Post Tenebras Lux

Bonhoeffer Convinced Me to Abandon My Dream

Replogle discusses the impact of Bonhoeffer’s Life Together on his life and views on leadership and ministry, particularly this quote:

It makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God himself accordingly. He stands adamant, a living reproach to all others in the circle of brethren. He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together. When things do not go his way, he calls the effort a failure. When his ideal picture is destroyed, he sees the community going to smash. So he becomes, first an accuser of his brethren, then an accuser of God, and finally the despairing accuser of himself.

I previously thought of this from a personal standpoint, but Replogle applies the quote to pastoral ministry and the dangers of trying to apply a community ideal, especially when the effort fails. This method can cultivate an undue sense of pride when we think we alone know what’s best for the church.

The model of a pastor applying a vision for the church can sometimes work when he has the right set of skills, but this seems to be less common, and may only lasts until the pastor leaves his office. This “superstar pastor” model places too much importance on the pastor and too much pressure on any successor.

Rather than worrying too much about executing a particular vision or a mere possibility, we should focus on ministering to the church we have today and its needs.

Quotes