“Christian community is like the Christian’s sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim. Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification. What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God. Just as the Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking it temperature. The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as it pleases God.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, pg. 30

Question:

It would seem that much activity and talk in the church is busy with taking the church’s temperature. In fact, contra Bonhoeffer, entire industries are built around diagnosing the problems in the church. How would things look different if we heeded the advice Bonhoeffer gives in the church and thankfully receive the brothers and sisters Christ has given us? What are some concrete examples of this sort of thing happening?

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