The Ragamuffin Gospel

I close with this quote, I love this, from Brennan Manning, who was like...

He wrote a book called The Ragamuffin Gospel, and he was just like, honestly, like a kinda jacked up alcoholic priest.

But you know what he was? The one that Jesus loved.

And he just wrote about his struggles before God, and he just wrote about the beauty of the gospel, and he says this, "For those who feel their..." Now listen, listen.

Brennan Manning was an Episcopal priest that had a revelation of grace, I mean, way, way, way before his time.

He was the author of the Ragamuffin Gospel, which a lot of you that have been around a while are very familiar with the Ragamuffin Gospel.

He was an Episcopalian priest that always struggled with alcoholism his entire life.

Up to the day he died, Brennan struggled with a drinking problem, which may have given him a lot of insight about God's grace and God's goodness.

decades and they live in north carolina where they run a thing called the 18 inch journey which is kind of helping 18 to 30 year olds i think roughly kind of in a kind of discipleship school focusing on you know identity in christ is how i guess i'd put it i went to visit them a couple of years ago and was just like flipping heck this is what decades of just staying rooted not kind of jumping from place to place investing in one you know one plot of land big plot of land but investing in one place and just kind of growing deep deep roots this interview is wonderful because johnny's just so kind of unguarded we go into all sorts around come Comparison, insecurity, worship, written worship songs written by those whose politics we might have issue with and what do we do about that and identity in Christ.

And of course we hit Brennan Manning quotes because Johnny introduced me to Brennan Manning, you know, the theologian who wrote Ragamuffin Gospel and Abba's Child and that sort of thing.

Anyway, if you don't know it, you'll soon hear us quoting it and probably go out and buy a copy.

But this is my interview with Jonathan Helser.

Our scripture for today comes from Ephesians 1, verse 7.

Scripture says, In his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Brennan Manning makes an incredibly astute observation of those who are poor in spirit.

He writes, the saved sinner is prostrate in adoration, lost in wonder and praise.

He knows repentance is not what we do in order to earn forgiveness.

Romans 5.8 says, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

you Brennan Manning in the Ragamuffin Gospel says, to be human is to be poor.

See, all of us are broken.

All of us are in need.