When I was first ordained in a military town, I made a conscious choice: leave the U.S. flag in the sanctuary. Our church prominently displayed Old Glory on stage right behind the pulpit, with the Christian flag on the opposite side. I cringed a little at the prospect of preaching with the Star-Spangled Banner as the backdrop, but in the interest of self-preservation, I concluded moving the flag wasn’t a battle worth fighting. Years later, however, I realized how unfair it was for me to assume it had to be a battle at all. Instead of driving us apart, perhaps the question of the flag’s presence in worship could bring us together in deeper theological reflection.
Eventually, we removed the flag from the sanctuary with minimal disagreement and no harm done. Our decision was based on important conversations I had with several members who held different opinions. Some wanted the flag out, others bristled at its removal, and at least one person had never thought about it. It was hardly a committee or a formal process, but we listened attentively to each other and discovered common ground for making a decision everyone could respect.
Every church will have to make its own choice about the flag in the sanctuary, and I’m not claiming that removal is right for every congregation. I simply want to share what we learned from our own experience and suggest some basic considerations that may enhance another church’s process.
The first thing to consider is the importance of protecting the integrity of both worship and the flag.
The first thing to consider is the importance of protecting the integrity of both worship and the flag. Too often, these discussions are one-sided, pitting pastors and parishioners against each other in an intractable battle. It’s assumed that a church can only honor worship or the flag. I believe that is a false dichotomy. I wanted to protect the integrity of our worship and uphold the integrity of the flag. I wanted to honor both, as did the other members I spoke with. I suspect this is true of most people in most churches. Only in rare cases is someone on a crusade against either worship or the flag, and then you’ve got bigger problems. The tension between worship and the flag doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Commending one doesn’t have to mean compromising the other.
The second thing to consider is the impact of worship and the flag on each other.
The second thing to consider is the impact of worship and the flag on each other. The flag’s presence in the sanctuary impacts our worship, but the reverse is equally true. As an object of allegiance, the banner for which soldiers die and to which students pledge is not passive; it constantly asks for our loyalty. It is supposed to. This means that the flag’s presence in the sanctuary risks diluting worship.
Christian worship is the proclamation that Jesus is Lord and that our highest allegiance is to him alone. Worship incubates our heavenly citizenship, not that of our country. Moreover, the flag also risks diminishing the scope of our mission. If Jesus sent us to make disciples of all nations, then no single flag has more right to be in worship than any other. The worshiping church is like an embassy of God’s Kingdom on earth. It is sovereign soil, and it makes no more sense to fly an American flag in a sanctuary than it does to fly a Ugandan flag atop the U.S. Capitol building. It’s just not where it goes.
When I made this point with our members it was received thoughtfully, but removing the flag from the sanctuary was still too unpalatable for some. It felt disrespectful, especially to the veterans, until we flipped over the proverbial coin and considered the impact of worship on the flag.
If the flag risks diluting worship, then worship risks dishonoring the flag. When we allow the flag to compete for our allegiance in the sanctuary, it becomes an idol. Instead of being “under God,” it rivals God and leaches our loyalty away from the Lord. Such use of the flag is dishonorable at best and blasphemous at worst, at least for any American who truly believes in God’s sovereignty. This was a surprising idea to our members, most of whom had never considered how the flag’s integrity might be compromised by its own placement during worship. Plus, those who had been skeptical of my patriotism were relieved to discover that I care very much about honoring the flag properly. I reassured them of my belief that the flag — and the ideals for which it stands — deserve our utmost respect.
The third thing to consider is relocating the flag instead of removing it.
The third thing to consider is relocating the flag instead of removing it. The language we use matters, and I discovered with my own members that a subtle shift from “removal” to “relocation” made all the difference. Instead of removing the flag, I proposed relocating it to a visible, respectable place. Removal feels dismissive, like the flag’s final placement is an afterthought, like it only matters where it isn’t. Relocation, however, feels purposeful. Instead of merely taking the flag away, churches can give it a new, respectful home.
For us, it was easy to choose a suitable location. Our fellowship hall is immediately adjacent to the sanctuary, and there is a huge old communion table in one corner for sign-ups and announcements. We placed the U.S. flag on one side of the table and the Christian flag on the other, prominent bookends around a busy hub of our life together. Nearby, we also added a bulletin board with photos and prayers for our sailors and their families who are on deployment. No one complained about the new, conspicuous placement of the flag. They could see where it was, not just where it wasn’t.
We didn’t mark the occasion in any special way, but other churches might consider holding a relocation ceremony of some kind that involves and recognizes veterans in the congregation. There are many creative options. The main point is that if you’re going to take the flag out of the sanctuary, don’t just remove it, relocate it on purpose and with respect.
Any church facing the question about stars and stripes in the sanctuary has a wonderful opportunity to engage in a healthy process that honors the integrity of both worship and the flag, with the added bonus of building trust in one another’s ability to address difficult issues. Wherever the flag ends up, the result is sure to be a church that is better equipped to make disciples of all nations.
