| Title | : | God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0664234291 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780664234294 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 112 |
| Publication | : | First published August 30, 2010 |
"No priest, no theologian stood at the cradle of Bethlehem. And yet, all Christian theology finds its beginnings in the miracle of miracles, that God became human."
These stirring words are among forty devotions that guide and inspire readers as they move thematically through the weeks of Advent and Christmas, from waiting and mystery to redemption, incarnation, and joy. Supplemented by an informative introduction, short excerpts from Bonhoeffer's letters, and passages from his Christmas sermons, these daily devotions are timeless and moving reminders of the true gift of Christmas.
God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas Reviews
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This is not your average Christmas devotional. This book does not bounce through the events leading up to and following the birth of Jesus like I expected from a book subtitled "Reflections on advent and Christmas".
For one, the writing is heavy, deep, originally written in the 1940's in German by someone who stood up against Hitler's control of Germany at the time. Some of the insights in this book come from the writer's experience in prison, where he was hanged at 39 years of age, less than three weeks before Hitler committed suicide.
There are 40 devotionals altogether, 4 weeks preceding Christmas day and 12 days after. Each week has a theme, each day a short excerpt from a sermon, a snippet of a letter (like to his fiance), & related Scripture. I found the layout very easy to use.
The content is remarkable. The first week is about "Waiting", for example. "For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait. It happens not here in a storm but according to the divine laws of sprouting, growing, and becoming."
Other themes are Mystery, Redemption & Incarnation. Altogether these devotionals expand the expectation and celebration of the Advent and Christmas.
Did I agree with everything Bonhoeffer said? No, actually. But even where I disagreed, I was provoked to thought about why and how. His opinions are strong coming from his hard experience, but the small, devotional doses are just right. It's not a book full of ideas to swallow hole, it's a book to enter with your brain turned on (as I say to my kids) to examine what the Bible says, what you believe, and a readiness to celebrate Jesus as never before.
My Rating: 4.5 - Good book for your library, to read & reference over and over. -
This is a phenomenal book. I've read it each Advent—Epiphany for three years now.
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Reflections for Advent and the twelves days of Christmas. Comprised of short reflections for each day of Advent, most were based on sermons and others on letters Bonhoeffer wrote during his years in Nazi concentration camps. Knowing of his eventual execution only days before the end of the war, there were some parts that took my breath away in wonder at the unwavering bravery in the face of such hardship, as well as the uncertainty at one's own mortality. To have so much faith and hope is incomprehensible. Other reflections were a bit repetitive and circular. In the end, this is still a book I will likely return to each year in this season of expectation.
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The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the Last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
The purity of the gospel is within these pages of Advent. The waiting, the silence of the heart where away from distractions, we see and experience our need for Jesus. Emmanuel-God with Us. It was a Mary experience away from the Martha treadmill. You are at the feet of Jesus.
Bonhoeffer I am sure spent his time in prison at the feet of Jesus. Reflecting on his letters he brings the reality of the gospel to life. Bonhoeffer was in prison during the regime of Hitler as he stood his ground for the gospel.
I want to share the quotes that I found inspiring.
However does not know the austere blessedness of waiting-that is, of hopefully doing without-will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment.
Silence before the word, however, will have its effect on the whole day. If we have learned to be silent before the word, we will also learn to be economical with silence and speech throughout the day. There is an impermissible self-satisfied, prideful, offensive silence. This teaches us that what is important is never silence in itself. The silence of the Christian is a listening silence, a humble silence that for the sake of humility can also be broken at any time. It is a silence in connection with the word.
The kingdom belongs to people who aren’t trying to look good or impress anybody, even themselves. They are not plotting how they can call attention to themselves, worrying about how their actions will be interpreted or wondering if they will get gold stars for their behavior.
Human beings are dehumanized by fear….
Possessions delude the human heart into believing that they provide security and a worry-free existence, but in truth they are the very cause of worry. For the heart that is fixed on possessions, they come with a suffocating burden of worry.
I believe that God will give us all the strength we need to help us to resist in all times of distress. But he never gives it in advance, lest we should rely on ourselves and not on him alone. A faith such as this should allay all our fears for the future.
Have you lost your wonderment of the Christian faith, the God we are called to love with our whole heart, soul and mind? There is wonderment here in these pages. Come and taste and see that the Lord is good.
