Thankfulness works in the Christian community as it usually does in the Christian life. Only those who give thanks for the little things receive the great things as well. We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts prepared for us because we do not give thanks for the daily gifts. We think that we should be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience, and love that has been given to us, and that we must be constantly seeking the great gifts. Then we complain that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experiences that God has given to other Christians, and we consider these complaints to be pious… If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian community in which we have been placed, even when there are no great experience, no noticeable riches, but much weakness, difficulty, and little faith… then we hinder God from letting our community grow according to the measure and riches that are there for us all in Jesus Christ.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 5)
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
On innumerable occasions a whole Christian community has been shattered because it has lived on the basis of a wishful image. Certainly serious Christians who are put in a community for the first time will often bring with them a very definite image of what Christian communal life should be, and they will be anxious to realize it. But God’s grace quickly frustrates all such dreams. A great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves, is bound to overwhelm us as surely as God desires to lead us to an understanding of genuine Christian community. By sheer grace God will not permit us to live in a dream world even for a few weeks and to abandon ourselves to those blissful experiences and exalted moods that sweep over us like a wave of rapture. For God is not a God of emotionalism, but the God of truth. Only that community which enters into the experience of this great disillusionment with all its unpleasant and evil appearances begins to be what it should be in God’s sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 5)
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Picture a small band of socially awkward “techies”, graced by unabashed enthusiasm for a technology of obsession, rising the Vulcan Finger Split salute in perfect solidarity.
This is the glory of the modern technology “User Group”, all the power of the Black Panthers and as graceful as a local church congregation.
Every once in a while I forget how big of a nerd I am, but every time I return to the user group setting and find myself completely enthralled in a discussion of software check boxes, the future of the internet, the rise and fall of Microsoft, and the next evolution of digital whatever… I know I am being myself, and it feels really good.
I actually facilitate and participate in a variety of “User Group Meetups” focused on everything from internet technologies to creative writing, and I love it.
There is something special for me about these types of meetings, they are beyond mere affinity and yet they are focused on something in common that draws everyone outside of themselves to share information, expertise, and knowledge in such a way that the entire community is lifted and in so doing a greater movement is supported.
I recently watched a small documentary entitled MacHeads that took a tongue in cheek fanboy look at the infamous subculture of Apple computer worshipers.
This film went through the typical history of the modern PC revolution and followed out a few personalities as they travailed the ups and downs of Mac loyalty through the recent decades of iEverything coming to the masses.
But towards the end of the film, the conversations and focus took a peculiar inward turn to highlight the stalwart role of the “User Group” in preserving Apple through the tough times and the strange obsolescence of such groups in the good times.
It is hard to appreciate now just how vital a local user group was in the pre-internet era. There was a time when access to knowledge was limited to printed literature, perhaps a few video tutorials; but the majority of the learning and sharing happened in these user groups of embodied presence.
A few of the veteran Mac users who founded the original user groups spoke of their now defunct status with a sense of loss that I do believe is more profound than simple nostalgia. Once the users were connected online and the information flowed freely between servers, meeting lost its point… and communities were slowly disbanded without any justifiable purpose. All the information is online, so why bother getting together…
…with the internet I have the concern that people go out, they find their answer, and then they don’t come back, they don’t build a community of lasting connections. It will be different, it won’t look like what it used to look like.
~Mac User and Founder of now disbanded User Group of 15 years
…the internet killed us, I was losing that sense of human contact because you are meeting people that you would never have an opportunity to meet otherwise. When you go to Google to find an answer to a question, all you find out is the answer to that question, very difficult to get that random connection and information that you had no idea existed but it will change your life as soon as you hear about it.
~Mac User and Former User Group Member
I think the community is bigger than ever, but it is in a different form because it is all online. There are so many community websites, forums, and blogs…
…what the hell is a Mac community, there is kindof no need for a Mac community, I think it would be cool if there was one.
