke would stop all terrorist activities in Bagdad. Build a wall all around some cities and don’t let anyone in or out. Restrict all movement with the threat of death to violators. That would defeat the entire purpose of trying to set them free. The goal for both is freedom, not annihilation.
Can any choice I make cause God to have to alter his plan or purpose? Why do you think so?
A He already took it into account. A fun mental exercise is to consider that because God is the ultimate source of everything of any description and is timeless, he never planned anything or thought anything as a man would think. He simply is I AM It leads to the conclusion that he is large and in charge and can be trusted with every detail, big or small. RO 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
Does God literally use every choice we make for the ultimate good and the most loving outcome?
Why doesn’t it always feel like that?
A We have limited vision and understanding of our fractal. We also fail to see God is bigger than our sin or problems. Our view of God will also cloud our feelings. We fail to believe that God really does love us completely and totally.
126 What were the lies that Mack had bought into that caused him to say that the ends justified the means?
A That God uses or is in some way associated with evil. God is not totally good or trustworthy. A self centered view of the universe. Mack is feeling insignificant, like he does not really matter when the truth is that he is the highest of God’s creation.
Is there a sense in which you share Mack’s underlying flaw?
If you are worried or anxious about something, is that an indication that you share Mack’s ailment? Why or why not?
What is trust? How is it achieved?
A Trust is the “fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved” It is achieved by growing in the relationship one step at a time. It is not about performance, rule keeping, standards or any institutional set of values. It is walking and talking together, sharing and listening. It is truly believing that God is love and has your very best interests at heart.
How did Papa say he would help Mack learn and change? Would that same thing work for you in your life?
What did Papa mean when he said it was not performance?
A Nothing we do can make Him love us any more or less. We must believe God truly loves us.
127 What did Papa mean when He said, “we’re not justifying it, we are redeeming it”?
A Mack was trying to make sense of his daughters murder and did not feel any good result could justify his loss. God was doing much more than justifying it, he is redeeming it by breaking the power of evil. Mack is only seeing this from his personal perspective not the totality of what God is doing both now and in eternity. Consider the greatest sacrifice, Jesus. God made that work for the good of all mankind even though the disciples and Mary could not see it or understand it.

Above is a year old picture of my part of relationships. I place it here becasue it is reminder to me of how important relationships are. In my 40 years of ministry I have often been troubled with the state of Christianity in general and the Church in particular. I have wondered if there were not something missing, something we should have a better grasp on than we do. One area of weakness seems to me to be in our offer of salvation. I watched a YouTube video of the magician Penn, (of Penn and Teller) tell of a man who came to a show to give him a Bible. He claims to be an athiest but admits that if anyone truly thought there was a litteral hell, that person should do everything he could to keep anyone from going there. While hell is real and avoiding it is important, avoiding it is NOT the reason God created us. The reason is seen clearly in THE SHACK by Paul Youngs. Along about page 102 God explains to Mack that unless He, as a trinity, lived in love and relationship, He could not offer it to anyone else. Consider deeply for a moment the reality that in essence the universe has only two componets: God and NOT God or the Creator and the Created. God exists in what we call the trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A 100% understanding and explaination of this is beyond me but here is what I do understand. At the very core of the nature of God exists a relationship among the trinity. Somehow in their agreement and united counsel they decided to create man in their own image in order to include man in their relationship. Salvation is NOT just and offer to avoid hell, it is an offer to here and now enter into that eternal relationship with God. It is an offer to live knowing you are loved completely and eternally. Our problems are not that we sin but that we reject the offer of living in relationship with Them, choosing instead to live independently. The Good News is not just that we can avoid hell, but that we can litterally live in a relationship of Love with the Creator. Is that the way you always thought about it?

