Salvationist 12 September 2020 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

SALVATIONIST

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Ups and downs at Skinnergate Lifehouse PLUS

LEARNING IN A TIME OF CHANGE

SEE PAGES 7 TO 11

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA

NEW NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE TO GET THE CHURCH READING TOGETHER

PANDEMIC ‘CAUSING NEW WAVE’ OF PLASTIC POLLUTION

LORD WILLIAMS JOINS EXTINCTION REBELLION PROTESTS IN LONDON

A nationwide book club is launching later this month to bring the UK's Christians together in reading. The Big Church Read is the initiative of Hodder Faith and St Andrews Bookshop, and will get under way on 21 September. It is an extension of the Big Church Reads which have run in individual churches... by St Andrews Bookshop. It is hoped that the nationwide rollout will inspire a culture of reading good Christian books across the UK Church. The first book... The Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry by John Mark Comer... challenges Christians to unplug and slow down as they live out the life God has intended for them. A video with John Mark Comer will be released to the Big Church Read website each Monday over the course of six weeks examining a different chapter. Groups can then discuss the chapter together with the help of questions available in the accompanying resource pack. Andy Lyon, publishing director at Hodder Faith, said... ‘We are passionate about helping churches see the value of books to help their people grow as disciples, developing their spirituality and learning about their faith and the teaching of the Church – and doing that alongside others is key to the process. ‘We're so excited that The Big Church Read will play a big part.’

A charity that cleans up beaches says the coronavirus pandemic has caused a new wave of plastic pollution. Surfers Against Sewage says it has seen an ‘explosion’ of discarded masks and plastics on beaches and in rivers. The group claims businesses are using the pandemic to revert to using huge amounts of single-use plastic... Jack Middleton from Cornwall-based Surfers Against Sewage said: ‘Since lockdown has started to be lifted we've witnessed a new wave of plastic pollution... in the form of disposable masks and gloves. ‘While the PPE has helped to save lives... we now need to consider how we dispose of it properly to prevent it from flowing into our rivers and oceans...’ Mr Middleton encouraged people to use reusable face masks.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury the Right Rev Lord Williams joined members of Extinction Rebellion (XR)... as campaigners took to the streets in London, Cardiff and Manchester to demand stronger action to tackle climate change... Lord Williams joined the Christians of XR, known as Christian Climate Action, in a march from Buckingham Palace to Parliament Square, while holding a banner with fellow priests which read ‘CREATION CRIES OUT’. Asked why he felt that it was important... to attend the rally, he said: ‘People of faith should be here because they are people of faith. That is, they believe they can make a difference of some kind and that that difference is worth making. ‘We’re at a remarkable moment of opportunity.’

BBC News

Church Times

Christian Today

ITV News

SALVATIONIST

‘WORRYING TREND’ AS DATA SHOW MALE SUICIDE RATE HIGHEST IN TWENTY YEARS The rate of male suicide in England and Wales last year reached its highest level for two decades, according to new figures. Men accounted for three-quarters of suicide deaths registered in 2019, making up 4,303 of the 5,691 deaths by suicide. Based on the Office for National Statistics data, that puts the rate of male suicides at 16.9 deaths per 100,000 – the highest since 2000... Men aged 45 to 49 had the highest age-specific suicide rate at 25.5 deaths per 100,000... Simon Gunning, CEO of Campaign Against Living Miserably, said... society has become ‘more caring and tolerant around mental health’... but added: ‘It almost feels like a wave and there's no inevitability that this wave will get bigger but we need to do whatever we can to stop it.’

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Salvationist 12 September 2020

THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Brian Peddle TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Mal Davies

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CONTENTS

HAPPY DAYS? OVER the years I’ve kept in touch with a couple of school friends, and every few months I meet up with one of them for a meal. It’s a chance to reminisce about the old days: our classmates, teachers and some of the things that happened way back then. Your schooldays, so they say, are the happiest days of your life. That may not be true for everyone, but many of us do have fond memories, perhaps forgetting – or choosing to forget – some of the unpleasant things. I wonder how today’s young people and their teachers will look back at school life in 2020. Hopefully, among the difficulties and stresses, there will be good things to remember. Many churches in England and Wales will mark Education Sunday this weekend. It’s an opportunity to focus on schools, colleges and universities at the start of the new academic year and to pray for students and staff. On page 7 Barbara Easton introduces the Education Sunday theme for 2020: A Learning People In A Time Of Change. She considers the events of this year and says we all need to embrace the opportunity to learn from them. The pages that follow feature people who have done just that. On pages 8 and 9 we hear from two teachers. Primary school teacher Chris Goldsmith highlights some of the ‘positives’ he has tried to see in a difficult situation, while secondary school teacher Joanne James shares what she has discovered during quiet times and how she has learnt to teach online. The past few months have been challenging, especially for students at the exam stage. Ewan Hall was due to sit A-levels this year. On page 10 he explains what happened. He has learnt to trust in God’s plan for his life and now looks forward to starting university. Two university students give their testimonies on page 11. Georgia MarriottLodge shares how her faith has became stronger and her relationship with God deeper during the lockdown, while Tor Hatton says that although her faith was tested, it proved to be a vital support. Away from the classroom Gerry Young glances back at events in the Lifehouse he manages on pages 12 and 13. He discovered ‘many moments of generosity and fellowship’ and has a new sense of gratitude for others and towards God. The lockdown has been a time of learning for many corps leaders who have had to take their ministry online. On pages 14 and 15 Shanelle Manderson outlines the results of a survey of online ministry and hears how three corps have gone about it. We are called to be learning people – that’s what it means to be disciples of Jesus. ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,’ he said (Matthew 11:29). And while there has been much learning at a distance, with schools and universities teaching virtually and corps ministering online, we only really learn from Jesus by being close to him. As he shares his life with us by his Spirit, Jesus guides, corrects, forgives and empowers us. If that’s our experience, these days may not be the happiest of our lives but they can certainly be days of great blessing and growth.

Quotes from the media

Message from the Territorial Commander

News

5 and 6

Prayer matters

Preview Education Sunday

previewed by Barbara Easton

Feature Holding on to God’s promises by Chris Goldsmith

Feature Strength to face anything

by Joanne James

Reflection 10 Moving on from exams that never were by Ewan Hall

Testimonies Learning in lockdown

by Georgia Marriott-Lodge and Tor Hatton

Reflection Glancing back

12 and 13

by Gerry Young

Feature Saved to surf

14 and 15

by Shanelle Manderson

Bible study 16 and 17 Jesus challenges Simon Peter by Captain Ashley Prodgers

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17 by Major Freda Benneyworth

Reflection More than a number

by Major Paul Robinson

Reflection True holiness

by Brian Colley

Reflection 19 I trace the rainbow through the rain by Trevor Caffull

Poets’ Corner A prayer in wait

by Lieut-Colonel Marlene Chase

Letters Adverts

From the Editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

20 21 and 23

Announcements

Quiz

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS Scripture quotations in Salvationist are from the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated

Salvationist 12 September 2020

A MESSAGE FROM THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

True worship S CHOOLS in England have at long last reopened, although in other parts of the territory they have been open for some time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the pupils and with the teachers and members of ancillary staff who are endeavouring to make sure our children get the best out of these days. There are many other places of work moving towards reopening. Of course, some of the Army’s places of work have stayed open, and I want to say again a sincere word of gratitude to those in our residential and community centres and those who have been working out in the streets to continue the Army’s work through the months of the pandemic. I discovered recently that 3 September is a significant anniversary within The Salvation Army. Gill and I were walking down New Road in Whitechapel and we saw a blue plaque on a building. To our surprise we saw that it commemorated the very first indoor meeting of The Salvation Army on 3 September 1865. It wasn’t known as The Salvation Army then, but it was the mission group that met there under the leadership of William Booth. Up until then they had been meeting in a tent at Mile End Waste, but they came to a point where the tent was no longer usable. So William Booth found a dancing hall, which was cleared in the early hours of Sunday morning, and the benches from the tent were brought in. Around 350 people crowded into that first indoor meeting. Now, 155 years on, as we contemplate going back to worship – or going forward to worship – we know that it’s going to be different. There are many things we can’t do, and many things we have to do, if we are going to have indoor worship. In most places it will be necessary for spaces and seats to be booked so that it’s not overcrowded. I would urge leaders to make sure you leave some seats empty – empty for the prodigals, empty for the 4

Salvationist 12 September 2020

public who might just take the opportunity to come and worship with us. It will remind us that The Salvation Army is not a closed place but is open for the whosoever. We understand these days that we don’t go to church, we are the Church – we don’t go to the Army, we are the Army. I am convinced that the Church is at its best when we’re dispersed, when we’re out in our communities doing the will of God 24/7. But when we are able to come together, God’s blessing will be on us if we remember what it really means to worship. Paul wrote words about worship that are often quoted: ‘I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will’ (Romans 12:1 and 2). If we understand that worship is about the offering of our lives as a living sacrifice 24/7, what are we really doing when we gather together? It can’t be

just about doing things. Even if we were allowed to sing, to play, to dance, to embrace community, to pray, to hear God’s word, to hear or to give testimony, to listen to the word of God being expounded, it has to be more than these things. I find it helpful to understand that the word most often translated as ‘worship’ from the New Testament Greek is the word proskuneo, which means ‘I draw close to kiss’. Worship is about coming into a loving embrace with Father God. It’s about expressing love and reverence, it’s about bowing down before him and drawing close to kiss, to express our love. If you’re going to embrace somebody, you first put down whatever is in your hands. It’s the same when we come to worship: there is stuff we have to put down. In Psalm 24:3 and 4 David says: ‘Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.’ We come to worship having being washed, having been cleansed in order that we might be at one with him. I see a Salvation Army potentially rediscovering what it is to really worship, to be at one with the almighty, holy God – rediscovering that Jesus is the one who has done everything for us that we might be free of our sin and the one who imparts his Spirit to make his likeness within us. So whether or not it’s possible for you to return to worship and the fellowship of the corps, remember that worship is not restricted to one hour a week – it is the whole of life offered as a living sacrifice to him. ANTHONY COTTERILL COMMISSIONER TERRITORIAL COMMANDER O This

message is based on a video that can be viewed at facebook.com/ SalvationistOnline or youtube.com/ user/salvationarmyvideo

NEWS

ARMY NEWS

COMMUNITY

Army calls for long-term homelessness funding

New film raises awareness of domestic abuse THQ

UK A SALVATION Army report warns that plans to end rough sleeping in England could unravel within months, if the government fails to properly fund homelessness services in the Comprehensive Spending Review this autumn. The report, Future-proof The Roof, calls for a new approach to long-term investment. The Army’s Director of Homelessness Services, Lorrita Johnson, says: ‘If the government were planning a new motorway, it would invest in proper planning and construction materials to ensure it was still safe to drive in the future… If it took the same approach to homelessness, it would protect lives and avoid potentially large out-of-budget expenses.’ Future-proof The Roof highlights three post-pandemic shockwaves that could lead to the government, local authorities and NHS footing the bill for the social, economic and human costs of homelessness: people newly vulnerable through post-pandemic unemployment and the end of temporary safeguards; short-term thinking and chronic underinvestment in homelessness services; and underestimating the true scale of rough sleeping. It also outlines solutions, including improved data collection to assess the number of people rough sleeping and their needs, sustained investment to build on the progress made during the pandemic and the provision of a steady supply of suitable homes. – AR O Future-proof The Roof can be downloaded from salvationarmy. org.uk/futureproof Send your news reports to salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk. Good quality pictures will be included.

ARMY NEWS

Territorial Envoy Ailsa Flinders CATERHAM The corps took part in the Share Breakfast project in partnership with other organisations during August to tackle ‘holiday hunger’. The breakfast club was supported by the Surrey town’s Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets, and food was served in a gazebo to allow social distancing. During lockdown food boxes, baby boxes and household boxes, containing cleaning materials and disinfectant, were distributed. Families with children or those on medical diets, for whom the food bank is not able to provide a wide range of food, also received fresh food boxes. – AR

PRESENTATIONS

Divisional Leader for Leader Development Major Lynn Gibbs admits George and Jean Ledner (both Hoyland Common), parents of Lieutenant Jacqueline Coates (Reading Lower Earley), to the Fellowship of the Silver Star

Gail White (Doncaster), mother of Lieutenant Vikki Herbert (Winchester), is admitted to the Fellowship of the Silver Star

THE Family Ministries Unit, supported by the Safeguarding Department, has released the film Domestic Abuse: What? Why? How? to help raise awareness of domestic abuse in homes, churches and communities, and to support the Army’s response to tackling it. Family Ministries Director Major David Betteridge said: ‘Because we may not have spoken about domestic abuse openly in the past, it can be hard to know how to raise awareness in our corps and communities. ‘This film explains why we need to have these conversations so we can help victims of domestic abuse or perpetrators who want to stop their behaviour.’ Domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over, who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Children can be primary victims of domestic abuse and many will be traumatised by what they have experienced during lockdown. Captain Emma Scott (Mitcham), one of the presenters in the film and a member of the territorial domestic abuse steering group, said: ‘This film will help our corps, centres and offices to be safe spaces for people to approach us about domestic abuse. Sadly, many people live with domestic abuse for a significant period before getting effective help, so we need to be alert, to spot the signs and to provide sanctuary spaces for conversations to happen.’ – AR O Watch Domestic Abuse: What? Why? How? at vimeo.com/ 445260041/1ad1220e2e O If you are concerned that someone may be experiencing domestic abuse contact familyministries@ salvationarmy.org.uk for further information Salvationist 12 September 2020

Prayer

NEWS

HOLINESS OF GOD FOCUS by Major Andrew Gaudion (Territorial Pension Funds Officer)

FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER ‘Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?’ (Exodus 15:11). What does it mean for you to stand in front of a God whose nature is majestic and awesome, and yet loving towards us? Reflect and pray about this today. SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER ‘You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own’ (Leviticus 20:26). This direct command from God also comes with a promise. We are to be holy, and yet we belong to God. Holy God, we commit our walk with you today, knowing you are with us. Amen.