~Cool young new Mac users
It is very interesting to see these types of conversations compound on top of each other. The old users have seen something of a glory moment of solidarity that they now long for and the new users know something is missing that they can’t quite put their finger on.
I think there is something else to consider here, and I find this especially poignant. These people are not Luddites, iconoclasts of technology, or scoffers of progress. These are all people on the front lines of engaging technology in all walks of life, and yet they experience a loss with the success of their pursuits. A good idea can be taken too far and push into territory that should remain pure.
I have discovered a litany of modern thinkers that have lamented this seriously enough; Wendell Berry, Marshall McLuhan, Steve Talbott, Maggie Jackson, and Albert Borgmann to name a few.
Many of these authors push beyond the mere practicality of physical meetings and the pragmatic utility of why it is good for us to be physically present with each other, and into a discussion of something that is rooted much deeper inside the human need for communion and our spiritual need for embodied connectivity.
C.S. Lewis still describes for me with profound insight the practical first step of communion in the Body of the Church, the original holy user group.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
You mentioned casually in your last letter that the patient has continued to attend one church, and one only, since he was converted, and that he is not wholly pleased with it. May I ask what you are about? Why have I no report on the causes of his fidelity to the parish church? Do you realize that unless it is due to indifference it is a very bad thing? Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for the church that “suits” him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches. The reasons are obvious. In the first place the parochial organization should always be attacked, because, being a unity of place and not of likings, it brings people of different classes and psychology together in the kind of unity the Enemy desires. The congregational principle, on the other hand, makes each church into a kind of club, and finally, if all goes well, into a coterie or faction. In the second place, the search for a “suitable” church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil. What He wants of the layman in church is an attitude which may, indeed, be critical in the sense of rejecting what is false or unhelpful, but which is wholly uncritical in the sense that it does not appraise—does not waste time in thinking about what it rejects, but lays itself open in uncommenting, humble receptivity to any nourishment that is going. (You see how groveling, how unspiritual, how irredeemably vulgar He is!) This attitude, especially during sermons, creates the condition (most hostile to our whole policy) in which platitudes can become really audible to a human soul. There is hardly any sermon, or any book, which may not be dangerous to us if it is received in this temper. So pray bestir yourself and send this fool the round of the neighboring churches as soon as possible. Your record up to date has not given us much satisfaction.
Is our time at an end, and has the gospel been given to another people… to be preached perhaps with totally different words and deeds?
How do you view the indestructibility of Christianity given the situation in the world and our own lifestyles today?… How is one to preach such things to these people here? Who still believes in these things? The invisibility is killing us… To be continually cast backwards to the invisible God is insane; we can no longer accept it.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Bonhoeffer was unable to hide his aversion for attempts to etherialize the church into structures of empty ritual and perfunctory services that merely fronted for what purported to be an essentially “invisible heavenly reality.”
~Geffrey B. Kelly, Life Together Introduction
Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 5)
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I did a brief tour of Europe about 3 years ago; including Berlin, the place from which Bonhoeffer was speaking when he asked the question…
Is our time at an end?
There is a good collection of survey data that would concede that the Christian faith is at best languishing in Europe and at worst, it has come to an end.
During my backpack gallivanting tour, I spent a fair amount of time visiting church buildings, mostly cathedrals of exquisite craftsmanship and enduring historical heritage.
Every city seemed to have at least a couple of landmark church buildings that were in the midst of some form of preservation. These buildings were spectacles of architectural wonder and beauty. But, I was left with the overwhelming impression that all of these buildings were now a relic of the past, preserved only for their tourist attracting capacity. There was not much evidence of the Church happening in these ornate facilities… it was invisible.
A fully etherialized church was a great fear of Bonhoeffer. But this is not to say that he was in any way against a well reasoned and articulated set of orthodox Christian beliefs, he just wanted to make sure that the things he believed were livable.
