I grew up in an evangelical church in a small town. One Sunday when I was home for summer vacation during seminary, a member of the church choir sang "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood as the offertory selection. As the accompanment track started up, I slumped down in my seat and started squirming.
Ever since that moment, I have thought about how Christians should celebrate patriotic holidays. Diversity abounds. Growing up in my home church, active duty military wore their uniforms on patriotic Sundays like the Fourth and Memorial Day and were recognized from the pulpit. This, thankfully, is not a practice that all churches follow. (Personally, I see this as a direct affront to the gospel. Have these Christians not read the Sermon on the Mount?)
Not to be left out in patriotic displays, the PCUSA has several patriotic songs in the "National Songs" section of the blue hymnal. Both "My Country, Tis of Thee" (561) and "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies" (564) are available for incorporation into your lituries for July 6.
"America! America! God mend thy every flaw." One reason diversity exists in the celebration of patriotic holidays in this country is because of what the flag represents to different people. Is America primarily a city on a hill, a defender of human rights, and a land of the free? Or is it a nation that often fails to live up to these ideals in its foreign policy, is governed by its own interests rather than the common good of the human family, and a nation that wages war for oil? Do we acknowledge our corporate sins as a nation? Or do see only the victories and sacrifices that have built this vibrant democratic society?
A deeper reason is that many compartmentalize their religion. For most of us, religion is a private matter. While we affirm our beliefs together in the form of the Creed every Sunday morning, things get fuzzy when we read passages of scripture than relate our personal life to the lives of others. Reinhold Niebuhr was right. Human beings are sinners. Too often our public morality is governed by what favors our interests rather than what the life and teachings of Jesus would have us do. Glossing over our own pride and selfishness can give us a blindspot to those behaviors in our nation.
How should we celebrate? Should we sit out all celebrations and look down on those that do? Should we arrange a display of red, white, and blue flowers in front of our houses and plant mini-American flags among them? Should we give up on what America stands for (or used to stand for)? Or should we call the nation to repent and fight for equality and dignity for all people?
One thing we all should do is take the day off, have a cookout, and discuss these issues with our family and friends.
(I recommend reading Ted A. Smith's essay on celebrating the 4th in the current Christian Century.)
Ever since that moment, I have thought about how Christians should celebrate patriotic holidays. Diversity abounds. Growing up in my home church, active duty military wore their uniforms on patriotic Sundays like the Fourth and Memorial Day and were recognized from the pulpit. This, thankfully, is not a practice that all churches follow. (Personally, I see this as a direct affront to the gospel. Have these Christians not read the Sermon on the Mount?)
Not to be left out in patriotic displays, the PCUSA has several patriotic songs in the "National Songs" section of the blue hymnal. Both "My Country, Tis of Thee" (561) and "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies" (564) are available for incorporation into your lituries for July 6.
"America! America! God mend thy every flaw." One reason diversity exists in the celebration of patriotic holidays in this country is because of what the flag represents to different people. Is America primarily a city on a hill, a defender of human rights, and a land of the free? Or is it a nation that often fails to live up to these ideals in its foreign policy, is governed by its own interests rather than the common good of the human family, and a nation that wages war for oil? Do we acknowledge our corporate sins as a nation? Or do see only the victories and sacrifices that have built this vibrant democratic society?
A deeper reason is that many compartmentalize their religion. For most of us, religion is a private matter. While we affirm our beliefs together in the form of the Creed every Sunday morning, things get fuzzy when we read passages of scripture than relate our personal life to the lives of others. Reinhold Niebuhr was right. Human beings are sinners. Too often our public morality is governed by what favors our interests rather than what the life and teachings of Jesus would have us do. Glossing over our own pride and selfishness can give us a blindspot to those behaviors in our nation.
How should we celebrate? Should we sit out all celebrations and look down on those that do? Should we arrange a display of red, white, and blue flowers in front of our houses and plant mini-American flags among them? Should we give up on what America stands for (or used to stand for)? Or should we call the nation to repent and fight for equality and dignity for all people?
One thing we all should do is take the day off, have a cookout, and discuss these issues with our family and friends.
(I recommend reading Ted A. Smith's essay on celebrating the 4th in the current Christian Century.)
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