GUERNSEY The YP anniversary was celebrated with a Holiday at Home weekend. As the divisional MaM (Ministry and Mayhem) camp could not take place this year, camp team members James and Steph Mockett brought MaM to the corps with a fruit of the Spirit theme. Games and activities included competitions on the beach across the road from the hall. Later, the children provided a talent show for everyone’s enjoyment. Corps officers Majors Claire and Jamie Hill continued the theme during Sunday worship, and dressed as a strawberry and pineapple. Many YP workers and children also dressed up and had lots of interactive fun in praise of God. Social distancing rules do not apply on the island, and the weekend was a joyful celebration of children’s work in the corps. – JH

SUNDAY 13 SEPTEMBER ‘Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy’ (Psalm 99:9). Where is your ‘mountain’ today? Where will you meet with God? Where will you worship him with prayer and praise? MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it’ (1 Thessalonians 5:23 and 24). As your prayer today, substitute the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ for ‘me’ and ‘my’. Repeat that last sentence over and over and feel the presence of God. TUESDAY 15 SEPTEMBER ‘But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy”’ (1 Peter 1:15). Holiness needs to be at the centre of all that we do today and every day. Loving God, keep me in the centre of your will as I try to live a life of holiness. Amen. WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER ‘Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”’ (Revelation 4:8). Both Isaiah (see Isaiah 6) and John had a vision of a holy God who was worshipped by his creation. Lord, we declare that ‘all thy works shall praise thy name in Earth and sky and sea’ (SASB 31). Amen. THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER ‘Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed’ (Revelation 15:4). Today, in reverent fear, let us bring glory to God for he alone is holy. Loving God, as I continue my walk in holiness, let me always be comforted that you are always with me. Amen.

O A PDF of the Prayer Matters booklet is also available to download from salvationarmy.org.uk/resources 6

Salvationist 22 August 2020 Salvationist Salvationist Date 18 Month July 2020 Year

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COMMUNITY CHELMSFORD Eighty-two schoolchildren at risk of ‘holiday hunger’ received goody bags from the corps. Ideas about what to put in the bags, which contained fruity snacks, biscuits and other treats, came from children who attend the corps. The schoolchildren and their families, including some who live in a women’s refuge, also received more than 300 food parcels from the Army during the summer. Corps officer Major Tracey Mountford described the willing response of corps members and volunteers as ‘inspirational’. Linda Fisher, who organised the goody bags with her husband, Trevor, said: ‘I’m very glad that we’ve been able to give the children some happy memories of their lockdown summer holidays.’ – AR

Abertillery Bandmaster Alan Bowd sounds the Last Post and Reveille at the town’s cenotaph for the Royal British Legion’s VJ Day commemoration

THORNABY As many corps members do not use social media, corps leader Territorial Envoy Norma Phillips and CT David Helm have been phoning folk to check on their well-being. David phones on a Sunday morning and reports back to Territorial Envoy Norma, who checks in with everyone midweek. They also deliver Army periodicals and a Bible study sheet to every member’s household as well as some people who were regular customers at the heralds’ street stands. This has been appreciated by all concerned. – CH

PREVIEW

Barbara Easton introduces the theme for Education Sunday, which is marked in England and Wales on 13 September

UMOUR at its best has the capacity to make us smile while also making us think. One of the pinpricks of light over the difficult months of 2020 has been the proliferation of jokes and cartoons that have done both – lift our spirits and point to a deeper truth. One that really struck me pictured a woman peering anxiously out from her doorway, with the caption: ‘Checks to see which chapter of Revelation we are living today.’ It is a truism to say that the events of 2020 have been extraordinary. It isn’t just the coronavirus pandemic, although that is at the forefront of our minds. The weather has also been dramatic. Even before the ‘hottest this’ and ‘wettest that’ there were the devastating winds of the February half-term. As the year has rolled on through lockdown, the death of George Floyd has sparked worldwide protest and raised an awareness of the age-old scourge of racism in a way that rocks people’s understanding of the stories on which their lives have been built – stories and systems years in the making that need to be quickly unpicked. Most people’s experience of 2020 has been a bit of a rollercoaster, not all bad or good. This is also true for children and young people, and there is much for which they will want to give thanks. Over the past few months many have learnt to ride a bike, played an instrument, trained a puppy or cracked a computer game. But there have also been dark moments. Statistics about the mental health of children through lockdown and the impact on safeguarding services are

beginning to emerge. Some will have experienced bereavement. We know that not all youngsters have been able, or willing, to learn away from the resources and imperatives of the classroom. The social and relational aspects of education have largely gone by the board, from learning to share in the sandpit at nursery to sharing in learning in university seminar rooms. Students have struggled to be away, and they will struggle to be back. The year 2020 also raises questions for the long term. If you are aged 60, the percentage of your life spent in lockdown could be between 0.5 and 1 per cent. It’s manageable. But if you are aged six, it’s about 5 to 10 per cent. The longer the pandemic requires us to live restrictively, the greater the proportion of children’s learning about life will have been acquired in ‘strange times’: other people kept two metres away; facial expressions hidden behind masks; grandparents unseen and unhugged. Then there are the long-term economic consequences of the pandemic. Statistics show that youngsters who complete their education in a recession take around 20 years longer to reach the levels of economic stability enjoyed by other generations. Their worries about jobs, housing and life’s ordinary pleasures are compounded. The Black Lives Matter movement reminds us that, for some in our communities, these worries are an ongoing fact of life. Does it have to be like this? The early days of the pandemic brought a sense

that the world could embrace a better way of living. Neighbours rushed to be neighbourly and, as the roads emptied and the birds sang, #natureishealing became popular on social media. Reflecting on other tragedies in the year, social media became a place to #bekind. Yet, as things moved on, people rushed gladly back to fast travel, fast food and fast fashion. Being kind took its place alongside being stressed, angry and judgmental. We have not yet become the people we were made to be. One impact of this remarkable year is seeing the Bible in a different way: familiar stories have taken on a different resonance. The drama of the plagues and disruption of the exodus and wilderness suddenly seem closer to our experience. In Romans we recognise the dilemmas of the Early Church – able to create something entirely new and better, yet still claimed by the traditions of the past. How can we embrace change when we are anxious and struggling? How else will we step out into the Kingdom if it is not by embracing the chance to be a learning people in a time of change? In our children and young people, and in education, there is hope and opportunity.

s Find out more at cte.org.uk/Education Sunday2020

BARBARA EASTON IS HEAD OF SERVICE, METHODIST ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS TRUST Salvationist 12 September 2020

LOCKDOWN TEACHING I Primary school

Holding on to God’s promises Primary school teacher Chris Goldsmith looks back over an unusual academic year

DUCATION Sunday on 13 September has the theme A Learning People In A Time Of Change – and no theme could be more pertinent for 2020. I have been teaching for 11 years and for the past few years I have taught in reception – the first year of primary school for children aged between four and five. I have the privilege of being one of the few male teachers in early years education in our learning authority. The past academic year was very different from any other, for obvious reasons. The national lockdown saw the closure of schools for the majority of children. With little notice, and not knowing for how long the closure would last, this presented many challenges across all educational settings. Schools quickly had to work out how to provide a home learning provision for all our children, while being mindful that the home environments, and the means available to these children, differ greatly. Alongside home learning, some children continued to attend school throughout the lockdown: those whose parents were key workers and those classed as ‘vulnerable’. In my experience, school life looked quite different for the children physically attending, as different year groups were put together to form ‘bubbles’. Staff members were working on a rota-based system to teach inside the bubbles, meaning that many of these children did 8

