War Cry THE
Est 1879 No 7031
FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULS
17 September 2011
salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry
20p/25c
WOULD THEY LIE TO YOU?
Soweto choir take it as gospel
Back page
Page 8
COMEDIAN MILTON JONES TALKS ABOUT HIS GODLY GAGS by PHILIP HALCROW MILTON JONES is delivering some divine comedy in a new book. ‘As a comedian, jokes are how I engage with the world,’ he tells The War Cry. ‘I am also a Christian. In this book those two things come together.’
In 10 Second Sermons the stand-up performer and Mock the Week panellist uses one-liners (and a few cartoons) to make observations about subjects such as Turn to page 3
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NEWS
The War Cry 17 September 2011
DROUGHT-HIT MALNOURISHED CHILDREN WERE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR
Mattresses and maize for Ugandans THE Salvation Army in Uganda has provided mattresses for malnourished children and their families who were sleeping on the floor of two health centres. The Magada and Nsinze clinics are being used by the Government to treat children during the country’s severe drought. The Red Cross and Unicef were providing food, but a Salvation Army assessment team learnt that people were having to sleep on the floor and that the clinics were suffering a lack of water, making good hygiene difficult. The team set about providing 200 mattresses, 200 jerrycans, 200 washbasins, 500 bars of soap and 100 jerrycans of liquid soap. Plans were being made to sink a borehole to ensure a constant supply of clean water. Staff in the health centres work day and night to look after more than 250 children, but ten children have died in the past few days. The Salvation Army says that the problem seen in the health centres is the tip of the iceberg. There are many malnourished children in the surA Salvation Army team distributes maize and beans rounding villages. In one village a Salvation Army worker met a young mother who said her FRANK DOBSON VISITS NORTH LONDON ‘LIFEHOUSE’ breast milk had run dry. Once a day she tried to feed her babies with porridge made of cassa- WHEN he visited Cambria ‘For years, I was stuck 98 per cent are still living va flour. It is not very House in Camden, North inside a bottle and couldn’t independently. nutritious, but it was all London, Frank Dobson, the get out. Coming here was a Mr Dobson said: ‘The that she could afford. Labour MP for Holborn and massive weight off my people who are staying here shoulders. I feel like I’ve think it’s a really good place. The worker encouraged St Pancras, heard how The been given a chance at life All the evidence is that if her to go with her chil- Salvation Army is helping now. Staff are supportive and people are given the dren to the nearby people who have lost their are helping me to get my opportunity to live or work health centre. In the homes and jobs. Cambria House is a confidence back.’ somewhere that is goodmeantime hers was one Salvation Army Lifehouse – a Of residents who have left quality, it’s an of more than 700 fami- social service centre – which over the past two years, encouragement to them.’ lies who received maize provides accommodation and and beans from The support to men who have Salvation Army. experienced unemployment YOUR prayers are requested for
THIS ISSUE: ALL CHANGE FOR MARK GODWIN p4
PLUS
MEDIA/COMMENT p6
and homelessness. Mr Dobson met one of them, Richard Allen, 38, who lost his job in the construction industry because of his heavy drinking and drug addiction. At Cambria House he is starting an IT course and health and safety training to help him get back to work. He says:
LIFESTYLE p7
PRAYERLINK
MP hears of homelessness help
PUZZLES p12
IN BRIEF MOBILE feeding units I from The Salvation Army provided round-the-clock support to firefighters battling wildfires in Texas. The teams working in the mobile kitchens provided emergency services personnel with drinks and snacks. Two people are known to have died in the fires and more than a thousand homes have been destroyed. EVANGELICAL Christians I are more likely to play an active role in their community
Gloria, who is grieving after the death of her two brothers; and for Jane, who has a tumour and is awaiting an operation. The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the names of individuals and details of their circumstances. Send your requests to PRAYERLINK, The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘Confidential’.
