Brennan Manning
Brennan Manning
Richard Francis Xavier Manning, known as Brennan Manning was an American author, laicized priest, and public speaker. He is best known for his bestselling book The Ragamuffin Gospel...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth27 April 1934
CountryUnited States of America
distance church sin
Though it is true that the church must always dissociate itself from sin, it can never have any excuse for keeping any sinner at a distance.
mean reality self
Accepting the reality of our sinfulness means accepting our authentic self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could. The latter befriended the impostor within; the former raged against him.
christian loss thinking
The loss of transcendence has left in its wake the flotsam of distrustful, cynical Christians, angry at a capricious God, and the jetsam of smug bibilolatrists who claim to know precisely what God is thinking and exactly what he plans to do.
mind holiness speech
Creation discloses a power that baffles our minds and beggars our speech. We are enamored and enchanted by God's power. We stutter and stammer about God's holiness. We tremble before God's majesty... and yet, we grow squeamish and skittish before God's love.
fashion live-life reality
Authentic Christianity should lead to maturity, personality, and reality. It should fashion whole men and women living lives of love and communion
dream father imagination
Hope your wildest hopes, dream your maddest dreams, imagine your most fantastic fantasies. Where your hopes and your dreams and your imagination leave off, the love of my Heavenly Father only begins.
people tragedy attention
Tragedy is that our attention centers on what people are not, rather than on what they are and who they might become.
nothing-to-lose loses ragamuffin-gospel
The ragamuffin gospel says we can't lose, because we have nothing to lose.
church stories woe
The story goes that a public sinner was excommunicated and forbidden entry to the church. He took his woes to God. 'They won't let me in, Lord, because I am a sinner.' 'What are you complaining about?' said God. 'They won't let Me in either.
men light darkness
The men and women who are truly filled with light are those who have gazed deeply into the darkness of their own imperfect existence.
prayer firsts acts-of-love
Prayer is first and foremost an act of love
running men discovery
The ragamuffin who sees his life as a voyage of discovery and runs the risk of failure has a better feel for faithfulness than the timid man who hides behind the law and never finds out who he is at all.
hurt pain believe
In explaining the growth of his faith, psychiatrist Gerald May writes, "I know that God is loving and that God’s loving is trustworthy. I know this directly, through the experience of my life. There have been plenty of times of doubt, especially when I used to believe that trusting God's goodness meant I would not be hurt. But having been hurt quite a bit, I know God's goodness goes deeper than all pleasure and pain it embraces them both." Ruthless Trust, pg 22
heart compassion essence
Live in the wisdom of accepted tenderness. Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by someone... Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that the heart of God is defined by tenderness.