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Old 09-22-2008, 10:45 PM
 
3,553 posts, read 5,132,903 times
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Quote:
I'm in the process of reading The Shack right now.

I rarely read fiction but it's beautifully written... can't wait to finish it!

( and, btw, HotinAZ.... I need to ask your forgiveness... Would you please forgive me??? )
You are forgiven.

While I would still agree it doesn't hit the extremely hard notes on our doctrines of faith, and the sin alienating us from Almighty God, our Father, it does deal so much with our relationship with Him, and the power of forgiveness. How the absence of His Light leaves us in never-ending darkness.

It humbles me greatly, and my heart melts. God is so great, that even calling God great seems like an insult to God. He is just God, the I AM that I AM. And for God to Love us that much to give us Himself in the manner which He did, is unfathomable to say the least.

Sometimes we get lost in translations of the Bible. Reading a book outside like this, does a soul great. I have been reading C.H. Spurgeon and boy is he a great sermon giver. This was from his first sermon, and I think of the likes of Paul Young and others when reading it.

Quote:
Are there not other young men who might begin to speak for Jesus in some such lowly fashion—young men who up
to now have been mute as fishes? Our villages and hamlets offer fine opportunities for youthful speakers. Let them not
wait till they are invited to a chapel, or have prepared a fine essay, or have secured an intelligent audience. If they will go
and tell out from their hearts what the Lord Jesus has done for them, they will find ready listeners.

Many of our young folks want to do great things and therefore do nothing at all. Let none of our readers become the
victims of such an unreasonable ambition. He who is willing to teach infants, or to give away tracts and so to begin at the
beginning is far more likely to be useful than the youth who is full of affectations and sleeps in a white necktie, who is
studying for the ministry and is touching up certain superior manuscripts which he hopes ere long to read from the pastor’s
pulpit. He who talks upon plain Gospel themes in a farmer’s kitchen and is able to interest the carter’s boy and the
dairymaid, has more of the minister in him than the prim little man who talks forever about being cultured and means by
that being taught to use words which nobody can understand
.
All I can say to that, is AMEN, and Praise Jesus!
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Old 09-30-2008, 07:42 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,013,559 times
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Default Abba Father...

O.k.... I've been really busy and have been reading this book when I find a few minutes of time.
I'm sure I'm currently reading one of the areas of concern for the people who have been critical of the book.

I'll be honest... I'm REALLY struggling with God and the Holy Spirit being portrayed as women.
It seems that the author is trying to explain and understand the concept of Father God, "Pappa",... being a Spirit... and, to the author a Spirit is neither male nor female. So far in the book, Jesus is this guy who's hanging out in his garage carpenter shop. This seems to be the way the author is trying to bring the Trinity to life for us.

But, first and foremost.... Father God is not feminine. And, to describe Him as such is akin to beliefs that are common in witchcraft...

Isn't this one of the criticisms which were expressed about the book?

Does anyone who's read the book care to elaborate on this part of the book and how they feel about it?

Last edited by World Citizen; 09-30-2008 at 08:05 AM..
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Old 09-30-2008, 08:05 AM
 
Location: PA
2,595 posts, read 4,429,875 times
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I have read the book.

I was hoping that this would be a great theological book, but it wasn't. I hoped that it would be well written, but it wasn't.

The characters were two dimensionsal. The story is predictable. The author did not extend the belief of the reader. Maybe I was expecting too much.

I did not mind God the father being black or a woman. I did not mind the Holy Spirit being an oriental female.

Where I had problems is that the book reads like it is real and the author is telling the story of a friend, where it is ficticious from the beginning. I have a problem with God the father as a man kissing Jesus on the lips (pp.220 second paragraph). This hints at issues of homosexuality that the bible is against. Theologically there is not much there. As a story there is not much there.

I think that the book would be good for those who have had a painful experience like rape or a loved one being killed and attempting to find forgiveness and God's place in the matter.

Would I recomend someone read the book...No! It just aint that good and you spend too much time reading descriptions of scenery that are there becuase the author knew they needed to be there but do nothing for the story or having to wade through many lines of nothing conversation to attempt to glen something, anything.

I think that you would be better off just reading the bible.
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Old 09-30-2008, 11:13 AM
 
3,553 posts, read 5,132,903 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikk View Post
I have read the book.

I was hoping that this would be a great theological book, but it wasn't. I hoped that it would be well written, but it wasn't.

The characters were two dimensionsal. The story is predictable. The author did not extend the belief of the reader. Maybe I was expecting too much.

I did not mind God the father being black or a woman. I did not mind the Holy Spirit being an oriental female.

Where I had problems is that the book reads like it is real and the author is telling the story of a friend, where it is ficticious from the beginning. I have a problem with God the father as a man kissing Jesus on the lips (pp.220 second paragraph). This hints at issues of homosexuality that the bible is against. Theologically there is not much there. As a story there is not much there.

