The Day Together
In The Day Together, Bonhoeffer lays out a practical structure for how a body of believers can make the most of their day: connecting with God, being nourished by Scripture, and starting and ending their days well. Here, inmates can learn a spiritually healthy, community-based daily format designed to help them collectively share their faith. Bonhoeffer envisioned inmates singing hymns together, reading Scripture, praying aloud, and meditating on Christ as a community. The day would end with worship, breaking bread, and mutual forgiveness.
It bears repeating that not all prison facilities are the same. Inmates may or may not be afforded opportunities to start and end their days together—or to interact with other inmates at all. But generally speaking, The Day Together can find a foothold in the daily lives of Christian inmates.
Bonhoeffer wrote, “Morning does not belong to the individual; it belongs to all the church of the triune God, to the community of Christians living together, to the community of brothers.” Life together begins at an early hour with a worship service. This is where the community gathers for praise and thanksgiving, Scripture reading, and prayer. The silence of the morning is first broken by prayer and song. By our second meeting, the four men studying this book with me had already begun to implement some version of this practice.
Larry started performing this morning exercise with his “roommate,” who is also a believer but not part of the book study. They broke the morning silence of their prison cell only with prayer and thanksgiving, taking turns each day to lead. They then read a devotion or Scripture and sang a soft worship song together. Larry noted that this new routine had a profoundly positive impact on their day and completely transformed the atmosphere of their cell. “I was used to experiencing God in the chapel,” Larry said. “Experiencing him now in my cell—that was pretty cool.” He emphasized, however, the importance of practicing this morning worship quietly to avoid disturbing nearby inmates who might still be sleeping or enjoying the early quiet. If the practices from Life Together disrupt others who are not participating, the Christian inmate undermines their witness on the yard.
Jacob also began starting his day this way, though he practices it alone for now. His cellmate is not a believer, and Jacob currently lacks access to other Christians at this time of day. Yet he remains undeterred. He ensures that the silence of his cell is only broken by prayer. Quoting a line from this chapter, Jacob wrote, “All the darkness and confusion of the night with its dreams give way to the clear light of Jesus Christ and his awakening Word. All restlessness, all impurity, all worry and anxiety flee before him.” Jacob added, “Let’s remember this when waking up because I believe not only should we be a light on the hill during the day but at all times—including when we first wake up!” [sic] Jacob uses this routine to shine as “a light on a hill” for his cellmate.
The men agreed that this was the ideal way to start their day in Christian community. However, they also recognized the challenges. Many Christians on the yard have different responsibilities, are housed in separate cell blocks, or lack access to a central meeting place like a chapel or day room in the morning. Matthew plans to encourage others on the yard to implement this practice in whatever way they can—whether with a cellmate like Larry, alone like Jacob, or with small groups where possible. He believes that if the individuals of the church start their day unified in this way, even in scattered groups, it will have a profound spiritual impact on the entire yard.
Bonhoeffer also emphasizes the importance of collective Scripture reading, singing together, and praying through the Psalms. We discussed the value of praying through the Psalms in prison, ensuring it never becomes a rote chant but remains heartfelt and earnest. We agreed that all worship songs should teach something about God, and the Psalms are a perfect resource for this purpose. We also noted that God alone is the audience for worship, whether in cell blocks or the chapel. Fredrick, a worship leader in the chapel, shared how he often reminds himself and his bandmates that their audience is God—not the inmates, not the chaplain, and not any volunteers who may be present.
Bonhoeffer concludes The Day Together by stressing the importance of Christian communities gathering again in the evening for breaking bread, a final worship service, and confessing sins to one another. Matt reflected on how this routine could be transformative, not only for the spiritual health of the church on the yard but also for inmates’ rehabilitation. He wrote:
It’s hard to be grateful in prison. Coming together to thank God for the day makes us grateful. It’s hard to be humble surrounded by so many men. Confessing our sins makes us humble. Reconciliation towards others, admitting our failures, and speaking life to one another on a regular basis will serve to truly make us sorry for our mistakes and remind us that if our fellow man can forgive us, I think God can forgive us too. [sic]
The men decided to use the chapel or visiting room to implement this evening practice. With slightly more flexibility in the evening, they could gather for one last worship service to end their day. Over the six weeks we met, this routine began to take shape. While it started off choppy, Matthew believed that with time, the roughly 300 Christians on the yard could fully adopt this practice.
The Day Together provides a great and practical model for any group of Christians, but it requires effort. It is not natural and constantly competes with the selfish tendencies of human nature. As we discussed this chapter, it became evident that even in prison, people must be proactive and resourceful to create opportunities to spend the day together. Yet if they can find ways to purposefully meet, the spiritual benefits are remarkable. Bonhoeffer wrote, “The church is not a religious community of worshipers of Christ but is instead the Christ who has taken shape among human beings.” If we truly experience Christ through one another, then prioritizing life together—in worship, Scripture reading, and confession—should be of utmost importance, whether in the free world or in prison. It is, indeed, the best way to experience Christ.
