Salvationist 2 March 2019 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

SALVATIONIST For everyone linked to The Salvation Army

No.1694 Price 60p

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 2 March 2019

LENT

A time for ref lection

T CONTENTS

Quotes from the media

News

4 to 6

Previews I Symphony Sounds and LEAD

Looking ahead to Symphony Sounds by Paul Sharman

Here be dragons by Phil Ball

Letters

Rear-mirror views Seeking the same Lord

by General John Larsson (Retired)

Feature I World Book Day 10 and 11 Wanted: writers old and new by Rebecca Goldsmith

Interview 12 and 13 Kneeling down in order to lift up Bob Fyffe talks to Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

Feature I Lent resources Lent focus

by Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts

Viewpoint What kind of society?

by The Rev Gerald Paisey

Bible study Saved by grace

16 and 17

by Major Brian Slinn

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17 by Major Melvyn Knott

New commitments

20 21 to 23

The Salvation Army and me featuring Major Diane Kinsey

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

THE phrase ‘redemption and lift’ describes the phenomenon that occurs when someone experiences an improvement in their social and economic circumstances after they become a Christian – spiritual transformation results in material transformation. Recent research in the USA seems to illustrate this. It shows that, compared with nonreligious people, people of faith increasingly act in self-controlled and selfless ways that produce positive changes in their material circumstances. It’s not a version of the ‘prosperity gospel’, which wrongly teaches that if you have enough faith and give enough money to God’s work you are guaranteed greater ‘health and wealth’ in return. It’s simply that faith affects the whole person – thoughts, feelings and behaviour – which can lead to a change in their prospects. An example of redemption and lift appears in General John Larsson’s article on page 9. He mentions an early-day Salvationist whose circumstances had been turned around as a result of his conversion: ‘He had his job back, his children were well clothed and he had a home of his own.’ This man’s testimony led to the conversion of Mary Murray, whose story is the focus of General Larsson’s article. Some people use the idea of redemption and lift to argue that the way to improve society is simply to evangelise and let transformed people transform the world. That certainly wasn’t William Booth’s view – at least not by 1890 when In Darkest England And The Way Out was published. As Rebecca Goldsmith shows on page 10, Booth proposed a comprehensive scheme designed to lift people out of dire circumstances and into a better life. Conversion was important but other help was needed as well. In Darkest England was an influential work and a best seller. So, to mark its 130th anniversary next year, we’re inviting people to contribute to an anthology that we plan to publish. Read Rebecca’s article to find out more. Pages 12 and 13 feature an interview with Bob Fyffe, General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Bob mentions some words he heard during a recent visit to Egypt – ‘We cannot lift up unless we kneel down’ – and says, ‘We kneel in front of God’s majesty in order to lift other people up.’ Redemption and lift may be one phenomenon but so is redemption and service – service that flows from humbly kneeling before God. That thought brings us back to Mary Murray, the subject of General Larsson’s article. She was from a well-to-do military family – her father was a general – but after her conversion she joined The Salvation Army, became an officer and served others with ‘down-to-earth graciousness’. The military general’s daughter went on to serve troops at the front line. While redemption and lift may seem to be a positive phenomenon, the phrase was originally used to highlight a negative aspect – that people who benefit materially often lose touch with those around them, so lessening their impact for the gospel. But if redemption has the effect of lifting, it also includes a challenge to follow the Servant King who lowered himself and lived among us to redeem us. The weeks of Lent that we’re about to enter might be a good time to reflect on the significance of that.

