"Rumors of glory are often hidden inside
what many consider myths and tales."
Holy Spirit in THE SHACK (p.136)
I fully realize that there are aspects of THE SHACK that conflict with the Bible and/or were purely thoughts and opinions of it's author; but, to me, there were many that offered a fresh perspective on who God is and, more importantly, caused me to hunger for a more authentic, deep & meaningful "dance" with Him (Father, Son & Holy Spirit).what many consider myths and tales."
Holy Spirit in THE SHACK (p.136)
This is not an opinion blog written to spark debate on whether this book was truth, fiction, heresy, or anything in between-but a forum to share a number of the quotes I liked from the book (both for those who have read it and those who haven't (for whatever reason)). I am very excited about this and have been looking forward to sharing these for a while-but wanted to wait until I had gone back through the whole book.
Though some of these will not have as great of impact/depth if you haven't read the context they are set in, I intentionally left out parts that would not make sense at all without the rest of the storyline as support. (I included page numbers on some of them for anyone interested.)
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QUICK SYNOPSIS OF THE SHACK
Mackenzie Allen Philips's 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 this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.*******************xoxoxoxoxxxxoxoxoxoxoxxooxoxxoxoxoxoxoxox**********************
GOD: (on FREE WILL) "I have no magic wand to wave over you and make it all better. Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship." p.94
GOD: (on FREE WILL)"Only I can set you free, but freedom can never be forced..the truth shall set you free and the truth has a name (Jesus). Everything is about him. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him. Then all the stuff you feel churning around inside will start to work its way out."p.97
GOD: "Living unloved is like clipping a bird's wings and removing its ability to fly...Pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if its left unresolved for very long, you almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place."p.99
GOD: "The problem is that many folks try to grasp some sense of who I am by taking the best version of themselves, projecting that to the nth degree, factoring in all the goodness they can perceive, which often isn't much, and then calling that God. And while it may seem like a noble effort, the truth is that it falls pitifully short of who I really am. I'm not merely the best version of you that you can think of. I am far more than that-above and beyond all that you can ask or imagine...Even though you can't finally grasp me, guess what? I still want to be known." p.100
GOD: "The God who is--the I am who I am--cannot act apart from love. p.104
GOD: "I understand how disorienting all this must be for you, Mack. But the only one pretending here is you. I am what I am. I'm not trying to fit anyone's bill." p.121
MACK: "I can see now that I spend most of my time and energy trying to acquire what I have determined to be good, whether it's financial security or health or retirement or whatever. And I spend a huge amount of energy and worry fearing what I've determined to be evil.
HOLY SPIRIT: "Such truth in that. Remember this. It allows you to play God in your independence. That's why a part of you prefers not to see me. And you don't need me at all to create your list of good and evil. But you need me if you have any desire to stop such an insane lust for independence.
Declaring independence will result in evil because apart from me, you can draw only upon yourself. That is death because you have separated yourself from me:Life. " p.137-8
JESUS: "But without wisdom, imagination is a cruel taskmaster...do you think humans were designed to live in the present, past or future?
MACK: I suppose I would have to say that I spend very little time in the present. I spend a big piece in the past, but most of the rest of the time, I am trying to figure out the future.
JESUS: Not unlike most people. When I dwell with you, I do so in the present--I live in the present. Not the past, although much can be remembered and learned by looking back, but...for sure, I do not dwell in the future you visualize or imagine. Mack, do you realize that your imagination of the future, which is almost always dictated by fear of some kind, rarely, if ever, pictures me there with you?
MACK: Why do I do that?
JESUS: It is your desperate attempt to get some control over something you can't. It is impossible for you to take power over the future beause it isn't even real. You try to play God, imagining the evil that you fear becoming reality, and then you try to make plans and contingencies to avoid what you fear.
MACK: So why do I have so much fear in my life?
JESUS: Because you don't believe. You don't know that we love you. The person who lives by his fears will not find freedom in my love. I am not talking about rational fears regarding legitimate dangers, but imagined fears, and especially the projection of those into the future. To the degree that those fears have a place in your life, you neither believe I am good nor know deep in your heart that I love you. You sing about it, you talk about it, but you don't know it." p.143-4
JESUS: "Just like love, submission is not something that you can do, especially not on your own. Apart from my life inside you, you can't submit to...anyone...including me.
My life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to 'be like Jesus,' it means our independence is killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside you, so that you begin to see with our eyes, and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do..." p.151
JESUS: " The darkness hides the true size of fears and lies and regrets. The truth is they are more shadow than reality, so they seem bigger in the dark. When the light shines into the places where they lie inside you, you start to see them for what they are." p.176
JESUS: "If you try to live this life without me, without the ongoing dialogue of us sharing this journey together, it will be like trying to walk on water by yourself. You can't! And when you try, however well intentioned, you're going to sink." p.182
JESUS: "(this is="" the="" holy="" spirit="" s="" task="")...This whole thing is a process, not an event. All I want from you is to trust me with what little you can, and grow in loving people around you with the same love I share with you. It's not your job to change them, or to convince them. You are free to love without an agenda." p.183
GOD: "..it's not about feeling guilty. Guilt will never help you find freedom in me. The best it can do is make you try harder to conform to some ethic on the outside. I'm about the inside."
GOD: "..just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I needed it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors.
...don't forget that in the midst of all your pain and heartache, you are surrounded by beauty, the wonder of creation, art, your music and culture, the sounds of laughter and love, of whispered hopes and celebrations, of new life and transformation, of reconciliation and forgiveness.."
HOLY SPIRIT:"The Bible doesn't teach you to follow rules. It is a picture of Jesus. While words may tell you what God is like and even what he may want from you, you cannot do any of it on your own. Life and living are in him and no other. My goodness, you didn't think you could live the righteousness of God on your own, did you?"
"You might see me in a piece of art, or music, or silence, or through people, or in creation, or in your joy and sorrow. My ability to communicate is limitless, living and transforming, and it will always be tuned to God's goodness and love. And you will hear and see me in the Bible in fresh ways. Just don't look for rules and principles; look for relationship-a way of coming to be with us."
"If you put God at the top, what does that really mean, and how much is enough? How much time do you give me before you can go on about the rest of our day, the part that interests you much more?"
GOD: "You see...I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which your are not, to give me the biggest piece, that is not what I want. I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day.
I don't want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than the top of the pyramid, I want to be the center of the mobile, where everything in your life-your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities-is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being."
