The Christian's Bugle Blast

While finishing some work stuff up this morning and getting ready to go to the hospital-- this hymn popped into my head from my childhood. No clue where it came from. That's how these things happen. But I couldn't stop singing it once it got in there. Such a peppy ditty.
We used to sing it a lot in my church and it was sung at a really good pace.
(As a kid you notice anything that isn't quiet in church services.)
We absolutely had to stand up, Jerry Carpenter didn't allow you to sit and sing Soldiers of Christ, Arise! And I remember there were quite a few verses to it as well.

So this morning I started singing it to myself and wouldn't you know, I remembered every verse. (Too bad I can't remember that password I set up last week for Walgreens on the interwebs)
Usually when these things pop into my mind out of nowhere, I try to give them some thought, trying to figure out what the big HS is trying to say to me.
And so I did what anyone in 2016 does with questions in today's day and age--I googled it--like a boss.

Not surprisingly, one of the usual hymn authors, Charles Wesley wrote this hymn. But I did not know that he had it originally titled it "The Christian's Bugle Blast"---which I feel is much more hip and happenin'. He was a little before his time perhaps with this title.
So with the music added in, it turned into "Soldiers of Christ, Arise". A call to arms for Christians that he and his brother were held to some physical punishment in some places for this type of rally cry.

Then it gets published in "A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists" (yep--for reals) with all 12 verses.
Later in the hymn, down into verses I have never heard, the words "adamant and gold" are used. This is said to be Wesley making reference to John Milton's poem, Paradise Gold where it says, “Satan, with vast and haughty strides advanced, Came towering, armed in adamant and gold.”. They think this suggests that Wesley intended for the hymn to be for Christians to use Satan's ways against him.
I like that--using Satan's ways against him.
So this got me thinking about all the verses I sang as a kid. So as I sang them through this morning and wrote them down, and this is where I knew the big HS was speaking to me.

Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength
Which God supplies
Through his beloved Son. 

You're getting nowhere good without Jesus. Main sentence, theme of the piece, forever and ever, amen, the end.

Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in his mighty pow’r,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts
Is more than conqueror. 

 Exactly---I have to remember if I trust God, I am more than conquerors--we are over-comers in this life.

 Stand then in his great might,
With all his strength endued;
But take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God. 
The panoply of God---I admit I looked this up. Amazing what you sing and have no clue what you're saying. Every definition is good but I really like "a complete or impressive collection of things". I have a panoply of  Prayer Warriors. I like it. I may start throwing it out into every day's conversation like my dad used to do with plethora.
                             

Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take ev’ry virtue, ev’ry grace,
And fortify the whole.
This one got me.  Boil it down to brass tacks. Well, you know what I mean.
This is where we are people. This is where the journey currently resides.
We have left no stone unturned, there is no room left for weakness in faith or soul. And God help me if it's not taking "every virtue" and "every ounce of grace" I have in my body to not throat punch someone daily. My mom from the time I was little, tried to call me a "young lady"---and I would get so mad and tell her I was NOT a lady. I'm sure because I was too fidgety to stand very long in line when God handed out grace.
In all seriousness, I  have all of you, my Prayer Warriors to help pray Carson and I through this journey. God is fortifying the whole lot of us.

Last verse. One day.

 That, having all things done,
And all your conflicts passed,
You may o’ercome through Christ alone,
And stand entire at last.


These verses I have never heard and am even more in love with.
To keep your armor bright,
Attend with constant care;
Still walking in your Captain’s sight,
And watching unto prayer. 

From strength to strength go on;
Wrestle and fight and pray;
Tread all the pow’rs of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day.

Just something to think about next time you sing it.