Take Up Your Cross

Every year, I find myself extremely humbled when All Saints Day rolls around.  The Church has always esteemed those for whom the cost of faith has been their very lives.  Through them, we are reminded of the words of our Lord when he said “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."  [Lk 9:23]

In America, our daily faith may simply amount to prayer, bible study, and ministry.  If we have any cost then, it is the cost of our time.  Especially today, we can find ourselves extremely selfish with our time.  Unlike the cultural context of days gone by, it is not unusual for each of us to find ourselves working 50 hours a week plus involvement away from home 4-5 nights a week.  Like many of you, I struggle with controlling my schedule rather than it controlling me.  It takes forethought to ensure the priorities of life are in balance;  job, family, church, recreation, and world.  In the many years of service in the church, the majority of Christians I have served with do not complain about fear of their lives, fear of physical harm, the inability to pray or study the bible.  The biggest "persecution" is their lack of time, or in reality, the frustration that they must make choices in regard to their time.   The choices we must make can be costly, but we cannot mistake the costliness of living out our normal lives in the world with the costliness of discipleship that our Lord speaks of or that has been demonstrated through lives poured out in sacrifice as the Church and Bride of Christ. 

 Some years ago, the congregation I was serving in took special time to observe the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Without the benefit of electricity, we huddled in small groups, attempting to read a passage of scripture from the single flame of a candle, and struggling to hear each other as we whispered our prayers together for our persecuted brothers and sisters.  In that moment, I overheard someone say, "I don't understand why we are praying specifically for the persecution of others.  I am persecuted every day just as they are."  My heart sunk.   How can we in America ever compare our "persecution" with those who could at any moment, lose their lives for exercising the simplest of privileges we enjoy as Americans?

I do not want to belittle the struggles any of us face as Christian, no matter how small, but let us "in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." [Phil 4:6b] At the same time, let us "do everything without grumbling or arguing." [Phil 2:14]

This year, as All Saints Day is upon us once more, let us take a moment to honor those who have gone before us; not only those we know of by Church history, but those whom we have personally known.  Let us remember and thank God for those individuals who have had a Godly influence upon us, given us a cup of cold water in his name; who are now absent from the body, but present with the Lord!  Let us also remember those for whom the battle is still raging, who may be called upon this very day to pay the ultimate price for their faith.

 
Go on your way rejoicing;
Surrounded as you are by such a great cloud of witnesses,
                take courage as you face each new challenge,
                and comfort when you pick yourself from a fall,
In whatever good you choose to do,
precede it with hope,
accompany it with prayer,
and follow it with thanksgiving.

 The blessing of God Most Wonderful,

whom the saints have trusted as
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
will be with you
now and ever more.

Amen!