More than two decades ago I walked into the building of a megachurch near Chicago on the Sunday nearest the Independence Day holiday. I sat down prepared to worship the God who revealed himself uniquely in Jesus Christ, but I was disappointed by what I saw when I opened the bulletin. Every “hymn” was a national song of some sort, including the Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful and My Country ‘Tis of Thee. At one point in the service the congregation was expected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, apparently substituting for the Creed, which was nowhere in sight. I chose not to remain for the service, got up and left, feeling somewhat cheated.
I am not opposed to expressions of patriotic loyalty, which have their place and time. But I strenuously object to devoting an entire Sunday liturgy to what in effect is a glorification of nation. Nor am I keen on the presence of a national flag in the sanctuary and other symbols of nationhood.
Here in Canada the civil religion associated with such days as Victoria Day (the Monday on or before 24 May), Canada Day (1 July) and Remembrance Day (11 November) is more muted and less conspicuous than that of its southern neighbour. Nevertheless, I still feel uncomfortable singing O Canada in a worship context, much less William Blake’s dubiously orthodox Jerusalem, set to Sir Charles Hubert Parry’s bombastic melody of the same name.
Here is my proposal. Let’s turn such holidays into a celebration of and call to justice, both for ourselves in the exercise before God of our various authoritative offices and for our political leaders in the pursuit of public justice within the context of government. Given my conviction that weekly worship ought to be regulated by a lectionary or, better, a lectio continua, I would not wish to give over an entire service to the subject. But perhaps at least one hymn or psalm (e.g., Psalm 82) could be devoted to the theme of justice, and certainly prayers should be said for rulers and for those suffering under unjust rule as well. (Zimbabwe and Myanmar come to mind here.) In fact, such prayers ought to be part of our weekly intercessions, in conformity with scripture, e.g., 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
I am quite happy to wish my friends and family, wherever they are, either a happy Independence Day or a happy Canada Day. But not in church, thank you.
July 4th, 2010 | 12:45 am | #1
Amen. It’s interesting how Canadians, similar to us in the US as you may be in many ways, are particularly good at spotting the particular strain of idolatry that mimics patriotism. If it’s not idolatry, then why does it take the place of the living God in weekly worship?
July 4th, 2010 | 5:10 am | #2
Thank you, David. Excellent post.
July 4th, 2010 | 7:08 am | #3
Wait, you mean the Gospel is not uniquely American?
July 4th, 2010 | 8:02 am | #4
Latte Links (Independence Day Edition)…
Some miscellany for your 4th of July internet perusing enjoyment. I hope you have a great time celebrating Independence Day today! Rich Lowry: What Jefferson Wrought Newt Gingrich: Want to Understand America? Here’s Where to Begin Dav…
July 4th, 2010 | 10:06 am | #5
I am equally uncomfortable with calls for public “justice” as I am with patriotic services. As the sociologist James David Hunter writes in his recent transformational book To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World:
“The key word in the progressive lexicon, and arguably the paramount virtue, is justice” (p.132). “To be sure, Christianity is not, first and foremost, establishing righteousness or creating good values or securing justice or making peace in the world. Don’t get me wrong: these are goods we should care about and pursue with great passion. But for Christians, these are all secondary to the primary good of God himself and the primary task of worshipping him and honoring him in all they do” (p. 285).
I am equally turned off by the “justice” churches. It seems to me that we’ve recently been living in a giant morality play where we’ve tried to accomplish “justice” for those who could not afford the American Dream of owning a home — to the devastation of our entire economy and our state budgets and public schools to say nothing of the poor. Christian justice churches have lent legitimacy to such efforts. The lesson to be learned is that even our human notions of “justice” will be judged a failure (if not by God by the unintended consequences of justice efforts). But “social justice” means never having to say you’re sorry let alone repentant.
There are almost no choice of churches in most American communities that offer transcendence above the cultural divide between the “justice” churches and the “patrioticl” churches. But if I had to choose between the two, I would feel more comfortable in attending a July 4th patriotic service that was advertised as such than a “social justice” service. At least the patriotic service would be more truthful to its advertising and would touch base with America’s civic values and people.
I am someone was was trained as a “community organizer,” worked as a social worker and an affordable housing developer and renewable energy project manager, and about the last place I would want to be on July 4th is in a “social justice” religious service.
Maybe it is good that there are nearly no churches that can be found that bridge the cultural divide between the “patriotic” and the “justice” churches for it may be God’s way of saying “I am in the world but no of it.”
July 4th, 2010 | 11:35 am | #6
I should have added that July 4th is not a religious or a secular holiday. It expressly is a day to remember Independence and the civic religion which surrounds it. The Tories fled to Canada after the Revolutionary War and one can only guess they are still shooting metaphorical cannon balls from there.
July 4th, 2010 | 2:03 pm | #7
We did indeed sing O Canada at my church this morning. Prior to that a member of the congregation stood up and told us why she’s thankful to live in Canada. I would almost prefer God Save the Queen, as that’s actually a sung prayer and better conforms to Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
July 4th, 2010 | 3:14 pm | #8
Here in the Netherlands it’s tradition that in the sunday before or after the 4th and 5th of May (Remembrance of the Dead and celebration of our liberation in 1945) and the sunday following Queensday (all national holidays) two verses of our national anthem is sung in Church.
Thankfully this happens after the actual service itself and the blessing. A diference with both the American and Canadian anthem is that our anthem is deeply religious and especcially the sixth verse (wich is sung with the, more patriotic first verse) could be sung by most christians without any relation with the Netherlands whatsoever.
But it’s still somewhat problematic, although it’s not a real issue, partly because church and state are much more seperate in the public mind.
July 5th, 2010 | 3:30 am | #9
I like how Stephen Colbert refers to July 4th as “exploding Christmas.”
Not the most thoughtful contribution, but I thought I’d throw it out anyway.
July 5th, 2010 | 3:45 am | #10
Also, thanks for the link to the cyber hymnal. That’s a treat.
July 5th, 2010 | 1:56 pm | #11
I think calls to repentance while we’re praying for our political leaders would also be rather appropriate rather than the generic prayers for wisdom and justice, etc.
July 9th, 2010 | 8:43 pm | #12
As an Anglican, I’m rather comfortable incorporating the civic calendar into the Church calendar, even in the U.S. Our Independence Day Mass had some of those hymns (and hymns they are, usually clearly ending in prayer to God), and the Propers appointed in the Prayer Book. Our annual Thanksgiving Day Mass is similar.
It is fitting that we take time to pray for our secular leaders and thank God for our religious freedoms (as it is to thank Him for the fruits of the earth). The Church can choose dates all on its own, or it can take suggestions from the civic calendar.
July 10th, 2010 | 9:59 am | #13
[...] in a ghetto?) — Evangel — David Koyzis, frequent critic of 2k theology, raised objections about celebrating July 4th in church. More than two decades ago I walked into the building of a [...]
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