FAITH IN ACTION  02 JUNE 2018 | Issue 6693 | $1.50
STEPHEN MOLEN IS DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY Former BMAC Worker Takes on Australian Spartan
The Secrets of Sisterhood CAN YOU MISS YOUR CALLING? Overcoming Power Struggles With Your Teen
PM Jacinda Ardern at the Red Shield Breakfast
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WAR CRY The Salvation Army
Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William
& Catherine Booth
The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission. MANAGING EDITOR Ingrid Barratt | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford,
Vivienne Hill OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box
6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone
(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz | PAPER Sumo Offset
is an environmentally responsible paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System. Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association. All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.
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Social Justice Warriors Recently I’ve been hearing a phrase used online as a derogatory term for people who ‘promote socially progressive views’. The term is ‘social justice warrior’. I was alarmed that this is meant as an insult—but Christians all over the internet are condemning ‘social justice warriors’ for not understanding the real gospel. To quote Bart Simpson, ‘The ironing is delicious’. Because Jesus was intimately concerned with social justice—he healed the sick, promoted the poor, gave women status, condemned power structures, challenged racism, touched the unclean … and on and on. Surely, surely, Jesus was a social justice warrior. Let’s be honest, one of the spiritual grenades often lobbied at The Salvation Army is that we are more concerned with serving soup than saving souls. But I believe this criticism comes from a misunderstanding of the gospel. Because when you nourish a person’s body, you are nourishing their soul. In my job, I have felt honoured to hear stories from people—over and over again—who were helped by the Army in a time of great need. It was this care that opened their hearts to Jesus. When we help people, we earn the right to speak into their lives—and this may lead to the privilege of introducing them to Christ. But we don’t care for people just so we can preach ‘the gospel’. We care for people because Jesus asked us to—because ‘whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me’ (Matthew 25:40, paraphrased). This is as much Jesus’ gospel as his death and resurrection. So when someone accuses you of being a social justice warrior, take pride— because you are starting to look more like Jesus. Ingrid Barratt Editor
Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 134 years | Issue 6693 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry
www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmyNZFijiTonga @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft
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Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Martin Luther King Jnr
Amos 5:24 (ESV) But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Āmoho 5:24 Engari kia huri mai te whakawā ānō he wai, te tika ānō he awa nui.
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f life is hard at the moment, take courage from the motorcyclist I spotted in Omarama, Central Otago. He was on his way to a bikers’ rally. His motorcycle was big and powerful, just like the other bikes that thundered past. The only difference was that his bike also had a sidecar attached. It was one of those machines you wouldn’t ask the price of, because if you had to ask, you’d know you couldn’t afford it! I was out window shopping, and was stopped in my tracks as he parked the beast of a unit in front of me. But I was surprised that he didn’t immediately jump off the bike. Instead, he reached into the sidecar and lifted out what looked like a chair. He placed it on the ground beside him. Next, still seated, he stretched his left hand behind him, detached something which proved to be a wheel, that he fitted to the chair. Then, still seated, he reached his right hand behind him and produced a second wheel to fit on the chair—incredibly, the simple seat was transformed into a wheelchair. By now I was re-gaining my power of speech, and I gasped, ‘Well, you don’t give up easily, do you?’ Without answering, he slid off the motorcycle and onto the wheelchair. Then he gave me an expression that said, ‘That’s how it is …’ and promptly went on his way. ‘Never give in. Never, never, never,’ said Winston Churchill in 1941—during the depths of WWII. It’s a lesson I also need to heed.
Even our Lord, in one of his last hours on earth, was tempted by such an escape route. His physical and mental anguish was real, as he poured his heart out to God in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew how it felt to be betrayed by his loved ones. He knew how it felt to face pain and suffering alone. Yet, he never gave in. ‘Father, if you are willing to remove this cup from me; yet not my will but (always) yours be done,’ he said (Luke 22:42, Amplified Bible). In this moment, Jesus had already won. He refused to allow his circumstances to define him. But, rather, chose to be defined by God’s will for him. In doing so, he won a victory over his circumstances, over sin, and over death. He changed the course of humanity by bridging the gap between us and God. I take heart from the man on the motorbike— he didn’t let his disability stop him from pursuing his passion. We all have disabilities—the only difference is that some of them can’t be seen. We are all wounded, we bear invisible scars, and we cry out to God to take them away. Yet, when we submit these wounds to God, we are able to live beyond our circumstances … living lives of passion and purpose. Jesus, who won in the Garden of Gethsemane, can be your victor and my victor today. BY STAN HARRIS
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You are enough just as you are. Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
QUIKQUIZ
1 What is the capital city of Canada? 2 Who is the main love interest of cartoon character Pepe Le Pew? 3 Who won Eurovision 2018? 4 What colour is a raw cashew nut? 5 Who in the Bible had a baker who made pastries for him? Answers on page 22
Tanya, James & Hania from team ‘James and the Peaches’.
Kiwi Battler on Australian Spartan A former BMAC worker proved to be the dark horse of the reality-sports TV show Australian Spartan. When the TV extravaganza Australian Spartan hit our screens earlier this year, Kiwi trio ‘James and the Peaches’ were ready to battle it out with 59 other teams—including former Olympic athletes, professional sports players and first responders. Many may have dismissed the fishnet-wearing team at first glance, with their resume boasting of a teacher and two stay-at-home mums. But what they lacked in physical qualifications they made up for with passion and teamwork that even took the commentators by surprise.
Animation Isle of Dogs (PG violence and course language) Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson films are typically understated. The audience is dropped into the middle of an unfolding tale, and part of the charm is piecing together the jigsaw. Isle of Dogs feels more straightforward, more direct in its set-up. But the animation is breathtaking, whimsical in a Roald Dahl kind of way. Intricately detailed fur-texture sits alongside 90s cartoon-style puffs of smoke to indicate dogs fighting. It’s this marriage of devotion to craft and disarming humour that endears us, softening the blow of a deceptively sad story. Political struggle on a mass scale—against a faceless ‘opposition’—results only in entrenchment to divided camps. But change ultimately comes when we can hear each other’s hurts and struggles. And dogs, so, so many dogs. (Reviewed by Sam Coates) 4 WarCry 02 JUNE 2018
Team leader Hania Aitken was on staff at The Salvation Army’s Blue Mountain Adventure Centre for six years with her husband Kyle. They began a family while there, and Hania says that while she loved being pregnant, she put on a lot of weight with each of her four children. ‘I love my body and will wear a bikini no matter my size, but energy and strength-wise I couldn’t keep up.’ Hania set a goal to run a half marathon, but needed something more than running to regain her muscle. So she started her own bootcamp and began her journey back to strength. ‘You put a lot of yourself on hold when you choose to have a family. After four kids, I thought I’d lost who I was, but I’m back!’ The team proved to be the surprise competitors of the competition, making it to the semi-finals ahead of some of the more ‘professional’ athletes. For Hania, it’s been a lifechanging experience that has refuelled her passion for an adventurous life. ‘Not only do I get to compete alongside my friends, but I can be an example to my kids.’
