I struggled with this question a lot more when I was a pastor and had a say in the planning of a service of worship. I went to church this Sunday, Memorial Day and the question of how much should we recognize holiday in our services came up again in my mind.
We call it a "worship service" yet the service I went to this morning, I would say that at least 80% of the service was in reference to our country, how our country is going down the toilet or prayers for our veterans. I don't want to sound ungrateful for our soliders. I really do appreciate the sacrifice they make for us. I know I wouldn't like going to Iraq or Afghanistan and appreciate that they do, in intense situations to stop terrorist and hateful people from doing things like 9/11/01. Yet, is a worship service really the place to focus on veterans?
I struggled as a pastor about how much the service should be altered to mention those holidays such as Veterans or Memorial Day, Father's Day or Mother's Day. If I am in the middle of a sermon series, should I change the sermon for that Sunday? Many people would be expecting a sermon related to the holiday rather that just my systematically going through a text and not recognizing the season. The fact is, that church is not done in a bubble, but in a community and holidays are a part of that.
There was also a reference to Benjamin Franklin as bein a christian. The pastor stated that some called him a deist, but that he was definitely a christian. I thought to myself "have you tried reading a Jeffersonian Bible?" Jefferson took out every spiritual and supernatural reference to Christ in his bible and all the miracles. If they were believers, they weren't believers as I would define them. Most of what I have heard about Franklin, he was a womanizer who liked to drink. Granted, I appreciate his efforts also for our country, but I didn't go to church to worship or thank him.
There is also a real possibility if I am going to be totally honest, that I am looking for an excuse not to go back to church. It makes me uncomfortable these days and that makes me a little sad. I feel more exhausted than when I went in to the service. I look around and wonder to myself who the trouble makers are instead of thinking of them as brother and sisters in Christ.
