Reflect
One of my heroes is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I have read much of what he wrote, read a couple biographies on him, visited the home in Germany where he grew up.
His parents were very surprised that, rather than following their desires for him, which would have resulted in him becoming either a lawyer, doctor or concert pianist, he heard a call and from God to become an elder/minister.
Germany was in turmoil. Dietrich recognized that Hitler was a madman that was making himself to be god. Dietrich’s attempts to stop the church from supporting Hitler were largely ignored. The elders of the church played it safe, masking behind a fragile desire to care for their own.
While Dietrich could have had a cushy teaching role in New York, he famously said, “If I am going to help people remake my country when this evil ends, I must be a part of the suffering now.”
Every church leader needs to embrace that. If we are not journeying with the global family of God through her suffering, we are not hearing the voice of God.
There are times that the Bride of Jesus (the church) is nauseatingly too vocal; other times she is absently shamefully silent. She is always the most beautiful while advocating for the vulnerable.
How are you being guided to reject the loneliness and boredom of self-indulgence so that you can partake in the glory of God by standing with the oppressed?
Pastor Dan
Pray
- Pray for our Prime Minister and Premier, Mayor Sohi, your MP, your MLA, and any other government officials God brings to your mind.
- Pray for our Worship Ministries Assistant, Daniel Zander.