Weird of the Week: A Canadian zoo is facing charges after a viral video showed their Kodiak bear, Berkley, eating ice cream off a spoon at a Dairy Queen drive-thru. It was a pawsome sight. The authorities could bearly believe it!
Avocado Brownie Fudge This is a heavy, moist fudge-like brownie … mmm. 1/2 cup avocado, mashed 1/2 cup orange kumara, cooked and mashed into a puree 1/2 cup nut butter (cashew, almond or peanut) 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (optional) 3 Tbsp rice malt syrup (or maple syrup)
Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a loaf pan with baking paper. In a blender, food processor, or stick mixer, combine all ingredients except chopped chocolate. Add the chocolate and use a spatula to spread the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.
1/4 cup or just You arecoconut enough almond milk as you are.
3 Tbsp of raw cacao Meghan powder Markle, Duchess of Sussex 1/4 tsp salt
TOPFIVE
Top five gifts for Jacinda and Clarke’s baby: 1 A Tupperware Shape-O (lifetime guarantee and great for hand-eye coordination). 2 Buzzy Bee pull-along toy (if you didn’t have one, were you really a New Zealand baby?) 3 Do Not Open This Book by Andy Lee (a War Cry team favourite). 4 Bonds Wondersuit (ask any parent how amazing these are!) 5 A ‘Let’s Poo This’ onesie (red, of course).
1/2 tsp vanilla essence Source | lunchboxinc.co.nz
WARCRYINHISTORY In War Cry on 16 June 1888, The Salvation Army announced the formal appointment of Captain Ernest and Mrs Holdaway to work among the Māori of the Whanganui River communities—this was the official commencement of Salvation Army Māori ministry. Since the Army had begun in New Zealand, there had been many Māori converts, songs, and texts translated into Māori. Māori were very much included in Salvation Army mission from the very beginning. The Holdaway’s efforts included the publication of a Salvation Army Māori song book in 1891. When the work commenced under the Holdaways, their ministry was called Te Taua Whakaora (the war party that brings life), which was changed later to Te Ope Whakaora (the Army that brings life). Source: Booth College of Mission Heritage and Archives Centre 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 5
Lieutenant Stephen Molen went from a ‘missing person’ to being found through The Salvation Army. He’s still doing things differently, but now he has a mission.
Doing Things
BY ROBIN RAYMOND
DIFFERENTLY
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he first time Lieutenant Stephen Molen came across The Salvation Army was looking at his own picture on a missing persons ad. For Steve, life changed after disagreements with his parents when he was 16 and he wanted to leave school. ‘My way of dealing with that was one day after school I just didn’t go home. I nicked my passport [from home] and some money from a bank account and I got on a plane to Australia.’ After a few weeks in Sydney he read the local newspaper that said: ‘Missing Kiwi, have you seen this teenager Stephen Molen? Believed to be living in the King’s Cross, Bondi area.’ ‘The Salvation Army had put an ad in the paper,’ explains Steve. ‘It was so embarrassing, because my mum had given them this picture of me doing the vacuuming. Here I was, hard core rebel Steve, on the run and my “wanted” picture was of me doing the vacuuming in my bedroom.’ After 9–10 months, Steve returned home, but that taste of freedom changed him from a kid with a good upbringing to someone determined that whatever he wanted, he’d have. ‘I wanted to experience everything life had to offer— women, alcohol, drugs. I was determined over the next 10 years to emotionally and physically mess myself up as much as possible.’ Although he never got to the point of addiction, Steve says he did a lot of emotional and internal damage. ‘I was open to everything that was around, but that comes with its consequences.’ Eventually, at age 25, tired and breaking he began asking, ‘Is this it? Is there something more to life than this?
Is this it? ‘It was around this time that my boss at work let me read his Bible, and I discovered if I read his Bible he wouldn’t make me do any work,’ says Steve. So over the next year, he started searching the Bible and asking questions. ‘My friends were confused because they knew “party Steve” and suddenly I was reading the Bible and asking questions about spirituality,’ he says. One day, a friend introduced him to someone in The Salvation Army, and the pair began discussing the Bible and Steve’s questioning journey. Steve told him he wanted to believe, but he wanted some evidence that God was real. ‘He asked me if I’d ever had any experience of the spiritual. I told him I was pretty black and white, I believe in what I can see, and if I can’t see it, then I don’t believe it.’ The man prayed Steve would have a spiritual experience, and over the next few months Steve says he began to have powerful spiritual experiences that convinced him God was real. He became a Christian and began going to church, but the pull of his old life became stronger and he began slipping back into old habits. ‘I was praying one day and I came to this place of understanding that how I was living was wrong. I said, “God, I’m sorry for what I have been doing. I want to change, I need you, I want my life to be different”. It was at this point that I had an ovewhelming encounter with God. I could sense his love, hear his voice and feel his presence. 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 7
I knew beyond any doubt that he was real and I was loved.’ It was a pivotal moment for Steve: ‘When I finally let go, stopped thinking I was “all that”, and realised I needed God, he was there in a powerful way.’
An unexpected mission Steve was passionate about overseas mission and social services, but couldn’t see a way into these areas. Then one day he went to a men’s camp—and while he was there, a speaker prophesied to him that he would have a strong mission with young people. ‘I thought, “That’s unlikely, I don’t even like young people”,’ laughs Steve. Three weeks later, he was offered a job with The Salvation Army, working with youth in central Wellington. A job that lasted almost 14 years. He was involved in running life-skills courses, programmes in schools and Rimutaka Prison; setting up homes for homeless teens, organising a community youth meal, and a street ministry in Manners Mall. When Steve and his wife Faye got married, they planted a youth church that became 614 Corps, a youth corps in central Wellington. It was a special time in their lives, says Steve. ‘Over the years, we saw God impact both young people and youth workers in so many different ways. It was awesome.’
Delving deeper Steve and Faye were invited to attend The Salvation Army’s Delve weekend—a time where people are given the opportunity to explore officership and leadership positions in the Army. But Steve had no real interest in officership, fearing he’d be sent somewhere he didn’t belong. ‘For me it was a cheap date weekend, to take Faye away for a camp and activities and have a weekend with my mates. I had no intention of going into officership. I was enjoying the weekend. They’d have these sessions and I’d naff around with my friends at the back. I thought I wasn’t called to officership —but I was open to God,’ says Steve. ‘I was messing around at the back and [now Commissioner] Andy Westrupp was about to speak. I have no idea what he said but, as he got up to speak, I heard God say clearly, “Don’t worry about not trusting The Salvation Army, you can trust me”. God’s voice penetrated my inner soul, it was a ‘burning bush’ experience. ‘Then I had this uncontrollable blubbering, it was very uncool, but I couldn’t stop. It was through this encounter that God 8 WarCry 02 JUNE 2018
empowered me to let go of 614 Corps and led me to training college to become a Salvation Army officer.’
A perfect fit After college, Steve and Faye were appointed to Tokoroa Corps —a small corps in a town that he had never heard of. It was a wild, dysfunctional town, with high unemployment and poverty, and a lot of influence from gangs, drugs and domestic violence, Steve says. ‘The corps was a perfect fit for us. God keeps his promises and the Army got it right—the people were awesome and we loved living among them. Our goal was to create an accepting and loving culture, and journey with people amongst their brokenness.’
‘I HEARD GOD SAY CLEARLY, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT NOT TRUSTING THE SALVATION ARMY, YOU CAN TRUST ME”.’ Over the years, Faye and Steve experimented with different ways of doing ministry, and finding ways to integrate the corps with community ministries. This included a new way to operate the foodbank. ‘We got so tired of people coming in for food parcels, which we knew were needed, but then they were gone again with little room to connect with them relationally and support them long term.’ So they set up a new initiative where the corps supported a person over six weeks with food parcels, while they took part in a Positive Lifestyle Programme (PLP). The programme included a ‘generosity project’, where clients helped out in the foodbank or around the corps. Clients also met with a Christian support worker to talk about where they were at, and pray into issues. ‘The idea was to empower people and support them to grow,’ explains Steve. ‘The food parcels allowed them to set aside money to pay off bills and handle other issues. And the cool thing was that it gave them the opportunity to meet people and make positive connections.’
The key is Jesus But Steve says the real key to transformation is giving people the opportunity to have a relationship with God—making
space for God to connect with his children: ‘The reason we do what we do is that we believe Jesus, through his Spirit, can bring transformation. We’re drawn to it because we believe Jesus makes a difference. We don’t need another social service agency—the extra dimension we can bring is the transforming power of Jesus.’ The Corps also opened three transitional houses, providing a roof and further support to homeless people in the community. There again, Steve says, the link between church and people in need was a key part of helping people transform their lives. ‘One of the women who came to us was couch surfing; she’d had some of her children taken off her. She moved into our emergency accomodation, did the PLP/food project programme and positive parenting, as well as volunteering in the Family Store. It wasn’t long after being involved in all this that she started coming to church and joined one of our discipleship groups. ‘Jesus started to impact her life and and she began the journey of transformation. That’s the integration we want,’ Steve says. ‘It’s those connected pathways that make a difference in people’s lives.’
A new journey After four years in Tokoroa, the Molens moved to Auckland at the beginning of this year to continue the work of planting Clendon Corps Plant. ‘We were loving Tokoroa and the people, it’s a beautiful place, but God and the Army needed us elsewhere. We were sad to go, but excited about being involved in a new plant in Clendon.’ Steve and Faye have taken the principles they learnt in Tokoroa with them into their new appointment. ‘As we focus on the new plant, we want to make sure the corps stays integrated with the community,’ says Steve. ‘Whatever we start, it has to have a pathway for ongoing relationships and spiritual transformation—if it doesnt meet these objectives, then we are not interested in doing it.’ Again, Steve says the Army’s point of difference is Jesus. ‘At present, the corps doesn’t have a Sunday service, but we are taking time out with our planting team to plan and strategize, and put down good, solid foundations. Very soon we will have some new community ministries initiatives up and going, and we’ll start public services. God has some exciting plans for Clendon/Manurewa, so watch this space ...’ Once a missing person, Steve has truly found his place.
Steve and Faye Molen say their mission is summed up by their updated version of General William Booth’s ‘I’ll Fight’ speech:
A battle cry from the trenches
When our people turn up broken and damaged because of drugs and alcohol, We’ll fight. When our people are homeless because they haven’t paid their bills or their rent, We’ll fight. When our people need support and advocacy with WINZ because they haven’t met their obligations and keep missing their appointments, We’ll fight. When our people have burnt all their bridges with family and friends through domestic violence and assault, We’ll fight. When our people continually return to their abusive situations, in and out in and out, We’ll fight. When we are caught up in our own world, our own stuff, and our people need a friend—someone to talk to, someone to show an interest and we really can’t be bothered, We’ll fight. When our people finally come to that place where they have had enough and they want to change, We’ll be there. And we’ll fight, we’ll fight to the very end.
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Avoiding Power Struggles with Your Teen Teens often outgrow the rules we set in place—but we fail to notice, says Ugo Uche, a counsellor who specialises in adolescence. This sets up a power struggle where parents more strictly enforce the rules, and teens double-down on their defiance. If you want to avoid the teen power struggle, Uche suggests three main steps to follow: Step 1: Don’t make it about you. Ego deflation is very important here, the rules are not about you, and never were. The rules were put in place to aide in your teen’s successful growth. In your own words, explain this to your teen—you might say something like, ‘The reason we put the curfew in place is to keep you safe and provide you with the necessary structure to practice self-discipline. Are you suggesting that this isn’t working out? If so, I would like to learn why.’ This approach is compassionate and puts the onus back on your teen to explain their behaviour without feeling attacked. Step 2: Talk to your teen about their hopes and dreams. Examine your own expectations for your teen. For example, if you expect your teen to get all ‘As’ at school, is it because their dreams for the future require them to get As? Or is it because your concept of success is top grades? Think through your expectations—and whether they are serving you, or your teen. Ask your teen what their hopes and dreams are for the future— if they have no idea, this may be one reason why they are defiant and unmotivated. This is a great opportunity to talk deeply and get to know each other. It’s also a great platform for putting in place goals that will help them reach for their dreams. Step 3: Agree on new rules with your teen. For your teen to agree and adhere to household rules, they must understand what they have to gain from following the rules—and what they have to lose if they don’t. After you’ve talked through your teen’s hopes and dreams, work together to make realistic goals for their future. It may mean re-negotiating your rules and expectations to better meet their needs. One parent made a rule with his teen son that he could text his dad to come and get him anytime, and no questions would be asked. This proved to be not only important for his safety, but built their trust and bond. Source: psychologytoday.com
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THINK THROUGH YOUR EXPECTATIONS —AND WHETHER THEY ARE SERVING YOU, OR YOUR TEEN. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR TEEN … These questions will get teens thinking about what’s important to them, and what kind of person they want to be: What kind of relationship to you want to have? What values are important to you? What are some career options that appeal to you? What will help keep you safe? Once you’ve talked through these, it’s time to ask, ‘Ok, so how can we make this happen?’
TESTIFY! David Swain felt like an exile when he ‘ran away’ to Wales, but it was there that God brought him back from captivity. I grew up in Levin, in The Salvation Army Corps—along with my parents, three brothers and two sisters. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the people in the Levin Corps were my village. But as a young man I was captive to some poor choices. I went to London; I was a long way from God and did things I deeply regret. After my marriage failed, I ran away again to Wales. I was like Jonah, trying to run away from God. But Wales was the place God restored me. It was the place where I felt the Holy Spirit softening my heart, calling me back to the Lord. I was able to restart my teaching career. I also set up a business as the founder of touch rugby in Wales— setting up a competition in Cardiff in 1991 that continues today. I was able to fulfil my passion for rugby and refereeing, as I climbed the ladder to become a premier referee.
