This article came from “The Bible Teaches” Volume VII by Eris B. Benson. He was a teacher at Alabama Christian Junior College while I attended there. This is an interesting article taken from Reader’s Digest February 1955, p. 88.
Like a Mighty Army
Last Sunday our preacher asked Jimmy Mitchell, just back from two years in the army in Korea, if he’d be guest speaker at the church services. Jimmy refused at first. Then, with a funny light in his eye, he said he would if the congregation sang. “Onward Christian Soldiers” just before he began. So we gave forth with song, and Jimmy waded in.
“You have been singing, “Like a might army moves the church of God.”
“That might have been all right once. The trouble now is that about ten million men know exactly how an army moves and it doesn’t move the way a lot of you folks in this church do. Suppose the army accepted the lame excuses that many of you think are good enough to serve as alibis for not attending church services.
“Image this, if you can. Reveille 7 a.m. Squads on the parade ground. The sergeant barks out “Count fours. One! Two! Three! Number Four is missing. Where’s Private Smith?”
“Oh,” pipes up a chap by the vacant place, “Smith was out late last night and needed the sleep. He said he would be with you in spirit.”
“That’s fine,” says the sergeant. “Remember me to him! “Where’s Brown?”
“Oh,” puts in another chap, “he’s playing golf. He gets only one day a week for recreation, you know.”
“Sure, Sure,” is the sergeant’s cheerful answer. “Hope he has a good game. Where’s Robinson?”
“Robinson,” explains a buddy, “is sorry not to greet you in person, but he is entertaining guests today. Besides, he was at drill last week.”
“Thank you,” says the sergeant, smiling. “Tell him he’s welcome any time he is able to drop in.”
Did any conversation like that ever happen in any army? Don’t make me laugh. Yet you hear stuff like that every week in the church, and said with a straight face, too.
“Like a might army!” If this church really moved like a mighty army, a lot of you folks would be court-martialed!”
Keith here again, what about you; would you be court-martialed for being AWOL? Would the sergeant keep that kind of cheerful attitude that was present in this article? Do you think God is happy when we offer this kind of excuses for not serving Him? Here is another one from the same book.
Love, Keith
