FAITH IN ACTION  CHRISTMAS 2018 | Issue 6707 | $1.50
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WAR CRY The Salvation Army
New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL Brian Peddle | 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 Hugh Collins, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford, Vivienne Hill | COVER ILLUSTRATION Crystal Anniss 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. Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 135 years | Issue 6707 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
The God Who Sees Me ‘… he will be called: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). This prophecy from Isaiah is one of my favourite poems from Scripture. It's a moving description of Jesus our Saviour, whose presence fills the earth. His dominion is vast, yet he can heal the smallest heart. His compassion floods every corner of the earth. This is Jesus. This is our God. Perhaps the most beautiful gift that Jesus gives us is intimacy with God. It reminds me of another name given to God. Hagar was a run-away slave—the most powerless of all people—mistreated by Sarai and Abram. Pregnant with Abram’s child and disgraced, she was forced to flee to the desert. There, an angel found her. And Hagar did something extraordinary: she had the audacity to give God a new name—‘the God who sees me’ (Genesis 16:13). If your heart is troubled during this Christmas, God is with you. Let this special edition of War Cry be a time for you and Jesus. The cover is designed to colour in, so you can take time to soak in the colours of Christmas. Take yourself back to the first nativity, and discover how God is always with the outsider. Read Diana’s story, of a Jesus who counsels our heart. Share the children’s nativity with your whānau. Know that this Christmas, God sees you. You are loved. Ingrid Barratt Editor
… the idea that that [a force of] love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in straw and poverty is genius, and brings me to my knees, literally.
SalvationArmyNZFTS @SalvationArmyNZ salvationarmynzfts
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Bono
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Ihāia 9:6 Kua whānau nei hoki he tamaiti mā tātou, kua hōmai he tama ki a tātou; ā ki runga ki tōna pokohiwi te rangatiratanga; nā, ko te ingoa e huaina ki a ia ko Whakamīharo, ko Kaiwhakatakoto Whakaaro, ko te Atua Kaha Rawa, ko te Matua Mutungakore, ko t e Rangatira o te Rongomau.
Everything that was created received its life from him. And his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, And darkness has never put it out. JOHN 1:3
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Weird of the Week: In 1974, KFC ran a marketing campaign in Japan with the slogan ‘Kentucky for Christmas!’. It spawned a national tradition, and today families all over the country eat KFC for their Christmas meal.
Roast Leg of Lamb with Pine Nut Crust
QUIKQUIZ
Something truly special but surprisingly simple for Christmas dinner … 1 large leg of lamb (approx 2kg) Salt 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp garlic & herb salt Zest of 1 lemon 9 medium-sized potatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning 100g feta cheese 2 1/2 sprigs rosemary
Couscous Tabbouleh 4 slices white bread 1 small onion, diced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 Tbsp pine nuts 1 small handful of herbs—rosemary, thyme, parsley or sage, chopped
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155˚C fan forced). Trim the lamb of any excess fat and season the skin with salt. Place in a large, lined roasting dish and cover with foil, cooking for 35 minutes.
3 How many gumdrop flavours are in Tip Top's Goody Gum Drop ice cream?
Meanwhile cut a small slice off the base of each potato so they sit flat, then make thin 3/4 cuts across each potato. Rub with oil and seasoning.
4 How many types of birds are mentioned in 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'?
Remove the lamb from the oven after 35 minutes and carefully remove the foil. Pat the stuffing crust all over the lamb leg as evenly as you can. Place the sliced potatoes around the lamb and return to the oven. Cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the lamb is cooked to your liking, the crust is golden and the potatoes are tender. Add the feta and rosemary sprigs to each potato for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Allow the meat to rest for 8–10 minutes before serving.
And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing: good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without good will towards men.
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2 What does SPF stand for?
In a food processor, combine the bread, onion, garlic, pine nuts and herbs, then pulse into fine crumbs. Add the oil, garlic and herb salt and lemon zest, then whizz until moist and starting to clump together.
Source countdown.co.nz
Charles Spurgeon
1 What is iTunes' most popular Christmas song?
5 According to the Bible, how many wise men were there?
OURPEOPLE
Courtney Day (War Cry contributor) Courtney is a Whitireia journalism graduate from Hutt City Corps who interned with War Cry for a taste of the journalism world. She has a huge love for chocolate, wildlife (yes, that is a snake around her neck) and music—and likes to study these in her spare time. When not photographing nearby animals and patting cats, Courtney can be found sipping tea at the nearest tea house. Courtney sees a future with visual journalism and wants to use this to bring God’s messages to the eye of the public.
Answers on page 23
WARCRYINHISTORY Just before Christmas in 1918, Armistice Day was declared, bringing the four long years of WWI to an end. The Christmas 19I8 War Cry cover depicts battle-weary soldiers arriving at Bethlehem, with the caption echoing the words of the angel on Christmas night: ‘I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people’. Source: Booth College of Mission Heritage and Archives Centre
TOPFIVE Weird and wonderful Christmas traditions around the world … Fantasy Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (M, violence) David Yates
In this Fantastic Beasts sequel, beast whisperer Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), is back again to save the day. Although he is determined to see the best in people and beasts alike, even he must choose a side in this tale of good versus evil. The film offers a sumptuous feast for the eyes with its art deco styling, and you'll enjoy being reunited with much loved characters from the Potterverse (including a young Dubledore played by Jude Law). Johnny Depp plays Grindelwald, and it's hard to know who you'd want to avoid more— Depp or the beasts. In the frantic lead-up to Christmas, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a great escape. (Reviewed by Lauren Millington)
High Tea a Sweet Success A slice of sisterhood was on the plate for the ladies of Palmerston North Salvation Army as Commissioner Janine Donaldson spoke at the corps for high tea. The Zonal President of Women’s Ministries returned to New Zealand to share her experience as a female leader.
1 In the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, thousands of people roller skate to mass on Christmas morning. 2 In Catalonia, Spain, children are given ‘poop logs’ that poop out treats on Christmas eve. 3 In Germany, a pickle is hidden in the Christmas tree and the child that finds it wins a prize. 4 In South Africa, fried caterpillars are a Christmas delicacy. 5 In the West, the modern depiction of Santa Claus was created by Coca-Cola in 1937!
