To Whom Do You Pledge?

July 4, 2010

Is this a Christian Nation? That question is being posed repeatedly these days. People continue to lament the removal of prayer from public schools, the prohibitions against nativity scenes on public property and an increasing animosity towards Christians from many government officials. Is this a Christian Nation? [Video clips of “Call to Renewal Keynote” - June 28, 2006] After professing that he is a Christian, the then Senator Obama makes the point that America is not a Christian nation, but a pluralistic one, which is an accurate assessment of what our nation has become. He then proceeds to belittle and ridicule Christians but none of the other religious groups that he mentioned. This was in a speech in June 2006, and two years later the majority of the voters in this nation elected him to be our president.

I came across a video online this week that was produced by Oprah Winfrey. It features of host of celebrities who pledge allegiance to Barack Obama, to be his servants and instruments of change. (http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=86695) Many of the things they pledge or promise to do here are worthy and worthwhile. I wonder why they waited so long to promise to do these things. And I wonder why they pledge allegiance to an individual rather than to our nation. Barack Obama is our President, the leader of our nation, but he is not our Spiritual leader. Neither is Oprah. And we should be careful about pledging allegiance to an individual.

To whom do you pledge? In our service today, we said the “I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Something that keeps surfacing is whether or not the words “under God” should be part of that pledge. I have heard it pointed out many times that those words were not originally in the pledge, and that is true. The pledge was written almost 120 years ago and has been revised a few times. The words “under God” were officially added only 56 years ago. Reporters imply that really isn’t all that long. And yet these same folks in the media scream about how the right for a mother to kill her unborn child is “long-standing,” and that abomination has only been legal for 37 years.

Whether or not the words “under God” get removed from our pledge is not the most important thing in the world. I’d like to see them stay there, because they are an accurate reflection of what made this country great to begin with. But saying those words is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that those words be a reality in your life. Your life should be lived “under God.”

Earlier in our service today, we reflected on the blessings God has given us in this country. That is why I read part of the Declaration of Independence and we all pledged allegiance to the US flag. To do so is not a conflict for Christians, because this country of ours allows us the freedom to worship God. And this nation was founded on Christian principles. While it is true that we seem to be getting further and further away from those principles as a nation, that is how it started and we still enjoy the freedom to worship, to speak out and say what we believe. For that we should give thanks to God. Let’s look at one of those principles as it was stated by the founding fathers.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

 

—  Is it self-evident that we are all created equal when you listen to the words we sometimes use to describe others, words that are derogatory in nature and hurtful?

—  Is the right to life and liberty self-evident to those who blow up buildings and kill our citizens and topple our government?

—  Is the right to life self-evident when the pro-choice movement denies that right to the unborn?

—  Is the pursuit of happiness self-evident? I think we have come to expect instant happiness, happiness on demand, change the channel, change the marriage if you’re not satisfied. Fewer and fewer are content with the pursuit of happiness through sacrifice and hard work. They want it handed to them.

—  Is it self-evident that these unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” come to us from a Creator?

These things were all self-evident to the founding fathers. They were educated men who had thought and studied deeply about human nature and how we can best govern ourselves. 234 years later we could benefit from renewed study and appreciation of the assumptions underlying our independence. This nation was founded by people who believed in the true God, the God of the Bible, and that influenced their planning and decisions. The further away we get from Him and His guidance, the worse it gets for us.

We need to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. We should also be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure those freedoms for ourselves and others. Many have and are still laying down their lives to make our freedom a reality. As we express our thanks to God, it is good to remind each other of our heritage. Many want to remove any reference to God or Christianity from our national government. To do so is to rip away its foundation. Consider the following quotes.

Almost all the civil liberty now enjoyed in the world owes its origins to the principles of the Christian religion. 

- Noah Webster, History of the United States.

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”

- United States Supreme Court, 1892

The ACLU and many leaders in government today don’t want you to hear or know that, but that is our history!

Lutheran Christians have a heritage of being good citizens. Luther and the other Reformers encouraged Lutherans to be involved in earthly government. That happened in the early history of this country. You may not know that

• There were Lutherans in America seven years before the Pilgrims arrived
• The first “Stars and Stripes” was made by Sara Austin and the Ladies Aid of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Philadephia.
• Washington’s army at the Battle of Trenton was composed mostly of Lutherans
• A Lutheran boy called the sexton of a Lutheran church to ring the Liberty Bell.
• The Liberty bell was hauled from Philadelphia to Allentown, PA, by a Lutheran in 1777 and hidden under the floor of Zion Lutheran Church.
• The first president of the Continental Congress was a Lutheran – John Hanson. He served until Washington was inaugurated.

Lutherans have always taken seriously the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus to be good citizens of our countries. As great as all this is, Christianity and Lutheranism are not about establishing world governments. Christianity, and therefore Lutheranism, is all about Jesus. It is about forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life. Knowing Him and having forgiveness makes us new and different people who are concerned not just with ourselves, but with our fellow man.

Something to remember is that the United States is not God’s chosen nation. We sometimes act like we think that is true. God’s people are true believers in Christ, and they are found everywhere in the world, not just in the US. We are grateful for the blessings we enjoy here, but God’s people are found beyond our borders. When we pledged allegiance to the Christian Flag and the Savior and the Lamb, we were joining those around the world who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior and put their confidence in him alone.

As Lutheran Christians, we know that it is not the responsibility of government or elected leaders to make this a Christian nation. It is our responsibility as citizens to be followers of Jesus Christ.

As citizens of this country, we know that many hard fought battles won the victory for us to be free. As followers of Christ, we know of another hard fought battle won for us. That battle was waged by Jesus in our place. He resisted the temptations of the Devil, He endured the abuse of the Jews and the Romans, He suffered the torture of the Crucifixion, He died the death your sins deserve. Our first and foremost allegiance should be to the one who took our sin on Himself, paid the price for it with His death, and rose again to give us forgiveness and life everlasting.

Being a follower of Jesus does not mean a life of ease. God calls you to service, to self-denial, to giving up things for his sake. Jesus said that one who is His disciple will take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). We do that in our service to our neighbor, in sharing the Good News of Jesus, and in offering a helping hand.

• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, like the unborn. That is why I continue to encourage you to be a part of the Texoma Pro-life association and to speak out against abortion.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to share our belongings with those less fortunate, whether in this country or through our support of ministries like “Food for the Poor” with our offerings.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to pray for our elected leaders and encourage them to support programs and policies that are in keeping with our Christian faith and values.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to support our military as they serve to preserve and protect our freedoms. That is why you were given that postcard this morning. If you will write a note of encouragement to a service man or woman and hand it to an usher, we will send those off to “Operation Gratitude” for delivery to our Armed Forces.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to serve others, which is why I am planning at least two organized servants events in the next year for you to have the opportunity to offer your time and efforts to serve your neighbor in his or her need.

The list goes on and on.

In just a few minutes, we will sing America the Beautiful, with the repeating refrain: “God shed His grace on Thee.”  While that may sound like a statement of fact and a past reality, in the song it is actually a plea, a prayer: May God shed His grace on America. That needs to be our ongoing prayer.

As followers of Jesus, we need to keep working to ensure that His values are supreme in our lives and the way we treat one another. You have first and foremost pledged your allegiance to the Lamb of God who died to free you from sin and death. So what will you do for Him as a citizen of this country?