Salvationist 12 September 2020

not have their own class teacher for periods of time. Furthermore, other measures, such as frequent hand washing, regular cleaning of surfaces, a change of lunch facilities and the inability to share equipment and resources, meant that school was a different experience. In this strange time, we teachers were aware that it was our job to make the children feel at ease and the days as fun and lighthearted as possible. In June, as some lockdown restrictions were lessened, the school opened more widely for certain year groups. At this time, attendance was not compulsory and class sizes were limited under the new regulations. In my own classroom, designed for 30 children, I could have a maximum of 10. This caused various logistical issues, as not all children could be guaranteed to be in their own class bubble or with their own class teacher. The bubbles were kept apart from each other, having their own separate playtimes and lunchtimes and with staggered starting and home times. Although this limited reopening once again changed the school atmosphere, it was lovely to see more children returning to school and being able to see their friends. Although the academic year was like no other, teaching regularly presents its own challenges and no two days are the same. As a Christian, my faith has often been a comfort to me when dealing with difficult professional circumstances. I

have a duty of care to the children that I teach, and the responsibility I hold is one I pray over. In interactions with the children and my colleagues I try to show my Christian principles and be encouraging to those around me. In these past few months in particular, my faith has been important to me. These have been extremely challenging times for everybody for many different reasons – people feeling anxious, worried over their jobs and finances, or feeling lonely and missing family and friends. I have felt blessed in these days, having been able to spend more time with my wife and two young daughters and trying to see the positives in this difficult situation. We have also missed attending our church as a family but have made time to engage in our corps online services each week. These have been special moments for us to connect with our wider church family to worship in a new way. These reflective times have helped me personally to find peace in the challenging circumstances in school, and have been an opportunity to pray for the children attending school and those at home, as well as for my fellow staff members. As schools open for a new academic year, school life will not be back to exactly what it was. Many children returning will not have physically attended school since March, and some starting new schools may have had limited time to visit or meet their new teachers. There are still many unknowns about how Covid-19 will affect things. I would ask readers for prayers for all those working in schools in the weeks ahead, as well as the children returning. As I approach this new year, I do so knowing that many things have changed but holding on to the promises of a God who does not change – who is the same now and for ever.

CHRIS WORSHIPS AT ROMFORD

LOCKDOWN TEACHING I Secondary school

Strength to face anything Joanne James shares her experiences of lockdown life as a secondary school teacher

‘L

OOK folks, this French oral exam is not going to go away. Just accept that you need to spend some time learning your answers and get on with it!’ For many years now I have said these words to my classes on a regular basis, but in 2020 I was wrong: the exam did go away, and that was just the start of what has turned out to be the most unprecedented period of my life as a secondary school teacher. I have been teaching French and German for 34 years. From a very early age I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and still feel it is my vocation. Over the years the profession has changed beyond recognition, but I still do not take for granted the influence I may be able to have on my students and, sometimes, my colleagues. Sharing your faith in a school is not an easy thing to do these days, as there are so many protocols and guidelines to follow, but there are no rules stopping me from being kind to others, offering a listening ear or giving support to young people – and staff members – who find school difficult. The start of the pandemic was quite bad timing for me. I had a hip replacement in January and, having been confined to the house since then, I was just about ready to toss my crutches to one side and get back out into the world – on target for a phased return to school after Easter. Needless to say, that did not happen! My mother also had unexpected major surgery just as we went into lockdown, and not being able to visit her was tough. Helping with her recovery when there were so many restrictions in place was a further challenge. ‘Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am,’ says Philippians 4:13 (The Message). Throughout those days I did feel a sense of peace, knowing that others were praying for me and my family, and that the Lord would carry us through. Being part of a close and loving church

family at Sale is such a blessing at times like these. Being in full lockdown did mean that we all had more time – a precious commodity for a teacher. I was able to use it to read Christian literature and more of my Bible, enjoying verses in different versions – as you will spot from this article – and to start a prayer journal during quiet times. All these things, along with Facetime and Zoom, helped to keep my spirits up. As the time approached for me to return to work, albeit at my kitchen breakfast bar, I began to feel anxious about what work was going to look like for me. My colleagues were already finding it a challenge to cope with all the changes and, as my family will confirm, I am not overly blessed with technology skills. I had to have a word with myself, but more importantly with God, who reminded me that there were people in our country, indeed all over the world, who were dealing with such terrible, heartbreaking situations and I shouldn’t let a trivial thing like technophobia get the better of me. What followed were weeks of angst, stress, rants and tears as I tried to overcome my inadequacies

with an ever-changing set of moving goalposts – from creating work online and making video lessons to teaching lessons ‘live’. It was such a steep learning curve – but I did it. Praise God! Being at the end of an email for all my students was also a real privilege and I hope that I was able to offer them support and reassurance in difficult days. Philippians 4:13 in the Contemporary English Version says: ‘Christ gives me the strength to face anything.’ A song we sing in the songsters begins with words based on that verse, and the chorus goes on to assure us that, ‘His strength is perfect when our strength is gone,/ He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on,/ Raised in his power, the weak become strong,/ His strength is perfect!’ And for the linguists among you: ‘Je suis capable de tout cela grâce au Christ qui me rend fort’ (Philippians 4:13 Parole De Vie).

JOANNE WORSHIPS AT SALE Salvationist 12 September 2020

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A PRAYER FOR EDUCATION SUNDAY Loving Lord, We think of the children and young people close to our heart and know that they are precious in your sight, fearfully and wonderfully made; and so we place them into your hands today. Strengthen and nurture them. Be with them in their coming in and going out, at home, at school, at college, at university, in their sports, activities and clubs, their friendships and their quiet times. Mould them in your image, forming and reforming, through the positive influence of those whose lives cross theirs, through the love and example of those who care for them, and through the constant

Ewan Hall reflects on his final months in sixth form

love of your Son, Jesus, who walks alongside them each step of their lives, known or unknown.

Moving on from exams that never were I F I had been approached this time last year and told that all the A-level work and revision guides I was preparing would lead to nothing, as there were to be no exams, I would probably have cheered and laughed. However, with this now being the case, the past two years of my life building up to these exams have nothing to show for them. There is a void that only two to three hours of silence staring at exam questions can fill. It amazes me that this is our reality. When the coronavirus outbreak was gaining momentum our classes were filled with questions of ‘What if?’ and assurances from teachers. I think deep down we all realised our fate but did not want to accept it. After all, my year group is also the one that had the new GCSE numbering system rather than letter grades, which was confusing and stressful enough – surely we could not be that unfortunate! But we were. During lockdown I sat one exam from 10

Salvationist 12 September 2020

home, which was an experience, with the environment of home and having to try and focus on the exam. After that it was a state of limbo. Results day to me was going to be just another day. Quite frankly, I forgot about it as I did not feel I deserved the grades, whatever they might be. Of course, I worked and studied hard but, at the end of the day, I would not be like my peers or the people in the years below at school, as I didn’t sit the exam. Instead we had to appeal and protest to be marked and judged fairly by a system that devalued the results of students in certain schools. The people I’ve spoken to looking at the situation from the outside see this as a win for us, as we didn’t have to do the exams, and as long as the teacher liked us we were OK. But that’s not how it feels. It feels like a journey towards a goal where we’ve been pushing through each challenge and then, at the last straight, had it taken away. I’ll probably

never get a prom – though my sixth form is trying to say otherwise – so no ‘one last hurrah’ with the friends I’ve made, and no dress-up and photos with my girlfriend and no dance together. Sure, there will hopefully be more chances like that later in life, but it will not ever be because I completed my A-levels. Thankfully, I got grades that I am happy with and have been accepted by my first choice of university, so I can move on to learning and achieving more. However, there will always be a part of me that wonders what could have been. Yet through all this I have had the support of family and friends, which has given me the confidence to trust in God and his ways and his plan for me.

