I Stand by the Door

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I Stand by the Door - By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)

I stand by the door.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

“I had rather be a door-keeper …”
So I stand by the door.

Cory Collins

Mobilizing the Church: A Simple Strategy for Success

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” John 4:35

Being “shrewd as serpents” (Matt 10:16) involves both prayerful and careful effort in doing the work of the Lord’s church. In order to “grow up into our Head” with the “proper working of each individual part” (Eph 4:15f), we must plan the work and then work the plan.

Our friend and former colleague, Dr. Michael Jackson, is the Vice President of Academics at Heritage Christian University. Prior to that, he served there at HCU as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness. In that role he superbly assisted every department head in the planning and assessment of its work. Using a six-step paradigm, he helped leaders draw a map and then follow it. Eureka! This system, at least in principle, could be adapted to benefit the mission and the work of the local church.

The first step is to define the “Purpose.” Here we would state the function of the church, “to save the lost and secure the saved,” or “to evangelize, educate, and edify.” We could then add the specific mission of any ministry, such as our educational program: “To teach the Word of God clearly and accurately, so that all may know Him and do His will.”

The second step is to list the “Strategic Goals.” These might include biblical concepts, texts, classes, opportunities, and applications which the Bible school aims to provide.

The third step notes “Objectives – Means of Assessment and Criteria for Success.” These are specific, measurable, achievable, time-bound benchmarks that will mark progress. They could include grade-level review quizzes, service projects, student essays, etc.

The fourth step lists the “Assessment Results.” What did the tests, activities, or other instruments indicate? Did the students make the intended score, or exhibit the desired mastery of the concept, or accomplish the pre-selected level of success?

The fifth step states the “Use of Results.” Based on the outcomes in step four, we reevaluate and reconstruct our objectives. If we reached them, we move on to new horizons. If not, we stick with them, diagnose the failure, and devise a better way to proceed.

The sixth step identifies the persons responsible, the due date, and the budget impact. Who are the “go-to” leaders that will implement the updated aims? By what date will they have completed the task? What resources will be required and set aside?

This same, simple strategy can be applied to local evangelism, benevolence, youth, the training of new elders, deacons, and teachers, etc. This six-step cycle can be repeated over and over and over again until the job is done. The Lord’s work is not complicated, but it does require big-picture thinking and nuts-and-bolts participation.

The gospel has the power to save, but God has given us useful tools to spread that gospel. Let’s put them to work!

Cory Collins