However the high tea is just a taster for an even bigger event that Janine is hosting in 2019. ‘Next year will be our “Something Beautiful” ladies conference here in Palmerston North. We are super excited!’ adds Michelle. BY COURTNEY DAY
The high tea was organised by Corps Officer Captain Michelle Lee, where over 100 ladies got a taste of her sweet message. ‘We all love Janine,’ says Michelle. ‘She is a wonderful godly woman and we can all relate to her in some way. She reminded us that we are living in the light and it was a wonderful message.’ She says it was inspiring to stand and worship with other women. ‘We were all blessed in so many ways. We really love it when women come together in worship, because something really special happens.’ The high tea was fashioned especially for the women. ‘We wanted the ladies that came to our high tea to feel special, so everything was beautiful and pink.’ CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 5
christmas st
tory The nativity is a familiar scene for most at Christmas—especially for readers of this magazine. But Robin Raymond sets out to colour in the hidden details. What he finds is a dangerous, extraordinary—and sometimes bizarre—story.
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was settling into my seat on a plane the other day when a little voice piped up behind me, ‘Silent night, holy night’. An excited three-yearold was swaying in her seat, happily singing. She knew all the words, of course. And why wouldn’t she? Christmas is deeply embedded in our culture. We ‘know’ the Christmas story. We repeat it every year. Yet, the writers who told the original story filled it with meaning and colour that (not being first century Jews) we often don’t see. These details add grit, substance, and bring the nativity vividly to life.
Once upon a time We usually pick up the story with an angel visiting a young woman named Mary, to tell her that God has chosen her to have a baby. In ancient Mediterranean culture—especially Greek and Roman culture —if you were introducing a king, there was always some story about how they were related way, way back to a god. It does give some prestige to be able to say, ‘well my great-great-grandad is the guy who makes lightning’. This was, in many ways, the Greco-Roman equivalent of ‘once upon a time’ (you know what you’re going to get). But the writers Matthew and Luke flip the whole thing on its head. The hearers would have expected a ‘long time ago’ story about a mythic halfgod, half-human creature, and ancient people from royal families behaving like characters from a superhero movie. Instead, the writers spend time pointing to repeated references across scripture—starting from the first verses of Genesis— to show this was both the fulfilment of God’s promises and a real, fully human, helpless baby born to real, poor and unnoticed people who behave in unlikely ways.
A frightening choice Some of the people were even still alive when the story was written. Luke seems to have talked to Mary herself or someone close to her. And, in Luke, we read one of those often missed moments that brings home the reality of the story. Mary is engaged to a labourer or carpenter named Joseph, when the angel tells her she’s going to get pregnant with a baby—not Joseph’s—who will be God’s chosen messiah. Mary’s response? ‘ “I am the Lord’s servant”, Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled” ’ (Luke 1:38). It’s a simple phrase, yet for people at the time this would have been seen as an extraordinary response. In Jewish law, if an engaged woman was found to have willingly slept with someone who wasn’t her future husband she was to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:20–27). CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 7
Even in the unlikely event that Joseph, Mary’s family and her entire community made the choice to be lenient on the stoning, Mary’s response was still radical. Joseph, we know, was minded to divorce Mary—something he would have been expected to do as an upright guy who kept the law. Without a husband who had a steady job, Mary would have been reliant on her shamed family, or the generosity of others, in an area—Galilee—where the Romans had taken over the money-making food-producing farms, and reduced most of the population to poverty. The outcomes for Mary on saying ‘yes’ to the angel were death, poverty and shame, extreme poverty and shame, or ... a miracle. Mary shows remarkable, even outrageous, faith by saying ‘yes’ to God. Then God steps in through another angel, to convince Joseph to take on the child. The angel is clear about why Joseph should go against everything in his culture and beliefs and face ridicule and possible shunning from everyone he knew. This is a child sent from God, ‘… and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins’ (Matthew 1:21).
What’s in a name The name Joshua—Yeshua in Hebrew, Jesus in Greek—was the sixth most common boys’ name in the Roman province of Palestine at the time. The equivalent of calling a child James (the sixth most popular boys’ name last year). The name was popular because Joshua means ‘God saves’. Parents gave it to their children as a reminder of their Godsent leader Joshua, who led the people from 40 years of wandering in the desert into the land God had promised them. It was also a reminder of the promise in scripture that God would send another—God’s even greater messiah—to save them from their sins. The angel's message was a mind-blowing moment—this is not just another child, but the child: ‘You are to give him the name Jesus [Joshua] because he will save his people from their sins’.
Strange visitors Mary and Joseph then head for Bethlehem. Where—struggling to find a place to stay—they are forced to undergo the already highly dangerous process of giving birth in a room usually used to house animals. Mary, as a good mother at the time would, wraps her child in strips of cloth to keep him warm and 8 WarCry CHRISTMAS 2018
protected. She is then forced to do something no ‘good’ mother would do. In an act that shows her poverty and lack of options at the time, she places her child in the animals’ food trough. Just settled, the new family was interrupted by some very unexpected visitors: they were shepherds, babbling that they’ve been told by angels that God’s promised saviour is there in Bethlehem. They weren’t family, or the respected prophets who for centuries had been the witnesses to announce God’s news—but poor labourers in an isolated backblock, who had just abandoned their jobs and run off into this small rural village. Unsurprisingly, people were shocked when they started telling everyone what had happened—as you would be, if some bloke from a shearing gang started running around saying he’d seen angels and found God.
Dangerous visitors After that, things seems to settle. But anything from two months to almost two years later, the family are visited by magoi (in Greek)—magicians or holy men from a far-off land. If the shepherds are unexpected, the visit of wise men is a shocking and dangerous moment. Here we have eastern mystics turning up in Jerusalem, following a star and looking for a king. It is possible these men were combining their own beliefs with knowledge from the many Jewish communities that had been embedded across the old Babylonian lands for hundreds of years. This combination of knowledge probably meant they believed the star showed an important leader was to be born as major changes were about to happen—possibly even the end of the world. Naturally, they wanted to find this king and show their respect and worship. Their arrival in Jerusalem would have been an exotic and confronting sight. Jewish culture was built on keeping itself holy—literally meaning ‘set apart’, untainted by pagan gods. Tangling with foreigners and their gods had got the Jewish people exiled from God's promised land and, later, under Roman occupation. Magicians or astrologers were even worse. The Torah was clear what you do with them—you stone them. These were also quite probably powerful, revered men in their own lands and seen as representatives of their ruler. This was particularly awkward for King Herod. He had spent a huge amount of money rebuilding the temple. His great legacy was to be the restoration of God’s rightful home among his people.
