Week 2: Well… I Wasn’t Expecting That (Part 2)

Part 2: Kingdom Centered Church, Christian Nationalism, Citizenship

As soon as the pastor opened up his sermon with “We are Christians of American decent.” I knew where he was going: Christian Nationalism. Although I expected the topic to surface eventually, I didn’t anticipate it happening so soon. Yet, here we are, just two weeks in.

The structure of this sermon was no accident. Having visited over 100 churches across the country, it’s astonishing (or perhaps not) how many leaders use Sunday mornings to push political or social agendas, often sidelining the focus on Jesus—or failing to mention Him altogether. Sermons like these, especially on political topics, often carry a clear agenda. But as provocative as some of the phrasing may have been, the “agenda” for this sermon was strictly the kingdom—but more precisely, our allegiance to it.

I took over five pages of notes on this sermon, which I won’t bore you with here. But, I will share some of the more salient (and challenging) points:

• Our allegiance to the Kingdom, and to the King, calls us to serve both faithfully. Yet in our pursuit of becoming the ‘ideal American,’ we may be undermining our Christian witness. There’s a great deal to unpack here, but at the end of the day, one truth stands out: no matter your political affiliation or stance on socio-political issues, something far more important remains—the love of Jesus. When we resort to hateful rhetoric or violence to promote our views, we damage our witness as Christians. And when we act this way IN THE NAME OF JESUS, we misrepresent His message of love, grace, and peace to a world that desperately needs it.

• Building on the first point, the pastor spoke about those who claim to follow Christ yet live according to the patterns of the world. He specifically called out the idolatry of comfort and pride, as well as the relentless pursuit of earthly things like power. As he spoke, the connection he was making became unmistakable: when we allow these desires to dominate our lives, we compromise our faith and lose sight of the eternal kingdom we are truly called to serve.

• The sermon built toward addressing the elephant in the room: dual citizenship. Over the past eight years, this concept—whether named explicitly or not—has been one of the hardest for many to reconcile. The pastor pointed out how it seems many professing Christians prioritize their American identity over their dual citizenship in both God’s Kingdom and this nation. He also acknowledged that this is a problem of our own making. As a society, we’ve intertwined ‘God and Country,’ elevating them to the same level. But as Christians, they shouldn’t be. What’s even more concerning is how we’ve fused loyalty to both, leading many to believe that allegiance to country is the same as allegiance to God. And that is most definitely not the case.

As we sat together over lunch, reflecting on the sermon, the conversation shifted to the practice of pledging allegiance to the flag. Here’s the thing: while we stand respectfully during the pledge, many in my family, myself included, choose not to recite it—for one simple reason: our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus. Does that make me a bad American? In some people’s eyes, I’m sure it does. But if my love for this country is measured solely by my willingness to recite a few words, then perhaps we’re missing the true essence of what it means to care for and contribute to our nation.

The work we do in the community, alongside others, is a testament to our faith in Jesus and the calling we have to live that faith out—together, not just within our family. (Our organization is NOT faith based… but our faith personally influences so many aspects of our work.) As I sit here and reflect, I can’t help but wonder what it would look like if our ‘fight to be a Christian nation’ wasn’t about passing laws to post the Ten Commandments in schools or mandate Bible reading in classrooms. What if, instead, it was about embodying the love of Christ by caring for the most marginalized among us? Rather than trying to enforce conformity, we could focus on demonstrating the transformative power of Jesus’ love through our actions, inviting others to encounter His grace without coercion.

What if, instead of pushing for theocracy in our schools, we focused on ensuring that every child is fed? In our own district, some schools have washers and dryers on campus so volunteers can wash the clothes of students who lack access to these basic necessities at home. These children don’t need the Ten Commandments displayed in their hallways—they need to feel the overwhelming love of Christ, expressed through His people.

It’s far easier to rally behind “kingdom causes” that require little personal cost—whether that’s demanding prayer in schools or advocating for Christian symbols in public spaces—than to roll up our sleeves and engage in the messy, sacrificial work of meeting people where they are. True service requires more than words; it demands action, compassion, and the willingness to give up our comfort for the sake of others.

It’s easy to stand on a soapbox and declare what society should look like, but much harder to enter the lives of those who are struggling, to share in their burdens, and to show the love of Christ through tangible acts of care. The kingdom of God isn’t built by loud proclamations or political posturing—it’s built by feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, and caring for the broken. It calls us to put aside our agendas and live out the radical love and sacrifice Jesus modeled, one small act of grace at a time.

CHALLENGE: Do something tangible this week.