It is interesting to read the comments for and against the book. Chuck Colson wrote that he thought the author took "a low view of Scripture. For example, Mack is tied to a tree by his drunken, abusive father, who 'beats Mack with a belt and Bible verses.' "
I never for once thought that as I read the book. It is amazing how people can read the same thing and get something totally different. Theologians I guess read with a fine tooth comb trying to find faulty doctrine. The book certainly was not written for theologians. From comments of those seeking God, they seemed to have received great encouragement and a whole new perspective on what a relationship with God could be.
Just wonder about your thoughts on the book's theology. There is a ton of it in the book.
For example one of the thought provoking concepts the book brings up that I had not considered was the hierarchy in the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Mack assumes the Father is the leader or head but is told that there is no need for a hierarchical relationship when the relationship is in perfect unity and harmony as it is between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We only need a chain of command in the world because of its fallen state.
From Papa..."Once you have a hierarchy you need rules to protect and administer it, and then you need law and the enforcement of the rules, and you end up with some kind of chain of command or system of order that destroys relationship rather than promotes it. You rarely see or experience relationship apart from power. Hierarchy imposes laws and rules and you end up missing the wonder of relationship that we intended for you."
"We (the trinity) have no concept of final authority among us, only unity. We are in a circle of relationship, not a chain of command or 'great chain of being' as your ancestors termed it. We don't need power over the other because we are always looking out for the best. Hierachy would make no sense among us. Actually, this is your problem, not ours."
Think about this as it applies to the husband and wife relationship.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I recommended a book to you recently that I ran across at Lifeway called The Shack. It has had a profound impact on me spiritually and how I see and relate to God the father, Son and Holy Spirit. I've mentioned it to a few others and recently one of those was Tiffany Crawford a Christian counselor who attends Grace Point. Her response was so profound, a day later, that I have decided I better tell and encourage more to read it.
Tiffany uses our offices after hours to council and does a wonderful job. She had asked to use my office this week and I playfully agreed only if she read the book The Shack. She so promised and I wondered whether she would even remember the title. But she did and she actually finished it in one day. I received her email the following day thanking me for suggesting the book. Her email said the book changed her life forever.
In her blog Tiffany wrote what I have had difficulty in expressing…This book is intriguing...and filled with God's love and patience-- His wonder and honor. It will teach you the truth of who God is---the truth of the Word he's shared with us for so many years. You will be free from religion and rules--from responsibility and expectation--you will learn to rest in Him, love Him and find joy in Him.It is amazing how God can use people and the words they write to encourage, inspire, and bring healing and His love.
All this from a small book and it can be passed on by just a few words of encouragement to buy and read a simple book entitled The Shack. I feel ashamed that I have not told more people about the book, that I have chosen only a few when everyone I know should have been told. But it is the same with God’s love. Why do I choose to share with a so few? Why not tell everyone! As Tiffany proclaimed in her blog, and I whole heartedly agree… Buy the book--read it, pass it on...make everyone you know read it...and then read it again... I will read it at least 1000 more times.... Next time, I will read it slowly--but I couldn't put it down this time...I just wanted to know more about God...
Tiffany uses our offices after hours to council and does a wonderful job. She had asked to use my office this week and I playfully agreed only if she read the book The Shack. She so promised and I wondered whether she would even remember the title. But she did and she actually finished it in one day. I received her email the following day thanking me for suggesting the book. Her email said the book changed her life forever.
In her blog Tiffany wrote what I have had difficulty in expressing…This book is intriguing...and filled with God's love and patience-- His wonder and honor. It will teach you the truth of who God is---the truth of the Word he's shared with us for so many years. You will be free from religion and rules--from responsibility and expectation--you will learn to rest in Him, love Him and find joy in Him.It is amazing how God can use people and the words they write to encourage, inspire, and bring healing and His love.
All this from a small book and it can be passed on by just a few words of encouragement to buy and read a simple book entitled The Shack. I feel ashamed that I have not told more people about the book, that I have chosen only a few when everyone I know should have been told. But it is the same with God’s love. Why do I choose to share with a so few? Why not tell everyone! As Tiffany proclaimed in her blog, and I whole heartedly agree… Buy the book--read it, pass it on...make everyone you know read it...and then read it again... I will read it at least 1000 more times.... Next time, I will read it slowly--but I couldn't put it down this time...I just wanted to know more about God...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Next Meeting
Just a reminder that our next meeting is Monday, March 31 at 7 PM at Grace Point. Same place.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Organic Church?
