brennan manning

Trying Less and Trusting More

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“Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen” (The Book of Common Prayer, Second Sunday of Lent).

Why is it that the harder you try not to laugh the more you end up laughing? It seems especially true when you’re in a place where laughter is completely inappropriate yet you just can’t help yourself.

I know for me sometimes that the more I try to do good and be good, the more I find the not so good showing up in me (or to use an old fashioned word that’s definitely considered politically incorrect, sin).

Christianity isn’t about trying harder and being more moral or keeping rules for the sake of keeping rules. It’s not about God helping those who help themselves (which isn’t even in the Bible– Benjamin Franklin said it). FYI, if we could help ourselves, we wouldn’t have needed God or faith or Christianity to begin with.

Christianity is all about those who know they can’t help themselves (in every sense of the word). It’s for all those who’ve tried and failed so many times they’ve lost count.

Christianity is about how Jesus has already done for us what we could never hope to do for ourselves. It’s His resurrection power that enables us to live right because it’s His life in us.

It’s about God promising to finish the good work He started in us long ago and keeping His promise because God is a Promise Keeper.

 

 

Wisdom from The Walking Dead

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“Anything is possible as long as your heart is still beating” (Father Gabriel Stokes, The Walking Dead).

I love me some Walking Dead. I confess this season hasn’t been my favorite, but I tune in weekly to see what crazy post-apocalyptic antics will ensue with these characters I’ve come to know so well.

I never thought I’d get such a deep spiritual moment like the one I got when Father Gabriel said the above quote. In Baptist terms, “That’ll preach, bro.”

How true that is.

As long as you’re alive and as long as you have a heartbeat, you have a purpose and you still matter.

No matter what you’ve been through or are going through, no matter how messed up you feel, the reality is that God still has you around for a reason.

You may feel like giving up on God, the world, and yourself, but don’t think for one second that God will ever give up on you. While you still have breath in your body, God still has a purpose for you that’s uniquely yours and no one else’s.

On a side note, I love how Father Gabriel’s character has grown and matured since he was introduced on the show a few seasons back. He started out as a coward who essentially hid behind his clerical collar but has since evolved into someone who is able to not only contribute to the community but also make a difference. Plus, he had the best line of the episode, hands down.

Note to the reader: I realize that I’m a bit behind. I finally got around to watching the episode I recorded on Sunday and it was worth the wait. I’m actually beginning to have hopes that the season will end on a much higher note than it began.

 

A Week Into Lent

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It’s only been a week– well, six days if you want to be picky– since I started my social media fast for Lent. I already feel so far out of the loop when it comes to being informed about who’s getting hitched and popping out babies (or to put it in a more genteel way, who’s getting engaged, married, and pregnant).

I’ve also had six days without any posts about how Trump is the devil incarnate and the enemy to all that is true and good in the world. That’s been nice.

The purpose of Lent isn’t just to give up stuff. The point of fasting is to make time and room in your heart and in your life for God. It’s to heighten your senses so that you become more attuned to His voice.

Or in my case, I’ve made more room for Netflix and reading.

Lent is a season to prepare your heart for Easter. It’s when you move beyond Easter bunnies and Cadbury chocolate eggs to a Savior rising victoriously from the grave after three days in the tomb.

My goal is still to have time to be silent and still in the presence of God. I still want to savor the season leading up to Easter and use this as a time of refreshment and replenishing.

Right now, I’m listening to my geriatric cat snoring as I type these words. That will never ever get old, just like knowing I have a faithful legion of followers who read those words. I’ll keep on writing these blog posts as long as you keep reading them.

I’d still love to meet up with some of you for coffee and conversation. My treat.

 

 

We All Remember

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I saw today where Robert Osborne passed away. I knew he had been in declining health, but I had no idea that he would be gone from us so soon. Part of me always hoped that he’d get well and return to his normal hosting duties on Turner Classic Movies. I, along with many others, will miss him.

I owe my love of classic films to Robert Osborne. No one made the old movies come alive for me like he did. He had such an old-school charm reminiscent of many of the bygone Hollywood actors and actresses in those movies. I looked forward to his introductions as much as the films themselves.

While I like the other hosts for Turner Classic Movies, none of them come close in my mind to bringing the golden age of Hollywood to life like he did. No one else had such a connection with the classic era of Hollywood like he did and carried himself with such elegant grace.

