Notes & Bios

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“While Mack’s relationship with God is wide, Nan’s is deep.”

a place where two rivers or streams join to become one
: a situation in which two things come together or happen at the same time
Mackenzie,
It’s been a while. I’ve missed you.
I’ll be at the shack next weekend if youwant to get together.
-Papa

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LEGEND?
The Great Spirit? Is this God? Why is he so
MEAN?
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( why do bad things happen to good people…..)
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“Out of the mouths of babes…. Kids have an inherent sense of what is a REAL question”

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The back-story of the campout continues. Mack and his kids became friends with 2 other families they met camping: the Ducettes and the
Maddisons.
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Tragedy before tragedy….The canoe flipped and Josh’s lifejacket got pinned to the canoe trapping him underwater.
Josh is rescued

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Where is Missy?
Strong suspicion that a serial killer known as the Little
Ladykiller had abducted Missy. The ladybug had 5 dots on its back indicating this was abduction #5. He specialized in abducting little girls and none of the previous victims’ bodies had ever been found.
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Red Dress, torn & blood soaked
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The trail on the killer turned cold; there were no other leads.
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The story resumes with present day, nearly 4 years later. Mack muses why the God would, if the note was real, ask to meet him at the place of Mack’s deepest pain – why not somewhere else?

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The only person Mack did tell about the trip was his friend Willie, whom he had to tell in order to borrow Willie’s four-wheel drive jeep for the trip.
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Mack finds shack unaltered.
Missy’s blood still staining the floor, and no one was there. After erupting in rage and despair, Mack collapsed on the floor and wept next to the bloodstains until he fell asleep.

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A large, radiant African American woman came from inside and wrapped Mack in a huge bear-hug, all the while calling out his full name with the feeling of a long-lost love suddenly reunited. Also in the cabin were an Asian woman who shimmered and whose hair blew about as if in the wind, though there was no wind inside, and a Hebrew man who appeared to be a laborer. The African American introduced herself as the cook and housekeeper whose name was Elousia, but said Mack could call her ‘Papa’. The man, who appeared to be in his thirties introduced himself as Jesus and said he likes to keep things fixed up around the place. The Asian woman tended the gardens and said her name was Sarayu. All three said, in unison, that they were God.

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Papa – it’s too familiar, Papa appears as a woman and his own papa was such a horrible memory. Lets break this down.
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Papa reminds Mack that she is neither male nor female and explains that she reveals herself to Mack as an African
American woman in order to keep from encouraging his religious stereotypes.
Image of God?

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Bonding with Jesus.
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Jesus the man vs. God- relatable, talk of the trinity, nature etc.

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There is not hierarchy in the trinity.
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God
Son
Holy Spirit.
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Is any one God, greater?! What are your impressions of the trinity.

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Working in the garden, poisonous plants, healing properties.
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Sarayu revealed that the garden was
Mack’s soul and that they had been working together, uprooting with a purpose, in his heart.

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Walking on water, a question of faith vs. fear.
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When love & trust overpower the fear dissipates.
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Think about a small child, who and what comforts them? WE are God’s children

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Judgement – we judge ALL THE TIME
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Does God? We say he doesn’t, but do we believe it?
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Mack is angry with God for abandoning
Missy. ( why do bad things happen to good people.)

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If we say we are all God’s children, do we really believe that God loves all of us equally.
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Mack is a parent to 4 children, the question is posed to him send 2 children to Hell and 2 to heaven? He CAN’T.
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“So, Mack asked if he could go to hell instead of his children, if he could take their punishment. The judge said that finally Mack was sounding like Jesus, judging humanity worthy of love, even at great cost to himself.”

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“Then Mack was allowed to see Missy through a waterfall acting as a one-way mirror. Missy couldn’t see him, but knew he was there and was able to tell him she loved him and that she was OK.
Mack confessed to the judge the guilt he had carried around for judging himself a failure to protect Missy and was finally freed from that burden, knowing that
Missy had never blamed him.”

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Discussion of Missy being “alone”. Mack is assured she was never alone.
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Institutions: Are these prescribed method ( marriage, religion etc.) the path to God? Not necessarily.

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Everything happens for a reason?
(dismissive language!) NOT IN TERMS
OF SUFFERING – Missy does not die so that Mack may understand the truth.
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To know Jesus is to know God. Jesus represented God’s heart perfectly on earth. God is not the stern disciplinarian that we view him as.

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The 10 Commandments – rules & regulations that are misinterpreted by us. Causing judgment & pain.
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Responsibility & expectation – become negative
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Jesus points out that he doesn’t want to be the top of the pyramid but at the centre of his life.

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“Sarayu opened Mack’s eyes so that he could, for one night, see what they (God) saw. He saw a beautiful spectacle of lights and color that emanated from living beings as they gathered together, each one full of colors unique to them. One particular being kept erupting in uncontrollable light and color – it was Mack’s father who was so overjoyed to see Mack he couldn’t contain himself.
Mack embraced his father and apologized and said he loved him and noticed the darker colors of his father’s being were were changed to blood red. Jesus entered the throng of people who had been clearly waiting for him, told Mack he was “especially fond of him”, and Sarayu and Mack were alone again as his sight was once more human.” http://shepherdproject.com/the-shack-book-summary/

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In these instances? Could you forgive?
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Mack needs a father figure here, Papa takes Mack to the trail & cave to buy
Missy.
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Explains forgiveness is not holding on to hate.

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Carried down the trail “ I forgive you.”
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Killer is also a person of creation
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THIS IS SO POWERFUL! ….. ( and challenging!)

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The tears water the soil of the garden of
Macks heart.
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Little lady killer… details of Missy’s life on the outside of her coffin.
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We need GRIEF, TEARS, PROCESS to succeed after a great tradgedy.

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To remain with Papa or to return?
Mack decides to return to his family.
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Classic story: I learned & I must share my experience------ THIS IS THE
VALUE OF LIFE
Awaken in the shack, returning home, car accident.

 In the hospital, Willie questions Mack about the note.
 Sharing this story with Nan & reassuring
Kate. CLOSURE! How important is it to relieve our guilt.
 Telling Tommy that he may have a clue to find Missy’s body & to aid in the investigation.

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“Mack is testifying at the Ladykiller trial, hoping to visit with the man accused. He is hoping for a revolution revolving around Jesus in the world, centered on love and service. Willie says his life has been changed by this story, and whether it’s completely true or not, he wants it to be true.” http://shepherdproject.com/the-shackbook-summary/