Comments on: My Friend Brennan

By: Tamara

Tamara — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 16:28:37 +0000

So… here we are Feb 24 2020. It’s been 18 days past a year my husband of 30 years died of an overdose. We had 2 beautiful boys and my husband was sober for 11 years but dry. He professed to love Jesus but it never seemed like he thought about Him much. We went to church every Sunday with our kids. I had read Brennen’s books then and asked my husband to read them, he had said that Brennen didn’t live a sober lifestyle so he didn’t give his hypocrisy much clout. If I didn’t take hold of Gods Grace – I really don’t know what would’ve happened to me. When my oldest started drinking at 14 and experimenting, my husband had started drinking again because his job was closing down. Then the doctors put him on anxiety pills and he was hooked on those for a couple of years and eventually went to crack and the last 19 years were hell. He had more mercy and grace shown to him from everyone he knew- God had reached for him for years. Because everything was centered around him- how he was feeling, how he was or wasn’t doing- the disappointment when he relapsed but the hope of sobriety when he was sober- he couldn’t deal with our older son’s use and would come against me when I would discipline him for drinking – my younger son watched- until he picked up. They both are alcoholics, always loved their dad- hated me for a long time and thought I should just leave so they could live with the lifestyle their dad couldn’t beat. I fought through those years with the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ and was left with my life. Eventually they grew up- loved their dad, knew I wasn’t the one lying and was considered the one to hold our family together. My husband just kept reaching back for the alcohol, then cocaine- crack, gambling, escorts. He went to many rehabs. He told me he loved Jesus and when I asked how he could take communion on Sundays, he said he always asked for Gods forgiveness. At the end of his life- even though he truly seemed to hate his addiction, he also had a great love/ lust for it. I often wondered if God cared about me and all the pain my husband caused me. He shattered my life and hurt both our boys terribly by his hypocrisy — there was so much deceit in his life, yet he really meant it when he said he loved Jesus. I have no doubt about Gods character. He will save anyone who wants to be saved. The apostle John speaks about people who have gone out from us and that meant they were never really with us. God says that “godly sorrow leads to repentance”. He says that many will come and say Lord,Lord and Jesus will say He never knew them. He warns us that whoever lives like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. I hope my husband is in heaven— reasonably thinking- I don’t know if he really wants to be there because all that he lived for and loved on earth isn’t there. All the people The Lord surrounded him with he deceived so he could also have that whole other life. Jesus said that we couldn’t serve both ways. God be true or every man a liar. Jesus came to save His people from their sin”. What happens to all those lives our sin rips through and leads them to think it’s all good cause God gives us grace to endure it? I was left with my life. Broken, worthless, beat up, used. My family destroyed. My oldest son just turned 30 and just left his 12 th rehab, he can’t stay sober more then 6 weeks, he can’t hold down a job, I had to have him evicted last summer- he’s homeless. My younger son has been sober for 5 months, the same amount of time he had before his dad died. The Lord is the judge. There is His grace and mercy and there is His justice and Truth. It’s too bad along side Brennens writings – his ex wife never wrote her own experience with The Lord regarding what Brennens drinking did to her and her daughters life and how Jesus cared for them. His grace is enough for all of us, it is still “life for a life” – our sacrifice of giving over our sins to Him, our life, for His. To be born again – asking Him to come inside our hearts and to wash us clean— not so we can look good until we go out again. Johns gospel says that Jesus knew what was in mans heart and He wouldn’t entrust Himself to them. I pray that Jesus can trust His heart with me. Brennen spoke many truths about Gods character. I forgive my husband for all he’s done but I can’t be reconciled to him, not only because he died; but because when he was living— he wouldn’t stop sinning and even with all of my years spent on him, all those years of grace that ended up being received by each piece I became- he believed Jesus would take care of him as he went on sinning. – I’m sorry Brennen never dwelt on repentance and what that really meant. For the love of Christ- Tamara

By: Greg Bennett

Greg Bennett — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 19:17:24 +0000

Just thinking of one of Brennan’s summary statements, that “God loves you as you are, not as you should be, because we’re never as we should be,” still stops me in my tracks. What a life-jarring, journey-changing, amazing thought. I don’t care to know where I would be if not for the honest, soft, embracing voices of Philip Yancey and Brennan Manning in my life.

By: Antony Bennett

Antony Bennett — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 23:18:48 +0000

“A bell is not a bell until you ring it, a song is not a song until you sing it. Love wasn’t put in your heart to stay, love isn’t love until you give it away.”

You (Amazing Grace) and Brennan (The Ragamuffin Gospel; and his talk at Farnham Castle, 1999) made God’s love a reality in my life and released me from my prison of worthless shame and life crippling guilt for not loving before it was too late.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I love you both in Christ

Antony

By: Jenny Aiken

Jenny Aiken — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 23:47:31 +0000

In reply to MK. Oh! I am so jealous that you knew Brennan. I’ve only just discovered his works ... as I’m sure God knew that I needed them now. What a gift that you knew him in person. I’m so sad to have missed him on this side.

