What Do We Stand For?

            Last week Susie and I returned from our vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains region of eastern Tennessee, our second such experience in three years. If anything, this trip was even more fun, because we knew the area, the weather was beautiful and we got to see some more of the shows for which Pigeon Forge is famous.

            On successive days we attended the brand new "Tennessee Shindig" review and then the highest rated variety performance called "Country Tonite." Both shows boasted a full cast of extraordinarily talented and very attractive young people - singers, dancers, musicians, comedians, any one of whom could fit comfortably into the troupe of a Broadway musical.

            While both shows were different enough so as not to seem like copies of the other, they contained some marked similarities. Chief among these was a sudden shift in the second half from lively country and rock music to a twenty minute or so segment devoted to gospel. This perhaps is the most glaring difference between eastern Tennessee and our "neck of the woods," besides the breathtaking majesty of the Great Smoky Mountains, of course. There the Christian church is supported by the general culture, where it most specifically is not here. Besides the plethora of churches, in some cases three or more on the same block, there you see billboards citing scriptural passages to promote local businesses, for example. There are no civic functions on Sundays - school teams, practices, etc. - and most native houses of commerce are closed in observance of the Sabbath.

            You can imagine our delight when the cast of these two shows joined to praise the name of Jesus Christ in the singing of well known gospel tunes - and on a Tuesday and Wednesday, of all things! This was followed by the grand finale, a fifteen minute segment devoted to American patriotism, a recognition of all the veterans in attendance who were asked to stand, slide shows of familiar national landmarks and the singing of "America the Beautiful" among other familiar songs.

            Both ended with Lee Greenwood's inspiring hit "Proud to Be an American," which closes with these lyrics:

            From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee,
            across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,

            From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA,
            Well, there’s pride in every American heart,
            and it’s time to stand and say:

            I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
            And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.
            And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
            ‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.

            As we sang these words everybody in the audience stood up and remained standing as the cast took their bows. It was a lovely tribute to our vets and the lifestyle we often take for granted. My only issue with the song and phrase "proud to be an American" is gospel-related and not the main point of this article. Since we are called to a life of humility and we had nothing whatsoever to do with the circumstances of our birth, I believe a more appropriate sentiment is "grateful to be an American," but that of course would not fit into the meter of the song.

            Another thing I thought of as we left the theaters feeling thoroughly entertained and uplifted was this question: why do we stand for Lee Greenwood's song, the Pledge to the Flag, the National Anthem, and not for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Of course, it would be inappropriate and presumptuous to expect paying customers in an entertainment venue, many of whom are not Christian, to stand for something which they don't believe.

            But why don't we stand when the gospel is read in our churches? In truth, the American flag, like all flags, belongs at the foot of the cross, not to the side of it and certainly not above it. Yet we stand to pledge our allegiance to it and sing the Star Spangled Banner.

            Is our citizenship more important than our spiritual faith? If we stand to honor our veterans, many of whom sacrificed their lives to guarantee our freedoms, should we not also stand for Jesus who sacrificed his life to save our souls?

            During the years I attended Drew University to earn my M. Phil. in English Literature, I served our denomination as a circuit preacher. I've delivered sermons in almost seventy churches in the NJ-NY-PA area. I remember thinking how odd it was that in two of them the congregation stood for the reading of the gospel. I don't think it odd anymore. In fact, now I think it was a heartfelt thing that should be adopted as tradition in all of our churches.

            After all, what do we stand for?

                                                                                                                        Peace,

                                                                                Pastor Rich