The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA “A

The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA “A special note to On-Line users” We are delighted to make use the Web to extend the discussion we are having at St. Mark’s, each of the Wednesdays until late May, as we journey through the Scriptures and reflect on the themes of William Paul Young’s novel The Shack. Below you will find the weekly study questions we use to start our discussion, and also the Scriptures we use in class to illumine our enquiry in the nature of the Trinity, the crisis of suffering, and the related themes of guilt, loss, forgiveness and redemption. This study guide will be updated weekly on Thursday mornings. While you may not be able to come be with us on Wednesdays (at either 10 AM or 6:45 PM), please do not hesitate to contribute your perspective to our conversation or to talk with me about your reflections on The Shack or our study; you may write to me at pastor@stmarksmethodist.com – I’d love to hear from you. I pray that you will both enjoy and benefit spiritually from being part of our conversation. Rev. Dave Rochford, Pastor St. Mark’s UMC The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Wednesdays, 10 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.* April 22 Introduction – Our Method and Hopes for our Discussions April 29 The Nature of the Trinity: what is God really like, and how do we know? May 6 Relationship(s): What is our Created Purpose, and what happens when we choose another way? May 13 Power, Authority and Submission: how does God challenge the way we relate to each other? May 20 The Crisis of Pain: how can a Good God allow Suffering? May 27 Judgment and Forgiveness: from exactly what does Jesus set us free, and how are we meant to live free? *Remember: you are welcome to come to either the AM or PM study on any given Wednesday; both groups will deal with the same theological issues and biblical texts each week. Also - you can bring a friend at any time! 992-3030 pastor@stmarksmethodist.com The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Guiding Questions (for Wednesday, April 29) Session II: The Nature of the Trinity: what is God really like, and how do we know? (See especially The Shack Chapters 5, 6 and 7) Alert! There are two editions of the Shack floating around, it seems. The page numbers referenced below correspond to the edition made available by St. Mark’s – the edition most folks have, which came with a brown sticker on the front cover. IF your copy is an earlier edition and does not seem to “match up” with the references below, subtract two pages, i.e., if the guide references p. 90, that will correspond exactly to your p. 88. I. a) When we first meet Mack, what is his concept of God, and how is it shaping his life? Why might Mack feel the way he does about God? b) How do you imagine God? What in your life has shaped your understanding of God? II. a) How does William Young personify God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit? Is his choice to use women consistent or inconsistent w/images of God in the Bible? b) How did you react to the way that the Author personified the three Persons of God? How might you have done this differently? III. a) On p. 103, what does Young say is the meaning of a God Who is Three in One? Do you agree with his claim? Does it change how you view the Triune God? b) Why do you think Mack is “more comfort- able” with Jesus on pp. 112 and 166? If Jesus appeared to you, would he seem more real, or somehow more limited? IV. a) Mack struggles to believe that ‘Papa’ is really good. What is the cause of that struggle? What is evidence of it? How does Mack’s eventual acceptance of Papa’s goodness transform his life? b) If you really believed that God is fundamentally, wholly good, and desires good for you, how might your life be changed? Finally, what Bible texts do you think we should read and reflect on together when we meet to consider the nature of the Trinity? 992-3030 pastor@stmarksmethodist.com The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Session II - The Nature of the Trinity: what is God really like, and how do we know? Breakout Groups: Consider this quote from early 20th-century Christian author Oswald Chambers: “My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me.” What does this mean? Would you agree with Chambers? Are we doomed to perceive God through our own varying little lenses, or can we find God’s self-revelation in other ways? After discussing this, turn to the following scriptures and examine them together. (It does not matter if you get through all of them, and you may skip and choose as you prefer.) Genesis 1:26-27 Ezekiel 37:1-14 John 1:1-5, 10-14 John 17:20-26 What do these texts say to us about the nature of God? About the Trinity? What do they imply regarding the relationship of us humans with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Guiding Questions (for Wednesday, May 6) Session II: Relationships: what is our created purpose, and what happens when we choose another way? (See especially The Shack Chapters 8 and 10) Alert! There are two editions of the Shack floating around, it seems. The page numbers referenced below correspond to the edition made available by St. Mark’s – the edition most folks have, which came with a brown sticker on the front cover. IF your copy is an earlier edition and does not seem to “match up” with the references below, subtract two pages, i.e., if the guide references p. 90, that will correspond exactly to your p. 88. I. a) How would you describe the relationships that form Mack’s family, prior to his experience at the shack? What is impeding, or negatively influencing, those relationships? b) Consider the relationships that make up your life – what about them is authentic, and what is distant? What is causing disharmony? II. a) How is Mack’s own painful relationship to his father shaping his life, influencing his grief and his relationship to God? b) Do you think a person’s view of her or his own father could influence her or his view of God? Has that been true for your life? If so, how? III. a) On p. 126, Young has Papa say that humankind was made in God’s image to be “the crowning glory of Creation,” “free to simply be in relationship with God and one another.” What is impeding our fulfillment of that created purpose? b) On p. 94 Papa says that “Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship.” What, in your opinion, does that mean? IV. a) On p.99, Papa says that we were created to be loved, and that to live as if we are unloved is not freedom, but limitation. What impact has Mack’s demand for independence had on his life? What changes in his life, and in the relationships which comprise it, does his experience at the shack bring about? b) Regarding the relationships that make up your life, what changes would surrender to God bring about? What would be the cost to you, to God, of those changes? Finally, what Bible texts do you think we should read and reflect on together when we meet to consider how God created us to be in relationship with Father, Son and Spirit, and with one another? 992-3030 pastor@stmarksmethodist.com The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Session III - Relationship(s): What is our Created Purpose, and what happens when we choose another way? Breakout Groups: Why did God create humankind? The question has engaged the minds of professional theologians and ordinary people of faith (“amateur theologians!”) since our beginning. Why do you think God made us? What are the implications of your belief in this matter with respect to your understanding of God’s nature? Does God’s making humankind suggest to you that our Creator is wise or unwise, loving or aloof, risk-taking or reckless? After discussing this, turn to the following scriptures and examine them together. (It does not matter if you get through all of them; you may skip and choose as you prefer.) Genesis 3:1-21 Genesis 4:1-16 Luke 10:25-37 John 15:9-17 Revelation 22:1-5 What do these texts say to us about the reason(s) God created us? What went wrong? How has this affected our relationships with one another? What do they imply regarding how God has “purposed” to redeem all Creation? The Shack Discussion Group St. Mark’s United Methodist Church Daleville, VA Guiding Questions (for uploads/Geographie/ the-shack-study-guide.pdf

  • 11
  • 0
  • 0
Afficher les détails des licences
Licence et utilisation
Gratuit pour un usage personnel Attribution requise
Partager