The Battle Hymn of the Republic is a hymn that became the semi-official Civil War song of the United States Army during that great civil conflict of our nation. It was written by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, a poet and dedicated abolitionist, who visited an army camp near Washington D.C. in 1861. She was inspired by the soldiers singing “John Brown’s Body” which was a folk tune about an anti-slavery advocate who had been hanged for his efforts to free the slaves. Mrs. Howe felt that the catchy camp tune of this song should have better words along with it, and so she wrote her own lyrics to the same melody. The song expressed her support for Abraham Lincoln, who was elected President of the United Sates in 1860 and faced fierce opposition from the pro-slavery South.
Deeply anguished at the growing conflict between her fellow Americans, and in a desire to articulate her own feelings about the dreadful division of that time, Julia Ward Howe is said to have written her inspired verses almost without looking at the paper. The “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (a.k.a. “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” and “Glory, Glory! Hallelujah!”) was first published in the Atlantic Monthly Magazine in 1862 as a battle song for the U.S. republic. Before long the entire nation became inspired by her text and united in singing the new words with the old tune.
I have to say, to have implicit trust in God’s faithful care and protection is never easy in times of danger or strife. Yet even in the midst of the terrible American Civil War between the United States and the Confederate States, a remarkable Christian woman named Julia Ward Howe proclaimed her confidence in God’s triumphant power for the ultimate good of all.
From the first time it was sung unto today, Mrs. Howe’s hymn has been acclaimed through the years as one of the finest national hymns of our United States of America. In fact, very early on it was sung as a solo at a large rally attended by President Abraham Lincoln himself. After the audience had responded with thunderous applause, the President (with tears in his eyes) cried out, “Sing it again!!” So it was sung again… And after more than a hundred and fifty years, patriotic Americans still join in singing with one voice, “Glory, glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.”
May you all have a very happy Fourth of July and a deeply rejuvenating summertime!!!
With all the “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) these days, many Christians are wondering what God’s Word within the Holy Bible says to us about such things. In particular, with regard to Russia/Ukraine, Azerbaijan/Armenia, Iran/Israel, and China/Taiwan, is there a general guiding principle of Christian doctrine that we can draw upon in order to help us process all that’s going on in our world right now? For although Ukraine, Armenia, Israel and Taiwan are not perfect nations (no nation is), and they do not have completely innocent histories (no nation does), the Western democratic world is nevertheless rallying in support and defense of these countries who are fighting an existential struggle against adversaries who are seeking their utter destruction as free independent nations.
Lutheran Christians have traditionally followed the Two Kingdoms Doctrine in our understanding of the relationship of Church and State. Rooted in the Holy Scriptures, this doctrine affirms that God established two primary realms of societal order: 1) the kingdom of God’s right hand, and 2) the kingdom of God’s left hand. Simply put, the so-called kingdom of God’s right hand is the Church and the kingdom of God’s left hand is the State. Specifically, the kingdom of God’s left hand refers to the State’s God-given responsibility for law enforcement and military service for the sake of an orderly and peaceable society. As it says in Romans chapter 13, God has instituted the governing authorities “to bear the sword” (13:4) to exact justice upon the wrongdoer. As a result, Lutheran Christians have always honored the vocations of law enforcement and military service as God-ordained functions within society for the sake of good order. Therefore, the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) is the realm of law, justice and peacekeeping; however, the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) is the realm of forgiveness, mercy and peacemaking. So ideally, with both peacekeeping on one hand and peacemaking on the other, the whole structure of human society functions and thrives.
Now, as we apply this Two Kingdoms Doctrine to what’s going on in our globalized world today, we can acknowledge the important role of our armed forces in defending democracy, liberty and commerce. For example, if there was no United States Navy defending freedom of navigation then the seaways would be strangled by authoritarian autocrats and pirate warlords. Consequently, since the end of WWII our governing authorities have worked to cooperate with other democratic nations of the world to maintain the most peaceful and prosperous era in human history (broadly speaking, of course).
On the other hand, the Church (the kingdom of God’s right hand) worships the Prince of Peace, so we always seek to faithfully exercise our role as peacemakers within our world according to the eternal principles of the gospel…
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).
We recognize that the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) in its peacekeeping role and the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) in its peacemaking role are both essential. And we also recognize that people of faith who have been called into law enforcement or military service are uniquely positioned by God to operate within both realms, and they offer us a great bridge of understanding. For example, I proudly served in our armed forces in the USAF as a young man; however, as a Christian, I’m also called to be a builder of bridges for understanding and peace.
