Ronda's Rants Bloggy Book Club: The Shack

The Shack written by William P. Young was the choice for Ronda's Rants October's Bloggy Book Club.

Synopsis from book cover:

"Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to the shack for a weekend.Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone to read this book!"

Ronda Shares this:

"The author wrote this story as a way of expressing his faith to his family of about 15 members but mostly for his children.The themes of forgiveness, God's love, The Trinity, and God's judgment are all explored."

She posed these questions for today:

Do you think you have to be Christian to enjoy or understand this book?

Do you like or dislike how the Trinity is portrayed in the book?

Does the book portray a realistic viewpoint of Mack's struggle with forgiveness?

How do you view heaven in comparison with the author's book portrayal?

Have you had a period of Great Sadness?

Ronda mentioned in her post that the story is not unlike a parable and I agree. It is simply an avenue for this author to express his own paradigm of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is his statement of belief. There are so many important concepts in this book that it warrants a second and third reading. I marked my book up so that I could go back and read some parts again.

I was at first uncomfortable with his portrayal of the Trinity. I understand the Trinity for myself but the assigned characters in the book were outside of my paradigm. However, as I came to understand the significance of the writers choice of their characterization I understood and although it maybe not be exactly what I would adopt for myself, he did find a clever way to explain a very abstract concept.

I wouldn't say that this book is changing my "whole" life. The concepts I do believe in. However, I do have to spend some time thinking about my own response to my "religion". Here is what I will be wrestling with...How does my own belief about the authority of God fit into this story. How is my concept of order, rules and expectations and responsibilities influencing my judgment of others and my concept of God's judgment? Can I embrace the author's explanation of this and how would I "act" differently? How do I embody the concept of true love for all and be in intentional relationship with others? Do I on a daily basis really "invite" God as the Trinity into my life "like the wind" flowing in, around and through it? Do I accept the love of God as explained in the book whether for myself or others? Do I accept this author's paradigm of forgiveness?

As you read this book you too will find concepts that challenge not just your belief but how you act on that belief. I had to smile at myself when the very words of the book jumped out at me and still do as my own response is "So what do I DO now?". I'm still about the doing. Yet read and see for yourself what the author says about this!

These are powerful concepts and I don't think with my analytical mind I am ready to answer them all at once. But this book should definitely be read by anyone who has ever had questions about God and their own Christian priniciples and how they are applied. Not a heavy read, it actually can be read quickly...but have your highlighter ready because you won't be able to ponder it all in one sitting.

Abundance is ....a story to challenge our thinking.