Brennan Manning

I had the privilege of seeing Brennan Manning at William Jessup University last night. It's been about 8 years or so since I'd last seen him. He's aged a lot since then. I think I've read just about all of his books. My favorite is The Ragamuffin Gospel, but a close second is the one I'm reading now - The Importance of Being Foolish. I was honestly tearing up within the first few sentences of his message last night. Not necessarily because of what he was saying, but because of an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the lessons I've learned through him. Nobody has had more of an impact on my life when it comes to helping me understand the vastness of the love and grace of Jesus.

Last night's message was powerful and one that I really needed to hear. In fact, as I'm beginning this new adventure in the "pastor" role with a new church, I can't think of a message that could have been more appropriate for me to hear. Brennan spoke of the life-giving, life-changing power that we have through Christ when we affirm and love other people. I'm embarrassed to admit this is a real struggle for me. I tend to get so caught up in my own agenda and busyness that I normally am looking back on the day wishing I would have invested in individuals more. I hope I can retrain my heart and mind to care for people first and "church work" second. I just think this is probably one of the truest marks of a great leader. A leader who can lead an organisation without losing focus of the individuals. I hope I can be that kind of leader.

Colette, Brandon, and Kathy joined Jamie and I last night, too. It was great hanging out with them for a little while. I'm loving my church more and more every day. Living Hope is a great bunch of people!