GOD HAS BROUGHT ME BACK FROM CAPTIVITY—NOT A PHYSICAL PLACE, BUT THE CAPTIVITY TO SIN, FEAR AND REGRET.
I married a local lady and we had three fantastic kids—Joseff, Bronwen and Luke. It was the birth of my son that made me re-evaluate my life, and return to what I had learned in The Salvation Army: ‘For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, KJV). I was led to the realisation that the most important thing in life was to walk with the Lord.
carried you into exile … Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me with all your heart and I will be found by you,” says the Lord’ (v. 12–14).
I had a karanga and a desire to come home to New Zealand. The verses in Jeremiah 29 spoke to me in a very powerful way—God told the Israelites exiled in Babylon to make lives for themselves: build houses, marry and have children. ‘ “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have
I was an exile in Wales. And like the exiled Israelites, I was told to stay put, get involved in the local community and be prepared to be there for a long time. So I got involved in my local church, leading worship and encouraging others in their walk with God. We are a church of prodigals—
people who are returning to God. After 20 years teaching, I sought voluntary redundancy. I said to God, ‘You open a door and I will walk through it’. He did just that by showing me a school for teenage lads who had emotional and behavioural issues, and I took a post there. God used me to mentor lads in the school. There were three Christian mums who told me they had been praying for a Christian man to teach their sons—together we were able to disciple these lads. And so, God has brought me back from captivity—not a physical place, but the captivity to sin, fear and regret. He listened to me, heard my cries and allowed me to find him again. As this goes to print, my parents are celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary—I’d like to honour them for giving a lifetime of unconditional love, not only to their family, but to all who have been blessed to journey with them at different times in their lives. 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 11
Too girly, or not girly enough … we’ve all had negative messages about what it means to be female. But, when we look beyond the stereotypes, both guys and girls gain true strength. BY ROSY KEANE
I read a quote recently: ‘We need to rediscover the power of secret sisterhood’. Isn’t that a cool statement? The idea of women meeting together, gaining strength from their shared experience, hope, triumph, trauma, sorrow and rejoicing that often goes with simply being born a woman? Why is this so important? Because the messages we hear about women become truths that we live out—and sometimes we need to figure out which messages are good to keep, and which ones are not. ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one [woman] sharpens another,’ says Proverbs 27:17.
‘YOU’RE NOT LIKE MOST GIRLS’ I’ve been listening to Hailee Steinfeld’s song ‘Most Girls’ on repeat recently—the passengers on the train next to me must think I’m pretty strange. It begins with a guy saying to Hailee ‘You’re just not like most girls’… as if that’s a compliment. Hailee responds with ‘Um, I gotta go’, and then begins the punchy anthem about how ‘most girls’—all the women silenced by negative stereotypes—are actually smart, strong and worth celebrating. And we should stand together in solidarity, because we are sisters.
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It made me think: Is this a message you hear often? That women should celebrate one another and our female friendships?
WHAT IS ‘GIRLY’?
In high school I used to hear phrases like, ‘I just don’t get along with other girls’, as a boast. I remember hearing, ‘She’s not that girly’—either as an insult or compliment. I remember hearing negative generalisations like, ‘All girls are …’ or ‘Girls just aren’t … ’ As a little girl, I was a risk taker. I loved danger and the outdoors. As I stomped around the farmyard in my grandfather’s gumboots, my grandmother once complained, ‘Why can’t she be more ladylike?’—whatever that word means. All these statements gave me the message that being a girl meant acting a certain way. It meant that I thought when girls hung out we gossiped. And hanging out with other girls wasn’t as awesome as hanging out with the boys. When we accept those messages and generalisations about women and girls, it stops us seeing the unique way the image of God is stamped in us—and in others.
STEREOTYPING The word ‘stereotyping’ comes from a French word from 1798, which means ‘printing from a flat plate’. (My parents owned a massive old printing press—the size of a van, capable of ripping off fingers—and to watch it in action was terrifying. It couldn’t be stopped midway, except with a big red button.) When we generalise or make sweeping statements about an entire group of people, it’s stereotyping. It’s assuming that they are
all blank pictures, all stamped with the exact same image—one we have made up ourselves in our head and often out of our own prejudice. A person who is smart must be a nerd. A person who is tall must be a basketball player. A person who is loud must be looking for attention. Is this something you are guilty of when it comes to women? Is it something you are guilty of when thinking about yourself? When you find yourself stereotyping in the negative—‘Most girls are … ’ or ‘All girls are … ’ Why not hit the big red button and think, ‘Where is the unique image of God—diverse, wonderful, ever-creating God—in this person?’
A SISTERHOOD THAT FITS There are women who share their stories There are women who shed their tears There are women who shelter our feelings There are women who soften our fears. —Susan. R. Beehler Some of you might have seen Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, a movie about a pair of magic jeans. No matter the size of the girl, the country they are in or the season they are worn, the jeans just fit. They mould to the wearer. They are comfortable. They are just right. Friendship with our sisters is similar. We are not all the same. We are not always in the same mental headspace, the same physical location or even in the same season as our sisters—our friends who we journey through life with—but good friendships mould to the occasion. They are comfortable, no matter how long has passed between you speaking. It’s just … right.
ALL GIRLS …
IN HIGH SCHOOL I USED TO HEAR PHRASES LIKE, ‘I JUST DON’T GET ALONG WITH OTHER GIRLS’ AS A BOAST. It takes work to build the sisterhood. It takes persistence—women who are prepared to put the effort in, to get past the surface and persevere even when things are difficult (check out the Women’s Ministries #PerSister cards, that speak about the power of women). If we continue to invest in deepening friendships with one another, we can build expanding communities of healthy relationships, which men will flourish from too. If we refuse to stereotype or accept rules of what counts as ‘girly’ and ‘feminine’ in order to be accepted, we will throw off chains of injustice, we will stop squashing women and we will begin to build the church as God sees it. If we build our sisterhood, we will raise up strong women who are prepared to advance the mission together because they are supported by those who understand and tell their stories their own way. In looking for the image of God within all women and all girls, we see the message of who Jesus calls us each to be—gumboots and all. To find out more about #PerSister go to facebook.com/salvationarmy.wm
There is a story in the Bible about Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. They were more than family, they were soul sisters. When Naomi decided to return to her home in Israel, Ruth promised never to leave her. ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried,’ said Ruth (Ruth 1:16,17).
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with journalist Barry Soper (MC of the Wellington breakfast).
A Passion to Address Poverty Shared at Red Shield Breakfast Building a better country for our children was the theme, as national leaders addressed The Salvation Army’s annual Red Shield Appeal Breakfasts. BY ROBIN RAYMOND
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined her Government’s commitment to improving the lives of children at the breakfast in Wellington, while Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft challenged Auckland attendees on their role in building a better nation. A crowd of 387 people attended in Auckland and Wellington, the largest group ever to attend the Red Shield Breakfasts. Ms Ardern told the audience, she believed New Zealand shared her passion for the importance of addressing child poverty, and thanked the Army and other charities for their work. ‘New Zealand can and should be better than this, because this is not who we are. Thank you for the work that you do to try and make sure New Zealand reflects back to us who we believe we are, and believe absolutely that we can be—and that is the best place in the world to be a child.’
