From Don's Desk

Lots of things going on these days. Our brand new Bible Study met for the first time last Sunday. There was a consensus to study the Book of Acts. This should be a good group, and I think we’re going to have fun. We will meet in the library between the services, around 9:15, on Sundays when we have two services. We will not meet on Sundays when we only have one service. You are, of course, invited.
    And our Neighborhood Meetings are under way (actually, they will be over by the time you read this, if all goes according to schedule). I have three of them under my belt as I write this, and they have been informative and interesting for me, and, I hope, for those who have participated. I really appreciate the hospitality of the hosts and hostesses for these get-togethers and those who have expended the time and effort to be there. I am learning a lot.
    When Harper’s Bazaar received the manuscript of  Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer” (a response to U.S. military intervention in the Philippines) the editors rejected it as unsuitable. It was never published during his lifetime. That was in 1905, but a century later the words are still powerful. This American classic is pretty strong medicine, but the excerpts reproduced below seem to me to be extremely timely and relevant today.
    “ . . . The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism . . . in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause . . .
    “ . . . the half-dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast a doubt upon its righteousness straightway got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety’s sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way . . .
    “Sunday morning came – [then comes a description of the service, including the words of the hymn, “God, the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!”] . . .
    “Then came the “long” prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory.
    “An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless steps up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister . . . . With all eyes following him and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher’s side and stood there, waiting.
    “With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, ‘Bless our arms, grant us the victory, O Lord,  our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!’
    “The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside -- which the startled minister did – and took his place . . . then in a deep voice he said:
    “I come from the Throne – bearing a message from Almighty God!” . . . He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd . . . . it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of – except he pause and think.    . . . .
    “ . . . . You heard these words:  ‘Grant us the victory, O Lord, our God!’ That is sufficient. . . . When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory – must follow victory , cannot but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
    “O Lord, our Father, our young patriots . . . go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them, in spirit, we also go forth . . . to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unbefriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave . . . for our sakes who adore Thee,  Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is everfaithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen.”
    . . . .
    “It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.”
                                                             ~Don