10a by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

Est 1879 No 7033

Pam has presented ‘Songs of Praise’ for 24 years

FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULS

1 October 2011

20p/25c

salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

STILL ON

S NG

PAM RHODES TELLS WHY ‘SONGS OF PRAISE’ IS STILL POPULAR AFTER 50 YEARS by PHILIP HALCROW

VIEWERS have been tuning into Songs of Praise for 50 years because Songs of Praise is in tune with them, according to Pam Rhodes. Speaking to The War Cry about the BBC TV programme, which was first broadcast 50 years ago today (Saturday 1 October), the presenter says: ‘Songs of Praise connects with people.’ Tomorrow the programme celebrates its half-century in an hour-long special recorded at Alexandra Palace and featuring Turn to page 3

BBC/EMILIE SANDY

War Cry THE

NEWS

The War Cry 1 October 2011

G21 USERS ASK FOR PRAYERS

ARTIST MAKES CATHEDRAL ART

Stop and stair at St Paul’s

Mobile service aims to connect THE Salvation Army in Yorkshire has launched a mobile text and internet service which provides users with prayers and inspirational messages. People who sign up for the free text service can make prayer requests and receive confidence-boosting messages once a week. A website also offers users the chance to explore prayer and to read and write faith stories. The service, named G21, was developed by The Salvation Army in Goldthorpe. John Pawson with his work ‘Perspectives’ Neil Mayne, G21 mobile manager, says the ethos of the service is to offer people an ‘arm’s YOUR prayers are requested for length’ connection to Janice, who suffers from anxiety God that does not require and depression. the commitment of church attendance. The War Cry ‘The service is not JUDGES awarded The Salvation Army invites readers to about preaching the third prize in the Local Trade Exhibit send in requests for Christian faith but giving category at the Royal County of people the opportunity to prayer, including the Berkshire Show. The church’s marquee seek prayer or answer names of individuals – which offered free drinks and snacks some of life’s questions and details of their – was described as one of the if they want to,’ he circumstances. friendliest at the two-day show. Major explains. Send your requests Iain Hudson, leader of Reading Central Captain Chris Lee, to PRAYERLINK, Salvation Army, said: ‘It’s our first one of the leaders of time here and we have been jamThe War Cry, Goldthorpe Salvation packed with visitors. We’ve enjoyed 101 Newington Army, says that the meeting members of the public, Causeway, London service is not intended to sharing a coffee with them and telling replace church but to be SE1 6BN. them about the work of The Salvation an addition to it. Mark your envelope Army in the community.’ For more information ‘Confidential’. visit g-21-mobile.com

AN art installation at St Paul’s Cathedral is giving visitors a new perspective on the building’s architecture. Minimalist artist John Pawson has placed a concave Swarovski crystal lens on a larger reflective surface at the foot of the cathedral’s geometric staircase and suspended a convex mirror from the cupola. The optical equipment works together to create a composite view up through the tower. The artist says that the work, Perspectives, gives visitors the chance to focus ‘on a less familiar element’ of Sir Christopher Wren’s building. The Rev Canon Mark Oakley of St Paul’s Cathedral comments that the installation encourages visitors ‘to observe the geometric staircase of the cathedral with a deepened focus. CENTRE PROVIDES BIKE SERVICE Like the spiritual life itself, here we are invited to look within in order to see out with greater clarity A SALVATION Army centre for and wonder.’ men and women who have been homeless has opened a cycle The installation sales and service shop. will be in place until Recycles is staffed by residents January.

Salvation Army makes its marquee

PRAYERLINK

Perspectives by John Pawson for Swarovski Crystal Palace ©GILBERT McCARRAGHER

Cycle facility gets going

ARTIST MAKES IT BIG p8

PLUS

MEDIA/COMMENT p6

ADRIAN PRIOR-SANKEY

THIS ISSUE:

of Booth House, Swindon, who have been professionally trained to repair and service bicycles. They also sell refurbished bikes and offer advice on clubs, events and cycle routes. Brian Gibbs, the manager of Booth House, says: ‘We started Recycles to help people rebuild their lives while providing a service and resource to the community. We show people a way back into work and let them realise their full potential.’

