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Ragamuffin Gospel: #11 – A Touch of Folly

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 complete conversion to Christianity.

During his visit with an Amish family, Manning describes his surprising welcome on his arrival. I was immediately drawn to a great worship song, How He Loves Me.  The song was written by John Mark McMillan who includes the controversial phrase, “heaven meets earth with a sloppy wet kiss.”  Check out his blog post that briefly explains how David Crowder modified the words just a bit. Link. It’s controversial because it seems like we Christians don’t like things that are sloppy, out of order, not up to our standards. Not that I’m endorsing chaos, but I must agree we are looking more like the “frozen chosen” than those freed from the bondage of sin!

The truth of the Gospel…deserves to be accepted or rejected for what it is: an answer to the most fundamental questions a person may ask: Is life absurd or does it have a purpose?

Jesus came that we all might find the joy of life in unity with God. There is no other way for this to happen but through Christ. This is a scandalous, insane position from the world’s perspective. Jesus knew that’s how we would be perceived and addressed that in the Gospels, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

I wholeheartedly agree with Manning’s thesis that our modern, well organized religion is missing the crazy love that Jesus offers. We get so wrapped up in process that we forget the very people Christ came to save–the very people He commanded that we go find and offer His gift of salvation.

Yet there are still precious few of us with sufficient folly to make the mad exchange of everthing for Christ

I’m still trying to understand the book of Hosea, the craziest book in the Bible. Seriously. It completely makes sense that Manning points to this book and offers an exercise in prayer and contemplation that is truly humbling when you think about Hosea. He suggest we read through Hosea 11:1, 11:3-4, 11:8-9 and substitute our name in place of Israel to make this a personal story.

A few more readings to support this crazy approach: Hosea 2:14-15, Isaiah 49:1, Isaiah 49:15-16, Romans 8:31-32.

Deb Federico, the Community Outreach Director at Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, CA, challenged me with an exercise that comes to mind here. At the end of your quiet time, the time you prayer earnestly and listen to the Lord speak to you, express your thought in one or two words. What words come to mind? “We win,” I responded the first time I thought about this. We win because we are on God’s team. We can’t lose. That doesn’t give us the right to talk trash; rather, that requires that we spread the Gospel, as commanded, because there is no limit to the number of people who can be part of God’s family. The “we” is huge, it needs to grow, and people will think we’re crazy for having the audacity to suggest we have the answer.

Lord, help me to show the world I am crazy enough to believe You have provided the way, the truth and the light in Jesus Christ. Keep me from hiding behind procedures and policies that prevent people from accepting the folly of your gracious gift.

 

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Ten Questions: #6 – Why is abortion such an Issue?

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 life
  • We know that protecting human life is honorable and right
  • Science has shown us many individual characteristics are evident soon after conception; they are distinct human beings that deserve our loving protection
  • God created us in His own image and Jesus said we should care for “the least of these”
  • Our constitution was founded on principles that all humans were created equally (not that we’ve done a good job displaying loyalty to this opening statement!)
  • Those who have participated in abortion in the past can come to God and find His forgiveness, grace, the promise of a new life and a far better future

Introduction

Mittelberg presents a true story about Arnie Skeie finding a child in a box in the middle of the road and Arnie’s response. Arnie was driving with his young daughter when he decided to stop and take a look at the box. Fortunately for the little boy inside, Arnie made the right choice and saved a life.

The Importance of the Issue

  • Mittelberg shares the story of their first child being born almost 3 months premature, a tiny baby. He reminds us that we get to make a lot of choices about harmless actions, but no one (male or female) “has the freedom to squash another human life, no matter how small or hidden.”
  • The number of abortions every year in our country is greater than the combined number of people killed in all the wars this country has participated in. Over 50,000,000 unborn Americans have been killed in the past forty years. (See this factsheet on the National Right to Life website.)
  • The overview of abortion procedures is presented in this section…I’m not going to retype them here, simply appalling, but I appreciate the information and how it is presented.

Scientific Answers

Scientific advancements have given great insight into the entire gestation process…truly amazing! In the first four months:

  • genetically unique: all human chromosomes are in place (from day one)
  • beating heart
  • own blood type
  • eyes
  • legs
  • hands
  • fingernails
  • fingerprints
  • all internal organs
  • bones
  • teeth
  • independent brain waves

The unborn child can kick, swim, turn her head back and forth, make facial gestures, grasp objects and even have dreams.

