Parade Ground

Have you ever seen one of those military movies where they start in with the new recruits at boot camp? They start out as fresh faced naive kids who don't have any idea of what is about to transpire, Then the movie cuts to scene after scene of drilling, marching, being yelled and screamed at, being humiliated, being disciplined, scrambling over obstacles, struggling through the mud, learning to use their rifles effectively, and all kinds of scenarios intended to show them enduring difficulty and hardship in order not only to teach them how to have the basic fighting skills but also to work together as a unit and follow orders. By the end of the 'boot camp' you can hardly recognize them for the change that has taken place. Now they work and act as a team and know how to use those weapons.

One of my favorite such movies is We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson and Sam Elliot, about our early involvement in Vietnam. There is a scene where the officers under his command are about to ship out and they are all gathered with friends and family in the bleachers for a sort of commencement ceremony. Mel Gibson as Lt. Col. Hal Moore stands before them in a sort of 'parade uniform with combat helmet' and promises them genuine danger and hardship and that he will do his best.

Imagine if you will the establishment of a new army. In this army, the new recruits are brought in at the beginning of the movie, and seated in the bleachers at the parade ground. Most of them have their rifle with them. Some have their helmets. Some have their boots. Some have their body armor. Some have their issue camo. Most have a mix of various pieces of equipment. A few of them have all of their equipment, and a few are dressed only in their civilian clothes. The officers present themselves before the new recruits on the parade ground. The commanding officer stands at attention before the seated troops, and gives a lengthy dissertation about the rifles they have been issued. He includes some interesting information about the history of firearms in general, the development of repeating arms, and the relative characteristics of the cartridge they have been issued. He gives a lively demonstration of marching and an explanation of how their weapons are fired. Then, they break for lunch.

The next day, after breakfast, they are ushered again onto the parade grounds. Those in attendance have a variety of their equipment as before, though not all present have the same gear: some have more, some have less than the previous day. Some are absent altogether as they have some other things to attend to. The C.O. stands before them again as they are seated in the stands, and talks about the importance of taking cover, keeping low under fire, and communicating effectively. After a while they break for lunch.

Day after day they repeat this same spectacle, coming as they see fit, listening to the Commanding Officer's teaching on all subjects military.  He's a good teacher. They like the lessons. They tell him how much they appreciate him when they break for lunch; he pats them on the back and with a warm smile makes sure they know how glad he is that they are in attendance that day.

How do you suppose these people will perform on the field of battle?

This new army is the 'church', made by the hands of man. The people gather together to watch the pastor do his thing. They talk about what a great pastor we have, or what 'pastor' said this morning or last week.

The Ekklesia of God is an armed camp. According to 1 Corinthians 14 they are to interact with one another and to actively engage. And no, coming to Pizza Nite or reading of Sunday School lessons is not actively engaged. (For those of you coming in late, faithful attendance of Sunday School makes you more likely to defend pre-marital sex, abortion, and gay marriage, and less likely to believe that the Bible is really our fully reliable guide.) Against the Jesus' Ekklesia the gates of hell will not prevail.

Funny thing about gates is that someone has to assail them in order for them to not prevail.