Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT)]
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus going on before!
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; Forward into battle, see his banner go!
[Sabine Baring-Gould]
As a young child, I loved singing “Onward, Christian Soldiers” in Sunday school. My enthusiasm for the hymn waned as I grew older and learned about the evil and horrors of the Crusades and the World, Korean, and Vietnam wars. With its mention of war, soldiers, mighty armies, battles, and foes, the hymn seemed to glorify war. Even though the martial imagery comes from Biblical texts, the hymn’s combination of soldiers marching into battle and Jesus (the Prince of Peace) has caused controversy and some denominations have eliminated it from their hymnals.
Originally titled “Hymn for Procession with Cross and Banners,” Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the hymn’s text in 1864 for the celebration of Pentecost (Whitsunday) at his church. The children from his village were joining those from a neighboring one and the hymn was to be sung as they carried banners and crosses while processing to the next town. Baring-Gould set the hymn’s words to a less martial melody called St. Alban (an adaptation of the third movement of Haydn’s Symphony in D, No. 15) but, in 1871, Arthur Sullivan put the hymn’s words to a tune he composed. Calling it “St. Gertrude,” Sullivan’s is the melody we know and love. The son of a military bandmaster, the composer is more famous for his collaboration with W.S. Gilbert and operettas like H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado than the 56 hymns he composed. While the hymn’s martial meter is what made it popular as a processional, it also is what gives the song its militaristic overtones.
This hymn never was about political warfare, seizing land, bloodshed, or uniformed soldiers carrying weaponry into armed conflict. Nevertheless, it is about waging war—spiritual warfare against the powers of evil! Rather than flame-retardant and permethrin-infused clothing, the Apostle Paul tells us to wear the armor of God and, rather than an advanced-combat helmet with night-vision goggles, we are to don the helmet of salvation. Instead of tactical vest body armor, Christians wear the breastplate of righteousness and, instead of a tactical battle belt, we wear the belt of truth and personal integrity. Christ’s soldiers are to carry the shield of faith instead of a ballistic shield and to march in the gospel of peace rather than combat boots. We don’t do battle with grenades, rocket launchers, drones, or assault rifles; we rely on the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God! Paul continues with one last piece of equipment—prayer. The Christian’s version of a walkie-talkie radio, prayer keeps us in touch with Headquarters and our Commander in Chief! While the armor of God may not shield us from bullets, bombs, or shrapnel, it will protect us from our real enemy—Satan.
Let us never err by thinking the Christian life is a resort or playground—it is a training ground and battlefield. There are no spiritual pacifists or conscientious objectors in God’s kingdom and the children for whom this hymn was written were the newest recruits in His army. So, onward, Christian soldiers. Let us put on our armor and go forward into battle!
A Christian life is an unending engagement on the battlefield. [Watchman Nee]
Described as a “preaching genius…like no other preacher you have ever heard,” the late Rev. Fred Craddock was well-known for including stories in his sermons. He told one that took place during the early 60s in a diner in the deep South. Although the white Craddock sat in a booth and was served with courtesy and consideration, he silently watched the diner’s manager treat a Black man at the counter with rudeness, disdain, and open contempt. Although offended by the man’s racist behavior, Craddock remained silent. It was when he walked out of the diner after finishing his meal that the preacher heard a rooster crow. A signal of his betrayal, the crowing told the preacher that, by ignoring one of the “least of these”, he’d ignored Jesus! His silence was as much a betrayal of the Lord as were Peter’s denials!
Having previously warned people that not everyone who claimed to follow Him would enter the Kingdom, Jesus told the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in which He likened the last judgment to a king separating the sheep from the goats at the end of the day. Placing the sheep to His right and the goats to His left, the King invites the sheep into the Kingdom. The reasoning behind His selection is disarmingly simple: “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” [Matthew 25:35-36] Having failed to do those things, the goats are sent into eternal punishment.
The email from my dentist asked, “Would you recommend us?” When I answered in the affirmative, I was hyperlinked to a site that added my five-star rating to that of other patients. The following day, I received a longer survey regarding my recent visit. Once done, it again asked if I would recommend his services and requested use of my name in an on-line testimonial. It’s clear that my dentist wants more than feedback; he wants the public approval of his patients. Although I like him, I like my privacy more, so I declined!
There are 613 commandments in the Torah/Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). But, as seen in Jesus’ interaction with the lawyer who wanted “neighbor” defined, there was room for interpretation. For example, what exactly does it mean to “honor” one’s parents? When Deuteronomy 11:18-20 says to bind “these words” to one’s hands and forehead and place them on doorposts and gates, exactly what words and how was it to be done? Work on the Sabbath is prohibited in twelve places but is the command limited to the few types of work mentioned? For that matter, what defines work?
“Happy Easter,” said the Pastor as she welcomed us to worship. She was neither a week late nor four weeks early for Greek Orthodox Easter. While it’s no longer Easter Sunday and all the jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and hard-boiled eggs have been eaten, it is Eastertide (“tide” just being an old-fashioned word for “season” or “time”). The Christian or liturgical calendar designates Eastertide as the fifty days from Easter/Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost (when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church).
Devotions of the Heart 