Even the owner of Oregon’s largest abortion clinic admitted: “Of course human life begins at conception.”

Hypothetical Story Illustrates a Good Point

  • Suppose someone broke into your house, left a baby in your family room, then fled the scene. What would you do? Would you call a doctor and have the baby destroyed, thus removing the unwanted child from your home? I don’t think so! Everyone involved would be guilty of murder, even though the existence of the child was not yours, not wanted and “not your fault.”
  • See this article from 10 years ago: “Statistics show that 84 percent of women decide against an abortion after seeing an ultrasound of their baby.”
  • Former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic resigned her post and became a pro-life advocate after seeing the ultrasound image of an abortion actually in progress. “I could see the whole profile of the baby of thirteen weeks…I could see the probe…I could see the baby try to move away from the probe.”

Biblical Answers

Many people who are not Christians respect the Bible for its teaching on morals.

Civic Answers

Our Declaration of Independence includes this in the opening statements:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.

  • Individuals matter over and above the state and therefore deserve the right of freedom and the government’s protection.
  • The U.S. Constitution declares that “no state shall deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” As a country,
    • we have failed African-Americans by denying liberty,
    • we have failed Native Americans by denying their property and
    • we continue to deny life to those unborn.
  • “We cannot afford to wait for history to prove us wrong about the unborn.” (See Link: http://amzn.com/0764220500).

If There’s Any Doubt

Perhaps we can ask this question:

In light of all the information from science, Scripture, and the civil rights due all human beings, how sure are you that this is not a human life worthy of our full protection?

Truth Plus Grace

Remember, “let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:6. We have a God that longs to forgive and heal. His grace is given in abundance! Romans 5:20

Tips for Talking About This Issue

Remember that this is a deeply personal issue for many. Follow James’ advice wisely, “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” James 1:19.

  • Use a story like the one at the beginning of this chapter to help people realize they should give unborn children a chance
  • Speak boldly, but with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:15-16
  • Avoid inflammatory terms: it’s one thing to believe abortion is murder, it’s another thing to be accused of murder.
  • Remember that there is an abortion industry that has convinced many that this procedure is like removing “lumps” not an intentional act of murder
  • Remember that people will often resist changing their views on issues until God changes their hearts. Don’t make agreement on this issue a prerequisite to salvation.
  • God’s way is to “conquer evil by doing good” Romans 12:21

Questions for discussion

  1. Have you ever had an experience similar to Arnie’s? If so, did you “give the benefit of the doubt”? How did it work out?
  2. How well-known do you think the scientific data is about the amazing and early development of unborn children?
  3. Are there practical steps that should be taken to make that data better known?
  4. Reread the Psalm 139:13-17 passage. How does it make you feel about God’s attitude toward you? toward unborn children?
  5. How do you think the United States is doing in terms of applying its foundational principles of being “created equal” and “endowed with certain unalienable rights” to all human beings?
  6. What are some dos and don’ts–whether listed in this chapter, or others you can think of–that you think might help as you talk to others about this important question?
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Ragamuffin Gospel: #10 – The Victorious Limp

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, but my response is equally consistent: when I am face to face with Jesus I want to be completely worn out because I did everything I could, every day, for everyone. That’s a bit unhealthy, I get that, but I would rather be stretched and fail than comfortable and content.

Tension mounts:

We settle in and settle down to lives of comfortable piety and well-fed virtue. We grow complacent and lead practical lives.

Complacency, accepting what has happened cannot be undone, our circumstance cannot be changed–the loss of hope.

The crucifixion on Black Friday, the real Black Friday, left the disciples hopeless. They scattered and immediately went back to their old ways. Their hope was tortured, killed and buried. We have the privilege of hindsight and the Bible to see that this wasn’t the end of the story, but they did not.

As I reflect on Peter, his denial of Christ, the voices that he heard and his incredible failures, I’m amazed by a God who not only reveals this failure in scripture, but comes to Peter and cooks him breakfast then reinstates him as the cornerstone of His church. How ridiculous is that?

