God Bless America!

Ah, the fourth of July...

So, one of the more interesting things I've had the chance to do in Chicago while living here for the summer is church-shop. Growing up in Athens, Ohio, I've attended one church for 21 years - yes, all 21 years of my life spent at one church. And I've loved every bit of it (ok, maybe not every bit; going to church as pre-teen is pretty uncool). Sure, I've never really seen what other churches are like, but I think my church is the perfect fit for me. So I never looked for another one.

That being said, finding a church outside of Athens will be something of an interesting journey. I've been spoiled with a great church, and I expect great things from whatever church (or churches) I call home in the future.

So, like I said, I've never really had the opportunity yet to actually church-shop. Living in Chicago by myself all summer provides the opportunity, and I've been pretty excited about it.

The first church I knew I wanted to see was Willow Creek Community Church. I'd heard a lot about the place - pastor from home church (hi Paul) speaks highly of it, and it's a fairly famous church, what with its 20,000 attendants and all. Turns out, Willow is about a 15 minute drive from my place, too. When Katie was in town my first weekend here, we decided to hit it up and see what kind of church could possibly have 20,000 attendants.

If you grow up in a church with about 300 weekly attendants, going to Willow is something of an experience. The sanctuary is a 7,000-seat arena, with fancy lights and electronics, a huge stage, waterfalls outside the windows surrounding the stage. From the road the place looks like an airport - it even has its own lake. Inside, you think you're in a mall; there's a bookstore, a coffee shop, a fountain, and escalators (escalators in a church?!)

I wanted to hate it.

I have a problem with corporate America infiltrating the Church. In my eyes, church is a place to build community and worship God - not a place to sell a latte and the youth pastor's latest book. I've been to big churches - what I like to call airport churches - before, having visited the Vineyard churches in Columbus and Cincinnati on different trips to those cities. And I did not like them, not one bit. So I had my doubts about Willow.

Turned out, Willow is ok. The worship is eh (granted I may be a little picky when it comes to worship music) and the congregation is slightly unwelcoming. Plus I feel about as tiny and unimportant as can be in that sanctuary. But the teaching - whoa. Pastor Bill Hybels has a gift. I was sold on my first visit.

So I figured I'd go back to Willow. Not like I'm lining up become a member or anything, but it's a decent place to frequent when you're living in a place for 12 weeks.

Alas, I wanted to church-shop, not just settle with my first choice. My friend Tom told me about this other church in Chicagoland, called Harvest Bible Chapel. He and his girlfriend a branch of that church in Rockford, and he swears up and down by it (praises? Hmm...)

Because I enjoyed the teaching at Willow so much, I decided I'd hit up the 9 a.m. service at Harvest, and then head over to Willow for the 11:15 - the two churches are fairly close to each other. This was the weekend of Independence Day. I should have been prepared.

I arrived about 5 minutes late to Harvest, and the worship had already started. The band was energetic, and the songs didn't totally suck (sorry Willow, but seriously, "I am a Friend of God"? Somewhere God is saying, "That's what you came up with? Those are the lyrics you're writing? I gave you the gift of music and the best you can do is say 'I am a friend of God?'") The sanctuary was no arena, just a former warehouse with seating for maybe 1,000. I thought it was a pretty comfortable place.

Then the worship was over.

A man took to the stage, and said, "There are three things we need to pray for today. Thanks to God for our freedom, wisdom for the president, and safety for our troops!" He suggested we get in groups of three to pray for these things. I kept to myself.

Following the prayer, the man proceeded to explain how happy he was to be an American. I decided I was never going back to Harvest (and I even decided that before the pastor took to the stage - via satellite. From some other church).

I was happy to hit the road and head to Willow. I needed to feel like I wasn't insane, like I was truly a loving Christian who followed God's principals and who didn't worship any idols and who belonged in a loving, righteous community. I needed to get away from America.

Upon walking into the sanctuary at Willow, my heart sank. Red, white and blue lights filled the stage, in front of a billowing flag graphic.

Am I the crazy one? I thought to myself. Am I missing something?