THE OUTCOMES FOR MARY ON SAYING ‘YES’ TO THE ANGEL, WERE DEATH, POVERTY AND SHAME, EXTREME POVERTY AND SHAME, OR ... A MIRACLE. Herod was also one of the most notoriously cruel kings of his day, a villain who seems straight from a movie script. He rose from nothing to become king through a combination of luck and a determination to stop at nothing. Now old, sick and paranoid, he'd already had three of his sons, and at least one of his wives, killed out of fear they were plotting to take his throne. Then here come these powerful mystics, probably from somewhere in the neighbouring Parthian empire, looking for a king. Parthia had previously backed one of Herod’s rivals (and more legitimate claimants) for the throne, and he’d only survived the brutal three-year war with the backing of Rome. This was worrying for Herod and his people, who had been through enough war and bloodshed without a new claimant to the throne. The magi then, having asked for directions, set off for Bethlehem to give Jesus gifts and worship. It is worth noting their directions came from the religious leaders of the day, who—dedicated to reading God’s words over and over for a sign of the coming messiah—are quickly able to point them to Bethlehem. But they miss seeing the real messiah. The magi are the equivalent today of an Islamic imam asking church leaders about what’s in the Bible. Their arrival shows, even at the start of Jesus’ life, that God’s salvation is for everyone. The magi’s gifts also mark another sign from Scripture that Jesus is the promised saviour. Isaiah 60 describes nations and kings coming to ‘your radiance’, bringing gold and frankincense, while Psalm 70 talks about people from far off nations bringing gold. Meanwhile, Herod—king of God’s chosen people— decides massacring a dozen babies in a small rural village is a small price to pay to keep his throne. And Jesus' family is forced to flee for their lives, unable to return home until Herod is dead.
Contrasting colours As we colour in the Christmas story, we see a cast of very different characters from across society, behaving in contrasting or unexpected ways. The respectable, powerful religious leaders sitting in the synagogue in their pristine clothes that mark their role, studying their texts for the coming Messiah. Foreign followers of an apparently evil religion moved to march across deserts and dangerous roads, not knowing how far they will have to travel, because they, too, have been searching and seen a sign. Rural, peasant shepherds offered the opportunity to witness and announce the moment that will change history. They risk their livelihoods to go and find a newborn in an animal’s feeding bowl. Herod desperately clinging to power as God sends his son as a baby, to a poor and powerless family—a family arriving homeless in Bethlehem, and then a refugee family as they leave. It is all too easy here to raise the obvious parallels to reactions today to poor, displaced Middle Eastern families fleeing persecution by rulers intent on hanging on to power by any means. But all too hard to ask questions about our own reaction to jobless, homeless, teen mums raising babies in garages, cars or overcrowded houses. Finally, we have Joseph—giving up the life and reputation he had built, adopting another’s child when this would mean becoming a social outcast. A young family fleeing into the unknown. And we have Mary—facing death, poverty, exclusion and losing the security for her and her unborn child. Each person in this story was living in a world crying out for God to send a saviour. As we follow the story, each character is faced with a crucial question. Is this just another story? Or, as God steps into history —turning this ordinary story into the extraordinary—will they hear and accept?
Colour Our Cover
Our cover is made for colouring in, as a way of taking time out and contemplating the colours of Christmas. Send us a photo of your coloured-in (or partly coloured-in) cover, and we’ll send you a chocolate fish! Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz
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Lost and Found Growing up in an abusive family, Diana Best-Hutchison felt lost. She turned to drugs as an escape, and even began dealing. But now she knows that God was there all along, waiting to rescue his lost child. Today, she has been found.
also had an older son. We all moved to Oz with him, but when I was twoyears-old my parents separated. He had met another woman, also from the Solomons. I moved in with them in Australia, while my mum moved to Upper Hutt. From then on, I hardly ever saw my mother.
I was born in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands. My father was from Australia and met my mum when he was in the Solomons working as a logging truck driver—he had two children already, and my mother
My step-mother taunted me, saying that my dad was not my real father. My dad worked away a lot, and my step-mother was physically, mentally and emotionally abusive. I remember trying to hide my dad’s keys so he couldn’t go away.
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At school, I was teased for being black— the kids taunted me and made fun of me. So I didn’t feel safe at home, or at school. We moved from Australia to the Hawke’s Bay. But when I was 12, my dad and step-mother separated. My dad blamed me for their break-up. He became very depressed and couldn’t get out of bed. He told me I had to get a job to help pay the bills, so at the age of 13, I began working at Glassons. I was good at school, and got into Napier Girls’ School due to my sporting
ON THE OUTSIDE I LOOKED LIKE I WAS OKAY, BUT ON THE INSIDE I WAS DYING AND AFRAID. ability. But at home, I cooked, cleaned, paid the bills and kept the household going. I loved going to stay the night at my friends’ places, because I could be a ‘child’ again. When I started to get my own money, I began drinking and getting piercings. I was doing well at school, but the rest of my life was spiralling out of control. By 15, I was smoking marijuana and getting tattoos. My first boyfriend was abusive—he took my money, and when I got pregnant he insisted I get an abortion. At the time I didn’t realise this was abuse, I thought it was love! At 19, I had a serious car accident with another boyfriend—he was going 120km an hour in a 50km zone. Although my car was written off, we walked away with just a few scratches. I can only put it down to God’s protection. I got more heavily into alcohol, and started a side-hussle dealing drugs. I was caught drink-driving, and was getting into trouble with the police. On the outside I looked like I was okay, but on the inside I was dying and afraid. By this time I was back in contact with my mum. She asked me what I was going to do with my life, and without any shame or remorse I said, ‘stripping’. So I started working in the sex industry. I began using methamphetamine. I met another man and got pregnant with my oldest girl Isabella. I left stripping and we moved together back to Australia. The only place we could afford was at a resort (which was actually cheaper than renting). It was there that I stumbled on a Gideon’s Bible. I remembered that
my mother had once said to me, ‘If you ever feel alone and afraid in life, read the Bible and pray’. I randomly turned to the book of Matthew and started reading. As I read, I wept and wept. I got down on the cold, hard, wooden floor and gave my life over to Christ. I asked God for three specific things: please send me a woman who can minister the Bible to me, help me get to a Baptist church, and give me transport to get there. Every night, while my baby Isabella and her father were asleep, I would quietly read the Bible and pray. Two months later, I saw a woman sitting on a chair by the pool. I could tell she was reading a Bible—I took Isabella over to the pool area. She immediately looked me in the eye, and asked, ‘Do you know the Bible?’ I said, ‘Yes!’ It turned out she was living in the cabin next to ours. She said, ‘I want to check out the Baptist church’ and asked if I wanted to go with her. I cried tears of joy.
