SALT March 2024, NZFTS

Gifts of Gethsemane

Paul Teal Testifies An Open Invitation Spice up Your Life

March 2024 | saltmagazine.org.nz

8 Gifts of Gethsemane

Jules Badger invites us to enter the garden of Gethsemane and receive the gifts to be found there.

12 It's All Good

Kelly Cooper invites us to sit at the cross and to remember what is 'good' about Good Friday.

16 Te Rā o Waitangi

Richard Kerr-Bell, tumu whakarae of The Salvation Army Rūnanga, shares his experience of attending commemorations at the Waitangi Treaty grounds on February 6.

20 A Himalayan Adventure

Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson revisits the Himalayas and reflects on the changing world of these communities.

26 Spice Up your Life

Jules Badger considers the significance of the spices in the Easter story with this invitation to spice up your life.

34 Kids Page

Check out the kids page for Easter experiments and tips on how to keep going when it's hard.

The Paradoxes of Easter

oven throughout the Old Testament are over 300 prophecies that were fulfilled in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is impossible that anyone else apart from Jesus could have fulfilled all of these requirements. From his unique lineage to the time of appearing and manner of death, Jesus exacted the plan of redemption. This assures us that Jesus will also fulfil the prophecies that predict his second coming.

Many of the 300 prophecies were fulfilled over the days before, during and after Passover— what we celebrate as Easter. We see the lead-up to the cross when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem by way of the Mount of Olives—alluding to the Zechariah 14 account of the second coming— when Jesus will return as king over all the earth. The crowd welcomed their hoped-for conquering king, with palm branches and robes being laid before him as he rode into Jerusalem; this same crowd who days later cried out, ‘Crucify Him, Crucify Him! This paradoxical nature of Easter, which calls us to lament the shadows and celebrate the triumphs, is reflective of the contrasts we experience in our own lives: sickness and health, light and darkness, life and death.

But the pinnacle triumph of Easter is how Jesus disrupted sin’s natural consequences and takes on his own body the punishment for our sin and our rejection of God. How majestic, eternal and all-powerful is Christ who suffered and died in our place, exactly as predicted hundreds of years before his death and resurrection.

In this edition of SALT, you will read and recognise the paradoxes of Easter: from the love expressed as Mary anointed Jesus in preparation for his burial (see page 26) to his abandonment by close friends in Gethsemane (see page 8) and his brutal crucifixion (see page 12). Also, over the next four weeks as you contemplate Easter, I hope you will take the time to work through the material prepared by The Salvation Army International Headquarters titled, ‘An Act of Kindness: 40 Days. 40 Acts.’ (see page 4), where you will be encouraged to reach out to your community with kindness and displays of love, care and generosity.

Vivienne Hill Editor

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ JOHN 11:25–26

SALVATION ARMY PRAYER

Mission Section; Moral and Social Issues Council; Mosgiel Corps; Mt Albert Corps; Nadi Corps; Napier Corps; Nasinu Corps; National Programme Addictions, Supportive Housing and Reintegration Services; The Salvation Army in Switzerland, Austria and Hungary; and The Salvation Army in Taiwan.

INTERNATIONAL PRAYER

• China—Pray for Christians in China who attend government-controlled churches or underground house churches. Ask that they would have access to Bibles after years of government oppression.

• Turkey—Islam is considered by most Turks to be part of their national identity. Pray for those who are considering converting to Christianity and for those who boldly share the teachings of Christ.

• Tanzania—Pray for Christians to be able to freely practise their faith without fear of oppression and harassment in the predominantly Muslim areas of this country.

• Myanmar—Pray for the Christian churches to continue to grow in Myanmar despite widespread persecution from the government and the Buddhist majority. Ask for peace and courage for these believers.

• Colombia—Marxist guerillas continue to oppress Christians in Colombia. Pray for the protection of pastors in Colombia’s ‘red zones’ where they face persecution.

An Act of Kindness: 40 Days. 40 Acts.

Lent is the period leading up to Easter and lasts for 40 days. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 14), representing the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting, Lent ends on Holy Thursday (March 28) the night before Jesus’ death on the cross. This year The Salvation Army International Headquarters’ Spiritual Life Development has prepared material for use during Lent, encouraging Salvationists all around the world to participate in an international ‘campaign for kindness’. Material can be downloaded directly from the website, or provided by your local corps. Make a kind of difference this Lent. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to spend time with him, to learn his way of being, to observe the details of his everyday life and to follow his example. Jesus shows us what it means to be fully human. He also shows us what it means to fully reflect God’s image in the world. In the ultimate act of love, Jesus did what no human could do. He gave his life to save ours. So how do we respond? Let us approach Lent with that same intent. To sacrifice something of ourselves for others and reflect the love and generosity of our Heavenly Father. One act of kindness at a time. For 40 days, we invite you to exercise 40 acts, each rooted in God’s Word. For more information, go to sar.my/spirituallife or follow @SalvArmySpiritualLife on Facebook and Instagram to receive prompts on your feed each day.

John Mark Comer

Teachings Podcast

Religion and Spirituality | Available wherever you listen to podcasts

John Mark Comer has been described as the millennial version of Dallas Willard. Passionate about spiritual formation, learning to ‘be with Jesus, become like him, and do what he did’ is Comer’s framework of Christian practice. A contemplative, he has a master’s degree in theology and seven New York Times Best Sellers, including The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Live No Lies and his latest manifesto Practicing the Way, where Comer explores the question of what it means to actually practise the way of Jesus in today’s complex, secular world. Comer is an excellent Bible teacher and very well read. This podcast is essentially a collection of 50-minute sermons, but they are so good—five stars! (Reviewed by Jules Badger)

Beginner’s Pluck

Personal Development | Liz Forkin Bohannon | Baker Books—available at Paper Plus and on Amazon

Liz Forkin Bohannon’s compelling speech at last year’s Global Leadership Summit encouraged me to pick up her book. In Beginner’s Pluck, Liz urges us to rethink everything we have been told about finding our passion and chasing our dreams. Instead, she builds a case for not finding, but actively building lives of passion, purpose and impact drawing on what she refers to as our superpower—beginner’s pluck. Through a blend of hilarious and heartbreaking stories, Liz shares her journey of building global fair trade fashion brand Sseko Designs, together with 14 actionable principles that guide us to access the counterintuitive magic of Beginner’s Pluck. These principles include ‘own your average’, ‘dream small’ and ‘choose curiosity over criticism’. An affirming and inspiring read for anyone seeking to embrace their inner beginner. (Reviewed by Kelly Cooper)

Jesus Revolution

Drama (M, drug use) | Directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle | Available on Neon, Prime Video and other streaming services

This faith-based film set in the counterculture hippie movement of the 1960s tells the story of a spiritual awakening of those within the movement who were disillusioned with the excesses of drugs and free-love lifestyle and searching for deeper connection and meaning. Based on the co-authored autobiography by Greg Laurie, founder of Harvest Christian Fellowship, the film explores the breaking down of traditional constraints of the established Church in America, personified by Chuck Smith (played by Kelsey Grammer), a pastor of an aging and somewhat inflexible congregation and eldership. Lonnie Frisbee (played by Jonathan Roumie) challenges the closeddoor perception of the congregation, resulting in the exploding of the youthdriven, Time Magazine-titled ‘Jesus Revolution’. An encouraging reminder of the power of young people to spark a spiritual awakening. (Reviewed by Vivienne Hill)

Easter is the only time when it’s perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket.

EVAN ESAR

What’s On?

Save the Date Women’s Weekend | BMAC, Raurimu

22–25 March

An adventure camp for women aged 18–80+, packed with activities. bluemountainadventure.org.nz

Easter Camps | Mystery Creek, Hamilton; Spencer Beach Holiday Park, Christchurch

28 March–01 April

Join other young people for a long Easter weekend of fun and fellowship. eastercamp.co.nz (Hamilton camp) eastercamp.org (Christchurch camp)

QUICK QUIZ

1 In Switzerland, what animal delivers Easter eggs to children?

2 What accent does the Easter Bunny have in the movie Rise of the Guardians?

3 Traditionally, Easter eggs were dyed various colours. What does the colour red symbolise?

4 Whose father was caught and put in a pie by Mr and Mrs McGregor?

5 Judas traded Jesus for what?

Answers page 32

WORD OF THE MONTH

Totoka (Fijian, verb) beautiful or pretty.

Source: YourFijiGuide.com

Do You Know This Person?