In the face of wars and rumors of wars in these times, we acknowledge the important role of our peacekeeping forces, but we Christians also continually seek peacemaking solutions and peaceful resolutions within our world — always looking toward the great and glorious Day of the Lord when “Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
And so, with one voice in universal chorus, we exclaim, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:21).
While staying with our son, daughter-in-law and grandkids this past August, we were able to see many of our national shrines and memorials in Washington DC and the surrounding area. We were blessed to be able to visit the giant obelisk monument to the Father of our Country, George Washington, at the National Mall area. We also visited Mount Vernon, George Washington’s beloved home in Alexandria VA, of which he famously said, “I’d rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and the Representatives of every Power in Europe.” We were also able to see the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, the Smithsonian Museum of American History (which displays the actual Star-Spangled Banner of our national anthem), and the Smithsonian Museum of Air & Space. In addition, we visited the US Naval Academy and harbor area of Annapolis MD, and we saw Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled banner fame) in Baltimore.
As we traveled around these amazing historical sites, one thing I took note of was the fact that our national founding (although imperfect) was deeply rooted in biblical faith. However, our Founders made sure that our establishment was nonsectarian. While they repeatedly appealed to God in our founding documents (speaking of our “Creator” and our “Lord”), and while they regularly addressed God in our founding traditions (Congressional prayer, oaths of office, and so on), they also made sure that there would be no establishment of a state-run religious denomination. Therefore, I observed during our trip a clear Judeo-Christian rootedness on display at all of our national shrines and memorials, but this was accompanied by a clear interdenominational, nonsectarian and ecumenical emphasis according to the clear direction of our Founders.
By the way, the word “ecumenical” (oikoumene in Greek) literally means “the whole inhabitable earth” — but it refers to the concept that the entire Christian Church of all its various denominations should work together to develop closer relationships and to promote Christian unity according to the biblical High Priestly Prayer of Jesus in John, chapter 17, verses 20-26.
So all of this stuff got me thinking about our ecumenical relations right here where we live as Mt. Olive Lutheran Church. I think of Via De Cristo (VDC), the spiritual retreat ministry our congregation participates in. While it’s mostly a retreat ministry involving Lutherans, rooted in the covenantal and sacramental theology of the Lutheran branch of Christianity, VDC also draws in people from many different denominations of our Lord’s Holy Church. I also think about the Lift Up Crescenta Valley ecumenical association we are a part of, as well as all the various ecumenical partnerships we support like the Bailey Human Care Center.
Like the ark of the Prophet Noah and the fishing boat of the Apostle Peter, all the denominations of the Christian Faith constitute the holy life raft for all believers and followers of Jesus Christ in a world deluged with the floodwaters of hopelessness and spiritual death. In fact, the Christian ecumenical movement is often symbolized by a boat, representing that all the people of all the denominations of the Church of Jesus Christ are in the same spiritual boat together.
So essentially, the various branches of the Christian Church are UNITED IN THE ESSENTIALS of our Christian Faith: 1) Jesus of Nazareth was and is more than a man, even much more than a prophet or priest or king, 2) Jesus is the only-begotten divine Son of God, 3) Jesus freely gave of himself in sacrificial love to be the once-and-for-all-time offering of atonement for our sins, 4) Jesus was crucified, was dead, was buried, then he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven, 5) Jesus is our Lord and Savior, 6) We proclaim the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life by the blood of Jesus, and 7) We do good works of lovingkindness and service in the name of Jesus. However, we also have DIVERSITY IN THE NON-ESSENTIALS of our Christian Life: that is, diversity of denominational practices related to sacraments, ordination, worship, piety, organizational structures, etc.
Therefore, as the various branches of the Christian Church have diversity in the non-essentials but unity in the essentials, we should also have CHARITY IN ALL THINGS. We can have a joyful and charitable spirit with one another as we agree to disagree regarding the non-essentials, because we share together in the all-surpassing seven Christian essentials I listed above.
“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23)
With the “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) of our 21st Century world, many Christians are wondering what God’s Word within the Bible says to us about such things. In particular, with Russia’s war against Ukraine in Eastern Europe and with “rumors of wars” brewing between China and Taiwan in the Western Pacific, I’ve been hearing questions about what the Bible has to say (especially the New Testament) regarding all of this. So, I thought I’d use my church article this month to do some biblical and theological reflections concerning war and peace from a Lutheran perspective.
Lutheran Christians have traditionally followed the Two Kingdoms Doctrine in our understanding of the relationship of Church and State. Rooted in the Holy Scriptures, this doctrine affirms that God established two primary realms of societal order: 1) the kingdom of God’s right hand, and 2) the kingdom of God’s left hand. Simply put, the so-called kingdom of God’s right hand is the Church and the kingdom of God’s left hand is the State.