What we struggle to see is our own story. We don’t get to skip a chapter and see how it ends. When we meet someone, choose to do something kind (or not), we don’t get to fast forward to see how God will use that encounter to advance His kingdom. We simply have to move on faith, daily taking up the cross. Inch by inch, moving forward, failing and getting back up again (hopefully learning in the process!).

Lord, help us to see failure as Your refining fire. Teach us every time we stumble and give us the faith and courage to keep coming back. Give us the wisdom to listen to your voice and understand what we should do every single day.

From the Chapter

  • Authentic disciples have a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions…they kept coming back to Jesus.
  • At some point in each of our lives, we were deeply touched by a profound encounter with Jesus Christ…yet we did not get unraveled. Slowly we got caught up in the demands of ministry or career and the distractions our busy world offers. We began to treat Jesus like the old friend from Brooklyn whom we dearly loved in years past but have gradually lost track of.
  • Inattention to the Holy unravels the fabric of the diving relationship.
  • We settle in and settle down to lives of comfortable piety and well-fed virtue. We grow complacent and lead practical lives.
  • The sinner is accepted before he pleads for mercy. It is already granted. He need only receive it. Total amnesty. Gratuitous pardon.
  • The father of the prodigal son took him back just as he was. Abba just wants us to show up.
  • The mature Christians I have met along the way are those who have failed and have learned to live gracefully with their failure.
  • Risking everything on Jesus: The ragamuffin gospel says we can’t lose, because we have nothing to lose.
  • The willingness to keep growing: Unfaithfulness is a refusal to become, a rejection of grace (grace that is inactive is an illusion).
  • The readiness to risk failure: Many of us are haunted by our failures.

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Ragamuffin Gospel: #9 – The Second Call

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 from trying, failing, tripping and falling flat on my face.

As Manning explains, there is a point where we realize something needs to change. Most of the time it takes some significant event is required to jolt us from comfort to action. That’s why preachers and politicians search for words to stir emotions, wake us from our relative comfort zones. I’ve probably just offended a bunch of people by putting preachers and politicians in the same sentence, but sadly I’ve seen both use tactics to provoke people to action.

We must reach a point of holy discontent, of righteous indignation, a place where we know something inside us must change. How we arrive at this point matters if we want it to stick. It’s not a New Years resolution to lose ten pounds, it’s a lifestyle change that just happens to result in losing weight. More significantly, we must reach the point where we see the door closing, where we understand the words of Jesus in the parable of the wedding banquet and simply can’t sit still, Matthew 22:14: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

The second journey begins when we know we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the morning program.

(After reading this, Chaotic Love (You’re The One That Really Matters) started playing in my head over and over again!)

In our cynical society we are reminded that one individual cannot make a difference, that we are insignificant. Over and over again, Satan uses such tactics to keep us down, to make us believe we’re wallowing in pride when we have a God-inspired idea. The Adversary wants us to be self-conscious about singing out, raising our hands, pouring our hearts out. Sadly, this is true too much of the time, but we have the antidote in front of us, printed in numerous languages and styles, God’s word is there for us to “grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:18. Use the Bible to learn, to grow, but Lord teach us to get out of our comfort zones and into the world that desperately needs to see the word in action.

Lord, I pray that we become a people that understands from the deepest part of our being that “you’re the One that really matters.” And in that knowledge we find the faith, hope and love to act.

From the Chapter

  • The second call is a summons to a deeper, more mature commitment of faith where the naïveté, first fervor, and untested idealism of the morning and the first commitment have been seasoned with pain, rejection, failure, loneliness, and self-knowledge.
  • Three obstacles: a crisis of faith, of hope and of love.
  • #1 Faith.
    • God’s answer: The next time you preach about My love with such obnoxious familiarity, I may just come and blow your whole prayer meeting apart.
    • Evangelical faith is the antithesis of lukewarm news: It always means a profound dissatisfaction with our present state.
    • If we are criticized, let it be for the right reasons: because we are not emotional enough, because our emotions are puny, because we lack a deep, passionate, uncompromising affection for Jesus Christ.
    • We need to ask ourselves: Do I really believe the Good News of Jesus Christ? Do I hear His word spoken to my heart?
  • #2 Hope
    • Matthew 22 describes a feast. Do we really believe we are going to a wedding feast that has already begun?
    • Our hope, our acceptance of the invitation to the banquet, is based on the idea that we will triumph over pain and suffering (not escape it).
    • To really be a disciple of Jesus, one must be as committed to the message of the kingdom as He was, and to preach it whether or not the audience finds it relevant.
    • The issue is not whether the world considers it relevant; it’s whether it is true.
  • #3 Love
    • We must love and, even more, we must run the risk of being loved.
    • God wants us back even more than we could possibly want to be back.
  • One significant barrier: fear. We are afraid of failure.
  • We tend to think we have to project some image of perfection:
    • It’s simply not true
    • Keeps us from reaching the lost
    • it would be a shallow existence
  • Depth of character is achieved by one who has failed and who has learned to live with it.
  • God longs for someone daring enough to be different, humble enough to make mistakes, wild enough to be burned in the fire of love, real enough to make others see how phone we are.