If you recognise the person in this photo, we’d love to hear from you. Email: archives@salvationarmy.org.nz

Ingredients

For the roulade

• 175g dark chocolate

• 6 eggs, separated

• 175g sugar

• 1 Tbsp caster sugar for sprinkling

Method

For the filling

• 300ml cream

• 1 Tbsp icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla essence or a dash of vanilla bean paste

• Icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a swiss roll pan approximately 33cm x 23cm with non-stick baking paper. Place the chocolate in a bowl, and then place over a pan of simmering water. Ensure the bowl isn’t touching the water. When beginning to melt, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Cool.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Clean the beaters thoroughly to ensure there are no traces of grease, then beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold melted chocolate into the sugar mixture, then add a quarter of the egg whites. Gently fold in to loosen the mixture, then fold in remaining whites.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Place a clean tea towel horizontally on the bench. Lay a piece of non-stick baking paper over the top and sprinkle it lightly with the caster sugar.

Gently turn the roulade out onto the prepared paper. Carefully peel off the baking paper. From the short side, using the tea towel and paper together, roll the roulade and leave to cool.

Make the filling. Beat the cream to soft peaks, fold in the icing sugar and vanilla, taking care not to overbeat. To assemble, gently unroll—expect cracks and breaks. Join the sections as best you can, spread with filling leaving a 3–4cm gap at the end, then re-roll, wrap firmly and chill for 15 minutes or until needed. Dust with icing sugar and serve in thick slices.

Tip: You can vary the filling; try a coffee cream, mousse, mascarpone or add a scattering of berries.

Source: Sophie Grey | destitutegourmet.com

INTRIGUING INDEX

Eggceptional Eggs

1 Nature’s Multivitamin

Eggs are often considered nature’s multivitamin as they are packed full of essential nutrients. They contain high-quality protein, vitamins including B12 and D, and important minerals such as selenium and choline.

2 Colourful Clutches

The colour of an eggshell is determined by the breed of chicken and has no bearing on the nutritional value of an egg. While most eggs are white or brown, some chicken breeds lay eggs in unique colours like blue and green.

3 Eggcellent Engineering

The egg is a remarkable engineering feat. An eggshell is strong enough to protect the contents but thin enough to allow a chick to break free during hatching. The egg white, or albumen, provides a cushion and the yolk contains the nutrients necessary for a developing embryo.

4 Shell Shock

Eggs are naturally designed to be strong and stable. The shape of an egg is an example of nature’s optimisation—its elongated oval prevents it from rolling too far and helps to distribute the weight evenly, which reduces the risk of breakage.

5 Buoyant Brilliance

Did you know you can determine the freshness of an egg using a simple water test? Fresh eggs sink to the bottom of a bowl of water, while older eggs will stand on one end and bad eggs will float. This is due to changes in the size of the air cell within the eggs as it ages.

Prayer Focus: Uganda

Uganda is a majority-Christian nation with many active churches; however, Uganda’s history has made it particularly vulnerable to the influence of Islam. During the 1970s, Uganda was ruled by the dictator Idi Amin, who was inspired by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to join the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and to begin Islamisation of the country. Many of Amin’s policies continue to influence society and government today.

Islam’s influence has grown steadily with many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam. Despite the risks, many churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out and sharing the gospel with their Muslim neighbours.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group affiliated with the Islamic State that has long threatened Christians, is suspected of taking the lives of several people and destroying property in West Uganda in December last year. The Ugandan Government, with the support of regional partners and international organisations, is working to neutralise the ADF and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

Gifts of Gethsemane

Overwhelming anxiety, disappointment, grief, fear, abandonment, pain and suffering— these are not words that roll easily off our tongues when we consider the Easter story, and yet Jesus felt and experienced them all. Sometimes the echoes of our own pain reverberate around the edges of Easter, insisting that we skip to the victorious end of the story. But Jesus invites us to embrace our discomfort and linger with him in the garden of Gethsemane and receive the gifts of grace to be found there.

WORDS Jules Badger

his year, hot cross buns first appeared in the supermarket in mid-January. Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly. But Easter’s ages away— we’re barely through Christmas! Isn’t it in April? Well, mostly yes, but 23 percent of the time Easter is in March. When Easter comes early, as it does this year, we can feel a little discombobulated. And while many people had taken down their Christmas trees and carefully packed away the decorations by midJanuary, others of us were still clinging to Christmas with its joyful message, resisting the pull of another new year for as long as possible. Either way, when Easter is announced not by the beginning of Lent but in January with advertisements for iced buns and chocolate eggs, we can be left with a bitter taste in our mouths. As with Christmas, we lament the commercialisaton of this significant and sacred celebration in the Christian calendar.

Deep down though, every follower of Jesus knows that Easter is always the death of Christmas. The baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas becomes the man who died at Easter. There is no cross without the cradle. The life that began in the womb is not defeated by the darkness of the tomb. The one who said, ‘...I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes

in me will live, even though they die’ (John 11:25b), proved his claim to be true by dying on the cross and rising again three days later.

Easter is a love story. In Romans 5:8 we read, ‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’. But like many love stories, there is a moment of crisis when a decision must be made. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus chose love for us over his own life. However, fast forward 2000-plus years and we can be devastatingly desensitised to the difficulty of that decision. In a sermon entitled ‘The Gethsemane Prayer’, John Mark Comer (author of Practicing the Way) reminds us that it was in Gethsemane where Jesus chose of his own free will to go to the cross. But he also suggests, shockingly, that Jesus could have made a different decision. ‘Jesus could have got up and walked out of Gethsemane and back home to Nazareth and had a good career as a rabbi (teacher). But instead, he gave his life, took our pain and suffering on his shoulders, drew our sins to a focal point in his body and drank the cup that should have been ours. He didn’t walk away— he did it because that’s what love is.’

Can you relate?

When we meet Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, we often jump ahead to the iconic phrase ‘...not my will but yours be done’ (Luke 22:42b) and miss the anguish and wrestling that Jesus goes through on the way to that moment of surrender. We don’t want to dwell on the struggling Jesus, we want the resolute Jesus! But how helpful is that perception of Jesus when we face our own difficulties and challenges—our own Gethsemane moments? Perhaps you’ve tried to pray your will be done, God, with a stoic-like posture, and instead of finding solace and strength you’ve been left feeling more defeated than when you began. We know that Jesus is both human and divine, but sometimes we give more attention than is helpful to his divine nature and become stuck, paralysed by our inability to follow Christ’s lofty example (which is not to diminish Christ’s divinity by any means, but simply to shine a light on the humanity we share). We pray, Lord, I know that you are both God and human, but I’m only human and I’m struggling! Perhaps you can relate.

John Mark reminds us that ‘pain and suffering come to knock on all of our doors—no one is immune’. And he’s not talking about sin or moral failure, but the gap

between our expectations and experience—the things we have no control over. The things we did not and would not choose for ourselves: chronic illness, loss of a loved-one, life’s disappointments.

‘Jesus tells God how he really feels … Jesus is not as scared of honesty with his Father as we are.’

‘We follow a rabbi whose life ended not in glory but in shame on the cross. And if we lose sight of that trajectory, we end up with a skewed view of life that just does not set us up well for the inevitable pain and suffering of the human condition,’ says John Mark. ‘And like Jesus, we all come to our own Gethsemane in our spiritual journey at some point and it is a place of pain.’ In Gethsemane, Jesus models a response to life’s most unwelcome trials—one we can relate to and follow as an example of how to pray when tough times inevitably come our way.

Raw and uncut

Gethsemane literally means ‘olive press’. An olive press is used to crush olives and release the oil within. ‘A fitting word picture and location for Jesus to unburden his heart to God,’ suggests John Mark. ‘The cross is his olive press where he was literally crushed to release his oil, so to speak—his life—for you and me and the world.’

In Matthew 26:36–55, Jesus took Peter, James and John (his closest friends) away with him to pray. We read that Jesus ‘began to be sorrowful and troubled’. He says, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’. John Mark explains that the use of the word ‘began’ is significant. ‘In therapeutic language Jesus begins to feel his feelings—on purpose. He’s come away

The life that began in the womb is not defeated by the darkness of the tomb.

to take stock in silence and solitude, supported by some friends. He’s in a safe place to feel what has been sitting under the surface.’ Some of us may not recognise this Jesus who is so in touch with his feelings! John Mark points out that, ‘There is no filter here, no editing. It’s just raw and uncut. Jesus tells God how he really feels … Jesus is not as scared of honesty with his Father as we are.’

In the next verse (39) we read that Jesus fell to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me’. John Mark explains that

when Jesus uses the word ‘cup’ here, he is using a wellknown first century idiom meaning your allotment of pain and suffering in life—this is Jesus just hours away from the cross, asking God if there is another way! After returning to his friends and despairing because they can barely keep their eyes open, Jesus goes away to pray again. This time his prayer is a little more open, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done’.

