Next Tuesday, we celebrate July 4th Independence Day, as we call it here in the States, and

the day raises questions about national loyalty and how we as Christians think through issues

of how can we be an American, but also a stranger, an exile, an alien, a pilgrim.

And that was our topic really that we addressed back in episode number 378 in years past.

This year we're looking at the topic, but we're looking at the implications of it on

the local church.

And last time on Wednesday, we talked about the place of patriotism in the local church

and we heard from a pastor, a listener of the podcast named Scott, who is uneasy about

what he sees in the church that he inherited.

In this situation, Pastor John, when a pastor has inherited a strongly patriotic church

where the patriotism is expressed in Sunday gatherings, how should a pastor who agrees with

what you said last time?

What should the pastor do next in leading that church well?

Well, in that previous podcast on this question, I said that I've been in several patriotic

services that seemed to me to be out of sync, out of proportion to the biblical reality

is relating to the kingdom of Christ and our radical allegiance to him.

And I suggested seven biblical principles that would inform how a church thinks about

such services and constructs them, but I'm very aware that it's one thing to know principles.

And it's another thing to be part of a church that has a long tradition of services with

extended focus on each of the military branches and corresponding songs and corresponding flags

and marches and decorations in red, white and blue.

And I share Scott's discomfort, Scott's the one who posed this question.

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