The Shack by William P. Young

Is it heresy?

Well, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary heresy is defined as

"dissent or deviation from a dominant theory, opinion, or practice b: an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth or to generally accepted beliefs or standards." (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heresy)

This book definitely challenges some accepted beliefs that I had....but I don't think that was all bad. I liked the book. I told lots of people about it, but I couldn't really decide on how to write about it. I hope the others who read it will add their thoughts when they finish.

The image(s) of God in the book were so different from what was in my mind, but their message (s) made a lot of sense to me. The idea of God as a parent really resonated with me. I felt uplifted when reading the book--less guilty about what I wasn't doing right and more accepted for the right things I always try (but sometimes struggle) to do. The part in the book that talked about God as our parent and judgement (loves us enough to give us freedom and independence, always loves us even if our actions disappoint, and never gives up when we make bad decisions--pgs 154-165) was especially powerful.

Probably my favorite quote from the book was one that I'm sure is also one of the most controversial.

"I don't need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It's not my purpose to punish it; it's my joy to cure it." (p120)

As someone who has frequent "guilt issues" I can completely understand this statement. I can also see how this message (and so many similar ones through the book) are so disturbing to some people. There is no wrath or vengeance in this book, and it does challenge many beliefs that some of us have always held as Christian.

Whether this book is just good fiction or divine insight I don't know, but I know I did learn some valuable ideas from the book. I learned that we aren't perfect, and God doesn't expect us to be. God forgives us when we ask him to, no questions asked and he doesn't hold a grudge. I don't think that this gives us a "free ride" through life but it does mean that we don't have to beat ourselves up so much when we sin. We are human--and there was only one human who made no mistakes. That human--Jesus-- took the burden for all of our sins when he died for us on the cross. God sure had to love us a lot to sacrifice the one perfect being that he created. I think that this was the main message of the book. HE is love, and it is HIS love that we show to others through our daily interactions and relationships with them that really counts.

I'd like to read this book again so that I could really absorb some of the thoughts that were so shocking the first time I read them--maybe I'd change my mind and hate it the next time I read it, but I don't think so.

The Votes Are In!

The members of LUMC have chosen a new book to read and discuss. We'll be reading The Shack by William C. Young in late July/ early August. You can find out more about the book by visiting the web site for the book at http://theshackbook.com/index.html. Make sure you post a comment when you've finished to tell us what you thought about the book. Happy Reading!

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

The LUMC Book Club selection for June is Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. After you read the book look over the discussion questions from her website and tell us what you think. The synopsis below is taken from the author's web page at http://www.jodipicoult.com/.

Shay Bourne - New Hampshire’s first death row prisoner in 69 years – has only one last request: to donate his heart post-execution to the sister of his victim, who is looking for a transplant. Bourne says it’s the only way he can redeem himself…but with lethal injection as his form of execution, this is medically impossible. Enter Father Michael Wright, a young local priest. Called in as Shay’s spiritual advisor, he knows redemption has nothing to do with organ donation – and plans to convince Bourne. But then Bourne begins to perform miracles at the prison that are witnessed by officers, fellow inmates, and even Father Michael – and the media begins to call him a messiah. Could an unkempt, bipolar, convicted murderer be a savior? It seems highly unlikely, to the priest. Until he realizes that the things Shay says may not come from the Bible…but are, verbatim, from a gospel that the early Christian church rejected two thousand years ago…and that is still considered heresy.
Change Of Heart looks at the nature of organized religion and belief, and takes the reader behind the closely drawn curtains of America’s death penalty. Featuring the return of Ian Fletcher from Keeping Faith, it also asks whether religion and politics truly are separate in this country, or inextricably tangled. Does religion make us more tolerant, or less? Do we believe what we do because it’s right? Or because it’s too frightening to admit that we may not have the answers?

The Penny by Joyce Meyer and Deborah Bedford

The Penny was chosen for April's "book of the month" because we wanted to read something different. I think this book lived up to our expectations. It was a nice mixture of fiction/ self-help/ and inspirational. The message was simple but clear--God will always be there for you and he loves you unconditionally.
"God puts his love right in the middle of your path. He drops it right there to catch your eye, to show that he can change your life if you'll just let him."
I think this message would translate well into a children's book about kindness. I've been talking with my kindergartners over the past two weeks about small acts of kindness that make a big difference in the lives of others. The message in this book fits perfectly in with what we've been discussing--little decisions, little acts of kindness can add up to make a huge impact. An example was when Jenny gave all of those pennies to others throughout the summer and they later came spilling back onto her from the portable reminding her of God's presence and love.