There is no escaping obedience in the call of Christ. No amount of tears, or feelings, or bold proclamation can replace the sure and certain call that those who follow Christ are called to a lifetime of obedience to His will. We do life by His rules not ours. Many have pointed this way but … More Obedience and the Call to Follow Jesus
Sunday Afternoon Musings “It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians. Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause … More In the Midst of Enemies
The essential ingredient to what? Discipleship of course. The opening paragraphs of Bonhoeffer’s Life Together “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1) In the following we shall consider a number of directions and precepts that the Scriptures provide us for our life together under the … More Community – the Essential Ingredient
No comment necessary except to say, Bonhoeffer’s little book Life Together is worth reading over and over again. (Confession: I have probably read it half a dozen times myself so I am an unabashed fan.) “The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to … More Learning to Listen — a Christian Duty
Tuesday is for Bonhoeffer “The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those … More How Does Grace Become Cheap?
I have long been reader and fan of Bonhoeffer. Indeed, I wore out a copy of Letters and Papers from Prison that my daughter happily replaced for me one Christmas morning a dozen years back. Today, in my reading I was reminded of this famous poem by Bonhoeffer, and I thought, “This is worth passing … More Bonhoeffer’s Poem
Christmas day and the day after Christmas are two of my favorite days of the year. They are filled with memories of lazy days with my wife and children enjoying the celebration of the Savior and the gifts of love we give to one another following his model of giving himself for us. This year, … More Great Quotes From Bonhoeffer’s Advent Messages
I am reading a collection of Christmas Sermons by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and it is encouraging to see Bonhoeffer’s evangelistic heart unmediated by biographers and interpreters. The editor and translater is Edwin Robertson. In this sermon, Bonhoeffer’s text is Deuteronomy 32. He works off the promise to Israel to give them a land. But Moses is … More Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermon
Rereading Life Together for the 20th time. Always timely. This quotation is from the introduction. 1933, February Germany Bonhoeffer had just turned 27 years of age “In February Bonhoeffer delivered a lecture broadcast over the Berlin radio in which he flayed the German public for its hankering after a ‘leader’ who would inevitably become a … More When the “Leader” Becomes the “Misleader”
The good news of the Gospel is good because of some really bad news. We have been pronounced guilty before . . . an absolutely good being, an absolutely holy king, an absolutely righteous judge, an all seeing, all knowing sovereign who knows every thought and intention of our hearts, every behavior of our past, every secret … More Pronounced Guilty, and the Good News of the Gospel
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