I’ve served in congregations that had no flags in the sanctuary (Christian nor American) and I’ve served in congregations that had flags on proud display. I’ve watched ministers dance around the issue of national patriotism in the sanctuary, seen some embrace it to the near point of idolatry, seen some loose members or this jobs, and helped sneak flags farther and farther to the edge of the sanctuary (and then out) that there was no issue at all. The argument about this being a “christian nation” are for another day (though I am clearly in the “no” camp). I was forwarded this article about Goshen College and found it an interesting perspective on ‘nationalism’ and the Christian experience. Click the title to read the entire article.
Resistance to the National Anthem at Goshen College
Acquiescing to a public ritual that glorifies the nation-state is an issue that affects more than the Goshen College community or the Mennonite Church. Indeed, when Christians glorify their nation over another, they chip away at ecumenical fellowship, making this an issue for all Christians seeking to be faithful to the only God worthy of glory and praise.
I said in my sermon on Sunday that we need to become a people that embrace the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law. By that same example I’ve thought that our denomination needs to rekindle the spirit of our founders, Stone, the Campbells, and Smith as we move into the 21st century as a way to remain a relevant voice of gospel in the noise of society. I noted this article in the TCU Daily Skiff by Pearce Edwards urging the university to connect to the heritage of our denomination as it moves deeper into this new century. Here is a paragraph. Click on the title to read more.
Disciples Heritage Should Not Be Forgotten
by Pearce Edwards | TCU Daily Skiff | April 1, 2010
As the Disciples of Christ denomination follows the national trend of declining mainline Protestantism, it is not the tangible bonds between the Disciples and TCU that hold strong as they once could. Intangibly however, the Disciples’ belief in fostering learning in all its followers and a spirit of discernment honed by a pursuit of truth resonates strongly with the university’s mission to educate its students to be “ethical leaders and responsible citizens.”
Where does TCU go from here? The university must realize its fundamental resonance with the mission of the Disciples of Christ denomination and embrace the intangible bonds it shares. An ocean away, Shanghai urban planner Ruan Yisan speaks of a rapidly modernizing China that seeks the cutting edge when he says, “There is nothing wrong with improving people’s lives, but we should not throw our heritage away like a pair of old shoes.”