If anything can be said about The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, it's that our view of grace is infinitely below where it should be. Having served in the Korean War and a Franciscan Priest, Brennan brings a lot of experience and personal candor to the table (especially in regards to his battle with alcoholism). Brennan contests that most of us are captivated by grace, but quickly fall into the trap of works. That as much as we want to believe that God accepts us as we are, we still work to prove to Him our love or to have Him love us more. Grace proves that not to be the case. We are loved no matter where we find ourselves. The call of the Gospel is to respond to it, but you and I are loved. Case in point :

Romans 5:8 (English Standard Version)

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

What I loved most about The Ragamuffin Gospel was that it was a reintroduction to some things that had been forgotten. When you live in grace for a long time, you can forget how much it means to you. It's almost like you become accustomed to being forgiven, adopted and redeemed. As I read through The Ragamuffin Gospel, it was a call to remember that and to live it out. When we see grace as a given, we can overlook those who are in need. We can pass by those who are beat up. We can grow weary of those who are burnt out. Grace is the continual call to live out what you have been given and express that to others. I would recommend this book to all as grace and the remembrance of it never get old. Now for a couple of my favorite quotes.

“The Christian community resembles a Wall Street exchange of works wherein the elite are honored and the ordinary ignored.” The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning, pg. 16

“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.” pg. 36

“Genuine self-acceptance is not derived from the power of positive thinking, mind games, or pop psychology. It is an act of faith in the God of grace.” pg.48

“Love is a far better stimulus than threat or pressure.” pg. 48

“You will trust God only as much as you love Him. And you will love Him to the extent you have touched Him, rather that He has touched you.” pg. 119

“Evangelical faith is the antithesis of lukewarmness : It always means a profound dissatisfaction with our present state.” pg. 167

“Seized by the power of a great affection was a visceral description of Pentecost, authentic conversion, and the release of the Holy Spirit.” pg. 196

One of my favorite lines from the book and one that will hopefully stay with me for quite some time is a line that comes near the very end and is the last of the quotes I shared. May all of us be caught up, enamored, in love with and seized by the power of a great affection. The God of the universe is absolutely in love with His people. May we respond the same way.

The Ragamuffin Gospel : A-
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Now playing: Darrell Evans - Your Love Is Extravagant