Permission is granted to use the contents of

Permission is granted to use the contents of this presentation for church use only. The contents of this presentation, whether in whole or in part, is not to be re-used or re-published for commercial purposes of any kind. Please give proper credit when using. © 2009. Steven Borst All page references taken from 2007 edition. Young, Paul. The Shack. Los Angeles: Windblown Media, 2007. For page references for later editions, add 2 pages.

Why the Shack? An in-depth Bible Study © 2009. Steven B. Borst The Shack

Part 1 The Story The Shack

Discuss • What was your favorite chapter or event? • What theme did you find the most compelling? • What question/concern about Christianity did the book raise? The Shack

WM. Paul Young • A Missionary Kid in New Guinea • A Lost Childhood – Legalistic upbringing – Sexually abused starting at age 4 – Felt very alone in a foreign land; attended 13 schools in 12 years • Coping Mechanism = Acting Well The Shack

A Point of Crisis • After getting married, couldn’t hide anymore • Had a 3 -month affair • Finally was forced “to return” to his issues and deal with them • 11 year process of true spiritual healing The Shack

A New Life • “Old Religious” stuff didn’t bring healing – just helped him hide it • Truth finally set him free; Christ’s light shone in his darkness • True nature of grace = “overflowing wastefulness” • Is determined to live w/o secrets The Shack

The Story’s Inception • Wrote story as a Christmas present for his kids • A metaphor for his own faith journey • Self-published; $300 of marketing The Shack

A Disclaimer • What disclaimer does Willie give at the end of the Forward? (13/15) • What is the author saying about the nature of this book? The Shack

Discuss • What connections can you make between the author’s life and the story? The Shack

Why a Shack? The use of a shack is a metaphor. We all have our own shacks. It’s a place where our lives get stuck. It’s in this place that we hide our hurt and shame. Like Mack, none of us want to spend time in our shack. Instead, we hope that God will heal us without dealing with the “stuff” we hide there. The reality is that we can’t avoid our shacks. God must meet us there to truly heal us. The Shack

Opening 1 -3 • 1 -cold, 2 -warm Chinook • Mack slips, falls, becomes unconscious • Importance of Multnomah Falls – Missy’s love for water falls and fascination with Indian Princess – Missy asks if she, like the Princess, will be asked by God to jump off? (32/34) The Shack

The Event • Josh has a near death experience • Mack finally can rescue him (see 180/182) • Just when Mack thinks he’s saved his son, he realizes he’s lost his daughter (42/44) The Shack

The Great Sadness • How would you define “The Great Sadness? ” • Mack asks himself why God would ever want him to return to the shack (65/67) The Shack

Part 2 The Trinity The Shack

Papa • • Large African American woman She’s the cook; Papa creates Why does He appear this way? How does He appear at the end of the story? • What does Papa say about his “gender”? (93/95) The Shack

Scripture • “Theophanies” – God appears in human form before the incarnate Christ – Abraham and the Visitor – Jacob Wrestles with God as a Man – Moses and the Burning Bush • Matthew 23: 37, Genesis 1: 27 The Shack

Jesus • Middle Eastern man dressed like a laborer • He is a carpenter; He works • What is Mack’s response to Jesus’ appearance? (111/113) • Isaiah 53: 2 -3, Matthew 20: 28 The Shack

Sarayu • Hindi for “A wind that comes unexpectedly” • Asian woman who shimmers in the light; she nurtures • John 3: 7 -8, John 14: 25 -27, John 20: 2223 The Shack

Trinity • How does the Trinity respond when Mack asks about His divinity? (87/89) • How does Papa further describe the relationship within the Trinity? (101/103) The Shack

LY AL ER N ET DS EN TT GO BE EE OC PR OM FR PROCEEDS FROM

Scripture • • Numbers 6: 24 -26 Deuteronomy 6: 4 Matthew 3: 16 -17 Matthew 28: 19 The Shack

Early Church Heresies • Some Erred toward 3 Persons – ended up with 3 Gods – usually a hierarchy • Others Erred toward 1 God – ended up with modalism – One God appears in 3 ways The Shack

Young’s Trinity • Accused of being a modalist • Where he gets it right: – All 3 Persons fully developed – All 3 interact with one another – God refers to Himself both as “We” and “I” – Uses YHWH “I Am” The Shack

Problems with Young’s Trinity • Creedal Language largely absent • Overstresses the Unity • Papa has scars on His wrists from the crucifixion (95/97) • Papa speaks of becoming incarnate (99/101) The Shack

Christological Problems 1. Once incarnate, Jesus is always subject to the Father • Papa claims that Jesus never drew upon His divinity but always relied on the Father for His miracles (99/101) The Shack

Christ’s Humiliation • “As man, He did not always fully use His divine powers. ” Luther • Luke 6: 17 -19, John 10: 17 -18 The Shack

Christological Problems 2. Young minimizes Christ’s work on the cross, and suggests no punishment from the Father • Papa claims that He did not forsake the Son (96/98) The Shack

The Atonement • Deuteronomy 21: 22 • Matthew 27: 46 • Galatians 3: 13 The Shack

The Holy Spirit • Young emphasizes visions and dreams as the mean through which the Spirit works: – Mack falls asleep in the cold Shack – Flying dreams – Vision after Sarayu touches eyes – Children meet Missy in dreams – Mack’s near death-experience The Shack