I think that the book would be good for those who have had a painful experience like rape or a loved one being killed and attempting to find forgiveness and God's place in the matter.

Would I recomend someone read the book...No! It just aint that good and you spend too much time reading descriptions of scenery that are there becuase the author knew they needed to be there but do nothing for the story or having to wade through many lines of nothing conversation to attempt to glen something, anything.

I think that you would be better off just reading the bible.
Quote:
I have a problem with God the father as a man kissing Jesus on the lips (pp.220 second paragraph). This hints at issues of homosexuality that the bible is against.
Umm, I have kissed my son on the lips. Does that make me homosexual? Is this the best argument?

Quote:
Where I had problems is that the book reads like it is real and the author is telling the story of a friend, where it is ficticious from the beginning.
Isn't that stated on the back? FICTION?

Quote:
I think that the book would be good for those who have had a painful experience like rape or a loved one being killed and attempting to find forgiveness and God's place in the matter.
As would I.


Quote:
I think that you would be better off just reading the bible.
Would not this be the case made for ANYTHING EVER written?

Quote:
Theologically there is not much there.
Disagreed.

I liked the different approach, as understanding how the Spirit, the Son, and our Father work in unison can sometimes be unfathomable. This puts that in a little more deeper understanding, that can in a small way, be understood.

Quote:
As a story there is not much there.
3 million + disagree, as well as myself. It is still on the #1 slot of the NY times bestsellers list, as of Sunday.
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Old 09-30-2008, 11:21 AM
 
3,553 posts, read 5,132,903 times
Reputation: 584
Quote:
Originally Posted by World Citizen View Post
O.k.... I've been really busy and have been reading this book when I find a few minutes of time.
I'm sure I'm currently reading one of the areas of concern for the people who have been critical of the book.

I'll be honest... I'm REALLY struggling with God and the Holy Spirit being portrayed as women.
It seems that the author is trying to explain and understand the concept of Father God, "Pappa",... being a Spirit... and, to the author a Spirit is neither male nor female. So far in the book, Jesus is this guy who's hanging out in his garage carpenter shop. This seems to be the way the author is trying to bring the Trinity to life for us.

But, first and foremost.... Father God is not feminine. And, to describe Him as such is akin to beliefs that are common in witchcraft...

Isn't this one of the criticisms which were expressed about the book?

Does anyone who's read the book care to elaborate on this part of the book and how they feel about it?
then I would recommend you put the book down, until you actually have time to read it. God, or Papa in the book stated why the black woman persona was given to Mack. To completely throw down any misconceptions that Mack had concerning Him. pg 73 4th para, on how Mack envisioned what He would look like and, clarified on pg 93 2nd para, Papa clears this up.
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Old 09-30-2008, 12:46 PM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,013,559 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HotinAZ View Post
then I would recommend you put the book down, until you actually have time to read it. God, or Papa in the book stated why the black woman persona was given to Mack. To completely throw down any misconceptions that Mack had concerning Him. pg 73 4th para, on how Mack envisioned what He would look like and, clarified on pg 93 2nd para, Papa clears this up.
I remember reading that. He said that because he had such a bad experience with his own father...

and, the white beard thing...

so, HotinAZ.... how do you visualize God the Father?
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Old 09-30-2008, 09:46 PM
 
3,553 posts, read 5,132,903 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by World Citizen View Post
I remember reading that. He said that because he had such a bad experience with his own father...

and, the white beard thing...

so, HotinAZ.... how do you visualize God the Father?
For myself, it would be unfathomable, Immense Light, so Holy to be even beheld. But that is just me. But I would never say God can't do anything He pleases as well. If He wanted to do anything like what happened in the shack, in real life, then God would be the One who could.
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Old 10-01-2008, 07:10 AM
 
5,715 posts, read 15,013,559 times
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Default Holy, Holy, Holy....

Quote:
Originally Posted by HotinAZ View Post
For myself, God would be unfathomable, Immense Light, so Holy to be even beheld. But that is just me.
But I would never say God can't do anything He pleases as well. If He wanted to do anything like what happened in the shack, in real life, then God would be the One who could.

Amen to that. That's how I envision God, the Father..

Like that song, "I Can Only Imagine.."

or maybe, Isaiah's vision....

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke...

Last edited by World Citizen; 10-01-2008 at 07:57 AM..
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Old 10-01-2008, 07:09 PM
 
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I read The Shack this past summer. Before doing so, a friend who is also Christian, suggested that I read it "with discernment."

Here's what I took away from it: It is a fictional account of a man who learned more about the relationship that exists among the three persons of the God head, and as a result was able to love God in His three essences (Father, Son and Spirit) and receive their love more deeply. Consequently, the individual was able to forgive the three people he despised: his daughter's murderer, his severely abusive father, and himself. Personally, I found the book enlightening in the same way that many of CS Lewis' novels were, too.

Peace to all.
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Old 10-01-2008, 07:21 PM
 
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Default The Shack

file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/MAURAB%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg (broken link)
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