SUNDAY 17TH MAY 2020
DEEDS OF VALOUR This week I’ve been remembering and singing another old Salvation Army chorus which I think has been a great illustrator of what we have already been able to achieve through the Golf Club project: ‘The world is needing us, Christ is leading us; Comrades, let us be true. His love constraining us, Prayer sustaining us, Faith will carry us through. His service calling us, None appalling us, Deeds of valour we'll do; For souls are needing us, Christ is leading us; Comrades, we will be true.’ (SASB 934) This old chorus reminds me of our call as a Salvation Army to act when the world around us cries out in need. It also reminds me of the source of our strength when we need the endurance and energy to keep on serving and keep on trying to meet the need. If there is one thing being at the Golf Club has proven it’s that the need was and is there. We’ve been able to scale up our operations and made many more essentials available to the people who are coming to the twice weekly openings. We praise God that we have been able to supplement our donated food by means of successful grant applications and financial donations. Golf Club manager Ian has made a successful application for the project which has made a big financial difference and opened up more avenues and opportunities for us to help others. He and his Golf Club colleagues have in various ways been an invaluable support to us and we thank God for them. But as we have increased our efforts, more and more people have come through the doors. The pictures here give a tiny illustration of the need as you can see a ‘before and after’ picture of the same tables. This the from just Saturday this week. It is quite humbling as we have seen as many as 40 people in a three hour session and we’re not just seeing the same ones over and over. The people have come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences during the Coronavirus lockdown. We have been privileged as they have shared with us their various stories in great humility as well as their gratitude. I am pleased to say that we are going to be having more regular representation from the Citizens Advice Bureau at the openings in order to give advice to the many people we are encountering who are navigating the benefits system for the very first time. I truly believe that Christ is leading us in this much needed project and as we have answered his call he has resourced us. So we will carry on in faith that we will be able to keep serving and pray that his love will be evident in our deeds.
The Salvation Army Stornoway Corps 59 Bayhead Stornoway HS1 2DZ
“We exist to worship God, to support each other and to serve our community. ” REGISTERED CHARITY NO: 214779 AND IN SCOTLAND: SC009359
Corps Officers Lts. Callum & Emma Newton Callum.newton@salvationarmy.org.uk
Telephone: 01851 703875 Mobile: 07493 880058
@stornowaysalvationarmy
Something to listen to...
Sunday meetings at 11:00am and 6:00pm. Music broadcast all week. Listen online at www.fortressradio.online
This collection of traditional favourites, new arrangements and new compositions is performed by Southport Citadel Band and Wrexham Citadel Songsters. It features a nice balance of lively as well as reflective pieces and I am sure will enhance your worship time this week. Listen here: https://www.regalzonophone .com/Albums/Hymns-andSongs-with-the-Salvation-
Isaiah 40: ‘28Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29He gives strength to the weary and increases31the power of the weak. 30Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ I’m discovering that society has had its whole sense of endurance turned on its head. Many people have, up until lockdown, been so focused on work and being busy that they now don’t know what to do with themselves. The test of people’s endurance has been to see how much work they can do in a day, how much money they can earn and then how they can lead an active social life when they aren’t working. It is often frowned upon or considered bad form to admit ‘I’ve done nothing all day!’ But with the enforcement of lockdown, doing nothing all day is exactly what is required of many people. The test of endurance in patiently waiting seems to be proving much harder than the normal physical endurance leading a busy life presents. For others however, lockdown has been a physically demanding time. Key workers have come under much greater work loads than usual and are having to work out how they do this within new and unprecedented guidelines. Parents are having to juggle working from home whilst caring for and perhaps even home-schooling their children. But the common thing for everyone, in whatever fashion, these strange times are calling on us to use up much of our endurance; endurance which is sometimes a physical challenge but nearly always a mental challenge too. God through Isaiah spoke of how ‘youths’ and ‘young men’ were capable of running out of energy. He singled out those perceived to be the absolute strongest in society to say that even they cannot rely on their own strength and endurance forever. It is true that no matter how much we try, and however much coffee we drink and pasta we eat, none of us can keep going and going without rest and renewal. This is true of each one of us physically, mentally and spiritually. Under normal circumstances, renewal is found in the breaks from work. The sitting down with our feet up and a nice cuppa. But at the moment, for many it’s the other way round. In order to keep us mentally