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Christ on Campus

Christ on Campus: Father May I?

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By Heidi Bliese

Right now life feels a little like a childhood game I used to play called “Mother May I?” One person was “mother” and would stand at the end of a long sidewalk and grant requests for how far participants could move forward towards the finish line. My siblings and I enjoyed playing this game and did so all the time, but on occasion (probably more often than we’d like to admit) the frustration of the competition got the better of us and it ended in a not-so-pretty display of complaining that it “wasn’t fair” and “you were choosing a favorite.” As Christians, we can take a different approach and see it as “Father May I?” with the participants being God’s children spread out around Him on their journey to the finish line: Heaven. In hard times, my sinful nature causes me to view this earthly life as a competition, and return to the views of my 6-year-old self who believes because I am not “winning” God doesn’t love me as much as He must love everyone else. Thanks to social media, comparing ourselves is fairly easy, for instead of only experiencing the joys and sorrows of our own lives, sites like Facebook allow us to now be a witness to every-day events in the lives of others whom we would classify as acquaintances, friends of friends, or even strangers. It is at these times that Satan starts to whisper lies of discontent into my heart, seeking to draw my attention away from the Father. But even as I am browsing someone’s status or pictures and am feeling unsure about my own future, something always happens in my life that awakens me to my sin of coveting and sends me running back to the Father. Instead of seeing myself in competition with those around me, I need to keep my eyes focused on my Lord and Savior, for “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). My life is unique and most importantly, every step has been planned by my Father, for “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). Instead of viewing the events of others’ lives as a reason to lose contentment with my own, I strive to remember that the dreams I hold so dear to my heart and pray about every day were put there by Him, and He will fulfill them in His time.

Some days will be harder than others, because we are human and will continue to sin (Romans 3:23). But after a long night of weeping, nothing is more comforting than returning to His word and reciting the words of Psalm 116:7, which states “Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” And He has. It doesn’t take long to look around at my room, friends, and family, and be reminded that I have been blessed beyond measure. It is also a reminder of what our prayer life should look like; to have a humble heart in prayer is to remember that our Heavenly Father hears all prayers, and answers them, as we are reminded in 1 Peter 5:7, which states, “Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” True, these answers may not always be what we want, but in the hardest of times, continue to seek your heavenly Father in prayer, asking Him to give you peace and whisper the words of Psalm 46:10 into your heart, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Although it can sometimes be so easy to play the comparison game, God sees each one of us as individuals, and holds our lives in His loving and more than capable hands. He may not be granting you that one giant step that you’ve been waiting and longing for—but our loving Father will never deny you any kind of movement that takes you closer to Him. Whether it is a baby step in the form of a whispered thank you to Him, or a giant leap into His arms during your most desperate moments of prayer, God, our Heavenly Father, will always be there waiting with the promise of love, grace, and compassion. And you can be certain of that love and forgiveness by the sure promises of your baptism, His absolution, and His Supper. This message is so clearly stated in verse two of the hymn “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me” which states, “Lord, when the tempest rages, I need not fear, for You, the Rock of Ages, are always near. Close by Your side abiding, I fear no foe, for when Your hand is guiding, in peace I go.”

Heidi Bliese is a graduate student at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois and sometimes wishes she had never heard the word “thesis.” In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing scholarly articles and promoting a Christian worldview while debating social issues. You can email her with questions at Heidi.bliese@gmail.com.

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Catechesis

The Church Year: Pointing to Jesus for You

Jonathan Kohlmeier

This is it! This is what the whole Church year rushes toward and flows from! The Paschal Triduum, the three days beginning on the evening of Maundy Thursday and concluding with the Easter Vigil on Saturday.

It began all the way back at the beginning of December with the Gospel reading for the first Sunday in Advent. It probably sounds familiar since you heard it this past Sunday as well. Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Son of David coming to answer the cries of “Hosanna” and to save you now!

It didn’t stop with Advent either! Christmas celebrates these holy days. Jesus christ, born of the virgin Mary becomes man for you. He is placed under the Law and fulfills it for you. He is named Jesus–Yahweh saves–as His flesh is broken and blood is poured. 40 days after His birth Jesus is presented at the temple and Simeon proclaims that he can now depart in peace for he has seen the salvation prepared for all people.

Then come the Magi bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts point to the Triduum too. The gold confesses that Jesus has “purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver but with His holy precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” The frankincense confesses Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, soothing the nose of God, burning in wrath at our sinfulness and unbelief. Myrrh is the strange gift that young Jesus received from the magi: a burial spice. You don’t think about the death of a young child unless that is what the child came to do–to die for you, and to die for all of fallen creation.

