Furious Pursuit...Part One

As I mentioned last week in an earlier post I'm going to take a look at the latest book from Tim King and Frank Martin. Tim sent me an e-mail just before Christmas with the gracious offer of the book, and the invitation to post some of my thoughts. It was nice to finally get into the book on the weekend. I was taking my daughter Ashley over to the mainland back to college, so the Ferry ride provided the perfect refuge to immerse myself into "The Furious Pursuit".

Having been in this journey for some 40 years, it is frustrating to think of the number of times I have been caught up in the under brush of religion. Having been set free to run wild in the expansive green fields of grace that Jesus offers, unconciously my mind seems to get lured by traps. So rather than settle for then freedom of our creator Father's incredible love story we often default to something far less beautiful and live our lives as slaves trapped in myths and lies.

One of the best books I've read in my faith journey has been " Raggamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. I was blessed about a year ago to have been able to meet Brennan, and be part of a worship team in a conference he was leading. I put " Furious Pursuit: Why God Will Never Let You Go ", up there with Raggamuffin Gospel. I would think both Tim and Frank would take that as a compliment, see as the quote Brennan from time to time.

We all need to have books like this on our shelves, and night tables for those times when we're worn out, out of breath, living in fear, feeling isolated...books like " Furious Pusuit " are constant reminders of the true love story.

Part one of the book is titled " A Romance to be Embraced: The Passion that Drew You ", and is comprised of 4 chapters...

1. God's Relentless Pusuit: Why God Can't Resist You
2. Leaving Your Story Behind: Trading Fear, Pain and Lonliness for God's Unfailing Promise
3. Finally You Are Understood: How God's Comlpete Knowledge of You Sets You Free
4. God's Larger Story of Love: Trade the Law for the Law of Love

Furious Pursuit is very easy reading, and when I say that, I don't mean it doesn't lack depth. It is a book that even the person just beginning to walk the journey can engage as well as the weary pilgrim with all his luggage and souveniers that he has collected thus far. It is absolutely refreshing, and breath taking to see the simplicity of the story, without theology, doctrine and religion obstructing the eternal beauty that God wants to show us. In Furious Pursuit, Tim King and Frank Martin reaveal this God who will never let us go through stories from their experience, through stories of pastoral ministry and rich qoutes from well known authors.

I love the anology as they share a scene from M. Night Shyamalan's film The Village.

It is a chilling scene in which Ivy Walker decides to travel through an unfamiliar forest to retrieve medicine for her ailing fiance'. Ivy is blind and the woods are thought to be inhabited by beasts...monsters referred to in the film only as " those we don't speak of."

Her father, Edward Walker, explains to the village elders why he would allow his blind daughter to go on such a perilous journey. They are angry with him beacuse they know what dangers lurk in the woods. " How could you have sent "? asks one of the woman elders. " She is blind."

Ivy's father bows his head and answers, " She is more capable than most in this village. And she is led by love. The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe."

Is there any more potent force than love? Is there anything in life that brings greater motivation, higher expectations, deeper introspections, better clarity? Is there an emotion that elicits more passion or brings out more fury?

" The world moves for love," says Edward Walker. " It kneels before it in awe." When you are led by love, nothing is powerful enough to stop you. Nothing can discourage you from your quest. And God is led by love.

More than that, God is love. It is his nature, his primary focus, his driving force. He is moved by love, provoked by love to press forward, to stay the course, to relentlessly pursue his beloved. Although he is grieved when we stray from him, he remains unfazed by our waywardness, undistracted in our inability to reamin faithful. You and I are pursued by love. And the world moves for him. It kneels before him in awe.

This book is written for thsoe who want desparately to believe that truth. It is for those who long to feel loved and wanted by God. It is for those who want to believe in the furious faithfulness of God yet struggle to see it. It is for those who want to trust deeply in the character of God.

This book is not for those who have it all together, who never question God or stumble as they try to follow him. If you don't struggle with sin, shame, grief, or loneliness, then by all means read something else. This book is for those of us who struggle with little else.

During the same scene in The Village, one of the town's elders sums up his thoughts about the blind but persistent Ivy Walker journeying through the woods on her own. " Ivy is running toward hope," he says. " Let her run."

We share Ivy's helplessness as she struggles through the wild and frightening woodlands, her hands stretching out in the darkness as she feels her way through the thicket of trees and brush, fighting to make her way back home.

I found Part One to be a reminder of my own journey, to the reality of the days when we feel blind, like helpless children stumbling through the dark and dangerous forests of our lives...tripping, and falling, getting up only to fall again, and those days when the storms of doubt and confusion blow in unexpectedly.

This book is a constant reminder that we run towards hope, and in the midst of it all we are furiously pursued by a wild and scandalously loving God...and we welcome the better story of a much BIGGER GOD.

I'm loving this book...stay tuned for Part Two...A Courtship to be Nurtured: The Purpose That Keeps You.

Comments

Hi Ron,
The Ragamuffin Gospel is probably the book I've most read this past year and probably the book I will go back to most often this year... Lately I've been thinking about how God's love is furious. It's such a perfect way to describe it and also how he pursues us with furious love. The timer just went off for my poached eggs- gotta go, blessings Ron.

Paige

Hi Paige, Raggamuffin Gospel is a book a constantly go back to time and time again. I have given away many copies to firends and strangers. If you ever get the opportunity to hear Brennan Manning speak...jump at it, he has such a humble, humble and compassionate voice. And if you enjoyed the Raggamuffin Gospel, I think you'd really enjoy Furious Pursuit. And, I really enjoyed your reflection the other day, your thoughts and reflections that you journaled through the night...absolutely Beautiful!!! Peace...Ron+

[Jim]

Hi, Ron. Am currently reading Ragamuffin Gospel and have no excuse for my late entry. With all the legalism out there (even within those who often attack "old-time holiness" over the issue), I believe in a message of grace, but yet find it hard to accept in terms of we, ourselves, defining it. It's why I believe it to be more than a foundational word of our faith and an embodiment of the Spirit within us. If "grace" is a witness, given by God through an "Inner Dwelling's" reality, then it remains in His hands to confirm and not mine to claim. Am enjoying the book, thougn, and will add Furious Pursuit to the list I keep.......

[ron]

"It's why I believe it to be more than a foundational word of our faith and an embodiment of the Spirit within us."

Jim so much truth there my friend, I think when we try and put grace to words as something definable, quantitainable...it becomes something infinitely small.How do you define something as big as God?...maybe we should just be awed by it. Peace...Ron+

[Tim King]

Ron, thanks for reading Furious Pursuit and sharing its contents with others. I can't help but wonder what could happen if believer's as a whole got behind the idea that God pursues us, that the story is all about "him," etc. I'm thinking the "good news" just might become good news once again! Blessings to you in the New Year.

[ron]

Hi Tim, thanks for dropping in and engaging the conversation. I hope you drop in again, as we dig deeper into " Furious Pursuit ", it'a always nice to speak with the author. It's refreshing to hear the incredible depth and beauty of the love story again, to think he pursues each one of us at this moment...is overwhelming...to think we can rest in that place. Peace...Ron+