Creative Space for Wanderers
Chapter 11 The Power of a Great Affection Manning relates a story from the archives in New Orleans: instead of being “born again,” those who came to know a personal relationship with Jesus Christ would say, “I was seized by the power of a great affection.” This is the phrase that describes an authentic and …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: #11 – A Touch of Folly”
Full question: Why is abortion such a line in the sand for Christians–why can’t I be left alone to make my own choices for my own body? Summary The opening story about a child found in a box on the road should cause us to give unborn children the benefit of the doubt and the right to …
Continue reading “Ten Questions: #6 – Why is abortion such an Issue?”
Chapter 10 Keep Coming Back The mature Christians I have met along the way are those who have failed and have learned to live gracefully with their failure. One of my most consistent problems is taking on too much, too many things at once — overcommitment. Perhaps I lack the ability to set proper boundaries, …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: #10 – The Victorious Limp”
Chapter 9 Halftime This chapter reminds of Bob Buford’s book, Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance1. In October of 1995, I transitioned from the Air Force to civilian life–it was time to move into a new season in my life. The truth is, I’m still growing and trying to figure out what’s next, but this hasn’t prevented me …
Chapter 8 Freedom Awaits All This chapter starts with a summary of Dostoyevsky’s, The Brothers Karamazov. For the church, this is a rather fatalistic view of its organization and intention to control parishioners. Quite depressing. Following this brief discussion, Manning asserts, “Some Christians want to be slaves.” This is not the freedom taught by Jesus, “If …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: #8 – Freedom from Fear”
Chapter 7 Counterfeit Christians This chapter presents a poignant story from Manning’s visit to a rehabilitation center, one that left me speechless. The point of the story is to evoke an emotional response, but more than that, it’s to force us to evaluate our response. Imagine if this were a Candid Camera episode where a …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: #7 – Paste Jewelry and Sawdust Hot Dogs”
Chapter 6 Decide, Trust and Show Heartfelt Gratitude Decide. Take Action. The gospel of grace calls us to action! This chapter calls us to arms, to action, to get out of the bleachers and onto the playing field. Manning we are indecisive, caught between a rock and a hard place because we cannot will ourselves …
Summary Many times when people ask this question, they are in the midst of great suffering. Jesus himself warned us we would all face trials and suffering; it’s important to help our friends see this truth with love. As Christians, we believe in three seemingly incompatible truths — God is good, God is great, and …
Chapter 5 Awe and Wonder As Manning begins this chapter, he explains how science has squelched our awe and wonder of creation to the point that we have “become immune to the glory of creation.” So true for many, but I love it when we read about research scientists that dedicate their lives to their fields …
Continue reading “Ragamuffin Gospel: #5 – Cormorants and Kittiwakes”
Chapter 4 Saved Sinners The subtitle for this chapter should be Saved Sinners as Manning uses this term several times directly and indirectly. The emphasis makes sense: we are all sinners, the distinction is only between those who have accepted Christ and those who have not. One of my goals in life is to be an encourager, …