Jesus is baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan river. People would come and be baptized by John leaving their sins in the waters of the Jordan. Jesus is baptized to pick those sins up and take them upon himself as he continues to move toward the cross. The season of Epiphany ends with Jesus transfigured on the mountain top. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with him about His death on Good Friday. From the mountain Christ sets His eyes toward Jerusalem and His death on the cross for you!

Now here we are in the season of Lent. It began with Jesus overcoming the devil’s temptation for you. The Canaanite woman’s faith receives the crumbs from her master’s table and Christ drives out the demon who is possessing her daughter. The Lord continues to drive out demons, give His gifts and forgive sins!

That leads us to this week. It began the same way the church year began, with palms, shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ and a lowly king riding into Jerusalem with His eyes set on the cross to save you. Maundy Thursday he absolves us and institutes His supper. He gives you His body broken for you on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. He bids you drink His blood which is shed for you for the remission of all your sins. Finally comes Good Friday. The cross that the whole church year has been leading up to–which the remainder of the church year points to. The cross of Christ is what our whole theology is centered on and flows from. His body is pierced with nails and a spear for you. Water and blood flow with forgiveness. Your forgiveness and salvation is won there. On that cross, Jesus dies in your place to rescue you from death and the devil.

But death could not hold Him! The victory remains with life! Christ rises again for you! You die and rise too in baptism.

The rest of the church year points back to Christ’s death and resurrection for you. We celebrate this Triduum each week as we keep time with the church year until the Lord returns. Your pastor absolves your sins. Preaches the word to you. Delivers to you the body and blood of Christ which was broken and shed for you on the cross.

That’s the church year. That’s our theology. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for you! Your death and resurrection in the waters of baptism! Christ’s gifts of forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life given to you during Holy Week and every other week of the year.

Jonathan Kohlmeier is a member of Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Greenfield, WI. He loves the church year and how it points to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for him. Jon is also Webmaster for Higher Things and producer of HT-Radio.

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Higher Homilies

The Holy Week Difference: Judas vs. Peter

Rev. Mark Buetow

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” – Matthew 27:3-4

Consider Judas and Peter. What was so different about their sins? Judas plotted with the Jewish leaders to hand Jesus over for money. Peter denied that he knew Jesus not once but three times! Is there any difference between betraying Jesus and denying Him? Is there really any difference between betraying Him to get money and denying Him to save your own skin? The first thing we are to learn from Judas and Peter is that even though they were Apostles chosen by Jesus, they fell into great and terrible sins.

Such accounts were given to us to teach us that being a disciple of Jesus does not mean we won’t sin. Far from it! In fact, sometimes God’s people can do some real whoppers! Like turning in the Lord for money. Or out and out cussin’ and hollerin’ that you don’t know the Man! Betrayal. Denial. Looking out for Number One! That’s what Judas and Peter did. They just did it in two different ways. But not just Judas and Peter. You and I do it. By our sins. By our being ashamed of God’s Word and denying our Lord. By always putting ourself first when it’s us or the Lord. Or putting ourselves ahead of our neighbor; trampling on others to get what we want and what will make us comfortable. Judas’ sin, Peter’s sin, your sin—there’s not any difference. These are the mortal sins that damn us. Looking out only for ourselves, we bring ourselves under the wrath and judgment of God.

So Jesus does what He does. He is the Friend of sinners by letting Himself be betrayed into the hands of evil men by a friendly kiss. He stands firm against accusation and condemnation by the religious men of the world even while the disciple who said he would never leave Jesus’ side swears to God he doesn’t even know the guy! The Shepherd is struck and the sheep don’t stand firm; they run away faster than you can say “cock-a-doodle-do.” Jesus goes the way of suffering the weight of His Father’s will that He drink the cup of God’s wrath to save sinners. It is the way of betrayal, the way of arrest, the way of humiliation and abuse, the way of scourging and crucifixion, the way of mockery and being forsaken. It is, finally, the way of death on that cross.

No, it is not possible that the cup of God’s wrath be taken from Jesus; He must drink it to the dregs for your salvation. Now, rejoice, dear Christian, because all that Jesus suffered, He suffered for you. His blood shed on the cross was shed for Judas’ betrayal, for Peter’s denial and for every sin you have done or will do, yes, even for the sin that has corrupted your nature and been a part of you since your conception—all this iniquity our Lord has carried to Calvary and blotted out by His holy passion. Have no doubt, dear Christian, that there is no sin so great it is not covered by the atoning sacrifice Jesus on the cross; there is nothing too wicked, too terrible, no betrayal too great, no denial too awful that it was not answered for by the death of Jesus. Believe it, dear Christians, that ALL of your sins have been paid for by your Savior’s Passion.