INNER LIFE p13
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
p14
than the average person, according to research published last week. An online survey of 1,151 evangelical Christians carried out by the Evangelical Alliance and Christian Research found that a quarter of respondents are trustees of a registered charity, compared with 2.2 per cent of people in the UK, and 9 per cent serve as school governors, compared with 0.7 per cent of people in England.
RECIPES p15
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I was trying to put my feelings into a memorable form From page 1 sin, the Bible, faith, Christmas and God. Milton finds that there is plenty to laugh about in Christianity. He writes: ‘Christianity is like a Cornish pasty. There’s something in it, but sometimes it’s difficult to find out what it is exactly.’ But he is also not afraid to mock the weak points in arguments against faith. Milton says that by writing the book – which was picked up by Christian publishers Darton, Longman and Todd – ‘I was trying to put my feelings into a form that was memorable. But I was trying to make a point as well.’ He believes comedy is a good way to tackle subjects such as faith and God. ‘If you can tickle and punch someone at the same time,’ he says, ‘it somehow makes attacking them more acceptable. People are desperate to laugh in churches. There is so much passive-aggressive behaviour, fear and tension. Also, Christians are battered by everyone else in society. That’s all part of our faith, but sharing a joke together reminds us that we’re part of a team. ‘I also like to think,’ he adds, ‘that in this small book the scapegoats bite back.’
Milton Jones is standing up for faith
So in the book he makes observations such as: ‘People think of the concept of sin as being repressive and restrictive. And it’s true – you can drive a car a lot faster if you have no brakes.’ Ultimately 10 Second Sermons acknowledges the limitations, the flaws and the failings that everyone experiences, but also covers the
Sharing a joke reminds us that we’re part of a team
love, joy and peace beyond understanding that God can give. We mess up – we are guilty of anger, jealousy, lust and greed. But it’s part of God’s routine to offer us forgiveness and an indescribable hope. As Milton writes on one page: ‘Salvation is like being returned to factory settings. But you have to admit there is a factory, and that there could be some settings.’ Milton wants such micro-sermons to prompt a reaction. ‘I hope that people laugh,’ he says. ‘I hope that people will like the book, that preachers quote it, that it makes a difference. And that maybe someone will pick it up and catch a glimpse of God in a new way.’
4 The War Cry 17 September 2011
God set me free from betting and booze
‘W
HEN I was younger, I thought The Salvation Army was quite odd,’ says former binge drinker and gambler Mark Godwin. ‘I used to go to its Sunday school and youth group in Cheltenham, and I played in the band. But when the band went carolling at Christmastime, I hid behind my instrument because I didn’t want my friends to see me wearing the funny uniform. I felt different from the other kids at school.’ Today, Mark has replaced his embarrassment with enthusiasm. He is so passionate about God that he wants to help others get to know him. Mark is training to become an officer, a full-time Christian minister in The Salvation Army. ‘I would never have chosen this path, but it feels good to be where I believe God wants me,’ he says. ‘I feel a sense of adventure in being a Christian. If you follow God, you’re never really sure what’s round the corner.’ Mark speaks from experience. Before he became a Christian, he struggled with binge drinking and a gambling addiction. The problems started in his teens. ‘I became increasingly interested in sports, drink and girls, so I started to drift away from my Salvation Army church,’ he says. ‘I realised that I was professing one thing but doing the opposite. For example, I’d play in the band but I would still be smelling of last night’s alcohol. So I dropped out.’
MARK GODWIN tells Claire Brine how his life changed Mark went to Cardiff University to read economics. As well as working hard, he liked to play hard. Especially on the fruit machines. ‘So much of my money went on gambling,’ he says. ‘Waiting for the next big win was a buzz. At weekends, I also drank excessively.’ After finishing university, Mark went home to his parents. They were preparing to go away for the weekend to help at a Salvation Army youth group event. To get out of looking after the dog, Mark decided to go with them. He was surprised by what he encountered. ‘The youth group had changed since I had last been. It was larger in
Waiting for the next big win was a buzz
number and people seemed to have a deeper relationship with God. I started to wonder if I could know such faith myself. ‘During the weekend I met Alison, who was a Christian. We became a couple, and I started going to church more. But deep down I felt as though I was still going through the motions. I continued to drink and gamble.’ Mark and Alison married. They had children. For the next few years they continued to attend The Salvation Army. But Mark’s problems with alcohol and gambling were getting worse. ‘Then one day I decided to have it out with God. I said: “If you’re real, I need to see you. I’ll give you 100 per cent of my life, but you need to show me you’re there.”
‘F
rom that time onwards I started to say “yes” to God more. I attended a Christian weekend for men and felt God prompt me to confess my addictions to Alison. I decided I was going to come clean with her. I felt this huge weight lift off my shoulders.’ Mark did not know how Alison would take
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his news, although he felt that God would make everything OK. But when he was driving home, all was not well. ‘My stomach was churning and gradually it got worse. My friend and I pulled over and I fell out of the car on to my hands and knees. I called for Jesus to help me, and my friend was also praying. Then I saw what looked like a vapour come out of my mouth and disappear into the tarmac. Suddenly I felt different. Free. It was as though I had been delivered from my addictions. I was elated and went home full of faith in God.’
M
ark found that he was able to give up gambling and drinking – something he had tried to do before but failed. But telling Alison was not easy. ‘I told her all the things I had done wrong. It was difficult on our marriage. But we worked through it.’ Mark was a changed man. He could not get enough of God. ‘I had this great love for God and people,’ he says. ‘I started taking on leadership positions at church. In time, the idea of becoming a Salvation Army officer seemed like a natural step. I knew that Alison had always wanted to be an officer.’ The couple are halfway through their training. Mark is convinced that he is finally experiencing ‘life in all its fullness’, as Jesus promised. ‘Jesus has given me a newfound sense of peace,’ he says. ‘My life is so much better for trusting in him. Before, I was controlled by drink and gambling. Now, I am free.’
Next week: Alison tells her story
NO HOLDS BARRED: Mark confessed his addictions to wife Alison RENÉE DAVIS
MEDIA
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Over the centuries countless people in countless countries have found that the words of the Bible’s Psalm 46 give comfort and hope: ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’ But the words also challenge us all. The Psalm continues: ‘The Lord … makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.’ In which case, we should make our prayer: ‘Thy will be done.’
Beliefs into action A SURVEY by the Evangelical Alliance suggests that evangelical Christians are more active in the life of their communities than the average person in the UK.
RESEARCH by the BBC has shown that a vast majority of schools are disregarding the law by failing to stage a daily Christian assembly, reports The children did not take part Daily Telegraph. in collective worship at Almost two thirds of school every day. Last parents who responded to year some teachers and the survey said their religious leaders wrote to Education Secretary Michael Gove, insisting PA
PA photo
that children should not be ‘coerced’ into religion in schools. But under the 1944 Education Act schools must provide ‘broadly Christian worship’ every day.
Danniella talks about change
DANNIELLA WESTBROOK spoke about her new Christian faith on ITV1’s Lorraine. Live from LA, the former EastEnders actress appeared alongside Pastor Jay Haizlip of The Sanctuary, the church which she attends. She explained: ‘I’d always believed in God, but nobody had ever told me about Jesus. I thought I was past saving, but I was completely wrong.’ She said that, through their becoming Christians, her family’s way of life and thinking had completely changed. Pastor Jay commented: ‘It’s amazing just to watch the transformation that has happened with her and her family … It’s just the beginning.’
LOCAL BBC I station Radio Berkshire profiled the work of The Salvation Army at this year’s Reading Festival. Presenter Henry Kelly highlighted that The Salvation Army was there not just to provide soup and a roll, tea, coffee and muffins but also to offer support to anyone wanting to discuss problems.
