Interactive Sermon

Attention Groupies .8

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen.A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen.

We covered chapters thirteen and fourteen last weekend.  From chapter thirteen we pondered the statement, "Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."  We discussed how that had been proven true in many of our experiences.  We also spoke about the line, "Faith does not grow in a house of certainty."  It, too, had rung true in our varied journeys.

Chapter fourteen is my personal favorite section of the book--the discussion of verbs and nouns.  We discussed the implications of verbs being neutered into nouns and how that shows up in our own lives.  We also discussed that the statement that God doesn't have any expectations or disappointment with us was likely one of the real theological stumbling blocks for folks regarding the book.

What do you think?

Attention Groupies .7

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Thirteen and Fourteen.

As expected, chapters eleven and twelve gave us more discussion fodder.  We hit the ground running, discussing honesty.  Was Mack acting lovingly or selfishly in withholding the truth from Nan?  Is it ever in someone's best interest to withhold the truth from them?   We wondered about different scenarios, and questioned our own motives where these scenarios took us.  We also talked about judgment and judging others (and even God) relative to Mack's experience. 

We also discussed the difficulty in the fact that there is evil in the world AND God is in control. 

Lastly, the section of chapter twelve where the label Christian was raised caused us all a great deal of thought provocation.  We discussed what we thought the term meant--and what it has come to mean in our society--and how the discrepancies effect us.

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday!  

Attention Groupies .6

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Eleven and Twelve.

Chapters nine and ten gave us several different soundbites to discuss.  We spent time talking through the matter of discerning good and evil, and particularly the parameters through which we would make such judgments--agreeing for the most part that how something personally effects us holds heavy sway.  We also discussed the beauty of the "messy garden" image representing Mack's soul.  The picture of the mess actually being a fractal, and with great design and intent and God's spirit at work there were very comforting to our group.

We spent time discussing where we spend most of our time--past, present or future.  I think this segment of the book spoke to us all.  There was also a lot to talk about concerning submission, love and relationships. 

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday! 

Attention Groupies .5

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Nine and Ten.

In chapters seven and eight, Mack is settling into the experience of this gathering with God.  He's asking some questions--but we get the sense that the real questions he longs to ask are still to come. 

As a group, we shared our observations of the scenes that unfolded in these chapters.  The scene where a bowl of food is dropped and the interactions of God over it; the devotion at the table and how that struck each of us; and the general strangeness of God appearing as a woman, being referred to as both a he and she at different times in the chapters.

We also waded into a few doctrinal issues in these chapters.  The characterization of sin, punishment and justice, and matters of authority and authority structures had us all thinking.  We also spent a fair amount of time discussing relationships relative to the dialogue in these chapters.

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday! 

Attention Groupies .4

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Seven and Eight.

Chapters five and six featured an in-depth introduction of God--as a large and jovial African American woman; a 'regular looking guy', middle-eastern carpenter; and an Asian woman who appeared out of focus.

We talked about the unfolding of Mack's experience and how the author's picture of God both challenged our traditional understandings and served to provoke our thoughts.  We could understand the theological concerns others have voiced about this book, while at the same time enjoy it as a work of fiction.

The group explored some of the thoughts that Mack expressed--like his supposing that Missy's murder may have been God's punishing him for his past, and his contemplation of feeling abandoned by God even to the point of considering taking his own life.

Finally, we considered the sentence "You were created to be loved" and the lessons associated with the bird and its ability to fly.  As we closed we agreed that the matter of man's freedom would be a source of more dialogue over the coming weeks.

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday! 

His Promise Namibia

Wonderful video from onepassproductions. 

Ready to sign up to G.O.?

Attention Groupies .3

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Five and Six.

Chapters Three and Four served to unveil the Great Sadness in Mack's life for us.  One moment a camping trip with his children--everything as good as it gets.  The next moment chaos and then horror at the realization that his daughter had been abducted, and likely at the hands of a seriel killer.

Our group spent time discussing some of that back-story.  We related to the family's camping get-away and the way they drew close to their new found friends.  We relished with Mack the opportunity to count his blessings (before Missy's disappearance) and we pondered the depths of his despair, and the speed at which everything changed.

We also spoke a bit about the how and why questions we're all tempted to ask when tragedy stikes, as well as the dreadful "what if" and "if only" regrets.  Finally, we wrapped up discussing what it might be like to have been one of Mack's friends or family members--what would sympathy and compassion look like?  How might we minister loving care in such dire circumstances?

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday! 

This is the Church, This is the Steeple...

Open it up, and... where's all the people?

Well, studies suggest that they're all online.  I'm amazed at the number of my pastor friends who question the relevance of social media, web presence and blogging.  Read these numbers.

Where are the people, pastor?

Attention Groupies .2

A note specifically for those involved in my reading/discussion group of the best-seller The Shack: This coming Sunday be prepared for a conversation over Chapters Three and Four.

Last weekend we looked back at the impressions that the Foreword and Chapters One and Two had on us.  Where the Foreword was concerned, we discussed the initial impressions we gathered of Mack and Willie, and of their relationship.  We discussed how Willie's statement about Mack's story, "I definitely want everything Mack told me to be true" struck us.

Chapter One's title gave us a little thought provocation--confluence meaning "a flowing together", we discussed the ways in which many things flow into who we are and into our perceptions and understandings of God. 

Over chapter two we mused about the story of the Multnomah princess and the gospel story--specifically how stories are heard and processed.  We also spent time talking about "the Great Sadness" in Mack's life and how clouds of sadness or disappointment are pretty common across our human experience.

Any other impressions you may have had over the opening sections?  Feel free to drop a comment here or pick it up in conversation with someone in the group.  See you Sunday! 

Back At The Ponderosa

Hoss has been thinking.

Three weeks.  That's how long matters of a family leaving one congregation and surfacing in another have dominated the conversation at the local pastor's meeting.  Be assured, it's not just a family deciding to change scenery, but rather showing up in a new location spewing venom towards their previous church home.  It's emotional.  It's personal.  It's a danger within the church community.

If airtime at the meeting wasn't enough, a couple of these matters have spilled into (seemingly) endless strings of "copy all" email.  Has anyone else considered that email is not the best manner of communication over things that have emotional and personal charges attached?  Oy vey!

One pastor has suggested a formal covenant be struck between the local pastors and leaders.  Another has begun drawing up such a document.  Still another invited the leader of a pastor's fellowship in Massachusetts to come visit us to share what they've written up there.  Still another pastor sent an email saying he's picking up his jacks and he's going home.  Email, again! 

A pastor, newer to our group, had a very interesting take.  He pointed out that we've spent the better part of three weeks (I think he's only been with us three weeks) arguing over a small handful of families that are "in" the church.  He pointed out that folks in some 95% of the households in our community don't attend any church anywhere.  He wondered aloud what might happen if we focused some of our energy on those folks.  Let me just say, Hoss likes the new guy.

I'm not opposed to signing a covenant. I'll sign it. I prefer, however, that relationships within our local church community ran deeper than a formal agreement--they were there once. 

For my reading of the scriptures, unity and love are those things, when evidenced in the church, that cause a watching world to take notice.  I'm just sayin'...