A Special Thank You to Westminster John Knox Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review. -
A meditative book worth rereading prior to Christmas again next year.
Key quotes:
• Jesus stands at the door knocking (Rev. 3:20). In total reality, he comes in the form of the beggar, of the dissolute human child in ragged clothes, asking for help. He confronts you in every person that you meet. As long as there are people, Christ will walk the earth as your neighbor, as the one through whom God calls you, speaks to you, makes demands on you. 98
• Through all the Advents of our life that we celebrate runs the longing for the last Advent, when the word will be: “see, I am making all things new” (Rev. 21:5). The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth. 105
• Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting—that is, of hopefully doing without—will never experience the full blessing of fulfillment. Those who do not know how it feels to struggle anxiously with the deepest questions of life, of their life, and to patiently look forward with anticipation until the truth is revealed, cannot even dream of the splendor of the moment in which clarity is illuminated for them. 121
• For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait. It happens not here in a storm but according to the divine laws of sprouting, growing, and becoming. 127
• God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.2 134
• Note: God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives. Edit
• We have become so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God’s coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us. We are indifferent to the message, taking only the pleasant and agreeable out of it and forgetting the serious aspect, that the God of the world draws near to the people of our little earth and lays claim to us.4 182
• We are silent in the early hours of each day, because God is supposed to have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep, because to God also belongs the last word. 225
• The silence of the Christian is a listening silence, a humble silence that for the sake of humility can also be broken at any time. It is a silence in connection with the word…. In being quiet there is a miraculous power of clarification, of purification, of bringing together what is important. 230
• For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Psalm 62:5–8 241
• “My times are in your hand” (Ps. 31:15). Serve your times, God’s present in your life. God has sanctified your time. Every time, rightly understood, is immediate to God, and God wants us to be fully what we are…. Only those who stand with both feet on the earth, who are and remain totally children of earth, who undertake no hopeless attempts at flight to unreachable heights, who are content with what they have and hold on to it thankfully—only they have the full power of the humanity that serves the opportune time and thus eternity…. The Lord of the ages is God. The turning point of the ages is Christ. The right spirit of the ages is the Holy Spirit. 254
• God travels wonderful ways with human beings, but he does not comply with the views and opinions of people. 326
• Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death.2 479
• Advent creates people, new people. We too are supposed to become new people in Advent. Look up, you whose gaze is fixed on this earth, who are spellbound by the little events and changes on the face of the earth. Look up to these words, you who have turned away from heaven disappointed. Look up, you whose eyes are heavy with tears and who are heavy and who are crying over the fact that the earth has gracelessly torn us away. Look up, you who, burdened with guilt, cannot lift your eyes. Look up, your redemption is drawing near. something different from what you see daily will happen. Just be aware, be watchful, wait just another short moment. Wait and something quite new will break over you: God will come. 515
• Close to you I waken in the dead of night, And start with fear — are you lost to me once more? Is it always vainly that I seek you, you, my past? I stretch my hands out, and I pray— and a new thing now I hear; “The past will come to you once more, and be your life’s enduring part, through thanks and repentance. Feel in the past God’s deliverance and goodness, Pray him to keep you today and tomorrow.”5 Poem written in Tegel prison, 1944 547
• Repentance means turning away from one’s own work to the mercy of God. The whole Bible calls to us and cheers us: Turn back, turn back! Return—where to? To the everlasting grace of God, who does not leave us…. God will be merciful—so come, judgment day! Lord Jesus, make us ready. We rejoice. Amen.7 Bonhoeffer’s sermon for Repentance Sunday, November 19, 1933 594
• We all come with different personal feelings to the Christmas festival. One comes with pure joy as he looks forward to this day of rejoicing, of friendships renewed, and of love…. Others look for a moment of peace under the Christmas tree, peace from the pressures of daily work…. Others again approach Christmas with great apprehension. It will be no festival of joy to them. Personal sorrow is painful especially on this day for those whose loneliness is deepened at Christmastime…. And despite it all, Christmas comes. Whether we wish it or not, whether we are sure or not, we must hear the words once again: Christ the Savior is here! The world that Christ comes to save is our fallen and lost world. None other.3 Sermon to a German-speaking church in Havana, Cuba, December 21, 1930 661
• Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6) is the name of this child. The child in the manger is none other than God himself. Nothing greater can be said: God became a child. In the Jesus child of Mary lives the almighty God. 696
• Kneel down before this miserable manger, before this child of poor people, and repeat in faith the stammering words of the prophet: “Mighty God!” And he will be your God and your might. 701
