Equipping all people to live ordinary life as the faithful presence of Jesus' love.
CS Lewis Book Club
Discover the wisdom and imagination of C.S. Lewis in our monthly book club at Bluff Park Community Church. Best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis was a profound thinker whose works on faith, reason, and the human experience continue to inspire. Each month, we’ll explore his writings—both fiction and theology—delving into his insights on God, truth, and the Christian life. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering his work, join us for thoughtful discussion and fellowship.
C.S. Lewis
Why Lewis?
John Piper and Tim Keller discuss the influence of C.S. Lewis.
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) was a renowned British writer, theologian, and scholar, best known for his imaginative works and Christian apologetics. Born in Belfast, he was a professor at Oxford University, where he wrote extensively on literature, philosophy, and religion. Lewis's journey from atheism to Christianity profoundly shaped his writing, as seen in his influential works like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia. His ability to engage with both the intellectual and the imaginative has made his work timeless. Today, his thoughts on faith, reason, and morality continue to resonate with readers, offering insight and wisdom for modern life, making him as relevant now as he was in his own time.
There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else... All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of it—tantalising glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. But if it should really become manifest—if there ever came an echo that did not die away but swelled into the sound itself—you would know it. Beyond all possibility of doubt you would say ‘Here at last is the thing I was made for.’.. It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work. While we are, this is. If we lose this, we lose all.
C.S.Lewis, The Problem of Pain
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April: The Problem of Pain
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"If God is good, why does He allow suffering?"
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"Can pain have a purpose beyond just suffering?"
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"Does hardship mean God is absent, or could it be a sign of His presence?"
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"How can faith remain strong when life feels unbearable?"
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"Is suffering proof against God’s love, or could it actually reveal it?"
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"What if the pain we fear most is actually part of our greatest transformation?"
These are the kinds of difficult but essential questions C.S. Lewis wrestles with in The Problem of Pain. In this profound yet accessible work, Lewis applies both reason and faith to explore the mystery of suffering in a world created by a loving God.
Rather than offering easy answers, Lewis challenges us to see pain not as an argument against God’s goodness, but as something that—however difficult—may serve a greater purpose. He discusses the nature of divine love, human free will, the justice of suffering, and the ultimate hope found in God’s redemptive plan.
With Lewis' characteristic clarity and insight, The Problem of Pain remains a timeless and thought-provoking read for anyone seeking to understand the relationship between suffering and faith.
I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot ‘develop’ into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, ‘with backward mutters of dissevering power’—or else not. It is still ‘either-or’. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell. I believe, to be sure, that any man who reaches Heaven will find that what he abandoned (even in plucking out his right eye) has not been lost: that the kernel of what he was really seeking even in his most depraved wishes will be there, beyond expectation, waiting for him in ‘the High Countries’.
C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
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March: The Great Divorce
In The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis takes readers on a fantastical journey that explores the eternal consequences of the choices we make in life. Through a dreamlike narrative, Lewis imagines a bus ride from a gray, joyless city to the vibrant, eternal realm of Heaven, where souls confront their decisions and attachments on Earth. This allegorical novella delves into themes of sin, redemption, and the stark differences between self-centeredness and the transformative love of God. The Great Divorce challenges readers to reflect on the nature of their desires and the importance of choosing the light of Heaven over the shadows of the world.
February: The Weight of Glory
In The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis explores the Christian understanding of glory, offering a profound reflection on the nature of human desire, the meaning of eternity, and the transformative power of God's grace. Originally delivered as a sermon, Lewis argues that our longing for significance and fulfillment points to a deeper, divine reality—a promise of glory beyond what we can imagine. Through this essay, he invites readers to recognize the eternal weight of their lives and to live with an eye toward the unshakable hope that lies ahead. This powerful and thought-provoking message continues to challenge and inspire believers to see the world through a lens of eternal value.