Why my Church-home has let me down.

First, I have to clarify that it is my church and not God who has let me down.

Second, keep in mind that I love almost everything about my church home except this one little thing. And it is not a real let down as much as it is something I wish they did but do not.

Every year we have federal holidays that celebrate things like the American labor force, the American soldiers and the American Independence Day. Of these holidays, two of the three arrive on a Monday, the day after our church services. The third alternates days, but occasionally will occur on a weekend. In the twelve years that I have been a member, our church has never sung a patriotic song on the associated Sundays.

I know that we believe in the separation of church and state and that we are not a political body, but our country was founded as a haven for those oppressed for their status in life, their politics and their religious beliefs.

How can we ignore the beauty of “God Bless America” when we have the chance to sing it? It celebrates our personal love of our country, plus asks God to stand beside and with us. It should ignite us to take His message out of the church and into the streets. It doesn’t say God bless my church…or God bless all Christian churches. It says God Bless America!

Why don’t we embrace the words of “America the Beautiful?” It creates a visual image of spacious skies and waves of grain, all things that we imagine when we hear of the founding of this country. And the chorus specifically says, “… America, God shed His grace on thee.”

Have you recited the words of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic?” Here is a sample of the beauty of the lyric of this song…

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.
He has loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword.
His truth is marching on.

Glory Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

The heck with a sample, this is too beautiful to not include it all.

 I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps.
I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps.
His day is marching on.

Glory Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel.

“As ye deal with my condemners, so with you my grace shall deal.
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on.

Glory Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat,

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat.
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

Glory Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom what transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

Glory Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,

He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succor to the brave.
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.

 Glory Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

I cry when I read this. I feel the power of God asking us to take a stand and fight for Him because of what He has blessed us with and what He so freely gives us.

I understand that the church may feel uncomfortable celebrating America and God’s unending favor shown on her during worship. But…

For our strength as a country; for our unity as the body of Christ; for the Spirit that enables us to stand and sing GOD BLESS AMERICA, I challenge every worship team in my church to play something patriotic while the congregation exits. And I challenge the congregation to not leave, but stand and sing loudly. This is the greatest nation in the world because we have the Greatest God.