Almost Daily Quote

Who do you think said this?
"Why, of course, the people don't want war.... But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether is is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship .... [V]oice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attached and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country.
-Hermann Goering, 1946 War Made Easy Norman Solomon

COST OF THE IRAQ WAR

What does the Iraq War cost you and your community? Go to the bottom of my blog and you can calculate the cost. The calculator is provided by the National Priorities Project.
"They are blessed who work for peace, for they are called God's children." Mathew 5:9 New Century Version

Almost Daily Quote

"Take the passive out of pacifism and be the radical Jesus was."

Alicia Miller from a bookmark by the Mennonite Church USA Peace Advocate Office

Almost Daily Quote

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.
Hebrews 11:1 New Century Version

(To better understand this post be sure you read my April 19th post,

"But its just a pinch of incense" first.)

CHURCH AND FLAG

A CHOICE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH?

In an attempt to provide additional, clear information about the question of the flag being displayed in the church sanctuary I decided to write, publish, and pay for this informational sheet.

The question, should the US flag be displayed in the sanctuary, hinges on the attitude of those asking the question and those supporting its placement there. This all revolves around attitude because, in reality, the flag is nothing more or less than a piece of cloth. Its value or lack thereof is dependent on the attitude that an individual or group of individuals brings to it. What the flag actually is is a symbol of the guarantees of liberties outlined in our US Constitution. It is those guarantees we should honor rather than the flag which in and of itself is meaningless. That being the case, let us examine those attitudes and belief structures.

When this question first arose, because of what I felt to be the inappropriate concern of where the flag was placed in the sanctuary, I decided to research the question and the first source I consulted was InfoServe, the United Methodist information service. The question that I asked was, "What is the official policy of the UM Church toward displaying the US flag in the sanctuary of a church?" I received a reply that in the cover E-mail summarized the opinions of four church authorities about the subject. The E-mail also sent me to the web sites where the full length articles were posted. It is interesting to note that three out of the four opinions, 75 percent, were not in favor of having the US flag displayed in the sanctuary.

USE OF NATIONAL FLAG OR CHRISTIAN FLAG:
+ In a letter to a pastor, the former Worship Director of the General Board of Discipleship, Rev. Hoyt Hickman, pointed out that although there is no denominational policy concerning the use of flags, including national flags, their use has been discouraged over the years. Rev. Daniel Benedict, also a retired Worship Director, confirmed that the use of either a national flag or the so-called Christian flag in church chancels continues to be discouraged among most United Methodist church officials. 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.

+ From Reverend Taylor Burton-Edwards, Director of Worship Resources, General Board of Discipleship:
Hoyt Hickman addressed to some degree in the article "Should We Have Flags in the Church? The Christian Flag and the American Flag", whether ANY flag is either appropriate or needed in the sanctuary of most of our churches today. Clearly, as Hoyt pointed out, there is practically no way that churches CAN display the US flag without in some way either breaking the Flag Code, or worse theologically, giving higher honor to this symbol of the nation than to symbols for Christ. And, as he also notes, the Christian flag was invented at a time when most Protestants didn't have other symbols (such as a large cross) in their worship space -- so the flag became a way to introduce at least that one. Since most churches now DO have such symbols, it really is a good question whether the Christian flag is somehow redundant or at least confusing as a symbol, regardless of whether an American flag is also present. "Should We Have Flags in the Church? The Christian Flag and the American Flag" is online at http://www.gbod.org/worship/default.asp?act=reader&item_id=2832&loc_id=9,10,41.

+ However, according to the director of Civic Youth Serving Agencies/Scouting Ministries, General Commission on United Methodist Men (GCUMM), the Scouting Office "encourages the use of flags in special services, Eagle Courts of Honor and other youth agency events since they are 'sponsored' by the local church. The Christian flag reminds us of our faith. The American flag reminds us of our heritage."

+ "Commentary: Should U.S. Flags Fly in the Sanctuaries?" by Rev. Dr. Clayton Childers, General Board of Church and Society, is online at http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2897961/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7bE3914C14-FDCA-44B9-8C45-1585E48ED16A%7d&notoc=1.