A personal passion Speaking ahead of the budget, she announced an extra $76 million of funding over four years for agencies combatting domestic violence, calling it ‘another challenge that gets in the way of us being the best country in the world to be a child’. She told the audience of her personal drive to address the issue, after reviewing reports from the coroner’s office on children’s deaths in New Zealand. ‘What I read, I did not expect at all. What I saw in those reports was an overwhelming number of children and young people who had taken their own lives. The theme behind almost every single one of those reports was family violence.’ Ms Ardern also outlined the Government’s intention to 14 WarCry 02 JUNE 2018
address health, housing and education as the foundations of building a better nation. ‘We know we’re a better society when everyone has a warm, dry place to call home, when they have access to the doctor, to modern hospitals and when our children have access to the best education possible. These are the strong foundations for our country and those strong foundations start with a strong foundation for kids.’
A pivotal moment Speaking at the Auckland breakfast, Judge Becroft said New Zealand faced a pivotal moment in addressing child poverty. A key was the Government’s Child Poverty Reduction Bill, which was the first time in 30 years a government had introduced a clear, comprehensive plan to address poverty, he said. ‘This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I hope they grab it.’ However, the solution could not just be from Government and would require action from each of us. He urged each person to reflect on their vision for New Zealand and what they could do in their community to make a difference. Judge Becroft reflected on the passage in Jeremiah 29:7 where the prophet wrote: ‘But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.’ He urged the room to ‘seek’ the welfare of the city, the community, and the country. ‘For those of us from different faith perspectives, being on our knees isn’t a bad start. But there’s something you can’t put into words in the human condition, that when we sacrificially seek the needs of those around us, in it, our own needs are met. All of us have got to be involved and can be involved.’
‘Scandalous’ The breakfasts also had panel discussions with Major Pam Waugh, Judge Becroft and Salvation Army senior policy analyst Alan Johnson, reflecting on ways to bring down child poverty.
Judge Becroft described it as ‘scandalous’ that while superannuation was set to increase with inflation and the cost of living, other benefits were not—and took the opportunity to speak directly to the Minister of Social Development in the audience, urging her to make the change. Major Waugh reflected on the challenges faced by families The Salvation Army work with, telling the audience 68,000 children per year rely on The Salvation Army just for basics such as food, clothing, housing support, adequate blankets and more. Big areas such as housing and debt need major work to help break the poverty trap, but families also need the Army’s in-depth services through advocacy, building life skills and other ways to build resilience, she said.
‘NEW ZEALAND CAN AND SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE.’ Mr Johnson said it was good that the levels of awareness around poverty and issues such as homelessness had been raised in recent years, and public support would be needed to achieve significant change. ‘New Zealanders are compassionate and empathetic and I think we have to build on that.’ Speaking about issues of welfare dependency, Mr Johnson said it’s important to acknowledge that there were some people who, because of illness or disability, will always rely on welfare support—but it’s important to create opportunities for others to move on from benefits and other support. In particular, single parents need opportunities to move back into the workforce after staying at home with their children, he said.
As Seen on Facebook
In 1900, 37-year-old Salvation Army officer Edith Garner died suddenly, and was buried in an unmarked grave in Christchurch. The Christchurch Salvation Army History Group recently held a memorial service at her grave and gave her a named cross.
Addressing family violence Both Major Waugh and Mr Johnson spoke about the importance of the extra funding for family violence programmes, in helping give children the best start possible. Violence is often made worse by stress, and practical solutions are needed to get to the root causes and give people space to build new skills for addressing violence, Mr Johnson said. ‘A number of years ago, I was working late on a Friday night and a young constable pulled up and said, “I’ve just been at a family violence incident and there’s nothing in the house, can you give us some food to take back to them?” So I broke into the foodbank and gave them some food. I thought that response was really creative because sometimes, as we know in our own lives, you have arguments around money, and those things— particularly if you’re desperate—can turn very nasty.’ Major Waugh also spoke about The Salvation Army’s new Breakthrough Programme with Parenting Place, helping fathers who have been violent to rebuild relationships safely with their children. Looking beyond the problems to solutions was key, she said. ‘All the parents we see want to be good parents, but something keeps getting in the way. The people we see don’t need our judgement, they get enough of that already. They need our support to change their lives.’
Gemma Cornish, from Miramar Corps in Wellington, recently won ‘Most Commercial’ Collection for her amazing wetsuit and swimwear designs at this year’s iD emerging designers fashion week!
The Salvation Army’s newest adherents were enrolled at Royal Oak Community Ministries on 8 May, under the leadership of Rod and Sue Ellis. Way to go team!
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Sport with a Purpose The annual Sevens competition used sport to help connect people and communities.
INREVIEW
The annual Sevens competitions took place in April—in Taupō for North Island teams and Timaru for the South Island. The Taupō Sevens competition has been running for over 20 years and every year provides an opportunity for corps and centres to engage new people through the avenue of sport. Teams play football, touch rugby, netball and volleyball, with Taupō Sevens throwing ultimate frisbee into the mix this year. Midland’s divisional youth secretary, Major Rob Cope said, ‘By all accounts it was a resounding success and looks as if it will become a regular part of the day in the years to come.’ Teams from Kaitaia (Far North Corps) through to Miramar and Kilbirnie in Wellington, descended on Taupō-nui-a-Tia College for five hours of fierce competition. With the competition taking place on ANZAC Day, a few moments were taken at the beginning of the day to reflect on the idea that freedom is never free. ‘We thought about the men and women who gave their lives for a freer world; many of them New Zealanders’, said Rob. ‘And we thought about Jesus and the price he paid so that we could experience freedom from sin and shame. What an honour to honour him.’ Kilbirnie Corps claimed the competitive grade prize, Johnsonville Corps took the recreational prize, and first-timers Far North Corps won the social grade—which was even more impressive since they had a nine-hour drive each way to attend. Southern Division fielded nine teams from as far north as Nelson Tasman Bays Corps, and as far south as Invercargill. Mosgiel Corps entered a team for the first time and came away with the Fair Play award. After completing a round-robin in all four sports, the top four teams competed in semi-finals, before Christchurch City
Truth wrapped in fiction Out of the Ashes Vanessa Evetts
Vanessa Evetts, first time Kiwi author, describes her book as ‘raw, honest, heartwrenching and beautiful truth wrapped up in fiction’. Out of the Ashes is an authentic story of grief, loss, forgiveness and love, capturing the reader through the heart-wrenching story of Grace. Grace, a woman who had it all, suddenly finds herself drowning in grief and guilt after the unexpected loss of her husband and children. One day, she discovers a bucket list written by her son. She makes the decision to sell everything and head out to complete the list and honour
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the memories of her family. Each item on the list takes her to new places across the globe, leading her on thrilling adventures as she comes face-to-face with her greatest fears, in some of the most surprising circumstances. At first, I could barely stand to keep reading as Evetts has perfectly captured the thoughts, emotions and actions of a person suffering seemingly insurmountable pain. I found myself wanting to stand with her cheering and yelling, ‘You can do it, you can!’—wanting her to find new purpose, to get up and live. For anyone who has experienced grief or walked alongside someone who has, this book is a must—Evetts takes the reader on an empathetic journey where you can’t help but reflect on your own story and that of people around you. Woven into the story is the hand of God, during every season Grace goes through. Struggling to find where God is in the midst of her grief, we see God’s perfect timing and placement of his people along the way, gently wrapping her in his embrace—ultimately making this book a powerful testimony to the grace, love, mercy and power of a loving redeemer. BY TESSA REARDON
Corps was victorious over Nelson Tasman Bays Corps in a great volleyball battle. Southern’s divisional youth secretary, Major Alison Moody, was thrilled with how everyone contributed to such a great day and made the effort to be part of it. ‘A big shout-out to Captain Nigel De Maine for his excellent skills,’ said Alison, who was grateful for Nigel’s work on the draw and making the day run so smoothly. It was great to see teams like Sydenham Corps, which was made up of both Corps and Bridge people. These events are ideal for building relationships and connecting with people who might find a church service daunting, but are comfortable on a sport’s field. Over 400 people across the country came to the Sevens to either compete or support. It has become a well-established tradition that is missional in its purpose. ‘This event has a very clear philosophy of leadership and participation, helping leaders build relationships with young
people, have the “God talk” and not be phased by the chaos of the day,’ said Rob.