Staff member Josh gets to grips with a bike at Recycles

GARDENING p7

PUZZLES p12

INNER LIFE p13

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

p14

RECIPES p15

1 October 2011 The War Cry

3 BBC

From page 1 contributions from soul artist Beverley Knight, country musician LeAnn Rimes and classical music’s Andrea Bocelli and Katherine Jenkins – as well as a congregation of 7,000 people singing hymns such as ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’. But Pam believes that Songs of Praise strikes the right note by broadcasting not only songs but also stories. Members of church congregations who appear on the programme talk about their lives and faith. ‘A lot of viewers switch on for the hymns,’ she says, ‘but actually what they remember are the people who speak with such generosity and candour. The audience at home hear the members of the congregation talking about a bereavement or another challenging situation and they connect with it.

Pam Rhodes says hymns are powerful

Hymns can help us get through life ‘One of the things I’ve always admired about Songs of Praise is that it’s inclusive. If someone speaks from the heart about, for instance, a bereavement, viewers can connect with that experience whether they have a Christian faith, another faith or no faith.’ Pam, who has presented more of the programme’s 2,000-plus editions than anyone else, has interviewed many people about the highs and lows of their lives. ‘Over the years, I’ve sometimes wondered why people choose to talk about very difficult and personal circumstances for an audience of millions,’ she says, ‘but I’ve discovered that they do it

because they believe it will help others who are going through the same dark tunnels that they were. ‘Interviewees often speak about how their faith has been shaken. I am pleased that they do talk, because many people find themselves in that situation, especially when things are difficult. But they also always talk about how, in the end, faith has taken a place in their lives again.’ In her 24 years of presenting the programme, Pam has been affected by the people she has met. ‘They describe how prayer has made a huge difference to them. If I had any doubts before I started presenting

BBC/EMILIE SANDY

Songs of Praise, my own faith has been enhanced a million times by listening to the experiences of other people.’ She has also been touched by the songs. ‘I have stood in so many churches and cathedrals and have sung all styles of music, and there has never been one occasion I haven’t enjoyed. I love hymns. They are powerful. The feelings of the writer – whether they lived 3,000 years ago or today – echo our own feelings at various times in our lives. ‘Hymns can help us get through life. When you can’t find the right words in prayer, the words of a hymn attached to a piece of music in your memory bank can fill the gaps.’ For 50 years on Songs of Praise, congregations have been singing about God’s love and guidance in hymns and have been speaking about how they have experienced that love and guidance in their lives. Pam says: ‘It’s a lifeenhancing and faith-enhancing programme.’

4 The War Cry 1 October 2011

Teen author writes Library picture posed by models

greatest story T

ROSIE RUSHTON tells Claire Brine about her take on the Good Book

EENAGE fiction author Rosie Rushton has written more than 40 books. But, she says, her latest novel is the one that she has been ‘yearning to write for ever’. It is The Greatest Love The teenagers are changed by their Story Ever Told. ‘The story is about four teenagers on the fringes of society who followed Jesus,’ explains Rosie. ‘The Bible tells us that Jesus attracted huge crowds, but it reveals the actions of only a small number of his followers. I wanted to imagine what it might have been like for the people who were there watching him but whom we never read about.’ Rosie’s characters face problems which are experienced by many of today’s teenagers. Reuben struggles with a low self-esteem. Caleb is guilty about his past. Esther feels abandoned by her sister. And Seth is trying to make sense of life. ‘For whatever reason, they all feel as though they are not “good” people, but Jesus seeks them out anyway,’ Rosie says. ‘His love is there for the taking, and all they have to do is reach out for it.’

encounters with Jesus. But they discover that getting to know him does not lead to a life that is problem-free. Rosie says: ‘The gospel isn’t a magic wand. I wanted to get across to people that turning to Jesus is not like taking two spiritual painkillers that suddenly make everything perfect.’ As well as entertaining her readers, Rosie wants to make them think. She intersperses the story with Bible passages which correspond to the plot. And at the end of each chapter she poses questions. ‘I want people to enjoy the story but I also want them to ask themselves: “What has this got to do with me?” I hope peo-

His love is there for the taking, and all they have to do is reach for it

ple will learn from the Bible stories and see how they relate to their own lives.’ Rosie found some chapters unpleasant to write. Looking at Jesus’ crucifixion was, she says, harrowing. ‘It tore me apart. When I wrote about Jesus being flogged, I could smell the blood. I could see the torn flesh. I realised that Jesus didn’t have a switch that he could flick to avoid feeling pain. He suffered mental anguish and physical agony on the cross. ‘The depth of Jesus’ humanity kept hitting me. He got angry. He felt weary. But he still treated each person he met individually. He included everyone. He wasn’t a “holier-than-thou” person, yet his knife-edge message reached people in a way that they had never known before. ‘It also struck me that Jesus knows me inside out. Understanding that I am

1 October 2011 The War Cry

Understanding that I am an open book to Jesus can feel terrifying, but then I remember that he loves me anyway

an open book to him can feel terrifying, but then I remember that Jesus sees everything in me and loves me anyway. That is overwhelming.’ As well as learning about Jesus, Rosie learnt a thing or two about herself while writing the book. ‘I had to be honest with myself in order to make my characters realistic,’ she explains. ‘So I had to face up to the fact that I am flawed. At times I have been hypocritical. I acknowledged the desire that I sometimes have to run away from God or withhold what he wants from me. Reflecting on my flaws was a challenging process.’ But the challenge seems to have paid off. Rosie’s book was published only a few weeks ago, but she has already heard about it being read by individuals, in school assemblies, in breakfast clubs and in all-age church groups. She believes that the story’s appeal lies not in her own literary talent but the fact that the word of God is for everyone. ‘The Greatest Love Story Ever Told is about a love without conditions, a The War Cry has love that never ends. God’s love three copies of for us is so huge The Greatest Love that no word can Story Ever Told, accurately describe published by Kevin Mayhew, to it. We may hurt give away to readers who can God sometimes by answer the following question: our actions, but we What are the names of the can’t ruin his love. four teenage characters in It is far too robust Rosie’s book? for that. Send your answer on a ‘God’s love – which he shows us postcard to The Greatest Love through his Son, Story Ever Told Competition, Jesus – is beyond The War Cry, 101 Newington amazing.’

TEEN SPIRIT: Rosie Rushton has written a gospel for teenagers

CLAIRE BRINE

Causeway, London SE1 6BN or email your answer to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk with the subject line ‘The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Competition’. Include your name and address in your entry. Entries must be received by Monday 10 October. The senders of the first three correct entries drawn will receive a copy of the book. The Editor’s decision is final.

MEDIA

6 The War Cry 1 October 2011

Comment IN THE PRESS

Minister is a record-breaker

Thank you for the music IN the run-up to its 50th birthday today (Saturday 1 October), Songs of Praise was greeted by a chorus of approval. EastEnders actress June Brown, TV critic Mark Lawson, singer Katherine Jenkins and MPs Diane Abbott and Simon Hughes were among those who paid tribute to the BBC programme.

The money raised by Steve will go to the Oasis UK charity, which he set up to help people with housing, youth work and healthcare. Steve also set the records for raising the most money in a single marathon in 2005 and 2007.

the 1940 bombings by the Luftwaffe, reported The Daily Telegraph. The paper said that architects have spotted a crack measuring 6.5 feet in one of the building’s 700 year-old walls. An appeal to raise £250,000 to repair the damage has started.

Cleanliness above godliness?

CINEMA

Surfer survives shark trauma with help of faith TALENTED teenage surfer Bethany Hamilton loses her arm in a shark attack, but God helps her get back on her feet and her board. That is the true story told in Soul Surfer, which has

Enticing Entertainment

Moved

been released in cinemas. At the start of the film, churchgoing Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) has a happy Hawaiian life full of sun and surf. She plans to make surfing her career. But one second at sea changes everything. While Bethany is out surfing, a 14-foot tiger shark attacks her, taking off her arm with one bite. Suddenly, Bethany’s dreams for the future are shattered. She maintains her faith in God, but questions him. ‘How can this be God’s will for me?’ she sobs. ‘I don’t understand.’ Her church youth leader replies: ‘I don’t know why terrible things happen sometimes, but I have to believe that something good will come out of it.’ When a tsunami hits Thailand, Bethany discovers a new perspective to life. She travels to the country with a church group to take aid to the devastated areas. While there, she finds her purpose – to encourage those facing adversity AnnaSophia Robb plays Bethany never to give up.

Library picture posed by models

A SURVEY has revealed that mothers value personal hygiene more than religion in their child’s upbringing, reported the Daily Mail. According to the survey, 77 per cent of women said that keeping their child clean was the most important part of raising them, whereas only 16.6 per cent of parents believe that faith is of utmost importance. Dr Werner Jeanrond, Professor of Divinity at Glasgow University, has urged parents not to overlook religion. ‘I am delighted that people pay … attention to keep their bodies clean,’ she said. ‘It is my hope that they may be equally engaged in nurturing their relationships … with God.’