So what then is the difference between Judas and Peter? There is no difference in their sins just as their sins are no different than ours. But there is a difference! The difference is in where they went to church! There is a difference in what preaching they heard when their sins overwhelmed them. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the preaching to which you give your ears will either save you or damn you. When Judas betrayed Jesus, was he sorry? Of course he was! When Peter betrayed Jesus, was he sorry? He wept bitterly. But where did Judas go with His burden of guilt and shame? To the church of the Pharisees and High Priest. There Judas cried out His bitter confession: “I can’t take this money! I’ve sinned! I’ve betrayed innocent blood!” There it is: sorrow over his sins and confession of his sins. But hear the preaching he receives against his sins. “What is that to us? You see to it! That’s not our problem. That’s your problem. We can’t help you. You’d better go and deal with it yourself.” In other words, when Judas despaired of himself, all they had to give him was more Judas. And since Judas couldn’t save himself, he did the only thing he could: he perished.

Yes, Judas sinned terribly. He repented and was sorry. He confessed his sin. But these things don’t save him. The “absolution” Judas receives is the preaching of all the world’s religions: “Save yourself.” You have to pick yourself back up. If you’ve sinned, it’s on you to work it out and make it right. Jesus said to His disciples at the Last Supper, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to the one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It were better if he had not been born.” Jesus does NOT say this because Judas’ betrayal is an unforgivable sin. Jesus does NOT say this because His death was not for Judas; it was! He says it because He knows how it is going to end: Judas will not hear the preaching that will forgive and save him. The preaching Judas hears casts him upon himself and damns him. The great tragedy of Judas is that all that took place after his betrayal was done for him, yet he never heard that preached to him because he went for comfort to the First Church of Save Yourself. But there was no comfort to be had. No forgiveness, only death. That’s how it is in a church that is less worried that they killed an innocent man than that the blood money gets put into the right account at the bank!

Peter’s sin was no different than Judas’. Our sins are not any different either. But Peter was in the church. He was among the disciples of Jesus. He was there when the announcement was made that the Lord was alive. He was there when Jesus appeared alive on Easter. He was there to hear Christ call him to repentance and three times restore him and send him to feed His sheep. In other words, Peter was where the crucified and risen Jesus was to forgive his sins and comfort him with that Good News of life and salvation. So it is with you. The Lord has put you in a church where what Jesus did for you is delivered to you. When you look in the mirror of God’s Law and see that you are a Jesus-betrayer and a Jesus-denier and you sorrow over your sins and you confess them, you will not hear that you must work it our yourself and see to it yourself.

Rather, you will hear that all that Jesus did He did for you. You will be reminded in the preaching and teaching of the Gospel that you have NO sin too big that it cannot be taken away by Jesus blood. In Christ’s church you are put in mind of your Baptism in which you too have died and risen with Jesus and therefore have passed from death to eternal life. In His church, you are absolved and your sins are forgiven by the minister whose job it is to pronounce that forgiveness. Christ Himself is there, present, in His flesh and blood to join you to Himself and give you forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. In Christ’s church, you need never despair of your salvation. Oh yes! Despair of yourself! Despair of your ability to fix what you’ve done! Weep and wail over the sins you have that have killed the Son of God. But then hear what Judas refused to hear by going to the wrong church: hear that exactly what happened to Jesus was done FOR YOU and is given to you in His gifts. Make sure that when you sin big, you get there quickly so that the preaching of Jesus will rescue and save you from such sin!

The Psalmist writes, “Weeping endures through the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Weep and wail for your sins! Mourn over your iniquities which have killed the Son of God. But do not weep with worldly sorrow that has no hope. Dry your eyes and rejoice that all that the Lord suffered He has suffered to take away your sins. Rejoice that He has sent His Spirit to call you into the church where this Good News is delivered at font, altar and pulpit so that you will not despair as Judas did, but be restored as Peter was. It is for this life that your Lord came to die. And He rose again that you too will rise and live with Him who with the Father and Holy Spirit is blessed forevermore. Amen.

Categories
Catechesis

Catechism: Three Orders

Rev. William M. Cwirla

I remember when I was in high school. I couldn’t wait until I was in college. I thought life would be all fun and I could do whatever I wanted. But college classes were harder and more demanding, the workload was heavier, and the responsibilities were greater.

When I lived at home under the rule of my parents, I couldn’t wait until I was out of the house, on my own, and FREE. I thought I could do anything I pleased. But there were rent, food, clothes and books to buy. Then a job, a family, a congregation. More responsibilities and duties. Two things I learned: You’re never without responsibilities. And you’re never out from under authority.

We’re going to spend some time now on The Table of Duties. It’s the eighth and last part of the Small Catechism and deals with responsibilities and authorities. This part probably wasn’t prepared by Luther, but was later taken up into the Small Catechism and became a part of it.

The Table of Duties is a collection of Scripture passages dealing with various aspects of our temporal life in this world under the categories of Home, Church, and State. These are the three realms or “orders” in which all of us, as baptized believers, live. We are born or adopted into a family and home. We are members of a congregation. We are citizens 
of a state.

