ChatGPT Prompt (condensed)
Write as a dialogue where Pogue asks [caricatures of] three deep Christian thinkers
to understand the tension between grace, abiding, and intentionality. Have him [try to] push them to converge on something concrete enough to use in a manual.
- David Pogue – witty tech explainer, trying to draft a “Missing Manual” for the Christian life.
- St. Paul – passionate, blunt, speaks like his epistles.
- Dallas Willard – calm philosopher, insists on intentional formation.
- Brother Lawrence – joyful monk, always talking about dishes and God’s presence.
- The Spirit – silent presence; actor stands on stage from the beginning, unnoticed until the climax.
Act I: The Pitch
(Stage: Pogue sits at a desk with a laptop. Paul, Willard, and Lawrence surround him like consultants.)
Pogue: Okay, every gadget gets a Missing Manual. Why not the Spirit-led life? My tagline: “Don’t upgrade your flesh—install the Spirit.” Thoughts?
Paul: Excellent! Just emphasize: grace alone! No sneaky works of the law.
Willard: Grace alone, yes—but don’t skip training. Without disciplines, grace remains theory.
Lawrence: Pfft! Too complicated. Just practice the presence of God while doing dishes. That’s the manual!
Pogue: (typing) Grace. Effort. Dishes. Got it. But… guys, this sounds less like a manual and more like a food fight.
(The Spirit stands at stage edge, unnoticed.)
Act II: The Argument
Paul: Training? Dallas, that’s just more law! I said “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Willard: And you, Paul, risk enabling laziness! Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort.
Lawrence: Hah! You both miss it. When I scrubbed pots, I loved God more than through all your strategies.
Paul: Pots don’t save—Christ does!
Lawrence: Christ was in the pot.
Willard: (groans) Let’s not reduce the Spirit to cookware, please.
Pogue: (throws up hands) I’m trying to write a manual, but all I’ve got are three incompatible operating systems.
(The Spirit shifts slightly, still ignored.)
Act III: The Climax
Pogue: (stands, exasperated) Stop! Do you hear yourselves? Grace. Effort. Dishes. You’re all clutching your agendas like brand logos. Meanwhile, the Spirit’s been standing right there the whole time!
(Points dramatically at the Spirit. Everyone freezes. Long pause.)
Paul: (softly) “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10)… yet I did not pause to listen.
Willard: I spoke of formation, but forgot the Teacher Himself.
Lawrence: I spoke of pots, not of the Presence.
(They bow their heads. The Spirit steps forward, placing a hand on each one’s shoulder. The tension shifts to peace.)
Pogue: (closing laptop slowly) Maybe the real missing manual… isn’t something I can write. Maybe it’s Someone we learn to listen to.
(Lights dim, leaving only the Spirit illuminated. Curtain.)
Appendix: The Participants and Their Writings
St. Paul (c. 5 – c. 64 CE)
- Who he was: Early Jewish follower of Jesus, missionary, and writer of much of the New Testament epistles.
- Key writings:
- Romans – systematic teaching on sin, law, grace, and life in the Spirit.
- Galatians – defense of justification by faith, not works of the law.
- 1 Corinthians – love as the essential test of spirituality; 1 Corinthians 2 on the Spirit’s wisdom.
- Relevance to skit: Paul represents the conviction that life in Christ is rooted in grace, not human effort.
Dallas Willard (1935 – 2013)
- Who he was: Philosopher at USC, teacher, and Christian writer known for his work on spiritual formation and discipleship. Wikipedia entry.
- Key writings:
- The Spirit of the Disciplines (1988).
- Renovation of the Heart (2002).
- The Divine Conspiracy (1998).
- Relevance to skit: Willard insists that grace is opposed to earning, not to effort. Disciplines are not merit badges but training in cooperation with the Spirit.
Brother Lawrence (1614 – 1691)
- Who he was: Lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in France. Known for his humility and simplicity. Wikipedia entry.
- Key writing:
- The Practice of the Presence of God (1692, posthumous).
- Relevance to skit: His teaching is that ordinary tasks can become prayer when done in conscious love of God.
David Pogue (1963 – )
- Who he is: Technology journalist, humorist, and creator of the Missing Manual book series.
- Key works:
- Relevance to skit: Pogue provides the comedic tension by trying to turn life in the Spirit into a step-by-step manual.
The Holy Spirit
- Who He is: The third Person of the Trinity. God’s indwelling presence, guiding, empowering, and transforming believers.
- Key biblical witness:
- John 14–16 – Jesus promises the Spirit as Helper and Teacher.
- Acts 2 – the Spirit fills the church at Pentecost.
- Romans 8 – the Spirit intercedes, empowers, and leads believers into life.
- Relevance to skit: The irony is that while everyone talks about the Spirit, they ignore Him until Pogue points Him out.
Why These Voices?
Bringing Paul, Willard, and Brother Lawrence into dialogue surfaces three enduring tensions in Christian spirituality:
- Grace vs. Effort – Paul versus Willard.
- Simplicity vs. System – Lawrence versus Willard.
- Talking about the Spirit vs. Listening to the Spirit – all three versus the silent Spirit.
Prompter’s Note
I genuinely tried to get Pogue to make the three converge, but it got stuck in a loop where the three kept repeating their individual positions. Then I had him point out the irony, and they humbled themselves to listen.
The application of this to real-world discussions of discipleship is left as an exercise to the reader.
— Ernie P. 9/02/2025
Radically Happy 
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