I GOT DOWN ON THE COLD, HARD, WOODEN FLOOR AND GAVE MY LIFE OVER TO CHRIST. In 2012, I was pregnant with our second child Serena, but I separated from their father. I moved back to New Zealand with the two girls and one suitcase, and we came to Upper Hutt because my mother lived there.
about God. My friend and I decided to go along to a Sunday service, where Lieutenant Karl Foreman was speaking. At the end, he encouraged us to ‘give yourself at the mercy seat’. I went up the front and knelt, pouring out my burdens to God. I told my friend, ‘I want to change, I need God’. I prayed to God that he would give me a husband and best friend. Not long after that, I met my husband Chip. Initially I said ‘no’ to him, because I wanted it to be me and God. But I knew he was ‘the one’. I got my girls back, and the four of us were together. We were married in November 2018, at The Salvation Army corps. We now have four children, including our youngest two Le Bron and Josiah. I no longer wanted to rely on anything but God. In November, I became a soldier in The Salvation Army. What I now know is that God has been at work in me throughout my whole life—he has had his hands on me, protecting me at all times. I feel like the ‘one sheep’ in the parable—Jesus left the 99 to find and rescue me! He knew me in my mother’s womb, and he knows my past, present and future. I declare in Jesus’ name that I am a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, and a daughter of the Most High God. I know that he is breaking generational bonds and my children will know their mother as a Salvation Army soldier. Through all my brokenness, God is putting me back together. He will do it again and again. I am being made whole in him.
I started to make a life for myself. But one day I got a call from my sister saying that my father had passed away. I cried and numbed myself with pot and alcohol. I went to Australia for his funeral, and left my girls there with their father. Back home, I kept drinking and doing drugs. I wanted to die. I had two people from The Salvation Army church come into the store I worked at. We struck up conversations CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 11
So it happened one day (or maybe in the night?) An angel came to Mary, and gave her quite a fright. ‘Don’t be afraid get scared or jump, God’s going to give you a big belly bump. Your belly bump’s a baby He will be the great one You should call him Jesus He really is God’s son.’
THE WELL GOOD NEWS OF CHRISTMAS
Mary set off travelling, with Joseph right beside They walked and talked for miles and miles, till Bethlehem they arrived. With baby inside Mary, who was going to be King, When they finally arrived, there was no room at the inn! So a place was found by haystack and corn And in this spot the baby was born … ’
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Then there were shepherds—maybe cleaning their shoes Trying to scrape off the smelly sheep poos. Till all of a sudden there was something weird From absolutely nowhere an angel appeared.
The wise blokes found Jesus. They could have called him ‘Sir!’ And they brought him some gold frankincense and myrrh.
So don’t get scared, or jumpy, and don’t be afraid. Cos ‘I will be with you’ says Jesus. ‘Not for a bit, but always. Right till the end of the age.’ (And that’s even longer than a REALLY, REALLY long time.)
‘The Well Good News of Christmas’ is produced by Bible Society NZ—you can get your copy free from your local Salvation Army Family Store.
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A short story by Joy Cowley, about the gifts we bring to Christ.
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ith such eagerness, I carry my gifts towards the place of the newborn King. I am like a guest hurrying to a wedding, and I cannot help but note that my golden gift is as large and as finely wrapped as any I have seen. At a point in the road, not far from the stable, I am stopped by an angel who wants to know what I am carrying. It pleases me to tell her that the package contains the treasure of a lifetime to be 14 WarCry CHRISTMAS 2018
given to the Holy One. ‘Open it,’ she says. ‘What? Do you know how long it took me to wrap this? Or what the wrapping cost?’ ‘Open the parcel,’ she says, folding her arms and firmly straddling the path. I am reluctant but have no choice. Still, once the wrapping is removed, there are some fine treasures to display. I point them out to her. A lifetime of regular church attendance. Tithing for the poor. Hours spent visiting the sick and comforting the
bereaved. A mountain of cakes baked for fundraising stalls. Letters to the newspaper on moral issues. Marches for peace, for justice, for the right to live. No one could be ashamed of such gifts. They are indeed fit for a king. There is no expression on the angel’s face. She looks at each in turn and says, ‘What else have you got?’ ‘What do you mean— what else?’ I am angry at her lack of enthusiasm. ‘Do you realise what sacrifice went into these?’
‘He does not need sacrifice,’ she says. ‘Come now. There must be another gift.’ I hesitate, ‘Well, yes, there is. But what I have just shown you is my finest gold. The frankincense—if I can call it that—is quite ordinary, hardly fit for the occasion.’ ‘Let me see it.’ With some embarrassment, I take from my luggage, a plainly wrapped parcel, hastily tied with garden twine. It is clumsily put together and when I pull the string, the contents spill out over the
‘MYRRH IS THE HERB OF DEATH—AND RESURRECTION,’ SAID THE ANGEL. ‘IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE ADVENT JOURNEY. WITHOUT IT THE STABLE IS EMPTY.’
path. Nothing spectacular. A sandcastle built with one of the children. A blackened saucepan from the birthday dinner that miraculously survived a small fire. Toast crumbs, teaspoons, a teddy bear and a small tractor found when making the big bed. Silly ghost stories told on the beach under a full moon. Patti at her first communion, wanting to know how Jesus got from her stomach into her heart. The holiday the tent fell down. The pear tree we planted on the grave of a pet mouse.
The angel seems interested. She looks closely at everything and smiles. Then she picks up four shoes and a bottle of fragrant oil. ‘What about these?’ My embarrassment intensifies. ‘My husband and I—we massage each other’s feet.’ The angel gently puts them back. ‘Beautiful,’ she says. ‘All of it is a beautiful gift.’ She stands tall again and looks at me with clear eyes that seem as deep as forever. ‘Now for the third package.’ I shake my head. ‘I’m sorry. There is no third gift.’ ‘Everyone has myrrh to offer,’ she says. ‘Not I. Myrrh is the bitter herb of death. It has not been a part of my experience. You see, I have been extraordinarily lucky. I don’t seem to have the problems that plague other poor souls. My life has been just one blessing after another.’ ‘Myrrh is the herb of death—and resurrection,’ said the angel. ‘It is necessary for the Advent journey. Without it the stable is empty.’ I don’t understand what she’s talking about. ‘Sorry,’ I repeat. ‘Gold and frankincense, yes, but myrrh, no. Will you please stand aside and let me pass?’ ‘Why don’t we look?’ says the angel, indicating to my luggage. ‘All right, then. Look!’ I throw my bag at her feet. ‘See? Not a drop of myrrh in sight!’ ‘What’s this?’ she says. ‘What’s what?’
