I’ve discovered that as a youth, campus, associate, or worship minister you can have many nontraditional beliefs, and yet be able to keep them to yourself. Once you become the preacher there is no more hiding. It is a little more difficult to keep some of your more “radical” views and beliefs to yourself. Since I have become a preacher I have dreaded the day that certain topics get discussed – yesterday was one of those days. Please note that I realize I may be in the minority with what follows, and that some of you may vehemently disagree with my stance.
One of our members gave me a DVD about 6 months ago that he wanted me to show during worship one Sunday. The DVD is of a song called Before You Go. It is a tribute to our war veterans from WW2 and it is extremely patriotic. I am very very uncomfortable mixing patriotism with worship. So I hoped that if I just put it to the side and didn’t say anything about it maybe he would forget that he gave it to me. Well, he brought it up last month and I told him we would talk about it. A month later (last night) I finally get the nerve up to talk to him about my views and why I was delaying a response to him. He did not agree with my stance and had a hard time wrapping his mind around my beliefs, but he did not argue.
Again, I realize I may be in the minority on this one but I feel very strongly about it. Let me share a short rationale. When we come together to worship we are gathering as people whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). We gather as exiles or strangers (1 Peter 1:1). Our citizenship knows no borders, and our brothers and sisters are made up of all nations, because our God is the God of all nations. His house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:17). I believe that when we raise our country’s flag in our services of worship and pay tribute to those who have shed blood for our land we are placing our loyalty and allegiance to our national citizenship above our loyalty and allegiance to our Kingdom citizenship.
I believe this is especially problematic in a place such as the city I live in, Lafayette, IN. We are a college town – Purdue University. Purdue pulls people in from all races and all nations to study. There are people from India, China, Japan, Germany, Russia, Africa, Scotland, etc… On any given Sunday there is the possibility of having a brother or sister from one of those nations worshiping with us. They come (like me) to worship and pledge their allegiance to the God of all nations, not to America’s flag – land – or soldiers.
Now, let me be very clear. Many take my stance to be one that dishonors (or shows a lack of respect) to America’s war veterans. That is not the case at all. Our congregation is made up of many veterans and I have sat with them and heard their stories and honored their accomplishments. I’m grateful for the freedom that I enjoy today because of them. I just do not believe that our corporate worship gathering (our time of enthroning Jesus as Lord) is the appropriate place for patriotic sentiments.
That is where I am in my faith journey. Now, let the stoning begin.
Amen. Great thoughts, my friend. I couldn’t agree with you more.
AE
A complexissue. Our Vets deserve our respect, thanks, and honor but at the right time and in the right context.
I agree with you, not because I am unpatriotic or ungrateful for our freedom, but because of what Scripture is based on: citizenship in heaven, regardless of earthly powers (good or evil). When our country’s founders were deified (unfortunately) within our churches since the beginning, the church gained power, and that’s a bad thing. Power doesn’t work with humility. Losing power since the 60’s and accusing the new power of being unpatriotic is even worse. I may not agree with the new administration sometimes, but I really could care less. My first love is God, not this country, no matter what form it takes. There are a bunch of scared Christians in this country because they’ve put their faith in the state’s traditional laws, not God’s loving goodness.
But after all that, they are still followers of Christ, and while they aren’t perfect, neither am I. And I hesitate to shake their faith by telling them how messed up their theology is. I just hope and pray and wish they don’t keep villifying someone who sees things differently than they do (like me).
Well, since no one stoned you, let me toss out an idea. We took a moment on Memorial day to sing America the Beautiful and have a moment of silence for the families who are now living without one they lost. I cannot conceive that this somehow placed our loyalty for God in second place! I think that’s a very high church position to take. If the church is God’s family gathered together to encourage one another to love and good works, to lift the fallen, to love those around us … then I see no reason on that basis to ignore a national holiday for that purpose. Of course I haven’t seen the video you reference and maybe I’d feel the same way about that…depending on how it presents itself. I’m a Christian first, but I’m so thankful to be an American too. Your students from other countries are glad to be in America. Otherwise they could be at home facing circumstances with much less freedom.
So, that’s not a stone I guess. You can go too far and worship America … but you cannot go wrong by loving those who gave a lot to help us remain free to have this discussion.
blessings,
john
Hey John,
Thanks for the comment. We did take a moment to recognize those who lost loved ones in war, and also those who are veterans. We had them stand and we prayed. I have no problem recognizing them and praying a prayer of thanks for those who came home safely and a prayer of strength and encouragement for those who lost loved ones.
My problem is with patriotic sentiments that equate the American freedoms soldiers fought to protect with the freedom that Christ gave me long ago. The freedom he gave me is a freedom that Christians throughout history have experienced even in the face of oppression and persecution. No more blood needs to be shed over that freedom, Christ’s blood is sufficient.
I saw a bumper sticker once that said “anti-war does not mean anti-american”. If it is important for you to take a stand because you don’t want to mix politics with worship, then I say you did the right thing. Your congregation will continue to respect as long as you tell them why you feel the way that you feel. They may disagree, but what else is new?
This is an extremely difficult topic . . . I share in your struggle and appreciate your perspective. Have you read Gregory Boyd’s Myth of a Christian Nation? Great stuff. A snippet:
“It is impossible to imitate Jesus, dying on the cross for those who crucified him, while at the same time killing people on the grounds that they are against political freedom. It is impossible to love your enemies and bless those who persecute you, while at the same time defending your right to political freedom by killing those who threaten you.” p. 150
It’s interesting that the text so many people flock to as a support of patriotism (Romans 13) comes right after Paul tells the people to “bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them . . . associate with the lowly . . . if it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all . . . do not overcome evil with good” . . . Paul is either contradicting himself or we probably ought to reconsider Romans 13.