This Easter, the invitation exists to linger with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and receive the gift of grace he offers.

An invitation to linger

‘Jesus is teaching us by example to bring God all of our desires—not just the good ones,’ explains John Mark. ‘We have this mixed bag of feelings, and we also have a mixed bag of desires, most of which we are embarrassed or scared of. I filter my desires when I pray and only give God the good ones—the bad ones I stuff away and ignore or feel guilty about. But Jesus models giving God all his desires. What if in a moment of temptation to click on that site … or in a moment of greed to buy that item you don’t need … what if instead we gave that desire to God? What if we said, “God this is what’s in me. I know it’s sinful or stupid but right now this is what I really want”. What if we let God do the filtering for us? This is what Jesus does.’

John Mark refers to this as ‘the Gethsemane prayer’. ‘It’s my best attempt to explain what it means to watch and pray when I’m feeling disappointment or emotions that I don’t like or I’m facing an olive press moment. It’s a 30-second prayer. Give God your feelings, give God your desires, and then give God your trust. Let go and turn that inner fulcrum, that part of you that is willful, turn it to willing. Yield to God—Your will be done, Lord. This is the way of Jesus

whose deepest desire, underneath his other desire not to suffer or go through the pain and rejection, was for his Father’s will to be done. If you have the Spirit of God in you, you have that desire too. It might be right at the surface of your heart, or it might be buried down deep below a heap of stuff, but it’s there.’

This Easter, the invitation exists to linger with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and receive the gift of grace he offers. Jesus knows your pain and suffering, he knows your deepest feelings and your darkest desires, and still, he loves you—enough to walk out of Gethsemane and go willingly to the cross and sacrifice his life. God raised Jesus to life so that you could know and experience the depths of this love every day—remember that when you face your own Gethsemane moments. Give God your feelings, give him your desires, and then give him your trust. He loves you with an everlasting love and will never leave or forsake you.

Opposite page: modern day garden of Gethsemane. Above: a marble slab depicting the words of Jesus in Matthew 26 and an accompanying prayer, which sits in the garden of Gethsemane.

It’s All Good!

When you recall the events of Easter, what is your first response? How do you feel when you remember the story of Jesus’ last days? If you experience feelings of discomfort when thinking about Easter, you are not alone. Kelly Cooper considers our desire to pass over the cross for the joy of resurrection, and reminds us about the ‘good’ that Good Friday has to offer.

Jesus was betrayed, tried and condemned to death; mocked, flogged and tortured; pierced with a crown of thorns; rejected even by those who knew him; nailed to a cross; cried out tears of anguish for help from his Father; and then died the most agonising death imaginable. While the events of Good Friday would make for some sensational media headlines in our current culture, as far as stories go, it’s not exactly feel-good.

For Christ followers, Good Friday naturally evokes a range of emotions. For some, it is the uncomfortable part of the Christian calendar, the disturbing and deeply sorrowful part of the Easter narrative. The part that is sometimes easier and more palatable to skip over. If your first instinct is to recoil, to quickly move on from the harshness that was Jesus’ reality on this Friday, you are in good company. Can you imagine the despair that the followers of Jesus must have felt? Jesus was dead—his life and ministry finished. At first glance it can be difficult to see what’s so good about the day we call Good Friday.

The headlines for Easter Sunday ... ‘Dead man raised to life!’

A plot twist

Well before his crucifixion and even before he stepped into ministry, the Bible tells us that Jesus was aware of his mission on earth (1 Peter 1:20). Jesus knew that he was sent to fulfil God’s plan to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) and he knew that he was to make his way to Jerusalem where he would suffer and die for the sin of the world (Luke 9:51).

The cross is where we meet Jesus. The cross changes everything.

Jesus also knew something else. He knew that after his death and burial he would rise again and that on the third day as Mary Magdalene approached his tomb, she would find the stone removed. He knew that he would appear before her. He knew he would call her by name and send her to tell others of his resurrection. He knew that he would appear to the disciples and hundreds of others over the coming 40 days. He knew he would ascend into heaven and be seated at the right hand of the Father. He knew that his death and resurrection paved the way for you and me to experience forgiveness for our sin and an eternal future with him.

This part of the Easter story is much easier to stomach and is undeniably cause for celebration. When all hope was lost, God made the impossible possible by raising his son to life. The headlines for Easter Sunday would be even more sensational in today’s context, ‘Dead man raised to life!’ Jesus’ resurrection brings hope, redemption and the assurance of a new beginning for us all. It’s not hard to get excited about Easter Sunday. It would be easy to quickly forget that Christ’s resurrection didn’t occur without betrayal, denial, torture, pain and death, but the truth is none of us get to Easter Sunday without first going through Good Friday.

The cross is our connection

The Bible tells us that the only way we come to the Father is through his son Jesus: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). The cross is more than just a symbol of our faith. The cross is our connection with our Heavenly Father through Jesus’ ultimate act of love and sacrifice. Jesus didn’t willingly go to the cross as just an act of obedience, he hung on that tree to create a pathway for you and me. The cross is where we meet Jesus. The cross changes everything.

Perhaps you find yourself in a hurry to get to the part of the story where Jesus is raised to life, eager

to get to the resurrection. Maybe a gruesome death on a cross doesn’t fit into your picture of how you think things should be. I’m sure it didn’t fit anyone’s picture back then either. But the cross is the very place where we get to know our Heavenly Father. If we skip the cross, we skip truly knowing God.

As we journey with Jesus this Easter, let’s do so with a posture of patience and contemplation. Let’s not rush to get to the ‘good’ bits, but take

...none of us get to Easter Sunday without first going through Good Friday.

some time to sit in the spaces inbetween. Let’s intentionally linger in the shadows of the cross and envision what it would have been like to be a bystander at Jesus’ death. Let’s prepare ourselves to tend to his beaten and broken body. Let’s imagine we were there with Mary Magdalene when he walked towards her and called her by name. And let’s celebrate the very good news of the Easter gift Jesus gave us: a pathway to his Father through the cross, forgiveness for our sins, and the promise of eternal life with him. Time at the cross was the path for Jesus and it is also the path for us. As we reflect on the Easter story this year, from Good Friday until Easter Sunday, let’s declare, it’s all good!

Waiting in the In-Between

When my husband Ian and I served in Tanzania, I remember Ian using the fable The Emperor’s New Clothes to illustrate a point in his sermon for the cadets. The cadets had never heard this fable before and so when it came to the punchline—that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes—they couldn’t stop laughing.

Sometimes I wish that I could read the Easter story for the very first time without knowing the ‘punchline’. I have grown up in church and so I learnt about Jesus dying on the cross for my sins and his resurrection which brings me eternal life. I wonder what it would be like to not know the ending, or to live in those in-between days of the crucifixion and resurrection? What would it have been like for his disciples?

In Luke 18:31–33, Jesus explained what would happen to him— that he would be flogged, killed and then on the third day after his death he would rise again. However, we are told that the disciples did not understand any of this. And so, after Jesus was crucified, they waited.

Waiting can be so hard. The other week I was flying from Wellington to Auckland and seated next to me was a family with young children. The little boy wanted to eat his yoghurt, but his mum patiently explained that he would need to wait until the plane was in the air and the seat belt sign switched off so that he could put the tray table down in order to eat the yoghurt. Makes perfect sense!

For the next 10 minutes, while we were still on the tarmac, the son continuously asked one of two questions: ‘Can I have my yoghurt?’ and ‘Are we in the air yet?’ His mum was very patient, but the little boy was having difficulty waiting. Perhaps he, like the disciples, didn’t understand or believe that what his mum told him would actually come true.

As we spend time reflecting on Easter this year, as we meditate on the horrific story of the cross and then celebrate the lifechanging resurrection of Jesus, let us not forget the pain of waiting. Waiting in the unknown, sitting in the uncomfortable, remembering the grief and distress of the disciples on that inbetween day. This year, let us not rush to the end of the story, but let us wait, and perhaps we will experience this Easter in a new way, as if it were the first time we had ever heard the story.

Lt-Colonel Liz Gainsford Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development

PS: Update on the little boy: once we were in the air, the excitement took over and he forgot all about his yoghurt!

Luke 18:31–33

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again’ (NIV)

Ā, ka mau ia ki te tekau mā rua, ka mea ki a rātou, ‘Nā, e haere ana tēnei tātou ki Hiruhārama, ā, ka rite katoa ngā mea i tuhituhia e ngā poropiti mō te Tama a te tangata. Ka tukua hoki ia ki ngā tauiwi, ka tāwaia, ka whakatupuria kinotia, ka tuwhaina. Ā, ka oti ia te whiu, ka whakamatea, ā, i te toru o ngā rā ka ara’ (PT).