A simple Venn diagram of these three orders would look something like this:

It’s really all about the 4th commandment and the gift of “parents and other authorities.” God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33) who sets everything in His creation in order and under His authority. Without order and authority, there would be only chaos and anarchy, which may sound like fun until you have to live in it. Just ask anyone who has lived in a country whose government has collapsed. Our old Adam needs to be kept in line.

In each order—home, church, state—there is office 
and authority which are God’s representatives under the 
4th commandment.

In the home, husbands are the heads of their wives and their households, and fathers and mothers are over their children. This is not to boss them around and make their lives miserable but for their blessing and protection. Also included here are bosses and workers, since the original workplace was the home.

In the state or civil society, God has ordered things so that there are those who govern and those who are governed. In our country, we participate in the selection of those who govern, and by means of elections God places them in authority above us. This, too, is for our blessing and benefit, both to restrain the evils of sin and our sinful natures and for the promotion of the general good.

In the church, God has established that there are those who preach and those who hear: pastors and people. While every Christian is a priest 
in Christ’s royal priesthood, not all Christians are pastors. Priests are born in Baptism; ministers are made through 
call and ordination.

As baptized believers in Christ, we live at the intersection of all three orders in family, society, and congregation. This is where God has located us to serve our neighbor with His goodness and mercy. Each of us has a place and purpose in each of these orders. Lutherans call that “vocation,” or “calling.” Where God has placed you and gifted you defines your vocation, your calling—that is, the way in which you serve your neighbor, whether as a teacher, fireman, father, mother, pastor, plumber, etc.

Our old Adam hates order. He’s a natural-born anarchist who wants to be a god in place of God and doesn’t like to be told what to do. Our natural inclination when confronted with a “table of duties” is to let out a big sigh, give an eye roll and say, “Do I have to?” And the answer from God is, “Yes, you have to! Repent!” Of course, this ultimately kills the old Adam, which is precisely what the Law is supposed to do. But in the meantime, it forces the old Anarchist to get with the 
program and keeps him in line.

“The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). And in dwelling among us, Jesus came into all three of these orders and lived under their authority. He was obedient to His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:51). As a boy, He sat at the feet of the teachers of the synagogue and the temple (Luke 2:46). He was subject to the religious and civil governments of His day—the same authorities who would eventually sentence Him to death and crucify Him. Jesus did the Table of Duties to His death for you.

You do them, too. They are your duties and responsibilities, the holy orders of your priesthood. 
You do them not to earn God’s favor or reward. Christ has already done all that for you. You do them to offer your bodies as a living thank offering to God (Romans 12:1) in loving service of the people God put around you: your family, your community, your congregation. God is “hiddenly” working through you to do His goodness and mercy to those around you. You have a vocation, a calling.

At the moment, you are exploring and discovering how God has gifted you. You’re learning in classroom and laboratory. You’re developing skills and honing talents and testing your abilities. You’re apprenticing adults, preparing to take up adult-sized responsibilities and authorities. You’re preparing to be husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, workers and citizens, members of congregations. Priestly servants.

There isn’t any secret plan for your life in the mind of God. There’s no waiting for God to reveal some special “plan” He has in mind for you. He’s left you free to design one for yourself. How will you thank God for His saving you in His Son? How will you serve those around you in the love of Christ? The Table of Duties will be your guide.

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and President of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

Categories
Catechesis

From Above VBS Now on Sale

The Higher Things 2013 “From Above” VBS is now on sale. You can purchase the material immediately here (Buy link at the bottom of the page). A complete preview of all the material for Day 1 is available to download here. The cost of the materials is $75 for either purchasing method.

In Christ,
Rev. Mark Buetow
Media Executive
buetowmt@higherthings.org

Categories
Catechesis

The Church and State and God’s Gifts

Rev. Riley cautions us against taking Scripture passages that were meant for the Old Testament nation of Israel and applying them to any other nation or time. Learn how such passages, specifically Psalm 85, apply to His people, the Church, no matter where or when they may be. God’s gift of the Gospel has been for His people throughout the ages. For more articles on this topic of Church and State check out the Winter Issue of Higher Things Magazine.

Rev. Donavon Riley

I will hear what God, the LORD, will proclaim
– for He promises peace to His people and to His saints;
Only do not let them fall again into folly.
His Salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.
Faithful loving kindness and Truth will meet together,
Righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Truth will spring out of the earth, and Righteousness will look down from heaven.
The LORD will give every good thing, and our land will again give its increase.
Righteousness will go before Him as he sets out on His Way. (Psalm 85:8-13)

This psalm holds up the great gifts of God. In these six verses we are shown all the spiritual blessings of salvation. First, there is salvation itself. Then there is God’s faithful loving kindness and Truth. Next, righteousness and grace. Finally, glory and prosperity—with the LORD blessing all these gifts by delivering them to us Himself. However, this psalm is not about earthly gifts. This is not a message for use as a patriotic national anthem.

