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Welcome back to another episode of 5

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Minutes in Church History. On this episode, we're

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talking about a sermon preached by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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on January 15, 1933, in Trinity Church in

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Berlin. This

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church was built in 1739. It

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has a fascinating history. In

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1806, after Napoleon

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conquered Berlin, the church was used as

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a barracks for Napoleon's

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troops. As we move

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into the 20th century, in 1932 and

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1933, it was the pulpit from which Bonhoeffer regularly

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preached. And

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this date in German

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history was very important, January

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15, 1933. In

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fact, on January 30, 1933, just two weeks after this

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sermon, Hitler would take over the

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German government and the Nazi Party

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would be in power in Germany. It

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was a time, as we could all

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imagine, of fear, of anxiety.

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And so Bonhoeffer preaches

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this sermon, Overcoming

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Fear. He uses as his

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text Matthew 8, verses 23 to 27, the moment where

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the disciples are in

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the boat and that great storm

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suddenly comes upon the Sea of Galilee.

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And the disciples, some

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of them very seasoned fishermen

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were overcome by fear.

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And they turned to Christ for

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his help, whose Christ is

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sleeping in the boat, as we all know from

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this very familiar story. And

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they cry out, we are perishing,

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we are dying. Lord save

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us. And of course, Christ

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turns to his disciples and

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he rebukes them. Why

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are you afraid, you of? little

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face. He simply speaks to

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the wind, speaks to the sea, and

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all is calm. Well, it's

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a dramatic text and it

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was also a dramatic moment.

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And as Bonhoeffer reflects on

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that text, he speaks of

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fear as being crippling, how

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it takes away our

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strength, how it breaks us down,

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how it leaves us

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without hope. He says

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at one point, fear is in

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the boat, referencing the text

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there in Matthew, all arms are

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frozen and they drop their oars,

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all hope is lost, fear

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is in the boat. Bonhoeffer

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is going to go on to say that

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fear can be found among us in various

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forms. It leaves some people

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dull, he says, they brood

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gloomily and they doggedly go

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through life. Others, he

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says, are noisy about their fear

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and they cry out about it

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and complain. He says still others,

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they think they can drive out fear with

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fine words and bold fantasies.

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And he goes on to say, if

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they shout these words loudly enough,

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it may seem to take care of things

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for a while. But then

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Bonhoeffer comes back, fear is

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in the boat. And then he

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says, fear is in Germany.

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And he says, fear is in our own lives.

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And he says, fear is in

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the nave of this church. Fear,

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he says, is

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breathing down our necks. But

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while fear is in the boat, Bonhoeffer

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is very quick to point

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out that Christ is

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in the boat. And of

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course, as great as fear

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is, Christ is so far

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greater than fear. But

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he looks at that question posed to

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the disciples by Christ of you

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of little faith. And

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Bonhoeffer uses it to remind

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his congregation that they must

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believe in an Almighty God.

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To believe that, for God, he says,

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our greatest cares are like the worries

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of small children in their

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parents' eyes. To believe that

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God can turn things around and

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dispose of them in no time

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of all. You

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of little faith, he says. Why are

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you so fearful? In the

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midst of the storm, Christ

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is in the ship. And

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then Bonhoeffer says, away with you

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fear. Instead, he

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says, let us see you, Lord

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Jesus, strong helper

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and savior. Well,

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that was Dietrich Bonhoeffer and

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very fearful times in Berlin

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in 1933. And

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I'm Steve Nichols, and thanks for listening to 5

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Minutes in Church History.