Living Historically
- Tim Ahlman
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
“Living historically” is a phrase I recently heard on a history podcast. The podcaster was making the point that very few of us “live historically” today. We don’t think much beyond our lives. Many rarely even consider the end of their lives. We live for today, for what is in front of us, satisfying the flesh, in our heads, heads down, eyes down, isolated, anxious, angry, numb.
I went to the gym today. I needed to pump some iron—get a good sweat on. I conducted an experiment. I didn’t wear earphones. I only found one other person not wearing them. He was an older guy. We chatted a bit—he was a nice fellow. I then went about the rest of my workout, putting in my earphones to listen to a podcast on how isolated humans are today. The irony is not lost on me.
There are pockets in the world where people “live historically.” They think across generations. Their sense of community is so strong. Their community was there long before them, and it will be there long after them. They live in the home in which their grandparents were born. How weird is that, especially as Americans.
The Spanish Catholics just finished a new basilica in Barcelona called Sagrada Familia. It was the vision of the architect Antoni Gaudi. I highly encourage you to visit the website to hear the entire story (https://sagradafamilia.org/en/). The project began in 1882. It was fully completed this year. Yes, you read that right—the project took over 140 years to complete. Christ Greenfield is renovating the courtyard later this summer. It will probably be a mess for a couple months, and I’m sure people will complain. Could you imagine working on a project that you knew you’d never live to see completed…and neither would your grandchildren? That is living historically.
I’m currently reading about the early days of Lutheranism in America. It is quite a complex story.
There are so many names to remember—Stephan, Walther, Wyneken, Grabau, Cloeter and Loehe (just to name a few).
There are so many historic locations where our American Lutheran “founding fathers” did life and ministry: Perry County, St. Louis, Gettysburg, Chicago, Seward, Frankenmuth. I recently spoke at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church—what an honor—it is 181 years old. Christ Greenfield has a ways to go.
There are so many stories and questions to contemplate. How do we maintain our Lutheran distinctiveness, while not separating ourselves from our communities and other Christians? How do we handle heresies that creep into the church (chiliasm, the Lord’s Supper not being the real presence of Christ, Unionistic and Reformed teachings, etc.)? How much education is enough for pastors when the fields are so ripe for harvest? How do we love our “weaker brothers” while denouncing those who willfully spread false teaching? How do Lutherans pursue fundamental unity while realizing absolute unity is not humanly possible in a sinful world? How do we live in the tension of truth and love?
(Sidenote: The Missouri Synod has a number of stories where we pursued truth to such a strong degree that we lost love, and our witness suffered. Truth without love makes pharisees. Love without truth makes heretics. Only the Holy Spirit can help us maintain this tension.)
When I read about our early Lutheran story in America, I’m more aware and respectful of the conversations we’re still having today. I’m trying to “live historically” as I look at the blessings and struggles we’re currently facing in the LCMS.
As I look around our increasingly anxious, polarized, and isolated culture in the West, the more I’m left believing that the local church is truly the hope of the world. The benefits and blessings of being connected to a local church far outweigh the negative detractions. Yes, there are sinners in church. Yes, the church can be hypocritical. Yes, the church can be exclusive and non-loving. Praise Jesus for His grace.
Yet, let me list some (though not all) of the benefits of being a part of the body of Christ in your local congregation.
You get to gather weekly with Christians to hear God’s Word and receive the forgiveness of sins in the Sacraments. That is a pretty big deal.
You get to make friends that will be there for you through good and hard times. The local church, especially in big cities, is a small village in the midst of the masses.
Yet, this next point is often not treasured enough: the local church helps you live historically. You get to be a part of a mission bigger than yourself—God’s mission to get all of His lost kids back through faith in His Son.
You get to worship in similar ways to the saints who have gone before, the great cloud of witnesses cheering you on as you journey into the world to bring light to dark places. The prayers you’ve prayed, the Scriptures you’ve read, the stories you’ve told, the songs you’ve sung have been sung by generations past. Many parts of our historic liturgy have their roots in the Old Testament Jewish worship of Yahweh.
Many of you know that I’ve been connected to contemporary Christian worship music most of my adult life. I’m pleased with the Songwriters Initiative—what wonderful new songs for the church to praise the Triune God. It is good to sing new songs. It’s also great to sing old songs. It’s not empty nostalgia. When I sing many of the hymns of old, I am joining my grandparents and their grandparents in praise and faith in Christ: “I Know that My Redeemer Lives.”
The older I get, the more finite I feel. This is a good thing. My days are numbered. Praise be to God that they are numbered by a God who loves me, who gave His Son for me, who promises to raise me. Faith in Christ helps me live historically, knowing that the same God who will raise me, will raise all those who have gone before me.
Read some history. Give thanks to those who have gone before you and passed the faith to you. Go to church. Be the church. Pass on a local church that is better than when you found it. Be generous to build local churches and institutions that will bless the generations to come.
Live historically.
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