well we are being encouraged to get up, go out and take some daily exercise walking near to our homes. The only minor release on our lockdown terms is to increase the amount of exercise we are permitted to take. Many people have now developed a good habit of going for a daily walk, perhaps two now, and it is doing us some good I’m sure, physically and mentally. But what about spiritually? Well the fact is that no earthly thing; coffee, naps, feet rubs, chocolate, pasta, exercise, social time, online shopping, nothing that can compare to the renewing we can get from our daily walk with the Lord. God’s presence with us, and known by us, is what can give us that extra source of endurance, physical, mental and spiritual when we are exhausted. Like the exhausted athlete cries out for water, we should cry out as David did (Psalm 63:1) ‘You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you.’ What Isaiah reminds us, in Chapter 40, is that your hope in God will not be wasted. You will find that a rest with the Lord brings a renewal on a whole other level. ‘The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary… Therefore, anyone who abides in his Spirit, and with the Spirit in them; ‘...will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary...’ The longer the lockdown continues, the more that each of us is bound to grow weary of it, necessary as it is. Perhaps the novelty of going for a daily walk has worn off for some of us, but others are forming a new good habit and are benefitting from the health rewards. Most, if not all of us, I would guess, have become more resourceful in different ways. Especially learning to make meals with whatever the supermarkets still have in stock or what we can find in our cupboard. Perhaps lockdown has also brought you closer to the bottom of the list of ‘Job I’ve Been Meaning To Do…’ But as the weariness sets in and more patience is demanded of us, let’s not fall away from the good habit of our daily walk with the Master which will restore our weary minds and souls to continue in resilience. Similarly, for those of us still working, the physical demands are often greater in our jobs at the moment as we are called upon for increasing essential work. Don’t forget to protect yourselves in this key work by taking proper rest and restoration for your weary body, mind and soul. Rest, and take time to be with the Lord who will renew and redouble our strength. I know this has been vital for me in recent days. Don’t forget to look out for each other, your family and friends who may becoming weary under the pressures of these last few weeks. Encourage them to rest, encourage them to be restored and 28 renewed by the creator Lord who knows them best. Perhaps you need to remind them: Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God...29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Prayer Focus Living Lord, who taught us always to pray and never give up and who showed us to go on serving even when times are hardest; Living Lord who taught us that every difficulty brings opportunity. Teach us your ways. Living Lord who brings us light in the darkness and who walks with us through the valley of shadows, teach us your ways. Unchanging Lord who was crucified, died and buried but rose again as conqueror, teach us that we can be conquerors too. Amen. Please remember in your prayers… • Members of our corps who are key workers. • The continuing work at the Golf Club and all those who come through the doors. • People affected by the financial struggles and economic breakdown associated with the COVID-19 crisis.
S.A. Songbook 316 1. At the moment of my weakness, When my need for power is plain, And my own strength is exhausted once again, Then my Lord has made provision For the day of my despair, And His precious Holy Spirit Hears my prayer, my prayer, Then my Lord has made provision For the day of my despair, And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.
Holy Spirit!
Promised presence fall on me. Holy Spirit! Make me all I long to be. Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit! Give Your power to me, O Holy Spirit. 2. When the darkness falls around me, When bewildered and afraid, When I feel the most deserted and betrayed, Then my every need is answered By God's providential care, And His precious Holy Spirit Hears my prayer, my prayer. Then my every need is answered
By God's providential care, And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer. 3. Nothing now can rob God's servant Of the peace that He bequeaths, Nothing take away the strength His presence breathes. Of the everlasting arms of love I'm daily made aware, And His precious Holy Spirit Hears my prayer, my prayer. Of the everlasting arms of love I'm daily made aware, And His precious Holy Spirit hears my prayer.
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVHy6SnL8Y Something to watch... ‘Marching as to War’ was a 1988 Anglia Television series written and presented by Roy Castle. It detailed the history of The Salvation Army, and of course being a trumpet player himself, Castle also looked at the music of the Army. I’m sure you will find watching this seven part series of half hour episodes very interesting and I know you will also enjoy singing along to the featured Salvation Army songs in each episode. The quality of the video is reflective of the age of the programme but is still most watchable. You can find the whole series on the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaSdUvAsheYDymv9mw-jicS7eK1W0_Use