Life Together

I just read a book for one of my classes called Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It is a great book that explores the ideas of what real, true Christian fellowship and community should look like. His central argument is that our fellowship as believers is only in and through Jesus Christ. He says that the goal of Christian community is to "meet one another as bringers of the message of salvation." Here are a few excerpts and quotes from the book that I found particularly challanging and meaningful:

"Human love contructs its own image of the other person, of what he is and what he should become ... Spiritual love recognizes the true image of the other person which he has received from Jesus Christ ... the spiritual love will speak to Christ about a brother more than to a brother about Christ. It knows that the most direct way to others is always through prayer to Christ and that love of others is wholly dependent upon the truth in Christ."

About Scripture ...

"Holy Scripture is more than a watchword. it is also more than "light for today." It is God's revealed Word for all men, for all times. Holy Scripture does not consist of individual passages; it is a unit and is intended to be used as such."

"How shall we ever attain certainty and confidence in our personal and church activity if we do not stand on solid Biblical ground? It is not our heart that determines our course, but God's Word."

About Singing ...

"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 - there are the prerequisites of all singing together."

"Why do Christians sing when they are together? ... because in singing together it is possible for them to speak and pray the same Word at the same time; in other words, because here they can unite in the Word."

"The more we sing, the more joy will we derive from it, but, above all, the more devotion and discipline and joy we put into our singing, the richer will be the blessing that will come to the whole life of the fellowship from singing together."

About the work day ...

"The morning prayer will determine the day ... the organization and distribution of our time will be better for having been rooted in prayer ... Decisions which our work demands will be simpler and easier when they are made, not in the fear of men, but solely in the presence of God."

"A day at a time is long enough to sustain one's faith; the next dday will have its own cares."

There are so many more great things from this book, but this should be enough for one post. More to come ...