She is pointing to a halfhidden bundle wrapped in stained newspaper. ‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen it before. It must belong to someone else.’ But as I say it, my stomach tightens and my skin turns cold. ‘Open it,’ says the angel. I step back, ‘No. I can’t. It’s not—not mine.’ ‘You know you must open it,’ the angel insists, and her voice is soft. My hands shake as I pick up the package and begin the unwrapping. Yes, it is all here. I thought I had forgotten these things, or put them away forever, but no, they are as present and as alive as ever. The childhood cries that went unheard. The playground taunts. The teacher who disliked me. The struggles and rejection. The pain wells up as real now as it was then, and my vision becomes blurred. I want to put the parcel down. ‘Please continue,’ says the angel. I already know what will be in the next layer. The hurt of the child within the adult. Bereavements. Losses. Failures. Feelings of inadequacy. Criticism I could not handle. Recurring nightmares. Unspoken fears. I am crying now, and I can’t go on. ‘How can you call it a gift!’ I shout at the angel. ‘It’s all so—so ugly!’ ‘No, no!’ she says. ‘It is all unborn resurrection, and resurrection is the beauty of God!’ The next layer is worse. It reveals all the hurts I have inflicted on others, from careless gossip to deliberate betrayals. There are angry words that could not be taken back, judgements that shut out people who did not share my beliefs or lifestyle. Arrogance. Intolerance. Condescension. I sit down in the middle of the path. ‘Come,’ said the angel.
‘There is only a little more.’ But she is wrong. There is no more. The last layer of wrapping reveals nothing but darkness. Every part of my life has been surrendered and now there is simply this tomb, this emptiness. ‘You are very close,’ the angel says. I don’t reply for I am lost in the darkness. But wait! In the depth of the night, I discover a light that grows as I gaze at it. ‘What do you see?’ the angel asks. The light is increasing and seems to be a living presence. My heart rises from the ashes like a phoenix. ‘It’s—it is—a star!’ ‘The truth of myrrh,’ says the angel. ‘Keep looking.’ The light expands to fill my being with a beauty that is both as new and as old as eternity. How could I have not known this? I gaze in wonder, hushed with awe. For there, in the centre of all this brilliance, is the newborn Christ.
Reprinted with permission from Veil Over the Light: Selected Spiritual Writings by Joy Cowley, which can be purchased at Unity Books or www. christiansupplies.co.nz
CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 15
Tonga and Fiji Embrace New Zeal Over a thousand people attended the launch of New Zeal in Fiji and Tonga. Fiji East: Suva Central, Raiwai, Nasinu, Lomaivuna, Navua. New Zeal for the East of Fiji was held at Suva Central Corps where four corps gathered to participate. The hall was crowded with many people gathered outside—but once the children went off to their New Zeal children’s programmes, those outside could come in. The gathering was vibrant and the Holy Spirit swept through the place as we worshiped together. Each corps participated in an item, expressing their love and zeal for the Lord and we continued on into the afternoon with lunch and fellowship together.
Fiji West: Nadi, Saweni, Lautoka, Tavua, Ba, Rakiraki For the first time in seven years, all the corps from Western Fiji combined to celebrate New Zeal. Close to 500 people gathered together at Nadi Citadel, with people who could not fit inside the hall sitting in the passageway and outside on tarpaulin. Captain Tevita Lewetuitovo led the meeting and each corps presented an item. The children then went to the hall for their activities and refreshments, while the adults watched the sermon from the Territorial Commander Close to one hundred people went forward and knelt at the mercy seat. It was a great time of worship.
Labasa, Savusavu and Taveuni Over 300 people came to Savusavu for the launch of New Zeal. What a great morning of Holy Spirit presence. We celebrated together by song and dance, and dedicated 12 children to the Lord. The children had their own New Zeal programme, while the big people listened and responded to Commissioner Andy’s message. We thank God for his Spirit moving people to encounter the living God.
Tonga Each corps in Tonga had their own New Zeal, with about 230 in attendance. Women’s Ministries used New Zeal for their endof-year rally, with 80 women attending—including 25 women from different churches in the villages. At the event, they raised $1300 (TOP) for their Local Kitchen Equipment Project. The fruit of the Spirit continues to flow from New Zeal. Most corps have continued to preach, do Bible studies and fellowship, with the New Zeal Pursuit resources. The outflow of the Holy Spirit is ongoing!
Thousands of Kiwi Kids Given Story of Jesus this Christmas Bible Society New Zealand is giving away thousands of copies of The Well Good News of Christmas, through Salvation Army Family Stores. The aim is to give away 85,000 copies to Kiwi kids, reaching 36 percent of children who have never heard the story of Jesus’ birth. This includes giving away over 3000 copies through our family stores. The book features delightful illustrations and a fun, rhyming re-telling of the nativity story—featured in the middle pages of this War Cry issue. The book is part of Bible Society’s ‘Pass It On’ campaign 16 WarCry CHRISTMAS 2018
designed to encourage and equip parents, grandparents and caregivers to pass on their passion for the Bible to the next generation. ‘With The Well Good News of Christmas, people have a fantastic opportunity to share the good news of Christmas with the children in their communities using a brilliantly fun book. It’s a story that is still impacting and changing lives today,’ says Stephen Opie, BSNZ Programme Director. Written by Welsh author Dai Woolridge, the story is aimed at 4–8 year olds using child-friendly rhyming language’. FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ORDER | wellgoodchristmas.nz
Showcase Spices Up Christmas A Steampunk tree and life-size gingerbread house featured at The Salvation Army’s Christmas tree showcase this year. Creative juices were flowing in Takapuna, where over 200 Christmas trees were on display for a Salvation Army Christmas Tree showcase, from 24 November–7 December. The fundraising event included a range of traditional Christmas trees and others created from materials such as cans and wood. Public Relations Coordinator Raewyn Butler says she was excited by the new selection of trees. ‘We are delighted to have more tree entries this year from our corporate partners. I was most excited about having a steampunk Christmas tree.’ She says they spiced up the event this year with a new display. ‘My husband has built a three metre wooden gingerbread house which will be used in a woodland setting. It had candy cane window sills and ornamental confectionery surroundings. The gingerbread house was the focal point of our display.’ Over 5000 attended their four-day showcase last year, but one group of visitors stood out to Raewyn the most. ‘A group came through from a rest home and the next day they handdelivered a card to me that they had all signed. It said, “Thank you for making our ordinary day special”. That for me is what the event is all about. Seeing people walk in and go “wow”.’ The event was so popular that this year it was extended to two weeks, and included popular Christmas trees from last year. ‘One tree that returned was created out of blankets and it took over 400 hours to create,’ she says. ‘I am excited it all came together.’
