30 October 2021 NZFTS War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 30 OCTOBER 2021 | Issue 6779 | $1.50

Living in Community Reflecting on the Year of Prayer Food For Thought: The latest SPPU report

Million-dollar Aspire partners Crime Writer book giveaway

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Julie & Mark Campbell | GENERAL Brian Peddle | FOUNDERS Catherine

& William 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.

EDITOR Vivienne Hill | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Nicole Gesmundo, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Holly Morton, Louise Parry, Bethany Slaughter | PROOF READING

Major Colleen Marshall OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street,

PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT 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.

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Community, prayer and salvation On my commute into work each morning as I listen to my car radio, I can guarantee that many of the news items will be on the various outcomes of the pandemic.

While it is important to keep up to date with information, as Christians it is also important to keep the focus of our thinking and our energy not on the fear of the virus or the vaccine, but on Christ.

We are reminded in this edition of War Cry in our Soul Food on pages 20–21 about the broad and narrow roads that every person travels, not as a deeply theological presentation, but as a simple reminder that each person alive has a destination and it is vital we shine the light on the path of salvation.

Also in this edition we discover alternative ways of living in community outside of the nuclear family unit, and we also report on the Year of Prayer from our territory’s countries. In our news feature on page 14, Ronji Tanielu, from our Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit, explores the idea of social supermarkets as an alternative to the community model currently in place throughout our nations.

The work of the kingdom continues through wars, pandemics and chaos, both practically and spiritually. The Army is flexible enough to tailor responses to areas of need, but let us not forget the reason for our existence: to bring the good news of the gospel of Christ to a world in fear, in anguish and in need of a saviour.

Vivienne Hill Editor

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

SalvationArmyNZFTS

Remember who you are.

Don´t compromise for anyone, for any reason.

You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.

@SalvationArmyNZ

Lysa Terkeurst

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

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2 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

2 Thessalonians 2:14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Teharonika 2:14 Ko te mea tēnā i karangatia ai koutou e ia, he mea nā tō mātou rongopai, arā kia whiwhi ki te korōria o tō tātou Ariki, o Īhu Karaiti.

The Anglican Church of St Paul in Tokaanu. Photo by Shellie Evans.

Peace and Martyrdom in Aotearoa

M

ore than 1800 years ago an author named Tertullian said in his text ‘Apologeticus’ that ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church’. It may come as a surprise to you to discover that martyrdom has a strong and compelling history within the New Zealand Christian Church.

This realisation came to me in a most unlikely way, as I paced backwards and forwards at the vehicle testing station in Whanganui awaiting a warrant of fitness. As I paced, I discovered a plaque to Christian Māori martyrs located in a corner of the building.

Whilst much attention has been given to the role of various Pākehā missionaries in the first five decades of the nineteenth century, what has been at times overlooked is the energetic and highly influential work of Māori Christians with other Māori. Often this took the form of slaves being released by Christian chiefs (especially from Ngāpuhi in the Far North) who, on returning to their iwi, took Te Rongopai (the gospel) with them.

It was not unusual for European missionaries to arrive at a kāinga or pa (village) for the first time to find a church building erected and an active Christian congregation already in action, thanks to this dynamic of returning Christian former slaves. Allan Davidson in his book Christianity in Aotearoa notes that by 1845, nearly 64,000 out of an estimated total of 110,000 Māori were attending church services. It is the only significant revival New Zealand has ever seen!

Two early known Christian martyrs were chief Te Mānihera and Kereopa (Cleopas), from Ngāti Ruanui in South Taranaki. Both were committed

Christians who felt deeply the pain of a long standing and very fractious series of skirmishes dating from 1841 with Ngāti Tūwharetoa from Tokaanu (Tūrangi), which had seen casualties on the Ngāti Tūwharetoa side.

In 1847 the two Christians felt compelled to travel to Tokaanu to bring peace in the name of Christ and to take the gospel to their long-standing enemies. As they travelled the rather circuitous route to get to Tokaanu, it became evident from various iwi sources that this was not a wise idea, but the two missionaries persisted. Before entering Tokaanu they were both ambushed and killed by tomahawk and gunfire.

Subsequent to this tragedy, the Reverend Richard Taylor (Church Missionary Society) later followed up Te Mānihera and Kereopa’s visit with very positive results, including the baptism of those involved; and another Ngaāti Ruanui Christian, Piripi Wiremu Hanataua, carried on the ministry which had been established in Tokaanu.

In all likelihood, Te Mānihera and Kereopa were not killed specifically because they were Christians, but their motivation for the trip came from a position of faith which compelled them to seek peace with an old enemy.

Today, a memorial to the two martyrs can be visited beside the little Anglican Church of St Paul in Tokaanu. Their memory is honoured in the New Zealand Anglican Prayer Book—He Karakia Mihinare O Aotearoa—on 12 March of each year.

BY MAJOR DAVID NOAKES

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WARCRY INHISTORY

The Wiggles may have the Big Red Car, but, in the early 1900s, The Salvation Army had its own Big White Car. In this photograph from the 20 October 1906 War Cry, General William Booth is pictured alongside his granddaughter, Captain Catherine Booth, ready for another ‘motor mission’.

Source: The Heritage Centre & Archives at the Plowman Resource Centre, Booth College of Mission.

QUIKQUIZ

1 World War I started on what date?

2 Which country has the world’s longest coastline?

3 What is measured by the Mohs scale?

4 Numismatics is the study of what?

5 Which is the longest book in the New Testament?

Answers on page 22

Corn, Bacon and Courgette Rice Slice 5 eggs ½ cup cooked long grain rice 2 courgettes, grated 420g can corn kernels, rinsed and drained 4 rashers bacon, rind removed, diced ½ cup grated tasty cheese Salsa 1 red onion, diced

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fanforced). Lightly grease and line a 20cm square pan with baking paper.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and rice together. Squeeze excess moisture from the courgettes. Add courgettes, corn, bacon and half of the cheese to the egg mixture. Mix well. Season to taste.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until just set. Leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cut into 8 slices.

1 Tbsp olive oil

Meanwhile, to make salsa, combine all salsa ingredients in a small bowl.

Season to taste.

Salt, to season

Serve slice with salsa on the side.

2 tomatoes, diced

Pepper, to season Source: countdown.co.nz

4 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

Crime Crime Writer Written by Dime Sheppard (Ruby Books, 2021) Any fiction writer can testify to both the fun of falling in love with their characters, but also the jarring nature of writer’s block. These two experiences don’t usually result in your fictional characters becoming visible to those around you. This is the predicament that Evie Howland, the titular Crime Writer in Dime Sheppard’s debut novel, faces when the two detectives of her awardwinning franchise knock on her door.

