Recently, while hunting for extraordinary things here at 26, I came across several watches from bygone days. While all were quite old and interesting, a pocket watch stood out above the others. Using the number assigned to it I pulled up the following description:

"Pocket Watch, silver, S.A. crest (engraved) on back, once belonging to Brig. S. McKinley. On the white face of the watch, in red, is written 'Every Hour for Jesus'."

I took pictures and thought maybe I’ll write something about this later but no sooner had I considered it when this old prayer meeting chorus popped into head and it’s been with me now for the past seventy-two hours. It’s number 566 in the new SA Songbook, under the headings “Our Response to God” and “Holiness, Devotion” and was written by Colonel Edward Joy, an officer from yesteryear.

ALL my days and all my hours,
All my will and all my powers,
All the passion of my soul,
Not a fragment but the whole
Shall be Thine, dear Lord,
Shall be Thine, dear Lord.

Along with the chorus, the “Every Hour for Jesus!” line, planted themselves in my brain. I can’t shake them so I’m writing today.

Somewhat related and also in our holdings are several framed schedules of Corps activities. It seems that this was the standard practice of the day and these posters were likely purchased at the trade. Allow me to describe:

Top, center, is a small red SA Crest; underneath in blue, larger, block letters, you have “THE SALVATION ARMY”; next a line to fill in the name of your home corps; then in a much larger font, red and bold, announcing in one word - MEETINGS! The first heading to follow said PUBLIC AND SOLDIERS MEETINGS with sub-headings IN-DOOR MEETINGS (Sunday & Weekdays), OPEN-AIR MEETINGS (Sunday & Weeknights) and HOME LEAGUE; YOUNG PEOPLE’S MEETINGS then got billing with a breakdown of individual activities held on SUNDAYS and WEEKDAYS; LIFE-SAVING SECTIONS (Cubs, Brownies etc.) and finally, at the very bottom, a line for the Date and signature of the Divisional Commander with the instruction: “To be placed inside the Entrance of the Senior and Young People’s Halls”.

“Every Hour for Jesus!”

We did not have these signs at my home corps but we certainly had the activities. Here’s how I remember it:

Sundays, at one time or another, included most/all of the following: Directory Class, Holiness Meeting, Sunday School (Sand-tray and Company Meetings), YP Meeting, Prayer Meeting/Open-Air Meeting, and a Great Salvation Meeting!
On Mondays there was Home League (“Our Turn!”)
Tuesdays we had Soldiers/Prayer Meetings and Corps Cadets
Wednesdays – rehearsals for Band and Songsters
Thursdays – Cubs
Fridays – Scouts
Saturdays – Youth Group

Oh yes, Singing Company rehearsal was in there somewhere, Junior Soldiers, and so too were Brownies and Guides (joined later by Beavers and maybe Venturers and Rovers, and Sparks and maybe Pathfinders and Rangers). And don’t forget extra rehearsals for special events! Depending on the number and ages of your family members it was quite possible to have someone involved and active in each of the above (at the same time) and of course, some folk tended to support or belong to more than one activity!

I think I need a coffee…remembering all these has zapped my energy and suddenly I feel tired! (LOL)

That’s how we did it and I suppose, relatively speaking, we still do it only now as defined by our present culture and time. But think about it – as new converts we were taught “Every Hour for Jesus!”; as new Junior or Senior Soldiers we were taught “Every Hour for Jesus!”; as members of any/all of the above groups we were taught “Every Hour for Jesus!”

I think Colonel Joy got it right:

ALL my days and all my hours,
All my will and all my powers,
All the passion of my soul,
Not a fragment but the whole
Shall be Thine, dear Lord,
Shall be Thine, dear Lord.