EWAN WORSHIPS AT NORWICH CITADEL

TESTIMONIES

Learning in lockdown Two students from Liverpool Walton share how their lockdown experiences have tested and strengthened their faith GEORGIA MARRIOTT-LODGE Liverpool Hope University WHEN the lockdown first came into effect, my life was put on hold. Plans and events were cancelled, my final placement for university was postponed and, with a couple of days’ notice, I moved back home with the few belongings that I could quickly pack up. It was definitely not how I imagined my final year of university. As someone who likes to know exactly what is happening, this caused a lot of anxiety around money, accommodation for when my final placement started and the eventual, dreaded job hunt. However, despite feeling lost and in a bit of a lull with my faith, lockdown meant that I was able to attend several virtual events: Cherish conference, run by Life Church, Territorial Music School and my divisional summer school. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if they had gone ahead in the normal way, due to my original university placement dates. They gave me the opportunity to delve deeper into God’s word and enter into discussions about my faith and encouraged me to keep working on my faith. In the months since lockdown started, my faith has become stronger and I have a deeper relationship with God. In the first couple of months of lockdown, Isaiah 43 became a prominent passage that kept cropping up everywhere. At my lowest, when I really wasn’t sure what would be happening, verse 19 came up multiple times on social media: ‘See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’ I was really taken aback and found myself praying continuously that God would sort the situation out. Within a week, everything I was anxious about had been solved! This experience has taught me to trust God’s timing and his will; he will do everything he says. Sometimes we are not ready for what we are going to do and sometimes we need a push to do something that God wants us to do but we don’t feel ready for. Lockdown has definitely given me the push to have different experiences that I would not have seen myself doing, and I have seen God working throughout. TOR HATTON Liverpool Hope University WHAT a year it has been. From being in my second year of university, preparing for my year-long placement, to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, my faith has surely been tested. Despite everything, however, it has remained the one true constant that has kept me going. I like structure and routine, and that all changed in a small space of time. My faith during lockdown has truly been tested, because one important aspect of it for me is spending time sharing the grace of God with others, which was no longer possible. Considering I have only just been able to start opening up more about my faith, this felt like a step back. I could no longer talk in person to people or go out for coffee or food; instead, contact was restricted to messages and video calls. What helped me through was knowing that I could rely on my faith to get me there. Like anyone, I struggled at times, questioning how much longer I could go without seeing people I cared about and why this was happening. But God supplied me with many Bible verses and songs to help me and show that this is just one chapter and that there are many more to come. Out of strict lockdown now, I have started my placement, although in a very different manner to the way it should have been. My time with church is extremely different, sharing in online meetings together, but all the while we have never stopped giving God the glory. Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse that means so much to me: ‘“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope”’ (New Living Translation). I’m thankful for the experiences he has given me so far, proving I can do all things through him. Salvationist 12 September 2020

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Glancing back Skinnergate Lifehouse Service Manager Gerry Young writes about the ups and downs of life since the coronavirus outbreak

N late December and early January I started to hear of a virus in China. My wife insisted we talk about this daily and prepare. ‘Prepare for what?’ I thought. ‘I live thousands of miles away. It’s none of my business.’ News about the virus gathered momentum through January and February and it became increasingly clear that the UK was going to be affected by Covid-19 in a big way, and that every part of society was going to experience it. Working in the HSU (Homelessness Services Unit) as service

manager at Skinnergate Lifehouse in Perth, I realised that staff and residents were going to feel it too and I began to pay attention. March arrived with more bad news. It was sad to see how many people were losing their lives to the virus, and rumours and second-guessing continued

Gerry (left) with Skinnergate staff members

Salvationist 12 September 2020

at pace among parents about what would happen if schools closed. The HSU devised a new rota to get staff members into clusters to help safeguard the service. Thankfully, they willingly grasped the seriousness of the situation and agreed to work a new shift pattern, while the regional team moved

all the services to daily Lifesize video meetings. On Friday 27 March it was confirmed that schools would close indefinitely. I went to pick up my eight-year-old son, Joshua, and spoke to many upset parents and children, especially kids expecting to move to high school. As key workers, my wife and I were worried about who would look after Joshua. My mother-in-law – who is our main go-to person for watching Joshua when we’re working – needed to shield. We somehow got through the next week working it out between us. My sister came home from work on the Friday and said she’d been furloughed, which would help solve some of our childcare worries. I was selfishly grateful. HSU worked on a contingency rota, which meant I would spend more time at home. I did not enjoy this experience. Although it was great not to travel a hundred miles daily back and forth to work, it didn’t necessarily mean I would have more quality time with my family. I felt that there was no sense of control. Work calls came in at what felt like a constant rate, emails pinged continually, I needed to support staff through ongoing issues within the service, and Joshua wanted to be fed or go out and play with friends – and on it went! One of the main challenges I faced, which I knew was not unique to Skinnergate, was the residents’ lack of motivation to practise social distancing. As the manager the issue landed squarely at my feet, coupled with the constant concern: ‘What if Covid-19 takes a grip of the service?’ Daily regional meetings were a source of support, however, as I knew my peers understood the challenges. With lockdown in full swing, churches and schools – which are, in my opinion,

the glue of a community – were closed and we felt a sense of disconnection. One morning I went into Joshua’s room to wake him, saying, ‘C’mon wee man, time to get up.’ Joshua opened his eyes, looked at me and asked, ‘Up for what?’ Joshua is an only child and seven weeks without playing with another kid was starting to take its toll. Joshua’s words made my wife and me pause to consider what was happening: we felt guilty that Joshua was spending too much time in front of the TV; guilty that he was spending too much time in his pyjamas; and guilty that bedtime was all over the place. There was also the question of homework, but we decided to fight that battle when we had the high ground. With my mother-in-law shielding, my wife and I took turns to do her shopping once a week. On my turn I went to the supermarket, picked up two selfscanners and started to work through two shopping lists. Two and a half hours later, standing with a groaning trolley, I was selected for a quality check – which I took as code for ‘you look suspicious’. I had missed an item (by mistake) and every bag was emptied. I made a note to myself: ‘You are a man, Gerry; you are not good at multi-tasking!’ Suitably embarrassed, I headed for home. The challenges at work continued and it was almost impossible at times to switch off. However, what was good is that during our Lifesize meetings I got to know my peers in ways that might never have been possible. Sharing our vulnerabilities and ideas was a reinforcing and heartening experience. Before the government rolled out the concept of forming a bubble, Sandra and I spoke to our neighbours about their concerns over their children’s well-being. We decided to form a bubble and let

the three children play together in my garden. Was this risky? Probably. Did others judge us? Maybe. But, when your children tell you in their own way that they’re struggling, you have to balance the risks, weighing up their emotional health against the emerging evidence of low-risk physical harm to kids. Thankfully things took a turn for the better, the government encouraged bubbles, smiles and scraped knees returned to our garden, and the weather was none too shabby either. Support from the Army began to improve, as did support from the local authority and the Care Inspectorate. Personal protective equipment was now getting through and local businesses were very generous with provisions. One of the challenges for staff was how to maintain positive relationships when we were not working in the usual way. The fact that staff members were being paired proved to be a good solution in that they worked long shifts with colleagues, reinforcing their working relationships. They did an amazing job in every aspect, continuing to show up every day and showing love and compassion in a real, pragmatic way. Who could ever have imagined in January what lay in store for the country and the impact the coronavirus would have? In among the fear and frustrations there have been many moments of generosity and fellowship. The team seems to be more relaxed, even though the need for vigilance is always there in the background as well as some procedural changes to help safeguard everyone. Joshua is back to his full-time job of being a rascal and has now returned to school. If I’m to take anything from this experience, it’s a sense of gratitude: I’m grateful for family, friends and neighbours, for my work and for my faith in God. Salvationist 12 September 2020

