Letters

VIRTUAL VISITS

I WAS interested to read reports of leaders using Zoom facilities to ‘special’ over the Easter period. It occurred to me that perhaps in the longer term, where corps are financially unable to invite ‘specials’ due to the cost of travelling, officers might be prepared to make this type of virtual corps visit. To have a change of face and voice at the rostrum occasionally on a Sunday can be good both for the corps and the corps officers. For some small corps, especially in remote locations, it is many years since they have been able to have guest leaders. While online meetings do not have the same fellowship, they help folk to feel that they are not forgotten and cut off from the rest of the Army world. Perhaps something to keep in mind when things get back to some form of normality.

David Garrad, Major Littlegarth

SPLITTING THE WORKLOAD

OUR corps has been unofficered for the past 11 months and we are not getting any officers in the next annual change. There is an acute shortage of officers and so they are being asked to take on additional responsibilities to fill the gaps. We are in a division that currently has a number of corps without officers and the burden of keeping the doors open has fallen to the local officers, where there are any.

Some of the bigger corps elsewhere have a full, or near full, complement of local officers who could be quite capable of taking responsibility for the running of their corps while freeing up officers to go to corps who are trying to cope with no one to help them.

On the subject of officers, a married couple running a corps seems to be a wasted resource. All officers, male and female, undergo the same training, so is it not feasible that one could oversee a struggling neighbouring corps?

Alan Bewd, Abertillery

ZOOMING FROM THE BACK

I THANK God for Zoom. When I asked folk at my home corps whether they would be interested in a bit of simple online hymn singing together, not only did I get a very positive result but I was also asked to contact corps family members who were designated carers to provide connection details, so auntie or grandma could join in the Sunday meeting while their respective families were cooking or cleaning.

It was an encouragement that some folk were interested in taking part, but were unsure if their devices would work. I was able to talk them through it and they were surprised by how easy it is. We have now managed to come back into our corps hall on Sunday mornings, but I have continued the Zoom session from the back as not everyone can attend in person for various health reasons. Zoom is not a replacement for in-person worship, but another tool that can be used when necessary.

Morvyn Finch Woodbridge

LOGIC IN FAITH

THE Resurrection – a cornerstone of our faith – is an example of how spirituality and logic can complement each other. Philosophers have devised a technique called the hypothesis, which has three parts. First, a universal statement. Second, a specific – often a challenge to the original universal or assumption. Third, a conclusion. One of the objections to the Resurrection is the Swoon or Resuscitation Model. A possible example of a hypothesis application to this would be as follows.

The universal statement would be that Jesus survived his crucifixion and was restored back to health by his followers. He then relocated to create a resurrection myth. The hoax was then perpetuated by the disciples. The challenge statement might be that people do not perpetuate hoaxes at risk to themselves of capital and corporal punishment and imprisonment. The apostles’ motivation for perpetuating the Resurrection was based on authentic belief – a belief based upon personal experience and eyewitness. The conclusion could surely only be that the Resurrection is a real event, rooted in history.

It is possible to pursue a post-graduate diploma in religious education and indeed work as a teacher with a philosophy degree. It would be so encouraging to hear of a philosophy graduate coming to know the Lord because of studying RE.

Kevin Chubb, Barry

COLLEGE MEMORIES

SEVENTY years ago I worked as an office junior in the General’s Department at IHQ. The office was at the training college, and I can see the window in the photo printed in Salvationist (15 May). The General at the time was Albert Orsborn and the Chief of the Staff was John J Allan. True Christian gentlemen. We also had a female officer, Colonel Ida Russell. I would like to share something she wrote in my autograph book. I remember it word for word.

I was 15 years old, a school leaver. How fortunate to work with such wonderful saints.

‘You are waiting for me in your book to write, pray dear maid, what shall I indite?/ Words can say little or very much, lightly pass or the heart chords touch,/ Mine I would wish to bear to you, a thought, a prayer, a message true./ Life can be beauteous if you seek beauty within your heart to keep./ With the fruit of the Spirit dwelling there, you can be gracious maiden fair.’

Margaret Garland, Basingstoke