Thursday, 02 July 2009
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Do You Sing Patriotic Songs in Church?
The Fourth of July weekend is about to begin. This holiday weekend often raises questions in the mind of music ministers -- should we acknowledge this national holiday in our service? How should we go about it? Should we sing patriotic songs?
What's the balance between recognizing a holiday commemorating our nation's independence, yet at the same time, staying focused on singing praise to Christ?
Do you sing patriotic songs in church -- especially on the Fourth of July weekend? If you're a music minister, how do you achieve the balance between singing patriotic tunes and worship songs? Do you think it's okay to integrate patriotic songs into a worship service?
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About the Author
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- From: Winds_of_Change
- Name: Winds_of_Change
- About Me: Hi, I'm Amanda. I'm an English major in the Journalism Certificate program at the University at Buffalo. I love to write, and through this Revelife blog, hope to integrate that passion with my other love, my Catholic Christian faith. I'm a big fan of Christian music...Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Chris Tomlin, Michael W. Smith, Stephen Curtis Chapman..you name it. I sing at my churches both at home and school and am a firm believer in "He who sings prays twice." Most importantly, throughout the last few years, I've deepened in my faith and come to know that God will always be there to guide my steps. I often live by this passage and trust its message: "'For I know the plans I have for you,'" declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."' - Jeremiah 29:11
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Comments (81)
Whether it be through song or something else,I think we should acknowledge the many freedoms we have in this country, and we should thank God for the blessings we've received as a nation-this gluttonous, over-consuming, arrogant, control hungry nation that was founded on selfishness,theft and lies.
Thank God for His mercy, let us not take our unmerited blessings for granted.
@LoBornlite@xanga - You most likely
absorbed that poison during your public school and university education.
1) Stuff like this is why a lot of people on Revelife don't like discussing anything with you. Straight up, you're often a jerk. You don't know a thing about me, my education, or how I came to the conclusions I have, so stop pretending like you do.
2) You can continue to tell yourself that people come to America because they're attracted to some mythical concept of "God's blessing." Call it "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" if you like, but most countries have freedoms similar to ours. People don't leave their families and risk their lives because of some mythical concept. They do so for practical reasons. The vast majority of people who immigrate here do so for economic reasons. Do a little research on the top reasons people immigrate to the United States. You'll find that the #1 reason is economic. It has nothing to do with liberalism, Marxism, or any left-wing ideology. It has to do with facts.
@Theophilus166@xanga - Stuff like this is why a lot of people on Revelife don't like discussing anything with you. Straight up, you're often a jerk.
You are trying to hurt my feelings little man. What you lack in intellect and thinking capacity you make up for in rudeness.
Marxist-communist indoctrination is common in today's universities. Weak, empty minds like yours seem to take to the simple-minded idiocy of such philosophies. But the real tragedy is that people who call themselves Christians espouse such Godlessness.
The reduction of every human desire to economics or "money" is classic communist doctrine. Communism is a terrible and anti-human philosophy. And you espouse it.
My being a jerk pales before your advocacy of a philosophy that has slaughtered over 100,000,000 innocent human beings. You are Christian in name only. And that is far worse than being a jerk.
I went to church with a friend over Memorial Day weekend and we sang "America the Beautiful" at one point during the service. I was tempted to walk out of the sanctuary and probably would have if it hadn't been for the friend who brought me with her.
We then spent a couple minutes in her car after the service talking about how we had sang "America the Beautiful". She didn't mind having sung it but it had bothered me. If she was closer to my age and not driving me home, I probably would have argued with her, but didn't because of those two reasons.
@soy_esteban@xanga - Are citizenship and Christianity necessarily mutually exclusive? Does pledging allegiance to God necessarily mean that we are not permitted to pledge allegiance to a particular country or nationality? There are times when the two become contradictory, in which case a Christian's obligation is clear, but I don't believe that there is any difficulty with national identity as a secondary identity (similar to ethnicity). Perhaps you are referring to the context of a church service or official function, in which case I agree to a certain extent, though to patently dismiss all "patriotic songs" strikes me as somewhat unfair. I see "America the Beautiful" as an intercessory appeal, though if it communicates conflicts among people I might reconsider singing it in a congregational context.
However, being in a Chinese church where many people emigrated because they were denied the opportunities of life, liberty, and freedom of religious expression, it feels appropriate on/near a national holiday to express thanks, liberty, and an appeal to God to continue to strengthen such values.
@LoBornlite@xanga - I envision you alone with 14 cats and a tube of ben gay.
There's nothing Godly about how this country was founded. We've talked about this, you spouted off your typical brainwashed point of view, accused me of hating American Soldiers etc etc. I will not indulge your ignorance.
You are not as smart as you try to sound. America isn't all that Godly... if anyone has to explain that to you, you either don't know anything about God or you don't know anything about America.
Say hi to the kitties.