FEATURE I Online ministry

Saved to surf Shanelle Manderson explores how corps are using online ministry

S in many sectors of life, the coronavirus pandemic has meant that corps have had to adapt their work. To comply with government restrictions, corps across the territory closed their doors and embraced technology, streaming meetings online and using social media and video communication to maintain a presence and enable congregations to stay connected. As lockdown measures began to ease, Salvationist carried out a survey to find out how corps were using online ministry before the lockdown and whether they plan to maintain an online presence post-lockdown. Of the 95 corps reported to be actively engaging with their fellowship online, 43 responded to the survey, representing 20 divisions. Along with 67.4 per cent of corps surveyed, Romford had an online presence before the lockdown. What began as a tape ministry 40 years ago developed into a CD ministry and, as people have become more technology savvy, a weekly podcast too. As well as Facebook and Twitter accounts for the corps, there are a number of closed Facebook groups for children’s activities. During the lockdown, coffee-and-chat times and prayer meetings around coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter

Graph 1. Online platforms used by corps

movement took place via Zoom. The first online meeting premiered on Mothering Sunday on Facebook, as this was considered the most accessible route for corps folk. ‘It was a selection of congregational singing from previous podcasts – the band, songsters and singing company – and a short, hastily recorded sermon,’ says corps officer Captain Mark Cozens. ‘It’s grown from there really. The band and songsters have produced some new material, but we still use items from archived podcasts. We have a regular testimony time called This Time Tomorrow, which is a recording of a Zoom conversation between Ollie, our host, and a corps member about faith. As we got used to producing, our Sunday meeting has become slicker. We have a great tech team.’ A QR code connected to the GivT app is available to scan during the meeting, which allows viewers to give a one-off donation. The majority of corps surveyed use Facebook (95.3 per cent), Zoom (79.1 per cent) and YouTube (74.4 per cent) to connect, as well as Lifesize (7 per cent) and WhatsApp (2.3 per cent) in their online ministry (see graph 1). This includes Bible study (67.4 per cent), live streaming meetings (58.1 per cent) and pre-recorded meetings (13.9 per cent), music section practices (46.5 per cent), daily posts around series (41.9 per cent), coffee mornings (37.2 per cent) and Messy Church (20.9 per cent) a few times a week (46.5 per cent) and many times every day (25.6 per cent). Romford’s Sunday meetings receive an estimated 65 to 80 live views and an additional 300 views in the few days after. Snippets of content posted to their YouTube account have been shared thousands of times too. ‘Generally speaking, everyone has been well catered for,’ says Captain

Mark. ‘We can replicate online, to an extent, the things everyone enjoys but it’s never going to satisfy some people who can’t wait to get back into the hall. We were so unprepared for this but our congregation, and lots of congregations around the country, have responded remarkably well.’ The survey results echo this, as corps report that 58.1 per cent of corps folk have been ‘extremely receptive’ and 37.2 per cent have been ‘very receptive’ to online ministry. Positive messages have been shared throughout meetings as they streamed online and people have tuned in to meetings from all over the world. Ninety-three per cent of corps have also had feedback from non-Christians. Online worship at Oldham Roundthorn during the lockdown provided a unique opportunity to make new connections. ‘We live in a heavily Muslim community, and our Muslim neighbours are now worshipping with us. That would have never happened before!’ enthuses corps officer Captain Sarah Pitts. To maintain this engagement, Oldham Roundthorn – like 55.8 per cent of corps surveyed – has adapted its weekly Sunday meetings to try and make it as accessible as possible by including traditional and modern music, a prayer time and a children’s puppet slot, and by keeping videos under 30 minutes long. Other corps have reduced the use of Army terminology, explained songs and provided short thoughts rather than a long sermon. Videos are posted to Facebook and YouTube at the same time people would meet at the hall to keep some familiarity, and viewers have the opportunity to donate through a JustGiving page. Producing content for online worship has been a steep learning curve, but members regularly take on responsibilities. As many do not have access to technology, the corps officers have also produced Church in an Envelope – written material that can be used alongside the videos. With some videos reaching more than 300 views the corps sees the value of maintaining its online presence.

Clockwise from top right: Matthew and Emilie Trotter (Castleford) interview General André and Commissioner Silvia Cox; Romford Band; Major Joy Beckett (Castleford); Castleford Singing Company; Captain Sarah Pitts (Oldham Roundthorn) ‘We’ve had our eyes opened to the possibilities of online ministry, but also the ways in which we try and communicate the gospel in the world in which we live,’ says Captain Sarah. ‘We never realised that we could reach so many people, in our own community or further afield, and the positive impact this can have.’ On average 74.4 per cent of corps are

Graph 2. Post-lockdown plans for online ministry

receiving more than 120 views weekly for videos published on Facebook and YouTube. Despite having no online presence before the lockdown, Castleford’s Sunday worship videos have more than 1,200 views. An interview series entitled Connect began a few weeks after lockdown. It involves corps folk answering questions about how lockdown has changed life for them, to show viewers they have the same worries as everyone else but have their faith to lean on. Territorial C Commander Commissioner Anthony Cotterill took part in one video. ‘We wanted to share the fact that we are normal. It’s not just about singing or Scripture; it’s also about everyday living,’ says corps officer Major Joy Beckett.

Cameo club posts, band practice devotions and announcements encouraging prayer every day at noon are posted, and YPSM Becky Elliot shares Ignite, the Sunday school, on Facebook and sends out resources so that people watching can participate. Castleford is keen to build on the growing congregation it’s attracted through online worship. Many other corps agree: 86 per cent of those surveyed, including Romford and Oldham Roundthorn, plan to maintain an online presence once meetings can resume face-to-face (see graph 2). ‘We want to continue to bless people and bring them closer to God in some way, shape or form,’ says Major Joy. ‘We do not know what that’s going to look like but we’re ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we meet a need that we didn’t recognise was there.’ Salvationist 12 September 2020

BIBLE STUDY

Jesus challenges Simon Peter Captain Ashley Prodgers reminds us that a new beginning is possible after failure JOHN 21:15–22

OBODY likes to be asked a question more than once. One can particularly appreciate Simon Peter’s frustration as, not just once but twice, Jesus repeats his question: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ (v17). Having shared a breakfast of grilled fish, Peter himself is grilled.

QUESTION do you think Jesus questioned Peter three times?

