Joy in the Morning
Not being a morning person, I was challenged by this writing of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. See if you too aren't stirred.
joy that our forebears and the early Christians felt every morning at the return of the light? If we were
to learn again something of the praise and adoration that is due the triune God early in the morning,
then we would also begin to sense something of the joy that comes when night is past and those who
dwell with one another come together early in the morning to praise their God and hear the Word and
pray together. We would learn again of God the Father and Creator who has preserved our life through
the dark night and awakened us to a new day; God the Son and Savior of the World, who vanquished
death and hell for us, and dwells in our midst as Victor; God the Holy Spirit who pours the bright light
of God's Word into our hearts early in the morning, driving away all darkness and sin and teaching us
to pray the right way. Morning does not belong to the individual; it belongs to all the church of the
triune God, to the community of Christians living together....
Joy in the Morning
What do we, who today no longer have any fear or awe of the darkness or night, know about the greatjoy that our forebears and the early Christians felt every morning at the return of the light? If we were
to learn again something of the praise and adoration that is due the triune God early in the morning,
then we would also begin to sense something of the joy that comes when night is past and those who
dwell with one another come together early in the morning to praise their God and hear the Word and
pray together. We would learn again of God the Father and Creator who has preserved our life through
the dark night and awakened us to a new day; God the Son and Savior of the World, who vanquished
death and hell for us, and dwells in our midst as Victor; God the Holy Spirit who pours the bright light
of God's Word into our hearts early in the morning, driving away all darkness and sin and teaching us
to pray the right way. Morning does not belong to the individual; it belongs to all the church of the
triune God, to the community of Christians living together....
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer -
from Life Together 49
from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005
from Life Together 49
from A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer Carla Barnhill, Ed., HarperSan Francisco, 2005
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