July 15, 2014
Soldiers of the Cross
Last Sunday I visited a church that is steeped
in ritual and tradition, yet offers both a traditional and a contemporary
service. The messages for each service are identical, but the music and
accompaniment set them apart; as does the attendance. I’m told that the average
attendance for the contemporary service is 80, but I chose to visit the traditional
service where, including the clergy, we numbered eight. The environment was an
interesting mix of peace and quiet — so quiet that I could hear the subtle page
turning of my own Bible. As the worship came to a close we sang, “Stand Up,
Stand Up for Jesus” and it brought to mind that whether we number eight or 80,
we are all, “soldiers of the cross.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----The last twenty years have been particularly aggravating to me. I mistook a political party for a movement towards wisdom. I thought we had gained the US a reprieve when the Republicans were given control of all three branches of government. I knew moveon.org was growing into a threat, but I had confidence in wisdom. I knew the truth could not be defeated.
-----That lasted only a couple years. By 2004 the Democrats had used every rhetorical deceit in the library to paint the Republicans as liars. Even through their obviously lying teeth they were able to shoot truth out of the tree. Whether or not they had the media rowing their boat, the truth should have prevailed. What went wrong?
-----The quick, easy answer is that God chose a path for America. “It’s God’s will! - man.”
-----I agree. But that answer lacks the satisfaction of its own pat. Of course it was God’s will! Nothing happens unless God wills it, or He’s not omnipotent. America’s descent into proclaiming evil to be good and good to be evil did not transpire for the lack of “soldiers of the cross”. As far as I know, America was last decade, and is yet today, the nation of the most Christians. Last decade conservative, traditional minded folks were unarguably in the majority. So why was the lie able to down the truth?
-----Soldiers are worthless when camped alone, when they march alone, when they think, talk, and act alone, when they fight alone. Sure, we flew a common banner, “Take America Back!” Sometimes we even focused it a bit more, “Reclaim America for Jesus!” And we had a common call we still bandy around today, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chron 7:14) I don’t know how much prayer happened. But I know not much humility happened. And I know what the meaning of the word “and” is.
-----One of the most important principles I’ve observed about life is, “Nothing is homogenous. Nothing is totally good. Nothing is totally bad.” Well, about this temporal life, anyway, and excepting one man’s life, once. Yet all the little soldiers sit in all their little separate camps serving the Lord in their own ideas, sure that they are right and the camp across the creek is wrong. Though they all camp for the same battle, they refuse to take up the battle for fear that it might bode better for the camp up the valley, and their differences will overcome mine, while the deceitful enemy doesn’t care about the subtle accuracies of an issue. They note the most relevant button in the chicken run and fall all over each other to be the next one to peck it again. The soldiers sit around and argue about whose angle to bring the pecking from, which side of the button to peck the most, and whether its even proper to peck a silver button like a gold one. There they sit, in their own camps, debating amongst each one’s own choir issues resolvable only by throwing truth in the face of deceit. Oh, yes, “Who’s to say what’s true?” And besides, “The only issue for a Christian is evangelism.“ Only? “Only!“ Good grief. Thank God the Lamb’s coming as a Lion, we’re fighting like idiots - with each other.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment