FAITH IN ACTION  31 OCTOBER 2020 | Issue 6754 | $1.50
Candidates: Alternative Pathways to Service The Divine Lament of Loss Mission Possible: Southern Youth Councils
More Conference Goes Online Good and Bad Stress Strategies
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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 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. EDITOR Vivienne Hill | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS Captain Jules Badger, 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
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Lament in the Dark Night To the secular world, Christianity has a reputation for being a rigid, beige and insipid religion that gives pithy answers in the face of grief and trite responses to suffering. Yet this is not what I read in the Bible. In the Bible we have books and pages devoted to crying out for justice for the poor and oppressed, stories of pain and suffering, poems of lament and grief. We have a God who is outraged at people’s indifference, and we are invited to participate in the fully-human experience of lament without shame or the need to keep a stiff upper lip. Jesus himself lamented and grieved on the cross when he turned death into a shadow. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34b). This from the Christ who knew the grand plan and yet entered into the human experience of betrayal, pain and lament. God is not afraid of our emotions. He does not withdraw in the face of our agony. He is fully present, ready to comfort and willing to give us an eternal perspective on the complexities of loss and grief. May we be those who bring songs in the dark night of people’s suffering, who walk with those passing through the shadow of death, because it is there, in the shadows, where we find Jesus, the man who entered into the landscape of our sorrow. Vivienne Hill Editor
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 137 years | Issue 6754 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry
salvationarmy.org.nz SalvationArmyNZFTS @SalvationArmyNZ salvationarmynzfts
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There will be no great revival until the people of God are deeply convicted of their need of holiness. Major Alastair Smith
Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. Ngā Tangi He pai a Ihowā ki te hunga e tūmanako ana ki a ia, ki te wairua e rapu ana i a ia.
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midst a cheerless lockdown and time at home through level 3, my mood took an upwards turn when professional sporting leagues slowly started up again. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who was glad to have sport back, regardless of whether it looked a little different. Being able to follow competitions like the ANZ Premiership, Suncorp Super Netball and Australian Football League gave me something fresh to structure my days around, something to talk about with my family in our regular phone calls, something to celebrate—particularly the Central Pulse’s back-to-back championship! In the media, some commentators have suggested that the teams which win their respective competitions in 2020 will always be marked with an asterisk, that they cannot be compared with previous victors due to the unique circumstances of the year. Competitions have been played in hubs, giving some teams a so-called home advantage (even though stadiums have been empty, or all-but). Team lists have been depleted because some athletes— particularly those with families—needed to opt-out of travelling. There were no finely tuned pre-seasons. Training regimes have been rethought on the fly, fixtures not so much fixed but malleable and subject to change. In most leagues, the very rules of play have been adapted, with game time shortened to manage the load on athletes. Apparently, for all these reasons, many believe that the last teams standing will always be marked with a ‘but’—yes, they won, but it was in 2020. On the contrary, the shifting circumstances of the year should make victory extraordinary.
Players have been separated from their loved ones, swapping work–life balance for hubs while still being expected to perform at their peak. Medical teams have managed enormous injury risks in condensed seasons. Coaches have had to rethink their meticulous plans. Teams were forced to just play sport to the best of their ability on the day, without perfectly balanced conditions or consistent training opportunities. Perhaps the technical skill has been scrappier in comparison with previous years, but, ultimately, games have still been high-quality contests. Besides, sports fans don’t watch for the best team on paper to obliterate the competition with military precision (unless, of course, it’s their own side); triumph over adversity has always been the preferred sporting narrative. What about you? You might not consider yourself one of 2020’s victors—or even a finals contender. This year has not dealt everybody an even playing field—some have been hit harder by physical and mental illness, family responsibilities, financial demands or work pressures. Plans have been thrown out the window, and people tossed in the deep end. However, within the unique circumstances, have you made it to the end of your season? Have you shown up and given it your all, regardless of the obstacles? In Hebrews 12:1, we are encouraged to ‘...run with perseverance the race marked out for us’. If there is an asterisk on your 2020, let it mark a year of getting back up, adapting to change and standing tall through adversity—maybe even picking up a couple of little wins along the way. BY BETHANY SLAUGHTER 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 3
SALLIEOF THEWEEK
Pea, Bacon and Mozzarella Salad with Mint Pesto 1 cup fresh mint
2 cups peas, cooked
1 clove of garlic, peeled
100g cooked beans or snap peas
1 Tbsp capers ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ tsp salt Freshly ground pepper 4 rashers bacon
1 ball mozzarella or 6 bocconcini, torn into pieces ¼ cup mint leaves to garnish Zest and juice of half a lemon ⅓ cup olive oil
To make the pesto: place the mint, garlic, capers, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper into a blender. Whizz until well combined. Set aside.
Joan Stonham (Kāpiti Corps) Joan Stonham from Kāpiti Corps is in her 80s, and found Jesus in the latter part of her life. Joan has a large family that she regularly prays for and supports. She served as Home League Secretary for many years before handing it over a few years ago. Joan’s a prominent participant on Sunday mornings and can often be found greeting people at the door, collecting the offering and chatting to people. Joan attends Home League, Bible study World Animation Day and often pops into playgroup to connect takes place every year with families. Joan is Lieutenants on 28 October, and it’s Andrew and Sarah Green’s pick for Sallie always a good day to of the Week, and say they are inspired watch these five films by Joan’s desire to continue that you might not have to learn and grow in seen in a while. her faith, and they 1. Th e Prince of Egypt look forward to her (1998) stories each week. 2. Tangled (2010)
TOPFIVE
3. Th e Emperor’s New Groove (2000) 4. H ow to Train Your Dragon (2010) 5. Monsters Inc. (2001)
Grill or fry the bacon until it is crispy. Cut into 2cm lengths. In a large bowl, combine the peas, beans, mozzarella and bacon. Drizzle over the pesto and mix through. Serve the salad on a platter and sprinkle over the mint leaves. Tip: If you would like your pesto to last in the fridge for a couple of weeks, blanch the mint leaves before you blitz it and it will retain the vibrant green colour. Source: countdown.co.nz
Weird of the Week: In 1923, Jockey Frank Hayes died from a heart attack in the middle of a race— but he managed to stay on the horse and still won. 4 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
WARCRYINHISTORY The year 2020 isn’t the first year we have seen a rise in demand for food— this image of Captain Maureen Woods and Auxiliary-Captain Janice Savage assembling food parcels, appeared in the 10 August 1991 War Cry, which reported a 300 percent increase in demand since April that year. Source: The Heritage Centre & Archives at the Ploughman Resource Centre, Booth College of Mission
Historical Fiction The Book of Longings, by Sue Monk Kidd Sue Monk Kidd, famous for The Secret Life of Bees and well known in Christian circles for When the Heart Waits, has written a beautiful new book. The prose is pure poetry, and the content so well researched I got lost in the rich detail of first century life. Controversially, the narrator of The Book of Longings is Jesus’ young wife, Ana. Sue says she tried to talk herself out of writing this story, but Ana wouldn’t go away. This, coupled with the normative fact of marriage as a Jewish man’s civic and sacred duty at around age twenty, provoked Sue to imagine a world where Jesus was a loving husband. Far from a heretical book, Jesus’ imagined marital status took nothing away from his capacity to be the Saviour of the world. If anything, it made him more accessible and challenged the relevance of a celibate priesthood. A beautifully written, thought-provoking read. (Reviewed by Jules Badger)
QUIKQUIZ
1 Which English football club is known as The Canaries? 2 How many red stripes are there on the US flag? 3 Which movement did Sir Robert Baden-Powell create in 1907? 4 How many feet are in a fathom? 5 Who was Jacob’s second son? Answers on page 22
Youth on the road again!