• Out of the waiting, hoping, longing world, a world will come in which the promise is given. All crying will be stilled. No tears shall flow. No lonely sorrow shall afflict us anymore, or threaten.5 Sermon to a German-speaking church in Havana, Cuba, December 21, 1930 705
• Wonderful Counselor” (Isa. 9:6) is the name of this child. In him the wonder of all wonders has taken place; the birth of the Savior-child has gone forth from God’s eternal counsel. In the form of a human child, God gave us his Son; God became human, the Word became flesh (John 1:14). That is the wonder of the love of God for us, and it is the unfathomably wise Counselor who wins us this love and saves us. 713
• I’m in the dark depths of night, and my thoughts are roaming far afield. Now that all the merry-making and rejoicing and candlelight are over and the noise and commotion of the day have been replaced by silence, inside and out, other voices can be heard…. The chill night wind and the mysterious darkness can open hearts and release forces that are unfathomable, but good and consoling…. Can you think of a better time than night-time? That’s why Christ, too, chose to come to us—with his angels—at night.1 Maria von Wedemeyer to Bonhoeffer, December 25, 1943 795
• Everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6)—how can this be the name of the child? Only because in this child the everlasting fatherly love of God is revealed, and the child wants nothing other than to bring to earth the love of the Father. So the Son is one with the Father, and whoever sees the Son sees the Father. This child wants nothing for himself. He is no prodigy in the human sense, but an obedient child of his heavenly Father. Born in time, he brings eternity with him to earth; as Son of God he brings to us all the love of the Father in heaven. Go, seek, and find in the manger the heavenly Father who here has also become your dear Father. 871
• “Prince of Peace”—where God comes in love to human beings and unites with them, there peace is made between God and humankind and among people. Are you afraid of God’s wrath? Then go to the child in the manger and receive there the peace of God. Have you fallen into strife and hatred with your sister or brother? Come and see how God, out of pure love, has become our brother and wants to reconcile us with each other. In the world, power reigns. This child is the Prince of Peace. Where he is, peace reigns. 876
• Possessions delude the human heart into believing that they provide security and a worry-free existence, but in truth they are the very cause of worry. For the heart that is fixed on possessions, they come with a suffocating burden of worry. Worries lead to treasure, and treasure leads back to worry. We want to secure our lives through possessions; through worry we want to become worry free, but the truth turns out to be the opposite. The shackles that bind us to possessions, that hold us fast to possessions, are themselves worries. The misuse of possessions consists in our using them for security for the next day. Worry is always directed toward tomorrow. In the strictest sense, however, possessions are intended only for today. It is precisely the securing of tomorrow that makes me so insecure today. “Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matt. 6:34b). Only those who place tomorrow in God’s hands and receive what they need to live today are truly secure. Receiving daily liberates us from tomorrow. Thought for tomorrow delivers us up to endless worry. 964
• Why is it that my thoughts wander so quickly from God’s word, and that in my hour of need the needed word is often not there? Do I forget to eat and drink and sleep? Then why do I forget God’s word? Because I still can’t say what the psalmist says: “I will delight in your statutes” (Ps. 119:16). I don’t forget the things in which I take delight. Forgetting or not forgetting is a matter not of the mind but of the whole person, of the heart. I never forget what body and soul depend upon. The more I begin to love the commandments of God in creation and word, the more present they will be for me in every hour. Only love protects against forgetting. Because God’s word has spoken to 986
• All things have their time, and the main thing is to stay in step with God and not always be hurrying a few steps ahead or falling behind. 1016
• Every new morning is a new beginning of our life. Every day is a completed whole. The present day should be the boundary of our care and striving (Matt. 6:34; Jas. 4:14). It is long enough for us to find God or lose God, to keep the faith or fall into sin and shame. God created day and night so that we might not wander boundlessly, but already in the morning may see the goal of the evening before us. As the old sun rises new every day, so the eternal mercies of God are new every morning (Lam. 3:22—23). To grasp the old faithfulness of God anew every morning, to be able—in the middle of life—to begin a new life with God daily, that is the gift that God gives with every new morning…. Not fear of the day, not the burden of work that I have to do, but rather, the Lord wakens me. So says the servant of God: “Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught” (Isa. 50:4c). God wants to open the heart before it opens itself to the world; before the ear hears the innumerable voices of the day, the early hours are the time to hear the voice of the Creator and Redeemer. God made the stillness of the early morning for himself. It ought to belong to God. 1047
• The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens — wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught. Isaiah 50:4 -
I had to go ahead and give this five stars because ever page felt like a feast. I put a hold on this from a distant library since it wasn't in our library system back in late September and it just barely came through so I did not have it for my Advent experience, but it really doesn't matter, it is a treasure. I did get a copy on my Kindle so that I can use it for next year's Advent. There is no way for me record all that I loved from this one, but here is a taste.
