C H R I S T I AN CONVERSATIONS
LOCAL CHURCH NEWS
BLESSING BAGS: SHARING GOD’S LOVE WITH NEW MOMS
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: pastor, theologian and witness for Christ BY REV. ROBIN R. LYONS
two copies of the book in my library, both signed by Eberhard Bethge. Back in the day, I had the privilege of meeting with Bethge and his wife, Renate (Bonhoeffer’s niece) on various occasions. (I reveled at being “one degree away” from Bonhoeffer). In those letters, Bonhoeffer expanded his thoughts about friendship, theology, discipleship and specifically, what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to be “the Body of Christ” in Nazi-controlled Germany. During this harrowing period, (1925-1945), roughly 80 percent of the existing, German church became the German Christian Reich Church, so called because of their acceptance of and alignment with Hitler and the Nazi Reich. Bonhoeffer, along with Pastor Martin Niemoller and the other, 20 percent brave souls, were instrumental in forming The Confessing Church, so named after the acceptance of the Barmen Declaration in 1934. Bonhoeffer became the reluctant spokesman for the Confessing Church, speaking out in opposition against the Fuhrer Principle and the brutality directed toward the Jewish community, as well of other groups/individuals who criticized the Nazi movement. He represented the
faith that can affirm ‘ before God and with God we learn to live without God’; and because of the wholesale apostasy of the German Church ‘selling its soul’ to the Nazi Third Reich, ‘all Christian thinking, talking and organizing must be born anew, out of prayer and righteous action (literally, doing the just among humans).” As a long-time member, I attended the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature/ /After Action Review and the International Bonhoeffer Society back in November in San Diego (see: https://www.sbl-site.org/ meetings/annualmeeting.aspx ). Coincidentally, the film, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin was just being released by Angel Productions and was playing nearby. I went to see it and it told the basic story of Bonhoeffer’s short life. You really can’t do justice to delve into the situation which Bonhoeffer experienced by trying to balance the tension between being a pastor and peacemaker and being part of a plot to remove Hitler from power, thereby saving Germany and the Church. Bonhoeffer was not an assassin and was not a seasoned “spy”. He used his credentials to help Jews escape with their lives to Switzerland, and to inform various, Allied sources about plans in Germany to stop Hitler. He remained true to his calling to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, even to the gallows at Flossenberg. According to fellow prisoner, RAF pilot Payne Best, Bonhoeffer was leading an impromptu worship service on the morning of April 9, when two Gestapo agents barged into the room and seized Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer’s last words were, “this is the end; for me, the beginning.” Of all the theologians I have read in my decades of study, none have influenced me, inspired me and challenged me more than Dietrich Bonhoeffer. In order to fully and authentically discover Jesus as the Incarnate Lord of Life, one must learn to see the sacred in the secular, the extraordinary in the ordinary of life, the Christ in the common and the Holy in the human. Bonhoeffer elegantly expressed in his letter to Bethge after the failure of the July 20, 1944, bomb attempt on Hitler’s life, thus starting the chain reaction of events that would eventually claim his life, these words that for me I take as gospel: “Later I discovered, and am still discovering to this day, that one only learns to have faith by living in the full, this-worldliness of life.” Thank God for the life and witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (The Rev. Robin R. Lyons is a retired IGRC clergy member currently serving at Maryville St. Luke’s UMC in the Central District)
This year marks the 80 th Anniversary of the end of World War II. VE Day (Victory in Europe) observance is May 8, while VJ Day (Victory in Japan) observance is Sept. 2. Historians unilaterally agree that (estimated) World War II resulted in a death
there! We know that moms need care too, so we’ve included bath salts, bubble bath, soothing lotion, fuzzy socks, and a gift card to a local establishment, just a little way to say, You are loved, and you are not alone. Both the Watseka and Weedman UMC’s have lent their assistance in making burp cloths and receiving blankets. This ministry was established because Farmer City lacks many local stores or resources for new moms, and we wanted to fill that gap in a meaningful way. Beyond this first bag of gifts, we hope to build relationships. We plan to follow up at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, offering additional small gifts like teethers, books, and other goodies, reminders that these moms are supported through their journey of motherhood.