+ "Commentary: Flag Display Affirms God's Blessings" by Rev. Richard Stewart is at http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.2897961/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id=%7bDA288AAF-621B-4D3B-B47F-908684F0F8C7%7d&notoc=1.

In the two articles that were placed in our bulletin one Sunday, it is interesting to note that the last paragraph of one article, that some people said was wishy-washy, the author stated unequivocally, "To sum up, we in America wisely separate church and state. As American Christian, we honor the cross and we honor the flag; but we keep them separate. An American flag used in worship of the universal church is no more appropriate than hanging a cross in a civil courtroom used by Americans of all religions."

It is of further interest to note that the one opinion that favored placing the flag in the sanctuary cited as his main argument the US Flag code, a "rule" that has only been in existence since 1942. Hardly a tradition in long standing considering the centuries of the existence of the Christian church.

So if the majority of UM officials favor not having the flag displayed during worship and the flag code is a relatively recent and secular addition to the discussion, what guidance can we receive from scripture? After all, two points in Wesley's Quadrilateral site scripture and tradition. The salient scripture I was led to reflect both.

The first is in Exodus 20 verses 3, 4, and 5 that say in part, "You must not have any other gods except me… You shall not make yourself an idol… You must not worship or make yourself an idol…" I have been told that three or four families will leave this church should the flag not be displayed during worship. What does this say about ultimate loyalty, about what is placed first in our devotion, about idolizing an object?

More guidance is found in Daniel chapter 3. Here Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon, has a large statue built and instructed all the people in his kingdom to bow down to it whenever certain music was played. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were exiles from Israel in his kingdom but had risen to positions of privilege in that society (some translations call them judges) refused to bow down to that national symbol that had been established to force conformity. They said that they would only worship God. As a result, they were thrown into the "fiery furnace" but did not die because they were protected by an angel of God.

No one is forcing us to bow down to the flag yet even a 6 year old turns around to my wife and me during the National Anthem in church and says, "You're suppose to stand up." The unquestioned societal pressure is obvious.

A third salient scripture is Matthew 22:21b "… Then Jesus said to them, 'Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's.' " The sanctuary was dedicated to and belongs to God; not to Caesar.

Yet a fourth scripture says, "Jesus answered, 'My kingdom does not belong to this world…But my kingdom is from another place.'" (John 18:36)

Matthew 6:24. "No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other…."

The Gospels tell us that Jesus was constantly at odds with the religious authorities of the temple and the civil authorities of Rome. For proof of this we need only look at the passion of Jesus during His last days on Earth.

Early church history tells us that the 1^st Century and early Romans were ordered by the Roman Empire to burn a pinch of incense once a year and say, "Caesar is Lord." The Christians during that era refused to do that, and as a result were given the opportunity to be involved in "sporting" contests with lions for the entertainment of the masses.

In later church history we know that the protestant movement came about in large part because Luther refused to "bow down" to the civil and religious authorities of his time. The Pope handed Martin Luther over to the Holy Roman emperor for trial on charges of heresy. To this day many Lutheran synods forbid the flag to be displayed in their sanctuaries, so strongly is their sense of the separation of church and state ingrained in their religious doctrine.

Before and during WW II the Nazi government co-opted the church in Germany. Derrick Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister, refused to be a part of that and joined the Confessing Church, an underground Christian movement, that worked against the German government. He was eventually arrested and hanged for his commitment. Many of his writings survived and he is the "author" of the concept of Contextual Ethics.

These examples from history, and probably many more could be cited, demonstrate the necessity for the separation of church and secular authority. These acts of courage were often paid for through great personal sacrifice.

The point is that some people inappropriately deify the flag. Consider the pledge of allegiance to the flag. The phrase in the pledge "…under God…" was inserted in the 1950s during the bad old McCarthy era. Consider how this phrase modifies the original intent of the pledge. From"…one nation indivisible with liberty…" meaning one nation made up of many states but unified to "…one nation under God indivisible…" which has come to mean, either consciously or unconsciously to people, the one and ONLY nation under God. When this is set into the context of a religious ceremony the resulting meaning is even more ominous. People can deny this but it is to deny the obvious.

