Letter VII - Opening Questions

Why are we always fighting in the church?
Why so many parties, factions, divisions and denominations?
How can we differentiate between essential and peripheral matters when disagreeing?
What can we do to minimize this problem?
Has things changed much from the time of the Corinthian's church?

Questions for Discussion and Reflection - Letter VI

1. What, according to Screwtape is the best way to barricade a human’s mind from God? Do you agree with that suggestion?
2. Why is it so important for us to be concerned with what we do?
3. How should we see the Lord ’s Prayer as saying “Thy will be done?
4. What should be considered as our appointed cross?
5. What should be considered the “spiritual law” involved with the notion of fear?
6. Discuss: “but in all activities favorable to the Enemy bend his mind back on itself.”
7. What difference would it make to fix my attention on the “state called anger” versus the being insulted by somebody?
8.Discus the ways in which “the malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary”.
9.What do you think of this view of a man as a series of concentric circles?
10. Discuss the differences between the Will and the Heart.

Some Recents Pictures

November 2006

August 2006
July 2006

June 2006
April 2006

March 2006

Questions for Discussion - Letter IV

1. What is the first reaction against the “parrot like prayers of childhood?
2. What would be the main difference between a prayer of an “advanced in the Enemy’s service” and the spontaneous prayer of the beginner?
3. Does the position of the body have any influence on prayer according to Screwtape?
4. How do feelings affect my prayer life?
5. What is the danger of the “real nakedness of the soul” in prayer?
6. What does “the Enemy” pour out in “quite shameless fashion on the praying patient?

For Further Reading and Reflection:
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

“Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision of God its bread and wine.” CSL

Directions to Bev's

Hi, Folks. Looking forward to being with you this Saturday after having had to be elsewhere for a couple of weeks. My address is 2913 Gallahadion Court, 32309. I find Mapquest for this a little confusing, but it might help.
Directions: Go north on Thomasville Road above I-10 for miles, way past Maclay gardens, etc. You're heading for the major intersection of Thomasville and Kerry Forest Parkway where there's a light.
Since there's a bit of a rise in the highway, you'll be able to see from a distance that there's a major intersection ahead. It's multi-lane at this point, so you'll want to get in the right lane. You're getting very close to your right turn when you see a sign on the right side of the road for Foxcroft, a subdivision (red fox on the sign) and the next street sign after that is Velda Dairy Rd.
The NEXT street, at the light, turn right onto Kerry Forest. Go straight, through the light at Kerry Forest and Velda Dairy, until you come to a roundabout in front of Heritage Oaks, a retirement home. Make the left turn onto Shannon Lakes West. About the third paved street on your left is Whirlaway Trail. The first street sign you see on your right is Gallahadion Court, a cul-de-sac. I'm at 12:00 on that circle. Dark green door, door lamps on. You can park around the circle (some neighbors are a bit particular about their grass, so...) and come on in. If it's cool enough, we'll throw some warmwood on the fire... See you soon.

New Hosting Schedule

Hey everybody, we've got a slight modification to the locations for our study. Bev Lewis has been gracious enough to extend to us the Privilege of meeting in her home too. So we've modified the schedule accordingly. As you can see, we felt it would be better if we stayed at the same location for more than one week at a time. Bev will be posting directions to her house prior to our November 4th study. Thanks, have a great week, and see you at Paulo and Adrians's on Saturday!

October 7 - @ Wade and Sam’s - Introduction and Letter 1
October 14 - @ Wade and Sam’s - Letter 1
October 21 - @ Paulo and Adriana’s - Letter 2
October 28 - @ Paulo and Adriana’s - Letter 3
November 4 - @ Bev Lewis’ - Letter 4
November 11 - @ Bev Lewis’ - Letter 5
November 18 - @ Wade and Sam’s - Letter 6
November 25 - @ Wade and Sam’s - Letter 7
December 2 - @ Paulo and Adriana’s - Letter 8
December 9 - @ Paulo and Adriana’s - Letter 9
December 16 - @ Paulo and Adriana’s - Christmas Party

December 23 - January 6 - Recess

January 13 - @ Bev Lewis’ - Letter 10
January 20 - @ Bev Lewis’ – Letter 11
January 27 - @ Wade and Sam’s – Letter 12
February 3 - @ Wade and Sam’s – Letter 13

Directions to Meeting Saturday night

Screwtape Letters group at the Paulo & Adriana Ribeiro's house.
7 PM. Directions are:
2626 East Park Avenue
Polos on Park Apartments (on the left side of the road as you are heading east, which is away from campus)
Apt. 4307
Phone 616-826-0147
Turn left just after the gate and park on the top parking space.
The Ribeiros are planning on serving dinner so if you are coming please RSVP to them at
pribeiro@calvin.edu or a3ribeiro@yahoo.com.

Questions to Consider for Letter III

1. How can domestic irritations adversely affect the Christian / prayer life?
2. How does God work to bring a young Christian “under a new standard”
3. Why should we avoid concentrating our minds on the inner life?
4. How should we pray?
5. What are the habits Screwtape wants Wormwood to develop in his “patient” and why are they important?
6. What would be the “neglect of the obvious”?
7. How to combat “double standards”?
8. Considering what Lewis says about the patient’s mother, why are the son’s prayers too “spiritual”?
9. Discuss the problem of jealousy in connection with the reference to the “Enemy’s story” of the prodigal son at the end of the letter.

Questions to Consider for Letter II

1. Define the Church Visible and Invisible (Building, People, Liturgy - Transcendental Body) and what is the impact on our attitude when we focus on the behavior of individuals?
2. How do we differentiate between reality and appearance? Why daily life issues are fertile ground for temptations?
3. How can one avoid the “anticlimax” after a conversion experience?
4. How can we prepare to overcome the disappointments, and the “dry spells” in our Christian Life?
5. Discuss the contrasts of hypocrisy and humility.
6. How do we respond to God’s love?
7. Are Christians better than other people in any sense?
8. What is the common component of “free lovers and servants” and do you agree that God lets us "do it on our own?"
9. How can we learn to control our emotions and why can trained emotions can be a source of joy not a step towards hypocrisy?
10. Discuss the importance of habits (discipline): mentally and bodily (and their role in the sanctification process)

For Further Reading and Reflection: The Weight of Glory..

Our First Meeting - Discussions and Questions

The discussions revolved around the pressures of the ordinary and how distractions interfere with our relationship to eternal matters.

Schedule for the Fall

October 7 - @ Wade and Sam - Introduction and Letter 1
October 14 - @ Wade and Sam - Letter 2
October 21 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Letter 3
October 28 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Letter 4
November 4 - @ Wade and Sam - Letter 5
November 11 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Letter 6
November 18 - @ Wade and Sam - Letter 7
November 25 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Letter 8
December 2 - @ Wade and Adriana - Letter 9
December 9 - @ Wade and Sam - Letter 10
December 16 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Christmas Party
December 23 - January 6 - Recess
January 13 - @ Paulo and Adriana - Letter 11