This was a difficult book to get into and then it clicked. The three that all communities must practice and each individual must practice was the hook for me.
Listening
Active Helpfulness
Bearing With Others
Amazing how it all comes down to dealing with others as God has dealt with me. So simple and yet not easy at all. Only the Grace of God allows us to do any of it.
Some of the simple rules were very convicting. I wonder what a community such as Finkenwalde would look like today.
6 comments:
Wow, I start to hear what Bonhoeffer said in sermons.
Let's try this again... Haven't finished the book yet, but I actually think a community such as Bonhoeffer discribes wouldn't be a lot different than it was then. Just like Bible study and prayer hasn't changed tons. Oh, we might study using our computers, but the essentials in the heart are the same. I had the awesome privilege of being discipled in a church like this in FL. Naively I thought all churches were this way. I think the essential thing is that the more we are transformed by Christ, the more of a bond we will sense with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Can't wait to finish reading this book. It's already enlightened me and I'm not halfway through yet.
What does everyone think of this quote: "A purely spiritual relationship is not only a dangerous but also an altogether abnormal thing."
This is on page 38 in my book. I personally theorize this might be why we don't see the realization of true fellowship, perhaps because we are seeking this "purely spiritual relationship." Any thoughts?
Life Together is a joy as a re-read. I love that Dietrich saw the reality of Jesus in one's relationships, not just the obviously close or happy one. He saw that we will always have a friend if we follow Jesus' call to see a friend as one we "lay down your life for a friend."
As to Natalie's quote query: The quote is a realization that life is more than spirit; it is complex and multifacted. One who focuses on the "spiritual" will increasingly become less spiritual. . . because we do not understand what is truly spiritual. True spirituality integrates all of life and is expressed naturally.
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