Have you ever been to a church ....?

I always attend church services outside of the United States. It would be a long round trip for me to get to one inside. It is your poll, of course, but I wonder why you didn't leave it at "overseas", so that the poll would be applicalable to all of us.

 

Here you go, Matt. We have one in our church.

 

I'd just like to assure you that the usual pronunciation of "Malachi" here is "MAL-a-kai". (What you heard in York Minster seems like a comletely different word - "malarky" - which means "nonsense".)

 

That's different than what I've known all my life.

"I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Saviour for whose kingdom it stands.
One Saviour, crucified,
risen and coming again,
With life and liberty for all who believe."

 

Church Outside America

I was in the USAF a number of years ago, stationed in a country that does not allow anything except its national religion to officially worship at all. We attended Christian worship services, led by a Southern Baptist "plumber", who was officially a missionary in another similar country. It was amazing how many visitors this plumber had on a certain day of the week, on which these worship services was held. We had at least 300 people regularly, and many of the attendees could only make it once a month or so.

There was also a Catholic meeting, and an attempt to stop that meeting was made by expelling the priest from the country. The Catholics responded by bringing in ten priests to replace him, and making the meetings smaller! I knew several evangelical Catholics there, and keep in contact with one of them (the only American one I knew) to this day.

I am not saying the name of either of these countries, as it could jeopardize missions work being done there today. I still pray for my brothers and sisters in the Lord in those (and other) locations.

Bill raying:

 

I can be included in Ulsterman's "Most Christians". I had to do a Google search to find out about the so-called "Christian flag". What I found did not make me want to start using such a flag. It included the following:

THE AFFIRMATION OF LOYALTY TO THE CHRISTIAN FLAG

The Affirmation of Loyalty to the Christian Flag is a sacred commitment. Let the congregation celebrate its loyalty to the Christian flag and the Cross which it bears by extending to it appropriate recognition and honor.

The minister or lay person will proceed as follows, saying:
1. Let us stand facing the Christian Flag.
2. Let us repeat the Affirmation of Loyalty in unison.
"I affirm my loyalty to the Christian Flag and to our savior whose cross it bears, one spiritual fellowship under that cross, uniting us in service and love."
3. Let each person conclude the Affirmation with a slight but positive nod to the Flag. The congregation may now sing one or more verses from a hymn of its choice, such as Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, or other appropriate selection. 4. Let us now participate in our Christian Fellowship by holding hands in an inclusive chain from person to person and pew to pew during the concluding prayer. The minister or lay person presiding will offer here a brief appropriate prayer, marking the conclusion of this celebration of the Affirmation of Loyalty to the Christian Flag.

​

Loyalty to a flag? Turning towards a flag? Nodding ("slightly but positively") to a flag?

 

I agree, Bother Lamb, it is odd, and mabye stepping towards the idolatry/ engraven images area. We say this pledge only once a year, on that Independence Day Sunday, right after we do the pledge to the American flag. It's not an every Sunday thing. I'll admit I was a bit taken aback, and a little embarrassed because I was standing up front and didn't know we were all about to do this (new church).

love,

Sopranette

 

Your Google search is fascinating! I have been in churches -- particularly for Vacation Bible School -- when there is a little pledge ritual, but never anything as structured as the procedure you found. The "slight nod" sounds much like the way Catholics and some Anglicans acknowledge the crucifix or the cross when they approach the front of a church building. I once was asked to participate in a funeral in a Catholic nursing home chapel and rather angered the priest because I just could not bring myself to "reverence the cross" (his term). Ah well, religion! Barth's dictum that all religions are idolatries comes to mind.

 

Gayla, that's the one I know. I don't remember saying it at any time other that Vacation Bible School.

 

I've been to churches in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Georgia.

Never been out of the country.

Never had seen a Christian flag until I went to a wedding in Georgia about 10+ years ago at a Southern Baptist church.

Other than weddings and funerals, I have only been to a non-Primitive Baptist church service one time in my life. It was Southern Baptist and in Georgia (most of my family out there is SB).

 

Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico