ABERDEEN CITADEL SALVATION ARMY
SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER 2020
CELEBRATE HARVEST Captain Emma Newton Over these last couple of weeks there has been a very noticeable change in the weather, and in the amount of time we have spent talking about it! There is something very British about weather conversations, in part because we have such changeable conditions as an island nation. As we have made the transition into autumn I have needed to dig out the warm coats and socks for the chilly mornings, and been pleasantly surprised to need to take them off before heading home in an afternoon. I have enjoyed watching the changing landscape around us. Trees in our garden have given a beautiful display as the leaves have changed colour. Fields have under-gone the greatest change as crops have been harvested and the once full fields are now resting before the seeds are scattered again. Despite this, I have to admit to autumn not being my favourite time of year. There is a brown-orange tinge to the season that just is not a colour palette I go for! There is the unpredictability of what the weather will be like, but it is increasingly cold and rainy. The nights are drawing in and there is a need for more layers of clothing. The summer holiday season comes to an end, and the hectic schedule of Christmas approaches but without many in‘A Thought From the Word’
between events. However, I do love harvest. I love the thankfulness and gratitude that we have the opportunity to express to God in this annual festival. This weekend would have seen us celebrate our Harvest Weekend with a visit from the Chief Secretary, Colonel Lee Graves, and the Territorial Secretary for Leader Development, Colonel Debbie Graves. Unfortunately we will not be sharing together in a meal, or in gathered worship, but as you worship God at home, as you eat this weekend, we hope you will be celebrating harvest and giving …Continued Page 2.
‘Getting to Know You’ -Page 3-
Captain Callum Newton considers harvest in the light of how we as a church and Christians grow and yeild a crop of new Christians. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field...
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This week we learn more about June Lamb. We still need more submissions for this page as we have run out. If you are willing to contribute please do get in touch with the officers.
- Page 7 Bandmaster John Still brings us a march which has become a harvest favourite since its introduction as it features the popular harvest hymn ‘Come ye Thankful People Come.’
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THE SALVATION ARMY
ABERDEEN CITADEL Serving God & Aberdeen For Over 140 Years 28 Castle Street Aberdeen AB11 5BG 01224 579 370
aberdeen.citadel@salvationarmy.org.uk
@aberdeencitadel Commanding Officers Captains Callum & Emma Newton callum.newton@salvationarmy.org.uk emma.newton@salvationarmy.org.uk
Part of the North Scotland Division and the United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territory. Called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland exists to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we will be a Spiritfilled, radical, growing movement, with a burning desire to lead people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, actively serve the community, and fight for social justice. Divisional Commander (North Scotland): Major Gillian Jackson Territorial Commander (UKI): Commissioner Anthony Cotterill The General: General Brian Peddle
CELEBRATE HARVEST CONTINUED FROM FRONT thanks to God for his provision. Each night, just before she goes to sleep, Isla and I thank God for the blessings of the day; for the people we have spoken to, for the food we have eaten, for the world in which we live and the community we are part of. This harvest weekend we will spend longer giving thanks to God for the many blessings we receive. It can be so easy to rattle off a list of requests, or a generic ‘thank you for everything’, but harvest reminds us to stop and count our blessings, and that what we have should first be offered to God before we enjoy it. The Citadel this week is a place of busy-ness as building work has commenced in the main hall on the second floor. The wall surrounding the stained-glass crests is being repaired, requiring much of the plaster to be replaced. I suppose we could liken the current work to being the sowing and watering undertaken by the farmer, the hidden work that most of us will not see. When the wall is repaired and put back together, when the dust has been hoovered up and washed away, we might even look upon it and forget anything happened. Eventually the building will be restored to our place of gathered worship where we can come together, one day in the future, and give thanks to God for the blessing of meeting. This season of restricted activity and social distancing may not be your favourite; it may feel like the worst season you’ve experienced, but know that, like summer, like autumn, it’s not forever and change will come again. I hope you will know, always, but especially at this time, the ever-present nature of God. It is likely that our harvest display would have included bread in some form. Bread reminds us of the grain grown by the farmer and of the action of the yeast to create a risen loaf. Perhaps it would have been shaped as a sheaf as a visual reminder of the grain from which it came. Bread reminds us of ‘our daily bread’; the necessities which God provides, including Scripture, and Christ’s body, given for
us. During this weekend I imagine most of us will tuck into some bread at some stage. Be it a nice slice of toast, or a filled morning roll, a sandwich with a cup of tea or turned into bread and butter pudding! As you eat bread in any form this weekend, take a moment to give thanks to God for the many people and processes involved in its creation. Your harvest celebration does not have to be spectacular to be special. Just remember your blessings, and who gave you the blessing. Before you read the rest of Castlegate News and celebrate harvest this weekend, I want to leave you with Psalm 100: 1Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5For the LORD is good and his love endures for ever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Today shout for joy, worship with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Give thanks to God and praise his name. Amen!