Napier Corps Puts On First Christmas Wonderland Napier also put on its first-ever Christmas tree wonderland this year, following in the footsteps of Auckland. Featuring more than 100 decorated trees, it was all about ‘capturing the spirit of Christmas and putting smiles on faces this year,’ said Napier Corps Officer and organiser Sammy Millar. The showcase was themed around ‘seasons’—people began their journey through the trees in spring, and ended with winter. ‘There were themed trees made from books, jandals, and decorated with all sorts, including minions, superheroes and snowpeople,’ said Sammy. ‘There was also a memory tree, where people wrote messages to absent or lost loved ones on wooden hearts.’ Different businesses also entered trees and competed for the People’s Choice award. But at the heart of it all, was a big nativity ‘set up, to emphasise the real meaning of Christmas’. The purpose was to bless the community, said Sammy. ‘One lady came in, she said she doesn’t really “do Christmas” but really enjoyed coming in, and said “It’s really something quite special”. She came again and brought someone else with her, and told me she was planning on coming back yet again to bring someone else.’ A small entry free helped raise funds for Napier’s Community Ministries, which is helping support more than 200 families in the run-up to Christmas.
BY COURTNEY DAY
CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 17
‘Tree of Hope’ for Christmas Struggling families in Wairarapa will receive a helping hand this Christmas with the launch of their Family Store’s initiative ‘Tree of Hope’. The initiative is to encourage the public to donate gifts and non-perishable food under a tree at the Masterton and Carterton Family Stores, which they then distribute to struggling families. Debbie Shields, who set up the display, says this is the first time the stores have launched an initiative of this kind. ‘It’s a real outreach from the Family Store to the public,’ says the Carterton Family Store worker. ‘We wanted to put back into our community this Christmas and help people make ends meet.’ Food and gift donations are distributed from food banks to the clients they have worked with throughout the year. The Carterton Family Store has also created a Christmas display, which will be completed with a visit from Santa Claus from 17–24 December. However, Debbie says she wants to encourage more discussion around the reason why we celebrate Christmas. ‘We’re putting the Christian meaning back into Christmas. The kids who visit Santa will get a small goody bag with a lolly and a religious Christmas message. ‘It’s fun having Santa here and we’re grateful for that, but people tend to lose the meaning of what Christmas is about. We need to remember the reason of the season.’ BY COURTNEY DAY
Janine Speaks Out in Aotearoa A new female-inspired podcast will be launched by Women’s Ministries this month, which will kick off with a full-length interview with Commissioner Janine Donaldson. She recently visited New Zealand to talk to young Salvationist women. ‘Commissioner Janine Donaldson is a woman known for her irrepressible joy and pastoral heart—two things that make her stand out as a senior female leader in The Salvation Army,’ says Rosy Keane of Women’s Ministries (WM). ‘The podcast features her greatest insights, stories and hopes about Te Ope Whakaora, the army that brings life,’ adds Rosy. ‘For the many corps and centres who expressed regret at not being able to catch sight of one of our favourite New Zealanders while she was here, take heart!’ Janine also spoke at the inaugural WM event, ‘She Speaks’, which Rosy describes as ‘a place for young adult Salvationist women to mobilise in their faith and mission’. ‘Janine was asked about the toughest challenges she has faced as a leader, how being a woman has affected her experience within The Salvation Army and ways she has committed to providing a “she goes forward with me” experience for other women.’ The conversation, held in the Mt Cook café, reminded the ladies to stick together in Christ to bring freedom for women, says Rosy. ‘We were eager to know how Janine maintains such dauntless resolution, when it must be tempting to become cynical. She pointed back to Jesus, and having faith in God’s ability to work through human structures and human hearts.’ BY COURTNEY DAY FOR MORE INFO | facebook.com/SalvationArmy.WM
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GAZETTE
Promotions: Effective 30 Nov 2018: We congratulate the following officer on their promotion to Captain: Lt Varea Rika. Effective 7 December 2018: We congratulate the following officers on their promotion to Captain: Lts Jessica and Nathan Bezzant, Lt Daniel Buckingham, Lts Christine and Karl Foreman, Lt Janet Green, Lts Naomi and Nathan Holt, Lts Faye and Steve Molen. Effective 13 Dec 2018: We congratulate the following officers on their promotion to Major: Capts Deane Goldsack and Susan Goldsack. International Appointments: Effective 1 Feb 2019: Lieutenant Colonels David and Margaret Bateman to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory. David will be Territorial Secretary for Business, Territorial Headquarters; and Margaret will be Chaplain, Boroko Primary School, Port Moresby. Appointments in Retirement: Effective 1 November 2018: Mjr Margaret Ousey, Mission and Tenant Support Officer for Social Housing (SASH), Carterton (part-time). Effective 10 Jan 2019: Captains John and Lydia Carpenter, Corps Officers, Gore Corps (part-time). Additional Appointment: Effective 10 Jan 2019: Mjr Denise Crump, to Chaplain, Blue Mountain Adventure Centre.