Cliff Richard will join the ‘Songs of Praise’ celebrations
‘Songs of Praise’ goes back to the beginning SONGS of Praise begins celebrations of its 50th anniversary by returning to the location of its first broadcast. Tomorrow (Sunday 18 September 4.55 pm) viewers can see Pam Rhodes visit the Tabernacle Welsh Baptist Church in Cardiff to join the congregation as they sing the hymns chosen for the first broadcast back in 1961. The programme will also include former presenter Geoffrey Wheeler talking about his role on the programme and Cliff Richard recalling life in the Sixties when Songs of Praise was in its infancy. Two further 50th anniversary programmes are to follow in the coming weeks.
BBC
The Evangelical Alliance itself admits that its sample and method of carrying out the research may have ‘overrepresented people who are more likely to be active in public life’. However, it goes on, ‘the results represent a huge investment of unpaid time and energy … in the voluntary and community sector, in education and health services, in politics and in the trade union movement’. According to the Evangelical Alliance, 24.5 per cent were trustees of a charity, compared with 2.2 per cent of the population as a whole. Those charities included secular as well as churchbased charities. The report also suggests that evangelical Christians were more likely to be school governors than the population at large. Christians may have a variety of views on important issues, including education and politics. But what they share is a concern and sense of responsibility for the world, which God loves.
Schools ignore the rules, says research
RADIO
THEY were words written not by an American but by an unknown poet (or poets) in unknown circumstances in the Middle East about 2,500 years ago – yet President Obama chose to read them at the 9/11 memorial service in New York on Sunday.
ON THE BOX
Psalm 46
IN THE PRESS
Comment
LIFESTYLE
17 1 7S September eep pte t mber 20 2011 The War Cry
Financial dieters can pile on the pounds
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Set aside time to consider your finances
TAKING control of your finances is rather like going on a diet – the only difference is that you try to gain pounds rather than lose them.
INJURIES can be traumatic and, if severe, can even change a person’s life. Sometimes the injured person is entitled to compensation. The serious injury law practice Serious Law has compiled five tips for people who are looking to bring a personal injury case. O Get the right solicitor. An expert solicitor will not only secure any appropriate personal injury compensation but will also be able to put the victim
Advice for injury time in touch with charities and arrange practical help such as adaptations to homes or vehicles. O Keep receipts for medicines, parking tickets, hospital visits, missed days at work and loss of earnings, all of which will affect compensation. O Get witnesses’ contact details – a solicitor may need statements from them. O Get the right medical
help. People who suffer an accident should get checked out for injuries such as brain damage and delayed concussion, even if initially they feel OK. O Take family into account. Solicitors should be informed of family members having to take time off work to look after someone who is seriously injured, as these costs may be incorporated into the compensation.
Library picture posed by model
Every now and then it’s a good idea to review monthly outgoings to see if savings can be made. Try to set aside a couple of evenings for a thorough inspection of all the payments that go out of your bank account. Those payments could include gas, electricity and credit card bills, insurance cover and – possibly the biggest payment – the mortgage. Changing mortgage lenders can make sense. Although it is a good idea to seek professional financial advice when changing, there is nothing to stop you doing some homework first. Look out for relevant advertisements in newspapers, magazines, directories and on TV, and ring round for quotes. The figures you collect will give you a fair idea as to whether your present monthly payment is competitive. A very low introductory fixed rate for a year or two followed by a fixed term on an unknown variable rate is not necessarily the best deal in the long term. When insurance is due, it’s always tempting just to tick the renewal box on the letter from your present insurer, but it is worth shopping around before coming to a bonus if your present insurer penalises decision. Phone various companies and you for leaving before the year is up. If see if they can beat your existing deal. different companies are providing your Some companies will give you a cash building and contents insurance, con-
sider th the advantages of taking out both kinds w with just one provider. Your age, safety record and the type You of veh vehicle you drive can influence the cost of car insurance. It is also worth searching for the right deal on credit cards, especially if you use them frequently and pay annual fees. Many credit card companies offer low introductory rates and other incentives for you to switch to them. But it is best to look carefully at what you will be paying after the offer period ends. It is also worth considering buying your gas and electricity from just one supplier.
