Articles
FOR HER MY TEARS SHALL FALL
“For her my tears shall fall, for her my prayers ascend; To her my cares and toils be given,
till toils and care shall end; Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways, Her sweet
communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise.” ~Timothy Dwight
I present two things, a confession and an appeal. I see it so often these days, someone posts a
statement on social media critical of the church and the responses grow and swell, a pile-on that
would make an NFL fumble recovery look tame. Was there ever a target as easy as the church, a
sitting duck directly in the sights of the critics? No one ever said the church was perfect. Nor am
I suggesting it should never reflect on its teachings and actions.
Here is my confession. My first sermon was delivered in 1973. I guess that means at the
time of writing I have served this fellowship for 42 years. I admit I am a little protective with
regard to this fellowship. And, please, none of this “I serve Jesus, not the church” business. Of
course the church is comprised of flawed human beings, but you don’t get to step away and
pretend you are not human. The only spiritual organization you qualify for, human, is the church.
The Lord’s response, however, is far stronger than merely protective. When Paul drew the
analogy between the church and a temple: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit dwells in you,” he added a warning as serious as a steel girder: “If anyone destroys
God’s temple, God will destroy him” (1 Cor. 3:16-17). Consider the sternness of this warning.
For all of those who feel their place is that of the DCC (Designated Church Critic), may I
call on the more courageous to do what Timothy Dwight did for the church. Are you prepared to
weep for the church, pray for the church, expend your cares and toils for the church?
There is no more noble calling.
“Beyond my highest joy,” Dwight declared, “I prize her heavenly ways.” There’s enough
critics out there to fill the Mariana Trench. It’s time we countered this by prizing the church and
her work.
It’s messy and frustrating, but, beloved, it’s worth it.
Stan Mitchell, Forthright Magazine (Oct. 22, 2015), “Reality Check”
via Harrisburg church of Christ, Harrisburg, IL