As Jesus says, “ … this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Here the function of the Church and the churches is clearly defined. Yet, many have tried to establish a church that dominates the state. Most of these state churches have crumbled. Why? Because Christ’s kingdom is spiritual and will remain that way. Even when the churches are a blessing to the state, they continue to be distinct from the state. So we decline attempts to translate God’s gifts by earthly definitions of power, glory, success, and so on. Men will never establish a heaven on earth. We cannot build a “Christian nation.” History rolls on toward the resurrection and there’s nothing anybody can do to speed it up or sidetrack it.

This psalm stands out as an example. God had favored His people in past times with His Word and good governance. Now, as the Psalmist writes, He is angry. God has given them over to false preaching in the congregations, wicked counselors surrounding the throne, and the people are grumbling. The Psalmist sees all this, so he prays for the return of God’s favor. These verses are the sum of his prayer: a description of God’s gifts to His believing and faithful people…if they will only listen to Him.

But they won’t listen. They have mixed up heavenly and earthly things: government, peace, authority, the cause of good harvests, even their worship. Therefore, they are afflicted by God. He’s withdrawn His favor. He doesn’t speak to them anymore, because they won’t listen to Him. The affliction and their unfaithfulness hang together.

The Psalmist then prays that God will speak [again] so his people will not fall [again] into destruction. They are impatient, so they blaspheme God’s Name. They are ignorant, so they go searching for other gods to worship. They are upset, so they look for peace, unity, truth, and love elsewhere: the national pulse, homespun wisdom, smooth-talking priests and sweet-talking prophets.

The real issue is that they choose idolatry, which is death, and they rebel against the call to faithfulness: participation in the life of God. There is no third way. Mixing up heavenly and earthly things turns them toward idolatry—the ceaseless attempt to save their life from death by earthly means. They try to carve meaning out of earthly things—food and drink, clothing and life. These are the things which captivate them. With them they dig for a real life which never turns up.

At their root, all of these ideas are mistaken. God sends no prophets to bend the national ear. He is not about to rehabilitate their homes. Patriotic sermons are a sign of faithless preachers. Idol worship is always about God, but never delivers His gifts “for you.” Listen to the words of the Psalmist. He prays his people will turn from their foolishness and be saved. He exhorts them to listen to God’s promises that are always “for you.” Look at God’s holy hill. Look at whom He’s set on the heavenly throne. Listen to what He says to you today:

Therefore, “Kiss the Son so that He will not be angry and you will not be destroyed … because His anger burns easily. Blessed is everyone who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 2:12)

The Psalmist points them to the source of all God’s gifts: His holy hill. Calvary. Calvary is for them, from Him—a gift. There, and nowhere else, they are shown all the spiritual blessings of salvation. Therefore, blessed are those who are given eyes to see God’s blessings at Calvary. They are God’s saints, “the poor in spirit” of the first Beatitude. If there is any hope of salvation it can only come from God. The poor in spirit wait on the Lord. His giving to them is not hindered by the false hopes they have crammed together and would use for bargaining.

Blessed are those who are given to by God. Blessed are those who receive gifts, even affliction and death, as a gift from His hands. Nothing slips out of His nail-pierced hands. This is the Good News of the kingdom of the Gospel that stretches through Israel’s history to the present and on to the Last Day. By His affliction and death you are blessed. In affliction and death you are glad.

God’s kingdom is for “the poor in spirit,” “His saints,” and, “those who fear Him.” This is its limitation. Whether a nation is godly in part or wholly ungodly this psalm still applies. Political prosperity doesn’t determine when God’s promises will be fulfilled. History shows wonderful nations who never knew God or feared Him. Their earthly power and greatness was unequaled. God’s saints dwelt in that land, too. They were most often politically insignificant, and far inferior to their neighbors in wealth and power. However, their glory consisted of God’s mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace. Their comfort, then, as it is for Christians today, is that the church does not exist for the sake of glorifying the state. Rather, the state is established by God to hold back His disfavor, and protect the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom. This is a great gift of God.

Rev. Donavon Riley was born and raised in Minnesota and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Rev. Riley and his wife recently celebrated the birth of their fourth child. 
He can be reached at elleon713@gmail.com

Categories
Life Issues

The Only Christian Nation

Is America a Christian Nation? Pastor Buetow says no. Find out why in the latest article featured from our FREE Church and State Issue of Higher Things Magazine. To see the whole issue, click here.

Rev. Mark Buetow

America is not a Christian nation. There. I said it. Because it’s not. It never has been. That’s because by “Christian” we can only mean what Christ means: a kingdom not of this world which He rules and in which He “daily and richly forgives all my sins.” That’s the church.

