I am always amazed when God has to keep after me and keep after me with a very clear message for me and I seem to be oblivious to Him. God has brought "The Shack" to my attention over and over in the past few weeks, and I still did not "get it" until about a week ago. One of my "Godly" friends had read this book and shared her opinion with me. She was totally put off by the entire scenario of the book, so I thought-don't waste your time. When I had a couple in the running group share their love of the book, our college adopted daughter tell me her small group was studying this book, and finally even an anonymous comment about it, I had to see for myself. I spent a great deal of time reading the book, only taking a chapter at a time-digesting that and moving on. I have carefully underlined the "meat" of the book and now I am prepared to share what I think.
Wm. Paul Young is a masterful story teller. Some of the reviews on the books, compare him to John Bunyan, while this might be a stretch, he certainly has a wonderful gift for sharing the gospel story while weaving it through a heartbreaking story of redemption. The story is woven around "The Great Sadness" that Mack has suffered. I dare to say-many of us have suffered some form and some degree of "Great Sadness" in our lives. Most of us also have held onto righteous anger for a wrong-perceived or real-that we have suffered. This is the basis of the story-that and our "relationship" with the Trinity.
Young does a good job of describing the Trinity in a manner that helps us to put it all on our level. I have a real problem with EVER trying to put God on a level that we human beings could understand, but the author explains in the very beginning that he has put a visual that is totally unexpected-in an effort to make it clear that God is NOT who we think He is. Our minds could never conceive the wonder and majesty of God, The Trinity, or the Holy mystery of the Holy Spirit. Young gives you visual as well as word story clues to just how unbelievably HUGE and AWESOME our God and His Person is.
The predominant theme of the book is God's desire to have a personal relationship with us and what keeps that from happening. The road blocks range from our striving for independence to the huge block of "Religion". Young explains the impediments in an effective manner that we all can understand. His explanation of our "Independence" follows right along the path of my opinion of our greatest sin-SELF. I also have always been concerned with "Church" and how church limits the growth of our relationship with Our Lord.
The book eventually leads to the story of "Redemption". I am deeply blessed by God's redemption of each and every circumstance in my life. The realization that God will redeem all the pain suffered keeps me putting one foot in front of the other each and every day. I was reminded that my forgiveness does not excuse anything, but begins the restoration of joy and peace in my own soul. My job is forgiving and God's job is justice-a timely reminder. The author reminds us that while the scar and memory will be forever with us- the sadness can be removed from us through His redemption and restoration.
I would highly recommend this book to all. I plan to shelve my book for future reference. I normally pass books on to share with others. This book is a keeper as it will be a good resource during those difficult times in life. Thank you, Lord, for your relentless pursuit until I read the book-You have blessed me through the author. READ THE BOOK!
10 comments:
I want to read the book once mom gets done with hers....please tell her to hurry up already!!!
Theologically vacuous tripe
LOVE the book also. I read it while we were visiting Cam & Adam last January! Im planning on reading it again.. but Im with you - its a keeper!
GOSH Anonymous-DON'T HOLD BACK-tell me how you REALLY feel!
Well, it doesn't take much moxy to post a rude comment anonymously.
Anywhoos, that book sounds good! I'm excited to read it.
This is from anonymous also...but only because I keep forgetting my user name. I finished the book last week, and I totally agree with you. Just think of all the names the Hebrews had for God. He was the God they needed at that particular time of their life..whether it be "Daddy", "Master", "Healer", etc.
God is God is God...but He is who we need when we need Him.
TRIPE??????? I think not!
Your Goose Creek Buddy
I believe I made a comment encouraging the read on this one....where is my DUE??? hehehehe
Isn't it a great book...sometimes hard to wrap head around but I loved it because I have a MAJOR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD....but not a huge fan of church. AND who couldn't love God even more for being a woman that LOVES to cook! AMEN TO THAT ONE INFINITY!
hmmm it has been a while since school.....i need to look up vacuous. I love it when people post nasty grams and disagree.....nothing like getting someone going.
Haven't read the book but here is perspective from respected pastor friend of mine - my suggestion read it like we should read everything -just the same as we Southerners eat whole catfish - watch carefully for bones! Barbara
Not Really Worth
the Read
Do you know what the number one, best
selling Christian book is? It’s The Shack,
by William Young. This book also made
the New York Times best seller list and is
an Amazon.com favorite. The book has
received all sorts of acclaim from many
well-known Christian artist and writers. It
has also garnered a fair amount of criticism.
Tim Challies’ review of the book
(www.challies.com) is particularly insightful
and his thoughts mesh with some
of my own in this article. And yes, I did
read the book.
