Bugle Calls
Originally scheduled for June 30
When
your author was but a young lad, he had the wonderful privilege of
living on a small army post that was the last one run with live
bugle calls from a live bugler. This may seem impossible to you, but
the post was small and it worked. Soldiers knew reveille, mess call,
mail call, retreat and taps. The children did too; my mother made it
very clear that you were home by retreat and woe betide if you
played until after taps. The method sounds unusual today because we
have loudspeakers and smart phones — but it did work.
It
worked for the ancient Israelites as well. You will remember that
the signal to go in and take Jericho was a loud trumpet blast.
Gideon also summoned his men with the trumpet. Various kings of
Israel announced their arrival as king with a trumpet.
Interestingly, the Day of Atonement was also announced with a
trumpet blast. A bugle call or a trumpet blast is a signal — a
signal to take action.
Communion is like that; it is a signal to action for us. What kind
of action?
·
It is a
call to examine ourselves. We are to pass judgment upon ourselves
and see if there is anything which needs to be remedied. It is the
bugle call for our own personal day of atonement.
·
It is a
call to repent. It does no good if you decide that you have sinned
woefully but you’re going to do nothing about it. It is a reminder
that Christ died for your sins, and therefore you need to repent,
both in words and in action.
·
To the
extent you can, it is a call for you to make amends. If you have
given offense to someone, or worse, you can at least make apologies
and fix what damage you can.
Remember, communion commemorates the atonement sacrifice of Jesus
Christ on the cross. That is both your forgiveness and your call to
action.
The
Lord, however, is not through with the bugle. The next great trumpet
call will be at the return of Christ.
·
The
angels will gather together all of the elect from the earth, living
and dead, to present them to their Lord and Savior.
·
He
himself will return in bodily form, just as he left.
·
When he
returns, he will judge the living and the dead for what they have
done.
Communion prepares you for his return. If you examine yourself,
repent and make amends your judgment will preclude his judging you.
Therefore, do not treat this as a stale ritual, but rather the bugle
call of self-examination, repentance and amendment.