Now sure, the church exists alongside the state, most of the time in a particular state and nation. Sometimes as a part of the state. Sometimes cooperating with the state. Sometimes trying to avoid the state. Sometimes being persecuted by the state. But she’s always praying for the State and its leaders and citizens. Church and state are not the same things. America was not founded on the idea that sinners are justified by grace through faith for the sake of Jesus Christ. That’s the Gospel. The Good News. The center and substance of the Christian faith.

Some might argue that at least the United States was founded upon “Judeo-Christian” principles, except that lots of things, like adultery and trash-talking, are legal under the laws of our land. So, the United States isn’t even just founded on the Law. Think about it. Where does it say in the Constitution that you must love God and your neighbor as yourself? Do you see the point? Calling any particular nation a “Christian” one doesn’t really make sense.

Well, how about this? America was at least founded by Christians. That’s debatable. The pilgrims who came in search of “religious freedom” as the story goes, were pretty hardcore strict and legalistic. There’s a lot in what they said and did and about how they lived but not so much about Jesus for sinners. And early Puritan settlements were a good example of what happens when you combine church and state: One person’s view of church runs everyone else’s life. So that’s not really about Jesus either.

Another comparison that is made is that the United States is a new “Israel.” Like Israel in the Old Testament, the United States was to be a beacon of godliness for all nations. Often times, when disaster strikes, the Lord’s Word to King Solomon gets hauled out and plastered everywhere: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14). But that’s not it either. The Lord chose Israel specifically and the Scriptures are clear that Israel’s purpose was to be a light for the nations in being the people from whom the Savior of all nations would be born. The Israel of the Old Testament is a type and picture of the church as Paul makes clear in Romans 9-11. Israel is NOT a model for America to follow.

So that’s it, then? America’s not a Christian nation so just forget about trying to figure out church and state? Well, not quite. America, like every nation, has Christians. The church lives here. Those who are baptized dwell in this particular land as they dwell in particular lands everywhere. Christians live in the hope that because our sins are forgiven, we have, as Jesus promises, victory over death. “Our citizenship,” as St. Paul writes, “is in heaven, from which we eagerly await our Savior.” That means that no matter what earthly nation we were born in or live in, our real “country” is Christ’s kingdom. That kingdom lasts long after the Roman Empire or the United States of America or any other nation will have ceased to exist. In fact, that kingdom shall outlast the earth which will go away and a new heaven and earth will be made.

But Christians do live in America. And we live by faith in the Son of God and He lives in us, carrying out those good works that benefit even our nation: praying for our leaders and for peace, and loving and serving those around us in our many different callings. America may not be a Christian nation but a part of the body of Christ is American and that means we who live by the mercy of God and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ here in America are to live godly lives as citizens of this particular country.

You wouldn’t go to the driver’s license office to receive absolution for your sins, just as you wouldn’t go to church to file your taxes. Church and state are not the same. It’s a good thing to remember this as we trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in a world that is daily passing away. After all, our hope is never in “America” or “things getting better,” but in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, who promises to raise us to life everlasting with a great multitude from EVERY tribe, tongue and nation. So live as a citizen of America or in whatever country you live. And live as a citizen of heaven—the kingdom of Christ which is above all others and is forever.

Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, Illinois and serves as Media Services Executive for Higher Things. He can be reached at buetowmt@gmail.com.

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Life Issues

Christian Activism?

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe versus Wade decision legalizing abortion. How might Christians respond and react to these decisions? What voice do we have? Mrs. Maggie Karner addresses how Christians can participate in the public square in her article, featured this week as part of our FREE Church and State issue of Higher Things.
You can check out the whole issue here.

By Maggie Karner

I vividly remember my first time in the voting booth. Even to this day I still get a little choked up with patriotism as I wait in line to vote every Election Day. Like me, most Christians understand the blessing of our representative form of government and exercise their God-given responsibility as citizens to vote. But many Christians feel there should be a clear separation between their secular life and their Christian life. They were told never to discuss the controversial topics of religion or politics at the dinner table and, if one was socially considerate, never to tackle the two topics together. They see passages such as John 17:16 and Romans 12:2, which tell us that Christians are in this world, but not of this world, as a signal that Christians, and likewise the Church, need to butt out of the public arena. In light of these passages, what role, if any, should the Church and individuals play in the political arena?

Dr. Robert Benne, author and Director of the Roanoke College Center for Religion and Society, argues in his book Good and Bad Ways to Think About Religion and Politics, that our founding fathers determined that the free exercise of religion was our “first freedom” because they recognized that true and active religious practice would shape our culture with good morals and virtuous citizens. In fact, this “free exercise” has been a catalyst for Christian activism throughout American history; religiously motivated people and churches fueled the fight for the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and our contemporary pro-life movement.