I didn't leave, but I thought about it. I took a seat and hoped for the best. The Australian-accented emcee came out onto the stage and announced that he had recently become an official U.S. citizen, and the place cheered wildly. I gagged. Thankfully he didn't dwell on it.

And praise God, that was it. No more mentions of America. No more mentions of our freedom blah blah blah blah blah blah. Willow, in my eyes, was redeemed. I shrugged off the lights and flag, assuming they felt like they had to accomodate their patriotic members with some mention of the holiday. It was excessive, but it could have been worse.

I left Willow with a lot on my mind about America. Frankly, I was disturbed that day from the church's obsession with our nation. And I was sad for what we call 'Christianity.'

I should preface at least a little. I've grown up something of a cynic towards America, having been raised by lovingly liberal - Christian - parents. I didn't care about politics until George Bush became president, and, with the help of a.) actually paying attention at church for once, b.) going to high school social studies classes, c.) doing some soul searching and d.) being raised in a highly-liberal town with liberal-leaning mentors, I realized that our country was totally f-ed up. The Republican administration was represented by corporate America, the population concerned only with making themselves richer and protecting their right to do so. Millions of people were going hungry, working three jobs, struggling to get by. People were dying, overseas and at home, in the name of honor? Vengeance? Petty issues like gun rights, gay marriage, and whether or not a politician wears a flag lapel dominated air waves. Hatred was brewing, people were dividing. And what's worse? Said Republican administration was claiming it was doing it all for our Christian God.

I'm no divine power, but hatred, killing, greed, and ignorance don't seem like something God would support.

So I started to care - maybe too much - about politics. The 2004 presidential election rocked me to my core and made me question my Christian brothers and sisters. I adamantly decried the Bush administration and its claim on Christianity, even wrote a 10-page paper about how Bush's policies contradict the Bible. I fought with friends. Good Christians that I knew called me baby killer, even though I don't support abortion. I didn't feel loved, and worse, I lost hope in the Church.

The last four years have been ok; the world realized how awful the Bush administration really was, Republicans (even the Chrisitians) realized what a terrible mistake they made (for the most part), and I forgot (mostly) about the how harshly politics divide religion. Meanwhile, our country digressed further and further into a hellish mess, far from what God would want of us.

And then my Independence Day church foray reminded me how misled Christian Americans can be.

According to BibleGateway.com, there are 532 mentions of the word 'nations' in the Bible, and - surprisingly! - not one single mention of America. Here are some passages: "In his name the nations will put their hope.," "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come," "All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats," "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." and those are just a couple from the book of Matthew.

What's my point here? My point is that 'America' is nothing more than borders. It is a group of people and laws that, praise be to God, is fortunate enough to be free. But it is not the chosen nation. It is not the most righteous. We are not God's designated cheerleading section. We are just one nation in many that God loves. So when I see people celebrate this nation so powerfully - even more powerfully than their celebration of our God - it makes me kind of sick. It makes me sad. If you want to be patriotic and love this nation, go right ahead. But to somehow believe that it sets you apart for God, or to believe that these borders somehow make you better than others, then you're dead wrong.

America needs to bless God, not the other way around.

God loves Iraq too.

As I sat in Harvest Bible Chapel on the Sunday of Independence Day, after the man on the stage told me to pray for freedom, our president, and the troops, here's an idea of what I prayed:

Father God, thank you for blessing me, for delivering me into a free nation in which I am wealthy and live comfortably. I pray that I would appreciate these blessings, and never take them for granted; help me to remember that very few in this world have as much as I. I pray that I will have a heart to give back, and that I will remember that it is all yours. Allow me to use my blessings in some way to reach the unfortunate, or those who don't know you.

I pray Lord that our president will have a heart for the needy. Soften his heart and open his eyes to the hungry and the poor, so that he may do what is in his power to follow your word and help the needy. Help him respect those in other nations, and to do what is in his power to love on other nations.

Lord I ask that you watch over our troops, but also watch over Iraqi troops. As these men and women kill each other in the name of freedom - and in the name of some god - I pray that you will show yourself, comfort them, and love on them. I pray that we may always do what we can to bring peace to this earth, and turn our other cheeks to our enemies.

Amen.