The U.S. Flag in the Place of Worship

By Bill White

March 23, 1994

I am an American. My dad served in the United States Navy at the end of World War II. My mother's father fought in World War I and served as a leader in the American Legion throughout the later years of his adult life. his only son, my uncle and namesake Wayne, died on the USS Franklin in 1945. Throughout my childhood I was proudly a part of the Boy Scouts of America. In scouting, I earned the Citizenship merit badge and ultimately achieved the rank of Eagle Scout as well as performing the extra service required to earn the God and Country Award. Since I was a boy I have pledged my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Even now as an adult I make that same pledge weekly as a member of a local civic club. It was my honor in 1987 to be invited to the United States District Court and offer the invocation at a naturalization ceremony of immigrants from 30 other countries who were becoming American citizens. I wept as I heard them make their promises to the government of this free land.

I love my country and I pray for my country. I am an American citizen and patriot and I find it personally offensive when anyone dares disdain my allegiance. As a citizen of this nation I am a debtor to every one of the brave men and women who have served this country and especially to each of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy which so many glibly take for granted. Truly there is no greater love than this "that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12). It is my firm belief that our war dead should be respectfully memorialized and their sacrifices deeply appreciated as they fought to defend our nation, its Constitution, Bill of Rights and values of "freedom and Justice for all."

But I am also a Christian and as such I possess a dual citizenship. I am an American just as the Apostle Paul was a Roman (acts 16:37). But as a Christian, we are also citizens of a greater kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven (Philippians 3:20). As a believer in Christ I affirm with my Lord Jesus that we are to "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's" (Matthew 22:21). This essential difference in allegiances was recognized by our Lord himself and must ever be acknowledged. Worship of God is never to be confused with worship of country. The sacrifice of precious human life, even the lives of soldiers for our nation, cannot be compare with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who gave himself for the whole world.

As a follower of Jesus Christ I am thankful for the God-given freedoms our forefathers acknowledged and, furthermore, protected for the citizens of this great country on our founding documents, not the least of which is the freedom of worship. But as a Christian, when I come to worship, I don't come to church to celebrate America. I come to celebrate Christ! As precious as my uncle and grandfather and cousin (who was a career military man with the Air Force) are to me, I don't come to church to remember their sacrifices or to memorialize a man-made document or nation. I come to remember the incarnate God in Christ and the tremendous sacrifice he made as he paid for my sins, rose from the dead and won my salvation. I come to church as a Jon 3:16 believer who worships a God who loves the whole world (now 200+ nations strong). I am so thankful I have he privilege of coming as a free American to my place of worship. But when I come as a Christian, I join hearts with brothers and sisters around the entire globe, across national boundaries, across the man-made barriers of time and space, and across the ravages of sin that have led to the loss of millions of lives from hundreds of countries around the world that God loves.

When I come to church I come o be about "my Father's business" (Luke 1:49 KJV). I come to fulfill the commission of Jesus Christ "to make disciples of every nation" (Matthew 28:19). I don't come merely to socialize Americans (i.e., to curb crime, to obey laws, to promote national interests). I come to sensitize believers to God's purpose for all nations. The cross of Jesus is the symbol of my faith, not the flag of the United States. As an American citizen I have the right to worship freely without the presence of government intrusion. So I come to church not to pledge my allegiance to the flag of any country, even the flag of the United States which I so love, but I come to pray for my country and every country as I pledge my allegiance to Jesus Christ.

For these reasons I oppose the regular display of the flag of the United States of America on the platform of the church of Jesus Christ during worship. The flag is not the focus of our worship. Our country is not the focus of our worship. The Lord Jesus alone is the focus of our worship.

The following ideas should be considered as applications:

1. I say "yes" to the use of the American flag on the platform when its presence can be explained in terms of the purpose of the church and her ministry in the world. This would involve periodic use of the flag on the platform when its presence could be understood in terms of prayer for our nation, on special national holidays, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day or the National Day of Prayer.

2. I say "yes" to the presence of the American flag in the sanctuary when accompanied by the flags of other nations where we presently have missionaries serving or even where we don't have missionaries by where the flags are understood to represent all countries God loves and desires to win to himself.

3. I say "no" to the presence of the American flag in the worship center when its presence there will simply blend into he environment. The flag is not merely a decorative item. The flag is not intended to be a fixture or furniture. It represents the values, history, sins and character of our nation and so should not be demeaned by merely "blending in with its surroundings."

4. I say "no" to the presence of the flag in the worship center when its presence could be misunderstood as an object of worship or a distraction to knowing Jesus Christ. When the flag becomes the object of worship this is nothing less than idolatry and should be treated as such.

5. I have no intention of allowing this church or any other church that God graces me to pastor to become the political action group of any position or party.

The first pastor of UBC, Frank Keene, wrote in 1927, "Columbus found North America; to us is given our day a part in the task of making North and south America one. In our church the North and South are met in bonds of love to build a church of fellowship and power." In the spirit of this vision we are called to lift up our eyes to the fields--to our neighbor continents and countries and seek to share the love of Christ. In a world class city like Miami where the international and multi-ethnic realities of intercontinental life converge in our local community, it seems in the vision of our churches our founders foresaw the opportunity we have o declare and demonstrate a Christ who is bigger than any single human nation or continent; a Christ who embraces the world and a Savior who establishes his church as a place where sinners of all human citizenship are welcomed in Christ as "a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God" (1 Peter 2:9).