Roll Call

Rev. Philip Beisswenger

Recently Washington High School’s cross country season came to an end. The team enjoyed numerous accomplishments. The girls’ varsity team qualified for the state meet in Fort Dodge, for example, and two girls also made it to state as individuals. 

One of the keys to the team’s success was how well they supported each other. They spurred each other on. And the coaches—wow! The three of them were amazing—rushing around the course at every meet to advise their runners, encourage the team, and cheer them on.

The Bible teaches, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

To “encourage,” in the Bible, means  to hearten, to inspire with courage, spirit and hope. That’s what Cherokee’s coaches did, and what the team did as a whole. They helped everyone do their best—whether that meant winning a medal, setting a personal record, or just finding joy in running. In effect, the coaches and runners were doing what Hebrews says churches are supposed to do—encourage and spur one another on “towards love and good deeds.”

Most churches celebrate their theological traditions, systems of governance, and styles of worship. All these things are important, but our end goal is love in action. Without it, we lose the race. Without it, our knowledge is like paint in a bucket—no application.

Hebrews warns about not “meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” This was written about thirty-five years after Jesus died. That’s how quickly some believers started skipping church. Already there were decreases in worship attendance because people got into the habit of staying home on Sunday.

Like political campaigns on election day, churches need a strong ground game. How good are we at making personal contacts, knocking on doors, and making phone calls about Jesus? Of course, we’re not trying to get Jesus elected to anything. He’s already the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The goal is turnout—Christians mobilized to meet, to pray for each other, to glorify God, not because it’s a requirement in a legalistic way. It’s that, without one another, our love in action is likely to fizzle out.

Whenever we recite the Apostles’ Creed, we declare our belief in both the “church” and the “communion of saints.” They go together. It makes no sense for us to  have religion without relationships, or faith without fellowship. One reason why it’s so important is, as Hebrews puts it, “the Day is approaching.” That’s “Day” with a capital “D”. That Day’s coming like a thief in the night. It’s when Jesus will hold us accountable, and he’ll make his final judgment. It’s when we hope Christ will find us blameless and pure.

There’s an old hymn called, “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder.” The author, James Black, taught Sunday school. Once, in an alley, he came across a teenage girl named Bessie. Her clothes were ragged. Her father was an alcoholic. Black invited her to his church’s youth group, and she started coming regularly. At one meeting, however, he called Bessie’s name and there was no answer. He found out she had pneumonia. Even though his own doctor cared for her, she died from her illness. 

Bessie’s absence when James Black took roll call brought to his mind how sad it would be if our names were called out in heaven, and we weren’t there to answer.

Hebrews points to a correlation between our communion with the saints in this life and our readiness to meet the Lord in the next. Our presence with one another here on earth prepares us for that future Day. Somehow, our encouragement of one another in love is connected to what happens on that Day if, and when, up yonder, our names are called.