Life together...Bonhoeffer

my favorite book by Bonhoeffer, is often the least heard of. If you want a great classic on christian community (tim) this is a must read. Bonhoeffer's central message is that what we call 'true Christian community' and what he calls (helpfully and in a definitive context for community)'life together', exists in Christ for the sake of the world. This becomes possible only when we evaporate our current fluffy understanding of Christian community. Life together is not to be confused with a romantic sense of community.

"Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ (21)."

"Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients. We thank God for what He has done for us (28)."

Christian community is not something that we can manufacture, learn or practice(a tendency of church small groups), it is simply inherent in the Christian's life just as justification is (it is a grace).

"Because Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual and not a psychic reality" (31). The spiritual love of this community transcends natural human love.

Human love (naturally)is directed to the other person for his own sake, spiritual love loves him for Christ's sake. In human love we seek direct contact with the other person; it desires to be irresistible, to rule the other. (34) (selfish in its root)

Thus, because community (christian community) is founded in Christ, all its relationships are in him also. Just as Christ mediates between God and human, so he mediates between the members of his community. Through Christ's mediation Christians are capable to love others fully and purely. (selfless in its root)

It is also important to understand that the love of the Christian community does not replace the love of natural human relationships; rather it transcends it. Bonhoeffer cautions against the dangers of ostensibly "spiritual" community:

"A marriage, a family, a friendship is quite conscious of the limitations of its community-building power; such relationships know very well, if they are sound, where the human element stops and the spiritual begins. They know the difference between physical-intellectual and spiritual community. On the contrary, when a community of a purely spiritual kind is established, it always encounters the danger that everything human will be carried into and intermixed with this fellowship. A purely spiritual relationship is not only dangerous but also an altogether abnormal thing" (38).

Bonhoeffer move to practices of a Christian community in chapter 2. He surveys some of the disciplines of the Christian community: early morning communal prayer, song and reading, shared meals, work, and noonday and evening prayer. I love some of the things he says about communal singing.

'Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord' (Eph. 5:19). The new song is sung first in the heart. Otherwise it cannot be sung at all. The heart sings because it is overflowing with Christ. That is why all singing in the church is a spiritual performance. Surrender to the Word, incorporation in the community, great humility, and much discipline–these are the prerequisites of all singing together. Where the heart is not singing there is no melody, there is only the dreadful medley of human self-praise. Where the singing is not to the Lord, it is singing to the honor of the self or the music, and the new song becomes a song to idols (58-59).

In the second chapter he deals broadly with the practices of community. There is tons of profound information in here. I do not agree with all he says as he tends to become much to definitive in these practices but non the less much profundity.

Bonhoeffer also argues in chapter 2 that if you are incapable of being alone you should beware of community. we need solitude silence meditation and prayer in order to be in community. thus the "life alone" is intrinsically connected to the "life together"

Another few favorites in this chapter are his discussion of the "ministry of holding one's tongue" in Christian community, (so often not used in our communities) and confession and communion.

in confession a man breaks through to certainty. Why is it that it is often easier for us to confess our sins to God than to a brother? God is holy and sinless, He is a just judge of evil and the enemy of all disobedience. But a brother is sinful as we are. He knows from his own experience the dark night of secret sin. Why should we not find it easier to go to a brother than to the holy God? But if we do, we must ask ourselves whether we have not often been deceiving ourselves with our confession of sin to God, whether we have not rather been confessing our sins to ourselves and also granting ourselves absolution (115-116).

The fellowship of the Lord's Supper is the superlative fulfillment of Christian fellowship. As the members of the congregation are united in body and blood at the table of the Lord so will they be together in eternity. Here the community has reached its goal. Here joy in Christ and his community is complete. The life of Christians together under the Word has reached its perfection in the sacrament (122).

LOVE IT... More to come

a day in the life...

H and i worked on budget this morning and figured out what we were doing right and what need to change. She has been so good, and worked so hard at Canyon Acres. Because of her, i can study and help care for G.G. and Grampa.

Heather has also been having some sort of allergy to our soap so she and i went and got new soap and detergent. Hopefully this will fix all the problems.

i spent a few hours reading and then put some time in with the great-grandparents.

i have been thinking a lot about community recently. so my next few post will be geared in that way. but over all it was a good friday.

