Friday, May 29, 2009

'Ere Faith?

In faith there is movement and development. Each day something is new. To be Christian, faith has to be new - that is, alive and growing. It cannot be static, finished settled. When Scripture, prayer, worship, ministry become routine, they are dead. When I conclude that I can now cope with the aw-ful love of God, I have headed for the shallows to avoid the deeps. I could more sasily contain Niagara Falls in a teacup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God.

From The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

3 comments:

Gary Kirkham said...

I don't know if you have read Brennan's new book, "The Furious Longing of God." I am reading it now and am quite enjoying it. Here is a quote along the lines of the one you posted:

The furious longing of God is beyond our wildest desires, our hope or hopelessness, our rectitude or wickedness, neither cornered by sweet talk nor gentle persuasion. The furious longing of God, as Dan Berrigan writes, is "not to be reduced to a thing, a grand ideal; it is not to be reduced to a plaything, a caged songbird, for the amusement of children." It cannot be tamed, boxed, captivated, housebroken, or templebroken. It is simply and startlingly Jesus, the effulgence of the Father's love.Brennan likes to use them big words. You just about need to keep a dictionary handy just to keep up. He certainly does have a way with words, however.

Gary

Jamie said...

I have GOTS to get that book!

Brennan Manning is da BOMB! :D

John Fincher said...

Gary,

I have not read that one, but I enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for sharing it.

Jamie,

Yes, you MUST!