Covid-19 has certainly put the kibosh on youth gatherings this year, contributing to a lot of disappointment and isolation for young people. But with alert levels lifting, Upper Hutt youth group wasted no time getting on the road again during the last school holidays. On Sunday 4 October, an all-female group of high school students, led by youth group leader and LAB student Lisa Gatwood, piled into the corps van bound for Blue Mountain Adventure Centre (BMAC). Having obtained funding earlier in the year for the trip to BMAC, and given the nature of 2020, the idea to fundraise and add something just a bit ‘extra’ to the trip formed. Two bake sales later, and a detour to Rotorua became part of the agenda for the trip. One young woman invited three friends from school who’d never been to youth group, and they had a ball. At BMAC it was high ropes, caving, campfires, glow-worms, snow and sunsets; while the luge, sky-swing and McDonald’s were the order of the day in Rotorua, followed by dinner beside Lake Taupō on the way back. A highlight for Lisa was seeing a young woman who’d been afraid of heights overcome her fear and complete the high ropes course at BMAC. ‘Being a smaller group than usual, we had time to really focus on encouraging her, and she ended up finishing the beam walk and the swing. She was stoked as,’ reports Lisa. 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 5
It’s nearly 20 years since Rhondda Middleton discovered the only way that she could become a mother was to undergo IVF treatment. Undeterred, she soldiered on and was overjoyed to find she was pregnant with twins. Triumph turned to tragedy when both twins died shortly after birth. Confronted, and at times overwhelmed, by the depth and breadth of her grief and pain, Rhondda embraced lament and discovered a God vast enough to handle her rage and confusion. BY JULES BADGER
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hey were both perfect—they had tiny fingernails and eyelashes. At both funerals we had open caskets, because I needed people to know that my babies were real and not something Rhondda had lost. I hated that word. Poor Rhondda lost her babies. But I didn’t lose my babies—I was quite adamant about that because loss sounded so irresponsible. They died. I wanted people to understand that. And I loved it when people sent cards and used their names, not just ‘the babies’. That was really important to me because they were real, and they were my children.’ When Holly and Billy died within a week of one another, following their premature birth at 25 weeks, Rhondda found herself in a dark space, shocked by the depth of rage she felt. ‘It was after Billy’s funeral that the real grief hit—that real lament of rage and the utter pain of not being able to breathe. I now know what it means when they say that your heart can break. The pressing pain in my chest meant that every breath was a sigh. I was sighing out my grief. After the funeral, I was so angry at God. I kept saying to him, “Why did you give them to me if you were just going to take them away again?” ‘I remember one day being out on the deck and screaming and swearing at God—giving him the big what for. That went on for months—the questioning— “ Why God?” I kept thinking, Why am I being punished? There was sheer rage, but there was also guilt and confusion because I thought I must have done something to deserve this, but I couldn’t figure out what that was. I look back and I’m astounded that I not only let myself feel that depth of anger, but that I directed my pain at God. I didn’t hold it in—I couldn’t.’
Permission to lament For some, raging at God might seem almost sacrilegious, but Pastor Mark Vroegop rejects this line of thinking and strongly affirms that, ‘lament prayers take faith. Talking to God … and laying out the messy struggles of your soul and then asking—again and again—for God to help you, requires a solid theological mooring. Laments turn toward God when sorrow tempts you to run from him.’ Vroegop describes lament as one of the most theologically informed actions a person can take. Rhondda may not have been entirely aware that this was what she was doing at the time, but her strong faith meant that God was the obvious person to direct her pain and anger toward. Vroegop continues saying, ‘Lament is a form of prayer, and it’s more than just the expression of sorrow or the venting of emotion. Lament talks to God about pain. And it has a unique purpose: trust. It is a divinely given invitation to pour out our fears, frustrations and sorrow, for the purpose of helping us to renew our confidence in God.’ Rhondda firmly agrees: ‘I know now that God is such a big, vast God—he can take my pain and anger and everything I throw at him. He’s a God who can soak all of that up and still absolutely adore me.’ 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 7
Not only do we have permission to lament based in Scripture—there are 40 Psalms of Lament, for example—but doing so can expand our notion of who God is and how he works.
Triumph to tragedy Rhondda and husband Greg had been married for about five years when they discovered they needed help to conceive. Due to the nature of their infertility, it was immediately obvious that the only way forward for the couple was IVF. ‘Within about five months I was doing my first round of IVF,’ explains Rhondda. ‘You do lose your dignity in that whole process—it’s horrific. And there’s so much fear and anxiety and anticipation. But God came through. I got pregnant, and at the seven-week scan it was discovered that I was pregnant with twins.’ Rhondda and Greg were over the moon. ‘We felt like I’d won the lottery after a harrowing ordeal. In my innocence I thought that was the story—a testimony of the valley and the mountain top. We’d been tested through this trial of infertility, but God was good and had brought us through.’ But Rhondda went into premature labour at 25 weeks. Holly died after just 28 hours, with Billy holding on for ten days. Both babies died in Rhondda’s arms. ‘Feeling your baby pass away in your arms, that’s a feeling you don’t ever want to have. It was such a feeling of hopelessness,’ recalls Rhondda. Rhondda found that during the unfolding tragedy and up to the time of the funerals, the church was amazing. People helped with food and the unexpected funeral costs. ‘It hadn’t even crossed my mind what a funeral costs, so we were immensely grateful for that generosity.’
Making space for lament However, as the weeks and months wore on, it felt to Rhondda as though her church family were impatient for her to ‘come right’ and ‘move on’. ‘I remember people coming to lovingly pastorally care for me, but I wasn’t prepared to put on airs and graces and pretend it was okay. It wasn’t. It was utterly horrendous. I couldn’t have been easy to be around,’ reflects Rhondda. ‘People need to understand that for months and even years you will need to speak of this, not because you’re dragging up past hurts, but
because that pain is still so much a part of you. And that’s okay. Tears and anger are necessary for processing pain and loss. This is lament, and God is big enough—he’s proven to me that he’s big enough to deal with our biggest, angriest rage.’ While Scripture may be filled with lament, Rhondda is very conscious of the need for the church to make more space for lament. ‘There were so many clichés and Christianese thrown at me about how God must have wanted my babies in heaven with him, and that he knows what he’s doing and has good plans for my life. It all caused me so much more pain. Sometimes it was my non-church friends who were better at being able to sit with me in my pain without trying to come up with answers or explain why this had happened. They just sat with me and agreed that it was crap. The church must be able to make space for people to feel safe enough to express their deep disappointment and the confusion felt when experiencing such an unfairness. There has to be time to express the agony and horror and let the heartache out.’
