Customer Reviews

The Furious Longing of God

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't agree with everything Brennan Manning has to say in this book but I enjoyed the way he said it. Manning pulls no punches, whether telling what it was like to be kicked by a woman when he was an alcoholic, explaining his regret over ignoring a poor woman who wanted to speak to him when he was talking to some millionaire friends or railing against those nice Christians who live moral lives and go to church every week but who fail to see that "[T]he gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creations."

Manning uses examples from his life, from scripture and from literature (including Don Quixote) to make his point. At the end of each chapter is a "consider this" section where the reader is given two points to consider.

I am sure that a book like this will cause different people to feel and understand different things. As a result I am leery of stating what Manning is saying about anything unless I limit it to my understanding because I am sure others will feel differently.

What I got from this book is that Manning's message is that God loves us. In fact he explains that the genesis of this book is a passage from the Song of Songs that he has prayed for the past 30 years. "I AM MY BELOVED'S, AND HIS DESIRE IS FOR ME" (7:10). Manning's message is that fully grasping that love and loving God back can change lives.

My one complaint is that while the book reads well, I wish Manning would explain things more. Some chapters are as short as four pages (while one was 27 pages) and I was left wanting more.

For example in the book in an 18 page chapter entitled "our Father" a 78 year old nun came to Manning for healing explaining that she had been sexually abused by her father when she was a child and as a result had lived with hatred of herself and her father for her whole life to the point where she had trouble receiving Holy Communion.

Manning does not mention this but the Catholic Church teaches that once consecrated the Eucharist is no longer bread but the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. As a Catholic, receiving Communion is a special gift for me and it brings me closer to Jesus. I assume from the way Manning writes that the nun's anger stopped her from receiving Jesus and getting close to Him but I am not sure.

Manning told the nun to pray "ABBA, I BELONG TO YOU" in the morning for the next 30 days. As a result she was healed of her anger and felt inner piece she had never had. This is amazing.

The problem is Manning does not really explain more. I want to understand more of this healing and the connection to God's love. How was the nun able to let go of her anger? Is knowing that God loves you and saying those five words enough to cure all who suffered from abuse? It seems too simple.

Another example of wanting to understand more is in a four page chapter called "giving" where Manning says being a nice moral Christian who goes to Church every week and opposes abortion and reads the bible on occasion and holds the door open for people is not enough. He says the Jesus lived, died and rose again to make brand new creations.

I have read that chapter over an over again to fully understand his message since I could be considered by some "a nice moral Christian who goes to Church every week and opposes abortion and reads the bible on occasion and holds the door open for people." I am not sure if I should be offended or looking for more in my spiritual life. I fail to get his point. Perhaps it's me or perhaps four pages are not enough to fully explain such a powerful statement.

I felt Manning's fire when I read this book. I felt his honesty. He has had a complicated life and he shared it warts and all. He loves God and knows God loves us all warts and all. He clearly has spent a lot of time thinking about God. I would like to meet him one day to talk about God's love and to see if I just did not get some of his points or if I disagree with him.

I am glad I read the book and would recommend it for those interested in reading about the power of God's love. I am not sure how others will respond to what Manning had to say but that is the fun of book's like this.

I am my beloved's and his desire is for me.
(song of solomon 7:10)

Imagine if this was you story... an alcoholic, Catholic, ex-Catholic, and then Catholic again, former priest, divorcee and a sinner saved by grace.

What would you write about?

I'd hope no matter how many stories you told and no matter how many books you wrote, you'd always go back to reminding folks about God's Amazing Grace. It's "the larger and more important story. Only God, in His fury, knows the whole of it."

Brennan Manning writes in his latest offering:

In my forty-four years of ministry, the furious love of God has been the dominant theme of my life. I've varied with titles such as Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba's Child and The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, but they are all facets of the same gem: that the shattering truth of the transcendent God seeking intimacy with us is not well served by gauzy sentimentality, schmaltz, or a naked appeal to emotion, but rather in the boiling bouillabaisse of shock bordering on disbelief, wonder akin to incredulity, and the affectionate awe tinged by doubt.


