Dietrich Bonhoeffer

He who loves his dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial… the man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters [...]

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Eugene Peterson

One of the immediate changes that the gospel makes is grammatical: we instead of I; our instead of my; us instead of me. (Eugene Peterson, Reversed Thunder)

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Mark Buchanan

American religion is a mass of contradictions. We want community, but on strictly individual terms. We want human closeness without feeling cramped or obligated. We want a personal God who doesn’t ask much personally. We want mystery, but in a controlled, non-disruptive way. We want a faith that’s fulfilling, practical, earthy, tolerant, transcendent, fun, empowering, [...]

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Bernard Levin

Countries like ours are full of people who have all the material comforts they desire, together with such non-material blessings as a happy family, and yet lead lives of quiet, and at times noisy, desperation, understanding nothing but the fact that there is a hole inside them and that however much food and drink they [...]

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Gilbert Bilezikian

Community is to be found at the intersection of the two segments of the cross, where those who are reconciled with God are reconciled together–where we love God with all we have and we love our neighbor as ourselves. It is where we learn to care and share, to challenge and support, to confide and [...]

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C.J. Mahaney

Community Groups are designed for the application of God’s truth in personal, practical ways…Those who merely listen to the word Sunday after Sunday without applying it to their lives will experience, not progressive sanctification, but progressive self deception. (C.J. Mahaney, Why Small Groups?)

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J.I. Packer

We should not…think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotion. We should recognize rather that fellowship is a spiritual necessity; for God has made us in such a way that fellowship with Himself is fed by our fellowship with fellow Christians, and requires [...]

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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 [...]

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Dr. Seuss

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more.” (Dr. Seuss, the Grinch)

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Robert Lynd

Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the  few occasions on which men become entirely alive. (Robert Lynd, American sociologist)

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