Onward, Christian Soldiers!
With its rhythmic beat and stirring melody line, the hymn had great appeal for me when I was in elementary school. I considered it a favorite, even though I knew nothing, then, of the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10).
But there are other Christian soldiers–quite literally, soldiers (whether in the army, navy or air force)–who face the challenges of being deployed, often to regions of the globe that are remote, hostile, and fraught with challenges.
I expressed some sentiments on this matter in an earlier post, which you can review here. We should be grateful for all our military are doing!
Far from Home…
What is it like to be a soldier far away from home? Just because you are in the military does not mean you don’t feel challenged by the rigors of travel, relocation, and living in hostile and dangerous conditions. What are the implications for the spiritual life of someone who is in the military?
When my friend, Dr. Paul Tautges, consulting editor of the Lifeline Minibook series, an imprint of Shepherd Press, floated the idea of a small publication that could minister to the military, I was immediately excited. As he worked on the idea, Barrett Craig, a deployed navy chaplain, came on the radar as the right person to write it.
Barrett, a former marine and now serving as a deployed navy chaplain, has done a remarkable job in writing the mini-book. His enthusiasm is infectious. You’ll love observing his passion as he speaks in the two-minute YouTube video here.
Because of the remarkable nature of this opportunity to reach military folks and their families, Shepherd Press is inviting churches and individuals to become partners in the publishing program. You can read all about it here. You may also view and print a PDF sheet outlining the project and providing further details of how ordinary churches can become partners in this initiative, and supply high-quality mini-books for just one dollar each!