Join us online
… PARTNER WITH HIM TO BRING LIFE, LIGHT AND HOPE TO OUR WORLD. It’s a privilege to greet you this Christmas, my first as the General of The Salvation Army. Throughout 131 countries around the world, The Salvation Army is bringing a message of hope as we seek to work for justice, righteousness and the extension of God’s Kingdom—not in our own strength, you understand, only through his power. Our hope this Christmas is founded in the person of Christ Jesus who is our Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace and Everlasting Father. The titles are first found in the early verses of Isaiah 9 (2, 6–7), which contain a message of hope to a people living in darkness and death—hope of light and life which are only found in the promised Saviour. Into this situation comes not a theory or a method, but a person. A living, breathing human —born as a vulnerable baby. Hope is found in relationship with Jesus—the Light of the World who shatters the darkness. Hope is found not in dead ritualistic religion, but in vibrant, life-giving relationship with God. Who is this Jesus? He is God in human form—no longer distant and unreachable, but right here with us. He is our Wonderful Counsellor, who speaks words of wisdom and guides us into truth. He is our Mighty God for whom nothing is impossible—he forgives sins, heals diseases and raises the dead. He is our Prince of Peace, who comes in love, providing rest for the weary and comfort for the troubled. He is our Everlasting Father, offering a familial relationship that can last for eternity, including protection and provision in the here and now. This is the Jesus who was born in the manger, hangs on the Cross and bursts out of the grave! You can know this Jesus today. Jesus is all about justice, righteousness and salvation. The people who heard Isaiah’s prophecy, the people who lived at the time of Jesus and we who are alive today are all too familiar with a broken world where injustices are prevalent and which is blighted by lack of morality. The person, message and method found in Jesus bring a countercultural perspective that transforms the dark and lifeless falsehood of the kingdom of this world into the gloriously bright, vivacious reality of the Kingdom of God. You and I can experience this transformation and share the same with others when we live in relationship with Jesus. It may sound like an idealistic vision or too good to be true. We can’t achieve this on our own —if we could, humankind would have figured it out by now! As the words from Isaiah remind us, it can only be accomplished through the power of God—‘The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this’. So this Christmas, let us trust God, rely on his power, live in relationship with him and partner with him to bring life, light and hope to our world. May God bless you. General Brian Peddle General of The Salvation Army CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 19
At Christmas time, a mother— Mary—is central to the story of Jesus. What can the role of motherhood, and women in general, teach us about the character of God? BY CARLA LINDSEY
‘Our Mother who art in heaven … ’ I beg your pardon? I wonder how you will respond to that way of addressing God? Perhaps you’re excited, thinking, ‘It’s about time!’ Perhaps your curiosity is sparked and you’re thinking, ‘Hmm … I’ll need to give that some consideration’. Perhaps you feel horrified that War Cry is even going there! Whatever your response, do keep reading. Do give this some thought. Afterall, how we think of God is really important.
Is God male? So, how do we think of him? Well, most of us do think of him … as a him. As a little girl once prayed, ‘Dear God, are 20 WarCry CHRISTMAS 2018
boys better than girls? I know you are one but try to be fair’. For that little girl and for many others, it is a given that God is a bloke. God is a white, older gentleman who has long grey hair and a beard. Just ask Michelangelo. It is quite reasonable to presume that the God worshipped by Jews and Christians is male. This God is referred to all throughout the Bible as ‘he’. This God was revealed in physical form in Jesus Christ, and Jesus was in every way a biological male. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to address God saying, ‘Our Father who art in heaven’. He did not say, ‘Our mother … ’ So, it’s settled then … or is it? What about John 4:24 that tells us God is spirit? God doesn’t have a physical body. ‘He’ doesn’t have a gender. 1 Timothy 6:16 reminds us that the God of the Bible is unseen. When Moses requested to see him (Exodus 33:19–23), what God revealed about himself was his intangible characteristics. God revealed his goodness, mercy and compassion. That is to say, it doesn’t matter so
much what God looks like, it’s what he is actually like that really matters. And that, I think, is why God is described as a ‘father’. Not because he is literally ‘our father in heaven’, but because ‘father’ tells us something about what God is actually like. It tells us about his relationship with us. It tells us that he gave us life. It tells us that he loves and cares for us. No language is adequate when it comes to describing God. But, in order to try and comprehend the incomprehensible God, we humans need to use words. Through words, the mind will connect new concepts with things we already understand, like connecting an incomprehensible God with roles we do comprehend like father, and, wait for it … mother.
God as mother While the Bible consistently uses masculine pronouns for God, in at least 26 places feminine—often maternal, imagery—is used to describe God. In Numbers 11:12, speaking of Israel, God says, ‘Did I conceive all these people? Did
JUST AS THINKING OF GOD AS FATHER HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THINKING OF GOD AS A MOTHER ILLUMINATES CERTAIN PARTS OF GOD’S CHARACTER. I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant?’ God is describing herself (that does feel weird!) as a mother (so ‘herself’ is the right term here!). In Hosea 11:3–4 we find these beautiful words, which again describe the relationship of a mother and her child. God says, ‘It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms…. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.’ In Isaiah 49:14 God says, ‘like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant’. It’s women who experience labour! Isaiah 49:18 tells us that God wears her children as ornaments like a bride, which does sound rather uncomfortable, but that’s not the point. The point is, a bride is a woman! And this bride is also a mother. In the same passage God reassures Israel that she hasn’t forgotten them, by asking them, ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?’ (Isaiah 49:15). The answer is a resounding no! God is like a mother who will never forget her children. Just as thinking of God as father helps us to understand our relationship with God, thinking of God as a mother illuminates certain parts of God’s
character. It highlights a tender side, a nurturing side. A side of God that endured pain in order to give life. There are plenty more examples to be found, particularly in Psalms and Isaiah. Do read through these books for yourself. Do give some thought to how you think of God. Like I said at the start, how we think of God is really important.
So what? But why is it? Why does this discussion even matter? If God doesn’t have a physical body or literal gender, perhaps we should just solve the problem by calling God ‘it’? Yet God isn’t an ‘it’. He isn’t some vague power or force. Using ‘he’ or ‘she’ to describe anything makes it a personal entity. A relational being. Here’s why this does matter. The biblical story emerged in a patriarchal world. Men held all the power, and while there are a handful of exceptions, women were largely thought of as possessions with few rights of their own. Men had more value than women. Jewish men would daily pray, ‘Thank you God for not making me a gentile, slave, or a woman’. Naturally, in this patriarchal world, the one sovereign God was seen as male. A solitary all-powerful female God would be absolute nonsense! God understood the world to whom he was revealing himself. In that world male pronouns worked best. God knew that if Jesus had come to earth as a woman she wouldn’t have been so involved in religious life, or had opportunities to travel, or have had a voice that would be heard in the same way that a man’s voice would. For Jesus’ ministry to be the most effective, Jesus needed to be a man. One of the radical transformations that take place in the New Testament—under the grace of Christ—is that women were given equal value to men. Yet, even today, seeing God only as male, might suggest that males are more god-like. This might be, and has been, used by some to justify men’s supposed superiority over women. Genesis 1:27 sets us straight on this issue. Right at the beginning of the Bible we read that both male and female were
created in the image of God. This means that in God we find the fullness of both masculinity and femininity. Let that sink in for a minute. Words and metaphors can never fully explain God. Even if we covered our bases by addressing God as, ‘Our Mother and Father in heaven’, it would still only scratch the surface of the enormity of God and his relationship with us. I’ll be honest, I’m in the habit of calling God ‘he’. Hearing God being called ‘she’ sounds weird! It makes me uncomfortable. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. Maybe that discomfort is a call for me to remember that there is more to God than what I think. It’s a call to not limit my understanding of God. It’s a call for me to keep exploring the Bible to find new aspects of God that have been in there all the time, but that I have not discovered. However ‘Our mother in heaven’ makes you feel, I hope this article has encouraged you to ponder how you think about God.
