“6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Tim 4:6-16 ESV)

Murmuring in worship, some angles of the Christian’s tradition call for Acting Upon, plainly Executing, boldly Doing. The Christian, he or she worships; he or she speaks peace and exorcism over demons; he or she heals; he or she prays in the Spirit. More: he or she is found in Community, reverent of the spiritual gifts, plain in honoring the priestly modality, certain in a no-nonsense Submission.

Because strangely we “submit” to this Tradition with almost no provisos except that we bring ourselves to bear on the exchange. We offer up Ourselves, to service and minister, to evangelize and invoke Spiritual presence. This can seem to the curmudgeonly type an ambitious Bargain, but the contract we have signed up for does ascertain no nonsense around church management if said management is beyond our own calling. We can “run church” in the bunkers and barracks. We can “do worship” in the backrooms and around the boardroom table. We see the shimmering, shivering Ecstatic One, Possessed One, speaking “in the Spirit”, and this trope, this emblem, it informs more staid forms of Testimony and Prophecy.

Because when Engaging and enemy who themselves claims a religiosity, we Engage minus any resentment or withholding: we certainly and proudly Meet them where they are, as Spirit speaks to Spirit, as the spirit of prophets is subject to prophets (1 Cor 14:32). Like Saul who began to shake and prophecy upon meeting the crew of prophets (1 Sam 10:10), we fear no longer to Bear External Witness: our better angels reminding us always to approach with fear and trembling, but with Certainty and Militant Decisiveness. God will not be mocked. God will humble the proud. God will upend the established order. He will do so in the Name of His Spirit and His Son. 

Jesus as the Fulcrum, then, He holds something to teach us always. In the mad rush of waters, will they hear Him? So we are bold to interpret what crosses our threshold, what comes into our conscious thought, what informs us and gives us a news source: we allocate minutes out of the day for Scriptural intake; we refuse at wrong hours to blasely surf the internet and read myriad News Sources. What we eat: this is who we are. And God has something to teach us, via a three-legged stool called Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.

Therefore the combat-ready soldier Expects for spirit to avenge itself upon spirit, and for visible walls to arise between purely spiritual concepts: the prophecies in Hebrew Scriptures of a suffering servant, of a sole sent prophet, of a child who leads: these are coming into action, fruition, always. We are formed around said Wisdom and Prophetic Vision. To be those ultimately at the place called Fulcrum, because Everyone we meet is swishing and momentum-driven this way and that, whilst we and our own Calling, have a duty to discharge. One duty… to share the Gospel… with a lofty Vision of castles and houses with many rooms, come up against a dastardly Alternate Spirit that perhaps only we see the urgency around. Cleanse this house! Expel said Demons! Boldly speak up, or be found in reverent Worship and Contrition. Because plainly, our Protestant nature, the firm confidence that no matter what earthly trials come our way, no matter that man and woman who are of the flesh, they shall fail us and deny our vision; but the True One, the God Above, will never deny us. We will fit into His plan for life and death plainly and truly, faithful to the end and missional always.