He always seemed like someone who’d be a joy to have a conversation with over a cup of coffee or tea. I imagine he would’ve been knowledgeable about many topics, but particularly about the old movies. He probably knew more about the classics than anyone and his introductions came across as warm and friendly rather than cold and academic. He was friends with many of the stars from those films, so I imagine he had more than a few anecdotes he could share.

I can’t imagine TCM without Mr. Osborne. I hope they keep up the homage to all the great films of a bygone era and while they can never hope to replace him, I hope they will continue to have hosts who will make those movies come alive to new audiences around the world.

 

 

My Read Thru the Bible in 2017 Update

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My quest to read through the Bible in 2017 finds me in the book of Joshua. So far, I see that God has established a people who are in the process of becoming a nation while claiming the promised land.

I’ve noticed two things– 1) These people seem to go out of their way to screw up and to disobey what God has decreed, even when they’ve learned from numerous experiences that God’s ways are always best. 2) God continues to be patient with His people, though not always letting the people’s rebellion slide.

At first glance, it’s easy to be come frustrated with the people of Israel. Why can’t they just do what God says the first time and save a lot of trouble and heartbreak?

The more I look at these people, the more I see myself mirrored back. Why is it that I have such a reluctance to do what I clearly know God is asking of me? Why do I have such a tendency toward disobedience and outright rebellion?

Maybe the real question is this– why is God so patient with me after all the times I’ve given Him no reason to? Why is God still pursuing a love relationship with me when all I seem to do is respond with anything but love?

God’s people continue to be an imperfect representation of God and His Kingdom. We’ve gotten it wrong far more than we’ve ever gotten it right. We’ve made it far more complicated than it needs to be to get to God as we’ve set up way too many obstacles between people and God.

Still, we’re a broken people trying to figure out what it means to follow and serve God individually as well as corporately. We’re a work in progress that thankfully remains in progress not because we deserve it but because God has promised to finish what He started in us.

Now back to those meddling Israelites.

 

The Church as a Refuge

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I’ve been thinking lately about the whole refugee crisis. I’ve also been putting some thought into what my pastor said about the church being a refuge. Who better than to show hope to refugees than people whom the Bible calls aliens and strangers in this world who await a coming Kingdom?

The body of believers should be a place where people can go to escape from the fallout from the lies that society tells people about finding inner peace and fulfillment through outward change.

It should be where people go to find God and find the hope of salvation offered in the person of Jesus Christ, not more condemnation for lifestyle choices. It should be where spiritual transformation happens and not mere behavior modification.

I noticed today that when Jesus talked to the woman at the well, He didn’t force her to change her lifestyle before He offered the living water to her. He didn’t make her go end her relationship with the man she was living with who was not her husband.

He simply offered her a gift that would change her life forever if she took it. After all, it’s the Gospel that changes people. It’s what changes peoples’ hearts, which in turn leads to changed lives.

The Church has been guilty of putting up barriers between people and the Gospel almost from the very beginning. The people who need Jesus and the Gospel most are often the ones who feel the least welcome inside our doors.

The Gospel is for everyone. Thus, the Church is for everyone.

 

Sharing Your Faith

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I met a friend of mine at the Well for coffee this afternoon. In the midst of our conversation, he mentioned that his PC virus scan picked up some spyware that was slowing down his computer.

Without even meaning to, I went into full-on proselytizing mode for Macs. I talked about how my MacBook Pro didn’t have all those annoying popups that most PCs seem to have after time, how I never got viruses, how much faster it was, etc.

On my way home, a question dawned on me– why couldn’t I be as passionate and articulate about my faith? Why am I so often silent when it comes to sharing my faith and what I believe?

I honestly believe that people automatically talk about what excites and motivates them. It could be sports, politics, music, philosophy, or any number of other topics and interests.

Maybe the reason I haven’t been passionate about sharing my own faith is that its become more of a checklist than a Love Affair. It’s become more of a religion (in the sense of man-made traditions and rules) than a relationship with my Creator and Redeemer.

I’m not trying to beat myself up or throw the ultimate self-pity party. I’m just being honest in hope that someone else out there recognizes what I’m feeling and knows they aren’t alone in this.

You really don’t have to be taught evangelism because you will share what you’re excited about. You will talk about what you obsess and dream about the most. So what does that say about how I prioritize my faith? What does that say about how much I really believe how much the God of the Universe loves me and cares for me?

