On Wednesday we took our friends, John and Donna, to our favorite restaurant here in our tiny town and as they say, a good time was had by all.
Before she left, Donna loaned me her copy of The Shack, by William P. Young, which a mutual friend had recommended. "I liked it", Donna said. So later that afternoon I began reading, though I confess I speed-skimmed the paragraphs relating to The Great Sadness, as it's referred to in the book. Too heavy, disturbing for my mother-of-a-daughter soul.
But when I reached the part where Mack returns to the shack? Well, I was hooked. Amazing stuff! The more I read, the more peaceful I felt and I loved being reminded of what I had forgotten, and learning new things, as well.
Around the halfway point, I went to amazon.com to read what others thought, rather like my way of sharing the book, book club style.
Good grief. What a lot of fuss! Definitely one of those you love it and it changes your life or you hate it and cry, "Blasphemy!" books. I disagreed with the complaints and accusations, most which stated the author wrote exactly opposite of what he actually said.
Sigh. Christians!
Why are so many sour ol' spoil sports? Why can't we do like the Bible says--the be quick to hear and slow to speak thing? Why are we so afraid of that which we don't immediately understand? Why do we toss away books (and teachers, evangelists) if we disagree about just one or two points? Why do we judge things according to the way our pastors/friends/parents judge them, as though they are the be all, end all in this life? Why can't we, instead, ponder these things inside our own hearts, allowing the Holy Spirit to have the final say?
Why do we always have to have it the way we've always had it?
All right. Stepping down from that soap box. I'm on page 189 of The Shack and I've yet to read anything heretical, so if that makes me an ignorant ol' heretic, so be it. All I know is that this is the book I needed at this moment in Time. Words fitly spoken like apples of gold in pitchers of silver.
Thanks, Donna.
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In order to learn new things, we often must un-learn something old. Since that's hard for most of us, it's a miracle we ever grow and change at all.
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Sunday Update: Today I finished reading The Shack. Loved It. I want to read it again, this time more slowly. But I want to buy my own copy so I can underline the thing like crazy. シ
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11 comments:
Thank you for taking pictures! So beautiful. I haven't read The Shack yet, though I keep hearing about it. I've often wondered the same thing about Christians. Yours is one of two Christian blogs I actually read because you are not that way and your wisdom so obviously comes from your connection with God. Heretic or not. :)
It's a moving book. I read it and loved it.
I agree. As the mother of daughters, the "great sadness" part of the book left me too much of a mess to get alot out of the rest. I plan to go back and reread the shack portions later. A few things did not ring right with me, but hey, ok, different strokes. I can still learn and take away what is meaningful to me. I don't pretend to know everything and I want to be open if God is trying to tell me something. I love your blog. It really speaks to me. Thanks
I completely agree with you! I enjoyed the book and appreciated the different view of God it gave me - helping break a lot of the "God is regularly angry with you" mentality I grew up with in church. I'm not taking the book itself as gospel but I appreciated the kinder view of a happy God that longed to love us much more than he longs to punish us. I hope you enjoy the last parts of your book!
I guess we'll be hairy ticks together. I thought it was a thoughtful presentation, that can really grasp one's heart and open the door for discussion and healing. I've recommended it often.
:)
Back from a week at my daughters helping with her darling but very colicky baby! So refreshing to catch up on many of your posts, Debra. I haven't read The Shack but agree with your comments about wondering why Christians don't ponder more before speaking and not be so judgemental. I have experienced it in other places. Why is so much wonderful wisdom in the Bible ignored? Because it really is, by people who are rushing to judgement. I don't have an answer here, but I do love your blog because it is full of truth and forbearance as well as inspiration and comfort.
I wish I'd read it now. Someone sent it to my husband and he hated it so I just gave it with some other books for the library sale.
Our taste in books are not the same and he tends to be quite the "black and white" person (what can I say, he was an engineer).
If I come across it again at the library sale, I'll be sure to add it to my stash.
I have not heard of the book,but now i am intrigued, I may have to look for it. As always I love your post!
when i read the shack last year - it felt like a hug from God at the end ... so many things just resonated within me ...
i bought about 6 copies ... gave them away ... i also gave a copy to our local library - it was immediately on everyone's "hold list" and wasn't put into the regular stacks until just now (10 months later!) because it was going from one "hold" to another "hold" ... i also bought the audio book - leo and i listened to it (i blogged about it last year and got some "i wouldn't read THAT book comments") ... leo just loved it as well ...
yup - well worth the read - so glad you enjoyed it too! :o)
I watched The Shack for the first time last Sunday. It is one of the best movies i have seen till date. The story writing and the concepts create a great curiosity among the viewers. If you have not watched this movie yet then you must watch movie online.
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