“26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. The Resurrection of Christ 15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” (1 Co 14:26–15:11 ESV)

To stand for something, this is a creed, an agreed-upon semaphore system, some Bedrock wherein it is left to Trust that this department or that office, this contingency or that cohort, can flourish in fashion called Trust, called Dependability, called Fervent Prayer Shared. We simply cannot ever legislate or “Rule from the top-down”, cannot shape up our low-lying entrusted Souls into ship-shape unless there is a substantive Meaning to it all. Hence, Jesus the Christ. Hence, Church the last frontier of Reform, or rather, the place where Reform first Reveals her colors, his colors.

Indeed, said Church’s pastors do well to be Educated as to the types of simply Spiritual Gambits and Intrigues, Intrepid Footwork being done by her and his parishioners, because the Church is first of all in the business of Apologetics, not of some headstrong new notion that Church Life somehow trumps the better angels, the wiser counsel, the early bird briefings and wisdom of the People: our church, no matter that the “two-thirds world” has lit up the phone lines with Charismatic (Evangelistic, Pentecostal) praise, healing services, fervent outreach; still, we are not smug nor self-righteous, but Serve our hometown communities, be they civil neighborhoods or heave-ho Academics, Corporate Citizens, Military Bases, Tried and True secret Project-Bases.

Therefore her, his Pastor is preaching in deep reverence for the Mission as counted favorably by her, his People. The Mission, as eeking out some Sanity via an hour-and-a-half of praise time each week. The care for souls, a care submitted rather than boastful, rather than “in your face” about Christ’s saving Care, Embrace, Gestalt, Posture.

To stand for something, then, means to Hear in said time of calmer reverie, that Christ is for us, and we monitor something Spiritual wherein angels’ wings, halos, rumors of divinity, do motor and diesel and fuel up the Nominal little folks, to act out of Courage and Creed, to act out of Patience and Certainty, to act out of Firm Resolve and Tender Embrace. We Embrace… each other, the Mission, and the men suited up, the women in long garb, the chance indeed for a Joke or a missionary Appeal, charismatic Outpourings and Inspired diatribes, half-crazed speaking in tongues, the “I just had a word to share…” meets Pauline discipline, coaching the would-be prophet to do all prophesying in proper order and discipline. We win with a smile, a knowing embrace or gaze, a fervent Determination to allow for Chief’s boisterous, belligerent, attitudinal, Decisive orders to percolate and dissipate. We are under Authority and under Missional Thinking. What “Wins”… this is a Mystery because or hair-raising shifting sands of time and allegiances, loose lips may sink ships but too much self-confidence also hides from us the Christ Project. That we keep ear to the ground, as far as Some Creed that even an enemy may finally decide to Share with us, even as countless soldiers go to the first cause, the second cause… too depressing to think through, were it not that Christ Himself died arguably for nothing, until the five hundred witnessed His Resurrection, until the Mission bandied together, suited up, dialogued into being, a Movement, a War Front, an Operation, or simply a Project.

Therefore we who are dreamily-minded, who struggle even at times to “see” the forest for the trees, we maintain a Vigil not just nakedly around saving lives, but fiercely around Saving Creed. We have a Living Faith, and for some that Church’s Service is a draw, a magnet, a way we simply feel a sense of Belonging There, which can morph into Holy Frocking, of Ordination and Consecration unto a spiritual Cause. In all humility. Not as somehow the highest on the totem pole, but as Servants and Locally-Vested members of the guild. We serve those Local to us, but our Creed… somehow it makes good bedfellows of peoples halfway around the world. So, we as those set apart for Holy Service, do learn also to attend to our day jobs, the other six days of the week, even, unless it is called upon to hold holy Office Hours then.