Quotes from the media

ARCHBISHOP PRAISES QUEEN’S CHRISTIAN FAITH ON HER HISTORIC PLATINUM JUBILEE

The Archbishop of Canterbury has paid tribute to the Queen’s 70 years on the throne as a ‘symbol of stability and hope’...

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee [is] the first for a British monarch. The Queen, 95, acceded the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952.

She … spoke of her hope that the jubilee would ‘bring together families and friends, neighbours and communities after some difficult times’...

‘As I look ahead with a sense of hope and optimism to the year of my Platinum Jubilee, I am reminded of how much we can be thankful for,’ the Queen said…

Archbishop Justin Welby invited Christians to pray that God would ‘continue to strengthen and guide’ the Queen, and ‘bless her with continued health and wisdom’…

‘As we mark the anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the throne, we give thanks for her dedication to us all, and her faithful witness to Jesus Christ,’ [he said].

Christian Today

CHRISTIAN CHARITY WELCOMES ‘HISTORIC’ DOWN’S SYNDROME BILL

Campaigners are backing a bill designed to improve the rights of people with Down’s syndrome.

The Down’s Syndrome Bill is completing its final stage through parliament and if passed would place a duty on public bodies to meet the needs of people with the condition.

It has been introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by former GP Dr Liam Fox and is co-sponsored by cross-party MPs and politicians from across the political divide... James Mildred from [Christian charity] Care [said] … ‘We’ve been very aware of the discrimination and structural inequalities that people with Down’s syndrome face ... and we think that the provisions in this bill will ensure a much greater level of support...’

If passed, a Down’s Syndrome Act will be established – the first of its kind in the world. It will improve the provision and outcomes for all those living with Down’s syndrome in England. This will encompass, amongst other areas, maternity care, education, health and social care and employment.

Premier

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ON THE RISE, CONFERENCE TOLD

The rise in modern slavery over the past few years represents an ongoing challenge to anti-trafficking campaigners, the first European conference of the Santa Marta group was told.

The conference took place in Cologne, Germany, and online on the International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking… Its objectives were to … eradicate modern slavery, provide information, encourage action and co-operation and develop an action plan.

Former metropolitan police chief Kevin Hyland was among the speakers. He said … that the number of victims of trafficking had risen since 2014, the year Santa Marta was founded. Although the number of slavery and trafficking prosecutions dropped due to the coronavirus, Hyland noted, cases brought to trial had already been in a steep decline...

Other speakers … warned that the economic foundations of human trafficking remained intact and may even have been reinforced by the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tablet

THE STRONG THRIVE, THE WEAK SUFFER: WELBY CHALLENGES THE PANDEMIC NARRATIVE

Communities must learn to look at the world as a single unit, rather than through ‘the lens of narrow nationalism, factionalism, politics, economic union or self-selecting group’, the Archbishop of Canturbury has said.

Archbishop Welby … spoke of the experience of meeting leaders of different faiths from around the UK. It had made plain how much overlap there was when meeting the challenges and opportunities of the pandemic – notably, loss of confidence about all communal life. ‘One person put it best when they said it was as though the pandemic had caused us all to “lose the muscle memory of how to be together”.’

Covid had shown unequivocally that individualism and atomisation were both illusion and fantasy, the Archbishop said.

Church Times

SALVATIONIST

salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist Issue No 1846

EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Simon Hope, Melita Day-Lewis, Major Margaret Bovey

ART DIRECTOR Hannah Holden

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight, Louise Phillips

PROOFREADER Chris Horne

Published weekly by The Salvation Army and printed on paper from sustainable sources by CKN Print, Northampton. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. ISSN 2516-5909.

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NORMAL SERVICE?

TWO years ago the word ‘coronavirus’ made its first appearance in Salvationist. The 15 February 2020 issue reported that a Salvation Army emergency response team was at Solar Campus in Wallasey ‘ready to provide food, refreshments and support to the families and friends of people in isolation at the nearby coronavirus quarantine centre’. Those in isolation had returned from Wuhan in China.

At that time Army life was going on as normal, as reflected in other Salvationist reports that week. The male vocal group FourHymn had been to Lurgan for the 140th corps anniversary, 33 volunteers at Stapleford’s Nicely Saved charity shop and Sanctuary coffee shop had received certificates of appreciation, the first cohort of young adults had successfully graduated from the Strawberry Field Steps to Work programme and the territorial commander had installed Lieut-Colonel Judith Payne as principal of William Booth College. I was interested to read what the new principal preached about on that occasion. She stressed that God’s plan was to work in and through us to share his love in the world.

