There’s a Beetle Bailey comic, January 1, 2007, in which General Halftrack is looking at a bulletin board advertising activities at Camp Swampy including:

• Dance! This weekend
• Volleyball schedule
• Tour of Poco City Thursday
• Wanted: ride to Reno
• Horseshoe Tournament Sunday
• Book Club Meeting
• Guitar for Sale

The General says to the major:

It’s hard to believe there’s a war on.

I’ve always thought, “If we looked at your church bulletin, would we know there’s a war on?”

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6.10 – 13, NKJV)

I was reminded of this recently when I received an email from what everyone would call a “good church.” Signals are mixed, at best:

• Girls lunch: Come learn how to play the game that’s all the craze – Mahjong! Join other ladies for a fun afternoon of food and fellowship.
• A special event for our widows – a time of fellowship, music, laughter, testimony and great food. We’ll meet from 10-11:30 AM in Room 8114, located in the Activity Center…
• Joyful Journeys (for those ages 55-75) would like to invite you to a Tailgating Event Oct. 25 from 12 – 4 PM. Come join us for football, food and fellowship!

Then this entry:

Midweek Communion Service: Listen to our Oct. 8 message, “Jude: Called to Contend,” as the Pastor reflects on Jude 1-4.

“Called to Contend.” The pastor gets it. We’re in a battle. But this seemingly important “Midweek Communion Service” announcement is competing with advertisements for Mahjong and football, among other things.

I don’t know the solution. I know we need fun and fellowship from time to time, but it seems hard to focus on training for the war when our church bulletins look like the activities menu from a country club or retirement home.

Then I saw a 3-year-old post about Jordan Peterson containing this insightful recommendation:

Peterson thinks Christianity has what young men are looking for. It promotes vocation and dominion, the fulfillment of male ambition and desire. It gives purpose and order to chaos. It sets goals and offers a reward.

He challenges churches to “invite the young men back.” He tells them to say, “Young men are welcome here.” Put up a billboard with that message, he suggests. Tell them they can come in and they will.

Peterson wants churches to set high expectations for men. “Ask more, not less, of those you are inviting,” he says. “Ask more of them than anyone ever has. Remind them who they are, in the deepest sense, and help them become that.”

The late Leroy Eims, a patriarch in The Navigators, the organization with which I serve use to say:

If you play a man’s game, men will come.

There’s something to that, and we’re not ruling women out! Churches should call all of us to mission, not just fun. After all, there’s a war on.

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. (Ephesians 6.10 – 12, MSG)

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12.17, NKJV)