Brennan Manning

Happy Friday Eve, Everyone!

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I read recently that if 40 is the new 30, then why can’t Thursday be the new Friday?

Well, for me at least it’s Friday Eve. I know it doesn’t quite have the impact of Christmas Eve in terms of excitement, but for those who have had a long, if not necessarily bad, week, Friday Eve comes as sort of a welcome relief.

I for one am looking forward to turning off my alarm clock on Friday night and sleeping in to my little heart’s content on Saturday.

It’s good to celebrate the little victories, like making it through another week. Like waking up this morning. Like the ability to write (or read) these blog posts that sometimes are very last minute, off the cuff products.

Happy Friday Eve!

Thank You, Billy Graham

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“I am not going to Heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times. I’m going to Heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: ‘Lord, remember me'” (Billy Graham).

It felt like a blow directly to my heart when I saw where Billy Graham had passed away this morning at 99 years of age. He had been such an icon and presence in my formative years. I guess part of me thought he’d be like George Beverly Shea and live to at least 100.

But I believe God decided it was time to welcome his servant home.

I’m sure right now that millions of blog posts and Facebook posts and other social media outlets are heaping praise on Rev. Graham right about now. I’m also just as sure that Billy himself would have deflected such praise, saying that he was a sinner saved by grace and used by God in spite of himself. He would point to Jesus as the real hero of the faith.

He started his ministry 80 years ago, faithfully preaching the salvation of Jesus Christ as found in the Word of God. He never wavered and never faltered morally. He wasn’t perfect and would himself admit to many failings, but he persevered in presenting the gospel of the Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Right now, he’s free from every ache and pain. He’s free from the symptoms of Parkinson’s. He’s reunited with Ruth and all of his other friends and fellow Crusade co-workers.

Best of all, he’s seeing for the first time face to face the Jesus he preached about all those many years. He’s hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Thank you, Billy Graham. There are millions and millions of people (including me) who echo the words of the old song and say, “Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am a life that was changed. Thank you for giving to the Lord. I am so glad you gave” (Ray Boltz).

Happy 18th Birthday, Lucy

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Today, I carried a pang of sadness in my heart. You see, my old cat Lucy would have turned 18 today.

It even seems a little silly to me to carry on grieving for a common ordinary cat who passed away back in June. But Lucy was no common ordinary cat. At least not to me.

She was one of the few constants in my life in a time that saw geographical and career upheaval in which I relocated to Nashville from Memphis.

She was a quiet presence in my life through those good and bad days. She always ended up in my lap, curled up and either asleep or very near asleep. She usually wound up sleeping on the pillow next to mine, comforting me with her quaint little snore.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day, June 21, when she crossed the rainbow bridge.

I honestly don’t know if our pets will wind up in heaven, but I like to believe that she’ll be there on the other side of the rainbow bridge, waiting for me when it’s my turn to cross over.

In the meantime, I find that the sadness continues to give way to happy memories. I feel blessed for every day of the 17 years she was with me, even those painful last six days.

When she got sick that last time, I kept hoping that she could somehow manage to pull through one more time, but this time, it was not to be.

I know in my heart she tried her very best to stay, but in the end her furry little body finally failed her and she was just too weak to go on.

I have a rambunctious new kitten named Peanut, who is a tortie and full of curiosity and life. She could never take the place of Lucy, but she’s a channel through which my love for Lucy can flow.

So happy 18th birthday in heaven, my little Lucy. I’ll always love you can carry you in my heart forever.

 

No Plan B

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“The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind.  Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused” (James 1:6-9, The Voice).

Tonight at the Room in the Inn Bible study, the teacher spoke from James 1 about what it means to be double-minded when it comes to prayer.

It occurred to me that praying in faith with no doubts (see James 1:6) is to pray with no plan B in mind, knowing that God hears your heart more than He hears your words, especially when words won’t come.

Maybe you’ve had a plan B in the past. You pray the words, but you have a backup plan just in case God doesn’t come through. You hedge your bets, so to speak, and don’t fully trust in God.

I wonder how many of our prayers go unanswered because they aren’t really prayers at all. They’re more like wishful thinking while we implement our own plans and rule our own lives — or at least we have the illusion that we do.

Have you ever stepped out in faith and prayed boldly in such a way that if God doesn’t come through, what you’re doing or hoping for will fail spectacularly? It’s a lot like stepping out on a high wire with no safety net below. It’s scary but that kind of faith never goes unrewarded.

Pray big and pray boldly, knowing that it’s not a great faith in God that brings about answers to prayers but faith in a great God who always keeps His promises to His people.

 

 

Hesed

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A very astute Bible teacher recently opened my eyes to the biblical word hesed. Basically, he said that there’s really no English word that truly captures all the essense of this Hebrew word.