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Notes:

1 Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, by Bob P. Buford et al.

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Ragamuffin Gospel: #8 – Freedom from Fear

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 the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed John 8:36.”

The fear that Manning wants us to deal with is perhaps best described as a lack of positive self-image. We don’t see ourselves as truly saved, adopted into the family of Christ. If we did, we would NOT worry about the taunts and pointed words of those who don’t know Jesus. Instead, we would understand their doubts and skepticism and love them anyway.

For many, and I’m sure I’m included in the bunch, we want “to be well thought of by everyone,” but this doesn’t mean with must adapt a new personality for each situation (p. 152). I completely agree with this statement:

In Christ Jesus freedom from fear empowers us to let go of the desire to appear good, so that we can move freely in the mystery of who we really are.

The real challenge is to love others as Jesus loved others. That’s a simple statement, but not so simple to do. My careless words leave people hurt and often don’t reveal their impact for weeks! The key is listen to the hearts of those around us more than we wrap ourselves up in our own concerns. “The gentleness of Jesus with sinners flowed from His ability to read their hearts.”

Then there’s the struggle between discipline and love. I know discipline is good and I understand that loving someone means I accept their faults. So where do we draw the line? The only way to answer this is by changing our own hearts first. If I am a man chasing after God, doing everything in my control to love God and love others, the time for discipline should be evident. If I am serving my own best interests, discipline could simply be a method of climbing the corporate ladder or getting something I want. There our sinful nature takes over.

However, the point of this chapter is this: “we are free from the slavery of sin–for what? For the saving grace of the living God!” It’s not about us. Sorry to break the news to the world!

The more we read the Bible, converse with God through prayer and meditation, the more we understand we have nothing to fear in this world; rather, we have something to tell the world, some amazing Good News! If we fully believe what we sing about, we must share the gospel with our neighborhood, city, state, etc. Kinda sounds like Jesus command to us doesn’t it?

Thank you, Lord, for the freedom from fear. Help me live that out in my daily life.

 

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Ragamuffin Gospel: #7 – Paste Jewelry and Sawdust Hot Dogs

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 hidden video camera recorded our reaction to the story. My initial, “you idiot!” reaction would be there to replay over and over again. Is this how we relate to those outside our sacred walls? Probably. And that, my friends, IS the problem of paste jewelry and sawdust hot dogs–fake Christians.

Until I learn to react the way the Jesus did I will still be learning to grow in grace. To use the churchy wording, I’m still going through the sanctification process. It’s sad to watch my hidden video footage because I know that it was a setup, but the reality is there to observe. Every time I judge someone from my position of higher ground I have elevated myself on some sort of holy pedestal for which I am unworthy. Worse than that, as one who often wears a title that’s associated with the church, I fail as an ambassador of Christ. James 3:1 comes to mind:

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers,
because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Lord, help me to get rid of the mask that hides who I really am. Show me that I don’t need to put on some counterfeit image to impress anyone; that you working in me is enough. Help me to be brave enough to let my weaknesses be revealed and teach me to find unbridled joy in the wonder that You fill the gap between what I should do and what I actually do. Help me to be crazy for you like you are crazy for me! May I love unconditionally, extravagantly, without judgement.

