tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1268539650499556740.post7632797533319649500..comments2023-06-29T02:51:51.236-05:00Comments on 1517: Politics and the Church's MandateTodd Pruitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08614293087144493430noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1268539650499556740.post-34412384579377499912008-07-09T19:51:00.000-05:002008-07-09T19:51:00.000-05:00mmw,Good observations. It's a real paradigm shift...mmw,<BR/><BR/>Good observations. <BR/><BR/>It's a real paradigm shift for many. I grew up seeing the only real displays of emotion during God and Country services. Amazing grace was old hat. There seemed to be a "been there done that" attitude toward the things of God. But when Old Glory came out the tears would flow.<BR/><BR/>As I said in my post I am patriotic. I love America. I love reading American history and have little patience for our citizens who spit upon their own country. But I will not bring nationalistic obersances into the worship of God. Pray for America? Yes. Thank God for those who have sacrificed? Absolutely. But beyond that, great caution must be exercised.Todd Pruitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08614293087144493430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1268539650499556740.post-13267018001221985202008-07-09T18:06:00.000-05:002008-07-09T18:06:00.000-05:00"God shares His glory with no one. The gathered wo..."God shares His glory with no one. The gathered worship of God’s people is not to be divided between praise for God and nationalistic celebrations. The mixing of worship and patriotism can be a very dangerous thing as Israel has found during her long history."<BR/><BR/>Bravo!!! I hadn't yet discovered your blog when this was first posted so I'm grateful you posted it again.<BR/><BR/>You said so well what my husband and I believe. We had a HUGE outcry from church members this year when my husband (the music minister) did not plan a patriotic service for Memorial Day weekend. He tried to explain how we worship the Almighty God, not America. We can be publicly thankful for the blessing of America. (Our interim pastor prayed a wonderful prayer acknowledging our gratitude for the sacrifices made to protect our country), but we did not trot out the flag, sing "America the Beautiful," or preach a "sermon" on American virtue and honor. <BR/><BR/>The phone calls and e-mails were nasty. One lady said, "I was mad last year when you didn't celebrate the veterans, then you did it again this year. You need to be chewed out. My late husband spent three years living in a tent in the South Pacific. You're not a patriot. You have two sons that you need to be teaching how to be patriotic."<BR/><BR/>It's so sad because we love and respect senior adults so much. They just couldn't understand why the church isn't the proper place for their patriotic display. <BR/><BR/>We, too, are very intentional about privately observing Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Our boys have placed flags on the graves of veterans because we choose to do so, not because they're Boy Scouts. We were proud to show them Washington DC and soak in the history of our great nation. We insist they display proper national anthem etiquette when singing "The Star-spangled Banner." <BR/><BR/>My husband responded gently to every single complaint. He told them that he has a responsibility to craft a worship service that is first and foremost God-centered. They didn't get it. They just couldn't see that the church cannot be the public forum for patriotism.<BR/><BR/>I lived briefly in Germany and heard many stories of what happens when the church becomes embroiled in politics. Older people there told me that as children, their Sunday School classes sent birthday cards to Hitler.Mitzihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05167128884480064830noreply@blogger.com