I've been surprised to read some of the reviews of Manning's latest book, "The Furious Longing of God." Many seem to think its a book just for the downtrodden, those with low self-esteem, those who need a pick-me-up. But I'm certain we all need reminders of God's furious love for each of us - each and every day.

We all need to be reminded that the living God is passionate and furious longing to have an intimate loving relationship with each of us. It's no wonder that Jesus and Scripture often refer to the relationship between God and man as similar to the relationship between a groom and his bride. It's a union.

A union that "not only transcends every political, social, cultural and religious consideration and not only infuses them with ultimate meaning, but defines the very purpose of life itself."

We need to be reminded that not only does God have this furious longing for us, but also "for real sinners, thieves, adulterers and terrorists, for those caught up in squalid choices and failed dreams."

When we realize how passionate God is about us -- and that that same passion extends to the far reaches of man-kind -- how can we ever choose to ignore those around us?

"The Kingdom of God is not a subdivision for the self-righteous or for those who lay claim to private visions of doubtful authenticity and boast they possess the state secret of their salvation. No, as Eugene Kennedy notes, "it is for a larger, homelier, and less self-conscious people who know they are sinners because they have experienced the yaw and pitch of moral struggle."

We can claim to be missional, loving Christians all day long, but until we put together the ideas that it is no longer us, but Christ living in us and that "the living acts of a Christian somehow become the living acts of Christ" alongside with the idea that God has a furious longing for each of us -- we're missing out on so much.

"For His love is never, never, never based on our performance, never conditioned by our moods -- of elation or depression. The furious love of God knows no shadow of alteration or change. It is reliable. And always tender."

And thus our love for others should be the same. We should have the same love for our spouses, our kids, our parents, our siblings, our extended family, our neighbors, our co-workers, those who are easy to love and those who are not so easy to love.

The book itself is full of great examples of the deep, deep, reckless, fury that we call the love of God. I want you all to read it and want to pass my copy off to so many others - but selfishly I want to hold on to it and refer back to it over and over again.

Say what you will about my "lack of self-worth" or my "need for affirmation" but I still need those daily reminders in my life -- of the deep, deep love of God -- not just for me -- but for all mankind.

A friend of mine recently checked out a book from the library. She began reading, and to her surprise, she discovered that a previous reader had done something simply shocking. He or she had gone in and edited the library book-- crossing words out, rearranging text, rewriting the book in the margins. Could you imagine the nerve of that person, defacing the book as well as the author's intentions?

Yet, however, it's just exactly what I want to do with the book, The furious longing of God, by Brennan Manning. Throughout the book, the temptation is strong to edit it just a little. You see, the book is just almost great. It really could be. If only I could read less of the author, and read more about the Author.

The book opens with praise for Brennan Manning's writing-- three pages of praise for him. Followed by a foreword about Brennan Manning, followed by Manning telling his life story, and it's forty (yep, forty) pages in before he defines "fury" as it relates to God.

Once Manning shifts gears, and gets to talking about God instead of himself, I am enthralled with his descriptive observations of the varied aspects of the character of our God, the intricacies of His mercy, the hope we have in His amazing love, His awesome power. I am fascinated with wonder and awe in the way he describes the furious love of God for me, and I am carried away to a place of worship. Then, every now and then, I trip over sentences which remove me from the place Manning had intended to take me, the sentences where he interjects himself back into the text. Again, I'd just love to edit these out.

Manning's overriding premise, however, is an invitation to accept that God's love is real, intense, intimate, and one to be embraced with the same reckless abandon with which God loves us. Manning got this part right. This I wouldn't dare touch. It's these moments of brilliance and truth that make this a worthwhile read.

This beautifully written little book by the author of The Ragamuffin Gospel is a poetic look into the heart of God. Manning is not interested in the "domesticated, feel-good Jesus of TV evangelism, who is committed to our financial prosperity," but introduces us to "the Christ of John's gospel who has made His home in us" and "invites us to walk with Him daily in humble service even unto death." (p. 69). He looks deeply into prayer, healing, and our union with the God whose furious longing will only be quenched by our being consumed in the fire of His love.