Consider further how it is said that a US flag is to be retired (i.e. destroyed). The instructions that I discovered on the Internet from Stan Pope go on for two pages with detailed instructions about who and how many make up the honor guard, how the grommets are to be treated (I'm not kidding about that) and exactly how the flag is to be folded. See http://members.aol.com/StanDCmr/flag.html. If this doesn't mimic a religious ceremony, it comes very close.

The reaction of this congregation the Sunday after 9/11 is also informative. We looked to the nation for security by singing the national anthem, not to God our only real security. Prayers seemed to be an afterthought.

The Rev. Clayton Childres in the article "A UMNS Commentary" that I cited on page 1 concludes with a section headed "Ultimate loyalty." He says:

"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. It stands, seldom acknowledged but ever present.

There are rules of etiquette for proper display, written with the U.S. flag in mind. If there is a processional, the U.S. flag is first in line. If there is a place of highest honor, it belongs to the U.S. flag. If there are pledges of allegiance, the U.S. flag is always first with all other pledges an afterthought.

The unspoken message is that our ultimate loyalty belongs not to God and country but to country and God. Do we hear what we are saying? 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 placement of symbols carry an unspoken message.

The U.S. flags special position of constant preeminence says one thing; the Gospel of Christ says something else." (Emphasis mine.)

Why is all of this important? Some have said it could split the local church; I pray that that does not happen. But it's important because if we don't have our priorities straight about who and what we worship and give our ultimate loyalty to how can we possibly understand what road we are to take as a church and what tasks we are to accomplish?

"Then Joshua said to the people, 'Now respect the Lord and serve him fully and sincerely. Throw away the gods that your ancestors worshipped…But if you don't want to serve the Lord you must choose for yourself today whom you will serve… As for me and my family we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:14, 15) [All scripture references from NCV Bible.]

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Today is December 5, 2008 and it has occured to me that to tie up any loose ends about this Flag and Cross "saga" it would be helpful to post my resignation that I submitted in May at the Church Council meeting. This, as you will see, is not only a resignation as Chair of the Church Council but a resignation from all of the offices that I held at the local church and as the lay representative to the North Central New York Conference of the United Methodist Church.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION

After thirty-seven years of work, worship and friendship at Delta UMC (we joined this church on the same day our oldest son was baptized here), Mary Anne and I reluctantly have decided to take a hiatus from the church. We are prompted, not as many will assume by the “flag vote” last spring, but by a specific dictate by the pastors. They insist that I am not able to continue my role as Chair of the Church Council because I am not attending worship services in the sanctuary on Sunday morning.
As most of you may remember, and as I have explained several times in different ways, I cannot worship in a sanctuary that is supposedly dedicated to the worship of the triune God now that it has been officially co-opted by the addition of the adoration of the US flag. When the congregational vote on the position of the flag was held, it had been said that “several” families would “have to leave” if the flag was removed from the sanctuary. Nothing was mentioned about actions that I might consider taking if the flag remained “in the front of the sanctuary” as the object of devotion. I have visited many places of worship this summer; most, if not all, have a flag in the sanctuary, though not all in the front near the altar; this has led me to the realization that the problem is not the physical presence of the flag, but the attitude of the congregation towards it. One pastor’s wife even exclaimed, “Your congregation did what? Voted on where the flag went? Don’t they have more serious things to occupy their minds in a world as troubled as ours?”
It is interesting to note that nowhere in the Discipline is it stated that attendance at worship in and at a specific time and place is necessary to qualify one as a church leader and especially as chair of Church Council. The vows we take upon joining the church require us to support the church IN THIS ORDER with our prayers, our presence, our tithes, and our service. “Presence” isn’t further defined, and, as many of you might have noted, I have not exactly been absent from other aspects of the life of the church during the past few months. In addition, there have been other individuals who have held leadership positions at Delta who did not attend worship regularly if at all, and the Discipline specifically states that not all members of the Board of Trustees have even to be members of the church.
Our pastors’ main concern seems to be that they and I cannot have a working relationship unless I attend a Sunday morning worship service. Common sense would indicate that a working relationship is not negated by a lack of attendance for one particular hour every week. Very little if any business or preparation for Church Council is accomplished at worship; indeed, to do so would be to violate the sacredness of the service itself. The planning for meetings always takes place outside the worship setting. In addition, I have indicated that I am willing to fulfill all my other responsibilities—as lay member to Annual Conference, Sunday School teacher, member of the Stewardship Committee, even the person whom people call for rescue when they lock themselves out of the church building.
Given the unfortunate circumstances of the past several months, all set in motion by one individual who demanded to know, “WHO MOVED THE FLAG?” and initiated a landslide of complaints from others who had been blithely unaware for about a year that the flag had ever been moved and who now not only found its new location both unpatriotic and sacrilegious overnight, but insisted they’d felt that way all along, I have decided not to dispute our pastors’ ruling—although it would be interesting to find out what the Judicial Council of the General Conference might have to say. I have decided, however, not to “go gentle into that good night.” The pastors originally wanted me to stay until the new slate of church officers took over on January 1 so that this would look like part of the “normal cycle of things.” At the risk of claiming that this decision of theirs is a personal one based on my (and now Mary Anne’s) strong beliefs that we are being required, as the early Christian were by the Romans, to “just burn a pinch of incense”, be quiet, and let the church go on without examining what it stands for, I cannot let them get away with what would be a deception of the congregation.

