Quotes from the media

from Salvationist 22 May 2021

by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

Viewpoint

CHURCH OF ENGLAND ISSUES GUIDANCE ON MEMORIALS WITH SLAVERY LINKS

New guidance has been issued by the Church of England to help churches and cathedrals address concerns over memorials with links to slavery.

Contested Heritage in Cathedrals and Churches focuses on memorials for people or events connected with racism and slavery.

It recognises the ‘anger’ over monuments to people with such links, expressed in the toppling of statues during protests last year…

The guidance says… ‘The effects of enslavement continue to impact the lives of many UK ethnic minority communities to whom, at best, these objects may be reminders of an “overcome” past, a horror from which we celebrate our extrication; at worst, for these objects to remain in place with no discussion or interpretation could be taken to imply that the oppression and disenfranchisement they evoke for many in affected communities is socially and theologically acceptable to the Church’…

‘The passions around this – on all sides – mean that there needs to be open dialogue,’ it reads…

The guidance recognises that consultations may conclude ... not to remove a particular monument, but says that churches should nonetheless engage in research, consultation and reflection where concerns are raised, to assess how much objects may impact on missional, pastoral and liturgical activities.

Christian Today

SALVATIONIST

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EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts – 020 7367 4901

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GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight – 020 7367 4895 Louise Phillips – 020 7367 4896 BRITISH CUPPA AT RISK FROM CLIMATE CHANGE, SAYS CHRISTIAN AID

Climate change is putting the muchloved British cuppa at risk as extreme weather and rising temperatures hit tea-growing countries, according to Christian Aid.

The UK and Ireland drink more tea per person than any other countries in the world, with Kenya alone producing half the black tea drunk in the UK.

But ... the charity is warning that climate change is going to slash optimal conditions for tea production in Kenya by a quarter in the next 30 years.

Dr Kat Kramer … says ... ‘Within the next few years, we have a window of opportunity to act... One of the big questions for the G7 is ... how much ... wealthy countries are willing to open their pockets to actually deliver a global recovery.’

Premier

FACEBOOK TESTS NEW ‘PRAYER POST’ FEATURE

A new prayer post feature is being tested on Facebook that will allow members of Facebook groups to ask for and respond to prayer requests.

The move by the social media giant was confirmed to the Religion News Service. ‘Our mission to give people the power to build community extends to the world’s largest community; the faith community,’ Nona Jones, head of Global Faith Partnerships at Facebook, said in a written statement…

The idea for prayer posts grew out of the many ways users have connected over Facebook while distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic...

The testing is taking place in a subset of groups in the United States...

A pray button can be clicked to let the poster know their request will be committed to prayer.

Premier

CALL TO PROTECT FREE SPEECH AS MPS ACCUSE MEDIA OF ANTI-RELIGIOUS BIAS

Calls by MPs for the media to improve their ‘religious literacy’ must not lead to the ‘stifling’ of free speech, humanists have said.

A report by the all-party parliamentary group on religion in the media said that many religious people believed that journalists were ‘indifferent towards religion and belief at best and actively biased against people of faith at worst’.

It proposed that groups should be able to make joint complaints to media regulators on grounds of discrimination, that religious literacy training should be made part of journalism qualifications and that journalists should focus more on the ‘lived experience’ of people of faith, rather than just the doctrines and rituals.

Humanists UK expressed concern about the consequences of the report’s recommendations. ‘It is essential that the media remain free to criticise religious beliefs and ideas, which can be the source of much harm around the world today,’ Richy Thompson, the group’s director of public affairs and policy, said. ‘Any stifling of such criticism could be a significant impingement on essential freedom of speech.’

The Times

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FIRED UP

BLAISE Pascal, a 17th-century French mathematician, physicist and philosopher, was in the habit of writing his flashes of insight on scraps of paper. After his death at the age of 39 these were gathered together and published in a book called Pensées (Thoughts).

One scrap of paper that wasn’t included was found sewn into his coat. It read: ‘The year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November… From about half past ten at night until about half past midnight, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and of the learned. Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace. God of Jesus Christ…’ Such was the intensity of this spiritual experience that he described it as fire. I wonder if he was tempted to call himself ‘Blaze Pascal’ after that.

On the Day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Spirit, they ‘saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them’ (Acts 2:3), and the image of fire has often been used to symbolise the Spirit and describe his presence and work in people’s lives. For example, the Army’s motto, ‘blood and fire’, refers to the saving work of Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and William Booth used the image in his song ‘Thou Christ of Burning, Cleansing Flame’ (SASB 326), which will no doubt be sung around the world on Pentecost Sunday this weekend.

To mark Pentecost Salvationist includes part of an address by the Founder called ‘The baptism of fire’, in which he says we often forget to acknowledge the work of the Spirit in our lives. He urges us to be completely open to the Spirit so that God can use us effectively in his service.

One of the ways the Spirit makes us effective is by helping us share the gospel with others. This is highlighted in the article ‘The Spirit of witness’, which looks at the experience of the early Church and considers how the Spirit can inspire, empower and guide our witness today.

God can create all kinds of opportunities for witness. In her testimony Sue MacDonald reveals how a therapy dog called Evie opened the door to conversations about faith with the owner, Major Alexandra Hughes. This eventually led to Sue making a commitment and becoming a Salvationist.

Fire is not the only symbol of the Holy Spirit – another is water. In his Bible study Major Mal Davies focuses on words from Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, ‘I will pour out my Spirit’ (Acts 2:17), and explores what it means to be ‘immersed’ in the Spirit.

In her reflection, Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts shows that our experience of the Holy Spirit is not always as dramatic as a raging fire or a mighty flood. He can work just as powerfully in the ‘quiet moment’, bringing freedom and transformation.

It is wonderful to know the presence and power of the Spirit, and it is an experience that every Christian can enjoy. But it has to be more than a personal experience. The fire that burns inwardly needs to spread outwards through our words and actions. If we allow him to, the Spirit who has the power to transform our lives can also transform the world around us.

From the Editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts