The Shack

One of the greatest ways to keep me from reading a book is to say, "You've got to read this book!! It's great! You just gotta read it!!" And one of the best ways to get me to read a book is to say, "This book is terrible - it is full of heresy." The Shack is a book that everyone has been reading for a while now, and I just didn't have any desire to read it. Then I heard from a few people, and read some comments on the web, that made me want to check it out to see if it really is as bad as some say. Well....

I read the book this past week, finishing it a couple of days ago. Overall, I liked the book. The story is quite good. There are a couple of places where I feel the author is off-base theologically, especially where he deals with evil. I have much the same feeling about one of my favorite Christian authors, Teilhard de Chardin. Evil is more than just the absence of good or mistakes. I don't know much about the author's faith - one person wrote me to say that the author is a universalist, and indeed there are areas in the book where universalism seems to rear its head. But the thrust of the book is basic, orthodox Christianity.

I can see where some might be upset at the way God is portrayed when Mack gets to the shack. But come on, we all know that God has no gender and certainly no ethnic/racial characteristics. Jesus is a male, yes! And middle-eastern at that. Even the term Father has less to do with maleness as with parenthood and personhood. Given Mack's background experiences God was portrayed perfectly.

There are those who are out to strip the church and her servants of any creativity whatsoever. That extends to ministries such as Rick Warren's Purpose Driven programs, fresh attempts at translating the Scriptures, emerging church themes, seeker-sensitive approaches to evangelism. In the Twelve-Step Programs there are a zillion slogans and one of them is "Take the best and leave the rest." The Shack was a treat to read and will leave a lasting impression in my heart and mind about the overwhelming and captivating love of God for all of us who have ever suffered loss in our lives. And I am glad that God is bigger than my little ministry in Clintondale. I am glad that God continues to move Christians to creativity and risk in ministry. It is only through creativity and risk that we grow.

One Month Already?

It's been a month since I last posted, and a lot has happened since then. The biggest news is that our son Dan has returned from Haiti and is settling in here in Clintondale. It's great having him back!
Our church has been listening to the New Testament through a program called Faith Comes By Hearing, and it has been terrific. We use MP3 discs, players, CD's - acquired through the organization Faith Comes By Hearing to do the listening. There are a number of small groups in the church that meet weekly to discuss the segments we heard. I've been a student of the Bible for nearly forty-five years, and this process of listening has opened up a lot that I missed when I just read. I highly recommend the program - check it out at Faith ComesByHearing.com.
God has been pressing me closer to him through the Holy Spirit. I want to know Jesus more and more. I am tired of "business as usual." I want to see the move of the Holy Spirit here in Clintondale. There is nothing that I can do to make it happen, except put myself in position. The actual movement is up to God. It's not that nothing is happening or that our church is dead. Far from that - Clintondale Friends Christian Church is alive and well. But there is so much more that we can know about Jesus and his Kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus!! Come, Holy Spirit!! Your will be done, Father!!