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Fon the morning of April 9, 1945, in the last days of the Third German Reich, a tall man was led from his cell at Flossenburg prison to a rope hanging from a hook on a wall in a nearby courtyard and unceremoniously hanged alone. In the next few hours, his colleagues, Admiral Wilhem Canaris, head of German Military Intelligence, and his deputy Major General Hans Oster, along several others were each in their turn similarly hanged.
This man, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and the others were executed for of their roles in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler. The conspirators had tried on several occasions to eliminate the Fuehrer but failed several times. Today, Bonhoeffer is considered a hero and martyr of the Lutheran church.
A new film Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin is in the theaters this week. We have a group of almost forty people heading to see it on Sunday at 2:55 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Theater. Go to regmovies.com for tickets. But who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and why should we care?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) was a Lutheran pastor and theologian living in Germany during World War II. He was one of the organizers of the Confessing Church in Germany, along with Karl Barth and others who actively opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi oppression of the Jews. Bonhoeffer spent time in America and the United Kingdom as a teacher but eventually felt called to return to the German church in its time of need.
As a teacher, Dietrich Bonhoeffer balanced a mix of theological rigor and compassion for his fellow man, especially the oppressed. His time in America gave him a new perspective on civil rights issues. He taught Sunday school at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem and gained a love for African-American spirituals. He found the black perspective on Christ refreshing in its passion and clarity, and his experiences there changed him as a person and as a theologian.
He also taught systematic theology at the University of Berlin. Eventually, Bonhoeffer took a ministry position in London and hoped to use ecumenical teachings to inspire English support for the Confessing Church in Germany. He was also offered an opportunity to study under Gandhi, but he decided instead to return home to Germany to teach in underground seminaries in support of the Confessing Church.
Bonhoeffer’s widely read book The Cost of Discipleship (1937) is a study on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and focuses on the concept of “cheap grace” versus “costly grace.” Bonhoeffer asserted that salvation will radically change a person’s life and that a faith without obedience is no faith at all. Bonhoeffer wrote, “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession. . . . Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” Bonhoeffer defined costly grace, in contrast, as “the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.”
At one point, Bonhoeffer made the controversial decision to participate in plots to assassinate Hitler and paid the ultimate price. He lived out his commitment to Christ and placed love for God above all other loves or worldly concerns, as he challenged one of the most frightening regimes in history. His story begs the question, how far will you go to stand up for what’s right?
Join us for worship on Sunday to find out more about this powerful figure!
In Christ; Pastor Dan
Special Announcements:
- Join us after church on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall for our Thanksgiving Potluck Lunch. Ham, turkey, tasty side dishes and desserts for all. We wish you a blessed Thanksgiving!
- Help us celebrate and adorn the church for Christmas by purchasing beautiful poinsettia flowers for $10 apiece. A form and envelope are included in the bulletin or at the back of the church. Please turn in the form and payment by Sunday, December 15th.
- Sign Up at the back of the church for the upcoming Christmas Lunch on Sunday December 22nd after the Christmas Program.
- Join us this afternoon for a special movie matinee of: “Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin” at 2:55 p.m. at the Regal Royal Palm Beach Theater (1003 North SR 7 Royal Palm Beach, FL.) PG-13. There may still be seats available directly from the theater if needed.
· Mark your calendars:
November 24th – Thanksgiving Potluck Lunch after Church (RSVP)
November 24th – Bonhoeffer Movie at 2:55 at Regal Royal Palm Beach Theater
December 1st – Christmas Decorating after worship
December 22nd – Church Christmas Program at 10:00 a.m. and Lunch following
December 24th – Christmas Eve Celebration Worship at 7:00 p.m.
December 29th – Special Service of Lessons and Carols
