rag tag army

My musings on church a couple of days ago led me to look up an old friend. When I was in seminary, someone gave me a copy of

by Martin Bell, who was described as an Episcopal priest and a private detective. The book is a series of short pieces built around theological themes. The opening story, for which I think Bell is best known, is called “Barrington Bunny” and is a beautifully sad story about what Jesus meant when he said we must lose our lives to find them. My other favorite is “The Porcupine Whose Name Didn’t Matter.”

Neither of those is the reason I went hunting for the book Sunday night. What I remembered was a small piece on the church called “Rag Tag Army.” Though soldiering has never been a metaphor that has spoken to me very much spiritually, Bell gives it a playful and meaningful turn. I never did find my copy of the book, but I did find the story on line.

Here it is:

“Make a joyful noise,” said the Psalmist.
“Go and make disciples,” Jesus said.

I can’t find anywhere in scripture where Jesus – or anyone else – says we are to come together as the Body of Christ to make sense any more than we are called to make war. When he knelt in Gethsemane on the night before his death, he prayed, “Make them one.” I remember an old sermon illustration from many years ago that described a conversation between Jesus and a couple of angels after his resurrection. They were congratulating Jesus on all that he had done. One of them asked, “What’s the plan now?”

Jesus answered, “Well, the believers I left behind will tell others and they will come together in groups to worship and take care of one another.”

“Seriously? That’s your plan to save the world?” asked one of the angels.

“That’s the plan,” said Jesus.

“What’s the back up plan?” asked the other.

“There is no back up plan.”

“Uh – good plan.”

Peace,
Milton