In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonheoffer, a young German pastor and theologian in the 1930s and 40s, spoke to the concept of “cheap grace.”  The situation in Germany after Hitler came to power was one where the tentacles of the Nazi regime sought to influence all aspects of society, including the church.  The liberal German Protestant Church had for a long time been devaluing the divinity of Jesus Christ.  For the Protestant church, grace was both cheaply given and cheaply received, so when the newly appointed Nazi Bishop of the combined German Church began promoting “German Christians” as the archetype of what the new church should espouse, they found a willing or at worse passive audience among the Germans. 

However, individuals like Dietrich Bonheoffer, Martin NiemÖller, and Karl Barth continued to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ.  Bonheoffer began a secret seminary in order to teach young Christians the truth of Jesus Christ.  His book was a culmination of the experience he had and the realization of the true cost of discipleship to Jesus Christ.  But, this was certainly understandable in light of what the grace of God actually cost.

Standing up to individual dictators or fascist states comes at a cost, but less of a cost than what Jesus Christ paid on the cross, and much less than the salvation we receive in the resurrection.  Bonheoffer understood this during both his tenure as a teacher in his secret seminary and during his even more secret involvement in attempting to kill Hitler.  Even after his arrest, Bonheoffer understood that if he had to pay for his involvement with his life, that was still less of a cost than what Jesus paid.  The reality of our lives tells us that there is nothing that comes close to THAT COST, and therefore, when we as Christians must pay a price to stand boldly for Jesus, it is indeed a pittance compared to what Jesus did for us. Bonheoffer was eventually hanged by the German Gestapo only a few weeks before Americans liberated the prison he was in for participating in the June 1944 attempt on Hitler’s life.

So, what cost are we willing to pay in our own journey of discipleship?  Even though Hitler is dead and the Nazi regime vanquished, the same sort of “German Christianity” still holds sway in much of the more “liberal” wings of the church and sadly to say, even in parts of the conservative and evangelical wings.  The idea comes through the belief God in Christ hands out grace, forgiveness, and acceptance for whatever we do as if he has a never ending supply of Chiclets; not very expensive to hand out nor sustaining once consumed.  In fact, this liberal understanding believes that all we have to do is ask, and who is God to deny us what we want.

Therefore, because grace is cheap, little is asked or expected from either individuals or their leaders.  This is seen in how there is decreasing critical evaluation of those seeking to become ministers of the Word and Sacrament, as there has been for a long time in terms of elders and deacons.  Few churches have rigorous training programs for the individuals elected and chosen to be elders and deacons.  Individuals are asked to assume one of these two offices with little understanding of what it means and what their responsibilities.  This progression of cheap grace continues into the congregation as little is expected or required of membership.  This is largely because pastors and their sessions see their success as evident through membership and giving numbers.

So, what should the church do?  Christians within the church must recognize that we can have no expectations of folks in the pews if we have no expectations of the leaders, and that it is self-defeating to have no expectations, because then no expectations can be met.  Instead, we must expect our leaders to lead faithful lives, confess their sins, and seek to be witnesses to others.  They must not only proclaim the truth, but know the truth as it is revealed in Scripture and in Jesus Christ, and be open to discipline when they become obstacles to others knowing and coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Lastly, we should expect that church members know what is expected of them; which should include active participation in the worship and service of the church.  This includes knowing what it means to be a disciple and then to live out that reality each and every day. 

In keeping with that understanding, the session at Lebanon is currently looking for ways to lift up discipleship within Lebanon and to set faithful expectations upon all those who proclaim Jesus Christ.  We are actively spending time with each session member towards this endeavor, and I hope that everyone keeps an eye out for more news.  However, in the meantime we can ask ourselves that essential question, “what cost are we willing to pay?”  Is there anything that is in fact too high?  Let our expectation NOT be for cheap grace, but for and by the grace that must be dear to each one of us, that Jesus died because and for us, but that he was raised so that we can live.  Let the cost we are willing to pay be faithful. 

In Christ. Pastor Bob