Unfortunately, the central crime in the novel she is struggling to solve on the page starts to play out in the real world as well. The plot is fast paced; particularly towards the end of the novel, it becomes more elaborate as Evie loses grip of the story she has created. The premise proposes some interesting questions, such as how much agency Evie’s characters-come-to-life should have and what her role as the author should be the longer they live off the page? To the final chapter, it’s an action-packed read. (Reviewed by Bethany Slaughter) Just in time for the summer holidays, we have three copies of Crime Writer to give away! For your chance to win, email war.cry@salvationarmy.org.nz and tell us which book character you would like to meet in real life for a day—and why! Entries must be received by 26 November.

OURPEOPLE

Nicole Gesmundo (Mac Operator/Administrator) Nicole joins the Communications Department as the new Mac Operator/Administrator.

She grew up in the Philippines and moved to New Zealand in 2007.

She undertook a degree in Visual Communication Design at Massey University in Wellington while also working as an office administrator. She loves books, art and design. Nicole is excited to be working for War Cry and supporting the other areas of the It seems like there’s a whole world of emojis to choose department. On weekends, Nicole from when typing out a text. Here are five emojis that enjoys catching up with friends and don’t exist yet and we think they really should. family, attending church services, watching 1. Avocado toast—yes, there’s an avocado, but think movies, reading books, of the brunch fiends! drawing and painting.

2. Cutting onions—again, there’s been onion emojis On occasion, she also floating around cyberspace for a while, but what enjoys watching about when you’ve just watched or read American football. something really moving? Who’s cutting onions? Evidently not emojis.

TOPFIVE

3. Chicken nuggets—okay, we’ll stop with the food ones, but seriously? How can there be fries, hamburgers, soda … but no chicken nugget emoji?

4. Pinkie promise—of all the hand signals and greetings displayed in emoji, there’s no symbol for a pinkie swear. Really? How will you show your commitment via text?

5. The Salvation Army Red Shield—okay, this one isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but it would be pretty cool come Red Shield Appeal week…

Q+A with Crime Writer author Dime Sheppard

My favourite place to write: In a room full of noisy people.

It’s true. Otherwise, the whole process is too lonely and after years of working in missions, I’m a master at living and sleeping in rooms full of people.

What I’m watching or reading right now: I’m completely addicted to Ted Lasso, on Apple TV. That show is brilliant. It warms my heart so much.

One thing I love: Eating potato chips for breakfast. I think of them as ‘sugar-free cereal’. No judgement please...

One thing I hate: Sweet things for breakfast. Pancakes would be the first thing to go if I became emperor. Sorry.

Something that would surprise you about me: I’ve been to twenty-eight different countries. Many of them quite unwillingly! #surrender #worthit

Weird of the Week: If the Statue of Liberty wore sandals, they would be size 879.

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In contemporary Christian culture, ‘intentional community’ is a term that gets thrown around as an alternative way of living, outside of the more traditional view of immediate family together in their own home.

It can seem like a big commitment: pooling resources, moving into 13-bedroom flats and inviting the whole neighbourhood around for dinner, but at its most basic, intentional community is about choosing to do life with other people who want to follow Jesus’ example.

BY HOLLY MORTON

Abby Sims of Lyall Bay with her daughter Ariana.

A

fter Sunday morning service at Lyall Bay Community Church in Wellington, I was invited to come see Abby Sims’ home that she, her husband and two children share with the Millers, another young family from their community. As she showed me around the house, Abby pointed out the shed-turned-workshop where her two-yearold son, Kauri, loves to sit outside and watch as their housemate Rowan does his carpentry work. This looks like a fitting picture for the way these two families are living together. There is still space for some independence, both individually and within their families, but there are also opportunities to connect and be a part of each other’s lives, particularly when it comes to raising the children.

‘I think it’s actually just way more fun in the small children phase to have other people around,’ Abby muses. ‘When you have small kids, you’re very busy, but often it’s just doing the same things over and over again: getting food, cleaning up, washing, putting kids to bed and then up again. And so, in many ways, it’s hard to go to things or be available, but if people are living alongside you, you can have conversations as you’re making food and you can have conversations as you’re brushing teeth and you can pray at the dinner table together. It’s really wonderful to share life in the little snippets.’

Communal living modelled Abby grew up understanding the significance of living in community, as her parents co-owned a house with another family. ‘We had this joke that my parents just looked for people to fill the rooms, so we had foster kids, exchange students, international students and just lots of different people. I learned a lot of valuable stuff around sharing your family and having different people at dinner every night. It also made life really exciting for me as a kid. I see that now for Kauri, who has extra adults in the house who will read him stories. He has different conversations with the other adults that he wouldn’t with us, I think there’s a richness there.’

Aside from supporting each other as they raise their kids, Abby and her housemates are passionate about God’s call in Lyall Bay. She explains that as easy as it is to get caught up in the day-to-day, in living together they can encourage and remind each other about their desire for God’s kingdom to come to their neighbourhood: for people to be healed, justice to reign and the earth restored. Abby explains that ‘community is giving up a bit of independence, but it’s a sideways step not a step backwards. I believe community is good for everyone, not just those who need extra support. I think it’s good for me. I am realising that sharing life with other people who are working towards the same things is wonderful.’

Although the idea of living with extended family or friends in a co-owned space seems like a big decision, many young people and new families are considering their options when it comes to home owning and finances. Abby’s mortgage broker explained that although it can require a lot of trust to co-own a house with other people, or to be more transparent with your money, the 30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 7

difficulty of the housing market in New Zealand is encouraging people to get creative when thinking about how and where they live.

Family first The struggles of finding stable housing for one person or a couple are part of what motivated Hannah Medland from Kāpiti Corps and her family to live together on their lifestyle block in Waikanae. Hannah was inspired by visiting other examples of communal living, including a commune in Kimbolton, near Feilding, and one in Waco, Texas. When visiting Kimbolton, she expressed the difficulty in finding housing and the potential of collating funds to purchase something. ‘One of the guys said to me, “Hannah, that sounds like the start of an intentional community”, and that stuck in my head. I came home thinking that’s so different, but there’s something in my soul that this lifestyle appeals to.’

After some time looking at different properties and missing out, Hannah and her family were finally able to buy their place in Waikanae two years ago. Hannah was particularly motivated for their space to look like the Kimbolton commune she had visited. ‘It was really the faith aspect of it, that when I was speaking to any of them God just naturally came into the conversation, even with the children. They were intentionally living together with God in a really obvious, everyday way.’

Hannah is aware that our dreams for these spaces don’t always come to fruition, whether that’s due to time, cost or the capacity of your community. She is hopeful that as they settle more into life together, they will be able to incorporate more intentional study together and some creative initiatives for their wider community.

The property consists of two houses and a smaller studio unit and is home to Hannah, her 10-year-old foster child, her parents, her two sisters and their partners and children— along with two babies on the way.

Many hands When they bought the house, Hannah had been considering fostering, but with some uncertainty as to how feasible it could

be as a single person. However, with her parents living in the same space, Hannah felt there would be enough support to take the plunge.

