The ShackAn Opportunity to Engage

Russ Fochler

March 11, 2017

An Opportunity to Engage

Lani Netter and other intercessors — bathed the making of “The Shack” with prayer.

Let’s also pray for wide and deep impact on our culture and around the world!

And we can be part of the Trinity’s desire to engage with people who are touched by The Shack.

Listening with Our HeartMany folks carry stories about their “great sadness”.

One of the most loving things we can do, is truly listen to their story, and truly see them.

Tip: Listen with empathy and resist the pull to “paper it over” with platitudes or even scripture.

Life Can Be Excruciating. Is a loving God truly there

in the midst of my “great sadness”?

This is the experience — and the question many people have.

When the important people (mom, dad, etc.) were not “there” when we were young. When they did not lovingly take care of our needs for affection, touch, comfort, physical needs, etc. Or worse, when important people were scary/dangerous. Then, we have a hard time having healthy relationships and emotional resiliency.

People either withdraw emotionally (which Mack did) or see-saw between anxiety and longing.

We fear being vulnerable and then abandoned.

Is a loving God truly there in the midst

of my “great sadness”?

Prepare to Share One of Your “God” Stories

Besides listening with our heart to their story

People will often want to know — is God real, really loving and present?

Let’s ask Holy Spirit to bring to mind one story from each of our lives. A part of our history with the good and loving Trinity.

Practice! Please Pair-up with someone you don’t know well.

You’ll have ~5 minutes each to share the story Holy Spirit just brought to your mind.

Practice listening well when it’s your turn to listen.

When it’s your turn to talk, imagine you are sharing with someone who is curious about the God they met watching The Shack.

A Few Nuggets

FreedomPapa to Mack: “Only I can set you free, Mackenzie, but freedom can never be forced.”

“At this point, you don’t even comprehend that freedom is an incremental process.” pg 95

FreedomGently reaching out, she took Mack’s hands in hers, flour covered and all, and looking him straight in the eyes she continued, “Mackenzie, the Truth shall set you free and the Truth has a name; he’s over in the woodshed right now covered in sawdust. Everything is about him. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him.” pg 95

TrustSarayu spoke. “Mackenzie, you cannot produce trust just like you cannot “do” humility. It either is or is not. Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved. Because you do not know that I love you, you cannot trust me.”

pg 126 “The Shack”

It’s all about… Relationship

AmbassadorThe Honorable James P. Zumwalt, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, presented his letter of credence to H.E. José Mário Vaz, President of Guinea-Bissau, at Guinea-Bissau’s Presidential Palace on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.

Ambassador Zumwalt and drummers from the neighborhood that hosts the “Friends of Children” Center for trafficked children - a recipient of the Ambassador’s Self-Help Grant Fund. (Photo US Embassy)

As Ambassadors — what are our “letters of credence” - our credentials? Our King (Jesus) lives in us and through us. Therefore, we are well able to represent our King and His kingdom. From this comes our authority - our exousia.The Holy Spirit is given to us - and provides dunamis power. “For God’s realm is not a realm of words but of power!” 1 Cor 4:20 The Source.The fruit of The Spirit and the gifts of The Spirit in us and through us — bring Heaven to earth, bring experiences of the love, beauty, kindness, wisdom, and power of the Trinity.The Kingdom we express and represent is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

We may feel dismayed and frustrated about ourselves and our brothers and sisters in God’s family who do not display God’s realm well. So, we need to acknowledge that our freedom and transformation is an incremental process. Our freedom from independence, self-determined judgments, narrow, selfish/self-protective mindsets. As well as freedom from the twisting and heart-breaking damage we’ve experienced.

It is really a journey from fear to trust and love. And that can only happen in a healthy relationship.

You Are an Ambassador18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

2 Cor 5:18-20 NKJV

Gems from Baxter KrugerThe gospel is not the news that we can receive Jesus into our lives. The gospel is the news that Jesus has received us into his.

“Baxter, Baxter, there is the gospel. There is the resurrection and ascension of my Son coming home from the far country. There is our embrace. … and he has you and the whole world with him. (pgs 142,143)