In today’s society, Christians are faced with serious issues that require our utmost attention—and sometimes our activism. Unfortunately, our government has created legislation that threatens the church’s ability to preach the Gospel. Consider the following: 1) The repeal of “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell” puts our military chaplains in difficult positions. 2) The U.S. Department of Justice is refusing to uphold DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act, a U.S. federal law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman). 3) Religious organizations and employers are being forced to comply with a U.S. Health and Human Services mandate on supplying abortifacient contraceptives to employees or face a steep fine if they refuse. If the church doesn’t speak out on these issues today, we may not have the ability to do so tomorrow.

Martin Luther brought a unique clarity to this discussion which was just as volatile a topic in his world as it is today. As both a theologian and a student of the law, Luther was uniquely qualified to understand and explain God’s providential purpose for both the secular and the religious functions of our society through his doctrine of the two kingdoms (or realms). Luther explained that God works through the kingdom of the left (or civic and government functions) to maintain civil order and a just society so that the kingdom of the right (the body of Christ and His church) can operate more effectively in a free society where the freedom to proclaim the Gospel is maintained. Likewise, when the Church is given the freedom to demonstrate Christian compassion toward our neighbor (mercy work), it supports and promotes a just and effective social society.

This teaching stands in sharp contrast to other Christian groups who either shun civic work altogether or believe that their purpose is to “Christianize” our government and political system. To the contrary, Luther says that we should not confuse the two kingdoms and that each kingdom has been ordained by God for a specific purpose on earth.

So can a Lutheran Christian be active in both kingdoms? “Absolutely,” says Rev. Bart Day, Executive Director of LCMS Office of National Mission, “as long as we recognize and understand within which kingdom we are working.” He notes that the Scriptures speak clearly on moral issues, which fall under the left-hand kingdom of the law. Civil society and the government should help put parameters on morality in a civil society. However, in a sinful world our society often fails to do so. Abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage are examples. The church encounters these questions frequently and must have the freedom to speak on them within the church and society. Pastor Day explains that when politics shape and form or change the moral fiber and ethos of the society in which the church lives, then the church has a clear responsibility to speak out.

In fact, Luther would advocate for Christians to be very involved in the moral discussions found within the civic realm. “Though we be active in the battle,” Luther said, “if we are not fighting where the battle is the hottest, we are traitors to the cause.” He understood that Christians must exercise bold leadership in bringing about a just and compassionate order to society. Luther recognized that in such a moral and just society, the church is best able to provide mercy and care for our neighbor and enjoy the freedom to preach the saving and forgiving Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for Jesus’ sake. To be sure, both of these can be done when the culture is hostile to Christ’s church, but it is a great joy and blessing when the church can do so in peace.

Maggie Karner is the Director of Life and Health Ministries at the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Her work with the LCMS involves directing the church body’s strategy for international and national health and pro-life projects.She can be reached at maggie.karner@lcms.org

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Life Issues

What Happens When Your Guy Loses

Next week, Barack Obama will be inaugurated into his second term as President of the United States. Whether you voted for him or not, Pastor Borghardt reminds us that all election results are a gift from our Lord. This article is one of many in the Winter 2012 Topical Issue of Higher Things Magazine entitled “Church and State.” To read more articles from this issue, check out its webpage here.

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

I voted for Mitt Romney. I didn’t like all of his policies, but the more I listened to him, the more I thought that he was the right man for the job. I even donated to his presidential campaign—something that I had never done before.

I pored over every article I could find. I yelled at my TV during the debates like they were sporting events. I obsessed over the news shows. I started DVRing them. I know, really? Yeah, I was that guy.

As we got closer to Election Day, I couldn’t sleep. I wanted so much for Mitt Romney to win. I prayed for him. Prayed for our country. I prayed for everything but the Lord’s will to be done.

We elect our leaders in America. It’s one of the things that makes our country great. We decide. We choose. We select every part of our government—from the city councilman to the president of the whole United States of America.

And so, I voted early. I would have voted often, if that were possible. I didn’t because that would have been wrong. Then, election night was finally upon us and I was glued to the TV as the returns came in. And I was just stunned. My guy, my prayers, lost.

Our Lord gives us our leaders. He appoints them. He’s the One who puts them in their places as His servants. Sometimes He gives us what we want and what we would choose for ourselves. Other times, He evaluates us justly and places authorities over us to carry out His judgment.

The entire government, every leader—from the sheriff in our community to our congressman and our president—He gives to us as a gift. And because it’s a gift, that means that He’s going to work it all out for maximum Gospel-ness for us and those around us.

Our guy wins and it’s a gift. Our guy doesn’t and it’s a gift, too. How can it not be? The Father sent His Son to be crucified by the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, for our sins and the sins of all creation.

