Soldiers-Part Four

This morning I woke up with the hymn "Onward Christian Soldiers" marching its' tune through my head. I looked up the story in my book about hymns-"Amazing Grace" by Kenneth W. Osbeck. If you like the old hymns, you would like this book. It is a daily devotional of '366 inspiring hymn stories.'

Without further ado,
I give the credit for this story
to my friend, Ken,
and his side-kick,
Sabine Baring-Gould.

"The Christian life is often compared in Scripture to a warfare-the struggle of sin against righteousness and of the flesh versus the spirit. Each follower of Christ is called to be a "good" soldier. This involves motivation, training, discipline, good equipment, and endurance.

This hymn text reminds us that the church universal, the "called out" body of believers from every age ,race, and culture, is to be an aggressive, unified body. It must always be moving forward in its mission. We cannot allow ourselves to become stagnant and contented with the status quo.

The author of this text, Sabine Baring-Gould, a Church of England minister, has left this account regarding the writing of this hymn:

'It was written in a very simple fashion, without thought of publication. Whitmonday is a great day for school festivals in Yorkshire, an one Whitmonday it was arranged that our school should join forces with that of a neighboring village. I wanted the children to sing while marching from one village to the other, but couldn't think of anything quite suitable, so I sat up at night resolved to write something myself. "Onward, Christian Soldiers" was the result. It was written in great haste, likely less than 15 minutes.'

Yet these words that were written hurriedly for marching children became the text for a hymn that God ordained to inspire lives around the world, challenging Christians with their responsibility to be aggressive in advancing His cause both individually and with other members of the "Church of God.""

The hymn-

"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!

Like a mighty army moves the Church of God; brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod. We are not divided, all one body we-one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Onward, then, ye people, join our happy throng; blend with ours your voices in the triumph song. Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King-this thru countless age men and angels sing.

Chorus: Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before!"
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I can hear the bass part, like a drum, going up and down the octave in the chorus.
This hymn projects a vision of a healthy body of Christ.
Too often we fight against each other
and against the human race.

My mother says it this way,
in a poem she wrote entitled

"Strange Malady"

"What ails the
creature
That attacks its own
body
Rather than the
enemy
That lies in wait?

Yet members of
Christ's kingdom
Do it again
and again
and again."
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It's a sobering thought for a Thursday morning.
God help us.
I mean it.
God help us.
The way the enemy wages his war against the church
is to get us to turn on one another, fighting and devouring
our own comrades.
Sounds like a story from the Old Testament.
God forgive me.
Cleanse me from the wrong kind of fighting.
Help me know who my real enemy is.
Deliver me from evil
within and without my soul.
And help me love others
the way you love me.