Over the years, I have done ministry in a variety of settings and encountered lots of different opinions about American Patriotism and the church. With tomorrow being Independence Day I thought I would share a few things I have learned that have helped me approach the subject…
Now chances are, you may not even think this is a controversy. But in the handful of denominations and different “flavors” of church I’ve experienced, I’ve seen a whole spectrum of views. Some think that flags of any kind have no place in a sanctuary, others are particularly put-off by anything pro-America, or associated with what they perceive as conservative. Others take for granted that America and Christianity go hand-in-hand. We have a diverse church, so I can understand some different points of view on the subject. And we should know that either side of the issue of patriotism and the church can be an idol, whether people worship the flag itself, or their strong opinions against it.
Personally, I am fairly moderate on this issue. I’d actually just as soon not really recognize independence day in the church. But I do believe that it is not wrong to express thankfulness for your country in a worship service, so long as… and here’s the important point… it drives the focus of worship back to Jesus.
And that is exactly what I have tried to teach in any worship setting that celebrates America. I want to be clear that we are not celebrating the fact that some human beings came together and made a political entity. But that God, in his providence has given us a locality, a place to live and some freedoms. And not the least of which, he has allowed us to live in a country with about 330 million people and given us the opportunity to serve others and share Christ with them. The apostle Paul often leveraged his status as a Roman citizen when trying to reach people. It wasn’t about the citizenship or freedoms in themselves but using these things for what God intended them for, the great commission.
Knowing that every distinct cultural thing in church ought to encourage us to worship. Here are a few pieces of wisdom that have served me well in any setting. You may find these useful if you are serving in a church and trying to help shepherd them through the cultural stuff in worship…
- Find out the context: Maybe you are in a church that has just always waved the flag every first Sunday in July. Maybe they have some traditions or annual events that happened. I find that knowing some history always helps me when I’m trying to get to know a community. Members at your church would appreciate it too, as you are learning about the things they hold dear. And, if there is an issue in the culture that is off from what scripture teaches, you can find out where it comes from and it will help you discern how to tackle it.
- Find out the heart behind it: Maybe you find yourself in a church that has some cultural norms that are not your default. Try to figure out why they hold such traditions or preferences. You might learn something from their motivations, even if you don’t end up on the same page. If the heart is for God and helping people worship him, then I think you can either express thanks for America or critique it (we probably should be doing a mixture of both anyway). If something is wrong in the hearts of the people, that’s a strong sign that idolatry might be in play. But the key here is to try and listen.
- Look for teaching moments: As a worship leader, teaching moments happen very often in ministry. From hearing opinions from your team members to taking opportunities to speak from the platform. I remember a time when a musician that I had expressed that they were tired of a particular hymn because we had just sung it last week. I took a moment to hear her out, and then I used the moment to teach what the words of the hymn mean, and how our goal was to teach it to the congregation during that particular season. We both were able to hear each-other’s point of view and it was a chance to teach a little bit about congregational leadership.
Lastly, I want to link a podcast episode I recorded a couple of years ago that talks about idolatry in the church in general. Give it a listen and also check out the Houseplants Podcast.
The House Plants Podcast
Ep. 26: Idols Around Us | July 7th 2019
Rediscovering Worship 