By: Roxi Day

Roxi Day — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 13:50:41 +0000

Thank you for this great perspective on the book. And maybe the biggest message any of us takes away from Brennan is that we are ALL broken–some just aren’t yet aware of it. Someone once told me that we begin to realize what our relationship to Christ is all about when the wheels fall off of our bus–that’s when we realize that ALL we have is Jesus, and He is enough. So thankful that Brennan understood this and never let his failures stop him from sharing this.

By: Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 19:31:18 +0000

In reply to MK.

I love it–for Brennan, ice cream was prove of God’s grace. And he ingested it every chance he got. I’m glad you have the message, to impart to college students. –Philip

By: MK

MK — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 05:07:43 +0000

He was my friend, too, Mr. Yancey. I miss him, deeply. He came to my family’s retreat center in NC from the time I was a child, and I was so grateful for his friendship into adulthood. He was a priest to my family, and to me personally.

What you said is true…what if he hadn’t been discovered grace? I’m baffled, but mostly saddened, by -and for- his critics. It doesn’t hurt my feelings for Brennan, I’m not sure I ever saw him too concerned about what others thought about him, not in a real sense. But it makes my heart ache for humanity, not that they didn’t know Brennan…though, my goodness, I wish everyone could have known him…in person, too, to hear him speak how he reads, and not just what they think they know about him…those who suggest he was arrogant and took liberties, my gosh…I wish I could introduce them to one another. But it makes me ache that Abba’s grace as Brennan profoundly and painstakingly understood is not what every believer understands to be true. There are many who do, though, and I thank God for it. I’ve never known a truer grace of Jesus, or the truth of Jesus, but by knowing Brennan. And I would not want to know another Jesus than the Jesus of the grace journey that I continue to learn from Brennan. My life could never be turned around by anything other than this grace.

My own healing journey of brokenness and grace has led me to seminary as a “non-traditional” student, working part-time on an MDiv and a Counseling degree while I work full-time with college students. I’m working on a paper tonight for one of my Counseling classes, about my own Theology of Counseling. In it, I am remembering how I learned of the relentless, awful grace of the Father through my friend Brennan. May this always be my compass.

An aside: As I will be finishing up my MDiv next summer, I’ve asked one of my professors if he would be willing for me to take his Biblical Doctrine of Grace course independently. Your text is one of our sources. I’m not sure why I haven’t read it in life yet, but look forward to reading it over the holidays.

P.S. I used to pick him up at the airport and we would ride out to our local creamery together, and it was as if that time together was the only reason he got on a plane. Man, I miss him.

Thank you for sharing about your friendship with him. It is clear he appreciated his friendship with you, and admired you as a minister.

By: Holly Thiebaud

Holly Thiebaud — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 23:07:21 +0000

It is only because of Grace and the revelation shared through Brennon Manning that I am living in freedom one day at a time. I found Jesus in his books. And today I can say that I am a real ‘Christian’. It is not what I do but what has been done and GIVEN to me that equips me to live a life of freedom. I do not judge. I love. It is the Master (Jesus) who makes the difference. And He loves each and every broken sinful one of us.

By: Roberto T.

Roberto T. — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:42:40 +0000

I have been looking forward to reading Mr. Manning’s memoirs. In recent months however, I have come across varying views of Mr. Manning’s theology. There are some in fact that consider him to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How awful.

These commentators are comparing Brennan’s religious views to that of eastern mystics…that he (Brennan) is watering down the gospel and pumping up man; that all of mankind can “feel” God’s love if he/she meditates on nothingness..and just listens for God’s voice.

I’m confused actually. I have read many of his books and enjoyed them…. but I agree there is something missing, something very important…Manning doesn’t mention the total depravity of man in light of Our Lord Jesus Christ’s perfect holiness. Yes, God is Love, but God is also Just. Christ left his eternal home to glorify God, willingly die on the cross for the propitiation of man’s sin culminating with eternal life for those whom He died.

Appreciate any insights. Perhaps I missed the boat.

Warm regards in Christ,

Bob

I get similar comments about my book “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” that it’s unbalanced. My response is, “You’re right, it’s unbalanced, and I wrote it in part to address an imbalance in the church toward law and away from grace.” Read the books of James and Galatians back-to-back and you see how the Bible itself emphasizes first one message and then another, depending on the needs of the listeners/readers. Brennan doesn’t tell the whole story by any means, but there are many who need the full does of grace that he dishes out. I like him for what he gives rather than what he doesn’t give.
Philip

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:05:23 +0000

So many second chances in life … because he is a man. So many wonderful, life giving experiences he enjoys … because he is a man. What became of the his ex-wife? She was left holding the bag. A metaphor for how the Catholic church operates.