"In the midst of the deepest guilt and distress of the people, a voice speaks that is soft and mysterious but full of the blessed certainty of salvation through the birth of a divine child (Isa. 9:6-7). It is still seven hundred years until the time of fulfillment, but the prophet is so deeply immersed in God's thought and counsel that he speaks of the future as if he saw it already, and he speaks of the salvific hour as if he already stood before the manger of Jesus."
"We are silent in the early hours of each day, because God is supposed to have the first word, and we are silent before going to sleep, because to God also belongs the last word. We are silent sole for the sake of the word, not in order to show dishonor to the word but in order to honor and receive it properly. Silence ultimately means nothing but waiting for God's word and coming away blessed by God's word."
“The lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us to the extent that we honor the mystery. . Therefore, children have open, wide-awake eyes, because they know they are surrounded by the mystery. They are not yet finished with this world; they still don’t know how to struggle along and avoid the mystery, as we do. We destroy the mystery because we sense that here we reach the boundary of our being, because we want to be lord over everything and have it at our disposal, and that’s just what we cannot do with the mystery…Living without mystery means knowing nothing of the mystery of our own life, nothing of the mystery of another person, nothing of the mystery of the world; it means passing over our own hidden qualities and those of others and the world. It means remaining on the surface, taking the world seriously only to the extent that it can be calculated and exploited, and not going beyond the world of calculation and exploitation. Living without mystery means not seeing the crucial processes of life at all and even denying them.”
"That...is the unrecognized mystery of this world: Jesus Christ. That this Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter, was himself the Lord of glory: that was the mystery of God. It was a mystery because God became poor, low, lowly, and weak out of love for humankind, because God became a human being like us, so that we would become divine, and because he came to us so that we would come to him. God as the one who becomes low for our sakes, God in Jesus of Nazareth - that is the secret, hidden wisdom...that 'no eye has seen nor ear heard nor the human heart conceived' (1 Cor. 2:9)...That is the depth of the Deity, whom we worship as mystery and comprehend as mystery."
"Only when we have felt the terror of the matter, can we recognize the incomparable kindness. God comes into the very midst of evil and death, and judges the evil in us and in the world. And by judging us, God cleanses and sanctifies us, comes to us with grace and love...God wants to always be with us, wherever we may be - in our sins, suffering, and death. We are no longer alone: God is with us."
"The infinite mercy of the almighty God comes to us, descends to us in the form of a child, his Son. That this child is born for us, this son is given to us, that this human child and Son of God belongs to me, that I know him, have him, love him, that I am his and he is mine - on this alone my life now depends. A child has our life in his hands..."
"I'm in the dark depths of night, and my thoughts are roaming far afield. Now that all the merry-making and rejoicing and candlelight are over and the noise and commotion of the day have been replaced by silence, inside and out, other voices can be heard...The chill night wind and the mysterious darkness can open hearts and release forces that are unfathomable, but good and consoling...Can you think of a better time than night-time? That's why Christ, too, chose to come to us - with his angels - at night." -Maria von Wedemeyer to Bonhoeffer December 25, 1943.
"I believe that God can and will bring good out of evil, even out of the greatest evil. For that purpose he needs men who make the best use of everything. I believe that God will give us all the strength we need to help us resist in all times of distress. But he never gives it in advance, lest we should rely on ourselves on not on him alone. A faith such as this should allay all our fears for the future. I believe that even our mistakes and shortcomings are turned to good account, and that it is no harder for God to deal with them than with our supposedly good deeds. I believe that God is no timeless fact, but that he waits for and answers sincere prayers and responsible actions."