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A Thought From the Word
YOU ARE GOD’S FIELD CAPTAIN CALLUM NEWTON Having been brought up in Lincolnshire, a field is not at all an unusual concept for me. Lincolnshire is a very flat county and from any high point you can look out for mile after mile on fields and fields and fields. Some of them look the same, some of them look different, but nearly all of them look to have some order about them. That is all except for the fields that have been left fallow, fields which were not worked on at all. Farmers rotated the fallow fields every year, the idea being that after two cycles of farming, the soil needed time to replenish and restore lost nutrients. Although a necessary part of farming, it made for a somewhat messy looking field amongst all the order and regular colours, furrows and crops of the others. At harvest time, the produce of these fields are gathered and as I have seen in fields around Aberdeen, hay bales start to appear demonstrating the success of the field’s crop for all to see.
nourishment in terms of sermons, mentoring, books to read etc. But unless we have a good relationship with Jesus, the God who makes things grow, we will not survive and thrive in our spiritual life.
Paul goes on to write: 9For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. I find this a fascinating image, talking to the Corinthian church he is asserting that Paul and Apollos are working in partnership with God, under his direction, to make something special grow in Corinth. Aberdeen, I believe, is one of God’s great fields and we are fellow workers in our own patch of it. But how do we keep our bit of the field, rich and ready to provide good nutrition to the planted seeds? In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul Or have we started to leave wants to encourage the the field fallow? As we look people to start growing. at our collective effort of “Aberdeen, I believe, is one of God’s great fields He talks about how he Aberdeen Citadel’s field, nurtured them through do we have many hay and we are fellow workers in our own patch of it. infancy in their faith but bales demonstrating a But how do we keep our bit of the field?” now is the time to start successful harvest with a having some real growth in good crop for the Lord, or their spiritual lives. One of is it starting to show signs these areas for growth is the learning who they are really following of abandonment, perhaps even a few weeds and thorns? in their church. The teaching, nurturing and guidance may come Jesus also made use of this agricultural analogy in the from the church leaders, in this case Paul and Apollos, but the real parable of the sower in Matthew 13, he explains: spiritual growth in you comes from God alone. So Paul describes 18“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When himself and Apollos as being no better than servants to the Lord in anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not His work, doing as they have been asked to assist him in his growing. understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was Paul continues with his planting metaphor writing: sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since they have no anything, but only God, who makes things grow. root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution As Christians we can have a good relationship with the person who comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22The seed introduced us to the gospel of Jesus Christ and we can benefit hugely falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the from them. We can also have a good relationship with the person who word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of keeps teaching us more about Jesus, giving us more and more wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23But the seed
CASTLEGATE NEWS -ABERDEEN CITADEL SALVATION ARMY falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” We should take heed of Paul’s message when he tells the Corinthian church ‘You are God’s field’. We, Aberdeen Citadel, are God’s field too. Our Church is a place where God intends to grow people in the spirit. We have the privilege of being one of God’s fellow workers, planting the seeds – that is introducing people to Jesus, and watering the seeds – that is teaching people more about God. When we do our part of the job well, just watch how good God is at making things grow. People will grow up to be strong Christians in our midst, joining in the work of planting and watering and the yield of the crop will multiply time and time again as God grows more and more and more in our field. If we are to see this happen, and happen successfully, we should also pay careful attention to Jesus’ parable. What is the soil in Aberdeen Citadel’s field like? Has it been concreted over like a path? Is it rocky or thorny perhaps? Or is it good soil in which one could be expected to grow? What does your bit of the field look like at the moment? New people arriving at the Citadel will find us in one of these states, and