‘GOD IS SUCH A BIG, VAST GOD—HE CAN TAKE MY PAIN AND ANGER AND EVERYTHING I THROW AT HIM. HE’S A GOD WHO CAN SOAK ALL OF THAT UP AND STILL ABSOLUTELY ADORE ME.’
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Photos on both of these pages are of Billy & Holly’s hands with their parents before they passed away.
‘TEARS AND ANGER ARE NECESSARY FOR PROCESSING PAIN AND LOSS. THIS IS LAMENT, AND GOD HAS PROVEN TO ME THAT HE’S BIG ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH OUR BIGGEST, ANGRIEST RAGE.’ Rhondda implores us as the church to realise that sometimes the Sunday service setting can feel unsafe for people who are grieving. ‘It can be a very long time before some people feel ready to return to church. For me, there were babies everywhere and it was so hard. Don’t expect people to pretend or conform to your expectations of how to behave on a Sunday. We need to give people the space for deep lament. I didn’t always find that space.’ Lament is necessary, essential, biblical and healthy. Vroegop explains that, ‘Lament is the language for living between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God’s sovereignty. It’s a prayer form for people who are waiting for the day Jesus will return and make everything right. Christians don’t just mourn; we long for God to end the pain.’
Appreciating joy again Rhondda wasn’t able to go back to her job as the manager of Community Ministries for a very long time, because so much of her work was with families. ‘I knew it wasn’t true, but it felt like everywhere I looked everyone else could carry their babies—number one and two and three—but both of mine were taken away from me. Why, when many of these families were struggling to care for their children, or hold onto custody, was I unable to have children? I just couldn’t get my head around why they had children and I didn’t.’ Rhondda began to wonder how she could be part of this reality in a positive way. ‘Greg and I decided to foster two little girls. They kept me busy and having them enabled me to go back to church because now I felt I could fit into the wholesome family scene.’ In time, Rhondda became pregnant again. It was a year after Holly and Billy’s deaths. ‘I was still so very raw. There wasn’t joy—especially when we discovered I was pregnant with boy–girl twins again. I was petrified. I knew God hadn’t promised me anything. But people kept saying, “God is good!” And he was good—God was amazing, but I didn’t want people to forget that being pregnant again didn’t mean everything was fixed. I will always be a mother whose first two babies died.’ Ironically, full-term twins, Katie and Henry, had to be induced and were born 18 months after Holly and Billy died. ‘I now have two amazing, beautiful fifteen-year-old teenagers.
Babies are cute, but man, teenagers are fascinating. I love them!’ says Rhondda. ‘When my son Henry was four and I was holding him when they put him under for surgery. It was such a triggering moment for me because it felt like he’d died in my arms; and as I thought, Why did my mind go there?, I realised I’m one of the few people who’ve lived through the horror of having my children die in my arms.’ That triggering moment for Rhondda highlights the cyclic nature of trauma and grief. There’s a time for returning to lament—picking up pain and looking at it again from a new angle when memories are triggered by day-to-day life. This is healthy and necessary and something we need to be mindful of and give space to, as we love one another. ‘What I can say definitively is that even in the midst of all that horrendous pain when Holly and Billy died, I would not change what I’ve been through, because living through that pain has made me who I am. I now have the ability to see the sparkly shiny light in life because of the darkness and depth of that agony, and being truthful about it at the time. When you’ve been through great loss—loss that nearly ripped my heart out—you have this appreciation for joy. I didn’t have that previously. I can be a bit suspicious of happy endings, but I don’t doubt the reality of joy because of what I’ve been through.’ Lament is an offering of sorrow, offered to a God who is ‘...a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief [Isaiah 53:3]’.
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Stress Strategies Stress gets to all of us, and we each have coping strategies to deal with it. However, it has been proven that many popular ways to combat stress are not helping—often they actually make the situation worse. Some non-recommended ways to cope with stress include: • hibernation • dwelling on unhelpful thoughts • attempting to ignore the stress • caffeine • stress-eating • retail therapy (online shopping) • social withdrawal • taking your emotions out on other people • alcohol, drugs and cigarettes • self-harm. If sections of this list ring true for you, here are some suggestions about how to change your habits. • I nstead of hibernating—which leads to lethargy—get outside for fresh air, serotonin and vitamin D. Even better, exercise regularly (or dance!) to release endorphins. • Rather than dwelling on unhelpful thoughts, start journaling. Get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. This may help you to identify what triggers your selfdestructive thoughts and what helps/makes you feel better. • Acknowledge the stress and implement mental health breaks. If necessary (and able), take a long weekend break or short vacation. • Reduce your caffeine intake and avoid it completely after 2pm. Maintain a routine and good sleeping patterns. • Replace consistent stress-eating of sugar-laden foods or takeaways with nutritious, well-balanced meals (containing fruit, vegetables, healthy fats and proteins). • Take a media vacation, or at least limit your exposure. The ongoing news cycle may unintentionally be stressing you out further, plus without the temptations of online advertising you are less likely to shop your feelings away. • Don’t cut yourself off from friends—keeping in touch and talking to others is very important when you are feeling the pressure. Discuss how you are feeling with someone you trust (for example, a family member, friend, doctor, pastor or psychologist). • I n contrast to taking your stress out on other people, practicing gratitude lifts your mood and reduces your stress levels. Look for the good.
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• Addictive substances such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes have strongly negative impacts on stress, even if it might seem like the opposite in the short term. If you feel the urge, try an activity which focuses on the hands—such as knitting, cooking or sketching. • In serious cases, intense stress can lead some people to selfharm. If this is the case, seek professional help immediately from a doctor or psychologist. It is also strongly encouraged to connect with your spiritual side during times of great stress and anxiety. Prayer, finding a comforting Bible passage, taking five minutes to just sit in the silence… These are all great ways to reassure yourself God is in control and you will make it through this season of stress.
PREVENTING STRESS
Know your limits and learn how to say ‘no’. Where possible, avoid people and situations which cause you stress. Acknowledge your triggers and take control of your environment. Simplify your to-do list. Express your feelings instead of keeping them bottled up. Reframe the situation/problem in a more positive light. Forgive. Don’t try to control the things that are out of your hands. Source: helpguide.org
TESTIFY! Jim Vince currently serves at Christchurch City Corps and takes part in the Community Driver Mentor Programme. He shares his story of how God has guided, prepared and healed him throughout his life. My Salvation Army connections go back to 1885. My great-grandfather was enrolled as a soldier in the Christchurch City Corps until 1903, my uncle became a full-time officer and my great-uncle was often seen playing cornet with the former Leeston Corps. My mother and aunt attended Life-Saving Guards, and my grandmother was a frequent attendee at Home League. I first gave my heart to Jesus at Greymouth Corps, but, like a lot of young folk, I did not fully understand what that meant. At high school I was a bit of a ratbag, but thankfully I was taken under the wing of John and Lydia McNabb. Later, I remember being told that Mrs McNabb was warned not to take me in as I would break her heart, which over the years I was with them, I did many times over.