More than one of them spoke of how it bridged a gap. ‘My two grandmothers were both churchgoers,’ said Mark Lawson. ‘In later years they couldn’t go to church because of frailty, and they watched Songs of Praise – we can say this literally, in a rare example – religiously.’ Katherine Jenkins says that it gives people the opportunity to be ‘a part of’ something from their homes. Presenter Pam Rhodes believes that Songs of Praise complements what churches do. She also thinks that the stories told by members of church congregations during the programme – stories of the effect that faith has had on their lives – are what viewers often remember.

Viewers are intrigued by the experiences of people who have felt guided by God to alter the course of their lives. They are touched by the stories of people in trying times whose faith has been shaken but ultimately restored. As Songs of Praise demonstrates, songs can be part of the story. Music of various genres affects everybody’s life. For centuries, spiritual music has moved people who follow the words of Jesus – and even those who do not. Singing or hearing about an ‘amazing grace’, a ‘love divine’ or a ‘help of the helpless’ who will ‘abide with me’ can bridge the gap between us and God. The number of people who have felt closer to God because of hymns is uncountable. The influence Songs of Praise has had on viewers – regular or casual – is immeasurable.

BAPTIST minister and marathon runner Steve Chalke’s feat of setting a fundraising world record for the third time was reported in The Sun. The minister collected £2.3 million in sponsorship for completing April’s London Marathon. His achievement has been recognised by Guinness World Records.

THE ruins of the old I Coventry Cathedral are at risk of collapsing as a result of

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

1 October 2011 The War Cry

Orchard planters have core values

AUTUMN’S natural firework display is once again in full swing. If we look around us, we can see the stunning colours provided by trees. But trees are more than just a pretty sight. They play vital roles in the environment. One of the Government’s latest green initiatives is to encourage the planting of community orchards. Orchards have suffered a steep decline in the UK over the past few decades. Moves are now under way to tackle it. Pots of funding are available to nonprofit-making community groups that are willing to plant new mini-orchards across the country. As well as supplying

a welcome fruit harvest, the trees will provide vital shelter and homes for wildlife and will support ecosystems in their own right. As most fruit trees are by LEE SENIOR now on dwarf rootstock, even relatively small areas are suitable for planting. A street, church, school or even a playgroup can take part in the scheme, as long as the landowner has given permission. But before they plant community orchards, groups need to ensure that they will continue to look after HARDY chrysanthemums are perhaps the trees long after overshadowed by the half-hardy varieties grown they have been planted. for showing and cutting. However, they can provide wonderful late-summer colour at the back of the border. Chrysanthemum ‘Tapestry Rose’, for instance, grows up to a metre tall and has wonderful multistemmed bunches of flowers which last into early winter. It is also great for cutting, as are all hardy chrysanths. Simply cut back stems down to the ground in December, and Cut down divide the clumps every three Reduce th s e asparagu pent your gras frequency of years for renewed vigour. s foliage to s p re vent rot and lift th -cutting now For something more compact, eh to the cro and damage m ower blad eight of the wn over w try the Korean hybrid types, inter. y our lawn a es. Scarify which are about half the height bald or m nd replace o of others. Colours range from with turf c ssy patches ut to size. white through pink to shades of red.

Chrysanths for colour

and don’t forget…

Asparagus

Lawns

Fruit Plant new canes this raspberry along with month, bare-roote new and soft fr d fruit trees uit bushes .

Tomatoes

Tomatoes greenhou in the s almost re e will be aching th e end of the ir and all foli lives, a be strippe ge should d the plants from remaining to allow fruit to rip en.

Gather fa ll mould. If en leaves to turn in you run th to leaf e ﬁrst, they will rot mo mower over them be ready to re quickly improver use as a wonderf and will u in 12 mon ths’ time. l soil

Library picture posed by model

Leaves

8 The War Cry 1 October 2011

e s p y l a c o p

‘P

EOPLE come into the exhibition and say, “Wow!” – the paintings are such a spectacle,’ says Anna Austen, the curatorial assistant for the John Martin: Apocalypse exhibition at Tate Britain, London. ‘They are so vast and their panoramic views compel people.’ John Martin first wowed crowds with his biblical epics and other large-scale works when he came into the frame in the early 19th century, even if the art establishment was not always so impressed. Anna outlines the painter’s place in British art. ‘When he was painting in the 19th century, he was exhibited at the Royal Academy alongside Turner and other key figures in British art at the time. But, although he exhibited at the Royal Academy, he was never part of the academy – he was stuck on the sidelines. He was thought to be too popular, too commercial to be seen alongside

ANNA AUSTEN tells Philip Halcrow about John Martin and an exhibition of biblical proportions

‘John Martin on his Deathbed’, by Charles Martin, 1854 Laing Art Gallery

1 October 2011 The War Cry

Tate

Turner. That has remained the case over the years. ‘John Martin’s work toured all round the country and abroad, but by the early 20th century he had completely fallen from favour. His work was being sold for only a few pounds. ‘Exhibitions in the 1950s and 1970s led to some of his work being brought to light again and re-evaluated, but he has never really been thought to be alongside the major 19th-century artists. ‘We are not inclined to say that he should be considered alongside them either, but we want to show that he is a very interesting artist. We want to look at why he was so popular and why he drew the common man to his art.’

ohn Martin was born in 1789 in a small village in Northumberland. His family moved to Newcastle upon Tyne, where he became an apprentice to a coachbuilder and learnt how to paint heraldry on coaches. But he left his apprenticeship before he received his indentures. He took drawing lessons from an Italian artist in Newcastle and then

John Martin’s ‘The Great Day of His Wrath’, 1851–53

moved to London to work in painting glass and ceramics. Anna speculates that such a background may have played a part in his being given the brush-off by the art establishment of his day. ‘Possibly because he came from Northumberland, he didn’t have so much access to the Royal Academy. He was never trained in the Royal Academy schools. Turner, who became a Royal Academy member, had humble beginnings too, but he was living in London and had the early access to important fine art establishments that Martin never had. ‘Martin was trained as an artisan and was always seen by the critics as not quite good enough. His technique wasn’t thought to be good enough – he used rulers quite a lot and he would use the effects that he learnt as a ceramic painter.’ But, although he never made it as a member, John Martin did exhibit his work at the Royal Academy. And his big breakthrough came with a big painting hung there. ‘His first major success was Sadak in

He was trained as an artisan and was always seen by the critics as not quite good enough

Search of the Waters of Oblivion in 1812, which brought him his first notice in the papers,’ says Anna. ‘It is quite an unusual painting. The subject is taken from an oriental fantasy book. The book was popular but it seemed quite daring as the subject of a painting when most people were choosing classical or biblical scenes. ‘Also, it is a landscape but he painted it in portrait format. It is very large and whereas most landscapes featured greens and browns, it was strikingly red, which would have stood out against the green walls of the academy.’

ohn Martin then began making it big with some biblical epics. Belshazzar’s Feast is based on a scene in the Book of Daniel, in which the prophet interprets God’s judgment of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, which has appeared as writing on the wall. ‘Martin was doing something different from what people were used to,’ says Anna. ‘It’s another very red

Turn to next page

10 The War Cry 1 October 2011

From page 9

It was so popular that they had to put a barrier up to stop the crush of people

painting. It’s a biblical scene on a vast scale. The colonnades give a deep perspective. It’s stunning in a huge, over-the-top manner. When it was put on show at the British Institution, it was so popular that they had to put a barrier up to stop the crush of people.’ Martin produced prints of a smaller version of the painting and they too sold in big numbers. He painted other dramatic biblical works, including The Great Day of His Wrath, The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, The Last Judgment and The Fall of Babylon. Why did he choose to paint such scenes? Anna offers her judgment: ‘There are varying thoughts on this. Lots of people say that he must have been a deeply spiritual, deeply religious person. ‘The question of his religious motivation is something that more recent art historians have asked – some people have assumed that he ‘The Fall was a millenarian, that he really of Babylon’, thought the end of the world was 1819

Private Collection

coming. But there is no evidence to suggest that is true. ‘During Martin’s career, the critics didn’t talk about his use of biblical subjects, because it did not seem unusual. What seemed unusual to the critics, what they complained about, was only that his paintings were too blue or too red. ‘One way of looking at it is that the Bible was something that everybody knew. Everybody knew these stories, so using them was a way of appealing to the broad public. They

would know what was going on in the paintings, although John Martin produced pamphlets to help people identify the figures. ‘They also gave him the chance to paint on a grand scale.