Points to Ponder How does ‘our mother in heaven’ make you feel, and why? How does thinking of God as mother expand your view of God?
In the English translation of Scripture, there is no gender neutral pronoun. But in te reo, the same pronouns are used for both male and female. So God is rightly referred to as ‘ia’—male and female. Perhaps in Aotearoa we could adopt this pronoun for God, as a beautiful way to describe ia’s all-encompassing masculine and feminine characteristics. What do you think? CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 21
Final Word: A Christmas Message Commissioner Andy Westrupp takes a stroll down memory lane, looking back at the carols he played as part of The Salvation Army brass band at Dunedin South Corps. Whenever I sing a Christmas Carol I immediately think of where the music for that carol is in the Christmas Praise tune book—the old green one, that is. This is because I, like many bandsmen and bandswomen of a certain age, mostly only ever participated in carolling from behind an instrument on the back of a truck. No. 1, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’; No.2, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’; No.3, ‘Silent Night’, and so on. Some tunes got played so often we knew the music by heart. We didn’t need to look at the tune book, gripped as it was in the jaws of the persistently wobbly lyre, and supported by a silver bulldog clip on the flappy edge of the page against the December wind. You could guarantee that No. 7, ‘Jingle Bells’, was going to be requested several times during an evening, along with No. 8, ‘Away In A Manger’. The wishes would be relayed to the bandmaster by a collector and then unceremoniously communicated to the bandspeople on the back of the truck. ‘No.22!’, ‘The First Noel’, and the bandmaster wouldn’t even have to announce that we were to play it twice through. Every carol got played twice through, no more, no less. ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ has two repeats written into the music anyway—but no deviation, we still played it twice, repeats ‘n’ all. By the end of a night’s carolling we had had enough. We were carolled out! Our numbed lips struggled to reach the high notes. And our bums were also numbed by the wooden forms tied onto the back of the truck. It was usually cold, too (Dunedin in December can be a tad chilly), and we looked forward to arriving back at the hall, climbing slowly off the truck and putting away our instruments and the forms we’d sat on. Then, after four weeks of carolling leading up to Christmas, we had really had enough for another year! We were thoroughly over jolly ‘Jingle Bells’! Some of the lesser played tunes accompany some of the most poignant carols. The tunes weren’t requested as often as others because they weren’t as well known. ‘Normandy Carol’ was one of these. Although the bands I played in used this tune often enough, 22 WarCry CHRISTMAS 2018
it was hardly ever requested by a member of the public. Do you know the words that accompany this tune? When wise men came seeking for Jesus from afar, With rich gifts to greet him and led by a star, They found in a stable the Saviour of men, A manger his cradle so poor was he then. Though laid in a manger he came from a throne, On earth though a stranger in Heaven he was known, How lowly, how gracious his coming to earth! His love my love kindles to joy in his birth. Just pause for a moment on that audacious claim! ‘Though laid in a manger he came from a throne …’
‘ … ON EARTH THOUGH A STRANGER IN HEAVEN HE WAS KNOWN.’ Christmas these days gets rammed and jammed into spaces that I’m sure Mary and Joseph would never have envisaged. Nevertheless, everyone who is celebrating Christmas in one form or another is, even unintentionally, acknowledging something staggeringly special! Yes, a baby was born and laid in a manger in Bethlehem, but not just any baby—a baby who was indeed God’s Son. God’s beautiful, astounding gift to us, was a helpless, vulnerable baby who would one day show how much God loves us. Luke 2:10–11 says: ‘But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger”.’ May you and your family enjoy celebrating the birth of the Saviour, Jesus. I pray God’s blessing on you and yours this Christmas season. May your hopes and dreams be fulfilled. Commissioner Andy Westrupp Territorial Commander
Crazy Advent Challenge!
They presented Jesus with gifts … Matthew 2:11
Complete a challenge each day. Once you've done the challenge, cross off the date! Name a place in the world where it snows at Christmas.
Tell this joke: What is Santa’s dog named? Santa Paws!
Rearrange the word ‘Christmas’ to see how many other words you can make.
Draw a Christmas decoration. You could cut it out and hang it on the tree!
Sing ‘Jingle Bells’ while walking backwards.
Spell mistletoe backwards? (If you’re younger, spell ‘toe’ backwards). It’s tricky!
Get each person in your family to describe what their best Christmas ever would be.
Without using any words, pretend to be Santa Claus … can your family guess who you are?
The night before Christmas, your parents tuck you into bed, but it’s so hard to get to sleep. Or, maybe you try to stay awake to catch Santa leaving gifts—but somehow you always fall asleep before he arrives! Then on Christmas morning, it’s out of bed first thing to see what Santa has left you!
Say ‘Merry Christmas’ five times while jumping up and down on one leg.
We give gifts at Christmas to remember the most beautiful gift God ever gave us —baby Jesus. When God wanted us to know how much he loved us, he gave us his son. He was a tiny baby, but he was also God. Jesus shows us what God is like and how we can be friends with God. It’s pretty mind-blowing. On that first Christmas, the wise men came from a far-away country to give Jesus birthday gifts. Each gift had a special meaning:
Help me find my way to Bethlehem!
Tell this joke: What does Santa call his last sleep before Christmas? Santa Snores!
What’s your favourite part of Christmas? I bet I can guess! Is it getting presents? It is sooooo exciting.
Gold is very valuable, and was the traditional gift for a King. Jesus was going to be King of God’s Kingdom. It’s a Kingdom you can’t see, but you can feel it all around you when you follow the teachings of Jesus and become his friend. Frankincense was a precious perfume. In ancient cultures, frankincense was offered to gods. This showed that Jesus was God. Myrrh was a special oil that was used when someone died. This pointed to another great moment in history: when Jesus died and rose again.
NAZARETH
Don't forget to colour in the War Cry cover!
BETHLEHEM
What Is …
… the best gift you have ever been given? … the thing you would give baby Jesus? The best gift you can give Jesus is being his friend! CHRISTMAS 2018 WarCry 23
Quiz Answers: 1 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', Mariah Carey, 2 Sun Protection Factor, 3 Five, 4 Six, 5 The Bible doesn't say.