I've just been to the commissioning of some new Salvation Army officers (ministers) and it was a very interesting, inspiring and challenging time, as these things often are.
But whilst these occasions are often a source of inspiration, they can often be a source of frustration too. In the afternoon meeting, in which the ceremony took place, there was a song entitled 'Dear Lord, I do surrender'. Now this is one of those songs that has a sentiment that a lot of other songs express too. "I'm giving up life and following God" the songs will say, and it makes it sound incredibly easy. I often nowadays fall silent during these songs and just try to contemplate what it means, and this happened again when we got to the second verse:
Too long at ease in Zion
I’ve been content to dwell,
While multitudes are dying
And sinking into Hell.
I can no more be careless,
And say there’s naught to do,
The fields are white to harvest
And labourers are few.
How on earth can you not be challenged by that verse? People are on their way to Hell and I'm saying I'm going to respond? That's not something to say lightly. And yet the third verse confirms:
O hear, thou God of Heaven,
The vows that now I make!
So everyone there was making a vow to give their life to God and live for him. But surely no matter what their intentions the song makes no sense. Either they're lying and they're not giving their lives to God, or else, if hundereds of people in the room and millions more who have song are telling the truth, then the 'labourers' really aren't that few.
I suppose what I'm saying is that for our songs to have any meaning, we have to think about what we're singing and be honest in what we proclaim. It's easy to go along with the crowd, but harder to stand there and say "you know what, I don't know if I'm actually ready for this yet". I'm really hoping that the Church will rediscover a deep longing to proclaim truth (even if it means making ourselves look like 'bad Christians') and not just do what's expected. If we're content with anything less than truth, if we're content with not being challenged, 'content to dwell', then we won't be changed, and neither will this world.
But whilst these occasions are often a source of inspiration, they can often be a source of frustration too. In the afternoon meeting, in which the ceremony took place, there was a song entitled 'Dear Lord, I do surrender'. Now this is one of those songs that has a sentiment that a lot of other songs express too. "I'm giving up life and following God" the songs will say, and it makes it sound incredibly easy. I often nowadays fall silent during these songs and just try to contemplate what it means, and this happened again when we got to the second verse:
Too long at ease in Zion
I’ve been content to dwell,
While multitudes are dying
And sinking into Hell.
I can no more be careless,
And say there’s naught to do,
The fields are white to harvest
And labourers are few.
How on earth can you not be challenged by that verse? People are on their way to Hell and I'm saying I'm going to respond? That's not something to say lightly. And yet the third verse confirms:
O hear, thou God of Heaven,
The vows that now I make!
So everyone there was making a vow to give their life to God and live for him. But surely no matter what their intentions the song makes no sense. Either they're lying and they're not giving their lives to God, or else, if hundereds of people in the room and millions more who have song are telling the truth, then the 'labourers' really aren't that few.
I suppose what I'm saying is that for our songs to have any meaning, we have to think about what we're singing and be honest in what we proclaim. It's easy to go along with the crowd, but harder to stand there and say "you know what, I don't know if I'm actually ready for this yet". I'm really hoping that the Church will rediscover a deep longing to proclaim truth (even if it means making ourselves look like 'bad Christians') and not just do what's expected. If we're content with anything less than truth, if we're content with not being challenged, 'content to dwell', then we won't be changed, and neither will this world.
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