Jim (left) and his wife Helen.
I PHYSICALLY FELT A TOUCH ON MY SHOULDER AND HEARD A VOICE IN MY EAR SAYING, ‘NOW, JIM, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU SHOULD BE AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.’
After starting work, I commenced down the path of drinking and smoking, and for the next seven years I wandered in a spiritual wilderness. I ended up on the wrong side of the law; as a first offender, this landed me a sentence of two months in Rolleston Prison and twelve months’ probation, plus restitution to the shopkeeper. It was a time I am not particularly proud of, but, though I didn’t realise it then, God was looking after me and preparing me for the work he wanted me to do.
repented and gave my life again to God. I physically felt a touch on my shoulder and heard a voice in my ear saying, ‘Now, Jim, you know where you should be and what you should do’. Since that time, I have held positions such as band librarian, band sergeant, corps cadet guardian and recruiting sergeant. I married my wonderful wife Helen, which was a miracle in itself considering at our first meeting I thought Helen was stuck up, and she did not like my comb-over! However, we eventually got together; Helen always needed a ride to youth group, and we were partnered together for Self Denial collections on Saturday mornings.
When my brother came to work in Christchurch as an apprentice in carpentry, we had many discussions about my life and where I was headed. In 1966, I went to St Albans Corps, and one night in a meeting, led by the late Major Kelvin Gooder, I finally
We have learned that sometimes God says ‘no’ in no uncertain manner. One time, we were travelling up to a commissioning, believing that at the altar call on Sunday we would offer ourselves again for officership, having previously been turned down by the
Candidates Board. We never even made it to Wellington. We were in a car accident at the Ashley River, and Helen went into early labour with our son (fortunately the staff at the old Christchurch Women’s Hospital were able to stop it). Since then, we have been blessed with two wonderful sons, and eighteen years of hosting international students. There have been many instances where I can see God’s leading in my life. I have survived three rounds of redundancy, but each time there was a job waiting for me. Helen experienced a benign brain tumour and I suffered a major heart attack—the surgeons could only guarantee a maximum of 5 to 10 years if I was lucky, so the fact I am still here tells me God is not finished with me yet. We suffered the loss of our son, David, but I truly believe God has had his hand on not only me, but also Helen and our family as well, in our healing. 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 11
BY CLAIRE GARDNER
e would ersight of More Conferenc ov e Th . 20 20 ed fin de s that ha ‘old normal’. ‘A new normal’, the phrase ar; however, that was the ye e th for ct oje pr st ge normally have been my big Look after yourselves
ding. Thank you for understan and each other. rial Children’s and Youth Kia kaha, from the Territo Departments’ Youth Territorial Children’s and It was not long before the cuss dis to ard to the drawing bo Departments came back idly rap s wa t sideration all tha new ideas. Taking into con r the ano k platform, we too being adapted to an online ng, rni lea e: enc es for the confer look at our main objectiv us to d me networking. It see spiritual refreshment and ip or church were readily rsh that networking and wo re. ltitude of options out the available online, with a mu , rly ula tic e was training. Par What was less accessibl ll in to us now, while we’re sti nt training that was releva r ove lled mu ’d year. After we the midst of this whirlwind g inin decided four tra a few formatting ideas, we alent of a workshop— uiv eq videos—each being the our website: on the More Conference be filmed and published , has been uld 20 wo 20 y Jul 19 17– ce, ren ‘More Confe w at any time. p website for anyone to vie nary measure to help kee ilable at moreconference. cancelled as a precautio no vid-19 continues All four videos are w ava Co h wit on ati situ the as of Children’s and Youth us all safe They’re aimed at leaders inting decision nz. po co. ap dis lis Th us. d un to evolve aro ges. Whether you’re a ful ister Jacinda nistries of all ages and sta Min mi me Pri s of trie ult nis res mi a ily as was made into time employed Youth, Children’s and Fam that New Zealand will go Ardern’s announcement . r on Wednesday 25 March lockdown at alert level fou
and ual Territorial Children’s More Conference is the ann my ce. It is a highlight on Youth Leadership Conferen Youth opportunity for leaders of calendar, as it offers the be rn, to come together to lea and Children’s ministries . ork grow closer as a netw spiritually refreshed and y e to October 2019, I eagerl Taking a step back in tim r ou invite to start planning sent out my first meeting the organising took off. 2020 More Conference, and rs invites, promotional poste Speakers were accepting ing be re mes and websites we were being designed, the ck to advertise early … and finalised, we were on tra d to d then we were introduce then Covid-19 arrived. An ’d be we t n we were advised tha an alert system. And the was It . a nationwide lockdown entering alert level four, cel can to l nsible to make the cal disappointing, but respo on d ste ing statement was po the conference. The follow
Tips for Discipleship—Nathan Holt Exploring the importance and biblical relevance of being in a mentoring relationship. Nathan gives practical tips of how to mentor others while telling the story of being mentored himself.
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Taking Care of You—Sarah Bridle
Learning about valuing our own time and honouring it with rest and restoration. By doing this, we can then be great leaders for our young people and show them how to do it too.
Journeying The Tough Stuff— Jeannine Serevi
Jeannine guides us through the harsh realities that face many young people today. She gives helpful tips and shows inspiring passion for leaders partnering with young people to navigate hard circumstances.
INC_MPLETE: Making Peace With Partial—Rosy Keane Reflecting on how God’s plan and our expectations collide. In a year of cancelled plans, how can we make peace with reality and maintain motivation and passion to outwork God’s plan?
helping out for 30 minutes once a coordinator of 27 years, or you started videos be beneficial to you. Across the four fortnight last month, the content will on rneying The Tough Stuff ’, Nathan Holt we hear from Jeannine Serevi on ‘Jou on le Peace With Partial’ and Sarah Brid ‘Discipleship’, Rosy Keane on ‘Making ‘Taking Care of You’. very minimal this year, our mission Even though the format is different and g move forward with our leaders and youn has remained the same. As always, we tes crea in-person conference is special and people at the front of our minds. An os. ted special content through lasting vide lasting memories. This year we’ve crea it’s g a partially planned conference, Amidst the disappointment of cancellin B. positives that have come out of plan important to identify and celebrate the ed, capp ce would be age capped, capacity Usually the More Conference experien in kend those who could travel for a set wee come with a price tag and limited to , time can connect with our content at any July. This year, any person of any age d coul ing and always available. Leaders for free. This year’s content will be last discuss with their whole teams. take this year’s content to show and a conference, but we’ve all had to reWhat a year we’ve had! For me, it was eone ing session the other day, I heard som think our plans. In a youth work train Any , or you’ll miss out on much joy’. say: ‘Love the problem, not the solution a sn’t make any sense; after all, how can other time I would’ve thought, That doe ates tion? I think this statement encapsul problem produce more joy than a solu n and put on hold, but life has not bee 2020 well. Plans have been cancelled now, solutions persist. Let’s embrace the cancelled; life goes on, problems and Hey life. oes and the not-sure-yet models of the messiness, the let’s-see-how-it-g ! start planning More Conference 2021 look, it’s October again, I’d better go
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Responding to Uniqueness BY JULES BADGER
Territorial Candidates Secretary Kylie Tong explains that she’s observing an increasing ‘responsiveness’ on the part of the territory to the unique experiences and particular situations of officer-applicants, resulting in alternative pathways into officer service. Added to this responsiveness is the recognition of prior learning and experience, and the resulting individualised training plans for some cadets. The days of one-size-fits-all training are long gone. War Cry interviewed four individuals whose journeys into officership via alternative pathways evidenced this responsiveness, as well as two individual cadets embarking on individualised training plans that recognise prior study and ministry experience.
Holding onto the call Lieutenant Raewyn Evans (née Mattsen) of Levin Corps, has been re-accepted as an officer under the Single Spouse Officer provision, and is about to begin a one-year refresher course. Rae originally trained in 1999–2000 and remains part of the Forward 2000 session. Taking a leave of absence after four years of service, Rae met and married Stephen, and has worked in banking and various Salvation Army administration roles, including Salvation Army Social Housing, during the ensuing 16 years. ‘The call to officership never left, I just got married,’ says Rae. So when the Single Spouse Officer provision was introduced, she knew it was time to reapply. Rae’s in her mid-forties and says the thought of returning to college is exciting. ‘I mean wow! I get to take a year out to study—that’s fantastic and such a great opportunity and gift of time. I’m going to take my shovel with me and dig in deep. I’m going to enjoy it,’ says Rae.
A desire to study Similarly, Tiana and Neil Henderson (Hibiscus Coast Corps) are also entering residential training with a view to being warranted as Auxiliary-Captains. Tiana and Neil are both in their midfifties, and it was while attending a Delve weekend that the promptings to full-time ministry they’d both been experiencing were confirmed. Originally expecting to serve as Envoys, the 14 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
Hendersons both indicated they would ‘jump at any opportunity for further study’. ‘During our feedback from the candidates assessment weekend, we were advised that our pathway had been customised (from Envoys to Aux-Captains) to accommodate our age, our desire for further study, as well as recognising our life experience,’ says Neil. Another officer pathway is Envoy service. Envoys serve in officer roles, under officer conditions, but for a three-year reviewable term. An Envoy gives spiritual leadership, serving in corps and centres, providing important short-term flexible leadership within the movement. Individualised training takes place within the appointment.
THE DAYS OF ONE-SIZE-FITSALL TRAINING ARE LONG GONE. Never too old Wi Pirihi has recently been warranted as an Envoy and appointed to Community Ministries in Whangārei. At 60 years of age and strongly connected to whānau, hapu and iwi in the area, Wi was concerned about what appointment he might get, but has prepared himself for whatever that decision might be. ‘To this day, God hasn’t said he wants me to go out of Whangārei. This building—Whangārei Corps—is my second marae,’ says Wi. ‘I feel like God has said, “Now that I’ve got you Wi, I want you to spend your days bringing people to me”, so that’s what I’m doing as an Envoy. The Salvation Army is a powerful movement—I love the simplicity of the mission. We humans are complex—but the work of the Army is simple: bring people to Jesus.’
(l–r) Alana LePine; Wi Pirihi; Neil and Tiana Henderson; Rae Evans.
the college already and I’ll be doing individualised study the first year, and then we’ll do the second year together’. That is a solution that really suits their unique situation.
Day-to-day obedience
‘WE DON’T WANT APPLICANTS TO THINK THAT THEIR PRIOR EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING WON’T BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BECAUSE IT WILL.’ Wi, Rae, Tiana and Neil’s different pathways are great examples of the responsiveness Kylie is observing.
A live conversation Cadets entering Booth College of Mission (BCM) for two years of training tend to be under 50 years of age, and able to complete at least 15 years of service. Kylie says that what training looks like is a very live conversation and there is a greater responsiveness to the applicants and their prior learning and experience. That said, the standard two-year training programme is ‘highly relevant and beneficial and more often than not the right path for most cadets’, Kylie explains. ‘We don’t want applicants to think that their prior experience and learning won’t be taken into consideration, because it will.’ Good examples of this are accepted candidates Barry Kirby (Tawa Corps) and Alana Le Pine (Upper Hutt Corps) who begin training next year as first year cadets, but with individualised training plans.
Learning together Barry, aged 28, completed his Diploma in Christian Studies part-time at BCM while waiting for the right time to apply for officer training. ‘I went to BCM and got to spend two and a half years with cadets who are now officers, not fully realising that connection would mean one day we’d all be officer-colleagues.’ In the past, cadets who have already completed the first year diploma, or equivalent, might have been enrolled in the second year diploma course in their first year, alongside the second year cadets, and then undertaken further individual study in year two. But Barry comes to college with wife Natalie and the couple very much want to do at least one year’s training together, and with their session. Barry explains that, ‘We’ve spoken to
The child of Salvation Army officers, 33-year-old Alana LePine has been part of The Salvation Army her entire life, even serving for a number of years at BCM as the Executive Assistant to the Principal, Assistant Principal and Territorial Candidates Secretary. Alana explains that she made a very conscious choice to follow God in her career-life, and has always been a strong believer in the importance of the call to day-to-day obedience. ‘Sometimes we talk about ‘calling’ as this one-off thing that some people receive and others don’t. But I believe in the call to be responsive on a daily basis to God’s leading, in both the small and big things in life. I’ve never—despite numerous people saying to me, “Alana become an officer”—been called to be an officer, until 2019. It came as quite the surprise.’ Alana enters training with considerable Salvation Army experience in both administration and ministry, as well as prior study through Laidlaw College. Her first year will include an individualised study programme, while the exact nature of her second year is yet to be determined.
Good for all of us This ‘responsiveness’—to prior learning, previous ministry and life experience, and willingness to grapple with the unique and particular circumstances of applicants—reveals a mindset that not only celebrates the way God has uniquely gifted those putting themselves forward for officership, but also the increasing number of ‘outside the usual box’ applicants. For a movement born in the nineteenth century endeavouring to not just survive but thrive in this twenty-first century world, this is not only encouragingly progressive, but the flow on effect can only be a good thing—not only for Salvationists but also, and obviously, the increasingly diverse world we’re trying to influence with the love of God. ‘The School for Officer Training is tasked with preparing each cadet for readiness to receive a first appointment as a commissioned and ordained Salvation Army officer. The knowledge, skills and spirit required to meet the demands of officer ministry are the focus of the training programme: a mixture of personal formation (spirit), mission activities (skills) and academic study (knowledge). When cadets enter training their previous ministry experience and formal study are taken into account and may result in a unique, individualised programme, according to their needs. The School for Officer Training team works with each to ensure the best possible outcome.’ — Major Garth Stevenson Training Principal, Booth College of Mission
31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 15
Levin Corps’ Women’s Retreat From 2 to 4 October, forty women were deeply blessed to attend Levin Corps’ seventh Women’s Retreat. This was superbly organised by Corps Sergeant Major Debra Bishop and Steph Brown, with every detail covered. A highlight of the retreat was guest speaker Captain Jenny Collings (Hamilton City Corps) who brought a series of four inspirational sessions on being Changed, Challenged and Cherished through the Cross of Jesus, complete with booklet, activities and time to share spiritual reflection. At the final worship session, a deep work of grace and restoration took place for many women, as they realised wounds of the past could be healed and sealed through the love of Jesus and gentle ministry of the Holy Spirit. This was likened to the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is restored using golden sealer, becoming a beautiful work of art. Also, the thought that Christ died on the cross because of our value, not because of our sin.
Throughout the weekend there was a balance of hilarity and powerful teaching, worship and recreation, crafts and opportunity for testimony, sharing and building deeper relationships. Gifts made and received included a beautiful journal with personalised prayer for each participant, small crosses, a goody box, a book, decorated terracotta pots and a large decorative wall hanging of driftwood and silk flowers. The age range of participants was from 16 to 80+ years— intergenerational events being a strength of the corps. The retreat was held at MiCamp Christian Camp at Mission Bay near Turangi and was excellent, as was the support for Jenny given by Bev Parkinson and Captain Mere Gina Gataurua (Midlands DHQ) representing the Levin Corps mission partnership with Suva Central Corps.
SPPU ‘Election Night’ Response The election night has delivered a huge victory for the Labour Party and Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, allowing the party to govern without forming a coalition—a first under the MMP voting system. Congratulations are due to the winners, and commiserations to the National Party, other political parties and electorate MPs who have faced some very tough defeats. The PM has said her government will be one for all New Zealanders, that it is time to ‘get moving’, that the clear result is ‘a mandate to accelerate our response’ and implement policies they have campaigned on. The government must move fast to address the huge challenges of the Covid-19 health, social and economic crisis. During the election campaign, The Salvation Army challenged politicians to commit to policies that will
16 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
demonstrate a genuine Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership, bring a lot more housing for those who are homeless or those struggling to find an affordable place to rent or buy, make real progress to reduce poverty and inequality, help children to be safe and to thrive, create a fairer justice system and reduce the addiction and mental health challenges in our communities. Hundreds of thousands of people in this country need to see fine words translated into meaningful action in those areas and others. As people of faith, we look for signs of God’s spirit of generous love and compassion moving in our nation—when homelessness and hunger can be banished, even as we face tough years of economic recession that lie ahead. Let this be our prayer for the new government.
Rolleston Cake Auction a Lunchbox Filler Two Rolleston College students organised a cake auction on 9 October, at The Salvation Army Rolleston Corps Plant at Generation House. The event raised $1000 to go towards providing lunches to local primary schools. ‘They have a social justice class at their school, so they were encouraged to do something about an issue in the community,’ says Corps Officer Lieutenant Stu Duxfield of the two students—Aragorn and Joy—who began brainstorming the event a month ago. ‘The thing they really cared about was kids having lunch and that’s what they wanted to contribute to.’ The event saw a crowd of around 70 people bidding on the 22 cakes up for auction, some of which sold for as much as $100. There were five cake categories, each judged by local Selwyn District Mayor Sam Broughton and Stu. ‘There are two cakes that stand out for me. One was a burger, and the buns were sponge cakes,’ says Stu, ‘the filling of the sponge cake was coloured to make it look like an actual burger. And there was one that looked like an actual house, and they’d gone into some pretty intricate detail.’ Stu and fellow Corps Officer Lieutenant Grace Duxfield were impressed with the initiative shown by the students. ‘It was very much run and organised by the students, and we just had to ask questions and support them in that, which was really cool, because it wasn’t a Salvation Army event that they were helping—it was very much their event that they ran for us,’ he says. Another group of students from the same class are also supporting the corps by running a food drive within the college. The corps is involved with youth mentoring, running the Aspire programme and having students volunteer with them as part of an ongoing connection with the school. House cake by Elizabeth Bradfield.
Campbells’ Chat We talk a lot about ‘job’ or ‘position description’ these days, which are critically important for us in our work and/or ministry. As territorial leaders, Julie and I have a ‘Memorandum of Appointment (MOA)’. In addition to this, we regularly refer to the Orders and Regulations (O&Rs) for Territorial Commanders, which sits in conjunction with our MOA. This is what it says: ‘The TC is responsible to the General for accomplishing within the territory the Army’s mission of transforming lives, caring for people, and reforming society, through God in Christ. It is essential, therefore, that territorial commanders provide the visionary and practical leadership that will inspire effectiveness in the proclamation of the gospel and the discipling of believers as soldiers for the building up of the Army as a strong evangelical force, and effectiveness in the implementation of programmes of social service to meet human need, and in the taking of social action to challenge evil in society.’ Sound familiar? Actually, this is more than a territorial leader’s MOA or O&Rs, it’s our position description as followers of Jesus through the ministry and service of Te Ope Whakaora, The Army That Brings Life. Thank you for caring for people, for transforming lives, for reforming society through God in Christ. Thank you for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ; we are inspired by the many ways this happens. Thank you for discipling believers and soldiers for the building up of God’s Army. Thank you for taking social action to challenge evil and injustice in our society. We thank God that together we are a strong evangelical force through both our corps and our effective and transforming social and community programmes. Thank you for the part you play in helping us to be the Army that brings life. NGĀ MIHI NUI, COMMISSIONERS MARK & JULIE CAMPBELL
Burger cake by Lisa. 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 17
There’s Something About the South BY JULES BADGER