When I first read this book, I thought, "This is a just a rehash of the material in Manning's other books." Several months later I picked it up again and was stunned (smacked in the face) by the voice of God speaking to me through its words.

This book is important and powerful, written by a gentle man who has been stunned by the love of God and lives to share the power and intimacy of God's love with the world. This book is truly remarkable.

I recently finished reading an advance copy of The Furious Longing of God...and I am deeply touched...and nearly speechless.

The Furious Longing of God is not a book on theology, it's not a book on do's or don'ts, it's not a book that puts God in box, it's not a book on how righteous you need to be to be worthy of God's love.

By titling this book The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning is creating a picture of the energetic passionate love and desire for His creation. A magnificent presence full of grace and mercy in a tumultuous desire to love us, His sons and daughters, regardless of who we are, what we've done, our accomplishments or failures, nothing...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...can ever separate us from the love of God or cause Him to turn away or cool His furious longing.

If there is one thing in this book that is hard to swallow that Brennan writes is to love one another as Christ loves us. To heal one another, the same way Christ heals us, by the power of love...true compassionate Christ-fused love, not just lip service. (It would almost be easier to follow the 10 Commandments than to do this! Especially in light of the perfection of God's love.)

To enjoy this book is to read it, contemplate it, put it down for a while, then read it again. It is not a long book. Neither is it complicated to read. (With exception to a few collegiate level words I am not familiar and threw me off. The biggest reason I deduct 1/2 star.) But the spiritual gems reaped from this book are priceless.

Brennan, thank you for pouring yourself out in writing this book, and all the others as well, to open our eyes to the furious longing of our loving fatherly God.

I first became acquainted with Manning's ministry almost 20 years ago when I discovered recordings of two weeks of renewal he preached in 1979 and 1980. I had never heard of him, but after listening to those tape series I would never forget his preaching and message. I've listened to those tapes so many times only a few still work. I read most of his books, and I never tire of hearing his message of God's love for us. Now as a Christian in my last year of seminary, I think Manning has influenced my spirituality as much as any one author.

His latest book The Furious Longing of God is another conveyance of the same message he gave in those weeks of renewal sermons 30 years ago. The message emphasizes God's love for us who are continually undeserving and weak. Brennan uses stories and what in any other sense would be hyperboles to describe God's love. He wants to overwhelm us, to wake us up and startle us with the dimensions of God's love. This is a challenging task in our culture, but if anyone is up to it, Manning is.

What I consider the most profound message of this book, and perhaps the most profound spiritual message you will ever hear centers around God speaking to people the words of the Song of Songs (2:10-13)

"Come then, my beloved,
my lovely one, come.
For see, winter is past,
The rains are over and gone.
Flowers are appearing on the earth.
The season of glad songs has come,
The cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land....
Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come."

And our response taken from verse 7:10:
"I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me."

A large portion of the book centers on Mannings view of how these verses and thoughts reflect our relationship to God through Jesus Christ. He draws on theologians and moving stories to underscore his emphasis. The writing presents a story about visiting a leprous woman as if Manning just visited her last week; however, the story and the entire section of the chapter are taken from his sermon preached 30 years ago. It is a powerful story and ought to be retold here, but I think some clarification about the date would be appropriate to give a proper perspective.

The above use of a prior sermon illustrates that in this book Manning is drawing on what he thinks is the most important witness of his decades in Christian ministry. There is no doubt that Manning's life and ministry and personal seeking after God are all remarkable. There is nothing in this book that should not be taken to heart and considered thoughtfully.

Manning draws his teaching about our relationship with God from the relationship between Jesus and the Father revealed in Scripture. He rightfully emphasizes that as the Father loves Jesus he loves each of us in Jesus. Manning goes further and asserts that in Jesus Christ God even likes us.

Manning introduces the book by sharing a few statements about himself. I was hoping to hear more about Manning's biography in the book, but after the introduction he is mostly silent about his life. Due to Manning's lifelong pursuit of God that includes stumbling and falling and getting back up I think he would have much to share in the form of spiritual memoir. Maybe he is saving that for another book. I hope so.

