“12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Pray for All People 2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 8 I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Ti 1:12–2:15 ESV)

Spirit of Necessity and Preparedness does convict of the easy lifestyle: recall the all hands “Batten down the hatches” of a crew facing imminent storm, doom. Recall the aped, frustrated, murmuring cursewords, mindset we felt upon learning of a gambit Most Unfair, Wrongly Calculated (don’t they get they are on a suicide mission?), Pedantic and Pathetic. The game of, he’s a sinner, she’s a sinner (classic; cue the Classic Sermon on God’s overwhelming Forgiveness), and then “He’s responsible, being a Christian, to fix me up”. Why you? Why fix? Why aren’t we just a little Ambitious in the right sense to get some things done around here? Together?

Because it isn’t Christianity’s core doctrines that are Flawed, it is that always these doctrines must be “preached”, “meditated upon”, “set into active florid color”, “set into motion”. No, Christ did not “Die for your sins” until Christ was Established as your only and overwhelming Master of Affairs. He became your Tutor and Discipler. He became your All-in-All. He became… forsooth became… God’s Image Bearer amongst Man. And if you haven’t yet Accepted Him in this regard, well He died anyways, as a bookmark for when you after all do decide to stop the murderous slander, cutesy or bullheaded Appeals, etc.

But we are of too Fine a Mettle therein the dwell and get frustrated. No, “their” fascination with our Apedness and Frustration, ends here and now with the News: the Movement is underway! We simply learn to Ignore those marketers for whom Any Mention is Positive Exposure and Advertisement. They simply hate nothing more than the possibility of plain ignoring. That they are no longer On the Big Dialog front.

The soldier is Expecting radicalized Hatred and Aped, Misusing of Theology, Decisions must regrettable and made from a perch just of “their” obsession, “their” endless fast and complaining, “He, She made me feel unworthy”. Grow up! Come into your own! Come of age! And yet again, “they” shall not Dictate and Determine the lines of dialog, of communique, of Proclamation: Jesus is Lord!

No, they say, we do not hear your complaint against the Church as Established, unless you first answer, well, Mr., Ms. Justice, do you accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior? And this is wickedness. This… we resume specifically talking Not to “Them” but to countless souls who need just a little nudge of the Spirit in order to come more cleanly and openly into their Personal, Individual, Private-made-public, Answer to that question.

The soldier of Christ is therefore grinning madly because he or she is Not Frustrated nor Aped. Grinning madly because the Framework is still Intact: love for Humanity on display, miracles and parables and tellings and retellings. Each week, a dozen more cultural Commodities that, forsooth, for real, in fact, are of a stock Fascinated and Honorific of something “spiritual” happening ‘round here.

The question of Personal Conversion is therefore also a Question just of Christ’s love in feeding the three thousand, the five thousand. He asked no admissions fee. He simply wanted a little buoyant and Hopeful pick-me-up, a little experience of necessity triumphing over plans. The necessity of a meal, the hope of the Future.

Strange and no cause to apologize, the Portal of Newfound Life in Community, may just be a feeding trough or simple restaurant “front”. No cause to apologize if no one as of yet has thus Entered the Go-Between, the Portal, the Hyperspace. But we see some conjoined particles Out of the Prayer Closet, to individually Choose this Day whom you will serve, to accept Safe Passage even if nominally in dispute. It is not quite the same thing as Baptism (recall the missionaries who would spit on their fingers and grab hastily the forehead of a baby Native in the early Americans), but of simply delegating: you, take an apron, you, sit and wait; all, hear the compulsory, ad hoc, little Pep Talk. Meet, all people, all things. Be blessed. Wear your city or town or countryside with pride. Because God is in the business of Decision, and this, whether dunking in a pool or having spittle on your forehead or going to “The Man”, “The Woman” in gleeful supplication, all this is delegated Beauty and “we all speak as one”. One family. One neighborhood. One city. One countryside. One town.