Houstonian here...thank you for your service to my community after Hurricane Harvey. I appreciate the Bruderhoff's ministery to the world in general. I, too, am a believer. I do not live in community the way the Bruderhoff does, but my church does live intentionally toward one another and toward our neighbors. I have been very blessed by videos posted by the Bruderhoff and by videoas from Laura from Bruderhoff. The light of Christ shines brightly in you, because you point to HIM rather than to yourselves. Sending love from Houston, TX.
I just LOVE watching these videos from all the Bruderhof! I also love the singing y'all do. Near where I live, the Free Church of Tonga (when they could meet before Covid19), would sing altogether acapela, in more harmony than I could count. I really miss it now. Can you make a video of the songs you sing? They seem so uplifting and joyful!
I really love your community! Not sure how I got on to your videos tonight, but I’ve been watching a lot of them! I just subscribed. At first I thought you were like the Amish, but you’re not at all! That’s me being ignorant to your community, but now I get it! I love your community, and all the workings of it! I think you guys have it correct, I wish we could all live like you do. The world would be a better place.
This is very cool to hear, because those communities that completely shut themselves off can have a cult like feel to them, especially if children are never exposed to the outside world, or even told how evil the outside world is. I don't get that vibe from you guys, which is why I keep on coming back to your channel and watch what you have to say. Also, I have a question - do you have a specific morning routine, that includes your spiritual connected to your religious beliefs (meaning do you personally do prayer time, or bible study). I am working on structuring my spiritual life more, and any insights - even if we don't share the same faith - can be helpful in that, I have found. If you don't mind sharing that is, of course. Many blessings to you and your community!
Claudia H. Blanton, I appreciate hearing your thoughts. Regarding morning routines, Bruderhof families eat breakfast around the table as a way to start the day together. Meals usually start with a song/ hymn and a prayer and often scripture or other meaningful quote will be read. It's also essential that each person's spiritual life is alive and active. I personally like to read from the Bible in the evening and use that time to reflect on the day (I'm not a morning person) - but that's just my approach, and if you asked other Bruderhof members I'm sure each person does it a bit different. Hope that answers your question, but this link may interest you as well: www.bruderhof.com/en/our-faith/foundations/life-in-community/prayer All the best in your search, -Alina
Thanks for the thoughtful video. Your remarks remind me of similar comments made by members of the Bruderhof in the 1930s. I’m currently reading Ian Randall’s A Christian Peace Experiment which looks at the history of your community’s early years in the Cotswolds. Quoting the First Bruderhof Letter, he wrote, “Guests ‘keep us in contact with the movements and problems of our time,’ something that the community believed helped it ‘not become narrow-minded and sectarian.’ The community valued a ‘broad outlook on life’” (p. 45). I know you all at the Bruderhof are familiar with Zinzendorf and the Moravian community he pastored in Herrnhut. Early on, their community developed an innovative, new spiritual practice. Each month the community gathered together for what they called “Congregation Day”. The goal of these gatherings was to look beyond their community in order to discover how God was at work in other places and among other Christians. Sometimes they’d read a letter from Christians in a distant land. Other times a guest speaker from another Christian tradition would share with them. As one historian wrote, “These meetings fostered broadness of mind, and put an end to spiritual pride. Instead of regarding themselves as superior to other Christian groups, the community in Herrnhut now rejoiced to hear of the good done by others.” It’s estimated that this small Christian community in Herrnhut went on to send out more missionaries over the course of twenty years than the whole global church had done during the previous two centuries. What’s often overlooked, though, is that their missionary outreach began as a result of their Congregation Day gatherings. It was at one of those meetings that a former slave from St. Thomas urged the Moravians to send missionaries to the slaves still on the island. Like the Bruderhof, the Moravians in Herrnhut were a thick community, yet because of their openness to learning from others, their missional fruit multiplied immensely. Lengthy reply, but all that to say, keep up the great work!
Outreach is very important, like you said, not just to share your beliefs with others, but to get feedback from others which helps test out your own beliefs. I have been involved in outreach work for about 20 years, and hearing how people from all different persuasions react to our own understanding of the teachings of Jesus has helped tweak what I believe. Reading books from people with similar (but not the same) beliefs has also been helpful.
You seem like lovely people with beautiful spirit. I really appreciate your outreach and sharing. You seem very authentic and genuine. I used to engage in a lot of interfaith discourse when I was younger and I slowed down after getting hurt a few times. My first graduate degree was in peace studies which I did at International Christian University in Japan, and I had researched Islamic feminism while living in Morocco for some fieldwork. I wonder if you engage in discourse and community work across other faith traditions either in the US or abroad. I did not always find this easy and I was greatly challenged in my past journeys and I am still resolving this. I am just curious if you do - it seems you do. I want to show my Syrian friend your videos. She is a refuge to Canada. I think she would appreciate your work. I wonder if you have communities in Canada. I could not find but maybe I did not search well. Forgive this long comment. I should have perhaps sent an email. You were right when you said in one video that living in community is really hard. I appreciate that. Take care. Always a pleasure to watch you videos and thank you.
@@MV50916 thanks for your comment. We definitely seek to interact with people of different faiths, and network between faith communities. You asked if we have communities in Canada -- unfortunately not, but we do have several locations in upstate NY. Here's where you can find the nearest one, and you'd be welcome to visit anytime: www.bruderhof.com/en/where-we-are All the best -Alina
I have question. If an adult child decides they do not want to live in the community is that accepted and do they receive any help from the community to get started? Are they allowed to see their family?
What happens if you ever decide you want to leave the community? Do you get shunned? Is it frowned upon? And if you leave, does the work you have contributed to the community in the past get passed on to you somehow in helping set you up economically e.g. with a house and car, after you leave?
Hi Nikki! I live at the Bruderhof. Anyone is free to come and go whenever they choose. Members do make a lifetime commitment that we take seriously but if someone wants to leave that's their decision. People who leave are supported with getting established. They don't get cut off. Hope that helps! Laura
I'm sorry, but those pumpkins look very mean. Now I'm going to have nightmares of the headless horseman carrying around mean Bruderhof pumpkins! ;). J/k
It is ok to create arts, especially Christian arts, but better to be watchful and careful to make those images from the traditional ghost festival. Good not to be near to those unclean things for Christians! For your kind reference!