18 and 19

Announcements Adverts

REDEMPTION AND LIFT

Salvationist 2 March 2019

From the Editor, Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

‘

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA

‘CHAMPSITES’ OFFER NOVEL SLEEPOVER AMID THE PEWS Falling asleep during a long boring sermon is generally a thing of the past, but today there is an increasing welcome for people wanting to nod off for the night in church. Camping in church – or champing as it is known – was devised in 2015 by the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), in which a proportion of closed churches are vested, to encourage walkers and cyclists to visit its properties and to create a useful source of income… This summer the Church in Wales, in partnership with a businessman in Ceredigion, James Lynch, who runs forest sustainable holiday centres, will offer similar facilities for cyclists in remote rural churches as part of the Welsh government’s Year of Discovery tourism campaign… Now Hereford diocese is trialling a version of the scheme, which will, for the first time, sustain a functioning church community… If successful, it hopes to spread the idea nationally. Church Times

‘ADDICTION CRISIS’: COUNCILS SLASH FUNDING FOR TREATMENT Councils are making ‘deep cuts’ to addiction services despite soaring alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths, with further cuts projected. Nearly 60 per cent of local authorities have slashed budgets for these services over the last year, amid

government cuts to public health grants.

PRINCE WILLIAM BECOMES ROYAL PATRON OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY The Duke of Cambridge has been named as the royal patron of a homelessness charity he first visited as a young boy with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales. William has become the figurehead of The Passage, an organisation that has helped more than 130,000 people in crisis over almost 40 years through its resource centre, homelessness prevention projects and innovative accommodation services… Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and patron of The Passage, welcomed the announcement…

Some councils axed as much as a third of the money set aside to help addicts, and Birmingham reported the biggest reduction after wiping nearly £4 million from its budget. Experts are concerned the lack of specialist services means underlying addiction problems are not being addressed, leading to additional strain on the NHS.

He said: ‘I know the duke is deeply committed to working with those most in need…

The Independent

Premier

‘It is crucial that everyone in our society, especially the poorest, are treated with respect, dignity and kindness, and are given the opportunities to fulfil their potential in life; this announcement is a tangible symbol of that commitment.’

METHODIST PEER CRITICISES NEW KNIFE CRIME SCHEME A new government scheme for tackling knife crime, which includes targeting suspects aged 12 – even if they do not have a knife – has been criticised by Baroness Lawrence, the mother of teenager Stephen Lawrence. He was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack in southeast London in 1993. Speaking to the home affairs select committee, she said there were better ways to deal with knife crime than ‘criminalising’ children. ‘What is really worrying now is [what] the home secretary has

SALVATIONIST (tel) 020 7367 4890 (email) salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk (web) www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts – (tel) 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Stephen Pearson – (tel) 020 7367 4891 EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Shanelle Manderson – (tel) 020 7367 4894 Simon Hope – (tel) 020 7367 4892 Major Tony Button – (tel) 020 7367 4887 Major Margaret Bovey DTP DESIGNER Hannah Holden – (tel) 020 7367 4883 GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight – (tel) 020 7367 4895 Louise Phillips – (tel) 020 7367 4896 PROOFREADER Chris Horne

announced about 12-year-olds carrying knives, so these kids are going to have a criminal record from the age of 12 and are going to be locked up,’ she told the committee… Baroness Lawrence, who is a Methodist, said she was sure there were other ways of dealing with the issue and she called on the government to start going into schools to educate all children on what could happen if they carry knives. Methodist Recorder

ADVERTISING (tel) 020 7367 4895 (email) advertising@salvationarmy.org.uk DISTRIBUTION Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (Periodicals), 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate, Wellingborough NN8 2QH (tel) 01933 445445 (option 1) (fax) 01933 445415 (email) subscriptions@sp-s.co.uk TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN (tel) 020 7367 4500 (tel) 0845 634 0101 Published weekly by The Salvation Army and printed on paper from sustainable sources by Walstead Grange Ltd, Southwick. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

ISSN 2516-5909

SALVATIONIST ONLINE Find Salvationist on Facebook www.facebook.com/salvationistonline Find Salvationist on Twitter twitter.com/@SalvationistUK

THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Brian Peddle TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill SECRETARY FOR COMMUNICATIONS Lieut-Colonel David Kelly

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NEWS

Kieran and Hannah Ellis dedicate their daughters Katie, Bethany, Sophie, Evie and Lily to God at Heckmondwike, committing to bring them up in the ways of the Lord; corps officer Lieutenant Yong-Geun Lee conducted the ceremony and the family shared in a time of prayer