I have decided to submit my resignation immediately and publically. Logic would dictate that if I am not qualified for this position in the church leadership, I am not qualified for any—I should not be teaching an adult Sunday School class, I should not be lay member to annual conference, I should not serve on PPRC, and I should not be on the Stewardship Committee.
Being a church leader involves more than serving on boards or committees or functioning in roles commemorated on bronze plaques in the vestibule. It consists of practicing one’s faith on more than a superficial level. It is something we have always endeavored to do and what the events of the past months’ have shown us we must continue to do—at a different time and in a different place—somewhere where deeply held beliefs are honored. What the pastors have asked us to do in fact is to be compliant to the world, to agree with the majority not because the majority is right (has anyone asked Inell and Lamar what their stand on the location of the flag is?) but because they just don’t want to force the issue now. They want, they say, people to be brought along slowly. All of you who wear WWJD bracelets might consider how Jesus would respond to such a request.
If you think our political beliefs are involved with our religious stand, then you are correct. But as Christ often pointed out you need to consider the log in your own eye before you criticize the mote in ours. Many in this church have adopted societies’ example of country first and Christianity second as long as it does not interfere with their own prosperity and security. It is very nice to donate to missions, to drop a few cans of peas in the food barrel, and to go on mission trips, but God calls us ALWAYS to do “… as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them .” That should be the very basis of our faith—doers of the word, not hearers only—and the Word is not the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Right, or even (heaven forfend!) the Flag Code. One church we visited this summer has the pastor carry the Bible into the congregation before scriptures are read, proclaiming, “The Word of God for the People of God.” In all the brouhaha over where the US Flag had to be at Delta, no one—no one—noticed that the Word of God wasn’t even in the sanctuary, let alone in the midst of the people, let alone in their hearts and minds.
Having said all this, it is our hope and prayer that the people at Delta will examine their beliefs more deeply (for the deification of any entity other than God is one of the original Ten Commandments’ prohibitions) and come to understand that God is not a respecter of persons or nations or even flags.
We will miss you. We may even stop in for a cookie sale or a church dinner. We have not made a decision to withdraw our membership although it was heartwarming to hear from one woman at another church in the area, “If you ever do want to change churches officially, we really hope you choose us.” Right now, however, it has come to the point that we need to act:
“Here I stand I can do no other.”
This is my resignation from all offices at Delta United Methodist Church.
Norman E. Hutchinson

Almost Daily Quote

Friday 8-1-08
I love the recklessness of faith. First you leap, and then you grow wings.
Credo by William Sloan Coffin