• Mack looks down on the Spirit’s use of Scripture (65/67) • Sarayu claims to communicate through limitless means (198/200) • Papa speaks of the importance of remembering your dreams (118/120) The Shack

Spirit and Means • Holy Spirit can certainly work any way He pleases • We know for sure where we can always find Him: Word and Sacrament The Shack

Spirit and Truth • Papa does speak of limiting Himself. (106/108) • Sarayu urges to see Her at work in new ways through Scripture (198/200) • The Lord’s Supper is used prior to the climax of the book (234/236) The Shack

Part 3 Relationships The Shack

Trinity and Relationship • Papa contends that relationship flows from the Trinity (101/103) • Examples: – Dinner (104 -105/106 -107) – Devotions (107/108) • John 17: 25 -26 The Shack

God’s Relationship with Us • Young truly advocates a personal and living relationship with God that is established by grace in Jesus • Papa claims that only through Christ comes reconciliation (192/194) • Sarayu encourages Mack that spirituality is not about our works(126/128) The Shack

Scripture • • 2 Corinthians 5: 18 -19 Matthew 5: 17 John 8: 12 -20 Ephesians 2: 8 -9 The Shack

Living Outside Relationship • Young’s definition of sin = Independence • Sarayu states that true freedom happens in relationship (132/134) • Papa warns that independence leads to evil choices (190/192) The Shack

Living Outside Relationship • Sophia encourages Mack that God responded to our evil with grace. (165/167) • Scripture: – Original Sin in Genesis 3 – Romans 3: 9 -17 The Shack

Does God Judge Sin? • God doesn’t get angry at sin or to judge it (120/122) • Devil is not mentioned, nor is hell • In fairness to Young, Mack is a Christian, so this might be beyond scope of the book The Shack

• Young has stated publicly that he is not a universalist and that he upholds the centrality of redemption through Christ • See Jesus’ statement on salvation on page 182/184 • Scripture: Matthew 25 The Shack

Institutions Criticizes government and organized religion. Why? 1. Based on power, and not love 2. People end up serving the institution instead of God and one another The Shack

Institutions • Jesus claims that He doesn’t create institutions (179/181) • Papa warns that people are sacrificed for the existence of institutions (123/125) The Shack

Institutions • Jesus carefully distinguishes between the church as an institution and the church as the Body of Christ (178/180) • Scripture: 4 th Commandment, Colossians 1: 18, Romans 13: 1 -2, I Peter 2: 13 -21, Hebrews 13: 17 The Shack

Part 4 New Life The Shack

Wade in the Water • To cross the lake, Jesus suggests they walk (143/145) – Object lesson of faith – Later Mack acts like Peter! (174/176) • Jesus gives a key teaching on worrying about the future (142/144) The Shack

Here Come Da Judge • Meets Sophia: Wisdom Personified • Mack is finally confronted by his lack of faith (160/162) The Shack

Problem of Evil • One of the key issues in the book • Is Missy’s death God’s punishment? • Mack wonders if God caused Missy’s death (71/73, 185/187) The Shack

Goodness of God • Sophia insists this wasn’t Papa’s plan (165/167) • Papa differentiates between God working good out of evil and orchestrating the evil (185/187) • Papa tries to explain the existence of evil and the goodness of His will (190/192, 222/224) The Shack

Scripture • • James 1: 13 -14 Matthew 18: 7 Luke 22: 31 -32 2 Corinthians 12: 9 The Shack

Luther • Theology of the Cross • In Christ, God enters into our suffering • Faith sees God’s greatest work behind suffering The Shack

Mack’s Breakthrough • Mack’s Great Sadness dissolves (169170/171 -172) • Jesus assures Mack that Missy was never alone (173/175) The Shack

Verbs and Other Freedoms • • Sanctification is described as true freedom in Christ The Law has no ability to produce good works in us Moralism has no place in the life of a Christian True life is only found in Christ The Shack

• Papa describes the inadequacy of guilt (187/189) • Papa urges that new life is only in Jesus (198/200) • Sarayu differentiates between verbs and nouns! (204/206) • Jesus teaches that new life isn’t about WWJD (149/151) The Shack

Scripture • • Romans 6: 1 -11 John 15: 5 John 8: 31 -36 Galatians 5: 1 -6 The Shack

Festival of Friends • Only chapter of the book that needed no editing • A glimpse of heaven • Mack is reconciled to his father (215216/217 -218) The Shack

Morning of Sorrows • This is the climax of the novel • Whole Trinity involved – Father (now a man) will lead Mack – Son has created Missy’s casket – Spirit provides roll of sweet scents The Shack

Forgiving Enemies 1. Forgiveness and relationship. – In Christ, God is reconciling the world to Himself – Yet only those who receive His grace are made anew – So in our lives, we are called to forgive even our enemies. Whether they repent and receive this grace is their choice The Shack

Forgiving Enemies 2. Forgiving and Forgetting – “Forgetting” doesn’t mean entering into abuse again – It is releasing that person; taking your hands from around his neck – For us, this might mean having to forgive 100 times before our own anger subsides and we find peace The Shack

Choices of the Heart • Sarayu leads Mack to bury Missy in the Garden they prepared • Sarayu defines a fractal as an image of our lives (138/140) The Shack

Outbounds and Ripples • How does the story end? Can you give a timeline of the weekend? The Shack

Afterword • Willie reiterates his disclaimer (247/249) • Willie asks the reader to join a revolution (248/250) The Shack

Why the Shack? An in-depth Bible Study © 2009. Steven B. Borst