Manning Retreat

Brennan Manning signing books

It was a privilege and spiritually arresting to hear Brennan Manning at a retreat held by Ashland Theological Seminary, May 18,19, 2006. I cannot remember hearing anyone speak who impacted my life as much as Brennan did at this retreat.

Below are some of his excellent books which I highly recommend. You can buy them at Brennan Manning catalog

QUOTES from the Retreat:

Christianity is not merely about thinking right thoughts about God, rather is is experiencing God
Unfaltering trust in the love and forgiveness of God is the greatest need of people in America today. It is also the greatest need in the Church.
As I travel I am amazed at how many people are scandalized by the goodness of God.
Biblical fear of God consists of silent wonder, radical amazement and affectionate awe at the infinite goodness of God.
We must cry the Gospel with our lives.
So many are living in the house of fear rather than the house of love because of so many distorted images of God.
The revolutionary revelation of Jesus is that God is truly Father.
God only knows the Christian as Abba's child - this is our core identity.
The light of God's love is shining constantly. When we repent we walk from darkness back in to this light.
Many are disappointed and derailed by the belief that their life has not turned out as they planned. One must always remember that God expected more failure in our lives that we do.
Jesus know what hurts us - he is the Son of Compassion.
There is nothing you can do to increase or diminish God's love for you.
Trust in Abba was the feature and center of the ministry of Jesus.
The word of Jesus is: Trust in the Father and trust in me.
Trust is the greatest gift we give to God. He finds it so enchanting that he died for the love of it.
Uncompromising trust inspires us to thank God for the darkness and weaknesses of life.
Trust is being convinced of the absolute reliability of God.

*The Ragamuffin Gospel* is Brennan's most well-known book. "Most of us believe in God's grace -- in theory. But somehow we can't seem to apply it to our daily lives.... Yet God gives us His grace, willingly, no matter what we've done. We come to Him as ragamuffins -- dirty, bedraggled, and beat-up. And when we sit at His feet, He smiles upon us, the chosen objects of His 'furious love.'"
*Abba's Child* is said to be the second of a "triology" This book is about the ways Christians hide behind a mask of perfection to look good. Instead, God calls us to let go of this imposter and come openly to Him as He sees us: as Abba's child.
*Ruthless Trust*: The Way of the Ragamuffin is the third of the triology "We are made for the love of God, and nothing less will ever satisfy us....the powerful truth that the divine gift of love is ever present for us regardless of the state of our lives.
Based on Michael W. Smith's song "Above All," this book is Brennan's love letter to the Sovereign Lord.
In this provocative exploration of the mind of Christ,... Manning teaches us how to think like Jesus. We may start looking like fools to the world, but Manning reveals how refocusing our lives according to the way of Jesus is truly wisdom from God.