It’s often translated as lovingkindness or stedfast love and is used in reference to God’s faithful love to His people in regard to His promises and His covenant toward them.

This teacher defined hesed in a way that made it come alive for me: “When the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything” (Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of Amazement).

That’s it.

I have no right to expect anything from God. Actually, if anything, I can expect what the wages of my sin have earned– death and hell.

Yet God has given me everything. His everything. Not only did God in Jesus save me from the wages of those sins, He has given me everything for life and godliness.

The best part of the promise is Emmanuel, God with us. That means God with you and God with me. Even in the valley of the deepest darkest shadow of death, God has promised that He will be with us.

“Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
    where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
    in Your house forever” (Psalm 23:6, The Voice).

Vintage

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I’ve found a new favorite. It’s a vintage store called Pre to Post Modern on 8th Avenue South. It’s almost like the front door is a sort of portal or time machine that takes you back to the past.

On a recent visit, I found an old wax cylinder from somewhere around 1909. If you’re wondering what that is, think of a record made of wax and shaped like a cylinder. Apparently, they stopped making them in 1915, so chances are there’s no one left who remembers them from childhood.

The song is “When the Humming Bird Returns, Sweet Irene, written by Ted Snyder and sung by Byron Harlan and Frank Stanley. If you have no clue about any of this, you’re probably not alone. This song, as well as many from that time period, have been lost to history.

Stuff like that really brings out my inner geek. I get warm and fuzzy feelings thinking about who might have bought it when it first hit the shelves at some general store. I wonder if the family gathered around to hear the sweet refrain of the music.

If you live in the Nashville area and are into old stuff, I recommend Pre to Post Modern as a place to check out. Here’s a link to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pretopostmodern

 

 

 

 

 

That’s Okay

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It’s Friday night at 10:07 pm. I’m tired. I’ve been wracking my brain for something creative and inspiring to share in this latest blog post, and I’ve got nothing.

The muse part of my brain has apparently already gone to bed. I’m just winging it and hoping for the best.

And that’s okay.

Not every blog post will be the best ever.

Not every day will be your best.

Not every moment will be the most memorable.

I think the meh moments help you to fully appreciate the great ones.

I think on that note I will call it a day and fall asleep to some good music.

Good night to all you out there in social media land, wherever you are.

 

Lent 2018

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“Lent is the season in which we ought to be surprised by joy. Our self-sacrifices serve no purpose unless, by laying aside this or that desire, we are able to focus on our heart’s deepest longing: unity with Christ. In him– in his suffering and death, his resurrection and triumph, we find our truest joy” (from the devotional Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter).

That’s the reason for all the fasting. For me, it’s been a tradition for the past few years to fast from social media. This year, I’m adding Netflix to the mix.

I don’t want it to be merely an exercise in going without. I want that space normally filled with Facebook, Instagram, and all those Netflix shows to be spiritually useful.

My prayer for all you who participate in this Lent season is that you will find Jesus in all the space normally given to television or food or social media. I pray the deprivation will open your eyes in a new way to what Jesus is saying to you in the days and weeks leading up to Easter.

May all of the sacrifice of Lent lead to an Easter where our hearts are captivated all over again by God’s own sacrifice in sending Jesus to us and for us.

Amen.

Love Each Other

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“So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways. Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others” (John 13:34-35VOICE).

This was the verse of the day from BibleGateway.com, a very useful online Bible application that lets you read the Bible in any number of translations in English as well as many other languages.

These words are more than just a good sentiment. They are a command from Jesus.

Love each other. Not just the ones you like. Not just the ones who share your political views. Not just the ones who are easy to love.

Love each other, i.e. your brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s much easier said (or written) than done.

I remember something that Pastor Mike Glenn said at Kairos once. He said that we are never ever given an excuse or an out to disobey the words of Jesus.

After all, whatever He commands will end up being more than worth it in the end.

Prayer Tactics

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These are some helpful guidelines to use when your prayer life feels lifeless and cold. Kairos Pastor Chris Brooks instructed us to use as many of these as we needed, whether all of them or just one.

I think #9 might need a little explanation. My understanding is that you can pray within a framework, like using the ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) model while still allowing the freedom to pause on one part or sit in silence or go wherever the Spirit leads.

#11 might be hard for those who like to be seen as super spiritual. It’s humbling to confess to another that you need prayer for yourself, but even Jesus asked His disciples to pray for Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

#7 is best utilized in a park or on a nature trail or anyplace else where you can celebrate God’s creation. It’s refreshing and healing to be outdoors when you pray sometimes.

For #12, I personally use The Book of Common Prayer and on occasion, The Valley of Vision, which is an old Puritan book of prayers.

I believe prayer is a discipline, and the best way you improve isn’t by reading about prayer or talking about prayer (although these are good and helpful), but to pray as best you know how at every moment when you feel prompted to pray.

Just pray.