Meeks #2

We've all seen the bumper sticker and billboards. In some parts of the United States they're inescapable. "Christ[or Jesus] is the answer." I confess that when i see these signs my silent response is something like, "but what is the question?"In fact i have known people who make a game of invention impious questions to which Christ could be the answer. [Such as "whats a six letter word that means 'i just dropped a rock on my foot.')

It is understandable that many non Christians are offended by the slogan; it bespeaks a careless and superficial kind of proselytizing.

The more i study the bible and theology the more "confirmed in my judgment that Jesus Christ is the Question, not the answer." (parenthesis Meeks)

Biblical Authority #2: Wayne A. Meeks response to Mohler.

this week for my Globalization readings i am reading Meeks book Christ is the Question This book is great, short, and easy to read. I highly recommend it. In reading it i heard a couple of responses to Albert Mohlers understanding of biblical authority, and in regards to doubt and the pastorate.

Indeed, many Christians i know who have lived long and deeply in the faith also have more questions than answers and even more surprisingly, believe that questions may be more expressive of their faith and better pointers to the ground of their confidence than "answers." (Wayne Meeks professor of NT at Yale)

Another quote i loved and is also pertanate to last night's post:

when someone says "the bible clearly teaches..." we can usually be sure that an attempt is being made to co-opt the bibles authority in order to foreclose argument on a topic on which good persons, including good Christians, reasonably disagree.

i know that not all baptist hold to the inerrancy and infallibility and in my estimation the 'deification' of the Bible, yet it is the current trend among southern baptists, and is being deeply propagated in Southern Baptist Seminaries

great day.

i had a good day in class today. i found out i am going to be in my professors new book and am footnoted. that is always fun.. i think i have a dissertation topic and will be working toward gearing my classes toward it which makes my last year of course work much more intentional and guided.

(leadership magazine #2)

In the recent leadership magazine (winter), there is this great article that puts 6 preachers side-by-side for interviews on Biblical Authority and Today's preacher They compared David Anderson, a black pastor of multicultural church; John Buchanan, a presbyterian; Albert Mohler, president of southern baptist theological seminary; Tullian Tchividjilan, billy graham's grandson; and Rick Warren, Saddleback pastor, to an old article written by Billy Graham. The purpose of the article is to compare different pastors takes on biblical authority. All i can say is that reading Al Mohler made me recognize why I am in the process of becoming Lutheran. Let me give you a few quotes...
what makes a preacher or preaching authoritative?

"there is a certain authority vest in the teaching office in the church. the authority is not that of the teacher but that of the Scripture which is to be taught. That distinction is often lost on the congregation."

so is scripture the authority or is Christ the authority. we have to be careful not to replace scripture with the WORD. They are not the same. I agree with the Lutherans, that scripture is the authoritative norm of life, proclamation, and faith. Scripture is the only authoritative text we have but the reality is the authority is in the trinity, the Word of God, not the words on the page itself. Lets get to more Mohler....

Do you consider yourself a mouthpiece for God?

I am certainly supposed to be a mouthpiece for Scripture, a human instrument through which Scripture is heard and received by God's People....

I once again would argue that he is replacing God with scripture which cannot be the same thing.

Is there any room for doubt or uncertainty in the preacher?

I can honestly say that the answer is no. that is not to say that i have never struggled with certain issues, but by the time i've preached them, they're settled... when it comes to what has been revealed in scripture, I don't think there is room for doubt.

are you kidding me. the arrogance is palpable! Of course i doubt, but i am submitting myself to the confession of the church, the history of those who have come before me. I trust in god's sovereignty not in the sovereignty of the scriptures.

first we all must realize that we come to the text with baggage. this baggage is not able to be removed no matter how much historical-critical method you use, you still bring with you the realities of your interpretation. no doubt.!?!? who are you Gwen Stephani. Pastors and Christians need to come clean with their doubt, and if there are no doubts i'm curious to whether they are being realistic about the power and mystery of god.

for me scripture is the authoritative source and norm for life faith and proclamation. It is interpreted using the best methods i have come to learn and will continue to learn form this point forward. I will always have doubts yet i will do my best to walk forward in the courage that christ provides and the humility of knowing that my perspective is just that, a perspective to which god is bigger and more profound than i could ever grasp, yet must continue to strive to grasp for the rest of my life.

easter sunday.

i wasn't going to blog today but decided i would. Our preacher today (head pastor of Messiah in Yorba Linda), was not our regular pastor. the associate pastor usually preaches which i think is kind of cool but i digress. HE made a statement in his sermon; (my paraphrase) "we, humanity, are third-day people. Our lives, our hopes, our future only makes since in light of Gods action in the resurrection."

agreed. And yet it is humbling to recognize.

