I Pledge Allegiance - Joshua 24:14-24 (Wednesday Night Reflection)

A gentleman was coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door, as he always was, to shake hands.  He grabbed the young man by the hand and pulled him aside. 

The Pastor said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord, my brother!"

The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor." 

Pastor questioned, "Why is it I only see you at Christmas and Easter?"

He whispered back, "I'm in the secret service."

My brothers and sisters, we find ourselves in the midst of controversy within our nation.  It began last year with Colin Kaepernick and now has spread throughout the NFL, NBA, MLB, and, most likely, every other professional sport.  While NASCAR was singled out as different, even its most popular driver voiced apparent support for those who feel led to protest.  The controversy over whether to raise your hand, kneel, or stand with your hand over your heart during the National Anthem and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag has sparked a wave of protest that has swept up and taken over many of the posts on Facebook, stories on the nightly news, and conversations heard around town.

However that is a debate for the public square and not for the sanctuary because the God we worship is not a God of one particular nation, but a God of the entire globe and the Church we are part of is one that is not bound by political borders, but we are part of that Holy Nation that is found wherever God’s people are found, whether in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia, Kenya, China, or even North Korea, all are part of God’s Holy Nation, all our brothers and sisters, all part of our family.

With that in mind, and as we consider that pledge of allegiance and the passion we have about it…I want us to consider a different pledge of allegiance.  Remember these words?

On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:  Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?

Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the Church which Christ has o opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?

According to the grace given to you, will you remain faithful members of Christ's holy Church and serve as Christ's representatives in the world?

Do you, as Christ's body, the Church, reaffirm both your rejection of sin and your commitment to Christ?

As members  of Christ's universal Church, will you be loyal to The United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?

As members  of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?

These are the vows that we made at our Baptism, Confirmation, or upon joining the church…these vows that we continue to make at every baptism, constitute a pledge of allegiance to the God we worship and to the church that we are joining.  The question is, are we passionate about this pledge of allegiance?  Have we made that firm commitment to God and his Church?

As those committed to serving God, we must realize that, contrary to the gentleman coming out of the church, God does not have a “secret service.”  In God’s Army, there are no reserves, no “weekend warriors,” no “part-timers.”  When we enlist ourselves in the Army of the Lord, we are committing ourselves to full-time service.  We cannot serve God simply at Christmas or Easter.  We can’t even simply serve God for an hour or two on Sunday morning and Wednesday night and then serve ourselves the rest of the time.  That is what Joshua was telling the people of the tribes of Israel.  Joshua told them that they must choose whether they would serve the gods of their ancestors and the gods of the world or whether they would serve the Lord who had brought them out of Egypt and given them the victories to enter the Promised Land.   When the Israelites readily reply that they are going to serve the Lord their God, Joshua says, “You can’t.  If you commit to doing this and go back to those false gods, our God is a jealous God, and you will be consumed.”  The people replied, “We will serve the Lord our God.” And Joshua says, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have made this commitment and decision, now put away all those false gods.”

My brothers and sisters, as we have made the commitment to respond to the call of God, know that our God demands our complete allegiance.  What is allegiance?  When we pledge our allegiance, we are pledging that we are going to be completely devoted, loyal, and faithful to that which we pledge.  God expects that kind of allegiance from all who come into his service.

Is that allegiance there?  How do we know?

When the calls come to ask if we are willing to serve when there is a need in our church, do we say yes, or do we come up with all the reasons why we do not have time to do that now? Do we form a long line to sign-up or do we wait to see who else signs up or wait to see if we have anything else to do or what the weather might be that day?

If we have agreed to serve on a church committee, do we make arrangements to be at the meetings or do we let ball games, dinner invitations, television shows, and other things push them off the calendars?

Do we make the effort to be in Sunday School and worship every week?  Do we look for Bible Study opportunities to be a part of?  Or do we think we know it all or just show up every now and then?

When the collection plate is passed, are we dropping in what we have taken out of our resources first or just what is left over?

When we see someone in hurting or need, do we readily respond or do we hope someone else will take care of them?

When we see or hear of injustice, whether it is someone being treated wrongly because of their race, their social or economic situation, or a lack of education, do we stand up for them, even if it means we might be rejected by those around us, even if it is by family or those we have called friends?

Are we willing to lay our wallets, our watches, and even our lives on the line for the sake of all that God sets before us?

Where does our allegiance lie… is it with God, with the world, or with ourselves?

My brothers and sisters, as we are in the midst of all of this patriotic controversy, let us ask ourselves, are we serving God with the same allegiance that we expect our military to serve our country…they go into battle whether they feel like it or not…when called up, all other plans fall by the wayside…vacations are worked around times of duty…they are in constant training to make sure they are fit for the fight….  If they serve our country that readily and willingly, with such devout allegiance…how much more should we serve the God to whom we have pledged our allegiance?

My brothers and sisters, let us bring forward and offer to God anything that has taken our allegiance away from Him.  Let us give it away freely, and pledge anew our allegiance to the One who has called us up to serve Him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Amen.