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ood morning. Today is the anniversary of the death in 1945 of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: the German Lutheran Pastor, theologian and opponent of Nazism executed by hanging at Flossenbürg Concentration Camp. His writings about Christianity’s role in the secular world, especially the need to critique and even at times oppose political systems, have become widely influential. His book The Cost of Discipleship is something of a classic.  At the heart of this book is his condemnation of what Bonhoeffer calls ‘Cheap grace’. This is to caricature the Christian gospel, reducing it to platitudes that imply that since Christ on the cross has wiped away past sins – and future sins too – we can, in effect carry on behaving just as before, knowing that forgiveness is guaranteed. But true grace is not cheap, says Bonhoeffer. Christians believe it cost the life of the Son of God, God incarnate, on the cross; it’s  also a costly thing to be a Christian disciple, rather than merely admiring Jesus Christ from a distance. Bonhoeffer insists that cut-price religion is no faith at all. I’m fascinated by his use of financial vocabulary, which resonates particularly powerfully in contemporary language. How often do those of us who are Christians think of our faith, and the demands of discipleship in these terms? And all of us might ponder what makes for a life of true worth.  Are we spending our time, our attention, our energy, on what we really value most? Mind you, financial vocabulary in the world of faith has a long history. Jesus himself asked what will it profit us if we gain the whole world, but in the process lose ourselves, our souls.  Lord Jesus Christ, you paid the ultimate price on the cross. Help us to value what is truly worthwhile. Amen.