Specifically, the kingdom of God’s left hand refers to the State’s God-given responsibility for law enforcement and military service for the sake of an orderly and peaceable society. As it says in Romans chapter 13, God has instituted the governing authorities “to bear the sword” (13:4) to exact justice upon the wrongdoer. As a result, Lutheran Christians have always honored the vocations of law enforcement and military service as God-ordained functions within society for the sake of good order.
Therefore, the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) is the realm of law, justice and peacekeeping. While at the same time, the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) is the realm of forgiveness, mercy and peacemaking. And with both peacekeeping on one hand and peacemaking on the other, the whole structure of human society functions and thrives.
Now, as we apply this Two Kingdoms Doctrine to what’s going on in our globalized world today, we can acknowledge the important role of our armed forces in defending democracy, liberty and commerce. For example, if there was no United States Navy defending freedom of navigation then the seaways would be strangled by authoritarian autocrats and pirate warlords. Consequently, since the end of WWII our governing authorities have worked to cooperate with other democratic nations of the world to maintain the most peaceful and prosperous era in human history (broadly speaking, of course).
Functioning as the so-called kingdom of God’s left hand, our governing authorities have exercised the peacekeeping role of the State according to the longstanding foreign policy principle of peace through strength. As the Roman Christian, nobleman and scholar of the late 300’s AD, Flavius Vegetius Renatus, famously wrote, “If you want peace then prepare for war” (Si vis pacem para bellum). But of course, “The soldier above all others prays for peace” (General Douglas MacArthur).
On the other hand, the Church (the kingdom of God’s right hand) worships the Prince of Peace, so we always seek to faithfully exercise our role as peacemakers within our world according to the eternal principles of the gospel…
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45).
We recognize that the kingdom of God’s left hand (the State) in its peacekeeping role and the kingdom of God’s right hand (the Church) in its peacemaking role are both essential. And we also recognize that people of faith who have been called into law enforcement or military service are uniquely positioned by God to operate within both realms, and they offer us a great bridge of understanding. For example, I proudly served in our armed forces in the USAF as a young man. But as a Christian, I’m also called to be a builder of bridges for understanding and peace.
In the face of wars and rumors of wars in these times, we acknowledge the important role of our peacekeeping forces, but we Christians also continually seek peacemaking solutions and peaceful resolutions within our world — always looking toward the great and glorious Day of the Lord when “Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
And so, with one voice in universal chorus, we exclaim, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:21).
After Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial, the disciples thought all was lost. They deeply grieved the death of their beloved teacher and friend. They felt post traumatic stress and overwhelming despair concerning the events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, torture and execution. They also feared retribution for their association with Jesus. They even wondered if anything Jesus said and did was true, questioning if they had backed the right messianic contender.
Everything was falling apart. Everything was broken. Was it all for naught? Was it all coming to an end?
You know, this past December marked two years since my family and I moved to La Crescenta, and I’ve realized that April marks one entire year of strict COVID-19 protocols for our congregation. While we have maintained online sermons, devotionals and worship throughout this whole timeframe, we actually went without in-person worship from April to June of 2020, resuming in-person worship in July. And barring fires and inclement weather, we have faithfully kept The Lord’s Day each week with in-person worship services since July, as well as with drive-thru and YouTube options.
So about half of the time my family and I have lived here has been during COVID restrictions, and all of us as a congregation have journeyed together during this difficult time of national and communal loss, fear and stress. Consequently, we might have some of the same thoughts and feelings that the early disciples had right after Jesus’ death prior to his resurrection.
We might wonder… Are basic community institutions (congregations, fraternities, service clubs, etc.) coming to an end? Are the functions of these fundamental institutions being superseded and replaced by centralized state programs? Is religious faith and spiritually at an end? Is Christianity in America coming to an end? Or is God just getting started?
We often forget that the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ took place at some point during the night. The empty tomb was discovered on Easter Sunday morning (John 20:1-18), but the resurrection itself happened in the darkness. So, even while the disciples were under a self-imposed lockdown, with an emotional and spiritual pall of darkness over their hearts and minds, the truth is that the resurrection happened during the darkest hours of night.
This gospel truth of the resurrection of Jesus happening in the darkness of night is a wonderful metaphor for what’s happening right now. Our families, small businesses, schools, and community institutions like our congregation, are all feeling the distress and desperation of this past year, but we are starting to see the light at the end of this long tunnel. As the vaccinations continue at a warp speed pace throughout our nation, we are beginning to see signs of renewal and emergence.
Resurrection is happening, brothers and sisters. Restoration is happening. God is just getting started with us. Thanks be to God that we are just getting started!
