I’m going to get straight to it for once… I would never put this on my church sign:

One pastor did, though and, if you can believe the reports, the church members staged a walkout the following Sunday because of it. Yes, this was in response to the political battle waging between the President and the four congresswomen known as “the Squad.” The political back and forth has been very divisive and none of the participants are clean on this one.

So, why would a pastor invite such division into his church? Pastor E. W. Lucas was quoted as saying:

“Preachers, by and large, today, are afraid they’re gonna hurt somebody’s feelings, and when I get in the pulpit, I’m afraid I won’t hurt somebody’s feelings.” Pastor E. W. Lucas

That’s a terrible sentiment. I hope what the pastor was trying to say was that the message of the gospel is offensive and he would stay true to that message regardless of whether or not people didn’t like it. The Bible tells us with certainty that the message of the cross is and always will be a stumbling block (1 Corinthians 1:23). It’s one thing if a pastor is preaching the truth of the gospel and people are offended; it’s another thing if the pastor is preaching anything else and people are offended. If a pastor delights in hurting somebody’s feelings, then it’s not the message of the gospel that is offensive, it’s the messenger that’s offensive, and that’s wrong. 

Jesus, Himself, had many people leave Him because of His message. At one point, His followers were leaving in such vast numbers that He looked at His disciples and sadly asked them if they were going to leave Him, too:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:66-68

The church walking out on the pastor wasn’t the problem. It was the why that was the problem. If a pastor is going to divide his congregation, he better make sure it is because his Gospel message is offensive to them, not because his America message (or any other message) is offensive to them. He’ll be held accountable by God for that.

Now, I don’t know this man and I don’t know his heart and anyone can take one statement and make it mean something it might not fully mean in a larger context. I want to be careful to comment only on the sign and the one quote that I’ve seen. The sign seems unwise and unnecessary. The quote seems poorly thought out at best and offensive and divisive at worse. Neither was worth losing the congregation of the church. 

I want to be clear on one thing: I love America. I enjoy American celebrations such as parades and picnics and fireworks and John Philip Sousa. Those things are great!

But I also want to be clear on another thing: America didn’t die for my sins. I enjoy the occasional patriotic service so long as the service is God centered rather than America centered. When it comes to what happens in a worship service, there should be only one message: Christ, and Him Crucified.