“In prayer, we seek God’s voice and allow God’s word to penetrate our fear and resistance so that we can begin to hear what God wants us to know. And what God wants us to know is that before we think or do or accomplish anything, before we have much money or little money, the deepest truth of our human identity is this: ‘You are my beloved son. You are my beloved daughter. With you I am well pleased.'”
I think what struck me most about today’s reading is that it comes from a book entitled, “A Spirituality of Fundraising.”
Imagine if all of our talk about money and stewardship in the church grew out of this truth–that our identity is rooted in God’s unconditional love for us and pleasure with who we are, and that the only way to really learn and internalize this truth is to listen to God in prayer. As we begin to believe in our belovedness, how would that impact our relationship with money? I imagine less anxiety, more awareness of money as a tool rather than a reward or a measure of worth. I imagine more generosity.
My husband shared with me his concern for one of his favorite authors, Brennan Manning, who in addition to major health issues, has recently lost his home in Hurricane Sandy. If you have enjoyed and benefited from Manning’s work, which has helped many of us deepen our understanding of God’s grace and our belovedness, please visit this update page and consider ways you can extend support through prayers, words of encouragement and donations.
the beautiful changes... 
I cannot believe that we both were struck by the same incongruity. I agree that when we are centered in Christ then the rest of the world is seen through different eyes; the eyes of God’s new creation. I think it is a wild serendipity that Barrett wold bring up Manning. I have been reading and rereading The Ragamuffin Gospel and his entire point is that the values of the world are tainted. Value needs to come from God. So blessed to know you.