I grew up in a church that celebrated the Fourth of July every year with a big patriotic musical. That was the one Sunday of the year when everyone was encouraged to "dress casual," the service included a lot of patriotic songs, and the preaching focused on how America needs to get back to her Christian roots. Songs were sung about how we are one nation under God. Military veterens dressed in their uniforms. There was a color guard that marched in with the American flag and led us through the Pledge of Allegiance. Come to think of it, the entire sanctuary was decked out in American flags, and everyone dressed in red, white and blue. Following the worship service, there was always a church picnic on the grounds.

It has been a while - years - since I've been part of this celebration, but this year I went. 

I found it... jarring. The music was excellent, the people were all in fun and festive moods, and the church was more full than usual on a Sunday.

But over the years, especially as my passion for global Christianity has grown, patriotism mixed with religion has begun to leave a very bad taste in my mouth. I find that many Christians, and the preachers who teach them, have a very wonky theology when it comes to what it means to be a Christian nation. The more time I have spent with Christians in other (especially oppressed) countries, the more the idea that America is a Christian nation strikes me as ridiculous.

I am grateful for the fact that I live in America. I love America. I am humbled by the freedom we have, by the opportunities open to me simply because I hold an American passport, the protections I enjoy simply because I am a national. And when we sang a medley of the various armed forces theme songs this morning, with men (only men) in uniform marching in and bearing their branch's flag, I got misty eyed. I am grateful for the armed forces. I sleep well at night because those men - and women - are doing their jobs well.

But I really buck against the suggestion that America is a Christian nation. The very foundation of our nation is morality based on Judeo-Christian scriptures, to be sure. But many of our founding fathers were deists or secular humanists, and the very liberty we celebrate is liberty to worship whom and how we wish.

In fact, and this is what I always find myself wanting to scream at the top of my lungs, there is one nation under God - but it is not the United States of America. The one nation under God is made up of people from every tribe and speakers of every language that exists under the sun. To buy into the lie that America is united under God is a huge misunderstanding of both American history and biblical truth.

The men and women who are fighting for our freedom are also fighting for the freedom of Muslims in America, Buddhists in America, secular humanists in America, and... you get the picture. 

So worship in my home church - the church I grew up in, the church I was baptised in - this morning was a real wrestling match. On the one hand, I tried to focus on what I am grateful for when it comes to my nationality and I prayed for my country and her leaders. I teared up singing the "Caisons go Rolling Along," thinking of my dad's service on the front lines of war in Viet Nam.

But on the other hand, I did not join in saying the pledge of allegiance - my allegiance is pledged to Christ, and there may come a time when I will have to choose between allegiance to my nation or to my God; I want my mind to be clearly made up if that time ever comes. I also feel very duplicitous worshiping the God of Genesis 12 and Psalm 67 and Galatians 3 and Revelation 5 (i.e. the God of all nations) and declaring, hand to heart, my allegiance to a socio-political nation. I am grateful for America, but I do not swear my allegiance to her. She might turn on me - she might lead me astray; God never will.

I love what the American flag stands for, and I actually have a rendering of one - made by a soldier/artist who is also my friend - hanging in my home. But the lines get very fuzzy for me when Old Glory is hanging at the foot of the cross.

So I'm curious: how do you feel about this? Does your church bring patriotism into worship? Do you have an American flag on display in your sanctuary? 

Do you have something to share that challenges where I'm coming from here? My heels are not dug in the ground here - I'm open to other ideas and interpretations. I'm trying to approach this with humility, and I don't begrudge those who celebrate our nation as a church. One Sunday out of the year devoted to patriotism is not "wrong." 

Its just more of a personal conviction that I have to wrestle with annually. Thoughts?