The Sunday before Memorial Day is generally not a good day in many conservative Christian churches because of the military idolatry that usually takes place. Here is a Memorial Day Sunday success story I just received from a reader:

I would like to share my experience, although I’m not sure the story is quite finished at this point of time. Prior to 2012, my church (a SBC) had, for most of the 3 major military-themed holidays, had some sort of recognizance. It varied from time to time. We had color guards at some occasions. Other times it would be a video of soldiers marching through the battlefield and USAF jets flying into the wild blue yonder superimposed on a waving US flag. Other times we’d sing the usual military songs. Sometimes the choir would sing the “Armed Forces Medley.”

In mid-May 2012, being more “awake” and recognizing the idolatrous nature of such activities in a worship service and being aware that someone in church was organizing or trying to organize a color guard for the upcoming 2012 Memorial Day service, I wrote an email to my pastor.  I made the email rather brief, polite, and mainly filled it with rhetorical questions.  This is what I wrote:

With the young man, whose name I do not know, organizing a military-themed color guard for the Sunday services falling in the Memorial Day weekend, some questions have been on my mind about having overtly military-themed activities during a worship service:

Is it an act of idolatry?  (Exodus 20:3-6,  Exodus 32:1-5)

Rationale for this thought:  shouldn’t a worship service be focused on worship of Jesus Christ – our Lord from beginning to end?   Does an activity like a military-themed color guard shift the object of worship off of Christ and onto something else – an earthly institution?  (Exodus 20:4)

 Isn’t protection and defense provided solely by the Sovereign God? Is it upon Him we should rely for safety? 

 Is a color guard more appropriate for a secular service or ceremony – like one on a military base or elsewhere?

The pastor responded in a somewhat defensive tone but at the same time, there was an underlying implication that he understood what I was getting at. Interestingly, the color guard never came to pass in the Memorial Day service.  I heard second-hand that the organizer could not get sufficient participants. The following Fourth of July and Veterans Day services of 2012 had no military remembrances at all. The following Memorial Day (2013), “Taps” was played right at the beginning of service and that was it.

Since that time, our church has had no, repeat, zero military remembrances at any of the three holidays. This past Memorial Day service of yesterday, nothing was mentioned.  Someone did place a self-composed poem about “how the soldiers died for our freedoms” on the church’s Facebook-based discussion page—something I thought rather inappropriate since I view that page as being for church business only, not political statements.

I do not know if my letter made an impact. I’m kind of afraid to ask.  I’m not sure this story is over and I suspect it continues. We shall see. Appreciate your blogs and may the LORD bless your work.

Yes, his letter made an impact. And so can yours, Christian. If you are tired of the military idolatry that takes place in your church on the Sunday before major holidays, speak up. Feel free to use any of my material, with or without credit.

Letter posted by permission.

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