To the Beat of the Drum

“Christ beats His drum, but He does not press men; Christ is served with volunteers.”
 - John Donne (English Lawyer, Poet, Clergyman; 1572-1613)

In Donne’s day, the call to service, military service, was accomplished by a formation of the king’s troops entering a public place, while beating the drum – the drum beat being the call into the king of England’s service.  

Those who were being inducted, drafted into military service, or in the language of the 1600's, were being “pressed” into service and were taken to serve that day – at the king’s will. 

 

The contrast we find with here is forced to serve, verses volunteer service.  We have many citizens who are patriots, yet, unwilling to be “pressed into service.” Jesus, the King of kings, beats the drum, as He calls followers.  He does not “press,” draft any into service, he waits on a faith response.  The issue of free will for followers of Jesus, Christians, is to submit and serve in God’s Kingdom, or reject Christ and not press into His service.  James writes, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (Jas 2:18).  James teaches us that a born again follower only naturally, as a new creation, wants to serve, Christian’s are not pressed into service, but of one’s own free will presses self into service.

 

Blessings,

Owen

 

Followers of Christ – priests in God’s Kingdom – “sing a new song” and serve: 

“And they sang a new song:

 … with your blood you purchased men for God
 from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, …”

—Revelation 5:9-10 Lyrics from a song of the redeemed, those who serve.