Christians and the 4th of July

I am super patriotic. I love my country and am very proud to be an American. I come from a long line of family members in military service, including my father who is a retired USAF Chaplain and my grandfather who served as a combat medic during WWII. I have ancestors who fought on both sides during the Civil War as well as some who fought in the Revolutionary War. So, I'm as American as it gets.

I felt the need to preface what I'm about to say with that context because, according to many American Christians, I'm going to sound very un-patriotic. I struggle with the role of patriotism in the church. My brother-in-law, Andy, and some of my friends feel very strongly that there should be no vestiges of patriotism in worship at all. It should be all about God. And I understand their point. I also know that Paul tells us in Romans 13 to be good citizens and support our country. But does supporting our country mean we have to wave the Stars and Stripes in worship?

Throughout my life I have seen a variety of worship services around the 4th of July weekend. Almost all of them involve singing patriotic songs like God Bless America, speeches about how this is a Christian nation, prayers for God to bless our country, and talk of how great our country is. The choir will usually sing some patriotic spectacular that will get everyone misty-eyed and goosepimply. It's almost like the majority of people who call themselves "Christians" in the USA view our country as the new Israel - God's "chosen" people - which is far from scriptural truth. In the midst of all of this I wonder "Where is the focus on giving glory to God?" It's not that I'm opposed to overt displays of patriotism. I don't know how many times I've seen it, but at Epcot's American Adventure at Walt Disney World I still get misty eyed every single time at the end of the show during the "Golden Wings" song. But does this belong in worship?

This may come as a shock to many, but God does not care one ounce more for the United States than He does for some unheard of tribe in the Amazon jungle. The only "people" God ever made a direct covenant with was Israel. Christ has said we, as Christians, are now "grafted" into that covenant. But even God's relationship with Israel was not meant to imply He loved them more. He has simply chosen then to be the vehicle for spreading His love and grace to ALL people.

So back to our topic of worship and the 4th of July. Should we celebrate it or not? I don't think we, as church leaders, should ignore it, as some of my colleagues feel, because it's at the front of everyone's mind. In fact, we've been so immersed in the "God and Country" idea that to ignore it would probably leave people confused. I think, instead, we should it as an opportunity to educate. People come in to worship on the Sunday closest to the 4th of July expecting a USA pep rally. Instead, let's acknowledge that we are very grateful to live in a country where we are free to gather and worship God publicly without fear of reprisal. But, then let's have a time of prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who do not have that freedom, and yet are choosing to gather and worship God anyway. Let's acknowledge how grateful we are for the freedoms we enjoy in this country, but then focus on the freedom we have in Christ, which is open to all people of all races and nations.

Should the 4th of July be celebrated in worship? I don't think so. We gather to worship God, not the USA, and I think many churches are guilty of making our country their idol, at least on this one Sunday. But, we should also not miss this wonderful opportunity to open the eyes of those who gather to the greater Church around the world.

I am proud to be an American, but I am much, much more grateful for the love, grace, and mercy I have found through Jesus Christ.