Ministry

“God does not will that I should fashion the other person according to the image

that seems good to me, that is, in my own image; rather in his very freedom from

me God made this person in His image.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Christian community brings to light shortcomings within each individual. We must

acknowledge the tendency towards this seed of discord and make efforts to

remedy and avoid harming the community. As Bonhoeffer says, “from the first

moment when a man meets another person he is looking for a strategic position he

can assume and hold over against that person” (90). By doing so we look for means

of self justification. We must battle our sinful nature by using what Bonhoeffer calls

ministries.

The first ministry is the ministry of holding one’s tongue. If we spend time looking for

ways to lord over others in our community we will ultimately break the community

apart. The primary way we split the community is through our words. When we hold

our tongues we stop judging the people around us and allow those around us “to

exist as a completely free person, as God made him to be” (93). Holding our tongues

gives us the chance to see how the community needs each other.

Next we must learn meekness. As Bonhoeffer says, “he who would learn to serve

must first learn to think little of himself” (94). If we are trying to change those around

we put our desires above the community. We can’t lord ourselves over others and

maintain a healthy community. Meekness comes from viewing others as more

important than ourselves.

When we exercise meekness and the ability to hold our tongue we create the space

and desire to listen. Listening is how we show our love and value for our brothers

and sisters. This is a piece of how God shows His love for us. He gave us the Word

and lends His ear to hear our pleas for help. If we stop listening to our brothers we

will eventually stop listening to God’s voice as well.

The fourth ministry is the ministry of helpfulness. This is realizing that our time is

best spent helping others. Helping is part of the discipline of meekness. When we

value others as more important than ourselves we “allow ourselves to be interrupted

by God” and by others (99). Helping others builds them up and creates a strong

bond of unity in the community.

As we help others we also learn to bear each other’s burdens. This is what we are

called to in Galatians 6. The moment we bear burdens with a person is the moment

they become a brother and not an object to be manipulated. God bore our burdens

when he sent his Son to the cross. He lifted our burdens and guides us through

the trials of life.

In bearing with each other we should also proclaim truth through the trials. God

has given us His Word that is full of truth that applies to all trials and joys in our

lives. Our brothers and sisters need the same encouragement we do. In community

it is so easy to become a flatterer and ignore truth. This causes more harm than

good. We should instead speak truth in love and grace.

The final ministry is the ministry of authority. This incorporates all the previous

ministries and can only occur when “the ministry of hearing, helping, bearing, and

proclaiming [are] carried out” (108). We all desire some authority but this desire for

authority cannot cause us to forget the other ministries. The church is full of people

in authority. What we need is not “brilliant personalities but faithful servants of

Jesus and the brethren” (109).  

When we learn to embrace and grow these ministries we shift our focus to the

wellbeing of others. This how we reflect the love of Christ. By fostering these skills we

allow our brothers and sisters to become the image of God instead of forming to our

opinion of them. This can be summed up by Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of

selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not

looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (NIV).