One Voice for Public Policy: A Lutheran Perspective on America 250
Semiquincentennial is sort of an unmusical word, isn’t it? Those seven syllables don’t exactly roll off the tongue. It’s probably the reason why for most of the advertising, merchandising, and conversation about it we have simply abbreviated it to, America 250 or the 250th. But we truthfully are marking a really profound event this weekend.
This July 4th, we are recognizing that two and a half centuries ago in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates to the Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain, appealing to “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” and holding as self-evident the truth that we are “endowed by [our] Creator” with the “unalienable” rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is therefore good, right, and salutary as both Christians and Citizens that we should take time to mark this occasion as an opportunity to give thanks to God for the blessings he has bestowed on us through our country, and also reflect upon the moral duty we have to be engaged in our federal republic. It is also a time to recognize the complexities of Christian citizenship in a time of deep division and societal conflict.
You may find yourself hard-pressed to articulate many apparent blessings in the midst of a culture that has become so deeply hostile to the Gospel and a country that, even on its best days, can appear to be coming apart at the seams. But for 250 years, including all 179 years of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod’s existence, faithful Christians have by and large been able to freely worship and proclaim the Gospel according to their conscience, free from government interference and free from persecution. 250 years is not that much time in the context of Christ’s church, but it is remarkable. Thanks be to God! May we pray not only to see another 250 years of that freedom but that it might also grow further.
As Christians who believe that government is ordained by God for our benefit, this 250th celebration serves as a clarifying note on the necessity of our continued participation in the democratic process. Lutherans have a storied history of direct participation in the crafting of this nation. Frederick Muhlenberg, a Lutheran pastor from Pennsylvania, was the first speaker of the United States House of Representatives and prior to that a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature and a delegate to the Continental Congress. John Morton, also of Pennsylvania, had connections to Lutheranism in America, and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Supreme Court Justice William R. Day and Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist were Lutheran. Closer to home, Lutherans J.A.O. Preus (father of synodical president J.A.O. Preus, Jr.), Luther Youngdahl, and Harold LeVander all served as Governors of the State of Minnesota. Were these men perfect? Of course not. But they recognized the vocational duty inherent in our Christian citizenship. May we pray to see our church raise up more faithful public servants from within the LCMS.
There is no doubt that we live in deeply troubling times. The peace we so desperately seek in our homes, cities, and streets eludes our society at large. Assaults on the sanctity of life, marriage, the truth about human sexuality, and the necessity of the family seem to intensify by the hour. Our freedom to worship, and in some cases confess the truth, faces attempts to be curtailed. Our faithful desires and choices to seek better educational opportunities for our children are stymied. Lord, have mercy and preserve us, for being confessional Christians in an age of militant secularism and rising pagan influences can often feel hopeless. Yet, we confess Christ, the hope of the world. We confess Christ, the one through whom comes peace and unity.
Our nation and its government are not perfect; we have often and will continue to err. Government should be rightly understood as a good estate of creation (AC XVI, SC I and III, LC III:73-75). But we must always bear in mind that we are not trying to build the perfect Kingdom of God on earth through government. The Apology to the Augsburg Confession praises civic engagement when it says, “Public remedy, made through the office of the public official, is not condemned, but is commanded and is God’s work.” (Apology to the Augsburg Confession, AC XVI) We must speak up. We must be engaged. Our conscience must only be bound to God. Why? Because we carry the truth of Christ into the public square and we pray that our public officials would heed this truth and, in so doing, govern us well so that we may live in peace and godliness.
America’s 250th anniversary serves as a good time to remind us of responsibilities laid out in the Table of Duties to Civil Government and our responsibilities as Citizens. I commend them to your reading. They can be found on Lutheran Service Book page 328 and Luther’s Small Catechism (CPH) page 34-35. May God continue to shed His most gracious blessings upon our nation.
Lord, God of hosts, ruler of all nations, we thank You for the blessings You have bestowed upon the United States of America and her people for 250 years. We pray that You would grant her good and wise government and sustain her in peace and security, especially so that Your Holy Gospel may be confessed openly and received gladly by her people. Bless the celebrations of this milestone, that they may unite our country as a people and cause us to renew our commitment to the public good. Let all Christians give respect, honor and love where each is due, as servants of Christ in this world whose eternal citizenship is in heaven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
(From LCMS One Year Series Prayers for 7-5-2026)
In Christ,
Rev. Scot Missling
LCMS Public Policy Advocate
Minnesota Districts