Sa qai kauti ira mai na le tinikarua, ka kaya vei ira, Raica, eda sa lako cake ki Jerusalemi, ia na ka kecega era sa vola na parofita e na vuku ni Luve ni tamata ena vakayacori mai. Ni na soli yani ko koya vei ira na matanitu tani, ena vakalialiai talega, ka vakaisini, ka kasiviti: era na vakanakuitataka talega, ka vakamatea; ena qai tu cake tale ko koya e nai katolu ni siga (FOV).

Tab Yeeshu aapan baarah chela log ke alge le jaay ke bolis, ‘Suno! Ham log ab Yarushalam jaata hei. Jon bhi kuchh Manush ke laṛka ke baare meñ nabi log likhin raha, u sab ab puura hoi. U ab geir Yahuudi ke haath meñ de dewa jaai aur uske bahut apmaan hoi. Uske sañghe log kharaab kharaab harkat kari aur uspe thuuki bhi. Uske bahut jaada peeṭe ke baad uske maar dei, lekin tisra roj u jinda hoy jaai’ (FRHNT).

Pea ne ‘ave ‘a e kau Hongofulumaua, ‘o ne pehē kiate kinautolu, Ko eni, ‘oku tau ‘alu hake ki Selusalema, pea ‘e lava ai ‘a e ngaahi me‘a kotoa pē na‘e tohi ‘i he kau Palōfita ma‘a e Fanautama ‘a Tangata. He ‘e tuku atu ia ki he kau Senitaile, pea ‘e taukaea ia, mo pa‘usi‘i, mo ‘anuhia: pea te nau haha ia, mo tamate‘i; pea ‘i hono tolu ‘o e ‘aho te ne toetu‘u (TWB)

Ua ave e ia le toasefulu ma le toalua, ua fetalai ia te i latou, “Faauta, o le a o ae i tatou i Ierusalema, e taunuu ai o mea uma ua tusia e le au perofeta i le Atalii o le tagata. Auā e tuuina atu ia i nuu ese, e faatauemuina, e faaleagaina, e feanu foi i latou ia te ia, latou te sasa foi ma fasioti ia te ia; a o le aso tolu e toe tu mai ai o ia” (SOV)

Te Rā o Waitangi

For many years, The Salvation Army has been fortunate to attend and participate in the celebrations and commemorations at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds on February 6. This year, Richard KerrBell, tumu whakarae of The Salvation Army National Rūnanga Aotearoa, shares his experience of this significant invitation.

Ka mihi ki ngā hau kainga o Waitangi, tēnā rā koutou, ōku rangatira o te wā. A special acknowledgment of our hosts, the people of Waitangi, our esteemed leaders for the Waitangi Day Celebrations.

Preparations for Waitangi and the desire of many people of Te Ope Whakaora (The Salvation Army) to participate in the commemorative events were evident early on. Corps and groups responded from Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Rotorua, Kirikiriroa (Hamilton) and many places up and down the motu (land). There was an attraction this year to support Māori in a show of unity to the Government, who had collectively expressed the intent to diminish tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) through many avenues, not least in re-writing the understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi). And so reports of the preparations and emails remained steady, with plans to ensure the many Salvationists arrived safely and could spend the four days over Waitangi with a space to sleep.

Journeying to the grounds

Having left my accommodation and flights until the last minute, I arrived at Tāmaki Mākarau (Auckland) on Saturday afternoon and drove carefully northward.

I was surprised by the gentle entry into Te Haumi which precedes Paihia,

and I was grateful for this as my father is buried in the RSA urupā (cemetery) at the top of the hill that descends into Paihia. It was a wonderful hour spent with him.

Moving through Paihia on my way to the campsite of many Te Ope Whakaora pilgrims was a joy, as was meeting new people from Kirikiriroa and Ōtautahi as well as the cadet crew from Booth College of Mission (BCM) and the many wonderful people of Te Ope Whakaora.

On Sunday morning, I ate breakfast at a local café with Tama Iti and his whānau (family). It is always humbling to see larger-than-life personalities— and in this case, strong, unapologetic advocates for Māori—participate in the day-to-day ritual of whānau and parakuihi (breakfast). Arriving at the campsite was a different experience from the day before. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people walking, driving, singing and waving flags of He Whakaputanga (1835 Māori Declaration of Independence) and tino rangatiratanga from every possible vantage point—on cars, front lawns, in hands, tied around necks, on caravans and houses.

Having made my way to the campsite, we left to cross the bridge to Waitangi Marae grounds to join in the pōwhiri (formal welcome) for the Kingitanga with Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, Te Pāti

Māori and Rātana. The time set down was 4pm and given the size of the groups approaching te Tiriti grounds we became somewhat dispersed as many gathered onto the designated waharoa (entrance). After the haka pōwhiri and karanga (call), we began moving towards the entrance to the whare rūnanga (meeting house), led by the Rātana brass band.

Determined kōrero

Despite being ready and prepared to speak on behalf of our Army, given the size of the taumata (seating of the speakers) on both sides and the mana of the speakers, it was not necessary. The proceedings began with three speakers from Ngāpuhi and then at least 15 from the manuhiri (guests). The first kaikōrero (speaker) spoke with gusto and energy, and set the scene for a beautiful consistent kōrero across both taumata. The messages of peace, adherence to tikanga (Māori protocol), presence and dialogue to work through raruraru (problems) and mamae (pain) were strong. There were challenges and expressions of determination and unity. I believe the reason for the sense of calm and wairua pai (good spirit) was Bishop

Kito’s (co-chair of the Rūnanga) leading, with karakia (prayer)—gently and humbly—as he expressed the mana (authority) of his role at this hui (meeting) in the presence of his tūpuna (ancestors).

Having taken part in the hariru (handshakes), we were free to disperse and take in the enormity of the occasion and the beauty of te Ipipiri, the Bay of Islands.

Monday was largely a time for people to experience Waitangi with all of the local foods and historical and sacred sites; home to many of the first missionaries to Aotearoa of Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic traditions alike. With regard to tāngata Tiriti (people of the Treaty), these were one of the early sights of intercultural interaction.

Connected to tūpuna

Being in Te Tai Tokerau (Northland) held a lot of meaning for me. The landscape comes alive and the memories of many of my whānau and my childhood are embedded

there. It is the site of many tūpuna, and of our urupā, Rōiho, located below Pākenae Marae. The marae looks up to Whiria Maunga (Mount Whiria), which is of great repute and historical significance in Rahiri and Ngāpuhi folklore. It is a short distance from there to our main marae of Aotea, over the hill from Omapere. The most significant sight here are the sandhills on the north side (Niniwa/Niua) of the Hokianga Harbour entrance, and to the left of the sandhills is where my father grew up, in Rangi Point.

I took the time to visit my aunty in Kohukohu and my grandfather buried at the Kohukohu urupā, then went on the Kohura II ferry (named in a competition by one of my uncles, Kohura, to show the two connecting towns, Kohukohu and Rawene).

Returning to the camp in the evening was a real pleasure, sharing kai (food), kōrero (conversation), waiata (songs) and karakia together until the sun went down. We prepared to be up early for the 5am dawn service, led by Bishop Kito.

Te Rā o Waitangi

Woken by my alarm at 2.15am, with my bags packed and a breakfast of porridge, I left Kerikeri for the dark gravel backroad of Haruru Falls through the golf course and into a carpark just above Te Whare Runanga. Waiting with Walter (Tāmaki Te Ope Whakaora whānau) and a few others around 3am, we accompanied our pīhopa (bishop) onto the marae in preparation for the day’s events.

It was a very special morning; the stillness of the pre-dawn, the karakia, the deeply reflective words of the speakers, the waiata.

The service concluded with Territorial Commander Commissioner Mark Campbell giving the benediction (blessing). During this sacred time, the spectacular sunrise gave voice to God’s love and presence.

E te Atua aroha, e whakamoemiti, e whakawhetai e inoi ana mātou ki a koe mo ēnei rā papai rawa. God of love, we praise you and honour you as we lift our prayers to you on this auspicious day.

Above, left (from left): Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson, Territorial Commander Commissioner Mark Campbell and Richard Kerr-Bell at Waitangi grounds. Above right: members of Te Ope Whakaora’s gathering singing waiata at Waitangi.

Appointed to His Service

Paul Teal is a soldier of Whanganui City Corps and a Community Ministries navigator.

