John 8:31, 32, 36
One of the greatest joys of ministry is meeting great people. Among the greatest people I have ever met are Pastor Eldor Haake and the people of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Moline, Illinois, where I served as a vicar. I will never experience the 4th of July in the same way since the time I celebrated it there in 1976—The Bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence.
Valerie and I lived in a home provided by the congregation. It was a very old home with a large garage across the parking area in the back. I imagine that it was originally built by the farm family who owned the property before the church was built. The garage could house three vehicles. One of the spaces was set aside for the vicar, except for the summer of ’76!
Late in the spring and early in the summer this spot was taken over by an old V8 Ford sedan from the early to mid ‘60s. The exact model and color is unimportant because it was going to serve as a chassis for our SELF-PROPELLED Bicentennial Float to be displayed in the East Moline 4th of July Parade!
A frame was constructed around the old Ford. It was fitted with hinged drop sides so that it could be tucked into the old garage for storage. A platform was built on top of the vehicle and a giant open Bible was displayed on the platform with a very large cross rising behind the Bible.
This Bible was open to John 8 and printed with: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.… If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We would not only celebrate our freedoms in America but the ultimate freedom that comes to us through faith in our savior who died on the cross.
The people of Holy Cross Lutheran Church were committed to reaching out with the word and this Bicentennial Parade offered a wonderful opportunity. To help you picture the float in your mind, you should know that it wasn’t an amateur design or construction. One of the top graphics arts persons from John Deere and Company was a member of our congregation and I remember him working tirelessly on this project. This float literally rose to the level of a 3D work of art.
On the 4th of July, Valerie and I found a prime viewing location. We enjoyed all the patriotic floats passing by as we anxiously awaited the magnificent Holy Cross float that would proclaim Christ. Oh, the humiliation when our float came into view. It was attached to a fire truck with a large rope and being TOWED down the parade route. How could this have happened?
The postmortem revealed that meticulous and precise float design had neglected one essential mechanical reality. A V8 engine produces a lot of heat. The sides of our float did not allow for enough airflow to cool the engine and transmission at slow parade speeds. Our triumph had turned to tragedy.
It still was a powerful message but our moment of pride had become one of embarrassment. There is a deeper lesson to be learned, however. In our human reasoning success is measured in triumph and pride but in God’s economy, it is displayed in the humility of the cross. God overcomes sin, death and the devil through Jesus’ suffering and death.
The Son sets us free, not by taking control of our earthly governments and imposing His rule in our lives by force but by His words spoken earlier in chapter eight to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11).
May your 4th of July celebration be happy and memorable. May it be a time to thank God for our freedoms. More than that may it be a time to thank God for our freedom from sin, won for us on the cross by Christ.
Prayer: God, bless America with the real freedom of faith. Amen.
God’s richest blessings in Christ,
Pastor Philip Quardokus
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