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For Some Personal Reasons

In Randomness on 4 July 2008 with 2 comments

I have a friend who almost constantly encourages people to “smile” and “rejoice.” I hate it. I think to myself, “some of these people are hurting, so shut up!” Maybe I’m just picky.

Anyway, Brennan Manning made me think a little differently this morning, but not completely differently. Just part of the conversation. Quoth Mr. Manning:

“The joyful Christian is one who has retained a sense of awe and wonder before God, one who has existentially experienced membership in a redeemed community. She has a lively faith-appreciation of this great gift. She has opened up to the truth that everything she has is from God, that she is completely dependent on Christ, that “Jesus saves.” Of course, on a given day she may come to worship more depressed than anything else. In this vale of tears no Christian life is an unbroken, upward spiral to the mountaintop. Yet the Christian’s basic orientation is one of joy and gratitude. Such is the legacy of the paschal mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are God’s children not by our merit but by God’s mercy.”

Brennan Manning in The Importance of Being Foolish


2 Comments

Was he talking about your grandmother?

Rejoice.

dad

Posted by cpdad on 4 July 2008 @ 11am

Interesting. Cory, have you read much of Walter Brueggemann? In Spirituality of the Psalms he explores this same area regarding what he calls Psalms of Disorientation. I hate paraphrasing him, but his gist was that in our current time, we often prioritize reckless abandon, giving it up to God, joy in the midst of trouble, and all that. He mentions that it would be one thing if it were legit (he believes it isn’t, that it’s the only way we’ve been shaped & socially formed to believe in God), but that scripture doesn’t interact with God that way. And similar to what Manning is mentioning at the close of this, that our courage to, go off, I guess you could say, during our times of disorientation is courage because we believe God is there to go off on and we don’t fear retribution (not fearing retribution from God would be one of the reasons he believes the Psalms are so significant).

I don’t know that the two would agree that the Christian’s basic orientation is one of joy and gratitude—I don’t quite agree and think it can be emotionally damaging to suggest it—but thinking through the two together gives a totally interesting perspective. Thanks for throwing that out here.

Posted by James Orr on 5 July 2008 @ 4pm

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Cory Piña is a Youth Director in Modesto, California. He is the husband of Lyndsay, the father of Naomi, and primary source of food for José and Kitty 3. More...

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