8 The War Cry 17 September 2011
All-
, all-
S
OME things are worth making a song and dance about; and for the past nine years, Soweto Gospel Choir have been highlighting the talent and cultures of South Africa – along with a message of hope.
At the same time, audiences and critics have been making a song and dance about them. They have won two Grammy Awards, made successful appearances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and collaborated with artists such as U2, Celine Dion and Robert Plant. At the end of this month, the choir are returning to the UK for a tour of English towns and cities. Audiences can expect songs in a variety of languages and dances reflecting a variety of South African cultures. As a tenor singer and a choreographer, Shimmy Jiyane contributes to both aspects of the choir’s performances. Shimmy was a founding member of the choir and remembers how it was formed back in 2002 ‘to go all over the world and showcase the talent and celebrate the diverse cultures of South Africa’. He says that ‘500 or 600’ people attended auditions to join the new group. Shimmy was recruited as a choreographer. ‘The choir has always aimed to show the heritage of South Africa,’ he explains over the phone. ‘There are lots of different traditions
Singer and choreographer SHIMMY JIYANE tells Philip Halcrow about the message behind the music and movement of Soweto Gospel Choir in the country. First of all, there are the languages that we speak, and the choir sing in many languages. The cultures are also different – the various peoples don’t live in the same way. So, the Tswanas don’t live the same type of life as the Zulus, who don’t live in the same way as Sothos. ‘The differences show in the dances. For instance, the Zulu dance is mainly made up of high kicks; the Sothos use their shoulders a lot as well as quick footwork.’ Shimmy is familiar with many kinds of dance – not all of them originating in Africa. Earlier in his life, he was focused on another kind of footwork. ‘I started out playing soccer,’ he says. ‘But I got injured when I was 12 or 13, and I began looking for something else that I could do. ‘When I began to dance I took to it naturally. I trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary and tap. ‘There are some big differences between those dances and traditional African dances. Classical ballet is based on technique. You need to have discipline, you want to look right when you
The cultures are different and the differences show in the dances
Turn to page 10 LORENZO DI NOZZI
17 September 2011 The War Cry
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Shimmy sings with the choir MASANORI UDAGAWA
10 The War Cry 17 September 2011
From page 8 perform the movements. You have to be in the right position. With traditional African dance, however, you don’t worry about the right technique. There’s not the emphasis on position – you just do it out of emotion.’ Shimmy believes that combining dance with music is a step in the right direction. He argues: ‘Dance adds something to song. Every time you hear music, what’s the first thing that you do? You want to move. So the beauty of the voice is translated to the body movements, and the body movements show the character of the person dancing. It’s a moving combination – a beautiful song and beautiful choreography. ‘I am always listening to music and trying to create fresh choreography. Every time the choir come up with a new track, I listen to it and think about the culture of one of the languages in which we sing, and I think about how we can use movement to show that culture and the character of the music.’ The character of the music is important to the choir. Soweto Gospel Choir sing songs from a variety of origins. Their repertoire has included 20th-century American pop classics such as Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Forever Young’, the Rugby World Cup anthem ‘World in Union’ and the genre-hopping English hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ but also, naturally, traditional African songs about faith. Their most recent album Grace begins with a Sotho song ‘Kae Le Kae’, which talks of being able to ‘go anywhere … when I have Jesus’ and of the grace ‘which brings joy’. The album continues with the Zulu ‘Mangisondele Nkosi Yam’ in which the choir sing ‘Let me be nearer my Lord’ and also includes the Venda song ‘Muphulusi’ the title of which is translated as ‘My Saviour’. Shimmy explains: ‘God is good all the time. Everything we do, we do it because we believe God is alive and is doing wonderful things in people’s lives. As a choir we are a living testament of that, because of how we have grown from where we started to where we are now – singing to so many people all over the world. It’s through grace that we are going strong.’ The choir has been hitting the right notes with audiences from the word go. Their debut album Voices from Heaven went to No 1 in the US Billboard World Albums Chart. Shimmy says the highlights of his time with the choir have been ‘singing for Nelson Mandela on his birthday and taking part in the concerts of his 46664 humanitarian campaign. It was also great to win our two Grammys and to be the first South African group to perform at the Oscars.’ The choir took part in the Academy Award ceremony in the year that they were nominated for their collaboration with Peter Gabriel on ‘Down to Earth’
Soweto Gospel Choir meet Nelson Mandela Soweto Gospel Choir
Every time you hear music, what’s the first thing that you do? You want to move
17 September 2011 The War Cry 11
ANDY PHILLIPSON
LORENZO DI NOZZI
from the Wall-E soundtrack. Their Grammy wins came in the Best Traditional World Music category for the second and third albums. They received a third Grammy nomination and have picked up other awards at home and abroad. Shimmy says that life has changed for the choir members since those first auditions were held and the choir was formed. ‘But,’ he volunteers, ‘I’ve also seen that we’re changing other people’s lives. Through gospel music, we keep on blessing them and making a difference to their faith. God is working through what we do.’ He cites the story of one man in the UK who was going through a rough time. He was so affected by seeing a Soweto Gospel Choir show that he would walk miles to other venues to see
I’ve seen that we’re changing other people’s lives. Through gospel music, we keep on blessing them
the choir in concert. ‘One time he came, his feet were swollen. We took him backstage and washed his feet. Today this guy is leading a good, healthy life and goes to church – and he still comes and watches our concerts. ‘Music has a power,’ concludes Shimmy. ‘When you listen to music that moves you and you listen to the message that the writer has put into the words, it brings you peace.’ I Soweto Gospel Choir’s tour begins on Tuesday 27 September. For more information visit sowetogospelchoir.com
PUZZLEBREAK
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WORDSEARCH
SUDOKU
Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these kinds of music
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 Solution on page 15
BEBOP BHANGRA BLUES BOOGIE-WOOGIE BRASS CALYPSO CHURCH CLASSICAL
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Cry out (4) 3. Word of assent (3) 5. Resound (4) 7. Discerned (9) 9. Connection (4) 10. At hand (4) 11. Scatter (5) 14. Lorry (5) 15. Detested (5) 17. Likeness (5) 18. Group of singers (5) 19. Ventilated (5) 20. Rendezvous (5) 23. Servant (4) 25. Outfit (4) 27. Verbal disagreement (9) 28. Dutch cheese (4) 29. Speck (3) 30. Corrosion (4)
ANSWERS
G P U N K G K G N A A C E P R
F I G E I G O O W E I G O O B
P C E R I N N A C H U R C H D
H R G B U I U R S J B K E P N
L O Y R T N U O C L A G D I A
COUNTRY DISCO EASY LISTENING FOLK FUNK GOSPEL GRUNGE HEAVY METAL HIP HOP
L U U A A E G L U N A Z Y H R
N F O S A T A E D R U S Z B E
S U U S E S S R E G G A E L Z
HOUSE INDIE JAZZ OPERA POP PUNK RAGGA RAGTIME RAP
G N I W S I O P G Z A B R O G
A K E I C L O O O N O C S I D
F C C A L Y P S O P A G U N I
O A L G O S P E L R L H L D G
L N A G R A G T I M E N B I O
K G L A T E M Y V A E H K E R
G N P R A E R I N Y E B F A A
R AND B REGGAE ROCK AND ROLL SALSA SOUL SWING ZYDECO
HONEYCOMB Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Not damaged 2. Remove goods from a ship 3. Order not to do 4. Chemical element DOWN 1. Ringlet (4) 2. Welsh emblem (4) 3. Pleasure craft (5) 4. Nimble (5) 5. Level (4) 6. Above (4) 7. Lung disease (9) 8. Adroit (9) 11. Female garment (5) 12. Prepared (5) 13. Cereal (5) 14. Nervous twitch (3) 16. Performed (3) 21. Circular (5) 22. Slumbered (5) 23. Dumb (4) 24. Percussion instrument (4) 25. Mix (4) 26. Slant (4)
5. Fastest pace for a horse 6. Norway lobsters fried in breadcrumbs
QUICK QUIZ 1. What is the name of the central character in James Joyce’s book A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man? 2. In which film does Clint Eastwood say: ‘Go ahead, make my day’? 3. In which year was the United Nations founded? 4. What does the word ‘hirsute’ mean? 5. What kind of animal is an Appaloosa? 6. What does a notaphile collect?