Leadership Magazine #1

The first day of spring i picked up the winter edition of leadership magazine. the next two post will be about the winter edition. I am new to this magazine but i think it published by Christianity today. The have a mix of conservative and moderate contributers. none from the more liberal side but at least a strong moderate representation. i know that this shouldn't matter but what can i say i would prefer a magazine that offers a fully rounded perspective and allows the reader to learn from all perspectives.

enough of that. The first article that i found helpful was by Tim Keel(Laci's old pastor). In "An Efficient Gospel?" He argues that the gospel isn't to small but the world aka (modernity) is two small of a world view in which to hold the gospel. he argues that Jesus Christ isn't only redeemer, but also creator. I think this is an important recognition. But not one that is just trapped in modernity. We must recognize the fullness of the trinity in understanding and articulation of the gospel. God as trinity according to the Lutheran tradition can be recognized as (creator) Father, (Redeemer) Son, and (sanctifier) Spirit. A Historical understanding of the faith encompasses all of these actions in one harmonious being. "when we reduce Jesus to redeemer only, we miss another essential element of our faith that Jesus is also creator." (and also sanctifier) Parenthesis mine To recognize the perichoresis, or the mutual interdependence and interpenetration of the persons of the trinity is essential to a broader and more profound understanding of gospel.

a day of recognized limitations.

Today has been a day of recognized limitations. I tried to replace the head lamp on my wife's car and it was a travesty. first off let me begin by saying it isn't all my fault and not simply my stupidity. The 2002-2004 year model of the Nissan Altima has a ridiculous lighting system. you actually have to remove the coolant reserve chamber just to reach into the light housing. Once you do that you need the hands of an intricate mouse, unlike my mammoth elephant hands, to reach in and with the utmost precision remove and replace the light. All of this i accomplished but once i got the light in, it still didn't work. blasted mechanics. my wife learned a lesson today that my father taught me long ago. " Linda, if you want the toilet fixed, call a plumber. I am not a plumber."

Following that traumatic life event and bashed self-esteem, i went to H & R block to get our taxes done. All i can say is: "At least some lessons have been learned in life."

tax day, cool nights, and odd experiences

Today is tax day. i will be going down to H&R block and having our taxes done today. lets pray for a big rebate. :) Spring break is so much fun;) (between doing school-work and taxes its almost like sitting on the beach.

it has been a very interesting week as far as weather is concerned. The days have been in the mid-seventies, yet at night it has been the coolest temperatures since we moved to cali eight months ago. It created a brisk and clear evening with lots of stars.

Listening to ones own sermons or viewing oneself on video is just odd. i have been collecting old sermons for churches interviewing me and listening to them to find out what i am sharing. Odd. simply odd.

if interested

i had to post some old sermons for a couple of churches who are interested in hearing them. If you are curious and want to listen they are at revrustin.podbean.com they wont be up for long but they are there for now. some are good, and some are average.


peace and hope.

Obama

Obama's "race speech" on Tuesday was absolutely incredible. It was clear to me for the first time how his ethic of hope will influence his policy and i was very excited of the prospect of having him as our president. I believe that this speech will be a history making speech for Obama. The central reality was the call toward a solidarity of the "other". that in our difference which are undeniable, our only hope is that we learn to stand together in solidarity as unified difference. It rang of Gustavo Gutierrez and Levinas

Anslem Min

Today i met with Anselm. I am fascinated by his continued call to recognize solidarity as part of the answer for the age of globalization. He is beckoning back to the occupation of my favorite liberationists Gustavo Gutierrez. I am also challenged by his continued call back to the historical understandings of theology and faith. He is a great theologian.

misspelling...

my mom left that comment by phone and i misspelled it. i wanted to note that my mom is a phenomenal speller unlike her damaged son who cant even spell "you're". you get the drift. :)

more on atonement

I am currently taking a class called "Christology of Globalization" with Anselm Min. My paper topic for this class is what a working metaphor for atonement would be for a globalized world. i am using Mcknights new text and many others to try to figure this out. Tomorrow during spring break i am going to meet with Anselm to try and find more sources and here what he is thinking about my topic. so for the rest of my evening i am going to read a bit more of McKnight and then look to some of my favorite liberation theologians for a possible response.

monday. Date movie review.