PAGE | 4 they will receive the gospel on the ground we prepare for them. We must be careful to prepare the ground for them in order that they can grow in the faith. A hard stony reception will see the gospel take root in no one. The thorns of gossip, deceit, lies, lack of integrity and other such vices of the church will see the spirit squeezed out of people. Only when there is good soil, and good workers planting and watering will we see the kind of growth we desire. While this is of course a collective effort, and we all long to see the Aberdeen Citadel field full of a good harvest of new Christians, I want you to consider the field of your heart too. Have you perhaps let your own heart lay fallow during the lockdown? Perhaps you haven’t let it go to waste but you need to do some weeding. Don’t forget to maintain a good routine with God, read your Bible and pray because it is only in him that you will truly grow and keep growing until you are ready to see Him face to face. I hope next year we will be able to celebrate Harvest together again, and I hope too that we will come bearing the crop of a good harvest of new Christians from our mission field.
Song 70 We plough the fields, and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and watered By God's almighty hand; He sends the snow in winter, The warmth to swell the grain, The breezes and the sunshine, The soft refreshing rain. All good gifts around us Are sent from Heaven above: Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord For all His love! He only is the maker Of all things near and far; He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star; The winds and waves obey Him, By Him the birds are fed; Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread. We thank Thee then, O Father, For all things bright and good, The seed time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food. Accept the gifts we offer For all Thy love imparts, And, what Thou most desirest, Our humble, thankful hearts. Matthias Claudius Listen Here: https://youtu.be/hqavWnO-wbY
Song 58 Sowing in the morning, Sowing seeds of kindness, Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eves; Waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping, We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves, Bringing in the sheaves, We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves. Sowing in the sunshine, Sowing in the shadows, Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze, By and by the harvest and the labour ended, We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves. Go then, though with weeping, Sowing for the Master, Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves; When our labour’s over, He will bid us welcome; We shall come rejoicing, Bringing in the sheaves. Knowles Shaw Listen here: https://youtu.be/eyWhNrSL-ps
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UPCOMING EVENTS Please remain aware that all upcoming events remain subject to change or cancellation at short notice owing to the ongoing Coronavirus situation. If there is sufficient notice, changes and cancellations will be announced in ‘Castlegate News’ and on Facebook.
Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th October Territorial Congress 2020 (Online)
WHAT’S ON... SOME ONLINE RECOMMENATIONS Fortress Radio Sunday Services 11am and 6pm. Salvation Army music all through the week. “Take yourself back through a day of 'Army' activities and enjoy a day of music featuring Songster Brigades, Bands, YP Sections and much more. During the week, listen again to your favourite Army melodies including special broadcasts such as Songster Gems and Band Fest.”
Saturday 15:00 & Sunday 09:00
Available at: https://www.fortressradio.online/listennow.html
Cadets’ Welcome Meeting
‘Light, Life, Love’ is the inspiring theme and focus of The Salvation Army’s Territorial Congress.
In case you missed it, here is another opportunity to watch the welcome to the Messengers of Reconciliation session of officer cadets. The meeting is lead by the staff of the training college and the territorial leaders.
Territorial Leaders Commissioners Anthony and Gill Cotterill will lead the weekend with Chief of the Staff Commissioner Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham. The meetings can be accessed on the link below.
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Available at: https://youtu.be/vZJvceL2mvQ
https://youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo
This of course also features our own Cadet Abigail Gray, please keep her in your prayers as she commences training.
