Another Sunday, and there I sat
Among my Christian
friends.
The teacher read from the book of Acts
As the rest of us listened
in.
"What does the scripture mean?" he asked,
And waited for someone to speak.
Some pages
rustled and somebody shifted
And caused their chair to squeak.
After a
moment of awkward silence
The last bell finally rung,
And we all filed out
and found our seats -
There were spiritual songs to be sung.
There were
other things to do as well:
Listen to the preacher and pray.
Then after we
took the Lord's Supper, well,
I guess we could call it a day.
We could go
home and feel that we'd done
Our part as children of God.
We'd assembled
for worship service,
Surely He'd give us a nod.
But I wondered just how
meaningful
My "service" to God had been.
Had I done anything to help a
lost soul
Whether friend, or foe, or kin?
I'd spoken to several saved
brothers,
And greeted some folks I don't know,
But, I wondered, when they
sat in class with me
Did our fervor and love for God show?
And what of the
first century Christians?
We read of their spirit and zeal.
They went
everywhere preaching the word,
The gospel of Christ to reveal.
I thought
on these things a long moment,
For I had often wanted to say
That we may
have become lackadaisical
In our Spirit from day to day.
There were
questions that nagged at my conscience
About what I'd believed my life
long,
And the more I studied and thought and prayed,
The more I believed
I’d been wrong.
But did I dare to share these things
With my steadfast
Christian brothers?
Suggestion of change is not well received,
I'd seen
heartaches it brought on others.
I thought of the martyrs from centuries
past
Whose lives were snuffed out by hate,
And all those whose spirit of
restoration
Had likewise sealed their fate.
Then I thought of our Lord and
the trials He'd endured,
Of the angry mobs he had faced.
They were family,
His own beloved people -
And all of my doubts were erased.
Father, if this
way is right with You,
Give me the courage to stand
In the face of
whatever adversity
Or trial that may be at hand.
Strip all my pride and
fill up my soul
With humility, kindness and love,
That others may see Your
Son living in me
And be filled with Your Spirit above.
-- Kelly Turner