She recognises that although the extra hands to care for kids will be helpful, raising children in a more collective environment may also be a difficult experience. ‘Your parents see a lot of your parenting moments. I think that could be difficult for my sisters, but it’s probably good for me because I haven’t had those 10 years with the child I’m parenting. My mum can also be a lot more chill than me because I’m still learning about my control issues, whereas my mum’s been learning through 30 years of parenting.’

Abby expresses a similar thought about the trust it takes to let others see you in your best and worst moments. ‘I think also there’s a level of vulnerability in sharing your house with other parents, because parenting is so new, often you don’t know if you’re getting it right. It’s so individual because we all come from different families and have different ways of parenting. I think choosing to share spaces means you just have to be vulnerable with each other, to see each other’s good days and bad days.’

The modern monastery When it comes to Christian community in our territory, Ngatiawa River Monastery, founded by the Anglican Bishop Justin Duckworth and his wife Jenny 17 years ago, is a particularly long-serving community with a strong history of ongoing rhythms to maintain the culture of the monastery.

Ngatiawa is home to four or so families, along with a handful of single people of various ages. They also have a few higher needs residents who may have had struggles outside of the community but can find a sense of purpose and belonging in the family.

Robbie Fleming has been living at Ngatiawa for the past two years, after moving down from Auckland with the desire to find a place to live with other Christians. As an only child, Robbie has experienced the gift of living in community with so many people around to talk with and be mentored by. When living with other people in this way, he jokes, with such care and input into his life, he believes he could make any situation

‘I THINK CHOOSING TO SHARE SPACES MEANS YOU JUST HAVE TO BE VULNERABLE WITH EACH OTHER, TO SEE EACH OTHER’S GOOD DAYS AND BAD DAYS.’ 8 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

Lyall Bay homeowner crew (from left): Jamie Sims (with Kauri), Abby Sims (with Ariana), Lauryn Miller and Rowan Miller.

work, ‘because there would be people who are wise and willing to move mountains to help.’

Ngatiawa has a number of weekly and monthly rhythms that those living there are required to participate in—from morning and evening prayers in their chapel to land-care Saturdays where everyone works on the land, planting native bush or tending to the vegetable gardens. Ngatiawa also makes an intentional effort to welcome in and host people from all over the country for short- or long-term stays, hosting shared meals and encouraging guests to get stuck into these rhythms as well.

‘THE HUMAN SOUL LONGS TO BE CONNECTED—TO BE KNOWN AND SEEN AND TO WALK WITH OTHER PEOPLE.’ Robbie has been confronted in his time at Ngatiawa by the challenge laid out by Bishop Justin and Urban Vision, a selfdescribed ‘contemporary order’ of Christians in New Zealand, who focus on not just helping those in need but giving your best for the least. ‘I’ve always been happy to go a bit out of my way for people in need, but have found the idea of giving my very best deeply challenging and transformative. I’d say it’s definitely helped me gain a much deeper understanding of what it means to live with other people as the Body of Christ.’

‘A richer life’ Abby, Hannah and Robbie all say that a barrier for people committing to intentional community is a fear about the lack of autonomy that comes with it. The Western Christian lifestyle has often imitated society’s desire for independence and self-sufficiency, where the goal is to have your own space, to do well at your job and then have the time, money and freedom to do what you want. A large part of Christian

communal living is fighting against this culture with the belief that we are created to be in community, as modelled by Jesus and his disciples.

The example set for Christians in Acts 2 and 4 is a tall order, and it is understandable that the dream of comfort and stability can be hard to surrender. Robbie describes it as ‘intentionally submitting to a bunch of other people and letting them speak into your life’. Whether those people are your extended family, some close friends or a group of strangers, letting go of autonomy—the ability to choose to have a night off prayer or to not muck in for land-care—can be challenging when the culture says otherwise.

Abby reflects on this, comparing it to a conversation she had with a friend. ‘She’s been single for a really long time and was saying she dreams of being married one day, but living on her own and being single had gotten so comfortable, and she said, “it’d be really hard to give it up”. But she recognises it would be a richer life. And I thought about that many times in community, it’s definitely not easier, but I think it’s way richer.

The human soul longs to be connected—to be known and seen and to walk with other people. Whether you’re in need of support, or have the capacity to walk with and hold people, I think it works in all seasons of life. And I do think my kids and my family will all be richer for it as well, even though it will be a different kind of life. This feels like the heart of God for us, to invite people in and walk with people in the place where we live and worship.’

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Finding Peace After the Fight In the heated middle of a fight, it’s likely that all you want to do is either yell at the top of your lungs or get out of the room ASAP. Arguing with people you care about is never fun, and it makes you feel completely alone. Plus, once the fight is over, now comes the hardest part—making up again.

But how can you resolve the argument and broach the awkward distance—potentially even a cavern—that has opened up between you? Especially when you’ve both been hurt by things said to each other.

When you decide you’re in the right headspace to resume the conversation, here are some tips for conflict management and reaching a solution together.

• When it is your turn to talk, slow down. Pause. Be careful with your words—while you may want to get through the conversation quickly or express the urgency or severity of your concerns, speaking slower will help you to control your tongue.

• Don’t call names. Use ‘I’ statements, not ‘you’ statements to put the emphasis on your own feelings and needs (not opinions and assessments).

• Be honest—avoid exaggerations, fibs, half-truths or misinformation. It will only lead to future conflict.

• Watch your body language. Don’t use gestures which make people fearful or anxious, and don’t throw anything—if you need to blow-off steam, exercise is your best friend.

Journaling can also help with expressing pent-up emotions.

• Don’t use threats or ultimatums to try and solve the problem quickly. Have the hard conversation and approach it with kindness and honesty.

• Be prepared to take ‘time outs’ for a few minutes if needed, or when you feel anger or tension rising.

• Don’t give unsolicited advice.

• Take ownership of what you previously said in anger.

Say ‘sorry’ and explain how you will take action. Articulate to them what things they said which particularly hurt you.

As long as we connect and relate with other people, our personalities are bound to react every once in a while. But the good news is that making up and moving forward is also a part of life. There are no quick fixes to arguments. You’ll have to dig into the heart of the problem to solve it. Many others have stared down seemingly unresolvable arguments and, through openness and kindness, made it through.

You can too.

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THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES TO ARGUMENTS. YOU’LL HAVE TO DIG INTO THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM TO SOLVE IT. Caught in the Awkward In-Between of an Argument and a Resolution?

Here are some simple ways to show you care.

• Give space as they need it.

• Hang out with your kids together.

• Speak to their love language; for example, for acts of service, you could clean the house without asking for any credit, or for words of affirmation, give them a genuine compliment.

• Don’t joke about the fight, but sometimes a lighthearted gesture like giving them a ridiculous card or a sincere compliment can ease the tension.

• Rather than standing, cooking or working in silence, put on some music you both like.

• Watch something new or a show they like that you would usually say no to watching.

• Let them sleep in or go to bed early by offering to take care of the kids or chores.

Source: fatherly.com, psychologytoday.com

TESTIFY! Gordon Wallace is a soldier at New Plymouth Corps, who realised after years of struggling with addiction that God had never forsaken him.

I was born in Scotland. Our family came to New Zealand when I was seven.

My father’s work had him away from home a lot. There was no father–son bond and that set the course for my life. Mum turned to a local church to make friends, so my brother and I went to Sunday school and then youth groups. I was constantly bullied at primary school for my Scottish accent, to the point where I was sent to speech therapy to have it taught out of me. I became rebellious and my behaviour became hard to control.

I nicked-off school early one day, and heard my name called. This guy was standing in the door, motioning for me to come inside. He took me into the office and sexually abused me. I didn’t feel like I could tell Mum, because I’d be in trouble for leaving school. I buried it for twenty-odd years.

After the abuse, I committed some serious crimes and ended up doing detention through the Youth Court.

I got offered a job as a panel beating apprentice and left high school.

That job was where I got introduced to marijuana, at drinks after work.

I STILL NEED RECOVERY ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT I WANT JESUS CHRIST IN MY LIFE HEALING ME, AND DOING HIS WILL OVER MINE.

… THE LORD HAS NEVER FORSAKEN ME. Although I’d given my life to Christ, I was chipping away at that faith.

I was seeing a girl and we moved in together, but I had no perception of my role in that relationship. It was straight into dysfunction and ended badly. A couple of months later, she told me she was pregnant. I continued on my path of alcohol and drugs. On the night my son was born, I didn’t even know. He is now 33, and I watch his life on Facebook; I can see my messages don’t get read. It’s not the man I wanted to be.

This past Father’s Day, I got a card from my stepdaughter, and that fills me with such gratitude. I have a daughter as well who is eighteen, and I’m very much a part of her life.

My mother passed away in 2007. I was angry, and that further distanced me from Christ. Throughout my life, there were numerous times I cried out to the Lord. When things happened, I’d say, ‘It’s my mum keeping an eye on me’.

I never related it to God. When I was 44, my father was talking about living with me. I was excited that he finally wanted to have a relationship, but it came to bear that he was having

to move out of his rest home. We argued, and a few hours later I had a heart attack. The doctor told me I had to change my diet, which only lasted a year.

I moved to a new property; I would wake up, get stoned and spend my days drinking. I got asked to leave after not even a year. My daughter was living with me, and I had to pick her up from school and tell her. That was my breaking point. My clean date is 20 March 2016.

I went to Recovery Church for the first time in February. I was able to sit down with a couple from Elijah House within a few weeks. I spent three hours in prayer going over my past and learning truth. I recommitted my life to Christ.

I started volunteering at the Family Store, which led to working on the van.

I’m passionate about how Recovery Church (God-willing) is going to create a brighter future for those struggling with addiction.

After all I’ve been through and put people through, the Lord has never forsaken me. I still need recovery on a daily basis, but I want Jesus Christ in my life healing me, and doing his will over mine.

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Snapshots from the Year of Prayer 2021 This year has seen many changes and uncertainties across the territory as we battle Covid-19. The call for a Year of Prayer that was intentional, consistent and collective was given by leadership of the Army. The ways that different corps have engaged with this call have been an anchor for many over this time. In line with the encouragement to make room, come aside and come together, here are some stories from across our territory that celebrate the ways collective prayer has been incorporated into daily life.

Nausori Plant responded to the call to pray the theme ‘The World Needs You’. It was a praise and prayer one-and-a-half-hour concert. Though few in numbers, the songs of praise and prayer from God’s humble children were so heartfelt. The members who couldn’t make it to the church took the initiative of praying in their various homes. God bless Nausori Plant!

Tatalo 2021—Prayer 2021—the Year of Prayer in Samoa has been a special time of gathering with intention before the Lord, seeking his will and his way for us here in Autau O le Fa'aolataga (The Salvation Army Samoa). We have had weekly Tuesday prayer meetings, weekly Sunday morning prayer meetings and bi-monthly prayer events (usually on a Sunday evening).

We LOVE to pray in Samoa! Our junior soldiers have begun attending Tuesday prayer meetings and we are so blessed with their faithful hearts lifted to God in prayer each week.

by CAPTAIN JULIE TURNER, Apia Corps, Samoa Region

‘If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land’ (2 Chronicles 7:14).

by MAJOR LITIANA COLA, Nausori Corps Plant, Fiji Division

In collaboration with Australia Territory, our territory has released a Prayer Guide to encourage and inspire us as we complete the Year of Prayer. This can be used over November either individually or in life groups. The Prayer Guide is available for download here: salvationarmy.org.nz/yearofprayer

12 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

Last year during the first Covid-19 lockdown, God gave Sarah MacGibbon from Nelson Tasman Bays Corps a picture. It was of our worship centre with a number of different stations set up. So, on Friday 16 April this year, we had our first prayer and praise night, and this has continued to be a regular feature in our corps.

Right through the night there was a continuous playlist of various worship songs. People came and spent the night in God’s presence worshipping, while others moved around the various stations that were set up. At any time of the night, if people wanted prayer, there was a place to sit and someone to pray with them.

One of the stations had a church directory with cards to encourage our church family. There was also a prayer journal where you could write your thoughts and prayers as God spoke. These thoughts were shared in our journal.

Something happens when we pray, we may not see behind the scenes. We may not even live to see the fruits of our prayers come but, whatever the timing, God is in control. His timing is always the best timing. Even unanswered prayers can years later seem like blessings. We don’t always understand the way God works, but God still works.As the temperature rises in this place, we are excited to see what God might do as we continue to make room, come aside and come together.’

by MAJOR DENISE SMITH, Nelson Tasman Bays Corps, Southern Division

As part of the Year of Prayer engagement, Tonga decided to include quarterly Prayer Celebration events where the region would come together to celebrate the answers to prayer, share testimony, worship and acknowledge the goodness of God. These have become times of much rejoicing and renewed commitment to a life of prayer. Those who have gathered have come away encouraged and strengthened in their faith.

Also this year, the officers of the region have participated in the 24/7 Prayer Course and many are using this in their corps setting to expand the prayer horizons of individual and corporate prayer.

Most recently, a regional Prayer Sunday engaged people in creative ways to pray for TSA and in particular, the Kingdom of Tonga.

We look forward to our last regional prayer celebration in November where we will once again recount the faithfulness of God in joyful celebration.

From late February to mid-March this year, corps in Fiji launched

by CAPTAIN KENNETH WALKER, their Year of Prayer. Officers, soldiers and friends gathered together in their own settings to commence this programme. Most launched Regional Commander, Tonga Region their initiatives before sunrise and I can confirm this was a wonderful experience of encounter with God. Sometimes we concentrate more on corps programmes and activities and we often neglect our prayer life, but this prayer programme redeemed and infused our prayer lives as individuals, as families and as corps. In addition, even though we prayed from our respective homes due to this pandemic, this has brought out the concept of connecting with one another and consolidation in spirit.

November will be the month of the rounding-off of our Year of Prayer 2021. Each corps will celebrate in their own settings. Still, I hope that this won’t be the end, but I pray that this idea of praying together will continue on. God is calling us today as a church, as individuals, as families and as nations to come together and stand in the gap to intercede for our people and for our land, especially for such a time as this as we face uncertainties, fear and chaos.

by CAPTAIN VAKATOTO WAWA, Fiji Division 30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 13

Territorial Commander Commissioner Mark Campbell working in the foodbank in Newtown, Wellington, during the first lockdown in 2020.

Food for Thought

BY RONJI TANIELU

In the latest advocacy report from Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU), Food for Thought: Disrupting Food Insecurity in Aotearoa, author Ronji Tanielu asks some major questions about foodbanks and food insecurity.

The Salvation Army is heavily invested financially, missionally and organisationally in our foodbanks. We have a network of over 60 foodbanks across New Zealand run by an amazing team of staff and volunteers, who distribute food parcels into local communities. Our foodbanks have been at the forefront of responses to the impact of Covid-19; for example, by the end of 2020, over 113,000 food parcels were distributed nationally, almost double the amount given in 2019. Additionally, in the latest series of lockdowns, we saw an 84 percent increase in national food parcel provision in the week ending 28 August 2021, with the biggest surge in South Auckland.

Our foodbanks are often the first door people and whānau (families) walk through when they engage with the Sallies.

They come looking for food assistance and, if needed, they are connected to various social services, with some eventually connecting with corps. Foodbanks therefore play a critical role in our work and mission.

14 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

The questions Some of the questions asked in the report (see link at end) are: How do we disrupt the food insecurity and food poverty issues in our nation? Are our foodbanks really helping people and whānau? Are we creating more dependency on welfare for them? Why do we have these major food-related issues in such a wealthy and food-prosperous country, particularly for lower income people and whānau?

In responding to these questions, some key points are made.

First, food insecurity is real for many people and whānau. Food insecurity is defined as not having good access to enough safe and nutritious food to lead a healthy and productive life and meet cultural needs. We know that food insecurity is a result and also driver of other problems, including the lack of money to make ends meet, housing issues or addictions problems.

Statistics show that 20 percent of all children aged between 0 to 15 years live in households reporting that food ran out often or sometimes. Furthermore, in 2019/20, over 45 percent

of children in Pasifika households, and nearly 30 percent of children in Māori households, lived in households where the food ran out sometimes or often.

Secondly, I wholeheartedly believe that food insecurity and hardship can and should be disrupted with innovative solutions.

This kind of approach is central to Christianity.

The mission The mission of The Salvation Army is caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society by God’s power. At the core of this mission is trying to live like Jesus. So, how did Jesus live? A good starting point to answer this question is Jesus’ first recorded sermon in Matthew chapters 5 to 7. This was not a political speech, or a community activism rallying cry or even a sermon meant to entertain people. This powerful and intricate sermon is a manifesto from the Son of God of what his kingdom is meant to look like on the inside of the hearts, minds and lives of his followers. It was clear and bold, confronting the worldly systems and challenged ideas of happiness, success and truth.

Jesus challenged these norms as he offered a new way of living.

He also offered spiritual regeneration, as people could enter his kingdom by acknowledging their sinfulness and spiritual poverty and accepting the grace, mercy, love and salvation he freely offered to all.

These counter-cultural, non-conforming approaches that are based on Jesus’ teachings have framed much of The Salvation Army’s mission and ministry over the last 130 years. A famous example was the Darkest England Matches matchstick factory, started by The Salvation Army in 1891, where workers were paid fair wages and not exposed to dangerous chemicals. This was in stark contrast to the appalling work conditions, low pay and dangerous chemicals common in other matchstick factories.

Some modern examples of this disruptive approach include the Salvos Legal law firm established in Australia in 2010, and the Good Shop vans started in 2018 here in Aotearoa.

OUR FOODBANKS ARE OFTEN THE FIRST DOOR PEOPLE AND WHĀNAU WALK THROUGH WHEN THEY ENGAGE WITH THE SALLIES. Disruption theory Thirdly, I believe food insecurity can be eliminated with a mixture of innovation and creativity. I’ve used an approach called Disruption Theory. Disruption has always fascinated me.

At its core, disruption innovation is a business theory developed

by Professor Clayton Christensen, of Harvard Business School, in 1995. Disruption innovation is therefore a process where a smaller company with fewer resources can successfully challenge established incumbent businesses. Applied to gigantic social issues like food insecurity, disruptive thinking calls for the development of catalytic innovations which can surpass the status quo by providing good-enough solutions to inadequately addressed social problems.

Most developments in the food insecurity space—like foodbanks, Pataka Kai, community gardens and mana-enhancing models—are wonderful and help many whānau and communities.

We need these kinds of innovations and ideas. These can be termed sustaining innovations, sustaining the status quo. I think we need more disruptive or catalytic innovations that approach social-sector problems in a fundamentally new way and create scalable, sustainable and systems-changing solutions.

Finally, bringing all this together, I suggest that truly disruptive innovation that is in line with Christian and Salvation Army approaches and incorporates the tenets of disruption theory is absolutely necessary to address food insecurity in Aotearoa.

THESE COUNTER-CULTURAL, NON-CONFORMING APPROACHES THAT ARE BASED ON JESUS’ TEACHINGS HAVE FRAMED MUCH OF THE SALVATION ARMY’S MISSION AND MINISTRY OVER THE LAST 130 YEARS. Social Supermarkets Dream with me for a bit, whānau. What if we had a national network of social enterprise supermarkets, run by a partnership of churches, iwi groups, NGOs and corporate stakeholders?

What if this network was rooted in local communities, providing creative ways for poorer New Zealanders to pay for basic groceries via volunteering or time banking? What if these social enterprise supermarkets provided such excellent options and solutions that middle New Zealand left the incumbent stores and were now shopping ‘for the good’ of others, breaking the supermarket duopoly in Aotearoa and creating competition that benefits consumers? What if this national chain integrated with current innovations like Pataka Kai, community gardens, food in schools programmes and national food security organisations to bring true systems change to combat food insecurity?

In the end, I believe that we can effectively disrupt the food insecurity and hardships in our nation. This counter-cultural approach is central to the life of Jesus’ disciples, and fundamental to the mission of The Salvation Army. And when helpful ideas like disruption theory are added to the mix, we can develop bold, audacious and disruptive ideas like a national network of social enterprise supermarkets to bring impactful change to food insecurity issues in Aotearoa. The status quo is not good enough.

Disruption is needed here. Dream with me, whānau.

READ THE REPORT HERE | salvationarmy.org.nz/foodinsecurity2021

30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 15

Million-Dollar Supporters of Kiwi Rangatahi (Youth) The Warehouse Group has backed the Aspire Kiwi Youth Development Programme since its inception in 2015. The value of their support has now surpassed one million dollars in donations.

Around Aotearoa, more than 1000 young people have benefited from this significant financial endorsement, which enables the relational support provided by Aspire facilitators.

‘The Warehouse Group has been the catalyst for youth development programmes in The Salvation Army,’ says Michael Smith, the national Aspire coordinator. ‘They’re funding us because they believe in the initiative.’

That level of support has been crucial over the past two years of disruption due to alert level changes.

‘We traditionally follow the Circle of Courage, and the four modules over the four terms,’ Michael says. ‘In Auckland, we’ve had one school term in the last two years that hasn’t been affected

by Covid-19 restrictions, which has made it really challenging for facilitators to run the programme.’

Earlier this year, one group of Aspire participants from Auckland returned home from a camp at Blue Mountain Adventure Centre to find themselves in lockdown the very next day.

‘We were getting messages about how excited they were, about how the camp had helped so much in the development of the kids because they had such a slow start to the year with the restrictions,’ he says. ‘And then the next day, to hear that they were back in Level 4, it’s been difficult for facilitators to keep planning forward.’

Nevertheless, Michael praises the facilitators for finding creative ways to reach out to young people throughout lockdowns and school closures.

‘The relationships that you build with the young people and the journey that you go on to support them are actually the things that make the difference,’ he says. ‘They’ll remember the way someone spoke into them, or the experience or the fun that they had, or the change that happened because they had someone that cared about them.’

Along with hopes to deliver the traditional framework uninterrupted in 2022, there are also plans to review the programme next year and reflect on what is working, what is changing in society and how they can continue to build these strong connections with young people.

He is pleased that several Aspire participants have gone on to ‘call The Salvation Army their own’—with many making the transition to join youth groups around the country.

There are a multitude of ways to support Aspire. ‘We’re always looking for more people to get involved. We’d love to hear from schools, from volunteers at different corps and centres that might want to help out in any way,’ Michael says. ‘We always invite people to pray for Aspire.’

Demand exists to expand the programme in the future, but it cannot be achieved without resources. Financial support— including the generous, ongoing donations from The Warehouse Group and other partners—goes towards this and provides salary support for the facilitators.

‘There are schools that want it—schools we already work in that would easily say, “Can we double the number of kids you’re 16 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

A group of Aspire youth enjoying time at Blue Mountain Adventure Centre.

working with?”—and then a number of schools that are hearing about what we do.’

For this reason, The Warehouse Group’s long-term funding has been integral to Aspire’s growth, and Michael thanks them for helping to legitimise The Salvation Army’s youth development initiatives.

‘The blessing of The Warehouse Group is they believe in what we’re doing,’ he says. ‘They back the programme. They’re about what we do, and they want to support it.’

David Bennatar, chief sustainability officer of The Warehouse Group, affirms this.

‘We saw a big need in the community for youth support, so when Aspire was proposed as a programme to partner on, we immediately recognised that there was an important role for us to play. It means we have a real impact on driving positive outcomes for youth, for the community and for the country,’ David says.

‘It is clear to us that this is a mutually beneficial relationship; yes we donate, yes we support, but we also receive so much value from supporting The Salvation Army and the Aspire programme,’ David says. ‘It is a truly synergistic partnership which aligns with the vision and values of The Warehouse Group.

‘By supporting The Salvation Army, we are investing in and supporting the future success of all Kiwis.’

New International Positional Statement Calls for a ‘Culture of Sustainability’ A new Salvation Army International Positional Statement (IPS) on ‘Caring for the Environment’ sets out a strongly worded and compelling description of the many ways that God’s creation has suffered catastrophic damage from the actions of human beings. Pledging to foster a ‘culture of sustainability’, the statement calls for immediate action to be taken to address and combat ‘environmental degradation’.

The IPS, which has been approved by General Brian Peddle, says: ‘The Salvation Army recognises environmental degradation as one of the most pressing issues facing the world today … Its effects fall disproportionally on the most vulnerable, particularly in terms of health, livelihood, shelter and the opportunity to make choices. The very survival of humanity depends on the health of the whole ecosystem.’

Committing The Salvation Army to sustainable environmental practices, the statement continues: ‘In addition to being compelled by the lived experience, The Salvation Army also accepts the scientific evidence that demands action on all levels.’

In light of the new IPS, the General has made a personal call for Salvationists and friends to ‘make adjustments in lifestyle and comforts, for example: Consider our use of heating and cooling—a 1.5° Celsius change is a good start; Think twice about our ease of travel, choosing to walk or cycle where possible; Make intentional choices of sustainable products when shopping; Positively declare your part in the stewardship of the earth; Move our thinking on from competing for more to collaborating and sharing’.

An IPS is an articulation, crafted with careful and prayerful thought, of the official viewpoint of The Salvation Army and is drafted by the International Moral and Social Issues Council, comprised of Salvation Army officers and soldiers. This international group has first-hand knowledge of the changes inflicted on the earth by environmental degradation including drought, food production difficulties and extreme weather conditions.

The General adds: ‘During the pandemic, the earth has taken a deep breath. Our skies cleared, cities refreshed themselves and birds sang. Striking the right balance between our needs and what is sustainable must catch the attention of every Salvationist.’

The ‘Background and Context’ section of the new IPS explores the ‘unprecedented and devastating levels of

General Brian Peddle launches the International Positional Statement on Caring for the Environment at International Headquarters.

degradation’ which are leading to species extinction, pollution and land destruction. The over-reliance on and excessive use of carbon-based fuels is highlighted, although the statement stresses that ‘environmental degradation’ is about far more than energy issues, adding: ‘It also impacts factors such as food and water insecurity, poverty and migration.’

The scriptural basis for the position is laid out in detail, highlighting how God entrusted humanity with the task to care for the land and its plants and animals.

The IPS concludes with a series of suggested practical responses through which The Salvation Army ‘seeks to foster a culture of sustainability with a focus on longterm environmental solutions. These vary from raising awareness of the devastating impact humans are having on God’s earth and striving to enact sound environmental policies to smaller-scale but important efforts such as encouraging Salvationists to consider a vocation in environmental science.’

REPORT BY IHQ COMMUNICATIONS, INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS

30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 17

I have been attending Recovery Church for the past couple of years, and I am encouraged by the prayers of the congregation. People have the opportunity to write a prayer to be read out during the service, which is great, but what also encourages me is people’s total reliance on prayer.

