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.