Meeting with Wayne Jacobsen

The Shack editor/contributor/publisher Wayne Jacobsen was in Arizona this weekend and I had the opportunity to visit with him for a while last night. I really enjoyed our time even though I had to share it with a few others. I found Wayne to be real, likable and worth listening too. One of the reoccurring questions asked centered around raising children, in or out of the institutional church. His answer was simple. Parents raise children, not programs. I believe that and have taught it for years. How do we teach our children? The way they did in the OT. Use life to teach life principles. To help illustrate how to do it, I posted 101 sermons in a second on immanuelmission.com. Here is a sample.

101 SERMONS IN A SECOND: Using every day life situations and common objects to keep central the message of Christ.



1. Activities: Choosing friends and activities Put food coloring in cooking oil and mix in water. Let it stand for a few minuets. Note how it separates. Sometimes there are reasons to put the together for a while, but some things will just not stay together. 2CO 6:14

2. Anger/Temper: Baking soda and vinegar in balloon. Pour backing soda and vinegar into a balloon. The expanding balloon represents what happens to us when we get angry. COL 3:8

3. Anger: Can you pop a straw? Pinch both ends of a straw and rotate the straw end over end causing the straw to wrap up on itself. The center of the straw will form a bubble. Have someone flick the end of the straw with their finger. If it is wound tight, it will pop with little pressure. This illustrates what happens to all of us when we get “wound up to tight”. The least little thing can make us POP! PRO 29:11

4. Arguing/Yelling: Have you ever tried to argue in a whisper? PRO 15:1

5. Auto Breaks: Brakes are used to slow down and stop a car. What slows down and stops our bad behavior? PSA 119:11 If we have memorized His Word, it will act like the brakes in a car when danger pops in front of us.

6. Auto Bumper stickers. What bumper sticker do you like? Should we have a bumper sticker on our car? What should it say?

7. Auto Gas fill up = Wouldn’t it be nice to never have to put gas in the car? Just like we have to keep our car full of gas, we must keep our bodies full of food and our spirit filled with Him. JOH 6: 35

8. Auto Gas Gage: The gas gage on your car reminds us to keep the tank full so we do not run out of gas and become stranded. What reminds you to keep your spiritual tank full? Sunday Worship, Bible studies, Family devotions. Heb 10;24-25

9. Auto Windshield cleaning Sometimes windows get so dirty from daily driving we cannot see clearly out of them, especially when it is dark outside. To see the road clearly and be safe the windshield must be washed. Sometimes our spiritual windshields need to be cleaned too. Sin and attacks of Satan have stained the window and it is always dark outside in this spiritual world. We clean our windshield with confession to see the life ahead with the light of God’s Word. ACT 28:26-27

10. Braces: Make braces a reminder that the tongue needs a guard. PRO 10:19; JAM 1:4. 1PE 3:10

The idea is not to lecture children in a school type setting but to trust the Holy Spirit to lead you to teach as life happens. Just keep it real. There are 89 more on the web site if you need some help getting started.

