Flags on an alter

I must work through my feelings about America and the 4th of July. We went to church yesterday and the front of the church was covered with banners and American flags. We only sang two songs that had nothing to do with America or freedom, and one of them pictured a flowing American flag in the background of words all about "carrying the light", making me wonder if we were talking about Jesus or democracy. The rest of the songs were old hymnals about freedom and the beauty of America. In situations like that I have to wonder what it is exactly that we're worshipping.
Patriotism has its place, but it's not in the church. I think extreme patriotism in the church is dangerous, because it can trick us into thinking that the answer to our problems lies in the political system. It is important to appreciate the freedom we have to worship out in the open and do things like chapel services on the beach, but it is also necessary to remember that freedom is not the answer to the world's problems and that Christ grants us the ultimate freedom no matter what country you're living in (which is of course so easy for me to say as I write this from the Christian camp I work at in America, but it's the only perspective I've got). When this is forgotten we hear things like sermons quoting Abraham Lincoln's "Freedom is the final and lasting hope of the world," or something to that affect. This attitude scares me, because our hope is not in political freedom, it is in Jesus, and we must ask ourselves in which of these we are putting our hope, and which of these we are worshipping every Fourth of July when we drape flags over the alters of our churches.
Another thing I take issue with is the sentiment that God has "chosen" America and/or the American church and ordained them to make the world a better place. It comes from the idea that the founding fathers were Christians who depended on God for guidance in creating our government and country, which they were not, and the idea that God gave us victory, which may or may not be true and is an entirely different matter, but I am disinclined to believe that God would take sides in his children slaughtering each other over economic differences. I disagree with the "God bless America" attitude politically because that's what gives us the arrogance to think that we have the best ways of doing things and it is our duty to share our blessed ways with other countries, but I'm just going to stop that tirade there. Again, that's a whole other matter. However, I find this attitude even more reprehensible when it's within the church, because the church is held to a higher standard and should just know better. Jesus did not create two churches, the American church and everybody else, and while Israel was a chosen people I do not believe that God has favorites, and I feel that asking God to bless America comes with the silent implication that God would bless us over everybody else, that we are somehow superior to all His other children in His sight so that He would chose to bless America specifically. We are all equal in God's sight. Both nationally and individually, we have all turned from Him. There is no "Christian nation", including America, but we are all equally beloved by Him despite our uniform unfaithfulness. We are all dear creations of God, and we are unified as His children. God created Americans, Afghanis, Chinese, Rwandans, Germans, French, Mexicans, and everyone from the many countries I can't fit here, so God bless everybody.