The author of Pagan Christianity is taking the position that the New Testament church, (organic and small) was the model that God designed and the one that provides the greatest opportunity for everyone to be involved and to use their spiritual gifts. Would the church we see in Acts be as effective today in our culture in the U.S.? Would a totally organic church reach and disciple people to a greater degree than the church we see today in the U.S.?
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Where does it come from...God or ....?
Ikki, your visual aid of the ex-girlfriend is as disturbing as the book. I have found myself saying yes... but, over and over as I read the book Pagan Christianity. I encourage all of you to read and as you do so please comment about what disturbs you, what you agree with and what you don't.
I think most believers just assume many of our traditions and practices in the church are God ordained. It is the story of the wife who cuts the ends off the ham every time she cooks. When asked why, she doesn't know so she asks her mother, who doesn't know either. So her mother asks the grandmother on down the line until they found out that great great grandmother didn't have a pan big enough for a full-sized ham.
When you remove the God ordained lens and see things historically you see that some of our sacred cows are far from sacred. And many are not even practical anymore but we continue to practice them because they are "sacred" when in reality they have no foundation of Godliness at all.
We can laugh at some. Like the tradition of having the "pastor's chair" on the platform. Many traditional churches, including my former church, have chairs where all the staff sit on the platform during services but the pastor's is the biggest and fanciest. That was a tradition passed on by Constantine copied from the Roman basilica for the Roman magistrates and judge. The Catholic church adopted the "Bishop's chair" or "throne" surrounded by the rows of chairs reserved for the elders. The Protestants kept that tradition also and so we have the "elite" clergy sitting apart from the "ordinary" worshippers.
I was shocked last year when flying British Airways to find that they actually referred to their Business class seats as "upper class" seats. They still have that caste mentality in their culture. And we still have it in our churches also. I don't think we have fully embraced the concept of the priesthood of the believer.
When Pastor Jeff and I were in Africa speaking to a large group of pastors a few years ago, the African leader who helped organize the conference asked for all the Bishops to come sit up on the platform area. He then had the elders come sit on the front rows, then the laymen and finally the women could sit in the back. When Jeff got up to speak, he reversed the seating arrangement saying my Bible says the least of these will be first. I don't think I'll ever forget the expressions on the faces of the pastors and the leader.
I think most believers just assume many of our traditions and practices in the church are God ordained. It is the story of the wife who cuts the ends off the ham every time she cooks. When asked why, she doesn't know so she asks her mother, who doesn't know either. So her mother asks the grandmother on down the line until they found out that great great grandmother didn't have a pan big enough for a full-sized ham.
When you remove the God ordained lens and see things historically you see that some of our sacred cows are far from sacred. And many are not even practical anymore but we continue to practice them because they are "sacred" when in reality they have no foundation of Godliness at all.
We can laugh at some. Like the tradition of having the "pastor's chair" on the platform. Many traditional churches, including my former church, have chairs where all the staff sit on the platform during services but the pastor's is the biggest and fanciest. That was a tradition passed on by Constantine copied from the Roman basilica for the Roman magistrates and judge. The Catholic church adopted the "Bishop's chair" or "throne" surrounded by the rows of chairs reserved for the elders. The Protestants kept that tradition also and so we have the "elite" clergy sitting apart from the "ordinary" worshippers.
I was shocked last year when flying British Airways to find that they actually referred to their Business class seats as "upper class" seats. They still have that caste mentality in their culture. And we still have it in our churches also. I don't think we have fully embraced the concept of the priesthood of the believer.
When Pastor Jeff and I were in Africa speaking to a large group of pastors a few years ago, the African leader who helped organize the conference asked for all the Bishops to come sit up on the platform area. He then had the elders come sit on the front rows, then the laymen and finally the women could sit in the back. When Jeff got up to speak, he reversed the seating arrangement saying my Bible says the least of these will be first. I don't think I'll ever forget the expressions on the faces of the pastors and the leader.
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