Following the postponement of Southern Youth Councils in July, Friday 2 October saw 100 youth and leaders converge on Living Springs Retreat Centre, just out of Christchurch. Corps representation spanned the South Island, with young people travelling from as far away as Nelson and Invercargill to be together. ‘We were a bit worried people might not travel because of Covid-19, but they did!’ reports Divisional Youth Secretary Major Alison Moody. ‘What I loved this year was the raw honesty of the young people when they were all together in one place. There was all the usual fun and antics, but there was also a real genuineness and vulnerability. Maybe Covid-19 had something to do with that, but actually, there’s just something about the South! Southern young people are usually open to the Holy Spirit every year. They don’t have to be in a session or come to the front to be prayed for—I love that—they will just seek out someone and ask them to pray for them, even if it’s a mealtime. There’s just this real openness … it’s pretty cool in the South!’ This year’s theme was Mission Possible; not just a pointed dig at Covid-19, but a response to a growing number of 13- and 14-year-olds coming through into the divisional youth scene. ‘It’s so good to see young people we’ve known since they were children at kids’ camps, coming of age and making the transition through to the youth scene. It’s really special, and they want to get involved and participate. It’s wonderful having young people in the music team, running media and doing sound and photography. They can run everything themselves and they want to serve and that’s such a testament to who these young people are and where they’re at in their faith journey,’ says Alison. As well as a predominantly younger demographic, there were young people new to the whole idea of God and church. ‘With a younger group and a lot who weren’t Christians, Mission Possible unpacked some key faith concepts. We asked: What is salvation and how does it happen? What is discipleship and how does it work? What is the Christian mission and what does that look like? 18 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
And then on the Sunday morning it was all about deployment: What’s next for you? What is your “Mission Possible”? For some young people these topics really spoke to them. It doesn’t hurt to go back to the basics of faith,’ explains Alison. Speakers for the weekend included Alison and husband Major David Moody, Lieutenants Stu and Grace Duxfield (Rolleston Corps Plant), and Captains Ralph and Nicky Hargest (Christchurch Bridge). Testimonies were given by John Bruce and Abby McFarlane (both from Sydenham Corps). Chanelle Spencer (Christchurch City Corps) led the talent show on Friday night, while Beavan Turner (Sydenham Corps) arranged a fun spy-themed night on Friday. A ‘prayer muster’ took place each morning, led by Invercargill on Saturday and Winton on the Sunday. ‘The first morning numbers are always a bit lower, but by the second day there were a heap of young people. I love that they came to pray hard-out,’ reports Alison. Workshops traditionally take place on the Saturday morning of Youth Councils, but this year the team opted for one big workshop on the theme of diversity. Veteran youth worker, Mike Dodge, from Canterbury Youth Services, led the workshop and explored the various ways the world is changing, and gave space for young people to ask the question: ‘Where do I fit in this changing world?’ For Alison, it’s now about challenging local corps to continue the journey with their young people. ‘My prayer now is that these young people will get the discipleship follow up from the adults God has placed around them. This is the call for all of us to step up in a local corps and centre and play our part to pass faith to the next generation. We all need to invest in young people by discipling them and praying for them—they need our support and encouragement right now,’ she urges.
I found Youth Councils 2020 to be really amazing! I got to see how God healed and revealed himself to others at the camp. In my life, I’ve been bullied for being part of The Salvation Army and for just being a Christian. Going to camp helped me to find God again after a hard time at school. Now I know that God is looking after all of us; even when the going gets tough, he’s still there waiting for us to let him into our lives. In the Sunday morning service, we were asked to share our testimony on how camp has changed our relationship with God. I felt God wanted me to share my story. What really made me see God was having one of our youth ask for prayer, which was amazing! Now I feel stronger in my faith and want to carry it on and share it. Jacob Rivett— Invercargill Corps There were a few stand-out moments for me at Youth Councils 2020, like waking up at 6.30am on Sunday and watching the sunrise—the spectacular shades of pink and orange spread across the harbour. It’s simple moments like these that show the beauty and peace of God and his creation. Each speaker had a different perspective and experience of God and it was interesting to see how God has led them all to be at Youth Councils in such vastly different ways. On the Saturday, so many people were able to experience God in different ways. For me, this was bringing to the surface a question that I’d had in the back of my mind for a long time: Why did all these awful things happen to me and the people I care about? On Sunday, I finally got the answer and understood what I had been learning the previous night. God uses our challenges and dark points in our lives to shape who we are and how we can help and understand others. Emily Allan—Christchurch City Corps
…WE NEED LEADERS OF INFLUENCE WHO WILL STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT… As I sit down to consider and to write, men and women from all over New Zealand are coming to terms with what happened when Kiwi came out to vote. Leaders and their teams at all levels are celebrating, commiserating, reviewing and beginning to plan for what the next three years of leadership in New Zealand will look like. As I consider the concept of leadership, I settle in the space that leadership is influence. A few evenings ago, I had the pleasure of having dinner with some of my extended family, including one of my great-nephews. After taking the opportunity to say grace— thanking God for the provision of the meal we were about to enjoy—he looked up into the eyes of his father and, with a little grin, asked: ‘Can I do my pepeha now?’ My mind was taken back to the day his great-grandfather came home from the library with 33 vinyl records, in order to learn te reo. Several Saturdays were spent listening to and repeating words and phrases in an attempt to master some of the language that was considered important in responding to a ministry need that had arisen. I thought how proud his great-grandad would have been to hear the question. ‘Yes,’ came the response, and so this young lad, aged four, recounted his pepeha— naturally and with ease. In that moment, I was challenged by the leadership of this young member of our whānau, and I am really grateful for his influence on me on this and other occasions. All of us are gifted opportunities to lead, to influence—in our families, our workplaces, our schools, universities and, yes, even our kindergartens! More than at any time in the past, we need leaders of influence who will stand for what is right and be compassionate and kind; those who will influence with honesty, integrity, grace and a determination that serves God and his purposes to reach the marginalised, disenfranchised and disconnected of our nations. It’s a big ask, a great calling, and a mission that we are all invited to participate in. Can I encourage you this week, in whatever spaces of influence you are afforded, and there will be many, to lead for good and in a way that serves others well. Paul’s words to Timothy encourage this young leader to present himself as one approved, a workman who did not need to be ashamed. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul also refers to the importance in his own ministry (and influence) of speaking as a man approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are entrusted with the greatest message of all time—a fabulous and life-changing policy platform. The leadership—influence—we are each gifted with is a powerful thing. God help us, as we seek to lead well. Lt-Colonel Michelle Collins Territorial Secretary for Communications 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 19
Lament: A ‘How To’ Guide Most of us arrive on this earth with a fierce cry of protest. In fact, if we don’t cry at birth, we’re immediately encouraged to—the cry of a newborn is synonymous with life itself. There’s relief in it because failure to cry out means something is very wrong. BY JULES BADGER
We hold our breath in hope, waiting. When a baby’s lungs fill with air and expand and deflate into a wail, we stop holding our breath. We sigh and smile with confidence. Everything is going to be okay. As we leave the comfort and familiarity of the womb, that first cry is an instinctive lament. Right from birth we know how to respond to the inherent 20 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
shock and trauma of being alive—of being human. But somewhere along the way, we forget how natural it is. We forget that lament is a normal, necessary, helpful and healthy response to life. In his 2019 article ‘Dare to Hope in God: How to Lament Well’, Pastor Mark Vroegop reminds us that all of creation expresses sorrow: ‘The Apostle Paul says that the entire creation groans (Romans 8:22). Along with the fall of Adam and Eve, the created world was infected with the broken effects of sin. Death is the ultimate reminder that something is not right with the world. But there are other examples: cancer, addictions, failed marriages, relational conflict, loneliness and abuse. We don’t stop crying after birth. It continues because the world is broken.’
