“Now I appeal to you brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and for the same purpose.” I Corinthians 1:10
This week was an amazing week in the history of our country. We witnessed the peaceful transfer of power. Former Presidents, Supreme Court Justices, Congressional leaders, and political adversaries stood together as President Trump was sworn in to the highest office in our land.
This was an amazing week in the history of our country. The day after the inauguration, millions of women, young girls, and men joined hands and hearts in peaceful protest. The Women’s March on Washington morphed into something extraordinary. Cities across the United States and across the globe were filled with marchers.
It is clear that our nation is divided. Perhaps only the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement rivals the divisiveness that we see today.
The USA is Divided—TLC is United.
In the reading above, Paul encourages the Church to “be united in the same mind, and for the same purpose.” At TLC, we are united in our calling. We seek to follow Jesus Christ in our worship and in our serving. It is critical in this time of upheaval that we keep our eyes on the prize. We must be clear about our mission, our calling, our reason for gathering in the first place.
We are not united in our politics and we do not seek to be united in our politics. If we are to be faithful in our calling to follow Jesus, then we must be a safe place for sinners of all sizes, shapes, persuasions, ethnicities, and political affiliations. It makes no difference to me if you are a Trump supporter or a Trump protester. If you are coming to TLC to worship, love, and serve then you will be respected and welcomed here. Either all are welcome, or all will be excluded.
Our Nation is divided. I ask your help in keeping our Church united in Jesus Christ. What should we do? We should be active in the political process. We should work for justice, peace, and the common good of all people. We should march, write letters, vote, and be advocates for the voiceless.
Be guided by the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Scripture. Let love be your guide and you will not sound like nails on a chalkboard to family and friends. Be humble. You may have it all figured out but then again, I am guessing that every once in a while, even you have been wrong. If we are going to follow Jesus, then we should keep the 10 Commandments. I am hoping that you are doing OK with the commandments dealing with murder, adultery and stealing. But there is also this commandment: “Thou shall not bear false witness.”
This commandment is not only a prohibition from lying. Luther taught that if we are to keep this command from God, then we must go out of our way to explain our neighbor’s actions in the kindest possible way. Your mother told you, “If you can’t say something nice, then do not say anything at all.”
I want to encourage you to keep your political opinions off Facebook and other social media outlets. There is a whole lot of mean spirited, commandment breaking going on on social media and we are not better for it. When you carry the name of Jesus, if you are a Christian, then breaking the commandments reflects poorly on your church and on your Savior.
Our Nation is divided—Let us take care to keep TLC united in love, in service, in patience, in humility, in worship, and in Spirit.
I appeal to you sisters and brothers that there be no divisions among you.
Love,
Pastor Jim