I always knew that there was a higher power than myself. I knew about God. I felt his presence with me, and felt like he might have a plan for my life.

I had lived as a gang member, addict and alcoholic for many years. When I would get in trouble, I would always pray in the cell and promise God that if I didn’t go to jail then I wouldn’t do it again. But I would always get into trouble again. My lifestyle was affecting the people I loved the most—my wife and children—and my teenagers were starting to realise what I was up to.

When I went to Wellington Bridge to go through the recovery programme in 2018, people there started telling me about God, but I would just brush it off. I remember saying to God that he would have to show me he was real for me to believe in him.

During my time at the Bridge, I attended a New Zeal meeting at Wellington City Corps. I was there for the free donuts and coffee, but I ended up having an encounter with God. I was up on the top tier of the auditorium and the speaker was inviting people to come to the mercy seat to know God. I don’t remember getting out of my chair and walking down the stairs, but it was as if God picked me up, and somehow I ended up at the mercy seat. I knew I needed to change and let everything go to start afresh, so in that moment I opened my heart to God. There was a man who prayed with me, and he put his hand on my shoulder. After being there awhile I thought it was time to return to my seat. When I looked up, I saw the man on the other side of the church, but I could still feel a hand on my shoulder. God showed me that he was real, and I believed in him from that moment on. I was wide open to what he wanted from me.

On the right path

I completed my time at the Bridge, returned to my family in Whanganui and continued my journey with The Salvation Army. My wife and I became soldiers

in 2019. The signing of my covenant was important, as it showed my commitment to live for God, but it also showed how God found me at the right time and changed my life. These words Paul wrote are special to me because God sees me worthy of his calling:

‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 1:12–14).

Now my family is on this faith journey with me. Since God found me, I’ve seen a big change in myself and in the atmosphere in my house. There’s peace and calmness. There’s no need to hide things. We pray over dinner at the table; it’s short and sweet but it’s the beginning and it brings me warmth that my children are on the right path.

I knew I needed to change and let everything go to start afresh, so in that moment I opened my heart to God.

A God-given dream

For over 20 years, I’ve wanted to be a social worker, but my addictions and my lifestyle wouldn’t allow me to do that. I would keep on saying to myself that next year I’ll get into that, and I never did. For me, it was when God found me that he gave me the opportunity to sort my life out and fulfil that dream for myself. So just over four years ago, I applied to Massey University to do a diploma in social work, which they declined because of my past lifestyle being a liability. This really

disheartened me and made me think that because of what I had done in my life that I wasn’t going to be able to achieve my dream. It really gave me a kick in the guts. Then one day, I was on my way home listening to Radio Rhema, and there was an ad about Bethlehem Tertiary Institute’s courses. I heard they offered Christian-based social work qualifications. I applied to become a social worker, and they gave me the opportunity to start my course.

God knows what I need and when I need it, and I’ve been learning that there’s a big difference between need and want.

Four years on, in December 2023, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work, thanks to the amazing people who helped me through this time of study. I’m sure God put those people in my circle at the right time to help me achieve my dream.

The hard times aren’t as hard I’m now employed full time at my local corps as the Community Ministries navigator. I work in a great team with faith-based people, and receive support, encouragement and help through The Salvation Army. I enjoy my role, being in community and working alongside whānau (family) and individuals who tell me their stories. People find me easy to talk to, and I can relate to their situations. It feels good to see people set goals and accomplish those tasks that help toward fulfiling their dreams, while increasing their mana (authority), and working towards life transformation. There’s been a few God moments over the last six months that have shown me that God has this plan for my life. He put me on this right path for the first year of my recovery and I’ve continued to walk in that, learning to trust more deeply in him and his timing. God knows what I need and when I need it, and I’ve been learning that there’s a big difference between need and want. Sometimes it is hard but having God with me means those hard times aren’t as hard as they used to be.

A Himalayan Adventure

Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson is once again drawn back to the Himalayas with all its wonder, majesty, mystery and pure mountain air. He shares with readers his latest trek to the mountains that make up some of the highest in the world. He also shares about the changing world of Himalayan communities.

WORDS Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson

n October of 2023, I went trekking in the Himalayas for the fourth time. Probably a surprise to many of my friends given that I was caught in a storm and rescued by helicopter the first time I went there—almost exactly 10 years previously!

Along with a group of seven other trekkers, as well as with Sherpa guides and porters, we set off from Kathmandu to start our trek with a 10-hour drive to Phaplu, followed by an 8-hour four-wheel drive over some extremely steep, narrow and often slippery tracks. All this to avoid the irregularity of flying a brief hour or so to the Lukla Airport (aka Tensing–Hillary Airport) which is often closed for days at a time due to mountain mist or other weather.

Yaks, naks and jhopkya

Our group’s average age was around 64 years old—not exactly a group of youngsters! The first day or two were not promising, with rain dampening our spirits, especially having to walk in mud mixed with donkey faeces. No wondrous sights of mountains or wafting aroma of the clear mountain air just yet. We had entered another world, where donkeys and porters were the main means of transportation for the supplies going to the many guest houses that trekkers frequented and the more permanent local Sherpa communities. We saw many donkey trains, with as many as 50 in a train

passing us at one time. Above a certain altitude the donkeys disappeared to be replaced by yaks (male), naks (female) or jhopkya (the result of breeding yaks and cows), which could operate at higher altitudes.

The weather improved and it hardly ever rained again for the other 14 to 15 days of trekking. What a joy! Stunning views, mountain air, the hospitality and culture of the local Sherpa people, guest houses with frequent stops for meals or refreshments alternating with some good stiff uphill climbs.

I had brought with me a book called Sherpas: Reflections in Change in Himalayan Nepal by James Fisher. It was published in the 1990s and a bit dated, but it helped me reflect on what the Sherpa world had been and what it is now. It was hard to believe that this world had been largely off limits up until the 1950s, followed by the 1960s when Sir Edmund Hillary began building the schools that the Sherpas requested of him. The climbing of Mount Everest by Hillary and Tensing and the building of the Lukla Airport to facilitate the building of the schools, opened up the Solukhumbu District of the Sherpa people. From then on, the number of tourists trekking through the region rose exponentially, becoming a key economic contributor to the region with a huge impact on the culture and life of the people there.

Meeting place of nationalities

After several days of trekking, we entered the Sagarmatha National Park. Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mount Everest—the Tibetan name is Chomolungma, which means ‘Goddess Mother of the World’. A little further on we arrived at Namche Bazar, the tourist centre for the region. Looking down onto this centre you get a spectacular view as it is situated in what looks like a steep amphitheatre with a proliferation of colourful lodges. Here, there are many shops with all sorts of touristy mementos and trekking gear for sale. I got my hair cut at the local barber there and, as we walked the streets, we got to hear the accents and languages of the many nationalities visiting the area: European, Asian, North American and, of course, Nepalese.

We had a rest day here and visited the Tenzing Norgay Visitor Centre–Museum and the Sherpa Culture Museum, where we were able to see reflections of Himalayan mountain history and especially that of the Sherpa people. It was interesting to know that the Sherpas had not settled into the Solukhumbu District until between 400–500 years ago, seemingly escaping persecution or unrest in Tibet. Apparently, there were

Above: a small village on the way to Gokyo Lake in Nepal, nestled beneath the Himalayas.

no previous occupants of the land living there back then. Not surprising, because to eke out a living in such steep mountainous terrain must have looked like an impossible task—but somehow these hardy people made it work.

Rarefied air

The next day we set off, taking a separate path from the more well-known Everest Base Camp trek, so not quite as many trekkers. Our destination was the Goyko area, with pristine lakes over 4700 metres high. Above them was the high peak of Gokyo Ri which promised a vista of Everest and the Ngozumpa glacier, the largest and longest glacier of the Himalayas among many other mountains, four of which are above 8000 metres: Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho You.

The arrival at Gokyo was both one of my highlights and a personal disappointment of the trek. The lakes are beautiful, the surrounding mountains are stunning, but it was here that I was afflicted by altitude sickness for the first time ever. The night before the climb to Gokyo Ri, I began to experience

significant stomach ache and nausea, along with a degree of disorientation. As much as I wanted to climb to Gokyo Ri, it didn’t seem advisable considering just a day ago we had all watched as a Spanish man with altitude sickness was helicoptered down the mountains for his own safety.

In the end, only three of our group made the climb up to Gokyo Ri to see the stunning views that a perfect day turned on for them. By all reports it had been a hard climb that was more than compensated for by the amazing views.

