After reading Kelly’s comment and switchfoot quote:
“We want more than the wars of our fathers"”I feel like that line from switchfoot sums up so much of what I feel within the Salvation Army. Having watched my officer parents struggle through much of the same bureaucracy we struggle with now, I feel like there's got to be more.”
My mind raced with ideas and my heart resonated with the desire for something more. I packed up my computer and headed off for the Corps office. My daughter’s Casting Crowns cd was in the car. As I started the car the music blasted loudly giving me a fright. No, it wasn’t because my child had used the car before me….she is only 13! I had forgotten how loud I had it turned up the night before as I went visiting a few people who have operations today.
The song ,the words really that spoke over me in my car with Kelly’s words still hanging in my mind, went like this :
“What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted of their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more.”
Now the connection of “more than the wars of our fathers” and “ what if the armies of the Lord, picked up and dusted of their swords” was too much for my brain to handle.
A couple questions came into my mind:
Who are we fighting?
What is the battle?
How can these words: battle, sword, army…not take you to the book of Ephesians 6
My friend Terri Mundel, a Salvationist from Australia told me in ’94 as I complained about someone- “Our battle is not against flesh and blood” In other words our battle isn’t against each other.
But, Ephesians goes on to say “But, it is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The rulers and authorities…not being DHQ or THQ. They actually come “under flesh and blood” definition in my opinion.
But “we want more than the wars of our fathers”.
What is the more we want?
More understanding? More freedom? More change?
We may discern the need for change…..
We may discern the powers of the dark world working against us- sometimes through well-intended dragons.
We may discern even the details of what needs to happen or who may be standing against us.
There is a war, there is a battle and there will always be struggle. Maybe not the same struggles as our fathers, maybe greater struggles, harder resistance, bigger battles.
But what do we do we need to do to get to the next level.
Oswald Chambers said “Discernment is God’s call to intercession, never to fault finding.”
On a personal level- ouch
On a cooperate level- I want to scream Uncle!
Two things that we need to win the battle. Both mentioned in that Casting Crowns song both supported by Scripture:
1. Pick up and dust off our swords- know the word of God- sword of the Spirit. Use the word of God- speak the word of God over situations- pray the word of God- live the word of God.
2. Prayer-The chorus of the song from my daughters CD:
“What if his people prayed
and those who bare his name
Would humbly seek his face
And turn from their own way.”
7 comments:
I'm glad we're in this together. You...me...all of us...God. Hope leads the way in the love of Christ.
"Meant To Live"
Fumbling his confidence
And wondering why the world has passed him by
Hoping that he's bent for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly
[Chorus]
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Dreaming about Providence
And whether mice or men have second tries
Maybe we've been livin with our eyes half open
Maybe we're bent and broken, broken
[Chorus]
We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life, yeah
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live
We were meant to live
I just want to tell you that I LOVE reading your blogs, they really make me think, and I LOVE your thoughts about things and I really appreciate the fact that you type out these thoughts for the rest of us to ponder about...
much love and prayers,
Allison
"Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more.” This line annoys me - only because it convicts me of what I am not doing.
Catherine Booth said that we had to be prepared to build our citadels at the gates of hell. A bit severe we may think, however, I was speaking with someone recently about young adult ministry and it blew me away how they "thought" they had done all they could to reach this demographic. Are they on fire for Christ? Not all of them...why do we get to rest on our laurels? Isn't this what we are all about? I'm not talking them all waving hands in the sky, speaking tongues - that is not at all realistic - I am saying, serious, in their own way about their relationship and nurturing the relationships of others with God. As Diana Ross would sing, it's a "chain reaction!" You want people to step up? Then show them how to...
Catherine really got me with the gates of hell thing; are we going to hell for people? Do we even think it's that necessary? Either we go there for them - or they go there on their own - thank you Jesus that you are a sore loser and that you do not see it fit that any of us should go to hell.
When I think of the wars of our fathers I realize there are two wars. One of the wars I want more than. The other I only want to be able to half-way engage in as deeply as our fathers have.
The first war, that of bureacracy, red tape, tradionalism (tradition for tradition sake), uniformism (that of wearing the uniform only for the sake of wearing the uniform), covenantism, churchism,ect. I want more than!!! Much more!
But the second war of our fathers, that of holiness of mind and thought, of being dangerously uncool by witnessing for Christ, that of living among the poor, that of true prayer, of being in a loving Christian community, of knowing what the Bible says and what God says to the world through it, that of seeing life transformed radically through the blood of Jesus, both mine and others...well to that war...I want to pick up and dust off my sword vow to set the captives free, and not let Satan have one more...
Finally did it!
Sorry, couldn't find your original page
Mhairitschka
Encouraging.. no, motivating thoughts.
It is time we stopped fighting eachother and start fighting the real battle. But also remember this is not just a battle we fight in our minds.. sometimes it needs to be fought in words, in conversation, with the Word of the Lord and in action, with the example of Christ.
good thoughts...
i'm glad i was able to make my way over here... i see you post on drew's site often but couldn't figure out your website address. its nice to finally get here.
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