This is where I encounter a difficulty or even dichotomy between pragmatism and heretics. In many ways, folks who present a view of Christianity that is completely compatible with secular progresivism and humanism arrive at something that seems perfectly livable, sensible, and compatible with modern enlightenment. An enlightenment that can go to work immediately in the most visible forms of work on every conceivable front of social justice. But in a twist of irony, some of these folks need to etherialze Christian doctrine in the process, a bodily resurrection of Christ is somehow problematic to an embodied and enlightened Christian faith.
When one reads the New Testament in the order in which these books were written, a fascinating progression is revealed. Paul, for example, writing between the years 50 and 64 or some 20 to 34 years after the earthly life of Jesus came to an end, never describes the resurrection of Jesus as a physical body resuscitated after death. There is no hint in the Pauline corpus that one, who had died, later walked out of his grave clothes, emerged from the tomb and was seen by his disciples.
What Paul does suggest is that Easter meant that God had acted to reverse the verdict that the world had pronounced on Jesus by raising Jesus from death into God. It was, therefore, out of God in a transforming kind of heavenly vision that this Jesus then appeared to certain chosen witnesses. Paul enumerates these witnesses and, in a telling detail, says that this was the same Jesus that Paul himself had seen. No one suggests that Paul ever saw a resuscitated body. The Pauline corpus later says, “If you then have been raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Please note that the story of the Ascension had not been written when these Pauline words were formed. Paul did not envision the Resurrection as Jesus being restored to life in this world but as Jesus being raised into God. It was not an event in time but a transcendent and transforming truth.
Somehow the proclamation as metaphor, “Elvis has left the building” seems especially applicable to this sort of revisionist theology. If the bodily resurrection of Christ leaves the church and all you are left with is a spiritual metaphor of “transcendent and transforming truth”, well maybe you will end up with a bunch of hollow architectural shells of an out-moded faith that no longer “works”.
Before the effects of such beliefs are contemplated, the historical accuracy and probability of the resurrection can be defended by scholars quite readily, N.T. Wright is the name that currently contends against this sort of allegorizing of the resurrection.
I have not spent a lot of time with all of his arguments, but I think the crux of it is that the bodily resurrection of Christ is the best explanation for the history of Christianity and it is something that completely took the Jewish theologians by surprise… they would not have been able to make it up.
…the foundation of my argument for what happened at Easter is the reflection that this Jewish hope has undergone remarkable modifications or mutations within early Christianity, which can be plotted consistently right across the first two centuries. And these mutations are so striking, in an area of human experience where societies tend to be very conservative, that they force the historian… to ask, Why did they occur?
The mutations occur within a strictly Jewish context. The early Christians held firmly, like most of their Jewish contemporaries, to a two-step belief about the future: first, death and whatever lies immediately beyond; second, a new bodily existence in a newly remade world. ‘Resurrection’ is not a fancy word for ‘life after death’; it denotes life after ‘life after death’.
Jesus tied all authority in the community to service, one to another. Genuine spiritual authority is to be found only where the service of listening, helping, forbearing, and proclaiming is carried out. Every personality cult that bears the mark of distinguished qualities, outstanding abilities, powers, and talents of another, even if these are of a thoroughly spiritual nature, is worldly and has no place in the Christian community of faith; indeed it poisons that community. The longing we so often hear expressed today for “episcopal figures”, “priestly people,” “authoritative personalities” often enough stems from a spiritually sick need to admire human beings and to establish visible human authority because the genuine authority of service appears to be too insignificant. nothing contradicts such a desire more sharply than the New Testament itself in its description of a bishop (1 timothy 3:1). None of the magic of human talents or the brilliant qualities of a spiritual personality is to be found there. bishops are those unpretentious persons who are sound and loyal in faith and life and who properly carry out their ministry to the community of faith. The authority of bishops lies in accomplishing the tasks of the their service. There is nothing to admire about the person himself.
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible (Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, Vol. 5)
Author: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.
There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5 ). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24 ). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.