BY EMILY LITTLE Farmer City UMC
FARMER CITY – Farmer City UMC believes in caring for its community in tangible ways. One of the greatest joys in life is welcoming a new baby into the world, but we also know that for many new and expecting mothers in our area, resources can be limited. That’s why we launched the Blessing Bag Ministry, a simple yet powerful way to support moms and their babies -- no strings attached. Each Blessing Bag is filled with essential care items for both baby and mom. Inside, new moms will find diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, a cozy sleeper, burp cloths, and a soft receiving blanket, helping them get started with the basics. But we didn’t stop
count between 70-85 million people, or roughly 3 percent of Earth’s population at the time. That figure does not take into account all casualties, the missing in action and the like. Here we are 80 years later, and the reality facing the world is this: in a short while, there will be no remaining members around of “the Greatest Generation” or of those survivors of “Shoah: The Holocaust” with us. The philosopher George Satayana warned all who would listen with these prophetic words, “Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Europe is particularly more aware of this truth than Americans, simply because Europe was Ground Zero for two, catastrophic world wars. Americans have not had a major, domestic war disaster since Lee surrendered to Grant and Union forces at Appomattox Courthouse in April 1865.
Sending relief after Midwest tornadoes
Confessing Church in the ecumenical scene in Europe, making friends and contacts in what became known as allied or neutral countries. He was selected to be the headmaster of the Confessing Church’s seminary in Finkinwalde, until it was shut down in 1937 by the Gestapo. In prison, Bonhoeffer laid out his assessment of the Church of Jesus Christ and Its mission, theology and identity not only for his turbulent present, but also for what the Church must do after
The anniversary that is of particular interest to me will be the one on April 9. On that day, 80 years ago -- April 9,1945 -- Nazi militants of the Gestapo executed a group of prisoners known as the “Canaris Group” at Flossenberg Concentration Camp. Among the murdered was theologian, author and pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He was 39 years old. With the sound of Allied artillery in the distance, Bonhoeffer was among a group of resisters, who, having actively opposed Hitler, the Nazis and their implementation of “The Final Solution to The Jewish Question”, were hanged by a direct order
PAWNEE – A line of severe weather pushed through the Midwest March 14, bringing tornadoes, straight-line winds, and heavy rain, affecting millions of people. You or your loved ones, might have even been hunkered down, awaiting the storm. It’s a terrible feeling, preparing for the worst, and sometimes, the worst happens. Over 50 tornadoes were confirmed across the Midwestern United States. In Missouri multiple EF-3 tornadoes struck small towns, destroying everything in its path. Communities woke up to unrecognizable towns, with hundreds of homes and businesses affected. But, when disaster strikes, Midwest Mission is ready to respond! Its partner, Convoy of Hope in Springfield, Mo., was on the ground the day after the tornadoes, assessing the needs, and handing out food, water, and relief supplies. Convoy of Hope called Brad Walton, Midwest Mission’s Director of Operations, over the weekend, to find out what supplies we had available to send. Because of your generosity after Hurricane Helene, Midwest Mission had almost completely replenished itsr disaster relief kits and supplies. Brad was able to tell Convoy that Midwest Mission had more than enough to help. They requested: • 936 Cleaning Kits to help families whose homes were damaged begin cleaning up the debris • 130 Menstrual Hygiene kits and 1,020 Hygiene Kits to help those who lost everything, have been displaced from their homes, or don’t have the ability to purchase items in stores. • Games and puzzles to bring joy to children, even in the midst of some of their most difficult moments. The supplies were picked up on Monday, March 24, and delivered to Convoy of Hope’s World Distribution Center in Springfield, Mo. From there, the supplies will be sent out to the affected communities, such as Poplar Bluff, Mo., West Plains, Mo., and Cave City, Ark. The value of the shipment is $94,668. You can be a part of bringing hope to people in crisis, by helping us have the supplies needed to quickly respond to disasters. Donate at https://www.midwestmission.org/ donate, or send a check to 1001 Mission Dr, Pawnee, IL 62558. Your monetary donations will help Midwest Mission replenish supplies that it will send, so that Midwest Mission is ready for the next ask, and the next disaster.