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Ragamuffin Gospel: #6 – Grazie, Signore

Chapter 6

Decide, Trust and Show Heartfelt Gratitude

  1. 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 to accept grace.
  2. Trust. The love of Jesus demands trust. We are accepted just the way we are. “Trust at the mercy of the response it receives is a bogus trust.” In other words, you can’t prescribe Jesus’ response to your prayers or predicaments–you simply have to trust Him!
  3. Show Heartfelt Gratitude. “The third characteristic of our response to the gratuitous intervention of Jesus in our lives is heartfelt gratitude.”

Grazie, Signore, for Your lips twisted in love to accommodate my sinful self;
for judging me not by my shabby good deeds but by Your love that is Your gift to me;
for Your unbearable forgiveness and infinite patience with me;
for other people who have greater gifts than mine;
and for the honesty to acknowledge that I am a ragamuffin.
When the final curtain falls and You summon me home,
may my last whispered word on earth be the wholehearted cry,
“Grazie, Signore.”

 

From the Chapter

  • Story of the palsied kiss…heartwarming and insightful
  • First, the love of Christ and His gospel of grace calls for a personal, free, and unconventional decision.
  • Luke 16:1-8: Parable of the Shrewd Manager. Unbelievers put us to shame. Imitate their shrewdness!
  • When Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened,” He assumed we would grow weary, discouraged, and disheartened along the way. He knew that following Him was as unsentimental as duty, as demanding as love.
  • When we wallow in guilt, remorse, and shame over real or imagined sins of the past, we are disdaining God’s gift of grace.
  • Preoccupation with self is always a major component of unhealthy guilt and recrimination.
  • Catholic woman’s vision of the Bishop’s confession: I CAN’T REMEMBER. Nice.
  • The Gift of the Magi: Woman sells hair; husband buys special combs for her.
  • Mark 14:3-9: Mary pours expensive perfume on Jesus and He marks the occasion for all to remember. “He wanted the tale of this woman’s recklessness told and retold across the generations until the end of time.
  • Amadeus, film about Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Salieri whispers, “Grazie, Signore” Thank You, Lord. This song of Salieri lies at the heart of our response to the graciousness of God and the gospel of grace.

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Ten Questions: #5 – How could a good God allow so much evil, pain, and suffering — or does he simply not care?

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 evil is real.
  • Remember the illustration of driving in the fog by following the taillights of someone just ahead of you.
  • Evil was not created by God; instead, he gave us a choice.
  • People desire a place without suffering–and God has promised that! One day…
  • God knows about suffering: Jesus suffered in unimaginable ways.
  • God can bring good out of all kinds of evil and suffering.

The question that’s not always a question

  • Realize that when your friends are experiencing pain they are probably not asking for explanations as much as they’re looking for empathy, concern and tangible expressions of love. See James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:18-19
  • Here’s a scripted answer to consider:
    • “Well, that’s a really good question that we can talk about sometime, but I’m pretty sure what you need most right now is not a deep philosophical discussion about pain and suffering. Let’s talk about that later. For now, how can I help you get through this?”

The problem of evil

The conundrum: God is good, God is great, evil is real. How do we deal with this reality?

  • Solution 1: Deny God’s existence — and, with it, the reality of evil.
    • as soon as you throw out the idea of God, you’ve also thrown out the meaning of evil
    • C.S. Lewis: “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.”
    • If all we have is a human race that evolved by chance without a God in the picture, then there is no absolute standard.
      • If there is no absolute standard, then there is no real evil.

Consequently, atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p.45-46

  • Solution 2: Make evil part of God–thus deifying it.
    • Primarily an Eastern thought, especially Hinduism and Buddhism and through New Age teachings in the West.
    • If everything is a part of God, so is evil…the Dark Side of the force.
  • Solution 3: Diminish God’s power
    • This teaches that God himself is a growing, changing being who is caught up in the struggle against evil, and he has only the power of persuasion to aid him in his efforts to, hopefully, win out one day over it
    • There are major problems with this teaching!
  • Solution 4: Diminish God’s goodness
    • Some suggest that God knows about evil and has the power to vanquish it, but apparently doesn’t care enough to deal with it.
    • During bad times it’s easy to forget the good things that God has provided.

