A Sermon from 2005.
In der Liebe Christi,
Rev. Kurt Hering, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church
Layton, UT
The THIRD SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY: January 23, 2005
TEXT: "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you,
but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by
those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. ...
"Is Christ divided? ... Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of
no effect."
1 Corinthians 1:10-11, 13a, 17
If you take a look at the obverse, or head, side of any coin currently
minted in the United States of America, indeed basically any coin so minted
since July 1, 1908, you will see the motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST." Go ahead and
take a coin out and see for yourself. The quarter, a two-bit piece, worth
twenty-five cents works best to illustrate the point as we go along because
of its size and the configuration of its engraving.
While it was omitted from certain coins prior to 1908, the motto, IN GOD WE
TRUST, was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased
religious sentiment existing during the Civil War, [otherwise known as the
War Between the States.] Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received
many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the
United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. From Treasury
Department records, it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter
dated November 13, 1861. It was written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M. R.
Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, and read:
"Dear Sir: You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress
respecting the affairs of the national finances.
"One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I
mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.
"You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were not shattered
beyond reconstruction? Would not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries
rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose
is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13
stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the
allseeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag,
bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the
folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW.
"This would make a beautiful coin, to which no possible citizen could
object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would
place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From
my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least
of our present national disasters."
As a result, Secretary Chase instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint
at Philadelphia, to prepare a motto, in a letter dated November 20, 1861:
"Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe
except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on
our national coins.
"You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a
motto expressing in the fewest and tersest words possible this national
recognition."
[http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact_sheets/currency/in_god_we_trust.shtml]
How ironic, given our current national climate of Christianaphobia, that at
least up until the time of the War Between the States, it was a common
assumption that our nation's citizenry, as well as her leaders, were
"probably Christian." Any cursory look at the history of The United States
of America, her founding fathers and the foundational documents they penned
would reveal not only a God-fearing people, but a people who overwhelming
identified the God they feared as the God of the Bible.
That should speak volumes to us today as the citizens and leaders of our
nation lose more of their Christian character and freedom to express it
every day; and as over the last week many churches and citizens across the
nation, including the infamous Ms. Roe of Roe v. Wade, mourn the legalized
murder of those that bear the image of God in the womb - not to mention the
use of our tax dollars to subsidize said murder. But this is only
symptomatic of a far greater problem, one that transcends the governmental
administration of our great nation. It is a problem which threatens to tear
apart the church today - the church catholic, that is, the universal church
throughout the world; our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and even this
precious little congregation we call Trinity.
The problem is that we value our liberty and diversity, our own human image
more than we value the God and Lord in whose image we were created and more
than the perfect image of Christ who suffered and died for our sin. The God
in whom we trust.
It is a problem that goes back to the Garden of Eden. In the midst of the
garden, God made to grow the tree of life and also the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden
of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of
every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of
it you shall surely die.'" (Gen 2:15_17, NKJ) Valuing the freedom to eat as
they pleased over and above God and His Word, the man and woman ate of the
tree at the devil's temptation. In answer to the question, "Did God really
say?" they trusted the pleasure of their eyes and the desire of their hearts
rather than turning to the God who created them for the answer.
It is a problem that goes back to the Old T church, the people of Israel,
who having rejected the God who delivered them from slavery in Egypt in
favor of an idol fashioned by their own hands, wandered in the Sinai
wilderness for forty years. Though they had rejected Him, God still provided
them with food every day of their desert wanderings, sending manna from
heaven to nourish them. But this life giving manna was not good enough and
they clamored for meat, which angered the Lord. And He granted them their
desire, sending them quail to eat for a whole month in such quantity to
cause them to choke and loath that which they had preferred to God's
gracious gift of manna. (Numbers 11:1-20 NKJ)
It is a problem that goes back to the time of the Judges when, after the
death of Joshua, God's people rejected His divine kingship in favor of
living according to the ways of the world around them. "In those days there
was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges
17:6, NKJ)
It is a problem that goes back to the disciples arguing amongst themselves
who among them was the greatest, when in their very midst was the ONE who is
alone great among men.
It is a problem that goes back to the early church as we see in the church
of Corinth of our text today, divided by their allegiance to men and
contentions among them by which they spoke of who did what for whom rather
than speaking the same thing by and about the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a problem within the visible church throughout the world today, that
picks and chooses from God's Word according to its own reason and desire
rather than simply hearing and repeating that Word as it has been handed
down to them by God through the prophets, apostles and church fathers
through the ages.
It is a problem within our Synod, as many among us would have us be more
like those churches that pick and choose from God's Word -- and even more
like the world, measuring success by numbers of people and dollars rather
than by faithfulness to "every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
[Matthew 4:4]
And it is a problem in our own congregation and in our own lives, when the
historic liturgy of the Divine Service that brings us manna from heaven,
indeed the very presence of God and His gifts of forgiveness of sins, life
and salvation, in Word and Sacrament is not exciting or entertaining enough
for us, or is seen as a stumbling block to evangelism rather than its
embodiment.
