Study Notes for March 10 meeting of Impact University Book Club
Pages 207 - 244
1. "Jesus saw money as something to guard against, not desire." (p. 210). What does this mean practically? Is there an appropriately "moderate" way to apply its truth. What in your mind would constitute an extreme application of it?
2. "God loves a cheerful (hilarious) giver." That's an odd phrase. What's the relationship between giving and hilarity? (p. 210).
3. What does Yancey mean in saying that money needs to be "profaned." (p. 211). For whom is that true?
4. Money provides a battleground for the two worlds -- the visible and the invisible one. Regarding it, with what does the poor man contend? The rich man?
(p. 212).
5. What is Yancey implying in saying of the Apostle Paul that "he carried money lightly."? (p. 212). How is "holy indifference" to material things lived out in a Christian's life? (p. 212).
6. The Apostle Paul in many ways had what we'd call a very difficult life. What enabled him to speak of his many personal calamities as "light and momentary ....."? (p. 216).
7. Explain this sentence from p. 218: "Death was not the end-mark for Jesus, but the change-mark."
8. What does the following phrase mean? "Aging unprepares us for life in this visible world" (p. 219). What is a "good death" to a Christian? (p. 219).
9. What does "the church tamed death" mean? (p. 220).
10. How is the term "smoltification" applied to Christians? (p. 225).
11. It could be argued that a Christian who is so heavenly minded that he is of no earthly good "despises the Father's work" (p. 226). How so?
12. According to William James, a skeptic, Christians (at least some of them) serve as "torchbearers." (p. 237 -238). What does he mean?
13. A great thing, learned best by personal experience, is that sacrifice based on Christian faith turns into something else. What? (p. 239). And for whom?
14. What is the reverse corresponding truth to the assertion that "saints live in such a way that their lives would not make sense if God did not exist."? (p. 243).
15. Explain the following: "Pascal saw faith as a cosmic wager." (p. 243).
An online book club hosted by Impact Church of Christ in Houston. Participants in the book club are expected to read one to two chapters a week.
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Notes from Chris Taylor
Book Club Notes – 3-10-08
1. We live in a materialistic society, living in bondage to debt and to greed. We elevate things to such importance that any compromise is made with the world to get what we want.
2. The ‘hilarious’ giver gives because the money no longer has any value. Giving with ‘hilarity’ means not giving out of a sense of guilt. We must also avoid becoming envious of the thing others have when they have the things we give away.
3. When Yancey speaks of ‘profaning’ money, he is speaking of bringing it down to its proper place; not exalting it or elevating it to a ‘god’.
4. When it comes to money, the poor man must contend with envy; the rich man must contend with greed and pride.
5. To live with ‘holy indifference’ towards money is to not be controlled by it. If we would be fine after the trauma of losing it, we probably have a healthy attitude. We should not obsess over money.
6. Paul’s belief in another world enabled him to view his trials as “light and momentary.”
7. Paul said it is ‘very much better’ to die and be with God.
8. The aging process can bring on a sense of dread; a sense of “I wasn’t what I could have been.” A ‘good death’ is one where we trust God for what lays ahead.
9. A ‘tamed’ death is one not devoid of grief or pain, but a death that is overwhelmed with anticipation and longing of what God has in store.
10. “Smoltification” applied to Christians means preparing to live life somewhere else, to live in a different world.
11. We should take time to enjoy what God has given us, just don’t worship it. We should “stop and smell the roses” but we should assign the proper value to things.
12. Christians shed a different light on familiar surroundings. The Christian sees the rumors of another world; the skeptic sees the lives of Christians and cannot not believe. Only Christians can shed light because there is no other light.
13. The blessing is in the giving.
14. The world’s values do not make sense if there is a God.
15. Pascal decided that it is better to believe in something that isn’t than to disbelieve in something that is.
Charlie also relayed a story about his son Sam. Sam is a worship leader at his church in Washington State. Not long ago, Charlie and others got Sam a new Taylor guitar costing several thousand dollars. Recently, while at worship leader workshop, Sam gave away this Taylor guitar to a young worship leader in need of a guitar. According to Charlie, Sam would never had sold the guitar; he just had a feeling that he needed to give away to the young worship leader.
When Sam told Charlie what he had done, Charlie indicated that he told Sam that he probably didn’t do the right thing in giving the guitar away as it was a gift. Later in the week, Sam called Charlie to tell him that he was strumming a new Taylor 12-string guitar that someone had sent him out of the blue. The man called Sam one day wanting his mailing address saying that he had something to send him; the man just felt like he needed to send Sam a guitar.
I felt that this story fit perfectly with one of the readings for the Fellowship of St. James for that day: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.” Ecclesiastes 11:1.
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