Brene Brown Returns to Church (and Finds Jesus Weeping)

1. Kandace says: Jul 28, 2013 Reply

   This truth is breaking through the hardend and deceived ground of western culture in regards to grieving, weeping, mourning, loss etc… Bring forth the wailing women (And men) that know joy even in the misdt of real pain and suffering. Bring forth lives that live in the paradox of scripture and can feel the emotions of God in truth and spirit. Beautiful testimony.

2. Rev Canon Timothy Dombek says: Aug 21, 2013 Reply

   Many thanks to Brene Brown for her story. As a former (recovering) radio DJ, I still find a lot of theology in pop music–perhaps unintentional, but preachable, and teachable. Brown’s final comments about “love weeps” immediately brought forth the 70’s metal ballad, “Love Hurts,” by Nazareth — go figure. “Love hurts, love scars, Love wounds, and mars…” Now I don’t feel the whole song holds up, as later in the song they equate love with a lie to make you blue, but in fact, love does hurt at times, or it isn’t love. Love is messy, if not bloody. But love can also lead to joy, generosity, and bliss. All of these emotions along with pain and weeping are love. And I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for the experience of all those feelings, nor for the midwife of the Church that stands beside me and says, “Push, breathe, push–you can do it! Push, breathe, push!” Wonderful image, and so true. Thanks, Brene.

3. Davide says: Aug 26, 2013 Reply

   Wow

4. linda thayer says: Jan 25, 2014 Reply

   “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). = God’s Me too

5. Daniel says: Feb 11, 2014 Reply

   John 11:35 Jesus Wept John 11:36 then people said, “Look how he loved … !”

6. Isa says: Feb 19, 2014 Reply

   The Work of the People

7. Bigred says: Oct 17, 2014 Reply

   FYI the terrific song “Love Hurts” was written by the late Graham Parsons.

8. Bryan says: Nov 17, 2014 Reply

   It’s amazing the timing in which I’m seeing this. Needed to hear this today.

9. Kathy Noll says: Jan 6, 2015 Reply

   great website

10. janet Pahssen says: Feb 19, 2015 Reply

    This was totally EXCELLENT !!!!!

11. Janet Adams says: Apr 26, 2015 Reply

    Please send me notifications of more Mockingbird posts! This is great, thank you.

12. Leslea says: Apr 27, 2015 Reply

    Beautiful. Just beautiful, Brene. Thank you for this. This idea that God is with us in our suffering and weeps with us and we are not alone has gotten me through many a hard season. Thank you.

13. Robert Walter says: Oct 12, 2015 Reply

    I think Brene would love Henri Nouwen’s quote too. “The mystery of God’s love is not that he takes our pains away, but that he first wants to share them with us.” http://www.ongodstrail.com

14. Robert Walter says: Oct 12, 2015 Reply

    I’ve read 3 of Brene’s books and loved them. Caught these other Brene Brown quotes that relate so well. “Faith minus vulnerability equals fundamentalism and extremism. If you don’t have space for questions you bankrupt faith.” “There are many men and woman who had significant scars – not specific to a denomination but clustered around local churches. Interesting that 100% of the people I interviewed who made progress did it through spirituality. Abandonment of faith wasn’t the solution – they may have changed churches or faith groups but they did not abandon faith.” BTW, David, I’m also at an Anglican church in VA

15. Jim McNeely says: Jul 18, 2016 Reply

    “For forgiveness to happen, there has to be a lot of blood on the floor.” So good!

16. Chaplain Robin Bugbee says: Jun 30, 2017 Reply

    I am a musician and I love the songwriting provess and the people who can do it. I have always found my faith echoed in words and music. Here’s a brilliant examle in a somewhat obscure song by Livingston Taylor called “There You Are Again” that I have frequently used in memorial services. There you are again Livingston Taylor ©2003, L. Taylor/Morgan Creek Music (ASCAP) “I believe in actual In the clear concise the factual All of life has reason And it should be clear to see But when the crowds all drift away And we are apart for one more day In the most peculiar places You’re where you should not be There you are again In the rustling leaves of a summer storm In my favorite chair all safe and warm In the wish a child believes There you are again When light returns to the morning sky When two lovers cannot say good by When a movie makes me cry When the perfect story ends There you are again Will I ever get over the feel of your touch The sound of your voice the scent of your hair Your quiet reminder to not be afraid When you promised to find me somewhere There you are again ‘Till I forget to close the door And the heart ache’s in and I’m damned I’m sure To each day miss you more When I think I can’t endure There’s a whisper in the wind There you are again” And there you are again In the

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   […] I watch and feel as though not enough has been lost, or said, or taken. I can only think of that video where Brene Brown talks about going back to church. In the most haunting of quotes she recalls the words of a priest who once told her, “In all of […]

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   […] Transformation- The Kind of Transformation that The Church Offers, by Brene Brown “I went back to church thinking it would be like an epidural. But faith and church was not like an epidural but like a midwife…who just stood next to me saying push. It is suppose to hurt… People want love to be like unicorns and rainbows. But Jesus says love is hard, trouble and controversial. Love is not easy… I thought faith would say I will take away the pain and discomfort but what it ended up saying is “I’ll sit with you in it.” And I never thought that would be enough but it’s perfect… Love weeps.”  https://mbird.com/2013/07/brene-brown-reflects-on-how-jesus-wept/ […]

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