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Commentary
COMMENTARY: Should flags adorn sanctuaries? Clayton Childers, Jun 29, 2007
Clayton Childers
By Clayton Childers United Methodist News Service
As a staff member at the General Board of Church and Society for the United Methodist Church, I am frequently asked questions that require me to go where "angels fear to tread." Questions about displaying national flags in the church's sanctuary take us into that treacherous terrain.
Many United Methodist churches maintain a tradition of placing the United States flag in the sanctuary, by the altar, within the chancel or at another prominent location. In one case, the U.S. flag actually covered the altar itself.
So we must ask: Is this an appropriate use of the national flag from both a Christian and United Methodist perspective?
It is an emotional issue. Four objects that people commonly worship as much, or perhaps more, than God are: 1) their mothers; 2) their children; 3) the Bible; and 4) the flag. Without getting into my favorable feelings toward the first three, I will say that, as an American, I do have a special fondness for our national flag.
The flag represents the U.S. at her best -- all the high and noble values that we profess and attempt to uphold as a people: human rights and liberty for all, democracy, equality, religious freedom, free speech, a free press and commitment to the common good. These are values I believe in, and I am proud to be a citizen of a country that proclaims its loyalty to them.
But I do not believe in blind loyalty. I cannot affirm the idea of "my country, right or wrong." Until we can own the hard truth of our failures-dare we say "sins" -- we can never experience the full and abundant life God would have for us as a people and as one member in the world community of nations.
There is no United Methodist policy concerning the use of flags in the sanctuary. But the Rev. Dan Benedict, retired director of worship resources for the General Board of Discipleship, says the use of flags in worship has been discouraged.
"There is no place in our hymnal or Book of Worship, which contain our United Methodist ritual, where there is even a suggestion of bearing the flag in procession, saluting or pledging allegiance to the flag or that the American flag should be in worship," Mr. Benedict says.
In his 1993 article "Should We Have Flags in the Church?" Hoyt Hickman raises an important question about an inherent conflict about where to place the national flag and the Christian flag in a worship setting.
He notes the flag code of the U.S. directs that the national flag should hold "the position of superior prominence" when displayed. This implies the flag of the Christian church should be placed in the lesser position.
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church affirm that the church "for years has supported the separation of church and state" and that "our allegiance to God takes precedence over our allegiance to any state."
From these sources, we can conclude the following:
* There is no absolute policy established in the Book of Discipline addressing this issue; * The practice of flying national flags in the sanctuary is widespread and has been contentiously debated; * The church is not of one mind on the question; * This is an emotional issue for many people; * For many Christians, it conflicts with the first of the Ten Commandments; * The Social Principles call us to affirm our ultimate allegiance in God over state.
I believe it is inappropriate and unwise to display the U.S. flag in United Methodist services of worship.
We must remember that the church's confession "Jesus is Lord" was actually a political statement and a direct challenge to both the empire and the emperor. Many Christians paid for their singular loyalty to Christ with their lives.
We must recall the witness of the early church. The first Christians did not fly flags of the Roman Empire in their places of worship; in fact, they suffered great persecution for refusing to pledge their supreme allegiance to the state.
The flag's presence in the church is too easily confused as an object of worship. In a worship setting, nothing should come before the center of our faith in whose presence we have gathered to worship, the Triune God.
The United Methodist Church is a global church; one in five United Methodists live in nations other than the U.S. The presence of the U.S. flag in worship therefore can send a message that limits our global vision and sense of oneness.
I agree with Mr. Hickman's conclusion that "as American Christians, we honor the cross and we honor the flag; but we keep them separate."
In many of our United Methodist churches, the flag stands like a sentry in a corner of the sanctuary or within the church's chancel, silently blessing the proceedings and being blessed in the process. Rules of etiquette for proper display of the U.S. flag dictate that if there is a processional, the U.S. flag is first in line. If there are pledges of allegiance, the U.S. flag is always first.
The unspoken message is that our ultimate loyalty belongs not to God and country but to country and God. Does the flag stand in judgment of the church or is the flag, too, like the rest of creation, always under the judgment of God?
Symbols matter. And the placements of symbols carry an unspoken message.
The U.S. flag's special position of constant preeminence says one thing; the gospel of Christ says something else.
The Rev. Childers is a clergy member of the South Carolina Conference and director of Annual Conference Relations for the General Board of Church and Society.
Clayton Childers