Desert Island Discs with Cmmr. Catherine Bramwell-Booth Please keep all of our future events in your prayers, especially in these times of fragility in forward planning.
First broadcast on 5th April 1980, Roy Plomley's Desert Island Discs castaway is Salvation Army Commissioner Catherine Bramwell-Booth. Listen to the Commissioner tell some of her story growing up as a granddaughter of William Booth and her own officership experience. The daughter of Gen. Bramwell and Florence Booth, Michael Parkinson said of Commissioner Catherine, “I think of her whenever I remember the exceptional people in my life. Then I recall the formidable intelligence, the glittering wit, the honesty, faith and happiness in her face.”
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p00 9mwcr
A Symphony of Praise
Available at: https://www.regalzonophone.com/Albu ms/A-Symphony-of-Praise
Graham and Carol Gray, Howard and Jacqui Faulks all soldiered at Maidenhead Corps and all four sang in the International Staff Songsters. With Richard Phillips, Piano and Stuart Hall, String Bass, they recorded this album, ‘A Symphony of Praise’, in the late 1980s. I think you might particularly enjoy track 9 ‘Sing-along without the Band’ which will get you singing some old Army songs!
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CHORAL CORNER Captain Callum Newton He Knows my Name is inspired by Psalm 139 and is sung here by Norwich Citadel Songsters as an act of worship. They write: ‘Like many choirs around the world, we have been unable to rehearse together due to lockdown restrictions. We have had many social Zoom calls on Thursday nights instead of rehearsal, but we still miss singing together. But even though we are unable to sing together physically, we can still use our voices as a form of worship. Through the magic of technology, we have been able to virtually sing an arrangement of Tommy Walker's song, 'He Knows My Name'.
Listen here: https://youtu.be/oS7FDipDd9Y
This is a song that means a lot to us as a choir, and also to our church. We hope that you are blessed by the words, and are reminded of the fact that God knows us all by name and will never forsake us.’ I have a Maker, He formed my heart. Before even time began, My life was in his hands.
He knows my name, He knows my every thought. He sees each tear that falls, And He hears me when I call.
PRAYER MATTERS Corps Prayer Diary – September 27th- October 3rd Thoughts for Prayer •
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Ruth Wallace has been in hospital for the past week. She is on a general ward and responding well to treatment for an abscess. Please keep Ruth and Clark in your prayers as she keeps on the road to recovery and looks forward to returning home as soon as she can. Our Territorial Commander calls the UK with Ireland Territory to unite in prayer particularly for Coronavirus issues, just where we are daily at 12 noon. With the rising numbers of the second wave of Coronavirus cases and many local lockdowns, we need to remain fervent and constant in our prayers. Please pray for our P.C.C. as we look to convene soon to discuss matters arising in the Corps. Please pray for those who are currently working on our building, that they may be influenced by the message carried forward from that place and that they may encounter something of Jesus there. May their hands be guided by the Holy Spirit in their work that we may return to a great place of worship and praise.
SUN 4 MON 5 TUE 6 WED 7 THUR 8 FRI 9 SAT 10
Hugh Holmes Fraser Hodgson Jade Hughes Emma Hunter Major Gillian Jackson, Major Steve Dutfield Grace Johnstone Jenna, Adam Jones and family
Whisper a prayer in the morning, Whisper a prayer at noon, Whisper a prayer in the evening, To keep your heart in tune. Prayer changes things in the morning, Prayer changes things at noon, Prayer changes things in the evening And keeps your heart in tune. (SASB 801)
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MUSIC BOX Bandmaster John Still The March “Gold Coast Temple” is often played in harvest festivals, though it was written by Barrie Gott for the opening of the Salvation Army’s buildings on the Gold Coast, Australia. The reason it is appropriate for harvest time is it includes the tune, 'Come, ye thankful people come' (SASB 9) Come, ye thankful people, come Raise the song of harvest home All is safely gathered in Ere the winter storms begin God our Maker doth provide For our wants to be supplied Come to God's own temple, come Raise the song of harvest home All the world is God's own field Fruit as praise to God we yield Wheat and tares together sown Are to joy or sorrow grown First the blade and then the ear Then the full corn shall appear Lord of harvest, grant that we Wholesome grain and pure may be For the Lord our God shall come And shall take the harvest home From the field shall in that day All offenses purge away Giving angels charge at last In the fire the tares to cast But the fruitful ears to store In the garner evermore
Listen here: https://youtu.be/tCLeYb299aQ Matthew 13:37-43 37He
Even so, Lord, quickly come Bring thy final harvest home Gather thou thy people in Free from sorrow, free from sin There, forever purified In thy presence to abide Come, with all Thine angels, come Raise the glorious harvest home! Henry Alford The song combines the image of an autumn harvest and giving thanks for God’s provision with references to two well-known parables - The Parable of the Growing Seed and The Parable of the Weeds both found in Matthew 13.
answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40“As
the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
Generally Speaking Linda Bond, (1946-) was the 19th General of The Salvation Army from 2011 to 2013. She was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. She was the third woman and fourth Canadian to be elected General of the Salvation Army. She was commissioned in 1969 before taking up roles at Canada’s College for Officer Training and then divisional leadership. In 1995 she was appointed to international headquarters as undersecretary for personnel. She was appointed D.C. of Central North division (UK) in 1998 before a return to Canada as chief secretary a year later. In 2002 she was appointed T.C. of the USA Western territory. Following a short spell out of officership for personal reasons, she returned to IHQ in 2005 before being appointed T.C. for Australia Eastern Territory. She was elected General in 2011 and held the office until her unexpected and immediate retirement on 13 June 2013.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOU June Lamb
Which Bible figure would you like to meet, and what would you ask them? Philemon and I would ask him what ran through his mind when he got Paul’s letter asking him to take back Oneisimus, his runaway slave who had stolen from him. What is your favourite hymn or worship song? And can it be. Sung by Lou Fellingham (Phatfish). What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? My mam used to say to me, “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” What hobbies or interests do you enjoy in your spare time? My budgies, Bobby and Sunshine, knitting, reading, crafts and DIY. When did you first come to Aberdeen Salvation Army and why?
What is your favourite Bible verse?
Romans 8:28 and 37 May 1991 – I was disappointed with the church I was at and when And we know that in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those I was young our mission hall and The Salvation Army did a lot of who love Him, who have been called according to His things together so I came to the Citadel. purpose…In all these things we are MORE THAN conquerors through Him who loved us. Not just conquerors but more When we can travel freely again, than…how good is that?. where would you like to go? Where is your favourite place in and around Aberdeen? Pennan and Gardenstown up the coast. If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose?
Torry Battery looking out over the harbour and out to sea. Something interesting people might not know about you is…
President Abraham Lincoln. He worked hard on the 13th Amendment to get it passed and slavery abolished. Yes there I used to play 2nd cornet in our mission band before I left home. were home problems but he had integrity. If you could be in a film, which would it be and what character would you play? I would be in an Agatha Christie film and I would be Miss Marple (by Joan Hickson). She was so observant and would think things through in a very quiet way. What is your favourite food? Homemade chicken curry. Which book (apart from the Bible) would you want on a desert island? Any book written by Ronald Dunn.
What have you missed most during lockdown? Coming to the meetings and sharing fellowship.. If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be? Lucozade Original. What was the first record, tape or CD that you ever owned? 45 RPM record of George Beverley Shea, who sang for Billy Graham Crusades, singing ‘I’d rather have Jesus than anything’.
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ANNOUNEMENTS Please contact callum.newton@salvationarmy.org.uk for any announcement submissions. Alexander John Ross Still We are delighted to share that the adoption of Alexander John Ross Still by Yvonne and Peter Still has now been completed. He was born on 23rd January 2018 and has been with the Still's since he was 5 days old after being in the Special Nursery. Yvonne and Peter wish to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers over the last 2 years. They are rightly proud of how he is doing after a difficult start in life. He is now a walking and chatting little wonder! We wish to add our congratulations and prayers for all of the family.
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