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Here’s the second of the theses that Bonhoeffer penned to challenge the Aryan Paragraph in 1933. Again, it reads as very timely for our moment in history.

Currently reading: The Bonhoeffer Reader by Michael P. DeJonge 📚

A quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The German Christians say:&10;We don't want to take away from Jewish Christians the right to be Christians, but they should organize their own churches. 6 It is only a matter of the outward form of the church.” M A quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “We answer: (1) The issue of belonging to the Christian community is never an outward, organizational matter, but is of the very substance of the church.&10;Church is the congregation that is called together by the Word.&10;Membership in a congregation is a question not of organization but of the essence of the church.”A quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “(2) To make such a basic distinction between Christianity and the church, or between Christ and the church, is wrong. There is no such thing as the idea of the church, on one hand, and its outward appearance, on the other, but rather the empirically experienced church is the church of Christ itself. Thus to exclude people forcibly from the church-community at the empirical level means excluding them from Christ's church itself. That part of the church that excludes another is, of course, the one that is truly shut out-that is the particular danger of the German Christians' undertaking.”A quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “(3) When the church's organizers exclude anyone, they are interfering with the authority of the sacraments. Here in our church, Jewish Christians have been accepted, by the will of God, through the sacrament of baptism. Through baptism they are joined together with our church, and our church with them, by indissoluble ties. If the church that has baptized Jewish Christians now throws them out, it makes baptism into a ceremony, which implies no obligation on its part.”

#Wordle 1,327 4/6*

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The #OldGal scored a 5 today. Victory is ours. Perhaps diminishing returns on grandson babysitting?

Good morning! May you notice the mercy that is new every morning. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

A person holding a black tumbler in a cozy living room with patterned armchairs and a fireplace.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer composed a number of talking points to refute what was known as the “Aryan Paragraph” in September of 1933. The paragraph excluded non-Aryans from civil service which was beginning to be adopted by German churches.

Currently reading: The Bonhoeffer Reader by Michael P. DeJonge 📚

The German Christians say: The church is not allowed to undo or to disregard God’s orders, and race is one of them, so the church must be racially constituted. We answer: The given order of race is misjudged just as little as that of gender, status in society, etc. . . . In the church, a Jew is still a Jew, a Gentile a Gentile, a man a man, a capitalist a capitalist, etc., etc. But God calls and gathers them all together into one people, the people of God, the church, and they all belong to it in the same way, one with another. The church is not a community of people who are all the same but precisely one of people foreign to one another who are called by God’s Word. The people of God is an order over and above all other orders. “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? . . . whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” [Matt. 12:48, 50]. Race and blood are one order among those who enter into the church, but it must never become a criterion for belonging to the church; the only criterion is the Word of God and faith. &10; &10;DeJonge, Michael P.; Green, Clifford J.. The Bonhoeffer Reader (Function). Kindle Edition.
How do you know who someone is? I don’t mean who they say they are, but who they really are? How do you determine it?

I think we do so by watching the way a person acts. As my friend, Todd, likes to say, “acta non verba (actions not words).”

Read the rest: Jesus in Conversation - The Two Disciples

Hey @Mtt, werid thing happening on danielmrose.com, if I try to customize Sumo or Bayou, they only show one item in a category. I’m quite confident it is user error. But, I can’t quite seem to figure out what I’m doing wrong.

Join us for an intentional conversation about, “forgiveness,” at the Tap Room in Ypsilanti, MI.

Is forgiveness necessary for us to thrive? Are there people that unforgiveable? Is there good in carrying grudges?

We will start with these questions and see where the conversation takes us!

There are four rules…
  1. Everyone respects one another.
  2. Everyone talks.
  3. There has to be a moderator.
  4. We end at 9 pm.

#Wordle 1,326 4/6*

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The #OldGal also scored a 4 today. Perhaps a #YoungPup will post a 3!

Good morning! May you love well today. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

Practice in Serving

Life throws storms our way, and we need to be prepared. We've been exploring spiritual practices to build a strong foundation, like Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Last week, we talked about fasting, a practice of abstinence. This week, we're shifting to a practice of engagement: serving.

The Warning: Don't Display Your Righteousness

In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus says, "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Jesus warns against displaying our righteousness. Why? Because true righteousness isn't about showing off; it's about genuine service.

The Problem: Hypocrisy

Jesus uses the word "hypocrite," which means "actor." Are we play-acting at righteousness? Are we putting on a show, or is our service genuine?

Our righteousness comes from Christ. It's a gift of grace. If we're just pretending, we don't truly have His righteousness. That's a sobering thought.

The Call: Quiet, Faithful Service

Jesus calls us to serve quietly and intentionally. He uses the metaphor of not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing. It's about being intentional in our service, doing it without seeking recognition.

We are made righteous by Christ, and our service should flow from that. As James says, "Pure and undefiled religion is caring for the widows and orphans."

The Example: "A Few Good Men"

Think of the movie "A Few Good Men." The characters are challenged to protect those who can't protect themselves. That's what Jesus is calling us to do.

He doesn't qualify who deserves our help. He simply says, "When you give to the needy." We are to serve because it's who we are, not because someone is worthy.

The Benefit: Joy and Acceptance

Serving others brings joy, and it also allows us to receive help when we need it. When we serve, we understand the joy of receiving help, and we can accept it when it's offered to us.

Your Challenge:

  1. Are you serving? Are you intentionally caring for those in need?
  2. Are you serving in secret? Or are you seeking recognition?

"Needy" isn't just about financial need. It can be relational, emotional, or social. It's about those on the fringes, those who can't help themselves.

Practical Ways to Serve:

  • Have coffee with someone lonely.
  • Invite a neighbor to dinner.
  • Offer a listening ear.

Serving isn't always about grand gestures. It's about loving well.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help us serve out of the righteousness you've given us. Keep us from hypocrisy, and help us serve quietly and faithfully. May we hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." In Jesus' name, Amen.

If you pray for God to protect the persecuted Church and rejoice at the federal government shutting down refugee resettlement, then I would encourage you to ask yourself if you truly care for the persecuted church.

#Wordle 1,325 5/6*

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The #OldGal scores a 3 today and I am just happy to keep my streak. The time spent with her grandson is beginning to recharge her! We are in trouble #YoungPups.

Good morning! May you embrace whatever twist comes at you today. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

A hand is holding a mug in a living room with a sofa, armchair, and curtains.

The Detroit Tigers report on 2/14.

The Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals start their baseball season on 2/14.

2/14 is the official beginning of Spring.

I will die on this hill.