Ragamuffin, Brennan Manning, Has Died

Brennan Manning died on April 12, 2013.  I am so glad he left us with his writings that will continue to encourage all Ragamuffins to experience the fullness of the God of Grace.  His work, "The Ragamuffin Gospel" came to me at a transition point in my life.  It was and is the message I needed to hear.  I was becoming aware of another call, a second call, in my life.  God was sending me in a different direction and Brennan was helping to show the way.

Listen to what he wrote on page 157:


Second journeys usually end quietly with a new wisdom and a coming to a true sense of self that releases great power. The wisdom is that of an adult who has regained equilibrium, stabilized, and found fresh purpose and new dreams. It is a wisdom that gives some things up, lets some things die, and accepts human limitations. It is a wisdom that realizes: I cannot expect anyone to understand me fully. It is wisdom that admits the inevitability of old age and death. It is a wisdom that has faced the pain caused by parents, spouse, family, friends, colleagues, business associates, and has truly forgiven them and acknowledged with unexpected compassion that these people are neither angels nor devils, but only human.

Manning, Brennan (2008-08-19). The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out (pp. 164-165). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

Thank you Brennan, for your transparency in sharing your life, with all of its struggles and blessings, that lead you to the wonderful grace of our Heavenly Father.

(Read more about Brennan's passing at: http://brennanmanning.com/.  You can also go to his Facebook page  and leave a comment: https://www.facebook.com/brennanmanningfans?fref=ts).

THE MISSING PIECE —by Mark

This is kind of a test post. First, my thanks to my friend Wally for including me and for being one of several people who independently recommended "The Ragamuffin Gospel" to me within a 24 hour period. God clearly knew what it took to get my attention.

I've finished "The Ragamuffin Gospel" and have started "Abba's Child". I have to say that Manning's perspective looks like the "missing piece" of my relationship with my heavenly Daddy. Of course now the hard part is making the "Aha!" moment into reality in my life, in my soul, in my relationship with God and others. I've spent so long trying to "earn" acceptance by God and my community, trying to hide my true brokenness, trying to pull myself up by my own bootstraps - it is hard to let that way of life go and simply relax into my Daddy's arms.

Over the last several weeks God has drawn me back from the edge of a private abyss with a phrase that Manning mentions but actually came to me from a different direction - another of the convergence of God's speaking to me. I was reminded of Paul's repeated to be relieved of his "thorn in the flesh" until (if I may take liberties with the phraseology) God finally had to tell him, "Paul, shut up about it already!" Of course God's words were much more gracious, "Paul," [and this is the part that I have to keep hearing God say to me] "My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in your weakness."

Between that and Manning's "Abba - I am yours" God has gotten me through to the place where the real work can begin. I don't know what that looks like. I am very aware that I can't do it. I'm barely willing to let God do it. But as someone once observed, "All we can do is to be willing to be made willing..." OK, that I can wrap my mind around. I'm a little bit willing and God can work with that.

Mark

Rambling Ragamuffin Remarks

I often wish I could extend as much grace to me as God does.  I suppose if I had that much grace I would be God...and the whole world would be in trouble!

Sometimes I get tired of being a ragamuffin, which is another way of saying, "I'm tired of the dysfunction."  I just want everything to make sense.  I'm glad that God's grace is there.  It is a gift.  All I have to do is unwrap it and give him a big "Thank You!"

I know this post will not win a Pulitzer Prize.  The reward is to be able to express myself and know, if you are reading this, there is at least one other human being that thinks what I have to say has value.  What I say to that is, "Thank you."  Now, let me read your Pulitzer pontifications :)