At our district convention, I was pleased to see that an altar was brought in to be used in worship. It gave evidence that this multipurpose site was being set apart for a sacred assembly. One thing struck me though. Along with the altar also came the American and Christian flag.
I understand that most of our churches, mine included, have an American flag and the Christian flag displayed somewhere near the altar, but what surprised me was that whoever set up this altar in the convention hall decided that those flags were essential pieces to turn the stage into a chancel. After all, obviously additional work had to be done to locate and transport these items to the convention hall. The fact that they were seen as essential particularly struck me. Can an altar to God in America not be complete without these flags?
Briefly, for readers who are not aware, the tradition of having an American flag and the Christian flag near the altar is fairly recent tradition. In fact, from everything I can ascertain, the prime reason the American flag was placed in the church and many times in the chancel was as a sign of loyalty to country during the two World Wars. After all, we were a church body largely made up of German immigrants. The flag was placed there to assure everyone of whose side we were on in the war.
The Christian flag seems to have been introduced mostly in Lutheran churches as a way to even out the space. Something needed to go on the other side of the altar and in most cases the Christian flag was chosen. Many Lutherans might be surprised to know that this flag is not an ancient symbol of the faith but rather a turn-of-the-century invention of a Congregationalist Sunday school superintendent (who seems to later have become a Lutheran) and a Methodist- Episcopalian Pastor. It colors undoubtedly were chosen to match the American flag which happened to be draped on the pulpit the Sunday this man came up with the idea for the Christian flag. It is no coincidence that the flag is red, white, and blue. Again, the aesthetic similarity to the American flag may have contributed to its widespread use.
So why is it that we have an American flag and the Christian flag in so many of the chancel’s in our church body today that whoever set up the convention altar thought the flags an essential accessory? Obviously the answer at this point is simply that they were purchased at some point, they have become familiar in that space, and to remove them might seem as unpatriotic to some as the act of placing them there seemed patriotic in the first place. And also we well know, something donated in the church by an individual or in memory of someone is often hard to stop using.
Obviously though, they are no longer needed to serve their original purpose. No one is still questioning whether us German Lutherans are secretly Nazis. That removes the need for the American flag in the chancel. And if that flag is gone, there is no need for the Christian flag either.
Let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with the American flag. It is an excellent and honored symbol of our country and that is why it is rightly flown in schools, at courthouses, and at the homes of American citizens. Also, there’s nothing terribly wrong with the Christian flag either. The red of the flag is meant to symbolize the blood of Christ, the blue the waters of holy baptism, and white the purity of Christ.
However, we always want to be careful not to confuse God’s kingdom with our country. America is not the new Israel and our town is not the new Jerusalem. The new Israel is made up of people from every race, language, and nation. Placing the American flag in our chancel can give the impression that we believe that God indeed does show favoritism and favors the United States of America. It can give the impression that we forget that God accepts anyone who fears him and does what is right (Acts 10:35). Likewise, it can give those same impressions to fly the Christian flag which wraps the cross in the patriotic red, white, and blue.
Is the presence of these two flags in the chancel my greatest spiritual concern? No. Ask any of my members if I’ve ever pushed the issue. But do I think it would be best if they were gone? Yes. I am not sure what purpose they serve other than possibly fostering the false idea that the United States of America is the kingdom of God. At the very least, everyone must know that their presence is in no way essential to a Christian altar or chancel.