Living in the Tension

  • There is a God — One who is good, who is great and who nevertheless allows real evil in our world for a season and for his greater purposes.
  • It’s wise to admit we don’t have a simplistic solution

Addressing the question with our friends

  1. First point of light: the world is as Jesus predicted John 16:33
  2. Second point of light: evil was not created or caused by God. Real love can never be forced.
  3. Third point of light: the cause behind most suffering is human. We live in a world where people do what they want to do, and therefore all kinds of sin, abuse, and damage occur. God didn’t want any of this and he warns us against it all.
  4. Fourth point of light: we live in a fallen world. Romans 8:19-21.
  5. Fifth point of light: God will finally judge evil. 2 Peter 3:9.
  6. Sixth point of light: God suffered too. Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:14-16.
  7. Seventh point of light: God can bring good out of bad. Romans 8:28.
  • He can use pain to deepen our character (Romans 5:3-4).
  • He can use pain to reshape us as his sons and daughters (Hebrews 12:10-11).
  • He can use pain to give us a more spiritual and eternal perspective (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
  • He can use pain to protect us from ourselves.
  • He can use pain to grab our attention and teach or redirect us in ways that will be important in our lives.
  • He can use pain to lead us to himself.

Tips for Talking About This Issue

  • Remember that many times people’s questions are not really questions, but cries for help. Pray for wisdom and discernment, but lean toward the side of listening and serving.
  • Don’t overreact when your friends blurt out some strong feelings about God or their faith. Remember, “Skeptics argue with each other, but true believers argue with God.” (See Psalm 13)
  • It’s better to admit you don’t know what to say or to say nothing.
  • Don’t tell people that loved ones died because “God must have needed them in heaven” or “This must have been God’s will.”
  • It’s rarely appropriate to quote Romans 8:28 to people in pain; rather, encourage them and love, support and serve them.
  • Remember that prayer is almost always an appropriate response.
  • Don’t underestimate the encouragement and influence you can have on people’s lives by simply being there to love and serve them.

Questions for discussion

  1. Why do people tend to not think about God when their lives are going well, but then blame him when bad things happen?
  2. How would you describe to someone “the problem of good?”
  3. Why is it difficult for people to reconcile the three truths that God is good, God is great, and evil is real? Have you ever struggled with any of these?
  4. Why does the denial of God leave us with no absolute standards? Why is a standard for judging good and evil vital for life in this world?
  5. What does it mean to you that God offers a choice–to love and follow him or to not love and follow him? How does that affect your approach in talking to friends about this question?
  6. How do the words not yet apply to God’s dealing with evil and suffering in the world?
  7. Describe a time when God brought “good out of bad” in your own experience or in the life of someone close to you.
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Ragamuffin Gospel: #5 – Cormorants and Kittiwakes

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 and come to the conclusion that there must be a divine creator. They see order in the minute details that even electronic scanning microscopes can’t show. For many, the more they study and understand their science, the more the stand in awe of the One who created it all.

The title for this chapter deceived me. Friends of ours in Jamestown regard the Cormorant1 as an invasive, ugly, useless bird that merely leaves a path of destruction in its wake. As I read the first few paragraphs, I was expecting a terse comparison of those who miss the splendor of the world to that of the Cormorant, the ugly bird that depletes the local supply of fish for everyone! Instead it seems that Manning is captivated by nature and these are just a few that caught his eye, “…gulls and gannets, puffins, cormorants and kittiwakes.” I suppose this is a lesson in keeping an open mind and not jumping to conclusions!

God wants us to explore our world, to be amazed by His creation. To one the cormorant is a nuisance, to another a wonder of creation.  To some, there is no use for religion because scientific endeavors seem to have an explanation for everything while others see the beauty in the creative hands that made every living thing.

This is why the arts are so important, why music still pierces the hearts of the most successful (as defined by society), the greatest and the smallest. Movies attract us because we want to be transported to a different reality, to be shocked and awed by special effects. Spoken Word performances evoke emotion that defies science and forces us to look beyond mathematical explanations. Music plays in our heads long after the song has ended. Why? Because we are spiritual beings, not just some combination of atoms!

The spirituality of wonder knows the world is charged with grace, that while sin and war, disease and death are terribly real, God’s loving presence and power in our midst are even more real. p.99

When we take time to reflect on that which surrounds us we see beauty beyond explanation. To see someone smile from deep within or laugh uncontrollably defies scientific explanation. How can a melody cause me to cry like a baby? Why do I play the same song over and over again? It’s weird, but not really that strange. Okay, some are stranger than others, but seriously there is no satisfactory scientific explanation.