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Call. 3 Yea. 5 Echo. 7 Perceived. 9 Link. 10 Near. 11 Strew. 14 Truck. 15 Hated. 17 Image. 18 Choir. 19 Aired. 20 Tryst. 23 Maid. 25 Suit. 27 Arguments. 28 Edam. 29 Dot. 30 Rust. DOWN: 1 Curl. 2 Leek. 3 Yacht. 4 Agile. 5 Even. 6 Over. 7 Pneumonia. 8 Dexterous. 11 Skirt. 12 Ready. 13 Wheat. 14 Tic. 16 Did. 21 Round. 22 Slept. 23 Mute. 24 Drum. 25 Stir. 26 Tilt. QUICK QUIZ 1 Stephen Dedalus. 2 Sudden Impact. 3 1945. 4 Covered with hair. 5 A horse. 6 Banknotes. HONEYCOMB 1 Intact. 2 Unload. 3 Forbid. 4 Carbon. 5 Gallop. 6 Scampi.
INNER LIFE
By the
17 September 2011 The War Cry 13
To commemorate this year’s 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, PHILIPPA SMALE looks at some everyday expressions popularised by BOOK the translation
skin of my teeth A PARATROOPER jumped from the plane. But his parachute was not working. Regular readers of The War Cry may remember the story last week of Jamie Kidd, who was hurtling towards the ground when his parachute did not open properly. He thought it would be a good time to start praying. So he did. He pulled on his reserve chute. It inflated, and he landed safely. He had escaped disaster by the skin of his teeth. The phrase ‘skin of your teeth’ is used to describe avoiding catastrophe by the narrowest margin. It comes from the Old Testament Book of Job. Job went through a lot of trials and tribulations. He lost his family and possessions and was afflicted with terrible diseases. Through all that happened he did not blame or curse God or accuse him of injustice – although he did feel very hard done by and had a lot of questions that he wanted God to answer. Job lists everything that ‘My bone happened to him and ends by cleaveth to my saying: ‘All my intimate friends skin and to my detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing flesh, and I am but skin and bones; I have escaped with the escaped only by the skin of my skin of my teeth’ teeth’ (Job 19:19, 20 New (Job 19:20) International Version). He felt his life was hanging by a thread. God answers Job, but not with an explanation. He Sometimes bad things do responds by saying that happen in life – even to the best of he is God, all-powerful, allpeople. The temptation is to ask: knowing and everywhere‘Why is this happening to me?’ present, and that Job can God still says to those who therefore trust him with believe in him: ‘Trust me. I know everything. what I’m doing.’ The account of Job’s experiences ends with his restoration to health and prosperity because he continued to trust God, even though at times his faith was very weak.
Bad things do happen – even to the best of people
Library pictures posed by models
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
14 The War Cry 17 September 2011
TAKE a look at your watch. Does it tell the right time, or do you find that it runs too fast or too slow? The clock in my car races ahead, while the one in the kitchen lags behind. Both need constant readjustment.
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B LO
The War Cry
and disregard others. But all hearts – whatever state they are in – can be made stronger or reset completely. One Bible writer explained to people that they could reset their hearts if they turned to Jesus. He said: ‘Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith’ (Ephesians 3:17). When we believe in Jesus – and live as he lived by loving and forgiving others – our hearts and mindset will begin to become more like his. We will be less arrogant, experience fewer fits of jealousy and have a slower temper. When we feel that way on the inside, our behaviour will reflect it on the outside. We will find that we are able to speak kindly to difficult people. We will be able to tell the truth even when it isn’t easy. We will practise what Jesus preached. Hour by hour, our hands will do things his way. Minute by minute, our faces will reflect his attitude. Isn’t it time to give Jesus our heart?
