In The Song Book of the Salvation Army, there are 30 songs under the section entitled ‘The Salvation Soldier – Calling’! These songs not only help identify what our ‘calling’ is within The Salvation Army, but there are also amazing testimonies within these lyrics.

For example, my grandma Shiels (affectionately referred to as “Holy Nell”),  died last month and one of the songs we sang at her funeral is a classic salvation meeting song I used to belt out as a child and I certainly shouted it out at her service of promotion –

The Lord’s command to go into the world and preach the gospel unto all,
Is just as true today as when his first disciples heard thy mighty call;
So let us gird ourselves and go to battle ‘gainst the powers of sin and wrong,
Join the fight for the right, in His everlasting might, and sing our marching song:

On we march with the blood and the fire,
To the ends of the earth we will go;
And the Savior’s love will be the theme of our song
Because we love Him so!!!

Honestly, in what other denomination does a soldier get up and wave a flag, emblazed with “Blood and Fire” when the Spirit moves them? We are most certainly different and thus I truly believe Salvationists are called with a specific calling to serve in The Salvation Army. Did you notice that I used the word serve? Salvationists are called to be active and aggressive servants who are focused on winning the world for Jesus!

As a ‘SALVATION’ Army, we have a specific calling. We do not serve under some general concept of the universal evangelical church and we are not just another denomination. Now, maybe I am being self absorbed and conceited in regards to this Army – then so be it. We are different. Look at the ‘metaphor’ that we whole-heartedly embrace (although I am sure even that statement can be argued), nevertheless, we are a SALVATION ARMY. We are not drafted into this aggressive ‘fist’ of the church – we sign up – and it is in response to a specific calling that God has placed on our lives. One of my favorite quotes from the founder is when he describes what we are and what I believe our calling is. He says:

            “We are a Salvation people – this is our specialty – getting saved and keeping saved, and then getting somebody else saved, and then getting saved ourselves more and more, until full salvation on earth makes the heaven within, which is finally perfected by the full salvation without, on the other side of the river . . . My brethren, my comrades, soul saving is our avocation, the great purpose and business of our lives. Let us seek first the kingdom of God, let us be SALVATIONISTS indeed.”

Yes, I think that there is a general calling placed on every believer to follow Christ; but I also believe that there is an additional or specific calling that God places on the hearts of those He wants to serve and even to worship in The Salvation Army. We are different – at least we are supposed to be, and there are indeed explicit aspects of our calling that make it unique.

It is clear in the Articles of War that there are mandates we commit to when we sign that covenant. Most importantly, those include a commitment to biblical truths (which is clearly set out in our 11 doctrines), and a pledge to live by kingdom values. Now while this entire document is a covenant of promise and challenge I find the closing remarks a gracious embodiment of our Army calling:
            “I now call upon all present to witness that I enter into this covenant and sign these articles of war of my own free will, convinced that the love of Christ, who died and now lives to save me, requires from me this devotion of my life to His service for the salvation of the whole world; and therefore do here declare my full determination, by God's help, to be a true soldier of The Salvation Army.”
We are not just a church that requires attendance and tithe; in fact there is a higher demand on every part of your life when you join The Salvation Army. Some gifted write coined the following phrase so that richly describes what we are – it says The Salvation Army is a “revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion toward winning the world for Jesus.” The Salvation Army calling is not just a call to be a believer in Jesus Christ; it is a call to devote our lives to “His service for the salvation of the whole world!” Unfortunately, that is a commitment and a calling is not lived out by everyone who signs that covenant. Now, all wrapped up in that pledge of devotion there are a few definite thoughts that are rolling around in my mind that describe our unique calling. I believe that as Salvationists we are called:

• To be determined and committed in spiritual warfare
• To be a holiness movement
• To be active in social justice
• To embrace the cross
• To SHOW the love of God to everybody
• To be innovative risk-takers

The commitment to serve and to follow the mission of The Salvation Army is not a easy. While we are called, we are also challenged; and it is so frustrating, disappointing, and discouraging when we fail. Our failures are wrapped up in our own humanity, and it seems that at some point we just get comfortable with our halls and bands and then we completely forget that we signed a piece of paper, a covenant, that requires the devotion of our life to God’s service. Do people just forget about that? Why do people stray from their calling? Why do we fail? Well, the simple answer is sin; and the truth is we let Satan and his lies slip into our Army, into our homes, and into our lives.

Here’s the thing – we don’t seem to be marching any more. We are comfortable, lazy, and self-absorbed. As Booth said, “soul saving is our avocation, the great purpose and business of our lives”. The point is – are we making soul-saving our business – officer, soldier, and adherent alike. It is that simple, let’s get to our calling, and let’s get to business.

Getting to business includes going to the ends of the earth. Now, the Army is certainly all over the world, but what I am talking about is not only going to the ends of the physical earth, but going to the ends of our ‘comfort zone’ earth. For some of you that might be as simple as going next door. For others, it literally means to some country half way around the globe. The problem is, regardless of the location, some people are just not going anywhere; in fact, they don’t even want people to come to them – what kind of attitude is that? In the Salvation Army, we do not just fight the defensive battle of spiritual warfare – we are offensive warriors who want to win every soul for Jesus. That is my calling, and as far as I am concerned it will be until I die.