Again the key isn’t beating yourself up but recognizing when you get off track, repenting, and giving yourself grace for not being perfect. It’s about realizing that you’re not who you were yesterday or who you will become tomorrow.

 

Jeeps

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1979-cj7-yellow-hardtop

I love driving my Jeep. I’m sure you know that by now. I still really like driving my red 1997 Jeep Cherokee Country, especially after it got a much-needed, long-overdue tune up.

I previously drove a 1995 Jeep Cherokee Sport, which I also really liked to drive. I miss that car but not the manual locks and windows or the crappy drink holder which fell over if you so much as looked at it wrong.

Sensing a trend? It honestly wasn’t planned out that way. I’ve been paying more attention since I started driving one and I see Jeeps all the time now, partly due to that incredible in-line V6 engine which is practically indestructible.

I’m thinking my next car might be a Jeep. Maybe a Wrangler (or possibly even one of those old CJ7s). It’d be fun to drive a car where I could take off the top and ride around with the sun and breeze in my hair.

The secret to happiness isn’t having the best of everything but seeing the best in what you already have. It’s being content with who you are, where you are, with what you have. Being satisfied and content is still the most radically counter-cultural mindset you can have in this current age of overspending to keep up with those proverbial Joneses.

I personally have never really lusted after one of those really expensive luxury sports cars like the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis. I don’t fancy spending more money on a car than most houses cost.

I’ve also never really had a strong desire for a muscle car. I really just want something that suits my personality and that doesn’t look like every other car on the road.

If I go with the better gas mileage, I still think I’d like to have a Mini Cooper. Those look like they’d be fun to drive.

For now, I’m feeling thankful and blessed to still be driving my vintage Jeep with over 315,000 miles on it that still looks and runs great.

I’ll stick with that one for now.

 

The Ultimate Longing 

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“For all my wanting, I don’t have anyone but You in heaven. There is nothing on earth that I desire other than You. I admit how broken I am in body and spirit, but God is my strength, and He will be mine forever” (Psalm 73:25-26 VOICE).

Ultimately, that’s it. No matter how you are at the moment or how well you think you’re doing, the real victory is living out of God’s strength instead of your own.

Every desire of mine, whether I acknowledge it or not, finds its ultimate fulfillment in God.

I see more now that all those unfulfilled desires and unrequited dreams really all were longings for what only God could grant.

Even when I got exactly what I thought I wanted at the time, it always turned out to be less than satisfactory because a thing can never deliver the true joy and happiness that God can.

That’s my prayer for you– that you understand more deeply that when a longing is denied or a dream gets dashed to pieces, that the deepest yearnings at the heart of those desires are all rooted in the person of Jesus.

May you find that God is more satisfying and gratifying than anything and everything this whole world has to offer. You find true contentment when you finally grasp that God Himself with nothing else added is enough.

That’s what Lent is truly about– abstaining from good things to find joy in the best things and making room in your heart and soul for God to speak and breathe and inhabit.

I’ve managed to make it through one whole day without any social media and I live to tell the tale (even if there was a little bit of withdrawal). If I can do it, I know you can.

 

 

What Does God Require of You?

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“No. He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight.
    What else does the Eternal ask of you
But to live justly and to love kindness
    and to walk with your True God in all humility?” (Micah 6:8, The Voice).

A lot of people spend lots of time wondering what God wants from them. They pray and fast and read the Bible in search of God’s will for their lives.

I think a good place to start is this verse in Micah. What does God require of you? John Thomas, quest speaker at Kairos, mentioned three things based on this passage.

  1. Live justly toward the poor and needy. That includes widows, orphans, refugees, outcast, and strangers. Note: it does not say to see whether they measure up to certain qualifications and prove deserving of our aid. It says to live out justice and kindness toward them.
  2. Love mercy by showing God’s ultimate example of mercy in Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. That means evangelism. That means sharing your faith and living out what you believe.
  3. Walk humbly with your God, following in His steps and always ready to listen to what He says to you.  Never get too busy doing that you neglect being with God and learning to tune your life to His voice.

I think I was more convicted by this than I’ve been by anything in a while. If I live in the middle of affluence and plenty and see the need around me while doing nothing about it, I’m in direct disobedience to what God requires of me.

I also can’t help but think that if we start turning away refugees, will we look back and see that we turned away Jesus in disguise because He looked too much like an Islamic terrorist? Will we renege on our duty to care for the least of these because of fear?

Let God’s love be stronger than any fear as we learn how to live out a little more each day what God requires of us.