holiday fiction1. What did you find most memorable about this story? What role do you feel the setting (1961, small town life in the Shenandoah Mountains) made on the
story?
2. One of the most moving storylines in this novella has to do with what Poppa Joe's living and death taught everyone. Even after the funeral, no one felt a sadness; instead they felt their own spirits had
undergone a healing. Why do you think this is so? Discuss what most moved you about the meaning Poppa Joe gave to life, and to the dignity he gave to death (p. 91, 174-175). Did you experience any type of healing as you
read this story?
3. Rev. Brian Blackstone's Christmas Eve sermon had to do with Faith, with taking our hands off the controls and letting God have them, of releasing the impossibilities of our human frailties
over to God. He says that it is fear which keeps us from doing this (p. 218-221). It was Nathan who took this sermon to heart and let go of his desire as a doctor to control the healing of his young cancer patients, but
Connie had some lessons to learn herself. What form did her controlling nature take? What were some of the results? Why did Rev. Brian say that it was hard to reach a person like her (p. 179)? Do you think
he would say that about you? What lesson did you take from this sermon? (Read Hebrews chapter 11 for a definition of faith)
4. Connie often felt lonely, unhappy, unsuccessful, and angry (p. 8-9, 42, 65), yet she was
by all acounts, a good Christian. We know God does not want us to feel and live like this, so how does it happen? Explain it in terms of Connie's life, then in terms of your own life. What had to happen for Connie to
change, and what had to happen for you to change (and hopefully you have!)? Could Connie have spent her life righteously justifying her anger, and thus never reaping the joy God had planned for her life?
5. Poppa Joe
said about Nathan that he needed to find his strength and his purpose (p.181 & 254). What were the outward changes that demonstrated to the rest of the world that he had indeed done both of those?
6. This is a
story not only about death, and acceptance of it, but of life, and acceptance of it as well. Back to Rev. Blackstone's sermon: "We celebrate here tonight [Christmas Eve] the conquest of fear. . . Fear is
vanquished! Death is conquered! . . . To all who suffer and worry and hurt and know fear, our Savior says, 'Come! Come and I will give you rest! Come and drink the cup of eternal healing! Come and sing at the holy feast
of life! Come and celebrate! Why? Because, I your King, have conquered death. I, your King, have conquered fear!'" Christ was born for one purpose, and that was to die for us and our sins so that we may have life,
and have it abundantly! (p. 221). Discuss how some of the characters in this story were "singing at the holy feast of life." What burden do you need to hand over to God so that you too may "sing at the
holy feast of life this Christmas season?"