‘Aspire’ Helps Inspire The Aspire youth development programme is helping young people throughout New Zealand grow in confidence. For well over a decade, Salvation Army youth workers have been facilitating a range of youth development programmes. In 2014, they gathered to seek collaboration and conciliation of what made quality youth development programmes work for young people. The result was ‘Aspire’—a unified 35-week, quality youth development programme. We had the opportunity to partner with The Warehouse Group 2015, which provided first-year funding. Partnering with schools to deliver a programme based on experience and evidence, ‘Aspire Kiwi Youth Development’ was born. Key additional components included an adventure camp at Blue Mountain Adventure Centre (BMAC), and the community project, which aimed to reflect the culmination of the year’s learning. Aspire gained momentum beyond The Warehouse Group’s one-year funding. Seeking further partners became a priority if the programme was to survive post-2015. Through significant partnerships with Jeff Farm Trust, Warehouse Stationery and some small private donors, Aspire continues today with over 200 participants spread across Aotearoa. The year 2017 was again a success for Aspire and The Salvation Army. There were 220 participants from Whangārei to Christchurch, from 17 high schools and intermediates engaged in the programme. These were weekly programmes with qualified and experienced youth development practitioners. To ensure Aspire continues as an effective tool for the care and development of young New Zealanders, a comprehensive evaluation was completed to measure both growth and development of each young person, as well as the effectiveness of the programme. Participants were asked a range of measures based on the four modules: Belonging, Mastering, Independence and Generosity. These modules are the guiding theory of the Circle of Courage (Brokenleg M & De Toit L, 2005).
Aspire National Coordinator Michael Smith (left), with Major Pam Waugh (Community Ministries Secretary), Jono Bell (National Practice Manager for Community Ministries) and Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary, New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory).
Over all of the 30 key measures, we saw good percentage improvements. The most significant growth was in selfefficacy—where young people could identify a growth in confidence, skill identification and where they fit in at school, community and home. One of the greatest assets of Aspire is The Salvation Army itself. Youth development workers have the access to support, resources and care that other youth programmes and organisations can only dream of. Every day youth development workers have been able to: refer families of young people to our social services; provide food parcel support; engage participants in local corps life; camps and youth programmes; and advocate for participants and families. Aspire is now woven into the ministry of many corps and centres. BY MICHAEL SMITH, ASPIRE NATIONAL COORDINATOR CHECK OUT THE FULL REPORT | www.firezone.co.nz 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 17
Time To Shine at East City To celebrate the International Children and Youth Weekend, East City Corps transformed their auditorium to reflect the theme ‘Shine’. We had our Family X’perience dinner on the Friday evening, and a Family Service on Sunday morning. The Shine experience began by inviting people through a reflective prayer walk-through. At every prayer station, people were encouraged to read, reflect and do something symbolic before moving to the next station. It was great to see so many families doing this together, and the feedback we had was that they found it very moving. The rest of the evening was spent eating great food and enjoying fellowship, before the kids rounded the night off by making light sabres and a mosaic cross! On Sunday morning we had a family-friendly service. Our kids and young people actively participated throughout the morning. One of our youth leaders, Jesscynta Lamb, spoke about the unconditional love of God (even when we mess up!); then Captain Ross Wardle shared how we need to be forgiven and cleansed by Jesus so we can reflect him to others. We also heard from a dad and his beautiful children who have been coming to East City and enjoying our Family X’periences. We then spent some time praying for, honouring and acknowledging our former youth worker Cain Prentice, and all the kingdom work he has done in the past couple of years with our young people. It was such a blessing to have a weekend dedicated to our children and young people. They bring so much joy, life and energy to our corps. We were reminded of the significant impact they can have—at whatever age—if we give them the time, space and encouragement they need. BY LASHANA DALE
Tribute: Major Lucien Middleton Major Lucien Middleton’s life was celebrated over two days following his Promotion to Glory, on 23 April 2018. A service celebrating his life was held at Sydenham Corps, led by his son-in-law, Major Mick Marshall, who spoke of Lucien’s vibrant faith and the certainty of eternal life. He had chosen ‘The Glory Song’ and ‘My Jesus, I love Thee’, and songs which spoke of the realities of heaven. Lucien was honoured as a dedicated, resourceful and meticulous man, who documented everything in his many notebooks. He and wife Dorothy entered Training College from Sydenham Corps as cadets in the Servants of Christ session in 1962, with four children. Then two more sons completed the family. They served mostly in corps ministry, followed by four years on Rotoroa Island, an appointment they enjoyed. Lucien had a strong preaching and teaching gift, and also loved pastoral visiting. The service record was read by Major Joanne Jellyman, then a variety of tributes gave a broad and often humorous overview of an influential
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life well lived. Childhood memories from sibling Major Betsy Hay were read by her family. Daughter Valerie, and grandchildren Gemma and Gareth, spoke of the godly impact that will always be remembered. Other tributes honoured a generous man looked-upto for his love for God and interest in people. Scripture from John 14, read by granddaughter Gina, formed the basis of the message given, and a rousing band led by grandson Trent accompanied the singing. Son Dean gave a musical tribute during the slides, which spanned Lucien’s 87 years—from childhood through to active service in retirement in Oamaru. He moved to Christchurch and re-married three years ago, and became involved at Aranui Corps. He was an able musician, known for his prowess on accordion and cornet, until recent ill health meant transition to a rest home and curtailment of his ministry. He transferred to Sydenham Corps at this time. A note in Lucien’s diary testified that, ‘We have traced the hand of God in all our appointments, right through to retiring; the time, place and housing. God has surely blessed and been with us always.’ Both his parents and grandparents had served in Salvation Army ministry at various locations, and the legacy of faith continues today in succeeding generations. Lucien is survived by second wife Emily, his six children, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The following day, Major Mick led the graveside service in Oamaru, with singing accompanied by a small brass band. Members of the local corps joined with the family, as assurance was given from Revelation of the inheritance we have as children of the living God whose hope is in Christ.
