SUNDAY 24TH MAY 2020
HIS HANDS & FEET Christians around the world, this week, have remembered the ascension of Christ into Heaven. Indeed, according to the Christian calendar, this Sunday is Ascension Sunday. I read online this week that it was the day Jesus decided to ‘work from home’ which made me laugh. But Jesus did not abandon the world when he left. He conferred the spirit on His church and told them that they could expect to do as much as he did and even greater because there was more than one of them in the church. He went to Heaven promising to advocate for us before the father, but asked us to act on his behalf here below. We the church body of many parts would together be able to change this world in the way Jesus did by his leading and the Holy Spirit in us all. ‘Christ has no body but yours; No hands, no feet on earth but yours; Yours are the eyes with which he looks in compassion on this world.’ These are the words of the 16th Century Roman Catholic Saint and Carmelite nun, Teresa of Avila. They are direct and unmistakable and speak well to a church called in to action. Christian life should be dynamic and active as we strive to be the living body of Christ, where all parts are valued as equal in worth and crucial to the advancing of the gospel. Jesus said: ‘Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.’ (John 14:12) For the first time, this week we have counted the number of people coming to the Golf Club to receive help from us. We counted 53 on Wednesday and 60 on Saturday. The people who came on Saturday were almost entirely different people to those who came on Wednesday. Of those around 100 unique visitors, many were collecting for other people on their street or older relatives as well as themselves but were largely only counted as 1. Further more, for example, a family of five who had one parent coming to collect food would only be counted as 1. So we can be confident that the numbers of people being directly helped by the Golf Club project each week is well in excess of 200. It is a staggering statistic which has taken a lot of effort to achieve, so I thank my helpers and the people donating very gratefully once more. Since Christ ascended and called us to be his hands and feet in this world, I feel that the Golf Club Project has been the right response to demonstrate our calling in this crisis. A local authority visitor to the project recently commented on the positive and peaceful atmosphere that was clearly present in that place where people have initially come in anxiety. I know that God is with us there and I know he using us to bring peace and positivity into the lives of many. Please pray that this will long continue to be the case.
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
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. Listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/soun ds/play/p009mwcr
Psalm 57 (NLT): ‘1Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. ’ Psalm 57 was written by David during an enforced period of social isolation. Desperate to get away from the jealous King Saul who was trying to kill him (1 Sam. 19), David fled to Gath which was a key Philistine city and enemy territory. Unfortunately, the Philistines recognized him and he was in danger once more and so he went to hide in a cave (1 Sam. 22). In that place he wrote these words we find in Psalm 57. David demonstrates a real awareness of the danger that is waiting for him should he leave the cave, but also looks to God for protection and assurance that the danger will pass by. It’s perhaps a tedious link to point out that David was hiding from the Crown (King Saul) and we are finding ourselves hidden away from the Corona (Spanish for crown). But even if the link is tedious, I think we all might have a fresh understanding of the kind of emotions David was experiencing when composing this psalm. How many Christians around the world must have been praying ‘I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.’ in recent weeks? Reading this Psalm however, is not just about feeling a solidarity with the isolated David. David felt the need to share the emotions of his isolated experience with the nation he ruled and the followers of the faith. The words have been included in the scripture over the centuries and these things would suggest that we have something to learn about God from his experience, and perhaps something we could be learning for ourselves in a similar situation. Firstly, we are given a great image of the surrounding and overarching protection of God who cares for us by the idea of hiding beneath His wings. The idea here is not to suggest that God has physical wings, but instead to invoke the image of how a mother bird shields her young chicks from predators, from the elements, and from any dangers by gathering them under her wings. David reminds us that God is capable of providing the shielding and protection that we need from all dangers if we would place our trust in Him. We should have the same confidence as David to say ‘I will look to you Lord for protection’ and rest in that assurance until the day he calls us home. ‘2I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfil his purpose for me.’ David, being an accomplished military man, would have appreciated the strategic importance of having the high ground. From the higher ground, you get the bigger picture of the battle and can make better informed decisions than anyone in amongst the enemy. David has learned to take his directions from God ‘Most High’ who can see the bigger picture and knows how to use him in the best possible way. Even as David is faced with ‘4...fierce lions who greedily devour human prey— whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows, and whose tongues cut like swords,’ he knows he can trust God who can see the bigger picture of eternity. God knows that the danger will pass and God knows how to protect you through it, fulfilling your purpose and potential. Seeing and having the details of the bigger picture is vital to making an informed decision. It is why the Government has gathered information from a variety of sources to paint the most credible big picture of the national situation on which to base its decisions on the next steps for lockdown restrictions. But as Christians, we should be well aware, that in all our life matters during and after lockdown, God has the most informed big picture as he is over and above all things. Only he can speak to us the fullest truth. ‘Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth.’ Something else David learned in isolation was to be ceaseless in praise. Many of us will have sung the great words of consecration found in Song 623 of the Song book; ‘Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise.’ Have you managed to remain in ceaseless praise when Coronavirus has presented some of the greatest hardships, uncertainties, challenges and frustrations we have ever known? David teaches us that the lifting up of our praise is a vital part of waiting for the danger to pass. I suspect that the reason we need to keep praising is not because God needs to be told of his greatness, but we need to remind ourselves of what a mighty God we serve and of who is really in control of all things. We must not fail to see the glory of the Lord shining over all the earth when then Devil tries to smother us with his darkness. ‘7My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!’ Where the Psalm started with David’s twice appeal for ‘mercy’ or help, the Psalm draws to a conclusion with David’s twice confidence in God. Perhaps you need to renew your confidence in the Most High God this week. Perhaps you need to bring all your worries and cares before him, empty your heart of sorrow and fill it full of confidence in Him. Surely then it will be no wonder you find yourself singing His praises rather than sinking in sorrow. May we learn well from David’s time in social isolation. ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.’ (1 Peter 5:7).
Prayer Focus Lord, open my eyes that I may see the presence that is all about me. Open my ears that I may hear the voice that is quiet yet ever near. Open my heart that I may feel the love of God close and real. Open each sense, make me aware of the power and peace always there. Amen. Please remember in your prayers… • Our comrades in the Isle of Skye and all of their friends in the island community. • Those who are confronted by the sadness and confusion of mental illness, and for those upon whom they depend for attention and compassionate care. • The online officer candidate assessment conferences that are taking place. • The continuing work at the golf club as it gets ever bigger. S.A. Songbook 316 1.Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you! Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you!
God will take care of you, Through every day o'er all the way; He will take care of you; God will take care of you!
2. Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you! When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you!
4. Lonely and sad, from friends apart, God will take care of you! He will give peace to your aching heart, God will take care of you!
3. All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you! Trust Him, and you will be satisfied, God will take care of you!
5. No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you! Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you!
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Ez8m2ozf4 An Update... Thank you for those of you who have been asking about and praying for Isla. Just a little update for you all that she is growing quickly and is already 13 weeks old! Where did that time go!? As you can see she is developing a lovely personality and she is keeping us busy while we’re at home. N.B. If you have any updates or announcements for inclusion in the ‘Sunday Link’ then please email them to me. Something to watch... A friend of Emma and I from training college, Lt. Daniel Holland, answered the government call for nurses to return to the front line at the start of the outbreak. His reflections are available for you to watch on the link below. Please continue to pray for officers such as Lt. Daniel who have not held back from meeting the need at the front line and for representing God in the most difficult situations in many people’s experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSTHHArfwYM