Discussion Recap and Moving On!

Well.

So the Summer Online Discussion Group of The Great Divorce was sort of a bust, eh? The discussion in person on Wednesday was excellent, though. To close it out, I post the outline and a summary of our discussion below.

This week (Wednesday August 20), our topic will be Eugene Peterson, The Wisdom of Each Other, a collection of pastoral letters to an old friend in the process of coming to pursue God. We have hit a number of the topics on the first 35 pages, so we're moving into the next chunk of letters, beginning around page 37.

The book can be purchased here. I may also send around some scanned copies of a few letters for those who have not yet purchased the book.

I anticipate that we well spend the next two, maybe three weeks, on Peterson, then move on.

Here is a summary of our discussion on Lewis:

This book is primarily about human nature and the relationship of our choices to eternity. In the end, we either allow God to conform our desires to his, or we get our desires. Which turns out to be hell.

Lewis plays with the idea of eternity and "time working backwards," so that it doesn't seem so odd that his characters are "making choices" after they die, when it would really be too late.

The theme of "solid" or real "stuff," as opposed to insubstantial, ghostly creatures and things (ghosts that can hardly walk on the "hard" grass and houses the don't keep out the rain, for example), highlight Lewis's idea that we are truly real, truly human, truly "me" only when we submit to God and come into his presence. Everything else is but a shadow of that reality.

One of the most significant points of discussion was about the nature of the souls-- the ghosts-- that visit the foothills on the bus ride. In one sense, these are the unsaved, those on the brink of making a choice for God or for themselves. This is a big theme.

Yet several pointed out, these people are also "us." We struggle with the very same things that these souls struggle with, perhaps not as barriers to salvation, but as barriers to intimacy with God. Our churches are filled with people like us-- those who are choosing self over God in a million small ways every day. The man who "wants his rights" and "doesn't need any bleeding charity." The woman who has elevated love of family over obedience to and love for Jesus. The people who love the work more than the mission-- whether it be pastors, painters, or lawyers.

This creates a challenge for those of us who are called to be leaders in this community. How do wake ourselves and our brothers from this craziness-- and that's what it is, seen in light of the glory of the shining saints we are called to be-- to a pure freedom in Christ? A herd of unicorns? A guide and mentor? Each other?

What else did you find significant?