Travelling through a broken world As Christians, we know the truth of this, but we’re not always comfortable with
it. Often, we want to rush quickly on from it and get to the next great truth— redemption and healing. But when we rush past pain, grief and anger without allowing these feelings and emotions to do the deep work they are designed to do, we short-change our own healing, and our experience of redemption may feel less than it ought. We can find ourselves going around in circles. Vroegop continues: ‘While tears and sorrow are part of our humanity, there is an often-neglected prayer language in the Bible for our travels through a broken world: lament. Lament is not the same as crying, however. It’s different. And it’s uniquely Christian. The Bible is filled with this song of sorrow. Over a third of the Psalms are laments. The book of Lamentations weeps over the destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus lamented in the final hours of his life.’
WE CRY OUT TO GOD BECAUSE WHILE WE MAY BE HURTING AND DESPAIRING, WE KNOW HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN PROVIDE ANSWERS. The potential for lament lives within us as followers of Christ because we have been graced with the knowledge that God is good. And so, when circumstances are not good there is a painful rub because we know instinctively that this is not how it is supposed to be! Vroegop beautifully explains we lament because: ‘Christians know God’s promises in the Scriptures. We believe in God’s power to deliver. We know the tomb is empty and Jesus is alive. And yet we still experience pain and sorrow. Lament is the language for living between the poles of a hard life and trusting in God’s sovereignty. It is a prayer form for people who are waiting for the day Jesus will return and make everything right. Christians don’t just mourn; we long for God to end the pain.’ We cry out to God because while we may be hurting and despairing, we know he is the only one who can provide answers. What we find when we lament is that the very process of lament itself enables us to understand once again that God does more than provide answers, he becomes the answer. Without lament that discovery can remain elusive.
Embracing the art of lament Vroegop strongly suggests that not only should we embrace the art and practice of lament, but also grapple with the necessity of it for our faith and theological worldview: ‘Lament interprets the world through a biblical lens. Christians lament because we know the long arc of God’s plan: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. We know
the cause of all lament: sin. And we read in Revelation about the ending of all laments. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Therefore, Christians not only mourn the brokenness of the world, but we also long for the day when all weeping will cease.’ Not surprisingly then, Vroegop believes that all Christians should be competent lamenters. Much loved biblical scholar NT Wright agrees, and in a recent response to Covid-19 reminded Christians not only of the gift of lament, but the necessity of it as a witness to our hope in Christ. Wright says: ‘It is not part of the Christian vocation to be able to explain what’s happening and why. In fact, it is part of the Christian vocation not to be able to explain—and to lament instead. As the Spirit laments within us, so we become, even in our self-isolation, small shrines where the presence and healing love of God can dwell.’ We are living in difficult and unprecedented days—we’ve heard this phraseology countless times throughout 2020. But as we read the 40 ‘Psalms of Lament’ we realise that there is a universal sameness to the human experience and the array of emotional responses to the challenges of ordinary life. There is comfort in this because, as Vroegop suggests, ‘...lament is more than something that comes out of you. It is a part of the process happening in you.’ And we can discern patterns in the Psalms that not only give us permission to lament but reveal a framework for authentic lament.
THE POTENTIAL FOR LAMENT LIVES WITHIN US… BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN GRACED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD IS GOOD.
Four Elements of Lament— A ‘How To’ Guide Vroegop explains that most laments feature four essential elements, as Psalm 13 illustrates. • Turn to God—Often a lament begins with an address to God: ‘How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?’ (verse 1). The point is that the person in pain chooses to talk to God about what is happening. • Bring your complaint—Every lament features some kind of complaint: ‘How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?’ (verse 2). More than a sinful rehearsing of our anger, biblical lament humbly and honestly identifies the pain, questions and frustrations raging in our souls. • Ask boldly for help—Seeking God’s help while in pain is an act of faith: ‘Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken’ (verses 3–4). Unremitting sorrow can create a deadly silence as we give into despair (‘there is no hope’) or denial (‘everything’s fine’). But lament invites us to dare to hope in God’s promises as we ask for help. • Choose to Trust—This is the destination for all our laments. All roads lead here: ‘But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me’ (verses 5–6). More than the stages of grief, this prayer language moves us to renew our commitment to trust in God as we navigate the brokenness of life. Tried-and-true biblical lament exemplified in the Psalms debunks the lie that it is irreverent or shameful to bring our anger and rage and pain to God. Such lies can lead to a ‘deadly prayerlessness’, says Vroegop. But, ‘...lament cracks the door open to talk to God again—even if it’s messy.’ It’s time to learn the art of lament, because if not today, then one day you will have to anyway. Source: desiringgod.org 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 21
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Mark (Territorial Commander) and Julie Campbell (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 11 November: One Year Officer Review Dinner, BCM 12 November: Mission in a Pandemic and Beyond Tri-Territory Webinar Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary) 31 October: Official Closing of Flaxmere Corps 11 November: Spiritual Day, BCM 11 November: One Year Officer Review Dinner, BCM Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 2 November: Reflexivity Presentations, BCM 11 November: Spiritual Day, BCM 11 November: One Year Officer Review Dinner, BCM 30–31 November: Prayer Conference
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22 WarCry 31 OCTOBER 2020
‘May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.’
Fill in the blanks
What are some of your favourite weird and wonderful food combos? (Ask a friend if they can guess what they are!)
The WEIRDEST food combo I’ve ever tried is … The most DELICIOUS food combo I’ve eaten is … My favourite CHRISTMAS food combo is … A food combo that makes me say ‘YUCK!’ is … A DREAM food combo I would love to try is …
1 Samuel 25:33
FUN FACT!
Ronald McDonald’s name is changed to ‘Donald McDonald’ or ‘Donarudo Makudonarudo’ in Japan, because it makes pronunciation easier.
The most ICONIC fast food combo is …
Opposites Attract
Can you match up these food items to form some famous flavourful food combos?
Salt Mayo Eggs Butter Meatballs Bacon Popcorn Peanut Butter Tu na Ham Pineapple Spaghetti Jelly Pepper Fish Chips
What picture comes next in these patterns?
David and his men were in the wilderness near the land of a rich man named Nabal. They were starving, so David sent some men to kindly ask if Nabal could spare some food. They had been watching over his sheep, so they hoped he would share. But Nabal was selfish. He rudely refused. When David heard, he became angry and ordered his men to attack. However, a servant warned Nabal’s wife Abigail, who was generous and smart. She immediately packed food and went to meet David on his way. She apologised for her husband’s rudeness, begging David not to fight. David thanked her for her generosity and for wisely stopping him from making a huge mistake. Abigail’s act was a generous gesture of peace. We too must seek to make peace instead of just keeping it. Making peace means that we intercede, rather than watching on and hoping someone else steps in to smooth things over and make a situation better for others. THINK ABOUT...
How can you be a peacemaker? 31 OCTOBER 2020 WarCry 23