I have heard testimonies from people at Recovery Church who didn’t believe in God or who were in the process of exploring what God meant to them personally. People completely broken and feeling stuck in their circumstances with no way out and in their desperation, they called out to God in faith with the cry: ‘If you are there, and you can hear my cry, help me’.

‘Oh, God, my Lord, step in; work a miracle for me—you can do it!

Get me out of here—your love is so great!— I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins’ (Psalm 109:21, MSG).

People testify that God not only hears their prayer, but he makes himself real to the person, offering hope and comfort, showing the person that God isn’t a distant God somewhere up there. God is a God who not only loves us but wants a relationship with us. God cares for us and when there is no hope—God provides hope.

In contrast, when we have lives that are reasonably comfortable, we can forget to rely on God or press into him for our security and hope. We can forget to continuously communicate with God. May this be our prayer: God, I am sorry for the times that I have neglected my relationship with you.

God, reignite a desire in me to walk closely with you.

God, help me to rely on you for everything in my life.

BY MAJOR BRONWYN ALDERSLEY

18 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

Sunset on the Year of Prayer 2021 On 1 February 2021, the Year of Prayer was launched at the Petone shoreline by territorial leaders, Commissioners Julie and Mark Campbell. As the sun rose across the Wellington Harbour, they issued a call to the four nations of our territory to make room, come aside, come together and pray throughout the year.

Other divisions also had their own dawn services as the territory responded to the initiative.

The hope was for a year of focused prayer in many forms within our corps, centres, families and also individually. The prayer effort was embraced across the nations as people came together in various forums to seek God and intercede for our lands and the world, particularly as the pandemic and its impacts became a major focus and restrictions were put in place across our countries.

As the Year of Prayer begins to wrap up, our territory’s leadership is encouraging a final push over November to celebrate what the call to a 2021 Year of Prayer has brought us.

The Year of Prayer was launched with a time of waiata (song) and prayer on the beach during sunrise, so Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development Colonel Heather Rodwell, who coordinated the Year of Prayer, suggests corps could organise a sunset prayer gathering to round off the event. They could also consider marking the occasion with some other places to pray as a group, including: • a high point on a hill • a local park • a shopping centre or centre of commerce • a walk through your community/neighbourhood.

However each division chooses to close the Year of Prayer, we would love to see how your people are praying at this time. Please consider creating a video of your corps or group as they pray for the Army or the world and posting it to your corps Facebook page or other social media with the hashtag #YOP2021, or sending your photos to War Cry to feature in a future edition.

GAZETTE Name change: Effective immediately, Mount Maunganui Corps will change its name to Pacific Coast Mission, to more accurately reflect the community and wider geographical area that the corps represents. Please pray for Majors Anne and Peter Lewis and the Pacific Coast Mission leadership team, as they continue to establish themselves and serve the people in their local community.

Appointment Conclusion: Effective immediately, Major Silone Collins has concluded her additional appointment as Assistant Officer, Wellington South Corps and will continue her appointment as Corps Officer, Kilbirnie Corps.

Resignation: Effective 23 January 2022, Lieutenants Heather and Ivo Pyper will be resigning from officership. Heather and Ivo entered training as cadets of the Messengers of Compassion session in February 2017. In January 2018 they were Cadets in Appointment at Upper Hutt Corps and Community Ministries.

Following their commissioning in December 2018, Heather and Ivo were appointed as Corps Officers, Glen Eden Corps. This was followed by an appointment as Northern Division Assistants and then Corps Officers, Whakātane Corps and Directors, Whakātane Community Ministries.

We thank Lieutenants Heather and Ivo Pyper for their ministry and service and pray God’s blessing on them in the days ahead.

Bereavement: Glenton Waugh, of his mother Myrtle Waugh, from Gisborne Hospital on Friday 8 October 2021, aged 94 years. We ask you to uphold in prayer Majors Glenton and Pam Waugh, along with other family members in this time of grief and loss.

…WE’VE TASTED A SWEETNESS IN PRAYER THAT HAS CHANGED US. We made room, we came aside, we gathered together.

On 1 February of this year, The Salvation Army across New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa launched a year of prayer.

Although prayer was already an integral part of the Army’s life to some measure; closer examination revealed that we’d benefit from a renewed emphasis on prayer in the course of our everyday lives. In choosing to embark on a year of prayer, the call was simply to infuse everything with prayer.

Being the activist Army that we are, we gladly and willingly respond to the needs that present at our doors, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. But there’s another side to this picture of being ready and willing to serve: we need to ensure that in serving we sustain our reason for serving in all that we do, and one means of ensuring this is through prayer.

Prayer invites us to recognise that we don’t hold all the answers to life’s questions, but there is One who does. Prayer invites us to admit that we benefit from taking time to nurture our inner being and foster a relationship with the One who can meet our every need. In prayer we are open to recognising that something far greater is happening in this twenty-first century than is revealed in the media or what we can readily put our finger on. In prayer we find rest for the deepest inner part of us—our soul.

Make room, come aside and come together has been the three-part call of this year.

Make room has been the first imperative, because our diaries can be so constantly full that even with best intentions taking time to pray can feel like an impossibility.

So we’ve needed to revise some of what we may have automatically said yes to.

Changing well-ingrained habits of how we use our time also helped to create room, as well as learning to integrate prayer in the course of everyday life.

Come aside meant stepping out of the traffic of life in order to be more purposeful about taking time to pray. This may have been as simple as taking ourselves away from the crowd for dedicated time with God, just like Jesus did. But we also recognised that sustaining a genuine relationship with God through prayer is not purely a solitary, private thing. It’s also something we needed to do together in our corps, workplaces, staff teams and communities. In coming together to pray, we’ve discovered stronger connections with each other, and a greater joy as we’ve built trust and prayed together.

We love to share people’s faith stories.

If you’d like to talk to us about sharing your story in War Cry, please email us today: warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz

It’s not intended that when the calendar turns to 2022 that this focus on prayer subsides. This year has been a recharge where we’ve tasted a sweetness in prayer that has changed us. As an Army, we remain committed to willingly and actively being engaged in caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society, but we do this by God’s power and in prayer we access that power.

Colonel Heather Rodwell Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development 30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 19

The Two Paths The Bible explicitly tells us that there are two paths in life: one path leads to eternal life with God and the other path leads to eternal life without God. Every person who has ever lived, or will live, chooses which path they will follow.

BY VIVIENNE HILL

There is a default path or road that all people walk until they come to salvation found only in Jesus Christ. It is the wide and broad road that most people travel down throughout their lives, unless, or until, they choose Christ. ‘Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to 20 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it’ (Matthew 7:13–14).

These two divergent paths each have a trajectory. The imagery associated with trajectory is one of movement forward to a target or a specific landing place. The dictionary meaning of trajectory is ‘an object moving under the action of given forces’. The force behind the path that leads away from God is the opposite to the force behind the path of a person who has accepted Christ as Lord of their life. The forward motion is constant and does not cease until death.