Library picture posed by model
When the clock shows the incorrect time, I feel like putting a sign underneath it which says: ‘Don’t blame my hands, the trouble lies deeper.’ The cause of the problem is not external, but somewhere inside. Such truth applies to things other than temperamental timepieces. The Bible emphasises that the way we express ourselves outwardly stems from what is happening inside us. Jesus said: ‘For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come’ (Mark 7:21 New International Version). When the heart is set up in a way that doesn’t tie in with Jesus’ teachings, harmful actions may ensue. We may start to lie, cheat
Time is of the essence
SA
A
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WHAT’S COOKING?
17 September 2011 The War Cry 15
THE MAIN ATTRACTION
SWEET TREAT
Banana cake Ingredients: 125g butter, plus extra for greasing 150g light soft brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 3 very ripe bananas, mashed 250g plain flour 1tsp baking powder ½ tsp grated nutmeg Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 1kg loaf tin and line the base with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale in colour. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the bananas. Sift the flour, baking powder and nutmeg together with a pinch of salt and then fold gently into the banana mixture. Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 50–60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake emerges clean and dry. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool before serving.
Leg of lamb Ingredients: Knob of butter 1tbsp olive oil 500g onions, sliced 1kg potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.5kg leg of lamb 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 beef or lamb stock cube 250ml hot water Fresh parsley, chopped Method: Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook them gently until they are soft and just starting to colour. Place the potato slices in the bottom of a roasting pan. Spoon the onions over them. Season with the salt and black pepper. Make small incisions around SUDOKU SOLUTION
the bone and under the skin of the leg of lamb, then insert the garlic slices. Place the lamb on a rack over the potatoes and onions. Season well. Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water, and pour it over the potatoes and onions. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and cook for another hour. The lamb may be cut into thick slices, arranged on the bed of potatoes and onions and sprinkled with the chopped parsley. Serve in the dish it was cooked in so that none of the juices are lost. Serve with mint sauce and green vegetables. Serves 6
Serves 8
ARE THEY HAVING A LAUGH?
asks RENÉE DAVIS
AMAZING truths and big fat lies are back on the box. BBC One’s Would I Lie to You? is in its fifth series. The aim of the game, hosted by Rob Brydon, is to identify what is true and what is false. Every week, two teams of three celebrities square up. The individual team members reveal something extraordinary about themselves. Their opponents
The tales were bizarre
YOUR LOCAL SALVATION ARMY CENTRE
have to decide whether they are telling the truth or lying. In the episode broadcast yesterday (Friday 16 September), team leader David Mitchell was joined by his comedy partner Robert Webb and broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan. On the other side, Lee Mack teamed up with Not Going Out co-star Katy Wix and comedian Kevin Bridges. The panellists’ tales were bizarre. Kevin Bridges told of how he had once found a suspicious suitcase in a train station – and that it turned out to be filled with nothing but bananas. Terry Wogan said that, during his early days in radio, he set fire to a colleague’s script while live on air. The search for the truth was not straightforward. In truth, it’s often a challenge. It can be difficult to work
out the truth about the world – who’s right and who’s wrong; whether there is anything more to life than getting through each day; and how we should live. Sometimes even we may hide the truth about who we really are from others, because we fear rejection, or from ourselves, because it’s painful to think about. But the truth can be life-changing. Jesus said: ‘If you hold to my teaching … you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31, 32 New International Version) When we accept Jesus into our lives, we will see the world as it really is. We will be able to take comfort in the truth that we don’t have to lie to people or ourselves. We need not be trapped by our failings, because – as Jesus taught – God offers us forgiveness. And that’s no lie.
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
BBC/Initial/BRIAN RICHIE
Rob Brydon (centre) challenged the panellists to find the truth