God and Country

Rant alert!!!

At the beginning of our worship services this weekend, I asked "does anyone know what we celebrate this weekend?" There was a resounding "Memorial Day!" I screwed up my face a bit, and one young man with Down's Syndrome shouted "Pentecost!". Way to go, Paul! At least one guy gets the proper hierarchy of calendars!

Pause rant...

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful to live in America. I'm grateful for the freedoms we enjoy, and I understand that battles fought for those freedoms cost many people their lives. I will commemorate and even mourn their loss.

Resume rant...

BUT, it seems we've lost our ability to rightly discern the proper order of things. Romans 13 tells us that it is God who ordains governments and authorities, and that ultimately, there is no authority but His. It seems then, that His rhythm, His calendar, should trump the civil one.

Somehow, even in worship, we've elevated the civil calendar to a place higher than the Christian calendar. On this important weekend – the birthday of the church, the empowering of the church to really BE the church – most of the believers in my church got it backwards. Many would have preferred me to lead patriotic songs affirming our allegiance to our country and our flag.

I'm not suggesting we ignore the civil calendar, just suggesting we keep things in proper order... God,  and THEN Country.

End rant...

There, I feel better.