The Army responds to gas explosion BATLEY

Children take leadership roles STAPLE HILL YP weekend started on Saturday evening with a fun, food and fellowship-filled party. Captains Clare and Robert Davis (Shoeburyness) led Sunday worship, Robert having been a junior soldier at the corps. The young people took part in leading the meeting and some took on senior leadership roles. The YP band started the meeting by playing ‘Here I Am To Worship’, and the primary delighted the congregation with ‘God Is Good To Me’. Testimonies were shared and two new junior musicians were commissioned. After a time of reflection, the congregation was invited to take a child’s name and promise to pray for, and take an interest in, the child. The meeting concluded with ‘Glorious’ sung by the singing company. – V. W. MIDDLESBROUGH CITADEL: Members of the Sunday school took part in an exhibition at a nearby art gallery. They were able to light a candle as part of the theme of light and darkness and prayed that people would know Jesus as the Light of the world. – N. K. 4

Salvationist 2 March 2019

DEREHAM: Lyn Walker was inspired to commence a craft workshop with a Christian theme. As well as enjoying fellowship together, each person attending takes away a card containing a short reading and prayer. At the conclusion of the first workshop the cards quoted Ephesians 2:10: ‘For we are God’s handiwork.’ Lyn’s prayer is that the workshop will be one where the people attending support and encourage each other in the name of the Lord. – D. B.

WHEN people had to leave their homes with only the clothes they were wearing, corps officer Major Elaine Eardley opened the hall to support anyone affected by a gas explosion. Major Eardley said: ‘We were happy to support our community during a stressful time. We were inundated with offers of help from our congregation, who provided refreshments as well as a listening ear as residents waited for news and overnight accommodation. ‘It’s our experience that, at tough times, people need a safe space to gather their thoughts, share their concerns and even charge their phones so that they can be in contact with loved ones.’ Volunteers provided clothing and toiletries during the evening and breakfast the following morning. – C. A. CIRENCESTER: The SelfDenial Appeal was launched at a family service followed by a meal. Majors Cherry and John Umasanthiram related their experiences of serving in Malaysia and Indonesia. The congregation learnt ‘This Is The Day’ in Malay. – M. G. Please do not send your copy to any individual’s email address as this could delay publication. Copy should be sent to salvationist@ salvationarmy.org.uk

The same theme after 135 years TIVERTON MAJORS Kath and Mel Jones led the 135th corps anniversary weekend. When Mel asked what the theme of the meetings would be, he was told, Thy Kingdom Come In Tiverton As It Is In Heaven. Researching the history of the corps at the International Heritage Centre, Mel discovered that this was the same theme used at the opening of the corps.

The weekend started with a Saturday evening featuring comedian and magician Tom Elliott, who brought fun and laughter to the occasion. The story of the prodigal son gave opportunity for reflection on lifestyles, and an opportunity to accept Jesus. During the Sunday morning meeting greetings from previous officers and friends were read by Retired YPSM Mary White. In the evening junior soldier Jay Lenton gave his vision for the future and read greetings from former YPSM, Cadet Debbie Hogarth. – H. G.

Tom Elliott with Majors Kath and Mel Jones and corps officers Majors Anthony and Heather Godwin

The Salvation Army to benefit from record release UNITED KINGDOM

MP opens new community lounge WHITEHAVEN TRUDY Harrison, MP, took refreshments with corps members when she opened the new project. She shared words of encouragement as she spoke of the community spirit that can be found in Cumbria. The lounge will be a safe place for friends to meet, and volunteers will provide a listening ear and company for anyone feeling isolated or lonely. One morning each week artist and soldier Roy Simmons will provide teaching and demonstrations, and invite people who wish to try painting to complete a painting to take home. – D. H.

