A Refreshing Focus on Faith, Flag and Family

Several weeks ago, my wife and I joined a couple dozen other folks from our church’s seniors’ group for a bus tour to Branson, Mo. Although we’d never been there, based on what friends had said about Branson we were eager to go.  

 

One of our fellow travelers said she had expected “something like Las Vegas,” but what we all found was an entertainment community culture that lived up to the city’s unofficial motto of “Faith, Flag and Family.” Or “God, Country and Family,” depending on whom you ask. Each venue we attended included aspects of at least one of those, usually all three. An online travel reviewer has described Branson as a place where “an inspirational, God-and-country style of Christian nationalism serves as comfort food for the American soul.”

 

‘Christian nationalism’ is a provocative term, eliciting a range of feelings, but I frankly don’t find fervent faith in Jesus Christ and taking pride in being a U.S. citizen necessarily a problematic mix. But let’s not wade further into that debate. Our time in Branson was a welcomed break from the vitriol, divisiveness and antagonism manifested in some segments of our society.

We didn’t have time to take in all of Branson’s notable attractions, but enjoyed a representative sampling, including the Haygoods, a remarkably talented family in which it seemed everyone was trained to play more than one instrument – including the harp – as well as sing. Then there was Clay Cooper’s Country Express, a seamless blend of patriotism, family and faith, along with some good ole country charm.

 

The area’s spiritual focus was even more evident at The Mansion, which was hosting a “PraiseFest” over several days, with an emphasis on traditional gospel music. And at Sight and Sound, where a lavish stage show called “David” (about one-time shepherd boy and then King David) was presented, including live animals – sheep, a camel, horses, llamas and birds. How they trained them to come and go on cue without creating chaos I haven’t a clue.

 

Refreshing. That’s the word I’d use to describe what we experienced at Branson. But it’s also an example of how it’s possible to integrate faith in God into every area of our lives, rather than restricting our piety to regular worship services and maybe an occasional spiritual conference or gathering.

This is what I’ve been striving to communicate through my writing over the years. To make Jesus Christ the center of every aspect of our lives is something the Scriptures instruct us to do – and it’s a blessing and a privilege to do so.

 

I’m often reminded of the apostle Paul’s exhortation to believers in ancient Colossae: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him…. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:17, 23-24).

 

One of the things we Americans seem to do well is to compartmentalize – to keep separate different parts of our lives, including our work, families, our pastimes, and faith. The “separation of church and state,” which I believe has been greatly distorted from what Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers intended, has been misapplied in attempts to divorce faith matters from the business of everyday living.

 

So, a visit to a place like Branson – there aren’t many places like it across our great land – serves as a reminder that we can successfully integrate our belief in God with everything we undertake. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

As I’ve written before, it’s been heartening to see an increase among athletes at all levels giving praise to the Lord, in defeat as well as victory. Hopefully this isn’t a passing fad, since it’s very appropriate to credit Him for the abilities and talents He’s given us, along with opportunities to refine and put them to use.

 

At times our society – and our world – seems hellbent on outdoing the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, Babylon and Nineveh. However, we’re also seeing a surge of people in the realms of entertainment, the arts, politics, commerce, education, the sciences – and churches – zealously embracing and seeking to honor Christ not only as Lord of the ‘sweet by and by,’ but also of the ‘nasty now and now.’ Even being thankful for where we live.

As God said through the prophet, “but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” (Jeremiah 9:24). 

Patriot’s Dilemma: In This World, But Not of This World

The so-called “separation of church and state” continues to create consternation in many sectors of our society: Staunch separationists argue matters of religious or spiritual belief have no place at all in the public square. Others contend that if we believe what the Bible teaches, we can’t avoid bringing our faith into everything we do, including the realms of politics and governance. And there are many whose views are somewhere in between.

 

Even within the Church, many hold the view that as followers of Christ, we should have no other allegiance than to the kingdom of God. Verses like Ephesians 2:19 state, “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household” (Ephesians 2:19). Patriotism, some would contend, is in conflict with the Christian faith.

 

However, an honest look at our nation’s history reveals religion – or matters of faith – as one of the primary motivations for the exploration of the “New World,” subsequent parting from Great Britain, and the founding of the United States. Many of the principles that undergirded the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are rooted in biblical teachings and practices.

 

For sincere followers of Jesus Christ, therefore, there’s a necessary tension. In many churches, traditional hymns have been usurped by contemporary praise music. However, I recall growing up in church hearing several hymns that reflected the conviction that we are truly in the world, if not of the world, as Jesus Christ prayed for His followers in John 17:11-18. Here are a few examples: 

The Kate Smith classic, “God Bless America.” Its lyrics included, “God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her, through the night with the light from above…. God bless America, my home sweet home.”

Then there’s “This Is My Father’s World,” which closes with the words, “This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet….”

In the ‘olden days,’ when mention of God in public schools wasn’t verboten, I recall singing, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” It included the stirring words, “Our Father God to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee I sing. My country ‘tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty. For all eternity let freedom ring….”

 

Each of these shared the perspective that just as we thank the Lord for meeting our daily needs, jobs, families and many other things, we also can express our gratitude for the nation in which we live. 

 

Yes, we also have old songs like the Jim Reeves classic, “This World Is Not My Home.” If you’re not familiar with it, its lyrics include, “This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door, and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.”

 

I’ve shared that sentiment many times, as did the apostle Paul who wrote, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). And yet we’re still here. God’s not finished with us yet in this life, and He’s providentially placed us in the star-spangled nation with all of its warts and flaws.

 

So as we prepare to observe another Independence Day, I think it’s quite appropriate to proudly acknowledge the spiritual moorings that were crucial in determining the values and principles the Founding Fathers embraced for our nation’s beginnings.

 

Psalm 33:12-13 declares, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord….” In many ways, it’s difficult to say that ours is ‘a nation whose God is the Lord.’ However, in 2 Chronicles 7:14 we have the assurance from God: 

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

 

The Scriptures describe followers of Christ as “aliens and strangers on earth” (Hebrews 11;13, 1 Peter 2:11), and in light of eternity our sojourn here on planet Earth is a brief one indeed. But during our time here it’s important to remember we’re to serve as “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20) who not only profess the good news of the Gospel but also strive to live it out.

It would be wonderful if this Fourth of July, along with celebrating our nation’s independence, we could also mark it with a day of genuine repentance, humbly asking that God would bless America – as a nation whose God is the Lord. If only….