On their return it was decided by the tour guide, Ang Pasung Sherpa, that we needed to descend that same day for the sake of those of us who were suffering from altitude sickness—myself and one other of our group. So began our return journey one day ahead of schedule. My health seemed to improve incrementally as we descended, so that by the end of that day I was already beginning to feel a lot better.

It was hard to believe that this world had been largely off limits up until the 1950s…

Above: Gokyo Lake.

On our descent, I encountered one trekker who greeted me as a New Zealander, very surprising given nothing I wore identified me as such. However, one of our group confidently suggested, noting my appearance, that ‘a tall, rangy and slightly unkempt person had a bit of a familiar Hillary look about them, don’t you think?’ A bit of a back-handed compliment I thought.

One the highlights of our trek on the way down was a visit to the village of Khumjung. This was a relatively large and impressive village. It was a place the locals lived more permanently and was not so much a part of the tourist trail. Here we were able to visit a Buddhist monastery with its ornate and colourful interior. Its most famous exhibit was what was purported to be a Yeti scalp. This was something for which Edmund Hillary had sought scientific verification. The results came back suggesting the fur came from something akin to a thar (mountain goat). Nevertheless, my son— also on the trip—who had been excited by this when he read about the Yeti as a youngster was naturally pleased to have seen the actual thing in person.

Hillary’s legacy and the Sherpas

Also in Khumjung was the local Hillary Secondary School, with a bust of Sir Edmund Hillary in the playground and a museum outlining Hillary’s involvement

Above: donkeys carry a lot of the expedition supplies at lower altitudes.

in it being built—the first school among many he was instrumental in starting in the region. As New Zealanders, we felt some reflected pride in this village and region because of Hillary’s achievements and his almost god-like status there.

The rest of the trek was largely retracing our steps through now-familiar villages, staying sometimes in the same guest houses, along with the change in transport back from naks to donkeys. The views could be enjoyed with somewhat more ease as the tracks were now generally downhill.

This gave me time to reflect on the impact of the influx of trekkers and mountaineers on the Sherpa people and this region. What seemed obvious was they had done comparatively well out of the trekking. They had income available to them more than many other similar people in Nepal. However, many of the (mainly) men who were guides or porters spent inordinate amounts of time away from their families, with injury and death not uncommon. Many people, like Ang Pasung Sherpa our guide, were guides in the alps of Europe as well as the Himalayas. The young were leaving for Kathmandu or further afield, leaving some of the villages—especially those outside the main tourist tracks—with empty houses, less young people and less help for the agricultural labour needed in the region. The desire for consumer goods, the need for an income to pay for them and the draw of work beyond subsistence living has drawn so many away from the simple rural life of the villages. The changing face of

the Sherpa culture was visible in the mix of clothing styles, from the latest designer trekking clothing to the sometimes colourful, sometimes weathered, traditional Sherpa clothing.

One thing seemed apparent though: the Sherpa people have a strong culture and identity that they are proud of, possibly supported by the generally strong positive view that Westerners have consistently held of them, as heroic, compassionate, industrious, humorous, genial and friendly people.

Land of contrasts and extremes

As we left, again by four-wheel drive vehicles, as Lukla Airport was closed, I was struck once more by this beautiful region and people, the way it has been opened up and yet remains inaccessible by road— both open and shut.

I can’t help reflecting on the many conversations on the trek, the moments of pressure from physical excursion, the weary bodies and unexpected events, all these helped each person to get to know themselves and each other better. Maybe it is the hardship and privations that make moments of wonder and joy seem so much more intense; being overwhelmed by the beauty and magnificence of the mountains with the clear pure air. It is what makes trekking such a spiritual thing. Sometimes in those moments, I feel I see the very face of God.

To learn about Ian’s helicopter rescue on a previous trip, go to salvationarmy.org.nz/windows-heaven

Above: Namche Bazar, the tourist centre of the region.

Spice Up Your Life

In one of the Bible’s most outrageous demonstrations of love, ‘a woman’ inadvertently anoints Jesus’ body for burial during a meal in Bethany. While she is mocked by those present, Jesus honours her and declares that she will be remembered throughout history for her prophetic act. Jules Badger invites us to ‘spice up our lives’ this Easter by considering the connection between this story of extravagant love and our own Easter expectations and experience.

It’s hot cross bun season! No doubt you will have noticed that the humble hot cross bun has been entirely reborn in recent years. Once just a spiced bun with fruit and a cross on top, the traditional bun has been completely transformed. Obviously, we need gluten-free buns and even fruitless ones for those among us with allergies, but the chocolate chip hot cross bun started a revolution!

The apple-cinnamon hot cross bun soon followed, with the salted caramel iteration close behind and new variations emerging every year. Clearly, we’ve strayed a long way from the humble origins of this iconic Easter treat. It’s believed that the first hot cross buns were made in the fourth century by a monk named Brother Thomas Rodcliff at St Albans Abbey in England. Brother Thomas is said to have baked the buns and distributed them to the poor on Good Friday, likely to feed empty tums, but also to share about Jesus. With the cross on the top symbolising the crucifixion, the spices within the bun representing the spices used to embalm Jesus’ body after his death, and the overall sweet deliciousness of the bun proclaiming the joy of the resurrection, who could refuse the lesson?

Spice boys

Brother Thomas’s idea gained traction and we are still enjoying various versions of his original recipe over 1000 years later. However, our hot cross bun experience in the 21st century tends to be more of an Easter indulgence eaten with lashings of real butter at home, or after church with a cuppa. The three-fold evangelistic message Brother Thomas likely intended the bun to prompt has essentially been forgotten. And while Brother Thomas was quite the innovator, he was not the original ‘spice boy’.

In John 19:38–42, we read that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were the two responsible for getting permission from Pilate to take down Jesus’ body from the cross and prepare it for burial. John records that Nicodemus ‘brought with him 75 pounds [or 34kgs] of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following the Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth.’

Sometimes we forget that these two men were both cautious followers of Jesus while he was alive. John refers to Joseph as ‘a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders)’. And we know that Nicodemus met with Jesus under the cover of darkness. Following the cross though, the love and loyalty these two spice boys display for Jesus is out in the open. And it was costly; 34kgs of spices was more than the body weight of an average man in those days. Scholars suggest that this number of spices was highly extravagant, the value being comparable to $200,000 today.

Scholars speculate that perhaps they wanted to compensate for the lack of time to anoint the body properly before the Sabbath began. Others wonder if they were acting on their hope that Jesus would be resurrected just as he said he would, wanting to

This Easter, maybe there’s an invitation from God for you to ‘spice up your life’ and share more openly.

preserve the body at any cost. Either way, these initially timid followers of Jesus displayed their love for him when it really mattered.

Spice girls

Most of us are familiar with the story of the women who took spices to the tomb, only to find it empty and their spices quickly forgotten. But they were not the original spice girls. Before travelling to Jerusalem and his death, we know that Jesus was anointed at Bethany in Simon’s home by ‘a woman’ who remains nameless in both Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels.

As this original outrageous spice girl poured an extravagant amount of perfume over Jesus’ head, the men present responded: ‘“It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly’ (Mark 14:5). But Jesus had a different perspective. In Matthew 26:10–13, Jesus says, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with

you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.’

Spice up your life

Easter can be a time of great celebration, but it’s also a time of deep challenge and potential opportunity. Is our response to Jesus’ sacrifice and matchless love for us shown at the cross something we keep to ourselves for fear of what others may think, like Joseph and Nicodemus? Or is our response something we just can’t keep to ourselves, like the woman of Bethany?

Maybe your family or co-workers don’t share your faith and for them Easter is nothing more than a long weekend. Maybe you get a bit of a hard time from them and so, like Joseph and Nicodemus, you keep quiet about your love for Jesus. This Easter, maybe there’s an invitation

from God for you to ‘spice up your life’ and share more openly. You will likely still be mocked, just like the woman who anointed Jesus at Bethany, and yet not only did Jesus commend her, but we are still talking about her example over 2000 years later.

…these initially timid followers of Jesus displayed their love for him when it really mattered.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, like Jospeh and Nicodemus. Maybe, like Brother Thomas, the hot cross bun could be a simple tool for explaining the Easter story. And maybe, just maybe, those fancy new iterations of the once humble bun could still be useful—what better way to speak of the extravagance of Jesus’ love for us!

State of the Nation 2024: Ngā Tukunga Iho

The State of the Nation 2024 report highlights the challenges facing many people across Aotearoa and emphasises the need for cooperation to create a fairer society. Ben Mack looks at some of the key findings.

Early in the morning of Thursday 15 February, the State of the Nation 2024 report was launched at Loaves and Fishes hall in Wellington. The event commenced with a welcome and karakia (prayer) from Bishop Kito, cochair of The Salvation Army Rūnanga, followed by introductions from LtColonel Ian Hutson, the director of the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit, and Territorial Commander Commissioner Mark Campbell.

