Good Quote: Ministry of Helpfulness

Seven Principles for Eradicating Selfish Ambition in the Fellowship

4. The Ministry of Helpfulness

Active helpfulness means, initially, simple assistance in trifling, external matters. There is a multitude of these things wherever people live together. Nobody is too good for the meanest service...

We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps--reading the Bible. When we do that, we pass by the visible sign of the Cross raised athwart our path to show us that not our way, but God's way must be done.

... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]

Good Quote: Ministry of Listening

Seven Principles for Eradicating Selfish Ambition in the Fellowship:

3. The Ministry of Listening

The first service that one owes to others in the
fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God
begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love
for the brethren is learning to listen to them... Listening
can be a greater service than speaking... One who cannot
listen long and patiently will presently be talking beside the
point and be never really speaking to others. Anyone who
thinks his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will
eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for
himself and for his own follies...

We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak
the Word of God.

... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]

Good Quote: Ministry of Meekness

Seven Principles for Eradicating Selfish Ambition in the Fellowship:

2. the ministry of meekness

He who would learn to serve must first learn to think
little of himself... Only he who lives by the forgiveness of
his sin in Jesus Christ will rightly think little of himself.
He will know that his own wisdom reached the end of its tether
when Jesus forgave him. He will know that it is good for his
own will to be broken in the encounter with his neighbor...

But not only my neighbor's will, but also his honor is
more important than mine. The desire for one's own honor
hinders faith. One who seeks his own honor is no longer
seeking God and his neighbor. What does it matter if I suffer
injustice? Would I not have deserved even worse punishment
from God, if He had not dealt with me according to His mercy?

... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]

Good Quote: Ministry of Holding One's Tongue

Oh man... I need this one badly.

From Seven Principles for Eradicating Selfish Ambition in the
Fellowship:

1. The ministry of holding one's tongue

Often we combat our evil thoughts most effectively if we

absolutely refuse to allow them to be expressed in words...

Thus it must be a decisive rule of every Christian fellowship

that each individual is prohibited from saying much that

occurs to him. This prohibition does not include the personal

word of advice and guidance. But to speak about a brother is

forbidden, even under the cloak of help and goodwill; for it

is precisely in this guise that the spirit of hatred among

brothers creeps in when it is seeking to create mischief.

... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]

Desert Campout with the Youth Group

We had a great time duning with the church youth group recently. Here are some pictures to commemorate the event.

Great Quote: A Faint Spark of Love for Christ

The love I bear Christ is but a faint and feeble spark,
but it is an emanation from himself: He kindled it and he
keeps it alive; and because it is his work, I trust many
waters shall not quench it.

... John Newton (1725-1807), in a letter [1776]