@subSacred@xanga - I envision you alone with 14 cats and a tube of ben gay.
The comment of a castrated pervert. Enough said.
America, being built on genocide and all, and owning 80% of the wealth and a tiny fraction of the population, isn't getting any praise from me this weekend. America is the Babylon of Revelations, and the scriptures don't say to worship it.
@RebelHeartTurnedRestlessGhost@xanga - America, being built on genocide and all, and owning 80% of the wealth and a tiny fraction of the population, isn't getting any praise from me this weekend.
Communist Soviet Union, Communist China and NAZI Germany were built on genocide. Associating America with genocide is contemptable.
To think as you do requires utter self loathing, a soul full of hate and a deranged mind. Jesus can help with all of these maladies.
Battle Hymn of the Republic, My Country 'Tis of Thee, Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies, and even the Star-Spangled Banner are all in my hymnal.
@WasaiWarrior@xanga - Great comment! Thanks so much! Beautifully said!
@LoBornlite@xanga - I don't agree with him, but you don't know his heart. You have no idea if he is a Christian or not. And you are insulting. It is hard to have a conversation with someone who is so insulting as you are.
@Theophilus166@xanga - I'm surprised and impressed that you still respond. I gave up some time ago. I like to pretend she's being satirical and leave it at that.
@SirNickDon@xanga - don't be impressed. It's pure arrogance on my part for thinking that my responses will change anything.
Jesus stood for this: there is something worth dying for, but there is nothing worth killing for. The USA does not stand for that cause at all.
@LoBornlite@xanga - Ouch. You know nothing of my nether-regions.
@Theophilus166@xanga - You'll find that the #1 reason is economic. It has nothing to do with liberalism, Marxism, or any left-wing ideology. It has to do with facts.
Facts, propaganda, outright lies. To the Marxists there really isn't any difference.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness lead to prosperity. You can't blame people for prefering that.
@sugartomyhoney@xanga - I don't agree with him, but you don't know his heart. You have no idea if he is a Christian or not.
A person's guiding philosophy is what matter. All the heart in the world cannot mask the terrible darkness of Marx-Leninism.
Good-hearted people instituted the Great Society's war on poverty back in the 60s. Confiscating money from producers to give to non-producers is a recipe for disaster. Anyone with a brain can figure that out.
But it is the people with "heart" who created and voted for these programs that created a vast, miserable, crime ridden underclass.
Don't give me heart! Give me intellect!! Intellect is much more merciful and compassionate.
@LoBornlite@xanga - My point is that to be a Christian is not something you know based on what he has said in these posted comments. What he believes about Christ in his heart, you can not even pretend to know. I was speaking of your comment that he was not a true Christian. You do not know that, and can not know that by what he has said. "Good" hearts don't matter, that you give your heart and live to Christ and believe He died for your sins is what matters, and you can not know that about him.
Nope.
@sugartomyhoney@xanga - My point is that to be a Christian is not something you know based on what he has said in these posted comments.
It can be, yes. Someone who denies God's blessings and who degrades America and its beloved immigrants using Marxist propaganda has a black heart.
Christianity is just a name that gets pasted on to lend righteousness where there is none.
@sugartomyhoney@xanga - "Good" hearts don't matter, that you give your heart and live to Christ and believe He died for your sins is what matters, and you can not know that about him.
I couldn't disagree more. What you have just written is a recipe for hypocrisy.
Without repentence and a rejection of what is evil there is no salvation. If one's mind is so dark that the human quest for freedom is reduced to dollar signs then there is a huge problem. The huge problem in this case is the atheist-spawned philosophy of Marx and Lenin.
One cannot espouse Godlessness and at the same time claim to be a Christian.
Some interesting conversations here! I'll stay out of them .....
But here in Canada, we often sing our national anthem "O Canada" at the end of our morning worship service on the Sunday following Canada Day. But we don't sing all 4 verses, we sing verse 1 and 4 ---- which sadly isn't known by the majority of Canadians.
"Ruler Supreme, who hearest humble prayer. Hold our dominion, in Thy loving care. Help us to find O God in Thee, a lasting rich reward. As waiting for a better day, we ever stand on guard. God keep our land, glorious and free. O Canada we stand on guard for thee. O Canada we stand on guard for thee,"
I don't think there's anything wrong with singing the national anthem outside of the actual worship service itself. We also sing it on the Sunday following 9/11 .........
@lifeofdory@xanga - Amen! He is the ONLY one I pledge allegiance to. :]
My boyfriend's church is going all-out with a patriotic choir and inspiring video and etc., and to be honest, it's really really disturbing—the music is more emphatic, and the congregation more into the singing, than at any other normal worship time—and God isn't mentioned once in the entire service that his worship leader has planned. What's worse, when he pointed this out, the man acted as if criticizing America was equal to criticizing God—I would almost think, to him, they are one and the same...and the fact that many churches throughout America are like this deeply terrifies my.