February 12 Worship: Lincoln Sunday

On Sunday, we celebrated Lincoln Sunday during our worship.  I offered my annual Lincoln sermon, we were guided by snippets of liturgy from the Protestant worship of Lincoln's day, and we sang songs of that era, ending with the rousing "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

The special sermon, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, focused on one of Lincoln's key decisions of 1862, whether and how to free the slaves.  Joining this story with the Biblical story of Joshua's great discourse at the end of his life, and the Hebrews response to it, I wondered how we might face the central issue facing the church today -- how to cope with a society that is increasingly turning away from God.  The sermon's title is taken from a key line in Lincoln's argument: "The World Knows That We Know: Abraham Lincoln's 1862 Message to Congress."

I have no doubt that many people did not know what to expect on Sunday.  Judging from some of the comments I heard on Sunday, several people found the service and sermon interesting and enjoyable.  I imagine there were some who did not, partially because the Lincoln sermon is more old-fashioned in format and content, especially this year because it was about the transformation of ideas, a notoriously difficult topic to explore in any format, rather than examples of Lincoln's character or intriguing events during his life.  Personally, I was pleased with the sermon, in large part because it encouraged me to reflect on a central component of my ministry that is on the growing edge of my faith.

If you missed the sermon, if you'd like to listen to it again, or if you'd like to share it with others, you can find an audio recording here.