Take another look at your coin, again preferably a quarter for the sake of
our message. There are two more things I would like you to notice on its
head side - the image of one of the founding fathers of our country, in the
case of our quarter it is George Washington, and the word printed above his
head, "LIBERTY."
There is a very telling story etched in that quarter. The most notable,
eye-catching feature is the bust of a man - a very great and important man,
indeed the father of our nation - but a man nonetheless. Next in prominence
is the word "LIBERTY" crowning our first president's head. Finally, in print
even smaller than the date, perhaps even needing magnification to be read,
is the motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST." It appears under Washington's chin, as if
to pay lip service to that which should actually be our driving force.
This should come as no shock, and we should not really even grieve if this
motto should go the way of the wooden nickel and virtually disappear. For
God is no respecter of persons, let alone nations. Nations indeed exist by
God's authority to exercise that authority for the sake of law and order,
and some semblance of peace in this world. But nations are made up of
sinners and sinners prize liberty above all else. It has been so since ever
since Adam and Eve exercised their freedom at the expense of God's sure and
certain Word. And the exercise of freedom apart from the Word of God results
in division - most seriously, division that separates us from God.
The Good News is that this division really can be easily solved. In our text
Paul tells us how. In fact, out of his love for the people of Corinth, and
indeed all who would bear the name of Christ, he begs them and us - Now I
plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all
speak the same thing.
Why? Paul tells us in 1 Tim 4:16, "Take heed to your [life] and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself
and those who hear you." (NKJ) You see, in speaking the same thing by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is His Word and will rather than ours that
is being spoken. And His Word accomplishes that which it proclaims,
forgiveness of sins, life and salvation in Jesus name.
So let us indeed speak the same thing among us, the same thing first spoken
by the mouth of the Lord, as we --
Learn the One true faith -- together. For, there is only one: There is one
body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above
all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph 4:4_6, NKJ)
Speak the liturgy -- together.. For when we do, we speak the same thing, one
voice with all the saints throughout time and eternity: Therefore with
angels and arch angels and with all the company of heaven we laud and
magnify your glorious name...
Sing the hymns of our faith -- together. For when we do, we make a joyful
noise unto the Lord and grow together in His light and life:
"God whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard and took their fight." LW
317 st. 1 (closing hymn)
"Come follow me," said Chris the Lord, "All in my way abiding; Your
selfishness throw overboard, Obey my call and guiding." LW 379 st. 1 (HoD)
Pray the catechism -- together. For when we do we confess the faith that
unites us:
"I am also a doctor and a preacher...Nevertheless...I do as a child who is
being taught the catechism...These fussy fastidious fellows would like
quickly, with one reading, to be doctors above all doctors, to know it all
and to need nothing more...What they need, however, is to become children
and learn the ABC's which they think they have long since outgrown."
(Luther - Preface to the Large Catechism paragraph 8.)
Study and hear the Scriptures -- together.. For when we do, we hear the
voice of our shepherd: "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you
have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. (John 5:39 NKJ)
Receive the Sacrament often - together. For when we do, we are united into
the very body of Christ: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the
communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the
communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one
body; for we all partake of that one bread. (1 Cor 10:16_17 NKJ)
Do you still have that quarter out? Flip it over and look at the reverse,
tail side. What do you see? Either a large eagle or a picture symbolic of
one of several states of the Union. Above it the words "United States of
America" and below the monetary denomination. And, at least on the
eagle-back coin, finally in tiny type, again perhaps even needing
magnification to be read, is another motto, "E PLURIBUS UNUM" - from many,
one.
This is supposed to be the principle underlying our United States of
America, and at one time it pretty much was. But in our day of tolerance and
diversity it is mostly a memory as faded and tattered as the flags we retire
and burn.
But thanks be to God, it remains a motto -- no, more than a motto, a
foundational doctrine of our church - from many, one. This is both the
history and the future of the one true church of our Lord Jesus Christ. From
a world of sinners each going his own way, seeking his own good and living
as his own god, the Father fashions a nation of His people, by the power of
His Holy Spirit calling, gathering and enlightening and sanctifying them
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so that by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that [they] all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among [them], but that [they] be perfectly joined together in the same mind
and in the same judgment.
This speaking together is truly, "a gift of God, not of works" [Eph. 2:9] so
none of us should boast in any name but that of our Lord, Jesus Christ. A
gift by which God keeps us in the one true and saving faith.
Grant it to be so among us here at Trinity, within our Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod and in the church throughout the world, as it was in
the beginning, is now and ever shall be...
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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