This is the 17th State of the Nation report, and the event was well attended by politicians, city councillors, representatives from other NGOs and members of The Salvation Army.

The things we inherit Report co-author Paul Barber presented to the audience an overview of the findings of the report, which highlighted that many people across the motu (land) are doing it tough. The deepening cost of living crisis, increasing rental costs, lack of affordable housing and wage inequality for women, Māori and Pasifika people are some of the many increasingly difficult challenges highlighted in the report, titled Ngā Tukunga Iho—The Things We Inherit.

The report looks at what has improved in recent years, in addition to where conditions have deteriorated—in other words, where things have gotten better, and where they’ve gotten worse across five specific areas: Children and Youth,

Work and Incomes, Housing, Crime and Punishment, and Social Hazards.

There is also a special section called Māori Wellbeing that uses He Ara Waiora wellbeing framework to look at those five areas specifically for Māori.

Says Lt-Colonel Ian Hutson, ‘The theme of the 2024 report reflects the fact that the new government inherits both the achievements and the challenges from the previous government. It reminds us that the actions taken today will affect future generations and how they will live.’

Gains and losses

Areas of progress reported include reductions in child poverty; nearly 14,000 more social housing units; sustained low unemployment; increases in real incomes for households on the lowest incomes; reduced income inequality; declines in alcohol and drug consumption; lower rates of youth offending and reduced reimprisonment rates.

However, some things are getting worse. These include the rising cost of living impacting lower-income

Above: Paul Barber, senior social policy analyst at The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit and co-author of the State of the Nation 2024 report, delivers the main presentation at the Wellington launch event on Thursday 15 February.

households; rents in lower-income communities rising ahead of inflation; increasing food insecurity and financial hardship; rising trends in violent offending and victimisation; worsening education outcomes and higher rates of moderate to high mental distress among young people.

There also hasn’t been enough progress to reduce inequities affecting Māori. The report shows there continues to be large barriers impacting Māori educational outcomes, housing, employment, imprisonment and harm from alcohol and other drugs. Put another way, discrimination remains a problem in Aotearoa in 2024.

Ian says, ‘Focusing on distinctive approaches that work for Māori are crucial. Education outcomes are largely equal with other school students when rangatahi (young people) Māori learn in schools where Māori is the main language of instruction. This shows equity is achievable.

‘The new government needs to build on the progress made … and learn from what works.’

Some key points of the State of the Nation 2024 report:

Children and Youth

Child poverty reduction is a key achievement of the past five years. But large, unequal impacts of poverty on Pasifika, Māori and children living with disabilities means there’s still much work to be done.

There were declines in the number of suicides among young people under 25 years as well in the proportion of young people reporting moderate to high mental distress, but rates are still too high. Education achievement rates fell for all students in 2022 (the most recent statistics available), with Pasifika and Māori students experiencing larger declines in achievement.

Housing

Unaffordable housing and homelessness continue to haunt people on low incomes. A combination in the slowing number of new housing consents and record high inward migration means housing supply is once again falling behind what is needed to meet the large population growth of the past year.

Rents in lower-income communities are rising faster than overall inflation, and median house prices were increasing again by late 2023. These factors forced more people into housing need as the number waiting for government social housing increased again in 2023. Social housing supply has grown considerably— the past six years saw just under 14,000 additional social housing units added. But more than 25,000 are still needed.

Crime and Punishment

The level of reported and unreported crime has risen overall in the past year. Reported violent offences such as assault and family violence are increasing. Recent government strategies to counter family violence have led to more reporting and more police and justice action.

Social Hazards

There were declines in per capita consumption of alcohol and in overall rates of hazardous drinking, with rates for Māori showing the biggest reduction. The indicators also showed lower rates of illicit drug use in 2023 and fewer convictions for supply or possession of illicit drugs. Gambling losses per capita increased to more than $1 billion this year, even as the number of pokie machines has continued to reduce. Signs of financial hardship, such as KiwiSaver hardship withdrawals, were on the increase.

Work and Incomes

High levels of employment continued during 2023, but towards the latter part of the year unemployment began to rise again. There is evidence of reducing

Above: Dr Gina Colvin-Ruwhui (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou), pou arahi ki Ōtautahi (Māori cultural advisor in Christchurch), delivered the Māori Wellbeing section of the presentation in Wellington.

income and wage inequality, but gender and ethnic earning inequities are not closing fast enough. Although fewer households were reporting in mid-2022 that they didn’t have enough income to meet daily needs, higher inflation since then has been putting more pressure on low-income households. Food insecurity for households with children increased in 2023.

Territorial Welcome to Cadets

It was with a sense of community and excitement that cadets of the Keepers of the Covenant session were welcomed to Booth College of Mission (BCM) on Saturday 27 January. Cadets Elina Palu, Sateki Palu, Rose Hotene and their children received a warm greeting from friends, family and fellow Salvationists as they entered the chapel. Following the presentation of The Salvation Army salute to Commissioners Mark and Julie Campbell, the candidates took their seats on the stage adorned with tapa cloth. Envoy Anihera Carroll, pou arahi (Māori cultural advisor) at BCM, opened the ceremony with a karakia, praying that the new cadets would be strengthened by God and be true keepers of the covenant. Territorial Candidates Secretary Captain Shane Healy then officially welcomed the cadets to the college.

For the full story, go to saltmagazine.org.nz

The Gift of Housing

A new Salvation Army housing development in Hamilton Kirikiriroa does more than provide families with housing. It also speaks to the difference that donations can make in the lives of others. Stable housing is one of the most important things for wellbeing and success—yet it’s something many Kiwi lack. A new Salvation Army development is helping provide Kiwi families with a warm, dry and safe place to live. The development, in the Nawton area of Hamilton Kirikiriroa, encompasses 31 units. The first 10 units have been completed, with tenants moving in before Christmas last year. The other 21 units are expected to be completed and ready for tenants by April. Director of Social Housing and Property Greg Foster says the units are made with structured integrated panels (SIP), which have particularly good insulation. This means the units—which also have heat pumps and double glazing—are warm and dry.

For the full story, go to saltmagazine.org.nz

All that Brass

Over Waitangi weekend, around 100 people from across the country met at the Silverstream Retreat in Lower Hutt for Band Camp 2024! Brass players aged from 10 to 30 from Just Brass programmes, corps (church) bands and the auditioned members of the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa youth band spent the weekend learning, laughing, rehearsing, bowling, eating, chatting and connecting—all culminating in a concert on Tuesday morning. They were privileged to host and share this time with Stephen Stein, former bandmaster and executive officer, who split himself between the youth and academy bands; he also shared his testimony at Nite Church on Sunday.

For the full story, go to saltmagazine.org.nz

Linwood Corps Camp

Linwood Corps has a history of corps camps—35 years of history to be exact. Leadership team member Wayne Derham reports in his unique style on the highlights from this year’s camp and gives readers an overview of all past camps, all faithfully attended by himself and his parents, Iris and Rodney Derham.

Read the full article at saltmagazine.org.nz

Cholera Outbreak in Zimbabwe and Zambia

Following one of the worst outbreaks of cholera in Eastern and Southern Africa for many years, affecting 13 countries within the region, The Salvation Army is currently responding to the situation in Zimbabwe and Zambia. According to UNICEF, ‘as of 15 January 2024, more than 200,000 cases, including over 3000 deaths, have been reported’. In Zimbabwe, the cholera outbreak started in 2023. The report from UNICEF states that ‘more than 20,000 cases have been reported across all 10 provinces, with more than 400 suspected and confirmed deaths’. WHO Zimbabwe reports that ‘in the week ending 14 January 2024, a total of 1875 new suspected cholera cases were reported from nine provinces. This shows a 27.3 percent increase from 1473 cases reported in the previous week.’ Neighbouring Zambia is also experiencing a worrying increase in cholera diagnoses. Over 14,900 cases have been recorded in the country along with 560 deaths, putting almost 20 million people at risk. IFRC writes: ‘31 percent of the cases are in children under five years old.’

For the full story, go to tinyurl.com/CholeraTSA24

Looking for more news?