"I have had the experience over and over again that the quieter it is around , the clearer I do feel the connection to you. It is as though in solitude the soul develops senses which we hardly know in everyday life. Therefore I have not felt lonely or abandoned for one moment. You, the parents, all of you, the friends and students of mine at the front, all are constantly present to me...Therefore you must not think me unhappy. What is happiness and unhappiness? It depends so little on the circumstances; it depends really only on that which happens inside a person." (Bonhoeffer's final Christmastime letter to finance Maria von Wedemeyer, December 19, 1944.) -
This was offered as a free audiobook through Christian Audio. While there was nothing wrong with the quality of the book or the production of the audio, it did not translate well to a listening experience. I needed the words in front of me to let them sink in. I got the sense that there was something very, very rich here, but I was missing it. I'd like to try this one again next year, but reading it instead of just listening.
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Dated, but it’s still Bonhoeffer
I read this as part of my Advent devotions alongside Brian Zahnd’s book of similar purpose. This is a little bit of a random collection of Bonhoeffer ideas. They are of course worth it, but the whole book feels a little hastily thrown together. It’s definitely dated in the language (unsurprisingly) but is worth it for a few of the great Bonhoeffer ideas it contains. It breaks down Advent into different categories than the traditional ones (Waiting, Mystery, Redemption, and Incarnation), but still holds ideas that others could use in more traditional Advent contexts. Bonhoeffer’s life situation definitely allows for perspectives on Advent that are often missed in the comfort of modern living. The devotions continue through into Christmastide and Epiphany too. -
These are very useful and edifying edited Advent and Christmas devotionals that force the reader to deal with the reality of the incarnation and the tension of the right now and not yet aspects of the Christian life. They do make a great compliment to the Advent and Christmas season. If read in sequence, there are daily devotions that last the reader from December 1 - January 6.
The material in this book is taken partly from the book of collated, Bonhoeffer writings, called, "I Want to Live These Days With You: A Year of Daily Devotions." Also, each reading includes in most cases a section from a letter or sermon from Bonhoeffer, written or given during the Christmas season.
The great value of this little 100+ page book is that the author, who never had the opportunity to compile his writing in this format, during his short life, is that they are written in context of someone who was taken from his family and fiancee, and faced with the coming execution by an anti Christ regime, in NAZI Germany. Many of these writing are written in the context of his life struggling against or suffering under NAZI oppression. So Bonhoeffer, from the outset makes no illusions of a sentimental Christmas holiday, though he surely pined for the reassurance and comfort of family. He was comforted by the Christ who came and is coming again.
There are at times hints of Neo - orthodoxy, which is not unexpected. Bonhoeffer's writing remains clear, and direct, even if much of the time, it is complex and deep.
The book is divided into five sections: Waiting, Mystery, Redemption, Incarnation, and the Twelve Days of Christmas to Epiphany.
So while these are writings of a young theologian, wrestling greatly with what Christ called him to, during some of the most difficult of times, the tone of the writings is never not pastoral, and kind. Bonhoeffer does speak to the internal callings and struggles that are common to all Christians, and his call is to point others constantly to the reality and hope that the incarnation represents. -
This book is mostly a thematic collection of selections from Bonhoeffer's sermons. Each week of advent and Christmas has a theme, and the daily selections reflect that theme. Each sermon selection is followed by an excerpt from another sermon, essay, book, or letter by Bonhoeffer (a few are from other Christian writers), and each day ends with a related scripture.
I enjoyed the reflective nature of these daily devotions as I moved through the advent season toward Christmas. -
I’m not generally a devotional reader because I find them sappy. But this wasn’t written by Bonhoeffer as a Christmas Devotional. It is simply a collection of Bonhoeffer’s reflections on Christmas from his letters and sermons; reflections formed in the midst of suffering. It helped me to see beyond my comfortable American Christmas perspective. I will probably add this to my list of Advent must-reads.
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Two pages per day of Advent - 1 passage summing up the theme of the day, 1 writing, mostly from Bonhoeffer, and 1 scripture passage. It was nice to have a short reading for each day to consider the overall themes of the season. I often found the introductory passage to be too ethereal and metaphorical and had trouble connecting with it, which is why I deducted a star.
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This is a challenging devotional. Take the time to let the words sink in. You will find gratitude for your own situation in these readings regardless of what it might be. Bonhoeffer is a truly remarkable man. I wish that there were more like him in this world.
