On singing national anthem in worship
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Reflections
Michael J. Brooks
I don’t remember why Harold, a deacon, was leading music that day many years ago. I suppose he was filling in during the holiday season.
It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving. One hymn he selected was “America the Beautiful.” He introduced the hymn and said, “We thank God for our many blessings, including our country.”
I’d not thought of the hymn in this way.
Later we sang another familiar hymn of “grateful praise” for “hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light,” and, in another verse, “friends on earth, and friends above.”
If we praise God for flowers, trees and friends at Thanksgiving without being accused of worshiping nature or people, it’s reasonable we be able to praise Him for our nation, too, without being accused of worshiping America.
But some have taken to social media during recent American holidays to decry the singing of patriotic hymns.
Why not sing a patriotic hymn on Thanksgiving, or an American hymn on Memorial Day or Independence Day? We worship God, not America, but we worship as American Christians.
It’s illogical to think 95 percent of us get God and country confused. Our “Pledge of Allegiance” gets it right that we are “one nation under God,” not “one nation over God.”
I couldn’t imagine anyone visiting a Canadian church on a national holiday and being upset if the congregation sang, “O, Canada.”
We actually sang this one Wednesday night in our church. We sometimes had congregants call out the number of their favorite hymn. I once light-heartedly called out the number of “O, Canada” in our hymnal.
The song leader said, “Let’s sing it.” And we did. It was a joyful salute to our neighbor nation, but surely no one could accuse us of worshiping Canada.
I think, also, of the times over the years we’ve sung “Happy Birthday” to notable attendees on significant birthdays, such as 95 or 100. We honored these senior saints; we didn’t worship them.
I’m really not sure why some view a patriotic hymn every now and again as unspiritual.
The debate over patriotic hymns is akin to the debate about the American flag.
I recall visiting a neighboring church to hear a Nigerian Baptist pastor. Nigerian flags were all over the sanctuary. Miniatures were available to take home. The pastor told us these flags would remind us to pray for persecuted believers in Nigeria.
The American flag should remind Christians to pray for leaders in obedience to scripture.
As God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.” (Jeremiah 29:7).
Michael J. Brooks, pastor of Siluria Baptist Church in Alabaster and former Judson College faculty member, writes a weekly faith column. Visit siluriabaptist.com.