that way in the next couple of weeks with donations. Keep spreading the word! Riverside UMC, Park Rapids, Minn. – Spike Wellman is working to create a “bike push” later this year. As part of Midwest Mission’s Micro Business core area, bicycles are needed around the world not only as transportation to work, but as a potential business. Nebraska City FUMC, Nebraska City, Neb. – Howard Orndorff will be working with a team in May to tear down bleachers from a local school. The wood will be recycled and used to make school desks at Midwest Mission’s main facility. This is a hard job. Thank you for helping to plan this event. Glenview UMC, Glenview, Ill. and New Lenox UMC, New Lenox, Ill. – Ethel Doyle has collected seven sewing machines at the Glenview location and is expecting more to come in. They also have a collection of Student kits waiting to make their way to Midwest Mission’s warehouse. Every volunteer and every donor has a part in helping those in need. Peoria Forrest Hill UMC – Deb Nuske shared that a local Mennonite School has asked her church to teach their students how to weave sleeping mats on the loom and how to make the one-handled school bags. The school needs ongoing projects for their students and Midwest Mission needs volunteers. Win-win! Trinity UMC, Elk Mound, Wis. – Joel Certa-Werner is leading his congregation and their four looms to challenge other local churches. He is working to set up a sleeping mat competition with a prize for the winner. Thank you for sharing Midwest Mission’s vision with your community. Become a Permanent Collection Site Midwest Mission needs more Permanent Collection Sites! If your congregation is interested in becoming a new Permanent Collection Site, please contact teresa@ midwestmission.org for more information. All you need is free space, and a willingness to be a part of the mission!
BONHOEFFER
the War to restore its identity, relevancy and mission. I became a student of Bonhoeffer’s developing theology. His thoughts were original, visionary and mind-blowing. Here, I read new ideas about faith and thought: “Being the Church come of Age and called to be the Church for others (as Christ was the Man for others); Christ in us, at the very center of our lives (Life) and not out on the peripheries of our priorities; Religion-less or worldly Christianity where one lives out one’s witness while discovering God’s Presence in the midst of the secular world and redefining ‘traditional Christian thought’; His understanding of a theology and a
from Adolf Hitler. On April 23, U.S. Forces would liberate Flossenberg death camp, and one week later, the Red Army would be in Berlin. On April 30, Adolf Hitler would commit suicide in his bunker, marking the end of the nightmarish evil known as the Third Reich. In his poem, The Waste Land , Nobel laureate T.S. Eliot began with these words, “April is the cruelest month...”, and that accurately, described Nazi Germany in April 1945. Though the War was winding down, die-hards in the Nazi Reich war machine became even more ruthless in their capacity for indiscriminate torture and killing of any remaining Jews, POWs, and even Germans who wanted to surrender to the Allies. In those final days of April,1945, Nazi leadership implemented a “scorched earth” policy of destruction as a last act of desperation. In all of my years growing up in United Methodist churches in Salem and Centralia (with a brief stint in Bowling Green, Ky.), I never once heard the name of Dietrich Bonhoeffer mentioned, either in Sunday School or in the couple of thousand sermons I must have sat through from a great many preachers. I would not hear of or know about Dietrich Bonhoeffer until my freshman year at Western Kentucky University, when by chance, I registered for a general elective” course, Religion 101 (how hard could this be?). It was there, under the influence of Dr. Robert K. Johnston (who was to become my Advisor and Mentor), that a class assignment would –all drama aside— change my life. It was my “great awakening” moment. I was introduced to a German pastor and theologian named Dietrich Bonhoeffer. My first assignment was to read the collection of Bonhoeffer’s letters smuggled out of Tegel Prison (Berlin) from 1943 to early January 1945. Those letters, sent to his friend, confidant and former student Eberhard Bethge (and to family members too), were published after the War with the title, Letters and Papers From Prison . I own
Shipment to Dominican Republic The 10th international shipment of the year went to the Dominican Republic. Midwest Mission partnered with Food For The Poor to send this load of supplies to the Fundación Cruz Jiminián. The shipment included: • 840 Student Kits • 20 Bikes • 16 Wheelchairs • 38 Stacking chairs • 55 Tarps donated by Lamar Advertising • 92 School desks (donated by a school) • Blankets, disposable diapers, exam gloves, dry wipes, bed pads, and games! The value of this shipment is $129,579. Hundreds of hands made this shipment happen. From collecting wheelchairs at home, to assembling Kits at Midwest Mission, to helping load the shipment, each part of the process is vital — YOU are vital to this mission. Thank you for your generosity! Permanent Collection Sites News Midwest Mission has been blessed with volunteers across the Midwest who give of their time, energy, and resources to assist us in carrying out God’s mission to help those in need. Some of these volunteers use the facilities God has blessed them with to provide a donation collection point for needed supplies. These are our Permanent Collection Sites! You can find their contact information at https://www.midwestmission.org/ permanent-collection-sites Asbury UMC, Sioux Falls, S.D. – Lloyd Petersen is excited about bringing a group of volunteers to Midwest’s Jefferson, Iowa, location in June. He will also be heading
4 | APRIL 2025 | THE CURRENT
THE CURRENT | APRIL 2025 | 5
Powered by FlippingBook