In mid-February 2020 we had little idea of what was about to happen and how the coming pandemic would affect our personal, family, work and Army lives. Neither did we know that the need to share God’s love, which the principal had highlighted, would demand the extra commitment of energy, resources, imagination and compassion from Salvationists and volunteers in this territory and across the world. The Salvationist news pages in the months that followed demonstrated that. One innovative venture that began during the pandemic is featured this week. Pat and Richard Thorpe at Norwich Mile Cross Corps had the ‘God-led idea’ of providing Care Kitbags containing basic toiletries and other items for people experiencing homelessness when being discharged from hospital.

Two years on from the start of the pandemic, although Covid-19 is still with us, life in the UK is returning to some sort of normality. The government recently dropped its work from home guidance and, in a few days, all Covid-19 regulations will be lifted in England, with other UK nations likely to do the same soon. Instead, people will be relied on to take personal responsibility for their behaviour.

Signs that normal service is being resumed are also appearing in the Army world. This week’s issue includes testimonies from three delegates at the International College for Officers. The college, based at Sunbury Court, hosts four sessions a year for officers from around the world, but these were suspended in March 2020. The first session since then is now under way and three delegates share their inspiring stories.

Other indications of a return to normality feature in our news pages, including the International Staff Band’s first in-person programme for two years – a Saturday night festival at Regent Hall, appropriately titled Together Again.

Perhaps the idea of normal service being resumed isn’t quite accurate. Although much will be the same, the experiences of the past two years are bound to influence people’s attitudes and actions from now on. And because our calling is always to serve the world as it is, not as it was, we may need to find new ways of sharing God’s love.

To serve the present age,

My calling to fulfil,

O may it all my powers engage

To do my Master’s will! (SASB 946)

From the editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

CONTENTS

Quotes from the media 2

News 4 to 6

Prayer matters 6

Self-Denial 2022 7

Indonesia

Colonel Yusak Tampai talks to Captain Jo Moir

My journal 8

Freedom to think

by Liz Hall

A word from William 9

God’s giving

ICO testimonies 10 and 11

God’s way with me

Feature 12 and 13

One bag at a time

by Simon Hope

Reflection 14 and 15

Fix your eyes on Jesus

by Nicola Walmsley

Bible study 16 and 17 Apest: The gift that keeps on giving

by Major Mark Herbert

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17

by Major Jane Kimberley

Review 18

Sharing the Easter Story

reviewed by Major Cliff Allchin

Previews 18

On Retreat with Henri Nouwen

by Chris Pritchett and Marjorie Thompson

Seeing Differently

by Simon Cocksedge, Samuel Double and Nicholas Alan Worssam

Reflection 19

Learning to serve

by Major John Waters

Reflection 19

Daring to sing

by Brian Colley

New commitments 20

Announcements 21

Adverts 22 and 23

Quiz 24

Bible challenges

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS

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

Editor's note: Events reported were held in accordance with the Army’s Covid-19 safety guidance at the time.

ARMY NEWS

One in three rough sleepers under 35

LONDON

THE Salvation Army has warned that many young people are on the cliff edge of homelessness as new figures for London show that one in three rough sleepers is under the age of 35.

The Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) quarterly report shows that 2,949 people slept rough in the capital between October and December 2021, a 1 per cent rise on the previous quarter. Of this figure, 1,314 people slept rough for the first time, 45 per cent of the total figure.

The Salvation Army recently released the results of a survey of more than 2,000 UK adults aged 18 to 30, which found that, despite nearly half (48 per cent) being in full-time jobs, thousands live hand to mouth, with those in work just as likely as unemployed people to need charity support.

The government has pledged extra funding to tackle homelessness, but The Salvation Army has warned that support is also needed to target the underlying issues and root causes of homelessness.

Nearly one in five (19 per cent) of people aged 18 to 30 said they were behind with their rent or mortgage, and The Salvation Army is warning that with the rise in the cost of living, including increasing energy bills and the planned national insurance rise in April, many young people are at greater risk of homelessness.

The Army is calling for the government to act immediately to provide stable long-term housing for those who were helped as part of the Everyone In scheme, as well as accommodation combined with specialist support to help address issues such as poor mental health or addiction. – AR MUSIC

ISB plays together again

REGENT HALL

FOR the first time in two years the International Staff Band (ISB) stepped on to a platform to perform a music programme, aptly named Together Again. The event delighted an audience of more than 250 people and was emotional for performers and listeners alike.