‘O

ther people were painting biblical scenes at the time, so Martin wasn’t painting anything unusual – what was unusual

1 October 2011 The War Cry 11 Private Collection/Photo©Christie’s Images/The Bridgeman Art Library

was the scale on which he was doing it, as well as his painterly effects and his setting of these tiny figures in enormous landscapes. ‘I think he was being clever. He quickly realised that the big apocalyptic paintings chimed with the public at the time, so he continued to make them. He sold prints of his work in America and Australia, so he had a global appeal.’ It is possible, says Anna, that John Martin’s apocalyptic paintings may have ‘chimed’ with people because of concerns of the day. ‘There were ideas that London was like Babylon. People saw industrialisation going on and looked on it as a bad thing. Perhaps there was a sense of crisis.

‘M

aybe some people really did believe that the end of the world was coming, but I don’t think Martin was of that mind.’ John Martin’s influence did not

Martin’s ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’, 1820, which crowds ﬂocked to see

end with his death in 1854. Anna says that his visions can be detected in the early days of cinema in the look of D. W. Griffith’s 1916 epic film Intolerance, which interweaved a modern story with historical and biblical scenes, including one of

Belshazzar’s feast. The exhibition also considers how he has affected gaming and science fiction. John Martin continues to be a crowd pleaser. Anna says that The Great Day of His Wrath ‘is one of the most popular works in the Tate collection, and when it comes off show people are really disappointed. So there must be something in Martin’s work that still appeals to people even at a time when you wouldn’t necessarily think biblical paintings would be popular.’

G John Martin: Apocalypse runs at Tate Britain until 15 January

PUZZLEBREAK

12 The War Cry 1 October 2011

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to ﬁnd these favourite hymns

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 Solution on page 15

WORDSEARCH

SUDOKU

S D L E I F E H T H G U O L P E W T O O I T

L N E K O R B S A H G N I N R O M O A L H O

N E E S B T I F J O Y T O T H E W O R L D I

ABIDE WITH ME AMAZING GRACE AND CAN IT BE AT THE NAME OF JESUS BE THOU MY VISION

QUICK CROSSWORD

F O R A L L T H E S A I N T S Y O D O F O L

A S S O R C E H T H G I H T F I L B T G I A

N R I R L L L S E N U R F O E U O E U H Y T

T O I H A N D N S N T D A H B H V T T B B D

H L T I A M N L T E A E I U D H E H I E H R

O F S Y T A A F H E D M R A N S D E N W H M

L T T H R E E Z G T M A E D L H I G A E W E

Y A W T I G F E I O L H S O S S V L I O H Y

BLESSED ASSURANCE FAIREST LORD JESUS FOR ALL THE SAINTS GOD BE IN MY HEAD HOW GREAT THOU ART INFANT HOLY JOY TO THE WORLD LIFT HIGH THE CROSS

I G I R S R I R N N Y A T S F N I O I T E E

I O L O B I L E T M G L L I U J N R A S B N

R T I W M G Y I N C U G O A W R E Y S T T U

R W Y E E A M I E E G O R B E E A S N U I F

G R S R A R E A L T O R D A D L D N U N N A

S A B A U B K H I M G A J O C N W I C S A A

M J H U D D A E S R T E E S O E N K B E C A

O D N O O F T A L G E T S T E H W E O A D K

K H G Y N E E B E T H O U M Y V I S I O N N

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Spanish rice dish 2. Used for climbing up or down 3. Leave on a journey 4. Not decline 5. Written text of a play or film 6. Erase

DOWN 2. Gaunt (7) 3. Make tea (4) 4. Savoured (6) 5. Likely (8) 6. Sensational (5) 7. Poverty-stricken (9) 9. Persist (9) 12. Lately (8) 15. Forsake (7) 16. Repulsive (6) 18. Sloping sharply (5) 20. Prohibit (4)

G A F R O C K O F A G E S O O L E V H A A N

LOVE DIVINE MORNING HAS BROKEN ROCK OF AGES SILENT NIGHT TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE TO GOD BE THE GLORY WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS YOU ARE WORTHY

HONEYCOMB

ACROSS 1. Display (7) 5. Tall steel framework (5) 7. Deviate (7) 8. Fragment (5) 10. Douse (4) 11. Confuse (8) 13. Really (6) 14. Delight (6) 17. Reeling (8) 19. Restaurant (4) 21. Upright (5) 22. Outstanding (7) 23. Overjoyed (5) 24. Fainted (7)

ANSWERS

I R T G A T T R A U O H T T A E R G W O H C

QUICK QUIZ 1. What was the name of the character played by Sigourney Weaver in the film Alien? 2. In the nursery rhyme, which finger did the fish bite? 3. In which Scottish city is Sauchiehall Street? 4. What alloy is made when tin is added to copper? 5. In medicine, what do the initials ENT mean? 6. What is an altocumulus?

