In 1933, a movement called German Christians attained leadership in most of the regional Protestant churches. That summer they adopted racial legislation that, among other things, would purge the Church leadership of all Christians with Jewish ancestry.

In reaction to this, a Pastors’ Emergency League was started. It became the Confessing Church movement, creating an alternative to the government-aligned church.

At its most influential, a fifth of German pastors were part of the movement.

The Confessing Church created the Barmen Declaration, a document that rejected the power of the government over the church.

Ultimately, many considered the Confession Church to be a failure because it was more concerned with protecting the institution of the church than with doing the prophetic work of the church. It had a policy of silence on persecution of Jews, allowed baptismal records to be used to determine citizenship, supported the war effort, and agreed with, or at best was ambivalent about, the politics of the Nazi party.

---

Let’s go to God in prayer.

God of wisdom, may the words that I speak, and the ways they are received by each of our hearts and minds, to help us to continue to grow into the people, and the church, that you have dreamed us to be.

Amen.

---

The Apostle Paul found his calling in preaching the good news to gentiles. And as the person who brought them the Gospel, there were some who considered themselves followers of Paul. Others considered themselves followers of Apollos or Peter.

And Paul is not happy with this factionalism. Paul is underscoring that all of these are followers of Jesus.

Followers like those who Jesus called in our Gospel reading: Jesus saw Peter and Andrew fishing, and he called them to be fishers of people. He called them to bring the good news to people.

Churches continually make decisions about who to follow:

• A charismatic pastor.
• A charismatic political leader.
• A powerful government.

In a time when our fellow human beings are rounded up, imprisoned, beaten, and even killed;

In a time when people are being targeted by race, language, and occupation;

In a time when people are tear-gassed, arrested, or shot for protesting;

We, as a church, must decide who we will follow.

Paul reminds us that, if we are to call ourselves followers of Christ, we must follow Jesus.

The Confessing Church and the Barmen Declaration remind us that other authorities cannot overrule the teachings and example of Jesus.

The failure of the Confessing Church reminds us that there can be no compromise.

Today we will vote on council members, deacons, and a budget. These are things we do to keep the organization going. But everything the church does is part of its faith and mission, and every gathering – including meetings – is a worship service.

So my challenge to us all this week, and especially for this meeting, is to seek to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, the one who called the first disciples, who taught a way of love, and who lives today.

In all things we do, let us remember who we follow.

Amen.

Let’s sing CH 342 Tú Has Venido a la Orilla

* Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. https://www.friendshippress.org/pages/about-the-nrsvue

* Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James version of the Bible.