The Love Shack

Some quick background before I get to the point. Last night was our regular Shack Discussion Group. We started with a pot luck featuring the deer I brought back from New Jersey a couple weeks ago. Most of the group never had eaten deer before and for safety’s sake we had some wonderful stand by Mexican dishes, but the three deer roasts and 7 steaks totally disappeared. I am having the stand by Mexican menu for lunch today. The group discussion and an email about the Shack from by good friend, Dr. Steven Stanley were on my mind long before sun up this morning. Steve is the smartest and most well balanced theologian I know. He is so gifted that he has been approached by the publishers is currently writing part of a new biblical commentary set for LOGOS. Rush Limbaugh brags that he can operate just fine with his “talent on loan from God with half his brain tied behind his back”. For Rush it is a brag, for Steve it’s a fact. Steve’s calling from God is to keep my feet solidly on the ground. My calling from God is to get Steve to walk in the clouds. In his email recommending the Shack as a valuable book to his church he regrets that the authors neglected the justice and holiness aspects of God, keying in on a statement made by Papa as to God’s purpose of love for mankind. I would never pick up on that distinction personally, but then again, I’m not nearly the critical thinker Steve is. It does not bother me (maybe it should) because we approach things from a totally different perspective. His approach is analytical, balanced against all positions and possibilities. He is so good at it he went to the most liberal school in Europe he could find for his PhD just to make sure he could defeat their arguments soundly on their own turf. National school evaluators declared him a “teachers teacher. In Top Gun and Men in Black speak, that is the best of the best. My approach is far more relational, which is why I always talk to Steve when it comes to critical biblical issues. This AM (and a fair part of last night) I am weighing Steve’s valid comments about the Shack against my slightly different thoughts and approach. If this were to be judged on who is technically more correct, I would probably default to Steve, but since this is just my blog I’d like to point out the difference between the technically correct evaluations of Professor Stanly and the relational observations of Papa Z. I have the more impressive title, just ask my 10 grandkids! Steve and I view things from a different perspective because our personal histories are so different. I was raised in a very strict household by an ironfisted dictator who loved me deeply and always. Steve father was not a believer and died when Steve was a young teen. They were not real close. One incident illustrates our different viewpoints. Some time I will tell you why we pulled our boys out of the public schools. It had to do with affairs, guns, gangs, blood and lawyers, but I will save that for later. Now to the point: One morning I had to check 7th grade Dustin into school a little late. When we came into the office we could not reach the counter due to the 30 rebels standing there arguing with the secretaries. The secretaries were shouting, literally, for the kids to go to class and the little rebels totally ignored the threats and refused to move. That was totally unacceptable to me. For those who have never met me, I am 6’ 2”, around 260 lb and at that time in my life was benching 300 lbs 3 days a week in the gym. (I am paying for that vanity now in my elbows). I raised my voice, (not in a yell, just volume) instructing the children, “you were told to go to class, now do it!” The room went dead quiet, every eye turned on me. There was momentary hesitation until Dusty, standing beside me, advised, “you’d better do it, he means it!”. Silently they cowered, heads down, tails retracted, leaving the office like scolded puppies. I broke the ensuing stillness with, “why do you put up with that?” The truth of the answer is the root of why we pulled the boys out of school, but their answer that day was “do you want a job?” (Which incidentally I did take some years later.) Realistically, what could (not would) I really have done if they had ignored my instructions? I could have totally destroyed them, not that I ever would. They had to make a decision on the spot with only the information provided by a peer. They only saw the size and power of the law giver standing before them and opted for swift retreat and the relative safety of a classroom. OK, the couple of menacing steps I made towards them may have had some influence on their decision, but Dusty was not afraid because we lived in relationship. He knew what I could do, hence the warning. But he lived in the balance of power and love with what I would do. Today I have no relationship with the throng of slinking children who perfectly obeyed me once in the face of certain death, mayhem and destruction! (: I do however have a wonderful relationship with Dusty, who to be honest, has not always perfectly obeyed, nor does he cower in fear. That is why I am OK with the story of the Shack. Steve’s critical analysis is no doubt precisely correct. I look forward to the well deserved lecture I will get should he read this. I may even bait him into reading it. He will agree where he can and instruct where he must. The all to oft heard two word prayers requesting God to condemn something or someone generally categorized in the prayer by IT, gives me reason to believe the public at large has no problem understanding how powerful, just and holy God is. I just don’t think they really comprehend how much God loves them. Being convinced that they are aware of his justice and power I prefer to emphasize God’s love, something I rarely hear of in public. Evidently Paul shared my concern in his day too.

EPH 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

For me to continue to tell people that God can beat them up is like preaching to the choir. They already profoundly believe that measuring every circumstance in life to evaluate God’s current attitude towards them. A century ago “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” was a powerful message. It scarred many of that generation out of hell, but (squint here if your sensitive) it did not scare the hell out of them. I’m thinking the message of God’s incomprehensible love for them just might do both. The Love Shack message makes me fell like I can fly with the eagles, not hide in a corner like a Thanksgiving Turkey awaiting the inevitable.

