"The Screwtape Letters" Book Study

 "The Screwtape Letters" Book Study

Letter 3:

Definitions/ Things I want to clarify for myself: 
expurgated- remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from the thing (i.e. behavior)
innocuous- not harmful or offensive

1. Those that we are most close to will see our faults and sins more than we will ourselves.  We often do not discover them for ourselves but they are clear to those around.  We will focus on only the faults and sins of those around as just as easily. The nit pick of life will guide us into praying for the wrong things for those people.

2.  Screwtape points out that as humans we have mannerisms and movements that may easily annoy someone else. He suggested that Wormwood make sure that the patient only see his mother's annoy mannerisms and movements and to "hide" his own from himself.

3.  Screwtape has shown me that I too have things that I do that I don't think are annoying but are. When someone needs me help I sometimes show annoyance at the time because I constantly feel a "They need me now, so much for doing whatever I am doing." 

4.  This I can not say for sure yet. I know what the standards are and I am trying to keep to them but I am having issues.

5. ... too personal to write on here.

"The Screwtape Letters" Book Study

Letter 2:

Definitions/ Things I want to clarify for myself: 
sojourn-  temporary stay

pictorial- of or expressed in pictures; illustrated
inveterate- having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
miser- a person who hoards wealth and spends as little money as possible

1.  We do not see the Church as the mighty force that it is. We see only the building and people from our city.  The tempters use our own perception of others to make us feel either better or worse than others at church. If others are not "perfect" but we want to be "perfect" than why should we continue on?

2.  Examples:

There can be a person at church that is a hypocrite.  They have cheated on their wive/husband. They could have stole from the gas station or they don't tithe.  They aren't "Christian" enough. I therefore am "more Christian" than they are.

There can be a person that appears to be more than "Christian" than me.  I see these people with their "perfect" lives that I could NEVER have.  I see them with their hands raised high during worship. They are praising the Lord more than I ever could. (*This person could also be putting on a face to make it appear they are better than me.)

* This is a thought I have thought for myself a few times. That I don't have enough of the Holy Spirit to be "allowed" to raise my hands in worship.

                    I am suffering from the fear that I am never and will never be good enough for anyone. This disappointment is one thing I feel on a daily basis. I feel that no matter how hard I try I will never amount to anything.

3.  Screwtape doesn't want the patient to see that all of these around him are the current body of Christ. He wants the patient to only in vision the body of Christ as Biblical pictures and not those around him. Screwtape doesn't want the "patient" to question the preconceived images of the body of Christ they might have.

4.  Screwtape wants the patient to feel overwhelmed and give up. If the patient then feels overwhelmed/disappointed by the actual 'doing' of the Word, his side would then win out. However, if the patient continues to work and follow the Word then after they are accustomed to it then they are less likely to be tempted.

5.  If I, knowing I am a sinner, am a Christian, then how can those with vices truly also be Christian?  I often at time ignore that I am glutenous.  I over spend both time and money on things that should not be that important to me.

"The Screwtape Letter" Book Study

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Study Guide from:  C.S. Lewis Institute: Screwtape Letters w/ Dr. Jerry Root

Audiobook from:  Audible-The Screwtape Letters

Enjoyable YouTube Video:  The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis Doodle (I)

Letter 1:

Definitions (or things I need to clarify for myself)
inferior-  lower in rank, status or quality. (The Lord is not as good in an arguments as the Devil.)
impinge- have an effect or impact, especially a negative impact

1.  Preoccupation with the physical side of reality keeps the person in the now. They think of only their physical wants and needs and not those that allow the Lord's work to provide for them.

2.  The way's of the Lord's people are not part of the "ordinary." They cannot be seen or reasoned very well. We as humans strive to be part of the worldly "normal".

3.  Being "ordinary" is to conform to the ways of the world. Not Of This World (NOTW)  is what we should aim for not conform to the ways.

4.  Arguments can bring about reason. Reason can be brought around to the "unknown" and the fact that it is okay. We need to know that the unknown for us is actually known to the Lord."
    Screwtape says that the "real" science will then have the person questioning and believing in to the "unknown". Doing this could cause a person to being to believe in God. He believes giving them a real dose of "real" life, i.e. the worldly things such as money and the ways of society are good ways to distract them away from God.

5.  The Diabolical try to use the worldly things and things that we know as ways to keep us from God. We need to remember that even when we don't know what is to come the Lord does. He will provide for what we need as long as we have faith.