As I read this chapter I hear words from the great Psalm of David:

Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Psalm 51

One of my favorite psalms penned by David from one of his lowest moments on earth. Here he repents and pleads with God to restore joy, the joy of God’s salvation, not the wonder of his own hands. Move us to real authentic joy.

Our society has taught us that constantly want the newest version, the next best thing. In essence this suggests that what we have isn’t good enough. Such thinking has created so many problems, but the one that relates to this chapter is the loss of our sincere appreciation for that which is around us. We’re so busy looking for the new model we don’t enjoy what we have…as if that was important at all!

Our relationship with Christ is something to be in awe about! Our society applauds the skeptic, but does little to recognize those who actually study and see God’s hand in the middle of everything we do…that takes too much time and effort. We’re part of a 15-second sound-bite world that doesn’t have the patience to read and seek to understand. Help me Lord to move beyond this, to invest the time to learn.

I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.p. 105

From the Chapter

  • By and large, our world has lost its sense of wonder.
  • God is being edged out of His world by science.
  • As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines
  • We become immune to the glory of creation.
  • We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter.
  • We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder.
  • So often we religious people walk amid the beauty and bounty of nature and we talk nonstop. We must rediscover the gospel of grace and the world of grace.
  • Fiorello LaGuardia story about the women who stole a loaf of bread.
  • Our gracious God speaks to us in [The Moviegoer] and issues a call “to choose between generativity and stagnation, between continuing to have an impact, or sitting around waiting to die…”
  • Erma Bombeck: I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it, and never give it back.
  • We are either living a little more or dying a little bit (Norman Mailer)
  • The spirituality of wonder knows the world is charged with grace, that while sin and ware, disease and death are terribly real, God’s loving presence and power in our midst are even more real.
  • The gospel of grace is brutally devalued when Christians maintain that the transcendent God can only be properly honored and respected by denying the goodness and the truth and the beauty of the things of this world.
  • The Jews related to a covenant God who had initiated the contract.
  • Human love, with all its passion and emotion, is a thin echo of the passion/emotion love of Yahweh.
  • Yahweh does not conform to the human-logic model
  • Unjust? To our way of thinking, yes. Thank God! I am wonderfully content with a God who doesn’t deal with me as my sins deserve.
  • We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that He should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at His love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.
  • Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of Your universe.
  • Joshua Abraham Heschel: “I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.”

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Notes:

1 Cormorant. The gangly Double-crested Cormorant is a prehistoric-looking, matte-black fishing bird with yellow-orange facial skin. Though they look like a combination of a goose and a loon, they are relatives of frigatebirds and boobies and are a common sight around fresh and salt water across North America—perhaps attracting the most attention when they stand on docks, rocky islands, and channel markers, their wings spread out to dry. These solid, heavy-boned birds are experts at diving to catch small fish. Cormorants are voracious, and the term “cormorant” has been applied to gluttonous, miserly, or avaricious persons. Cormorants are ridiculed because of their awkward movements on land, their harsh croaks, and their obnoxious method of feeding their young.

2 Kittiwake. A small, cliff-nesting gull, the Black-legged Kittiwake breeds along northern coasts and winters out at sea.

3 ignominy. A situation or event that causes you to feel ashamed or embarrassed; deep personal humiliation and disgrace; disgraceful or dishonorable conduct, quality, or action.

4 Fiorello H. La Guardia. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Fiorello-H-La-Guardia

5 The Moviegoer. The Moviegoer is Binx Bolling, a young New Orleans stockbroker who surveys the world with the detached gaze of a Bourbon Street dandy even as he yearns for a spiritual redemption he cannot bring himself to believe in. On the eve of his thirtieth birthday, he occupies himself dallying with his secretaries and going to movies, which provide him with the “treasurable moments” absent from his real life. But one fateful Mardi Gras, Binx embarks on a hare-brained quest that outrages his family, endangers his fragile cousin Kate, and sends him reeling through the chaos of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Wry and wrenching, rich in irony and romance, The Moviegoer is a genuine American classic.

5 metanoia. Change in one’s way of life resulting from penitence or spiritual conversion.