General Lyndon

Buckingham’s Easter message will be available online from Monday 25 March 2024 at salvationarmy.org.nz/ GenEaster24

Read the latest news online at saltmagazine.org.nz

Official Engagements

Commissioners Mark (Territorial Commander) and Julie Campbell (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries)

29 February–11 March: Tenth anniversary of Vava’u Corps and installation of Tonga Regional Leaders, Tonga Region

12 Mar: Auckland Area Officers Leaders Day

18–22 March: General’s Consultative Council, Sunbury Court, UK (Mark only)

28–31 March: Easter at Waihi Corps

Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary)

16–17 March: Napier Corps visit

Lt-Colonel Liz Gainsford (Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development)

28 March–2 April: Samoa visit (Easter)

Gazette Summary

To read the full version of Gazette notices, visit saltmagazine.org.nz/gazette

Bereavement: Frances (Fran) Profner, the sister of Major Shirley Kilgour was promoted to Glory in Auckland on 16 January 2024, aged 77 years. We ask you to uphold Majors Shirley and Ian Kilgour and extended family members in your prayers in this time of grief and loss.

John Wordsworth passed away on 7 February 2024, aged 69 years. John and his wife Linda were officers of The Salvation Army from 1991 through 2005. Please uphold Linda and family in prayer at this time of grief and loss.

Marion Willis, the grandmother of Lieutenant Ben Willis, passed away on 9 February 2024, in Australia. We ask you to uphold Lieutenants Ben and Jesse Willis, along with other family members in your prayers during this time of grief and loss.

Riel Du Toit, the father of Auxiliary Captain Tiana Henderson, passed away in Heidelberg, South Africa, on Wednesday 14 February 2024, aged 85 years. We ask you to uphold Auxiliary Captains Tiana and Neil Henderson and their extended family in your prayers at this time of grief and loss.

International Appointments: Effective 01 April 2024, Commissioners

Robert and Janine Donaldson are appointed pro tem as territorial leaders of the Zimbabwe and Botswana Territory until 31 May 2024. Effective 01 March 2024: Captains Anna and Augustine Danagi, currently serving in the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory, are appointed to serve in the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory as corps officers, Raiwai Corps (Fiji).

Promotion: Effective 25 January 2024: Major Ian Gainsford has been promoted to the rank of Lt–Colonel.

7 th day of

Please join us online for a 45 minute prayer meeting, starting at 7pm NZDT

This will include a short welcome, Scripture, prayer topics and time for people to pray (open-mic style).

To participate in the prayer meetings, visit salvationarmy.org.nz/praying-together

SALVATIONISTS IN HISTORY

A Stitch in Time

Salvationist Nola Bradwell (nee Carrington), born in 1918 and died in 1998, was married to well-known author and educator Cyril Bradwell. Together, as a retirement task, Nola worked with Cyril to establish The Salvation Army Archive collections; preparing the archival items that would eventually be housed at Plowman Resource Centre. This three-part series is from the book titled: The crafts of cloth, needle and thread: Nola’s story, written by her daughter Helen May.

Nola was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in 1978 and retired from Calvary Hospital, but with chemotherapy, periodic radiation and times of remission, she embarked on a new project working alongside my father in The Salvation Army Archive. This combined her tailoring, seamstress and mending skills and her love of order, display and arrangement. Nola’s health was not robust, but for almost twenty years and, at times, several days each week, she was collating, cataloguing and repairing a growing collection of historic Salvation Army uniforms and the paraphernalia of old badges, trims, bonnets, caps, textiles, artefacts and photos. This work became the highlight of Nola’s long career [as recorded] in The crafts of cloth, needle and thread. The documented footprint of her work is, nevertheless, light by comparison with Cyril’s archiving and historical writings.

Establishing a Salvation Army archive had been a concern of my father since researching his MA thesis, awarded in 1950, on the history of The Salvation Army in New Zealand. The idea of an archive was first seeded in discussions with Commissioner Alfred Gilliard in the 1960s. In 1975 Commissioner Ernest Elliott established The Salvation Army Historical Trust, chaired by Cyril with Captain Laurence Hay as secretary, who had recently completed a postgraduate library qualification. The story of Laurence and Cyril’s establishment of a functioning and funded archive and research centre that was both appropriately housed

and staffed is recounted in Cyril’s book Touched with Splendour (2002). There is a brief, albeit fulsome, mention of Nola’s work in Cyril’s account. Laurence similarly acknowledged that ‘Nola’s contribution to the establishment of the archive was certainly of major significance in both quantity and quality.’

The Salvation Army’s archival documents and artefacts had been stored ad-hoc in the old Officer Training College in Aro Street, Te Aro, along with the old uniforms, bonnets and caps mainly used by cadet officers for dramatic tableaux. This misuse had caused damage and loss. In 1987 (now) Major Laurence and Major Margaret Hay were appointed to the college, with Laurence also designated as the Salvation Army’s first official archivist. After acquiring temporary space near the Cuba Street Territorial Headquarters (THQ), work began on cataloguing and sorting both the stored and new material that began to arrive. For both Nola and Cyril, working with Laurence and later Lt-Colonel Moira Wright, the archives became a shared and fulfilling retirement occupation, alongside Cyril’s ongoing historical research and writings.

There is no record of Nola’s work at the archive except the physical collection itself. However, in surviving (and mainly undated) letters written to me when I was living in Hamilton between 1984 and 1995, Nola frequently mentions that she had been working at the archive but gives little detail about what she was doing, and I regret that I did not ask her to record more.

Print copy can be purchased for $10.00 by sending an email to: archives@salvationarmy.org.nz; or print for free from the Archives website: archives. salvationarmy.org.nz/our-publications

Helping When It’s Hard

It’s human nature to want to avoid doing hard things. When we reflect on the times we’ve worked through challenges, we can see how those experiences have helped us to become more patient, flexible and resilient. These are qualities we want to grow in our children too, but as parents and caregivers, witnessing our children face challenges can be tough. The urge to step in and handle it for them may be strong but, in doing so, we deprive them of the chance to learn, grow and discover their own capabilities. Our children, just like us, learn to do hard things by doing hard things.

There are many ways we can support our children to face and embrace challenge. Here are a few ways to get started:

· Children learn by observing and then taking action. When they see adults tackling challenging tasks, they learn that facing difficulties is a normal part of life and they realise that they can do hard things too.

· Provide your child with opportunities to undertake challenging tasks at home, such as unpacking the dishwasher or setting the table. Express your belief in their ability to complete the task and resist the temptation to redo their efforts.

· Establish realistic expectations regarding what your child can and cannot do. You understand your child’s abilities and limitations including their capacity to handle challenges. Jump in and offer a hand when it gets too hard, while also recognising that most struggles are temporary.

· Be intentional about giving your child a safe place to make mistakes and to fail. Acknowledge their feelings, ‘I can see you are frustrated with…’, and when they are ready support them to begin again.

· Pray with your child for God’s presence and strength as they approach challenges. Remind them that God never leaves us alone and wants to help us when things feel hard.

Easter Word Search

Can you find these 20 Easter words in the grid below?

The words could be forward, backward, up, down or diagonal (in either direction). Happy hunting!

HUNT

HOP JESUS RENEWAL RESURRECTION SPICES SUNDAY

What day does an Easter egg hate the most?

How does the Easter Bunny stay in shape?

Fry-day

Lots of eggs-ercise!

Eggs

You will need

• Two tall glasses

• Warm water

• Salt

• 2 raw eggs

Method

• Fill each glass halfway with warm water.

• Leave one glass with plain water.

• In the second glass add 8–10 teaspoons of salt and stir.

• Carefully place one raw egg in each glass and look at what happens to the eggs.

Floating Bouncing

Easter Eggs

You will need

• A raw egg

• Vinegar

• Food colouring

Method

• Place a raw egg in a glass or a bowl.

• Add enough vinegar to cover the egg entirely.

• Add a few drops of food colouring.

• Leave the egg for 24 hours. If the shell hasn’t dissolved in 24 hours, change for fresh vinegar and leave for another 24 hours.

• Take the egg out of the vinegar and gently rinse it under a cold tap.

• You now have a bouncing egg!

‘Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”.’

Matthew 19:26

Read: In this verse Jesus had just spoken to a rich man who had asked him what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus asked the man to do a hard thing, to give up his money. The man chose not to do this and walked away from Jesus. Jesus then told his disciples that what feels impossible for us as humans is completely possible with God.

Careful! Theeggmaybe bouncy,butit’s still delicate!

Think: When Jesus died on Good Friday, his disciples were very sad. Then God did something surprising. He raised Jesus to life again! Through the Easter story God shows us that nothing is impossible for him. Think about the times when things in your life felt impossible and then became possible.

Pray: Father God, thank you that you have made a way for us to live with you forever through what Jesus did for us at Easter. Please remind us that when things feel hard, we can always come to you and ask you for help.

Do: Have fun being a scientist and try the impossible Easter ‘eggs’periments on this page.