BY COLLEEN MARSHALL (LUCIEN’S DAUGHTER)
Salvation Army Work to Begin in Gabon General André Cox has approved the official opening of Salvation Army operations in the west African country of Gabon. The official opening will be on 1 July this year, at which point Gabon will become the 129th country where The Salvation Army has an officially recognised presence. The country, located on the Atlantic coast of central Africa, has a population of just under two million people. It was in 2005 that an interest developed in having some expression of Salvation Army ministry in Gabon—with oversight given from the Congo (Brazzaville) Territory—and permission was given for the possibilities to be further investigated. Procedures for gaining legal recognition in a country can take a long time, and it is only now that a constitution has been developed that is acceptable both to the Government of Gabon and to The Salvation Army. The General approved the constitution early in 2018, and the Government has now indicated its agreement and approval, making it possible to plant the Army flag on Gabon soil. Captains Alexis and Irma Zola, officers of the Congo (Brazzaville) Territory, will lead the new work. The Salvation Army’s International Secretary for Africa, Commissioner Benjamin Mnyampi, and Zonal Secretary for Women’s Ministries, Commissioner Grace Mnyampi, will preside over the official launch of the work in the country’s capital city, Libreville, on 1 July.
GOD HAS APPOINTED US AS KAITIAKI— GUARDIANS OF HIS CREATION. While living overseas, I was stunned to see someone who was travelling with me in a vehicle open the window and throw a can out onto the road. This was obviously a difference in mindset, as littering did not seem to bother them—but it did bother me. I have grown up with the value of kaitiakitanga—protecting and looking after the environment. I carefully sort my rubbish, distributing it into the different recycling bins. I look for ways to reduce waste and I think most New Zelanders are like this. In fact, while overseas, I heard a Kiwi described as ‘someone walking round with a piece of rubbish looking for a bin’. This value is something to celebrate because it’s God’s plan for how the world should work. Genesis 2:15 says, ‘And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it.’ This tells us that after God created the wonderful world we live in, God has appointed us as Kaitiaki—guardians of his creation. He asked us to ‘tend’ the world where we are placed—to guard, protect and watch over it. We, in The Salvation Army, value kaitiakitanga. I quote from our territorial statement ‘Responsibility for all Creation’: The Salvation Army calls on people and communities to both reduce the damage which results from human lifestyles, and to make active investments in regeneration. Salvationists should aim to live in a way that conserves the beauty, diversity and stability of all eco-systems. As well as changes in behaviour, there must be large scale and permanent attitude changes. Such changes include viewing creation not simply as a resource but as a living organism, of which we are custodians and upon which we are reliant. At this time of the year we celebrate two significant events: World Environment Day (June 5th), which this year calls us to ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’—you might have noticed that in New Zealand we are being asked to reduce the use of plastic bags and to recycle the plastics we do use. It is also Matariki, the Māori New Year—a time of thanksgiving, renewal and celebration. It’s a time to celebrate the harvest and to look forward to the new year bringing new produce to sustain life. Both these events remind us of God’s creation, his provision of life and the resource to sustain it, and of our responsibility as kaitiaki. We are reminded that we are called to respect and protect what God has provided for future generations. As we celebrate, let’s consider our God-given role as kaitiaki and think about how we can live out this role in our world. Commissioner Yvonne Westrupp Territorial President of Women’s Ministries 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 19
Do we all have a calling? And is it possible to miss the call? BY INGRID BARRATT
Knock Knock Who’s there? God … Um, God, I’m just waiting for an important call, can you come back another time? Getting ‘the call’—particularly to a life of officership—is part of our Salvation Army narrative. In writing for War Cry, I’ve often been astounded at some of the miraculous stories of calling—one Fijian officer was literally running out into an open field, when he heard the call to officership, kneeled down and dedicated himself to God’s service. Many hear the call at a church meeting—they describe their heart thumping and the deep knowledge that this is what they are meant to do. These are real and authentic experiences that many officers say encourage them during the darker times. But it does beg the question: Is everyone called? And what if you don’t get that so-called ‘lightning bolt from the sky’— does that mean you have missed your calling? While we’re waiting for ‘the call’, God may be knocking on the door of our heart in unexpected ways.
What’s your spiritual gift? In the church, we have been guilty of elevating our spiritual lives above the rest—what is sometimes called the sacred/secular divide. We tend to call church positions ‘a calling’, but not— for example—working in the accounts department. 20 WarCry 02 JUNE 2018
Os Guinness, in his seminal book The Call, describes how the ‘gifting questionnaires’ popular in churches focus only on ‘spiritual gifts’, not ‘natural gifts’. This means the larger focus is on serving the church, rather than serving the wider world through a range of skills and abilities. In this way, the church is being quite self-serving. But one of the biggest issues with the narrative of calling, is that it is a luxury of wealthy societies. You have to have choices to be able to follow a calling, and most humans don’t have that much choice—they work in factories, rice fields, coffee plantations, and so on. Even within our local church, the majority of people are probably working jobs where their main goal is simply to provide for their family—does this mean they have missed their calling? Paul, in the Bible, provides us with a great case study. He made his living as a tentmaker. Yet he is not known for making tents. He is known for being the apostle to the Gentiles, the first Christian theologian, and author of much of the New Testament. Our calling is surely much more than what we do for a living.
‘INSTEAD OF “YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO,” CALLING SAYS: “DO WHAT YOU ARE”.’ Who am I? When we talk about our calling, there is a deeper question that lies at its heart: Who am I? and, Why am I here? Selfstyled answers to these questions are found everywhere—from magazines to wellbeing workshops. Innately, we know we are important, says Guinness, ‘but we sense a deep insufficiency in [these] answers … They don’t explain what to each of us is the heart of our yearning— to know why we are each unique, utterly exceptional, and therefore significant as human beings.’ The answer to our question is that we are called—into a deep humanity by our great Caller. God is not a cosmic
employment agency, finding us the perfect job to match our gifts. Instead, our gifts are part of the way in which we uniquely reflect God. And like a shard of glass, reflecting the prism that is God’s light, there are endless ways we can do this. We reflect God in any and every way we can—using our strengths and gifts; sometimes even using our weaknesses. Our central gifting is not the core of our being. God is the core of our being. Guinness sums it up like this: ‘Instead of “you are what you do”, calling says: “Do what you are”.’
