When the Last Bell Has Tolled For Us

When the last bell, like this one at House of Prayer in Millmont, PA,  has tolled for us as Dave Weaver's has, 

will we have only tasted of the sacraments,

like the ones prepared for each father to serve his own family at House of Prayer on Thanksgiving Sunday,

 or will we have truly tasted of the Lord, that He is good?

Will we have read our Bible and prayed and attended church and done what we were asked

only because we had to, or for approval, or to look good?

Here Crystal (3rd from the left behind her Aunt Regina and cousin Candace) is singing with Elon's and Fain's family, "Thanks to God."

Or will the songs have come from our hearts, a song with grace to the Lord?

Here Susanna, Charity, and Ethan Bradford are singing. Almost every family contributed something to the service.

Will we have preached our own words--or the Word of God?

Here a dear friend and minister, Brandon Byler, is sharing in the Sunday morning Thanksgiving service.

Will our thankfulness be self-righteous, as Phil Geise reminded us about the Pharisee, thanking God that "I am not like other men, or as this publican,"

while wearing fine robes and nice suits,

and practicing after service for the Christmas program?

Or will we come to God always humbly, remembering it is only His mercy by which we are saved from our sins?

When the last bell tolls for us, will we have been known for always being right,

or for always being humble?.

When that last bell tolls, will our music and our gifts have been used for God,

or for our own glory and benefit?

Will we have conformed to the world, afraid to stand out and be different,

or will we have gladly confessed Christ and taken our place with those who have counted the cost

and taken up their cross to follow Him?

Will church have been only a place where we had to go on Sunday in order to look good to others,

a place we went to for what we could get out of it,

or will it have been a place where we contributed something--

worship, love, willingness, and edifying of one another?

When that last bell tolls for us, will we be sorry for the way we drifted along, trying to fit in to the society around us,

or will we rejoice for the times we spent in Christian fellowship with other believers, rejoicing in God's goodness and encouraging one another in the things of the Lord?

(Most of the folk at Sunday service stayed this Sunday for a fellowship meal afterward at Gabriel's home. We were so thankful for a warm day when most of the children and young people could be outside!)

When that last bell tolls, will we regret the times we chose the easiest or funnest thing for ourselves,

or will we be glad we chose the difficult job of putting our children first?

Will we have loved the little ones of the next generation following us,

or considered them just a nuisance?

Will we have helped someone weary with mothering,

or kept our distance with the excuse that we really didn't know how to help and they really shouldn't have had so many babies anyway?

What will God ask us about our attitude toward that mother and that baby?

Will we have kept our heart open to anything God wanted,

to any change He might request,

even if it is out of our comfort zone?

(Here we are talking to Academic Dean Tim Cooley at the Penn View dining hall, after interviewing with Frank Heidler about the position of Maintenance Director for the college.)

Or will we have said, "No, I am not comfortable with that. I am going to stay where I want to stay 

and do what I want to do."

Will we have ignored and neglected little children,

or will we have taken time to play with them, to pay attention to them, to include them in what we do?

Will we have looked for the good in the drab and the limp and the weak and the leftover and what others don't have time for?

Will we have tried to salvage something good out of what the world thinks is useless,

and foolish,

and no good?

When the last bell tolls for us, 

will the world weep for us, as they did for Dave,

 or will they be relieved that we are gone?