DOING IT FOR GOD

I want to share with you an experience that I had several years ago during an annual training period with the Florida Army National Guard.  I was with my artillery battalion at our two week annual training period at Camp Blanding, Florida.  Camp Blanding is the National Guard training center for the State of Florida, located south of Jacksonville, a few miles east of Starke, Florida.

During our two week annual training periods each year several units were always there at the same time and, of course, included chaplains.  These times were usually the only times that the various chaplains in the state were able to interact.  During this particular annual training period there was a new chaplain whom I had not yet met—a delightful young man who was an Episcopal priest.

One Sunday morning I was preparing to make my rounds in the field to conduct some field services for my troops.  Swinging by the post chapel I noticed one car there and remembered that the Episcopal chaplain was planning on having an early morning service there.  I slipped quietly in the back door and went into the office, all the while hearing the other chaplain in the sanctuary going through the prayers and liturgy of his service.  After listening for a while I decided to crack the door into the sanctuary to see how many were there for the service. 

To my surprise, there was no one there!  I continued to listen while the chaplain went through the entire liturgy.  Once finished he came off the chancel and into the office.  I asked him about the service and told him that I noticed that I had not seen anyone else there for the service, yet he went through the entire liturgy anyway.  I shall never forget his response.  He said, “I was doing it for God, not for others.”

Through my twenty-three years of being an Army chaplain, both on active duty and in the National Guard, I had a few times when only two or three would show up for chapel.  Often a low attendance indicates that the unit’s training plan was such that most could not attend.  The key, of course, is to work with the S3 and get on the unit’s training schedule, which is the “bible” for a unit’s activity.  It is not easy having a real good working relationship with the training personnel—they usually have much more on their minds than carving out “chapel time.”

Usually when this happened to me, I would shorten the service I had planned.  We probably would not try to sing (which we usually did in my services using cassette tapes with which to sing along.)  I might not even have the message or homily that I had planned, but rather just a brief devotional thought and prayer.  (For myself, I always remembered the humorous story about the farmer going to a church service when the pastor went through the entire service with only the old farmer there.  Afterward, the farmer told the pastor that when he goes to feed the cows and only one cow shows up, he doesn’t give her the whole bale.)

The point, however, that I want to make is that the chaplain’s response somewhat surprised me, but I have thought of it many times since.  His brief comment brought some conviction and through time has changed my thoughts about worship.  Indeed, who are we worshiping?  Much of my ministry was focused on numbers (attendance, offerings, baptisms, membership, etc.)  Of course, all those things are important and usually indicate whether or not we are making an impact.  I still believe numbers are important, because numbers represent people—and we need to reach them.  However, the chaplain’s short comment to me that day has helped me, I think, to keep things in perspective and remember whom I am to worship.