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Exhibit. 5 Pylon. 7 Digress. 8 Scrap. 10 Soak. 11 Bewilder. 13 Indeed. 14 Please. 17 Unsteady. 19 Café. 21 Erect. 22 Overdue. 23 Happy. 24 Swooned. DOWN: 2 Haggard. 3 Brew. 4 Tasted. 5 Possible. 6 Lurid. 7 Destitute. 9 Persevere. 12 Recently. 15 Abandon. 16 Odious. 18 Steep. 20 Veto. QUICK QUIZ 1 Ripley. 2 This little finger on the right. 3 Glasgow. 4 Bronze. 5 Ear, Nose and Throat. 6 A type of cloud. HONEYCOMB 1 Paella. 2 Ladder. 3 Depart. 4 Accept. 5 Script. 6 Delete.

INNER LIFE

1 October 2011 The War Cry 13

A case of

To commemorate this year’s 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, PHILIPPA SMALE looks at some everyday expressions popularised by BOOK the translation

sour grapes

grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?’ (Ezekiel 18:2)

ATTITUDE: ‘sour grapes’ means despising something you can’t have

Library picture posed by model

MRS Harrington-Smythe was very annoyed. All her friends had received invitations to Lady Geraldine’s charity luncheon but she had not. After a week, even she couldn’t pretend that it must still be in the post. On the day of the luncheon, she phoned her daughter. ‘Of course, I would have refused the invitation anyway,’ she said. ‘Why on earth would you do that?’ her long-suffering daughter asked. ‘Everyone knows that the meal will be terrible. She buys cheap meat at the butcher’s, you know, and she doesn’t grow her own vegetables, though she has multiple gardeners. Besides, I don’t agree with the charity that she’s raising money for. There are far more deserving causes. In fact, I’m glad she didn’t invite me.’ ‘Classic case of sour grapes,’ her daughter thought as she counted to ten, before talking to her mother in as reasonable a tone as she could muster. Although ‘sour grapes’ has come to mean pretending to despise ‘What mean ye, something because you can’t have it that ye use this yourself, the way it is used in the proverb Bible is different, although it does concerning the have some parallels. Mrs Harrington-Smythe’s attitude land of Israel, is irritating her daughter. In the Book saying, The of Ezekiel, God quotes a proverb: fathers have ‘The parents eats sour grapes, and eaten sour the children’s teeth are set on edge’

PHRASE

(Ezekiel 18:2 New International to becoming a Christian. We have to Version). It means that children will be make the decision for ourselves. We punished for the actions of their can’t rely on what our parents believe parents. But God says that he does or on their behaviour. The choice is not work in that way. entirely up to us – because Jesus He goes on: ‘Everyone belongs to died for each of us as individuals. me, the parent as well as the child – CAN WE HELP? both alike belong to Just complete this coupon and send it to me. The one who The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, sins is the one who London SE1 6BN will die’ (18:4). Or, to put it another way, Please send me everyone will be Basic reading about Christianity held accountable for Information about The Salvation Army their own actions. Contact details of a Salvationist minister It is the same thing when it comes Name

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14 The War Cry 1 October 2011

A blackening ceremony hits the road

Blacken to the future? conﬂicts with the traditions of Christianity that have been handed down for generations. Others feel that faith belongs to the past and therefore bears little relevance to modern living. I beg to differ. Last Good Friday, while attending the Baptist church in Kirkwall, I watched the minister – ‘Don the Baptist’ – read the Bible from his mobile phone. I was reminded that our faith is based upon a living God who, though unchanging, is reachable in every age. God can be found on the internet as well as in ancient writings. That’s because the

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living God is not confined to an antique book but can be discovered whenever we seek after him with an open and sincere heart. More than 2,000 years ago, God said to a group of people: ‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13 New International Version). Traditional ways of doing things can give us good indications for worship and daily living. But they cannot take the place of a living God who longs to connect with humankind in every age. And if the old ways of trying to find God aren’t working, why not try the new technology. Those who seek will find.