6 hesed. In the Old Testament, hesed is a central theological term. It is a key attribute in the Lord’s self-description in Exodus 34:6-7, as well as an obligation that is placed on all of His people in Micah 6:8. Normally, hesed describes something that happens within an existing relationship, whether between two human beings or between God and man. In human relationships, hesed implies loving our neighbor, not merely in terms of warm emotional feelings but in acts of love and service that we owe to the other person simply because he is part of the covenant community. God’s people are to do justly, to love hesed, and to walk humbly with their God.

 

 

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Ragamuffin Gospel: #4 – Tilted Halos

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, one who lifts others up when they’re down. I can only do this if I’m willing to accept that I am nothing without the saving grace of Jesus Christ. My aim is to listen well and be sincere–nothing contrive, no check marks on a list or notches in my belt, simply authentic.

In conversation, the disciple who is truly poor in spirit always leaves the other person feeling, My life has been enriched by talking with you.p.81

As we come to trust Jesus completely, we stop judging others because we understand our own position in this world–we are all saved sinners! This allows us to relate with everyone. The key is not to put ourselves first, but to always put Christ first, trusting that He will span the gap between us. Those who are truly humble “do not pretend to be anything but what they are: sinners saved by grace.”

I really appreciate Manning’s confession about his six weeklong Lenten “renewals” where he was called out by someone who acted as his “mirror.” Whether or not we have valid excuses for our actions, we need to remember that “to whom much is given, much is required”Luke 12:48.

  1. The foremost characteristic of living by grace is trust in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ.
  2. Second characteristic is Poverty of Spirit: Blessed are the poor in spirit.
  3. The third characteristic is honesty.

The discussion of honesty reminds me of a Billy Joel song. Though distinctly not a Christian song, sometimes we can (and should) learn from the world (see Luke 16:1-15). From the song, “honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue.” We all think we need to wear masks, to put on our church face, to be something someone expects. The play Manning mentioned in the beginning of the book, The Great God Brown, was all about masks that allowed the actors to pretend to be someone else, to gain an advantage that ultimately was all vanity.

Yet honesty doesn’t mean being a tyrant! We can be honest and caring at the same time. The key is to be more concerned about our brother or sister than we are about ourselves.

The question the gospel of grace puts to us is simply this: Who shall separate you from the love of Christ? What are you afraid of?

Honesty is so important. We raised our girls with this truth: lies will always come back and bite you. I think this is quite true, but what we like to do is mask something as truth that is in fact a lie. We’re bombarded with political correctness, social expectations and other artificial pressures that all attempt to teach us that truth isn’t always the right thing. We know this isn’t right, but it’s so easy to just accept that we’re often afraid to speak the truth, even in love, because of the potential side effects.

Perhaps the term transparency is better at encapsulating honesty. I can be honest, but not say what I’m thinking. When I’m transparent, I don’t hide behind excuses like, “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.” I’m not suggesting we be insensitive because transparency works both ways! In any case, if we assume we’re on #3 because we have fully accepted #1 and #2 above, this should be a natural next step. On the contrary, if I’m wrapped up in my own little world, overly concerned about me, then I can’t possibly be honest with someone, let alone transparent.

All in all, our shiny little halos that we tend to polish as if we’re people that are just a little bit better than others need to disappear. We are given the gift of grace to share with others. Only then will we see what grace is all about!

From the Chapter

  • The tilted halo of the saved sinner is worn loosely and with easy grace. We have discovered that the cross accomplished far more than revealing the love of God.
  • The saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise.
  • Thus the sequence of forgiveness and then repentance, rather than repentance and then forgiveness, is crucial for understanding the gospel of grace.
  • Do you really believe that:
    • the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is gracious
    • He cares about you?
    • He is always, unfailingly present to you as companion and support?
    • God is love?
  • You are wrong if
    • you have learned to fear this loving and gracious Father
    • you have learned to think of the Father as the judge, the spy, the disciplinarian, the punisher
    • you think Abba is our enemy
    • you believe Abba is intent on trying, tempting or testing us
    • you think Abba prefers and promotes suffering and pain
  • Trust defines the meaning of living by grace rather than works.
  • The deeper we grow in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the poorer we become–the more we realize that everything in life is a gift.
  • Honesty is such a precious commodity that it is seldom found in the world or the church.

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