The Ragamuffin Gospel

This book caught my eye a long time ago....

Finally I have had a chance at it....(I am still hoping Debbie will send me one!)

And now, I really think this book is for people just like me =)

The Ragamuffin Gospel was written with a specific reading audience in mind.

This book is not for the super-spiritual.

It is not for muscular Christians who have made Jesus their hero.

It is not for academicians who would imprison Jesus in the ivory tower of exegesis.

It is not for the noisy, feel good folks who manipulate Christianity into a naked appeal to emotion.

It is not for hooded mystics who want magic in their religion.

It is not for the Alleluia Christians who live only on the mountaintop and have never visited the valley of desolation.

It is not for the fearless and tearless.

It is not for the red hot zealots who boast with the rich young ruler of the gospels (the "All these commandments I have kept from my youth")

It is not for the complacent, hoisting over their shoulder a tote-bag of honours, diplomas and good works actually believing they have made it.

It is not for legalists who wold rather surrender control of their souls to rules than run the risk of living in union with Jesus.

If anything, the Ragamuffin Gospel was written for the bedraggled, beat-up and burnt-out.

It is for the sorely burdened who are still shifting the heavy suitcase from one hand to the other.

It is for the wobbly and weak -kneed who know they don't have it altogether and are too proud to accept the handout of amazing grace.

It is for the inconsistent, unsteady disciples whose cheese is falling off their cracker.

It is for the poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faults and limited talents.

It is for the earthen vessels who shuffle along on feet of clay.

It is for the bent and the bruised who feel that their lives are a grave disappointment to God.

It is for the smart people who know they are stupid and honest disciples who admit they are scalawags.

Brennan Manning got it spot on!

It is a book for anyone who has grown weary and discouraged along the way and in the journey..

Brennan Manning relates to ragamuffins ("shitheads") like me. Through such like mindedness I find the path of living a Christian life worth it ...and I know I ain't alone.

Do not tally your successes and failures on one score sheet. God gives us amazing grace, willingly no matter what we have done or have failed to do. Apply his grace in your daily lives and not just believe God's grace in theory!

Let's take simple honesty as a virtue in walking on our spiritual journey...that is is OK not have got it sorted every time!