In the Orcadian equivalent of a stag or hen night, the groom or bride-to-be is taken by friends and ‘blackened’. This means covering them in a mix of watered-down molasses, ﬂour and feathers, tying them to a chair and parading them around town on a ﬂatbed lorry, while their friends make as much noise as possible. Unfortunately, the police arrested the lorry driver over the safety of such a journey, although charges against him were dropped. It seems that modern life is increasingly clashing with the traditions of the past. Some feel that way about Christianity. They believe that 21st-century living

by CATHERINE WYLES

B LO

YOUNG men and women who are about to get married in Orkney look forward to the ‘blackening’ ceremony. But there was outrage earlier this year when police arrested someone during the tradition.

LVATION

WHAT’S COOKING? THE MAIN ATTRACTION

1 October 2011 The War Cry 15

Cinnamon chicken with couscous Ingredients: 4 British chicken breast fillets, skinless 250g couscous 50g sultanas Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tbsp plain flour ½ tsp ground cinnamon 200ml vegetable stock

FOR STARTERS

Chicken and pineapple kebabs Ingredients: 2 British skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into chunks 1tbsp vegetable oil 1tsp honey 1tbsp soy sauce Zest and juice of 1 lime 227g can pineapple chunks, in natural juice 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks Mini pitta breads or rice salad, to serve

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Method: To make the marinade, mix the oil, honey, lime zest and juice, soy sauce and 2tbsp of pineapple juice (from the can) in a shallow dish. Add the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Preheat the grill on a medium

setting. Thread the chunks of chicken, pepper and pineapple onto the skewers, then baste with the marinade and grill for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve the kebabs with the mini pitta bread or rice salad. Serves 4

2tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 oranges 150g sugar snap peas 2tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley Method: Place the couscous in a bowl, then pour 400ml boiling water over the top. Stir in the sultanas, then season to taste. Cover the bowl and leave the couscous to stand for 10 minutes. Mix the flour and cinnamon together, then use to dust the chicken breasts, along with the black pepper. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan and dry-fry the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Return the pan to the heat, add the stock, balsamic vinegar, the juice from 1 orange and 2tsp finely grated orange zest. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 5–6 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by half. Peel the remaining orange and cut into segments. Boil the sugar snap peas in water for 2 minutes, then drain. Add the chicken, sugar snap peas and orange segments to the sauce. Stir the couscous with a fork and add the parsley. Serve the chicken mixture on a bed of couscous. Serves 4 Recipes reprinted, with kind permission, from the Great British Chicken website greatbritishchicken.co.uk

IDENTITY CHECK A teenager is running for his life writes RENÉE DAVIS WHO am I? In Abduction – released at cinemas on Wednesday (28 September) – Nathan Harper (Taylor Lautner) asks that question. He goes from being a normal teenage boy, who parties with fake IDs, to undergoing a full-blown identity crisis while on the run.

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SURVIVAL: Nathan and Karen ﬂee for their lives

It is often during tough times that we find out more about who we are. We discover our strengths but also weaknesses, good but also bad. We may ask why things which are not our fault are pulling us back. On the other hand, we may be tempted to lash out and make life tough for others. In testing times it’s good to know our real

identity. But we don’t have to wait till then. The truth about ourselves is that we are valuable to God. If we put our trust in God, he forgives our failures; he strengthens us to deal well with testing times; he gives guidance so that, whatever happened in our past, we can learn from it and make the right choices for our future.

It’s good to know our real identity

The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army. Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Ltd, Bicester, Oxon. © Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army, 2011

Lionsgate

It appears that all-American Nathan has it all. Good friends, good parents, a nice house and a crush on the pretty girl across the street, Karen (Lily Collins). Taught boxing by his dad, and succeeding as a wrestler on the school team, Nathan is also known for his toughboy image. But underneath the exterior, he has never felt normal. At school, Nathan and Karen are assigned to work together on a missing persons project. As they scour the internet for resources, they stumble across an image of Nathan as a little boy who has been declared missing. Nathan searches for answers. He discovers that the people he thought were his parents aren’t. His whole life has been a lie made to cover up the truth. Nathan becomes the target of shadowy agents and assassins. He has something they want and need. Not entirely sure what he is fleeing or why, he goes on the run with the only person he can trust, Karen. As he tries to survive – and to protect Karen – more secrets about his life unfold.