This is not some concession speech by someone who is trying to comfort himself in defeat, nor am I writing these things begrudgingly like a young child forced to eat his Brussels sprouts.

No, this is the rock-certain confession that God is good to us in all things. Good in victory. Good in defeat. Good when our guy wins. Good when he loses. Christ took the defeat of the Cross and used it to save us. He must work this out for our good and the good of our country.

We are given to receive these things from our Father as a gift. Pray for our country, our leaders, and for President Obama. Be good citizens and pay your taxes. For no leader is our leader, no president is our president, no senator our senator apart from the Father’s putting them there. Our guy loses in His love and mercy. Our guy wins in that same goodness. That’s the good news! The Father who didn’t spare His own Son in doing good for us certainly will work out all things for our good. He is working all of this out for the good of His people. You’ll see. I will, too.

Rev. George F. Borghardt is the senior pastor at Zion Ev. Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois, and serves as the Deputy and Conference Executives of Higher Things.

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Christ on Campus

Christ on Campus: Salvation and All That Cool Stuff

Article PDF | Bible Study PDF | Leader’s Guide PDF
By Magdalena Teske

Class began at 9:30, and I rushed into the room at about 9:27, feeling slightly panicked because biology had gone a few minutes late, as usual, and because the effects of my coffee had worn off. The class was Religion and Politics in America, which I was taking mainly to fulfill my requirement to take an honor’s course that semester, although I had been more than a little nervous to take a religion course at my Methodist-affiliated college. Before we began class that day, my professor handed back my first essay, which he had just graded. The topic was civil religion. We were supposed to describe and discuss how politicians and other public figures refer to God and religion in their speeches, and how God is depicted in patriotic contexts.

Glancing at my paper, I was pleased to see that on the first page, the professor had made only three comments, two of which simply said ”good,” and the third said ”yes.” As class started, I shoved the paper in my folder to look at later. After class, when I had a chance to turn to the second page, I saw a slightly longer remark. The professor had underlined one of my sentences in which I had said that while politicians frequently mention God in their speeches, civil religion is necessarily vague and generic, because public figures never say anything theologically significant. The phrase I had used was that politicians don’t talk about “the important subject of salvation and eternal life.”

It was this phrase that my professor didn’t like. He told me in his comments that he felt I exaggerated the insignificance of civil religion’s theology. His note on that particular phrase pointed out that civil religion did include messages of justice, mercy, blessing, and providence. If he had still been there when I read his remarks, I would have had a few things to say to him. Justice, mercy, providence and blessings sound nice and are certainly valid religious topics, but I fail to comprehend what significance they have outside of the concept of forgiveness and salvation. The Bible certainly tells us that God is just and refers to justice as a good thing, and it’s a virtue for rulers. But I can think of one important case where God Himself seems completely unjust and unfair. If God gave us what we deserved, we would all be condemned and Jesus would never have died, but instead, God chose to send Jesus to live a perfect life on Earth, to suffer and die in our place, so that we could be saved and have eternal life. Rather than justice, God chose to give us justification, and for us, this unfairness is certainly better than the fair alternative.

As for mercy, I’m not sure what mercy even means apart from salvation. Referring to my handy copy of Webster’s New World Dictionary, I find that the official definition of mercy is ”a refraining from harming offenders, enemies, etc.” Doesn’t this mean that talking about God’s mercy towards us necessarily requires us to acknowledge that we are sinners and enemies of God, but that He has graciously forgiven us our sins through the death of our Lord Jesus Christ? Incidentally, this sounds to me like the message of grace and salvation (Romans 5:6-11).

Providence and blessings are likewise vague and fairly meaningless when not taken in the context of our salvation. Undeniably, God gives us many blessings—not only spiritual, but sometimes material and worldly blessings as well. But when a politician or public figure talks about providence and blessings, they generally only mean material and worldly wealth. I certainly am glad to live in a country and society where necessities like food and shelter are abundant. I am glad to have access to things like the internet, coffee, and duct tape, which are technically luxuries, although I admittedly take them for granted much of the time. But these are not the only blessings that God gives us. The greatest blessings He gives us are forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Christ came and lived among us, He led a sinless life, died, and was raised, and besides all this, He gave us even more. He gave us the Bible so that we would have access to His word in our daily lives. He gave us saving faith, and He gave us His sacraments of Baptism and Communion by which He strengthens this faith and assures us of our salvation.

I am not interested in hearing about a generic God who gives us justice, mercy, and blessings. I go to a confessional Lutheran church because I want to hear about the true Triune God who gives us justice, mercy, blessings, forgiveness, salvation, His word and sacraments, and eternal life. And coffee, too.

Magdalena Teske is a senior at Birmingham-Southern College and attends Hope Lutheran Church in Birmingham, Alabama. She can be reached at magdalenateske@yahoo.com