Today's church...

No one who knows today’s church will want to complain that the church doesn’t do anything. No, the church does immeasurably much, and also with much sacrifice and seriousness; but we all do precisely too many second, third, and fourth works, and not the first works. And exactly because of this, the church is not doing what is crucial. We celebrate, we represent, we strive for influence, we start a Protestant movement, we do Protestant youth work, we perform charitable service and care, we make propaganda against godlessness–but do we do the first works which are the basis of absolutely everything? Do we love God and our brother with that first, passionate, burning love that risks everything – except God? Do we really allow God to be God? Do we leave ourselves and our church to Him completely? If that were the case, things would have to look different, there would surely be a breakthrough.

(From Bonhoeffer’s sermon preached on Reformation Day, November 6, 1932, quoted in Georg Huntemann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 285)

Comments

[ash]

This is very interesting, thanks Maggi.

I've pondered on this a lot lately. Someone somewhere pointed out that the Great Commission is not really our primary calling. First, we are to love God. Second, to love our neighbour as ourself. If the Great Commission is most important after these, it is still after these. I wonder, however, whether it does indeed come third. That's a pondering... I couldn't explain it well.

It seems, then, we are called to love. And I think love forces us to drastically rethink our often less than personal missiology. I note that Jesus served before he proselytised. One could argue that this was because he was speaking largely to an audience who shared his religion already. I'm not convinced, though, that this would be satisfactory to say we should preach before we serve.

Thanks again.
-ash

[maggi]

I remember writing about this nearly a year ago, in response to a missiological statement that I didn't chime with in "the Shape of THings to Come". As I recall, the conversation concluded with the idea that the authors of that book had a formula that worked well in their own locality, but it didn't transfer very well to a theory. Or something. Anyway, my thoughts were here:

http://maggidawn.typepad.com/maggidawn/2004/10/_greatest_comma.html

[Matt Stone]

I'm reading Bonhoeffer at the moment. It's interesting how many of his 'modernist age' comments are applicable to today's scene.

[rick]

It seems as though just when the Church is getting a bad rap, something like Kartrina hits and the Church redeems itself.

Or perhaps, where there is true suffering we find the true Body of Christ.

Everything else is just loud gongs and clanging cymbals.

[Dick Davies]

Ash says "the Great Commission is not really our primary calling". And I can see where that comes from. But I'd like to move on from there.

I'd say that is is simply the most obvious consequence of Love for God and our neighbour.

I think that Bonhoeffer’s sermon highlights the fact that mission that does not spring from Love is pretty futile. And I'd venture to suggest that Love that does not result in Mission is pretty empty.