My Utmost For His Highest: Limited PB Edition
Author: Oswald Chambers
Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people…
For sure, the faculty of critical discernment is something very special that makes us human. We do it unconsciously and purposefully all day as a natural operation of existence. To be conscious is to be judging. This ability allows us to do and create. But that’s all the basics, Mr. Chambers is getting at the habit of critiquing someone’s spiritual life, their soul even..
Today we listen to stories told by strangers from New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles and we tell our stories to the police and psychiatrists.
~Wendell Berry, The Work of Local Culture
What Are People For?: Essays
Author: Wendell Berry
Over the past 6 years I have had the good fortune of living in the same suburban neighborhood of Livonia Michigan; some call it Clements Circle, others “the hood”, and to a few its known as “the SuperHood”.
Looking back its hard to measure the value of living in a neighborhood where you can know your neighbors. I am especially fortunate seeing as a good handful of my neighborhood relationships trace their roots back to college, almost 10 years ago now.
Getting to know people takes time. The pace of today’s scattered life activity hardly encourages the slow process of becoming known and knowing your neighbors. Fortunately I have some very hospitable neighbors, and a dog that likes to get around the neighborhood… so I have been able to meet a few over the past 5 years.
Joe Chapp helped me (I watched mostly, note the difference in shirt soiling above) pull out a couple of especially stubborn bushes back in 2005 and since then I have been invited out to a regular evening bonfire complete with pizza and box wine. In these evenings of casual neighborhood discussion and story telling I have learned much about the Chapp family history, struggles, and whimsical life enjoyments. There is a strange sort of comfort that comes from this activity of simply sharing, life just makes a lot of sense when presented in this context.
And aside from the general feelings of comfortableness there are specific encouragements and challenges. I learned that the Chapp family prays for the neighborhood regularly, including the success of my business; what a humbling honor. I also learned that the bus comes at 7:50 and it would mean a lot to the Chapps’ if I would look out for their daughter and make sure she makes it onto the bus without incident. Talk about tangible community responsibility and a reason to get up on time.
People used to practice what they called “sitting till bedtime”, where neighbors used to walk across the fields to sit in someone else’s home until dark and then go home and they would tell stories about themselves and people who had died and the children would hear the stories.
I recently finished reading a book that made me think a little bit…
Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places: A Conversation in Spiritual Theology
Author: Eugene H. Peterson
I bought it from Amazon about 2 years ago now, I have a collection of books waiting to be finished dating back better than 5 years now, and I am quite glad that I took my time with this one. I believe what recently spurred me on to finish was a series of interviews with the author, Eugene H. Peterson, through Mars Hill Audio. Peterson has a grandfatherly voice that comes through in his writing, but it is even thicker in his speech. I found myself suddenly trusting him, and looking for some grandfatherly advice.
Peterson is the author of The Message, a contemporary and somewhat controversial translation of the Bible (there are no verse numbers, after all). This tid bit of background information had covertly formed Peterson into a maverick Christian by my estimation. Coupled with my ignorance in never reading The Message, or any other of his books, I had assumed him a pragmatic revolutionary with post modern sympathies. He is nothing of the sort. The one thing he may share with the current bread of post modern Christian authors, i.e. Brian Mclaren, is a decidedly conversational tone and approach to theologically centered discourse. He routinely surrounds Spiritual discussions with the context of “ordinary” life: you know; eating, sleeping, working, and playing.
Peterson speaks with a careful yet firm voice seasoned with a pastor’s experience. When I finished reading, I realized that I had just taken in a thorough description of what it means to be a properly motivated and postured Christian community leader. If I aspire to this calling I will do well to listen to some advice from an old wise sage.
We live in a culture that has replaced soul with self. This reduction turns people into either problems or consumers. Insofar as we acquiesce in that replacement, we gradually but surely regress in our identity, for we end up thinking of ourselves and dealing with others in marketplace terms: everyone we meet is either a potential recruit to join our enterprise or a potential consumer for what we are selling: or we ourselves are the potential recruits and consumers. Neither we nor our friends have any dignity just as we are, only in terms of how we or they can be used. pg 38
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