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Sunday, September 4, 2011

Prayer: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

We all know that Christ has been eliminated from our lives. Of course we build him a temple, but we live in our own houses. Christ has become a matter of the church, or rather of the churchliness of a group, not a matter of life …

One thing is clear: we understand Christ only if we commit ourselves to him in a stark “Either Or.” He did not go to the cross to ornament and embellish our life. If we wish to have him, then he demands the right to say something decisive about our entire life.

“Jesus Christ and the Essence of Christianity” (seminary lecture, 1928)

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2 comments:

  1. Blue Eyed EnnisSeptember 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    It's remarkable that this was written in 1928 and yet has full resonance today.(IMHO) Stark and true !
    Blessings

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  2. John Predmore, S.J.September 6, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    Yes! Christ just can't be a feel good experience while in prayer or retreat; he wants to be active in our lives and to speak for himself. He still needs to be heard!

    ReplyDelete

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