A poster in a window:
‘Alone on Christmas Day?’
Speaks of Christ and Brussels sprouts;
Cristes Maesse the Army way.
Oh, I love the High Church carols,
Chanted liturgies and all,
But if Doctrine Number Four holds fast,
Jesus loves the Army hall
Where spuds are mashed or roasted
(Our Salvationist Eucharist?)
And lonely folk are wanted –
Those ‘society’ has missed.
Who knows where Jesus lingers?
Matthew’s Gospel seems to say
(Matthew 25, Verse 40)
He’s alone on Christmas Day.
So, Captain Ralph, your posters
And the invitations shared,
Are a type of Holy Scripture
Telling someone someone cared.
© Stephen Poxon 2012
NOT CALLED?!
" 'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,'
I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin.
Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there.
And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world."
General William Booth
I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin.
Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there.
And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world."
General William Booth
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