Launching their new CD, Powerhouse, the ISB presented the festival in a format of three sections.

The first section featured music from the CD. First up was Nicholas J Samuel’s ‘Legacy of Faith’, a collage of quotes from classic Salvation Army music laid over the tune of ‘Praise, My Soul’.

This flowed into Paul Sharman’s setting of ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’, followed by ‘Rhapsody on St Francis’ by Andrew Wainwright. The first section ended with two technically challenging pieces, ‘Toccata Fire!’ by Steven Ponsford and ‘Powerhouse’ by Kenneth Downie.

In the second section, Bandmaster Stephen Cobb led the listeners through a number of pieces recently presented to the Territorial Music Council: ‘A La Manera’, ‘Evening Variations’, ‘Prelude on Ascalon’, ‘Groove Hosanna!’ and ‘Wonder’.

The evening concluded with a Bible reading brought by the executive officer of the ISB, Major Paul Kingscott, Wilfred Heaton’s ‘Praise’ and a flawless performance of ‘So Glad!’ by William Himes, featuring flugelhorn soloist Richard Woodrow (Norwich Citadel). ‘The Kingdom Triumphant’ left the audience with the words ‘Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!/ God appears on Earth to reign’ ringing in their ears.

Together Again was Bandsman Stuart Hall’s final performance with the ISB, having served for 24 years in the trombone section. He said: ‘It’s been an honour and a privilege to play in the ISB. I’ve so many memories of weekends, recordings and tours. And it was fitting that my final concert was at Regent Hall, which was one of my first weekend engagements with the band.’ – PH

Did you know Salvationist is online?

Read through archived issues Catch up on the news you missed Read the editor’s comment and our article of the week Visit salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist

1,314

first-time rough sleepers in London

SEE PAGE 4

1,000

teddy bears donated for children

SEE PAGE 5

£750

raised for Youth Alpha project

SEE PAGE 5

COMMUNITY CORPS

Retired nurse donates 1,000 teddy bears

HUDDERSFIELD

A RETIRED nurse has donated 1,000 teddy bears to the corps for children in need or those who have suffered trauma, including Afghan refugees.

Lynn Howarth, who started collecting the teddy bears in the 1990s, dropped off two cars-full of the cuddly toys with her husband, John.

Lynn said: ‘I read an article appealing for teddies for children who had lost everything in a fire or had suffered trauma, so I decided to donate them. They were doing nothing up in my attic and a lot of them are brand new.’

Corps officer Major Chris Lee said: ‘We are planning to host a drop-in for Afghan refugees, so a lot of these toys will be distributed to children who have fled from there and are experiencing trauma. We know Lynn’s donation will help bring some comfort to children who are going through a tough time, or make life a little easier for struggling families.’ – AR

ENVIRONMENT

UKI In the wake of COP26 – the UN climate change conference in Glasgow – the Moral and Social Issues Council (Masic) ran a second webinar called Being Fruitful, which explored related ethical issues. The webinar focused on caring for creation and the climate crisis through a panel discussion hosted by Major Kerry Coke (Raynes Park). If you missed it, or want to watch it again, the webinar is available at salvationarmy.org.uk/beingfruitful with optional subtitles. Corps and centres are encouraged to join an eco-scheme and/or the Environmental Champions Network. – JR

MUSIC

BOGNOR REGIS Learning Disability Inclusion Development Manager Chris Stringer (THQ) led worship. He challenged everyone to be fully aware of people with disabilities and to welcome them, ensuring that worship is fully inclusive. Sarah Boote-Cook gave a moving testimony about often feeling uncomfortable at church with her disabled daughter. Chris also showed videos of the Enabled summer school, taught the congregation sign language to a song and led a workshop in the afternoon. Pictured are Chris, Sarah and corps officer Major Matt Butler. – AH

PRESENTATION

RUTHERGLEN Billy Nuttall retired as corps secretary after 23 years of service. He was supported by family and friends. This marked a lifelong commitment and calling, especially to the marginalised. Many in the town have benefited from Billy’s help. Although taking a small step back, he will still be on the high street selling Army papers and keeping connected to everyone he has come to know over the years. – CW

BOGNOR REGIS The new contemporary corps band made its debut on Covenant Sunday. The band, which includes guitarists, a flautist, keyboardists, a drummer and singers, added depth to the worship. It has also given some people the opportunity to support the music ministry of the corps for the first time. – AH