Heather and i watched "ONCE" last night. it is a great modern musical and we both highly recommend it to all. If you like singer/song writer- Irish folk stuff this movie is for you... or if you enjoy a good musical this is also for you.

We also watched "Definitely Maybe" at the theatre over the weekend. it is a very cute film. Good love story with an interesting story telling mechanism. Great date movie and should be out on netflix soon.

thought of the day...

how do we learn to live as simultaneously sinner and saint?

A community called atonement

Scot McKnight's new book "A Community Called Atonement" is remarkable. For all those like me who have been struggling with atonement as a theological principle and with what it says about God, this text is a must read. Here is a quote from the beginning of the book.

Packing his best punches for his first public sermon, Jesus embraces and extends the themes of his mother (Mary), his relative (Zechariah), and his own future work. After his baptism and temptation, action profoundly political an well as personal, Jesus is empowered by the spirit, returns home and on "opening Sabbath day" attends synagogue and is asked, in cantor-like fashion, to read Torah. He stands up to read and either picks his own text or finds himself being asked to read on the right day. he reads from Isaiah 61: 1-2:

The spirit of the lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind.
to let the pressed go free
to proclaim the year of the lord's favor.

...Jesus words following this reading are as startling as they are full of Chutzpah: "today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." in other words, Jesus is saying, "the words i just read are about me and my mission... to focus again on the salient points, Jesus sees his kingdom mission to be good news for the poor (like his mother and her words) and release for the captives and sight for the blind and liberation for the oppressed- that is, it is the year of Jubilee!

This is just the beginning. McKnight believes that Christ was creating a covenant-based community and any view of atonement must understand that and must encompass the kingdom vision of liberation. Three chapters in and this book has come at an opportune time as i write a 25 page paper on metaphors of atonement for the age of Globalization and Empire.

what fridays meeting means...

Ive had a few people ask me what my meeting on Friday means for the rest of this process. Good question (Melissa and Paul). As far as timing, it virtually means that the rest part II of the process is on my own time table. I can finish, and move to part three (approval) as soon as i am capable of meeting with three men and working through a few texts. I am thinking probably a month.

That will lead me to the third and final part of the process, which will put timing back into the hands of the Synod. Thus we will see what happens. But at this point i am thinking no later than early summer...Possibly late April or early may.

that is in my process with the synod and the church wide organization. as for the church they too have their process and could possibly create so options prior to those dates.

hallelujah

First i want to thank God for his immeasurable graces. Our provider has provided and brought extreme peace to a stressful situation. i went to my Theological review panel (TRP) in Berkeley Ca and it went fantastic. I dove a total of 16 hours of the last twenty-four and had an hour meeting with two professors and a representative from the church wide organization. Over all it went really really smoothly.

I had prepared with all my ability, and what was most clear was that the church wanted to do what was best for me and for their future. i was challenged and encouraged by their concern for me. the overarching question that needed to be answered in the opinion of the professor is the why question. why do i feel the call to transfer to the ELCA. some of you are wondering the same so i will share a bit of that.

1st heather and i have come to a sacramental understanding.
2nd the church has a profound expression of social justice and integrated churches.
3rd they have the same understanding of the word as i do
4th they are creedal and confessional a value i have come to love and respect through the catholic church

these are four simple but dramatic differences that have occurred, to lead to the change. the change is much deeper than this but this is a beginning of an explanation.

thus what is next? i am going to meet with some advisers on three topics; the creeds, liturgy and scriptural hermeneutics and the Lutheran church. I will meet with these advisers, due some reading and writting, and then move to the next step of approval.

thank god from whom all blessings flow!

why people move to california...