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR CALLING, THERE IS A DEEPER QUESTION THAT LIES AT ITS HEART: WHO AM I?
The one who calls
God has given us a whole world to explore. We can understand what God wills for us within the rich tapestry of the Bible—which distilled to its simplest form, is to love God and love others. He has gifted each one of us with unique traits and strengths, with which we can do this. He has challenged us with weaknesses. With all this, we get to play.
It’s a weird dichotomy that by discovering God at the centre of our identity, we discover our true selves. ‘The more we get what we now call “ourselves” out of the way and let him take us over, the more truly ourselves we become,’ says CS Lewis. ‘It is no good trying to “be myself” without [God]. The more I resist him and try to live on my own, the more I become dominated by my own heredity and upbringing and surroundings and natural desires.’ Trying to find ourselves without Christ leads to the empty answers that Guinness talks about: Self help! The latest diet! Anti-aging creams! Making money! Being somebody! These are all damn hard work, and ultimately empty. But one of Paul’s great exclamations is that, ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!’ (Galations 5:1). In Christ we find ourselves—free from the tyranny of expectation and comparison. We are free to love others, to seek justice, and be authentic. This is hard to do, but it’s not hard work—because it adds richness and depth to our lives.
We are all called I’ve heard it said that if you want to know your calling, look at what you’ve been doing for the last 10 years. You’re probably already living out your calling, because that’s just who you are. We need not fear that we can miss God’s calling. We are not asked to follow a prepared script. ‘Humanness is a response to God’s calling … responding to the call means rising to the challenge, but in a conversation and in a partnership—and in an intimate relationship between the called and the Caller,’ says Guinness.
And because God is intimately involved in our lives, he does speak with us. For the few, it may be a ‘lightning bolt’ experience—as some Salvation Army officers deeply experience. But for most of us, it’s a sense of what we find both enjoyable and meaningful. Two of the most helpful questions we can ask ourselves, when discerning God’s direction, is: Does this reflect the values of God? and, Does this sound like fun? We are given an opportunity—in partnership with God we step into it. We discover that this ‘feels like me’ … We are unravelling our calling—whether it is in our vocation, in our relationships or through other skills we can offer. Cadet Ivo Pyper, corps leader at Upper Hutt, says he did not sense a ‘call’ to officership: ‘It was more of a feeling that I didn’t want to look back at the age of 65 and think, “I should have done that”’. In stepping out and ‘giving it a go’, Ivo is on a journey, discovering that officership is part of his calling as a human being. We do not all get to have jobs where we feel our deepest selves come alive—a feeling we usually label ‘a calling’. But we are all called. In Christ, we all get to discover our deepest selves.
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You are invited to the opening of The Salvation Army Worship and Community Centre, Newtown, Wellington, 9–11 June Sat 9 June, 10am: Official opening of the building and celebration service, followed by tours of the building. Sat 9 June, 6.30pm: Community concert. Sun 10 June, 10.30am: Service attended by the Territorial Commander.
Mon 11 June: Community open day, including building tours. RSVP: wellingtonsouth_corps@ salvationarmy.org.nz Location: Corner of Riddiford & Normanby Streets.
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 5–6 June: New Zealand Women’s Leadership Symposium, Auckland (Yvonne only) 9 June: Opening of Worship & Community Centre, Wellington 10 June: Wellington South Corps, Wellington 10–11 June: Central Division Governance Visit 12 June: Education & Employment Governance Visit 15 June: Re.Kindle Metro Service, Linwood Corps, Christchurch
$120 will provide a newly commissioned Lieutenant in Malawi, Kenya West or Tanzania with a brand new bicycle—enabling them to extend their ministry without the limitations of lack of transport.
Colonel Suzanne Fincham (Chief Secretary) 5–6 June: New Zealand Women’s Leadership Symposium, Auckland 10–11 June: Central Division Governance Visit* 12 June: Education & Employment Governance Visit* Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 5–6 June: New Zealand Women’s Leadership Symposium, Auckland 10–11 June: Central Division Governance Visit 12 June: Education & Employment Governance Visit *with Melvin Fincham, Secretary for Programme
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The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word.
Help the spaceship fly to the Moon, and then return to Earth.
Psalm 33:6 CEV
This month we celebrate Matariki, the Māori New Year. This is when a group of seven stars appear in the night sky. They are sometimes described as a mother and her daughters. The stars are called Mata Ariki, which can mean ‘eyes of God’, and they signal the start of winter.
Earth
Colour in the astronauts! What is an astronaut's favourite chocolate? A Mars Bar!
Why did t go to sc he sun hool? To get b righter!
What do e planets lik to read? Comet books!
The stars in the sky show us how mindblowingly, ginormously, mega-massive God is. Here are some freaky facts about the stars and space. • The solar system is about 90 billion miles across. • Stars are not randomly sprinkled through space, they are grouped together in galaxies. The sun belongs to the Milky Way galaxy. • No one knows how many stars are in space, it’s just too huge. In the Milky Way alone, scientists think there about 200–400 billion stars. • The tiniest stars in space can spin 60 times a second—they must get dizzy! When we think about space and how big God is, we can feel pretty tiny. But God says the best part of his creation is not the stars or sky or sea, it’s us! Mind. Officially. Blown! Like the stars of Matariki called the ‘eyes of God’, God’s creation shows us that he is looking down on us, loves us and provides for us all the time. Traditionally, Matariki was celebrated because it showed Māori when to plant their crops—so it became a symbol of new life and celebration. Matariki reminds us that God provides for us and looks after us, during every season.
Dear God, wow, you are such an amazing creator. Thank you that even though you are so big, you look after me. Amen. 02 JUNE 2018 WarCry 23
E TE ATUA TAPU, ATUA ORA TONU, NĀ TŌU KAHA I HANGAIA AI MĀTOU, NĀ TŌU AROHA I WHAKAORANGIA AI MĀTOU, MĀ TŌU WAIRUA MĀTOU E ARATAKI, E WHAKAKAHA, KIA TAEA AI TE WHAKAPAU I A MĀTOU KI ĀU MAHI, KIA NOHO AI IA RĀ I ROTO I TE AROHA TĒTAHI KI TĒTAHI Ā, KI TE AROHA HOKI KI A KOE. KO IHU KARAITI HOKI TŌ MĀTOU ARIKI. ĀMINE. HOLY AND EVER-LIVING GOD, BY YOUR POWER WE ARE CREATED AND BY YOUR LOVE WE ARE REDEEMED; GUIDE AND STRENGTHEN US BY YOUR SPIRIT, THAT WE MAY GIVE OURSELVES TO YOUR SERVICE, AND LIVE EACH DAY IN LOVE TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO YOU, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN. Celebrating Matariki 2018
The night sky over Tekapo is the world’s largest dark-sky reserve—seen here over the Church of the Good Shepherd.