I just finished the small book last night by the World War 2 era German pastor on Christian community. Bonhoeffer was martyred for the faith after returning to Germany from America to be with the Christian community that he loved so much, particularly the other German pastors. The Gestapo arrested him and just before the end of WWII Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazi henchmen. He did not, however, pass from this life before giving humanity some wonderful glimpses of practical theology such as his books, Cost of Discipleship, Ethics, and Living Together.
Bonhoeffer begins Living Together with a praise of Christian community extolling the grace of God for giving Christians the opportunity to live in fellowship with one another.
“Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living a common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on bended knees and declare: It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.”
He closes the first chapter by making a great distinction between “human love and community” and spiritual Christian community. Amazingly, what we find so often today, even in Christian circles is the human love and community. Bonhoeffer distinguishes the two saying,
“Human love cannot tolerate the dissolution of a fellowship that has become false for the sake of genuine fellowship, and human love cannot love an enemy, that is, one who seriously and stubbornly resists it… Life or death of a Christian community is determined by whether it achieves sober wisdom on this point as soon as possible.”
He continues in the book describing Christian community on a daily basis beginning in the morning and continuing on the Christian walk throughout the day until the evening time of sleep.
In the morning, Bonhoeffer promotes rising early for worship, praying the Psalms, reading Scriptures (both familial and personal), and singing a “new song”. In the latter, Bonhoeffer writes,
“The heart sings because it is overflowing with Christ. That is why all singing in the church is a spiritual performance…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.”
The third chapter is on a time of silent worship to God on a daily basis for the Christian, which Bonhoeffer suggests should include a time of meditation, prayer, and intercessions. This silence is essential to the growth of the Christian in a Christian community and vital to the community itself. “The Word,” he writes, “comes not to the chatterer but to him who holds his tongue.”
The Fourth Chapter is on Ministry, specifically the ministry of holding the tongue, meekness, listening, helpfulness, bearing, and proclaiming. Just one note from this section, although there were many for me -
“One who worries about the loss of time that such petty, outward acts of helpfulness entail is usually taking the importance of his own career too solemnly.”
The final small chapter closes the book with “Confession and Communion,” and reminds the Christian community how important this discipline and sacrament are to the Christian community.
We are presently in a study at Highland of Ephesians’; talk about timely material for chapters 4-6. I thank the Lord that He introduced me to Bonhoeffer years ago with The Cost of Discipleship, and Life Together was another life enhancing view of God glorifying living, specifically in community.
