July 3, 2025
Dear Central Church,
Happy 249th birthday to the United States of America! There are so many things I love and enjoy about this holiday: baseball, apple pie, family, flags, fireworks…I could go on, but I hope you have an awesome day however you choose to spend it!
National celebrations like the 4th of July, Dia da Independência (Brazil), or El Grito de Dolores (Mexico) create a spiritual tension for the people of God that is important to recognize. Paul said this in the book of Philippians:
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. (Philippians 3:20)
He’s writing to citizens of the Roman Empire who live in a city with deep loyalties to the Emperor. He uses the language of citizenship to describe the transformation that happens when one puts their faith in Christ: they become a citizen of Heaven! Their deepest loyalties are transferred from empires that are imperfect and temporary to a Kingdom that is good and eternal.
I’m deeply grateful for my US citizenship. Sometimes I feel like I won the lottery being born in this country. My affinity for this nation is probably much like yours, best described as patriotism - a deep sense of pride and attachment to this land, its people, and our aspirational values. What are “aspirational values"? For starters, I think of “liberty and justice for all.” The US isn’t perfect, but our history says that we are far better than most. The 4th of July is a time to renew our commitment to these aspirational values, or to borrow a phrase from the Constitution “to form a more perfect union.”
At the same time, Paul reminds us that we are citizens of an eternal kingdom in which our ultimate allegiance is to Christ. This commitment to Christ prevents our patriotism from becoming nationalism - an ideology that places one nation or people group as superior to all others. Nationalistic rhetoric can lead to the belief that one's own nation is superior to others and can foster negative attitudes towards those that are different from the dominant culture of the nation. Patriots work together for unity while nationalists demand uniformity. There’s more I could say about the difference between patriotism and nationalism, but here’s a podcast that allows you to explore that in more detail if you’d like. The bottom line is that patriotism can be brought under the Lordship of Jesus, but unbridled nationalism seeks to usurp it.
Let’s learn together what it means to be “dual citizens.” We live and work together in the United States of America, land of the free and home of the brave. The people of God should lead the way in making our community a place where all people can thrive and enjoy the blessings of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
This Sunday at Central:
You will not want to miss this coming Sunday at Central Church. We have the opportunity to host Rob and Cindy North, missionaries to Australia. Rob and Cindy have crossed the continent “down under” multiple times in their RV, building relationships with the Aboriginal people in communities throughout the vast expanse of Australia’s interior. Their focus is strengthening existing churches and empowering leaders to plant new churches with a focus on sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ! Rob will share briefly about their work and Cindy will be preaching. She is a gifted and passionate preacher, who has served as a pastor, educator, and college chaplain in the Church of the Nazarene.
Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July!
Until He's Finished,
Pastor Mark