O Why

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, on three occasions, three different people questioned Peter (see Luke 22:54–62). Each time, Peter denied knowing Jesus, let alone loving him. Perhaps Jesus’ questions are a way of disciplining Simon Peter, not as punishment but to emphasise his wavering loyalty on that fateful night

Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day by Major Freda Benneyworth

and encourage greater strength and courage for the days ahead. It’s not easy to be reminded of our mistakes. Even if we’re remorseful, sometimes we need to be called to account to ensure we learn from our errors and grow in maturity. It’s quite possible that Jesus varied his intonation when asking the same question three times. Let’s reflect on these words, imagining a slightly different emphasis each time. ‘Do you love me?’ The first time, Jesus asks Simon Peter if he loves him more than the other disciples (v15). It’s clear there was some gossip and possibly even competition among Jesus’ followers regarding who was more favoured (see Mark 10:35–44). Peter seems preoccupied with the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’ (v20). Perhaps we see a hint of jealousy in Peter’s remark: ‘Lord, what about him?’ (v21). Is there a slight resentment that others did not have to endure the same

discipline and, if Peter truly understands the meaning of Jesus’ words, the journey of martyrdom that awaited him? Jesus would have known Peter’s thinking. Therefore, he makes it clear to him that he should not worry about the others. Instead, Jesus helps Peter to refocus his attention on his own love and loyalty. QUESTION O Do you find it hard not to compare yourself with others at work, college or in your church congregation? It’s okay to admire qualities in other people but constantly comparing ourselves with others can lead to selfloathing or bitterness towards those we see as being better or more blessed than us. If we think too highly of ourselves, there is a risk that we’ll start looking down on others. Don’t worry about if, or how they love Jesus: do you love him? Remember that you are fearfully and

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord/ To work he appoints me to do;/ In joy which his smile doth afford/ My soul shall her vigour renew./ His wisdom shall guard me from harm,/ His power my sufficiency prove;/ I’ll trust his omnipotent arm,/ And prove his unchangeable love. (SASB 959)

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ ( John 20:20–22)

The Lord’s command to go into the world and preach the gospel unto all,/ Is just as true today as when his first disciples heard this mighty call;/ So let us gird ourselves and go to battle ’gainst the powers of sin and wrong,/ Join the fight for the right, in his everlasting might, and sing our marching song. (SASB 932)

Salvationist 12 September 2020

wonderfully made, and nobody else is like you. God wants you to demonstrate your love for him in the unique way in which you have been created. ‘Do you love me?’ Peter and the other disciples were followers in the literal sense. They went everywhere with Jesus, listened to his teaching, and carried out his instructions. It was because of Peter’s close proximity to Jesus that he was recognised on the night of his death. Perhaps Peter is being challenged by Jesus’ questioning to evaluate what it means to truly love. Love goes beyond being present, listening and serving. Love also means loyalty, sacrifice and showing courage through standing up for others in the face of adversity. Jesus knew the hard path of discipleship in store for Peter. It would ultimately lead to martyrdom. Although not recorded in Scripture, Church tradition suggests Peter was crucified upside down. Perhaps Jesus is

challenging and testing Peter in preparation for this life of sacrificial service. QUESTIONS challenges and opportunities do you face that enable you to make a stand for Christ? O What sacrifices might God need you to make to enable you to follow him more closely? O What

‘Do you love me?’ After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter and the other disciples appear to have reverted to their previous lives as fishermen on the shores of Galilee. Jesus’ call and challenge to Peter to ‘follow me’ (v22) could be a wake-up call, reminding Peter of the urgency and importance of the work he has been commissioned to carry out. Three times, Jesus asks Peter whether he loves him. Three times, Jesus asks him to feed and tend his

sheep and lambs. Jesus gives Peter the responsibility of caring for his followers – those who are finding their faith (lambs) and those who are spiritually more mature (sheep). Simon Peter had heard Jesus teaching: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37, 39). Now he had to practise it. QUESTION changes can we make in our relationships with others to demonstrate a deeper love for them and express a more devoted love to Christ?

O What

CAPTAIN PRODGERS IS CORPS OFFICER, DUBLIN SOUTH

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation…’ After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into Heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. (Mark 16:15,19 and 20)

Lord, I would be available to serve where there is need;/ Despite the cost to reach the lost/ And match my creed with deed;/ Not just by word of mouth alone/ Would make your glorious message known!/ Available I’d ever be,/ To serve you is my destiny! (SASB 603)

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’ (Luke 10:1 and 2)

Praise God for the harvest that comes from afar,/ From market and harbour, the sea and the shore:/ Foods packed and transported, and gathered and grown/ By God-given neighbours, unseen and unknown. (SASB 54)

Prayer Loving Lord, no matter how we mess up, you reclaim us and call us again. As we celebrate the physical, material harvest, thank you for using ordinary people, transformed by your grace, to bring about a harvest of souls. Equip us and use us for your glory.

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M0RE TH4N A NUMB3R Major Paul Robinson reminds us that everyone is valued in the Kingdom of God

URING the lockdown, my family watched quite a bit of sport, including a football match played in the 1960s. I was impressed with how orderly one team’s scoring was: the number 7 player scored, followed by number 8 and number 9. Later, we watched the 2020 version of the same team play a game live and number 53 scored. I have a problem with this: how can you be number 53 in a team of 11 players? What has this person done that was so wrong they couldn’t squeeze him further up the ranking? How does number 53 feel about their place in the team? At school, when a teacher invited the two captains to pick their teams, I felt a bit like that every time – chosen right at the end. There are those who can point to attending church and feeling like a number 53. They don’t quite fit in. They don’t play the right instrument. They can’t sing. Their family isn’t ‘Army’ enough. Well, I have a confession: I love number 53s, the ones who do not fit, struggle to find other people’s acceptance or have made a mistake – maybe 53 mistakes. The people overlooked by others are the ones I enjoy spending time with. I wonder how many number 53s there were in Jesus’ team. There was a group of important people – Peter, John and the other disciples – that 18

Salvationist 12 September 2020

spent time with Jesus, and everyone knew their place. But there were others as well. Do you remember the conversation Jesus had with the Samaritan woman? The Bible points out that on this occasion it took these 12 important, strong men to get lunch for 13 people (see John 4:8), while Jesus, thirsty and on his own, met up with a number 53. She was out at noon when no one would bump into her. Some people argue she was immoral, having had five husbands and now living in sin, but it is possible her marriages were with men who had died and were part of the levirate marriage system, in which a deceased man’s brother is obliged to marry his widow. Jesus listened to her story and her response was to go and tell others the Jesus story. When the disciples finally arrived with their bumper lunch, they saw a number 53 being treated the Jesus way. What about the criminal crucified next to Jesus? Like the Samaritan woman, we are given only a few facts about the man, and they are certainly not enough to condemn him to that position for ever (see Luke 23:40–43). This man had made mistakes and perhaps had poor judgment in his friendships. As the man told his story, Heaven welcomed an ex-number 53. If we turn to Jesus, even if the world condemns us, he will welcome us. Do you remember the two number

53s on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13)? They were tired and heartbroken, their lives had lost all meaning and their world had fallen apart. Perhaps they felt the world was laughing at their situation – fancy believing in a crucified Messiah! Gently, carefully, Jesus helped them see that they were not number 53s but were valued; they had followed the true path and had a place in his Kingdom. Jesus gave them something that made them return to the disciples and tell them their story. Do you ever feel like a number 53? I hope the more you spend your time with Jesus and the more you reflect on his story as found in Scripture, the more you will know you are far more than a number. You are unique, highly valued, called to live life with purpose and meaning; you have a story to tell and a calling to listen to the stories of others. Wouldn’t it be awful if the Lord brought number 53s to us and we were too busy to listen to their story or thought we were too important? When you feel like a number 53, when life is hard and heavy and unfair, remember there is always room to be picked first for the Lord’s team.

MAJOR ROBINSON IS CORPS OFFICER, NORWICH MILE CROSS

RE R EF FL LEC ECT TIIO ON N REFLECTION

True holiness Brian Colley (Clowne) concludes his second series of reﬂections on verses from Psalms My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled. (Psalm 17:5)

HIS is one of the three psalms entitled ‘A prayer of David’. The beautiful language and expression must be the envy of those who aren’t able to pray with such fluency, but God hears and answers the simplest petition mouthed by any of his children. In verse 3 there is the declaration that under examination by God there will be found a life matching up to his standards.