Mercy in the delay Some people come to a crisis point in their lives of understanding that they

need a saviour. They may have walked a road that appeared to be attractive and fulfilling but the realisation that they will be eternally separate from God compels them to seek the narrow gate. But, for others, they know and understand the gospel, but either outright reject the notion of becoming a Christian, or put it off until a later date, not realising the later date may never come.

There is a dynamic I have seen played out time and again with a dear friend. God in his great mercy will bring my friend to a crossroads at different times in her life, where she is required to choose a path.

Inevitably my friend then calls me and asks me questions about my faith and asks me to pray for her. She is not an atheist, she believes in God, but will not accept the Lordship of Christ. By default,

than their own resources for guidance, understanding and navigation through life. In Proverbs 14:12 it says ‘There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death’. Outside of those who choose another religion, the atheist believes you need no other god than yourself. You arrive at the end of your life without hope, without light, but the inevitability of a night without end and the tragedy of an eternity devoid of love, relationship, beauty and peace, because choosing separation from God removes you from the source of all goodness.

The narrow way On the other hand, the narrow way is more restrictive and comes through one door, one gate, one man: ‘Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”’ (John 14:6).

How wonderful to be convinced in your belief, not in self, but in a benevolent, loving, compassionate Father who chose to send his son Jesus Christ to earth to bridge the chasm of sin and death that separated humanity from God. To know that not only are you promised the daily companionship of the eternal, but the inevitability of an eternity surrounded by love, relationship, beauty and peace.

each rejection of Christ is a choice for the god of this world, Satan, and the consequences of choosing this path play out in her life. But God never gives up on her, she just goes back around that mountain until he leads her back to yet another crossroads.

The broad way This default path of life is separation from God. This broad way looks like it offers many freedoms and options— people can pursue tracks of wealth and power, other religions and philosophies, and life lived by their own self-imposed boundaries and rules (if any).

The broad way in its many forms has the tendency for people to elevate the ‘self’ to a throne of their own making. Then, seated as a god, they look no further

Life is not always easy for a Christian.

At times it feels like a cross between an obstacle course and a roller coaster ride, but for those who are in relationship with Christ, Satan is defeated in their lives and they are no longer under his lordship, but are a child of God: ‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (Romans 8:16).

The entry point to eternity with Christ may be a narrow way but the journey is never alone. The Christian is promised many things in life. We have this precious promise in Lamentations 3:22–24, ‘Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him”.’

Covenant relationship Once a person relinquishes the lordship of their life to Christ, they enter a blood covenant relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. A person may deviate from the path many times over their life span and may at times reject Christ, but heaven’s resources will be released to bring the person back onto the path of life.

This is good news for parents and grandparents who may have seen a child give their life to Christ but then once they hit teenage years or adulthood, they choose to let go of that relationship. But God will not let go.

He will constantly call the child, youth and then adult back to himself and he is more than able to accomplish this no matter what choices they make and no matter how far they have removed themselves from God. The seeds of faith sown in children’s lives through Christian families, church camps, Sunday school and youth groups cannot be underestimated. Not every child who is exposed to the gospel makes a choice to follow Christ, but those who do, enter into a partnership with the Eternal.

You may have made a decision to follow Christ years ago, but never really maintained it. Maybe you are not on speaking terms with God because you have suffered loss or tragedy and you think God has abandoned you, so you have abandoned him. The difference between a Christian and my dear friend is that the grace and mercy extended to a soul who has bowed the knee to Christ is so much greater.

‘For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Romans 8:38–39).

The Hebrew word for ‘compassions’ is ‘racham’ which means the cherishing of the foetus in the womb. The image here is one of protection, shelter, nourishment, enabling growth and health. This all comes from the ‘Lord’s great love’.

30 OCTOBER 2021 WarCry 21

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Mark (Territorial Commander) and Julie Campbell (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 3–7 Nov: Central Division Corps visits 10 Nov: 1-Year Officer Review, Booth College of Mission Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary) 30 October: 175th Celebration for Bible Society 10 Nov: 1-Year Officer Review Dinner, Booth College of Mission Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 10 Nov: 1-Year Officer Review Dinner, Booth College of Mission

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400–600 words with one or two captioned photos.

Promotion to Glory tributes are approx 300 words. Email reports and large, high-quality jpeg images to: warcry@ salvationarmy.org.nz

Buy pre-loved From reference books for study and sermon prep to biographies and Christian living, enjoy unlimited access to the EBSCO eBook Religion Collection as part of a Booth College of Mission Library membership.

Email library@salvationarmy.org.nz for more info.

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spread the love more than just a store

PRAY Dannevirke Corps, the Data Analysis and Support team, Central, Fiji and Midland Divisional Headquarters, The Salvation Army in Spain and Portugal.

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Quiz Answers: 1 28 July 1914, 2 Canada, 3 Mineral hardness, 4 Coins, 5 Gospel according to Luke—longest in terms of total words and verses.

22 WarCry 30 OCTOBER 2021

Musical Crossword

Fill in this musical crossword with the names of all the instruments you can see pictured.

‘Have I not commanded you?

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.’

JOSHUA 1:9

FUN FACT New Zealand has more Scottish pipe bands per capita than Scotland does.

In the Bible in the Book of Joshua, when the Israelites were seeking to overpower the city of Jericho, God was on their side and he had a very strange plan in mind.

Can you spot five differences?

Make music with items at home!

• Find a jar or container (for example, you can clean an empty jam jar or peanut butter container) and partly fill it with buttons, pasta or rice to create a shaker.

• Cut a variety of straws to different sizes, then arrange them from tallest to shortest.

Line up the ends on one side, and tape them together at this end to create a homemade harmonica.

• Get an empty tissue box or shoebox and wrap four to six rubber bands around it.

Wrap the bands around the long way, covering the open space (for a shoebox, cut a circle out of the upwards-facing side).

Make sure there is space between the bands—voilà, you have a makeshift guitar.

• Fill a variety of glasses with different levels of water and line them up. Tap each one with a spoon; they will all produce a different note tone, giving you a xylophone.

He told Joshua (their leader) to tell his men to march around the city once each day for six days. The priests were to come and bring their trumpets too.

Then, on the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times and, after the priests sounded a long blast on the trumpets, the whole army together was to give a huge shout.

Joshua obeyed and told the army to carry out these instructions. They marched around the city once every day for six days. On the seventh day at dawn, they marched seven times around and then blew their trumpets. Joshua then told them, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city’.

As soon as their cry went up, the walls collapsed, and they charged in to take the city.

It was hardly a typical battle plan, but, through God, this miraculous strategy was victorious.

THINK ABOUT...

Has your faith ever inspired you to look at a tricky situation or problem differently to those around you?

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for persecuted Christians Sunday November 7