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Lovely, but I wish I had given this more time and reflection. I'll most likely return to this again next advent.
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Daily readings for the 4 weeks of Advent compiled from the writings of Bonhoeffer.
The writing is deep and requires re-reading. I felt close to the true spirit of Christmas as each day I took time to reflect on the words.
I read this as part of a challenge to read 12 books between 1st November and 6th January that helped me to bring the true spirit of Christmas into my life. One of the things I gained by this was an understanding of how much this centred me daily on my life in Christ. Because of it, I have decided to read similar books throughout the year ahead. I read the Scriptures but hearing the words of another Christian was a very positive experience that I want to continue. The Christmas presents are all opened, the debris cleared away, but in my heart and home, the spirit of Christmas remains, and I hope will continue with me through the year ahead.
I conclude this review with an excerpt from a poem:
The Gate of the Year or God Knows by Minnie Haskins.
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way. -
This past holiday season I read this daily advent devotional by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and pastor who was arrested by the Third Reich for his resistance, imprisoned for two years, and executed three weeks before Hitler's suicide. Each day's devotional is a combination of his writings, his letters (many written while in prison to his fiancé and family), and scripture; and the devotionals are organized into weekly themes -- Waiting, Mystery, Redemption, Incarnation -- and conclude with The Twelve Days of Christmas and Epiphany. I love how it begins the advent season with waiting, and equating "waiting" with "art", something to be enjoyed, mastered, and marveled at. And then it invites us to remember... and to gaze and wonder at the great and unfathomable Mystery until we grasp deeper and deeper, one day at a time, the cosmic and personal significance of Jesus becoming human. I think this was the first time that I truly enjoyed -- and was filled with pure joy during -- the Christmas season. Christ was born to set me free, all because He loves me.
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Bonhoeffer's God in a Manger is as hopeful as is the season of Advent. It is almost as important to know of the author's background when reading these reflections as they present a certain context that despite being actively persecuted in Nazi Germany, the author still had the capacity for hope. The book contains sermons and correspondence from the 1920s to just before his death in 1945. It acts as a wonderful primer to the author’s prolific writings.
Bonhoeffer would be put to death by the Nazis at age of 39. Yet, during one of his last Advents he had the faith and grace to assemble these reflections which almost detail the hope he had that he would be delivered from his present horrible situation. -
Highly recommended
I thoroughly enjoyed this thought provoking devotional. I will definitely be keeping this in my regular rotation during advent season. Snippets from Bonhoeffer's letters and sermons add some much needed perspective on what the season truly is about. And each reading ends with a passage of scripture. It's not your usual "fluff piece" Christmas devotional, so I was thankful to have found one with depth and great reminders of what true Christianity is like.
I plan on gifting it to a few friends next year. Highly recommend it! -
Great collection of advent and epiphany sermons that illustrate God's love for people and the redemptive story of Christ. Each chapter includes a small snippet from one of his sermons, usually an excerpt from a personal letter, and finally a relevant chunk of scripture. Overall, the book is inspiring, uplifting, and challenging. If you're searching for a devotional companion to Advent, look no further.
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Great Theological Thoughts for Advent
I am leaning into Bonhoeffer and his teachings, and I happened to find this book shortly before Christmas. I read it faster than the pace it was intended to have, but the content really helped me consider some of the deeper concepts of Christmas, the Incarnation, and the grace of God. Very helpful to those looking to grow deeper in their spiritual walk, and closer to God. -
The Truth Of Christmas
This gem of meditation marries biblical revelation of the living, loving God to Dietrich Bonhoefer's personal experience of God's love in a Nazi prison. His assurances to his family and his fiancee that nothing can separate one from the love of God resonated with me. -
Seeing advent through the eyes of a prisoner and prolific theologian was very interesting. I listened to the book (that I picked up for free from Christian Audio) every morning of advent and thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Another profitable year of Advent readings with this little gem.
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Day 1 was amazing. I've never thought of waiting fort the 2nd coming as Advent before, but now I don't think I'll be able to not think of every day as Advent.
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Challenging devotionals based upon the incarnation of Christ.
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Not Bonhoeffer's best but I think it is mostly the work of someone else using his quotes to put his name on it.
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I started this one last year but lost track of it, so I picked it up this year. It's a great series of reflections on Advent from one of the great Christian thinkers of the 20th century.
