Tilted Halos

Posted: 5th November 2009 by jenni in Books, Faith
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Tilted HalosOur LifeGroup Online is reading The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning.

This book is kicking me in the behind (in a really amazingly AWESOME “push-me-towards-God’s-embrace” kind of way)… and revealing a lot of truth that I’ve been suppressing in my own life.

I thought I’d share something I read this past week from the “Tilted Halos” chapter:

“Getting honest with ourselves does not make us unacceptable to God.  It does not distance us from God, but draws us to Him — as nothing else can — and opens us anew to the flow of grace.  While Jesus calls each of us to a more perfect life, we cannot achieve it on our own.  To be alive is to be broken; to be broken isto stand in need of grace.  It is only through grace that any of us could dare to hope that we could become more like Christ.

The saved sinner with the tilted halo has been converted from mistrust to trust, has arrived at an inner poverty of spirit, and lives as best he or she can in rigorous honesty with self, others and God.

The question which the gospel of grace puts to us is simply this:

Who shall separate you from the love of Christ?  Who are you afraid of?”

Great question posed here.
Thoughts?

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  1. Brad Ruggles says:
    November 5, 2009 at 10:48 am

    Great post Jenni! I love that book. I also love the phrase “tilted halos” because it so poetically describes the process of redemption.

    What are we really afraid of?

    Thanks for posting this awesome reminder!

    [Reply]

    jenni Reply:
    November 5th, 2009 at 10:54 am

    thanks, brad.

    as people, we’re so afraid of the most ridiculous things. me? i think i’m afraid of myself.

    weird, right?

    [Reply]

  2. Crystal Renaud says:
    November 5, 2009 at 10:55 am

    i loved this chapter as well for its butt-kicking ability. i often sit in my shame and my past sin as if it is safer than the lap of God. like, if i climb into the lap of God, He’s gonna see me there and say, “uh, no… you’re gross.” and kick me off. but nothing can separate us. and God himself says He will never forsake us… so what am I so afraid of?

    i’m a silly little sinner.

    [Reply]

    jenni Reply:
    November 5th, 2009 at 11:07 am

    i know. i totally do that too. like i’ve said before… i feel as if i need to protect Jesus from my dysfunction. that’s NUTS!

    [Reply]

  3. Helen says:
    November 5, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    I’m afraid of spiders.

    Oh — but if you couldn’t tell from my life — I’m also afraid of not being good enough. I often think about what a great Muslim I would make because I am all about works! YEAHHHH! Unfortunately it’s not the Truth so I can’t jump on that bandwagon.

    I want to read this book.

    [Reply]

    jenni Reply:
    November 6th, 2009 at 9:06 am

    helen… it’s a REALLY good book. I’m actually surprised you haven’t read it yet, since you usually get to these at the same time as me if not before.

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  4. Lynse Leanne says:
    November 6, 2009 at 6:30 am

    i loved that chapter….though it was a hard one to read because of the truth in it. but a good one.

    I am still so afraid of not being good enough or failing…I know it is dumb but battle it every day. I am a perfectionist and a people pleaser.

    [Reply]

    jenni Reply:
    November 6th, 2009 at 9:07 am

    i know that feeling. i lived it.

    [Reply]