this morning it was very hard to get up. Heather and i have switched lives and now i am forced to me a morning person and since she works nights she is more of a night person. thus waking up in the morning is often very difficult. not to mention now that it is still dark outside while i get up. but let me tell you today is an example of why people move to California. the weather is perfect. even in the darkness the world outside our bedroom this morning sounded like a Disney cartoon with all the birds songs. the air feels and smells clean and fresh (unlike summer). and with daylight savings time the days are lasting longer. Its almost 7:00pm and sunny. we live in the foothills of Brea and with all the recent rains the hills are a lush green with yellow wildflowers covering the hillsides like paint spilled down a canvas. the California poppies are so fantastic. their bright colors and the hairy pod like buds bursting off of long dainty stems create a awkwardly original plant that lines the roads in flower beds and natural groupings. as i sit in the bedroom typing this the sky is bursting with new colors purple blue cream and hints of yellow, orange and pink invigorate the evening sky. the air smells so fresh i want to eat it. maybe i will take a break tonight and go play some tennis.

i have about three to four more hours of study i would like to do. so i will get cracking and enjoy all the beauty of nature.

hotel cafe

heather and i went on a date this weekend to the hotel cafe tour at the house of blues in downtown disney. this is our second year with this tour. if you haven't heard of it look it up. the artists are down to earth folksy and phenomenal. last year we went with our good friend Erin and Andy to the show in Boston. we wish they were in Cali. to go with us this year. However this year it was just us. the show was great once again but they way oversold the venue. there was no room and very poor visibility which screws the music because its a much more intimate music (singer/songwriter type)

i spent the day (during my study breaks) getting a bunch of the Cds for heather so she could put them on her Ipod. i hope she likes them.

my two favorites artists that were new this year to the tour were Ingrid Michaelson- she is this fab...quirky...clever...poetic singer.songwriter. And the other was a guy named William fitzsimmons-deep...dark...cathartic...sentimental...pure singer/songwriter.

check them out both are super cool and you can hear their music for free on the hotel cafe website.

friday...

Friday is D DAY. i have been studying Lutheran doctrine, theology, and ethics intensely for the last 6 to 8 months. The last two weeks have been a cram session. i must say it is weird to have ones fate being held in the decision of others. This is were we are suppose to trust in the hierarchy of the church as part of the spirits movement in our lives. And truly in that context all i can say is "God, i submit."

i had a truly frustrating day today waiting on someone else's car to get fixed. i was told it would take an hour and it took four hours. looking back on the day however it gave a good period of quite to study and focus on what is to come on Friday. Plus it allowed me a chance to practice selfless love.

i think what is most fear causing about Friday is the lack of knowledge of what will be asked in the theological review panel. i will say that by Friday i will have done all i can to be prepared for the interview. i would like to ask god and all those who pray to ask that god would help me to get through this interview with a positive experience and a life affirming, future affirming process. I would love for them to recommend me with no reservations or requirements for the final section of the process. i pray i retain all the information of what i have studied

i am longing to be back working in the church. i miss preaching, teaching, and caring for the community.

gnilka: the prodigal son

in our case the resolve of the son who has been driven into the worst of predicaments, to return to the father does not really arise from a repentant attitude but primarily from the quite sober realization that this is the only way for him to survive. he knows that he has nothing left to claim in his fathers house. the status as day laborer seems to be the only compromise possible. This realization directs the attention solely to the behavior of the father, who makes possible the sons return and ultimately his ability of repentance

it is the father who sees the son, runs to the son embraces the son, proclaims a party for the son. The father's behavior brings about the possibility for transformation. It is through Christ that i am granted complete forgiveness and renewed acceptance, thus becoming again able to experience the fathers presence as the father.

I found this parable renewed and profound today in my Christology of globalization course. there is both freedom and finiteness (Reinhold Neibuhr) found when we accept the principle of God's pursuance.

Back to the blog.

I have missed writing for writing sake. Thus as i journey to this new part of life I am going to start blogging again. Feel free to join in or ask questions if you come across this. This is not meant for mere voyeurism, otherwise i would just write in my journal (which i have started to do again beyond this page.)

So whats new? Well i am currently going through the process of having my ordination recognized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. As of Monday i am now an official candidate for recognition. Next Friday i will have my theological review panel in Berkley Ca. God willing and my abilities achieving that will go really well and the process should be finished in the next few months (best case scenario). This is a huge process for Heather and I of having our lives match our theology in a more cohesive way.