Many (readers) have expressed mixed
feelings about The Shack. One finishes
the book with a sense that there is something
good amidst the confusing and
shocking portrayal of God. The book
should not be compared to John Bunyan’s,
Pilgrims Progress, as the cover
suggests. The only similarities are that
there is a “burden” and they are both
written in English. The shack is not allegory.
It would be better if it were.
Mackenzie (Mack) Phillips is the main
character of The Shack. In the story,
Mac’s young daughter is abducted during
a family vacation. Her body was never
found and she is presumed dead. Now,
four years later, Mack feels a Great Sadness
[sic] of anger, guilt, and unanswered
questions.
Mac receives a note from Papa (God) to
return to the shack, where the abduction
occurred, for a time together. Mack goes
to the shack and experiences a weekend
encounter with the Godhead. Each of the
members of the Trinity is present individually
and in human form. Papa, God,
is who named Elouisa (which is Greek for
tenderness) appears in the form of a
large, matronly, African-American
woman (though near the end Elouisa becomes
a pony-tailed, grey haired man).
Jesus is a Middle-Eastern man and the
Holy Spirit is named Sarayu (Sanskrit for
air of wind) a small woman of Asian decent.
Sophia, the lady of wisdom also
makes an appearance.
Papa has called Mack to this meeting so
that he can deal with his (Mack’s) Great-
Sadness. The book is a long and meaningful
dialogue between Mack and the
members of the Trinity. The topics range
from suffering, sin, the Trinity, to free
will and forgiveness. Mack’s faith is dismantled
and put back together over the
weekend and he leaves the shack a different
man. We have all read stories similar
to this one. It is a great book to give your
friends struggling with guilt and sin,
right? Not so fast.
Where The Shack errs the most is in its
portrayal of theological truth. According
to the reviews by its readers, The Shack,
whether intentional or not, has brought
many into an encounter with God and is
having a significant impact on the Christian
community.
Young, the author, who had a tragic upbringing
and never intended for the book
to be published, does not simply use the
Godhead as characters in a story. No, The
Shack is also “a tool for communicating
information about the character and the
work of God.” (Challies) He goes on,
“though The Shack is not a textbook for
theology, and though it may not appear
on the outside to be theological, as long
as it discusses the nature and the plan of
God, it must be so.” Many readers of The
Shack have stated how their whole understanding
of God has been radically
changed by the content of the book. Unfortunately,
Young’s presentation of God
is woefully unbiblical and simply wrong.
The Shack was a difficult read for me. It
took me almost a month when it should
have been a two evening read. The theological
errors were so grievous that I had
to “count to ten” and continue on. It was
a struggle for me to get past the personification
of the Trinity (the Second Commandment
might come into play here).
Even for literary license, I could not dismiss
the unbiblical, by anyone’s standards,
portrayal of God and His (hers in
the story) interaction with creation and
mankind.
Papa tells Mack that he could not have
stopped the murder. He, “doesn’t do
things that way.” God never forces his
will upon anyone. God is powerful in
nature but impotent when it comes to the
affairs of men. The Church is mocked (p.
177) “Jesus” says, “ I’m not a Christian”
to disparage anything Christian.” [There
is a Universality – all roads lead to
heaven- theme here.] There are no certainties
to faith (p. 203). The Godhead is
seen as three goofy and laughable comedians.
If salvation through Jesus is somewhere
in the book, I never found it. Forgiveness
is more about forgiving yourself.
However, that part of the book on
forgiveness, chapters 13-15 is the most
powerful section. It did hold a little truth
and is what most readers would point out
as the transforming part of the book.
The Shack tugs at your heart strings and
is hard, for many, to put down until the
last page is read. I do understand the lifechanging
claims of its readers. It’s emotional
power comes from the face-to-face
(Challies) encounter with God. You feel
like you are getting to know God as you
have never known Him. And you are.
You have never known Him like this,
because this (portrayal) is not a correct
representation of what the Lord has revealed
to us about Himself in the Scriptures.
I very much doubt that William Young
set out to present a distorted and harmful
view of The Trinity, forgiveness, salvation,
and mans interaction with his Creator.
However, this is just what The Shack
does and therein lays the danger. Any
time we create God in our own image we
are creating a less than biblical god, an
idol, and one who will disappoint us and
cause our faith to falter. In my opinion,
the book is not worth the read. Read Tim
Keller’s, A Reason for God, instead. It
answers the same questions
I am curious. I think I have pretty good radar...yet I am leary. I will probably read it.
I wonder what Packer would say.
Hand's down the best book I have ever read..life changing!
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