The Shack Reactions

Hundreds of small groups and chruches from all denominatins and walks of life are discussing The Shack. I have personally sent out nearly a hundred of my own study guides to bridge the gap for when the offical guide comes out next year. Comments and opinions are as diverse as the groups that are reading The Shack and it is my personal observation that much spiritual growth is coming from it. People are being set free to Love God and live loved.

My cousin in Kansas just happened to run across my comments in the News Week article on The Shack last month. It surprised him that I would be so “progressive”. In his terms, that would be a good thing, I think. Had he known my dad better he might not have been so surprised. Dad (Waldemar Walter) was raised in a strict German immigrant family in Los Angeles. True to the times, they had a rule for everything and Dad did a really good job at keeping the rules. So good, that I can tell you today exactly what he did the couple of times he did not keep the rules of the day. I am conflicted as I write. I want to tell you of the ONE time he did break a rule when we were together…but with 50 years of silence and loyalty I think I will leave it in the locked archives of my childhood memories. Dad an I can have one secret. For the overly curious, it was a minor fishing law violation that may not even have been a violation at all. Like I said, Dad kept the rules but he never had the rule keepers attitude… you know the one where the saints the fruit of the spirit is lemons! I think my dad would really have liked The Shack. For the upcoming Shack movie he would have casted Ma Phelps as Papa. She was everything you would imagine Papa to be except her cabin was a one room shanty with strung blanket walls. Once when I was going through a difficult emotional time Dad took me to her shanty for a personal revival. She sat me down in an old wooden chair, stood behind me, laid her hands on my head and prayed and prayed and prayed. I don’t know what she did or said but whatever was troubling my spirit melted under the warmth of her hands and prayers. For his time, Dad was on the cutting edge of Christianity. He ministered in Youth For Christ and was willing to do whatever it took, personal feelings aside, to bring teens to Christ. He had little physically to give, but gave all he had and more for the opportunity to minister. There was a popular Christian Rock band in the mid 60’s. He HATED rock but paid for the band to come and share on the local high school campus assembly and a special concert that night. He refused to listen spending the night in the parking lot. He preferred the pipe organ but loved to tell teens about Jesus any way they would listen! It really bugged him that so many lemon saints (as in loving the fruit but enjoying the sour expression) would, as he would say, “sit, soak and sour” to the point that they were “so heavenly minded, they were no earthly good”. He understood the difference between culture, times and the heart of the Gospel. His mantra was “never change the message, just the method” when it came to presenting the gospel. I guess Dad was progressive too, and that's a good thing for sure. I guess Dad was more of a pineapple Christian. He appeared to be prickly on the outside, but was pure sweet goodness on the inside.

Annotated Shack Discussion Guide

I have not blogged for a few days because I have been putting all my time and efforts into finishing my Annotated Shack Discussion Guide. It is all my notes and scripture references for the Discussion Guide I have posted. Now that it is done, I am not quite sure what to do with it. It is fairly comprehensive and contains a lot of personal anecdotal material . I will share it with anyone who wants to use it. I have sent out about 40 copies of the discussion guide in Word 03 to people who found it with a google search. I have no way to know who may have clip and pasted the on line version.

The Shack or the Woodshed?

Since I know that the majority of my readers are intuitive females you will be wondering from the last blog what is wrong today. I am not gonna tell you....except to say that someone I love did something stupid in reaction to a life time of pain. In many ways The Shack is their story too. They were hurt, they hurt others and the pattern continues. They question why God let them be so hurt so young. They have no excuse for hurting others in return. They are now in a situation that I can do nothing about...again. Only our Heavenly Father can heal, the wound is between them. It has nothing to do with me. I fear for them. I hurt for them. I want better for them. Part of my fear is I know they are going to have to go to their own SHACK and work it out with Father just like Mack did. I am ok with that. Been there, done that...more than once. I just realized my problem in the process. My mental picture of the Shack is wrong. When I think of my loved one going to the Shack, I am pictureing a woodshed!. God does not have a woodshed, only a cross! My loved one will be safe and loved in the Shack. I have it on His Authority.

(FYI: The Shack is a fictional book by Paul Youngs and is on the NYTimes best seller list)