72 Ducere Est Servire: THE LEADERSHIP JOURNAL OF DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY hoeffer concisely explained, “the church is Christ existing as community.”20 Bonhoeffer believed the Church was to be holy and set apart, that means it must exist and act differently, hold to a different set of values and beliefs, and it must recognize itself as such. The world, then, views the counter-cultural ecclesial community as oddly enigmatic or as a direct threat. Bonhoeffer explained, “for wherever the word of Christ is truly spoken, the world senses that it is either ruinous madness or ruinous truth.”21 The Church’s very existence is both an indictment upon the world and a salvific offer to the dominant culture. Bonhoeffer exemplified this conviction when he began leading the Finkenwaldian seminary. There he built a practical theology centered around the active and faithful Christian communal life, preparing the young pastors to connect and confront the broader culture which festered beyond the seminary walls. Bonhoeffer’s counter-cultural faith community took root in the humble halls of the rundown facility, yet the young pastors became empowered and energized to bring their unique brand of pacifism to the nazified culture.22 Bonhoeffer did not believe in monastic isolationism, but an intentional ideological separation from the world which sought to recover Christianity’s rich faith tradition.23 The counter-cultural community he prescribed centered upon worship. He explained, “It is the voice of the Church that is heard in singing together. It is not you that sings, it is the Church that is singing, and you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song.”24 The individual melts away, and it is the corporate Christian body that worships God. Yet, it was not a pietistic or ritualistic activity, but a willing and obedient giving of the heart and mind to God in worshipful devotion.25 Bonhoeffer’s communal worship confronts the modern rugged and utilitarian individualism which is so common in contemporary culture. He also motivated, inspired, and empowered the pastors at Finkenwalde to put the Beatitudes into practice, not just spiritualizing Christ’s teachings. Bonhoeffer challenged the dominant culture’s selfishness with a selfless ethic of service. The Church then was the body of believers who not only worshipped God, preached the word, and participated
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