This is the book to share with Christian and non-Christian friends and to use in small groups. It is not long. It is simple. Most importantly it has one message in mind: the love of God in Jesus Christ for each one of us.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

If you have already read Brennan Manning before you will find much the same message but it is put powerfully and freshly in a way that will take hold of your senses. You can't help but be impacted by Brennan's honesty and humility in writing. He takes you off guard like this and then lays your heart bare with his challenges.
If you are not familiar with Brennan Manning you will find him an excellent person to introduce you to the heart of Jesus.

Sometimes in ministry there is a lot of mud slung at you. I have even been told that I'm "the evil that needs to be eradicated." I have felt like Elijah who said, "they killed all of the other prophets and now they are trying to kill me." In those bleak moments, it is a gift to be reminded of the furious longing of God.

Brennan Manning can write. As the days were heavy on me, I would whisper as he suggested, "I belong to you, Abba." It was instantly healing to be reminded that I belonged to my Father and He longed for me when others chose to ostracize me.

I prayed this scripture,
"I am my Beloved's, and His desire is for me."
-Song of Solomon 7:10

Brennan helped me to see the Song of Solomon in a new way. I became the desired object of the rhythmic literary work and I felt the longing of my Abba.
Read this book.

"Come then, My beloved, My lovely one, come. For see, winter is past, the rains are over and gone. Flowers are appearing on the earth. The season of glad songs has come. The cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree is forming its first figs and the blossoming vines give out their fragrance. Come then, My beloved, My lovely one, come."
Song of Solomon 2:10-13

Thank you, Brennan Manning. The Holy Spirit used your book to weave the epic poetry of the Lord onto this human heart. The Spirit of God ministered to me beyond words as I turned each page. Thank you.

Despite its brevity, The Furious Longing of Godpacks a whallup of a punch, if what you're seeking is the witness of an honest, flawed human being before his God. Early on, Manning notes that he's often been criticized by evangelicals who have read his other books; he has been accused of talking too much about God's love and forgiveness and too little about God's wrath, hell, "and keeping Christ in Christmas."

I, too, am wary of books that paint too much of a "birds and flowers" picture of God....finding out a friend is attracted to the faith and leaving out the basic tenets of sola scriptura and the existence of hell seems like it would be a bait & switch operation, to me. But in the very title, Manning himself reveals the powerful, uncontrollable nature of God's love for us. He draws a lot from scripture in the Song of Solomon, with a suggestion that "the lover" in the dialogue is God, and "the beloved," us, those created in his image. He prefers the Bible de Jérusalem translation, the generally used modern Bible in the Catholic church, which might seem puzzling to those of us raised on the NIV or King James. But I find these nuances to add to the scripture's poetry, and it does, after all, say the same thing.

What Branning does in this book is risky, in that it reveals a less than model life (if a model is supposed to be superhuman and pure). "I am an alcoholic," he starts out....but this isn't the beginning of an AA "drunkalogue" so much as Brennan telling us about the various parts of who he is. To paraphrase, "I have been married, and unmarried again; a priest, then not a priest, homeless...." Some of his difficulties were self-arranged, such as an experiment in a Swiss prison where he, the chaplain, disguised himself with the Warden's help as a the inmates' fellow prisoner, never revealing his title, but still providing the chaplain duties. Clearly however, Manning has fallen from a high horse or two. And his message is this: no matter how difficult your life is now, no matter how much others have rejected you because you're different or judged as somehow "not as good as others", God loves you in a way you cannot even comprehend. To get his point accross, Manning refers not only to the incredible grace he has experienced, but the love of God that people have experienced during the most excrutiating times.

Strangely enough (or not) this book came along at a good time for me, during a period of insecurity and loneliness. Like John Eldredge'sThe Sacred Romance Drawing Closer To The Heart Of God, Manning reminds us of God's love as an intimate, powerful force of nature, the intiation of which he, not we, pursue.

For those who are not Christian, this might be an interesting book as well as Manning is a likable character, not self-righteous or divisive as an unfortunate few Christian leaders in the wider media are perceived.