Even Unto Death

9. What Does It Mean to Be Evangelical Lutheran? Being Bound - The armed forces often name their installations, ships, aircraft, and tactical vehicles after individuals who have demonstrated conspicuous intrepidity in the midst of battle. This custom serves a twofold purpose: it honors the memory of those who fought valiantly to defend their nation and it instructs future generations regarding what is at stake on the field of battle.

Scriptural Support for the Vows: The Chosen People
 - Some people say that the armed forces employed toxins in warfare as early as the 6th century BC. Modern warfare divides toxic weapons into the categories of chemical, biological, and radiological. Toxic weapons vary in the method of delivery and effectiveness. Likewise with the toxic weapons employed by the devil and the world— they vary in method of delivery and effectiveness. While the history of Israel illustrates that they often failed to identify the weapons employed against them, it also reinforces the importance of the distinguishing characteristics in our vows.

7. What Does It Mean to Be Catechetical? A Common Language: The armed forces require all service members to complete basic training. Basic training introduces recruits to military life and teaches recruits to speak a common language, the language of military life. A common language ensures that all service members understand orders and discharge their duties properly. This becomes all the more critical in the midst of confusion and chaos, which so characterizes battlefield conditions.

8. What Does It Mean to Be Sacramental? Fellowship in Word and Sacrament - The armed forces celebrate military victories during their observance of service anniversaries. At such military observances, those gathered will honor combat veterans, recognized for valor on the field of battle. Military histories offer myriad accounts of ordinary individuals who performed extraordinary feats of heroism on the field of battle. The sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper celebrate Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil. One cannot hope to survive on the spiritual battlefield without God’s means of grace in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

5. What Does It Mean to Be Creedal and Confessional? Pledging Allegiance: Every member, officer and enlisted, takes an oath upon entry into military service. The officer commissioning oath and enlistment oath establish a legal agreement between the member and military service. In taking the oath, the member promises that he or she will obey orders and regulations; the member pledges allegiance to the nation and promises to defend the nation against its foes. In addition to the oath, the armed forces establish various codes of conduct for the harsh realities of war.

6. What Does It Mean to Be Liturgical? The Cadence of the Faithful
Military forces employ cadences, rhythmic verses, to ensure troops stay in formation, maintain a quick pace, promote esprit de corps, and instill unit cohesion during marches. As the formation marches to a cadence recalling heroes and battles, a member in front of the formation bears the unit guidon. The guidon, a small flag, serves as the standard for the unit or force. Words set to rhythm and symbols inspire generation after generation of military members. The words of Scripture, reflected in the worship service, establish the rhythmic cadence for Evangelical Lutherans.

2. Do You . . . ? Our Vows--Our Identity: The armed forces operate with rules of engagement to establish the manner in which military units carry out their respective missions. Rules of engagement determine the type and limits of deadly force to be used against the enemy. Most importantly, rules of engagement remind military personnel of their identity in the fog of war with its carnage, chaos, and confusion. Similarly, the vows we make in The Rite of Confirmation and The Rite of Ordination remind us of our identity as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

3. What Does It Mean to Be Scriptural? Every military service employs a service manual or manual of arms, which introduces prospective military members to life in the armed forces. The manual includes a history of the armed forces, highlighting the role played by the specific branch of service in the battles and wars waged by the nation. Service manuals rehearse acts of heroism and promote discipline, esprit de corps, and valor. Above all, the wisdom encapsulated in service manuals clearly identifies the military member as one set apart for the national defense. For Evangelical Lutherans, Scripture—God’s Manual of Arms—introduces us to life in the Kingdom of God.

4. What Does It Mean to Be Evangelical? The armed forces maintain good order and discipline by adhering to law codes specifically designed for military life. Since obedience, respect, and discipline serve as the foundation of an effective fighting force, military justice codes execute swift punishment on those who through their actions would crack the foundation. Dereliction of duty, disrespect, disobedience, disorderly conduct, and desertion are but a few of the offenses for which a service member could face court-martial. Depending upon the offense, a service member could receive a reprimand, reduction in rank, restriction, a fine, confinement, a dishonorable discharge, or death. A person who makes a military oath recognizes that his actions could have grave consequences. As Adam and Eve discovered, breaking God’s law condemns man to death.

1. A Slow Poison and a Precious Antidote “What kind of gift can kill you?” That was one of the riddles my father employed to teach me a little German and a big spiritual truth. While I readily accepted the challenge of his riddles, on occasion I had to admit that I could not solve one, and that was certainly true in this case: “What kind of gift can kill you?” Yet my father never simply gave me the answer to his riddles, and this was no exception. He reminded me that Jesus often spoke in parables and specifically pointed to the Parable of the Sower, in which Jesus explained what the seed sown by the wayside represented: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Mt 13:19).2