The final verse says, ‘As for me, I shall be vindicated and shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness’ (v15). How many of us have such a relationship with and understanding of God that we can awake in the satisfaction that we are in his likeness? It is a sure sign of holiness when others see God in us. Beatrice Clelland put this thought beautifully. Under the heading ‘Portrait of a Christian’, this is entitled ‘Indwelt’: Not merely in the words you say, Not only in the deeds confessed, But in the most unconscious way Is Christ expressed. Is it a beatific smile? A holy light upon the brow? Oh no, I felt his presence while You laughed just now. For me ’twas not the truth you taught, To you so clear to me so dim, But when you came to me you brought A sense of him.

I trace the rainbow through the rain

And from your life he beckons me, And from your heart his love is shed. Till I lose sight of you and see The Christ instead.

Poets’ corner

Trevor Caffull encourages us to look for rainbows

FTER the heatwave a few weeks ago, which some enjoyed more than others, we ended up with clouds, showers and electrical storms. And with storms and humid conditions, we were almost bound to have rainbows. Rainbows have been something of a theme during lockdown, with so many windows displaying rainbow drawings in support of heroic NHS and frontline care workers. They have reminded me that through all of today’s challenges, something good, maybe even something better, will emerge. In the third verse of the song, ‘O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go’, we find these incredible lines: ‘I trace the rainbow through the rain/ And feel the promise is not vain,/ That morn shall tearless be’ (SASB 616). These words communicate something pretty deep in terms of faith, but they also remind us of the analogy that in order to see the rainbow, you must first experience the rain. In other words, it is often through difficulty

and struggle that we ultimately find something beautiful or better. I love that thought. Remarkably, the writer of the hymn, George Matheson, had gone almost completely blind by the age of 18, having been diagnosed with an incurable condition a couple of years before. He would have had more than his fair share of rain, and I’m left wondering what his ‘rainbows’ might have been. All of us have had our fair share of rain recently, and there may be more to come, but I firmly believe that we will catch sight of the rainbow. There are better things ahead. We can’t be sure that every ‘morn’ will be tearless, but the rainbow is certainly not a vain promise. As we emerge from the dark days of lockdown, let’s make sure we all keep looking for rainbows. TREVOR IS A SOLDIER AT KETTERING CITADEL

A prayer in wait The army on the facing hill waits in ambush, sharpens its sword and finding its moment spills into our peace. The angry horde advances, blood in their cold eyes, but faith is in our own and flies upward in quick appeal. We have known God’s power to heal in days gone by. Should now we faint before this present foe? Mighty Father, show us how to let our quaking fears go and when we don’t know what to do keep our eyes intent on you. (see 2 Chronicles 20:12) LIEUT-COLONEL MARLENE CHASE (UNITED STATES) Salvationist 12 September 2020

LETTERS

REOPENING OR RELAUNCHING? I ENJOYED Adrian Lyons’ article ‘Crossing the threshold’ (Salvationist 15 August) and especially his admission that he doesn’t know ‘what the barriers to stepping over the threshold to church or the Army are’. I also nodded my head as I read his line: ‘We prioritise our own comfort and see growth in terms of “outsiders” fitting in with us and the way we do things.’ When I’ve served as a corps officer I’ve always been keen to catch up with visitors after a Sunday meeting and offer them a welcome, but also to ask them their first impressions. I’d tell them that I was genuinely interested in their observations – good, bad or ugly! – of our church service in the hope that I could them modify the service to suit seekers better. One of the more influential books I’ve read in ministry is Jim And Casper Go To Church. It tells how US pastor Jim Henderson paid atheist Matt Casper to attend a dozen services at different churches with him, so that he could obtain his honest feedback on what he saw, heard and felt during those services. It was such an eye-opener for Henderson to hear Casper’s thoughts and especially some of the simplest, straightforward questions. Why do you close your eyes when you pray? What happens to the money I put in the offering? Why should I sing a song about loving a man I’ve never met who lived 2,000 years ago in a foreign country? How can I join in saying a prayer out loud when I don’t know the prayer? As we live in this forced ‘hiatus’ period, I encourage corps officers to think about how they can relaunch their corps as restrictions lift. You don’t have to do what you’ve always done! We can ‘grow saints’ in weekly Bible study groups – maybe our Sunday services need to focus purely on ‘saving souls’? Major Mal Davies Editor-in-Chief London

LOOK UP LATE summer provides us with an opportunity to view the planet Jupiter and its moons with even the most basic telescope. Astronomy could be described as the senior service of science. The Greeks were making astronomical observations around 400 BC. Astronomy is a societal leveller: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock has dyslexia and has spoken to some 25,000 disadvantaged children, and the International Space Station is supported by some 26 countries. Astronomy illustrates how science works. Galileo was able to propose a heliocentric (sun-centred) model of the solar system. Traditionally the solar system was believed to be geocentric (Earth-centred). Philosophers of science call that process falsification. Astronomy debunks the science-faith warfare concept. In fact many historians of science doubt whether there is – or ever has been – any such thing. Galileo was summoned before the Roman Inquisition of the Catholic Church. However, the 17th-century thinker was supported by members of the Order of the Jesuits. His punishment was quite benign. The Catholic authorities seemed to have regretted their decision. Shortly after they founded an observatory, which continues to this day. The 20th-century astronomer Harlow Shapley self-defined as an agnostic, yet in his book Science Ponders Religion he wrote: ‘Yet it may well be that science will become the revealer, and not the antagonist, of religion.’ Once social restrictions are lifted corps might consider asking a local astronomy society to give a short layperson-friendly talk on Galileo’s work. The corps could serve pizza and coffee and maybe mount an exhibition on The Salvation Army’s work in Italy. Kevin Chubb Barry

LETTERS Many years ago General Frederick Coutts said letters in the Army’s press should be ‘carefully thought out and charitably expressed’. Letters may be edited and should ideally be no more than 300 words.

Salvationist 12 September 2020

A LOVELY AFTERNOON WHAT a lovely afternoon when Major Marian Parker (Worthing) came to play music for my husband, Maurice, who is quite poorly. The Greenwood family came also – Steven, Amanda, Luke and Joseph – and a young lady friend. For folk to give up their time for us was very moving. The neighbours were also delighted. Please say thank you. Sally and Maurice Ozanne Littlehampton

SIDNEY BINDEMANN MY father, the Rev Dr Sidney Bindemann, was a Salvationist at Peterborough Citadel in the mid to late 1940s. He entered training as part of the Intercessors Session in 1952 and was then posted to Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, before moving into the ministry of the Congregational Church. He later moved back to Peterborough as a family case officer with the social services before studying clinical psychology and securing a post with the University of Strathclyde, later becoming Principal Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Clinical Oncology, University of Glasgow. Around 1983, Dad returned to ministry in the formal sense and became minister at Broomhill Congregational Church in Glasgow. He would argue, however, that his ministry never stopped since those early days in The Salvation Army. Dad passed away peacefully in August after a long, successful and productive life of service, meeting the needs of others. I am keen to find a photograph of the college band that he was part of in the Intercessors Session. Perhaps a reader of Salvationist might be able to help. If so, please email me at [email address supplied]. Karl Bindemann Scarborough