“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye Soldiers of the Cross; Lift high His Royal Banner, It must not suffer loss. From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead; ‘Til ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed!” (“Stand up, Stand up for Jesus” by Rev. George Duffield, Jr., 1858) I have always admired the Salvation Army. Apart from the good work they do and the fact that most of my vintage wardrobe has come from their thrift shops, they consider themselves Soldiers in the fight against Satan. Their leaders have military titles, their newsletter is called “The War Cry”, and I have always loved the name of their obituary section, appropriately titled “Promoted to Glory.” Several years ago, I was troubled by a news article regarding changes being made in several Protestant hymnals. It seemed that the Powers That Be within certain denominations had decided that Christian songs must be tailored to the times. Changing around the gender-specific “he” and “him” in certain songs I can understand to a point – I don’t have a problem with being all-inclusive that way, although I wonder whether such a gesture was worth the expense of changing out everything, when the funds could’ve been spent on the many who truly need material, as well as spiritual, assistance. The decision that I really had a problem with was the actual removal of several hymns because of what was described as their “warlike” character. Some notable examples were; “Onward, Christian Soldiers”, “Hold the Fort”, “Keep on the Firing Line”, and one of my favorite hymns of all time, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”. No doubt, my thinking is colored by the fact that I have been a Soldier, off and on, for the past 31 years, and I have a tendency to apply the language and thought processes of the Army to daily problems – sometimes to the aggravation of those around me in the civilian world. Like the centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant, I am used to giving and carrying out orders – preferably without debate or hesitation: “For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (St. Matthew 8:8). Although I am usually pretty jolly, I can be gruff at times. Like a porcupine, when I get backed into a corner, the bristles come out. Occasionally I can go off like a bomb, and then I get to practice my skills at apologizing. “Righteous wrath” has a way of backfiring – remember Moses, in a fit of impatience, struck the Rock instead of speaking to it as Jehovah instructed, and for that disobedience he was denied entry into Canaan. I reckon I relate best to poor old, hard-headed, big-mouthed St. Peter – boasting that he was faithful even unto death, and would never forsake the Lord, drawing his sword and cutting off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Then when the true test came, he “showed yaller”, as my old compadre, Ronnie Putnam would say. He denied Christ not once, but three times – the third time with an oath, cursing and swearing - then the rooster crowed, and he “went out and wept bitterly.” More times than I care to think about, I have hidden my Faith when I should have proclaimed it – times that I should have embraced His Cross, and taken the opportunity to shine as a husband, a father, a brother, a son, a Soldier, a student, a friend – but instead took the wide and easy path that led ultimately to heartbreak and regret. It seems like several groups within the Christian Faith have recently taken the stance that all is well and that Christians should seek to co-exist with the forces of Evil in these modern and civilized times, and at all costs avoid confrontation. A couple of years ago, I attended one of those non-denominational “mega-Churches” with a young friend – and there I sat, in my starched collar and bow tie, with my teeth in my mouth, amid hundreds of beautiful young people, all dressed more for a sporting event than for a worship service. A youthful-looking, suntanned gent dressed in blue jeans, loafers and no socks sat on a high backed stool and delivered what sounded like a session in hypnosis – he soothingly repeated the same things over and over, telling us that the world was wonderful, that we were wonderful and that we all love God and each other and everybody. There were no hymns that I could identify, just repetitive phrases, similar to what the man on the stool was saying, but set to music. Huge television screens set around the auditorium alternated these phrases with a giant image of the man on the stool. All that afternoon, I experienced a profound sense of melancholy. Not just because of my unfamiliarity with that type of service, but because I, for the first time in my life, was truly worried about the future of Christianity. This Church had been full to overflowing. They offered multiple services on Sunday, and local law enforcement officers were even detailed to facilitate the traffic flow in and out of their parking lot. I was saddened and disturbed. Not because of the lack of familiar hymns, the non-existent order of worship, or the new informality of dress. Rather, it was because all these folks were being fed, and were eagerly devouring, a kind of spiritual “mush” – devoid of the big ingredient that Faith must have in order to exist. That ingredient is Reality. Faith is forged on an anvil of Doubt, shaped with a hammer of Adversity, and tempered in the fire and water of Life. The world can be a hostile, unforgiving and unfair place. Life is short and often fraught with pain, difficulty and disappointment. People can be impossible and infuriating at times. I am not a negative person or a total sourpuss. I concede that many aspects of life and the world, and of people, can be beautiful beyond description. But in order to truly appreciate the good points of human existence, one must have experienced at least some of the negative points as well. As the late Dottie Rambo said in one of her songs “Life can’t be all sunshine, or the flowers would die; the rivers would be desert, all barren and dry. Life can’t be all blessing, or there’d be no need to pray; so I thank You for the valley I walked thru today.” On the subject of marriage, someone once told me that beauty, intelligence, faithfulness, diligence, wealth, and skill in the arts of love and romance, are not what make it successful – positive attributes and true virtues are easy to admire and accept. The triumph comes with being able to face sickness, poverty, failure, exhaustion, aggravation and morning breath, and come thru it together, still loving each other at the end – not because of each other’s virtues, but in spite of each other’s faults and failings. Faith, like marriage, often demands sacrifice when the human animal longs for comfort and plenty. Faith calls for love and forgiveness when the human impulse is towards revenge or at least defense. Faith requires belief in the face of ridicule, the disdain of “intelligent people”, and in places like Syria today, persecution and death. Christ and His Church have been at war with the Prince of Darkness and his host since Christ began His ministry. God the Father and His angels have warred with this same Lucifer and his demons since before human time began. Yes, we are and have been in a State of War, and will be until Christ returns to claim His own. Every person who claims to be a Christian should also consider himself or herself to be a Soldier of the Cross. What this world needs is a healthy dose of what used to be called “Muscular Christianity” or even “the Church Militant”. I am foolish and weak – floundering daily in a stew of ignorance, ingratitude, impatience and selfishness. My best efforts will never be enough. As the Book of Common Prayer says “I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” But darn it, I do love a good fight! Let us determine not to lay our armor down until He comes or until we are cut down! And I pray that, if any of us fall in battle, that we will fall with our swords in our hands and our faces towards the enemy. “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long. This day, the noise of battle, the next, the victor’s song. To him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be, Who with the King of Glory, shall reign eternally!” May everyone have a safe and blessed Sunday!
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 07:03:17 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015