Corps officer Major Neil Davies presents Carol Woolmore with a certificate of appreciation for more than 13 years’ service as songster sergeant and secretary at Yeovil

HOMELESSNESS Worldwide was founded by Jenny Roberts, who has arranged for a number of celebrities to record a cover version of ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’, with proceeds going to a number of charities, including the Army. Jenny decided to put together the single in memory of her brother, Darren, who had experienced homelessness. Jenny chose the song, as it was one her brother would sing to her, and the line ‘No burden is he to bear’ is, as well as the title, especially meaningful for her. ‘I want people to take a stand,’ she says, ‘and unite to help eradicate homelessness as much as we can. I just can’t bear seeing people freezing in shop doorways and being ignored.’ Jenny wanted the Army to be one of the charities benefiting from the sales of the single, not only because of its work with people experiencing homelessness, but also because her uncle told her about the support he received when his home in Durham was destroyed during the Second World War. – A. R.

KIDDERMINSTER: The first half of Charlie Green’s concert featured songs from famous shows. Wearing his Army uniform for the second half, Charlie sang ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’ and ‘Rejoice With Exceeding Great Joy’. In an interview, the young singer spoke about his upbringing in the Army and how his faith and love of music grew. – G. M. Salvationist 2 March 2019

NEWS

Lifehouse residents’ artwork displayed in exhibition WARRINGTON ART therapy lessons at the James Lee House Lifehouse have resulted in 16 pieces being selected to feature in an exhibition in the Warrington Museum and Gallery, with other works being displayed at the Lymm Hotel. Debbie Lyon, an artist and art session co-ordinator, started running the sessions in April last year, and every week the class is full. She finds pleasure in working with the group, and tells of the enthusiasm and energy residents bring to the sessions. Warrington Round Table funded the art sessions and the Lifehouse manager added £800 raised by his sponsored 8.7-mile swim in the Thames. The Lifehouse provides 54 beds for men and women over the age of 18 experiencing homelessness. – A. R.

River supply line vital as Army aids refugees CONGO PRACTICAL, emotional and spiritual support is being given to a large number of people fleeing the Maï-Ndombe region of the Democractic Republic of Congo. Conflict between different ethnic groups, which began in December 2018, has resulted in a large migration of people to the neighbouring Republic of Congo. Many people have died and more than 7,000 people – including unaccompanied children, whose parents have been

At Govan Maya Williams and Beth McNeilly are awarded the Tommy Ramsay Young People’s Band Award 2019 for musical improvement and spiritual development; also pictured is YP Band Leader Colin McFarlane

Salvationist 2 March 2019

killed – have crossed the River Congo into the border settlements of Bétou and Makotipoko. Because of a lack of suitable accommodation, displaced families are sleeping in churches, schools, markets and public buildings, or staying with host families. In conjunction with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Republic of Congo’s Ministries of the Interior and Humanitarian Action, The Salvation Army is working with village elders, local government officials and other

non-governmental agencies. The initial priority is to provide emergency food, bedding and protection against disease to 660 of the most vulnerable refugees, including pregnant and nursing women, disabled people, widows and children who have been orphaned during the conflict. Rice, salted fish, beans, cooking oil, packed meals, soap and buckets are being distributed. – A. R. O To support The Salvation Army’s Africa Disaster Appeal visit secure20.salvationarmy.org

Army staff meet minister for employment WESTMINSTER AS a result of a letter seeking an opportunity to discuss the roll-out of Universal Credit, the minister for employment Alok Sharma, MP, met with Salvation Army representatives to discuss the Army’s insights into the implementation of the scheme. The work and evidence of the Army across Britain shows that, with the right investment and support, Universal Credit has the potential to be a successful benefits system for people the Army supports towards leading independent and fulfilling lives. However, while recognising some steps have been taken by the government to make Universal Credit a system that works for everyone, more needs to be done. The Salvation Army is focused on advocating solutions that the government can make to deliver support around some of the biggest barriers people face when trying to access the new system. In particular, ongoing digital and financial support could make Universal Credit work better. Also discussed was the future funding of employment support once the UK leaves the European Union. The EU social fund has supported projects to boost skills and employability where the need is greatest; people the Army serves have benefitted from these resources. The government plans to replace this funding with a Shared Prosperity Fund but, until the consultation regarding this is viewed, there are concerns that the new system may not do the same job as the previous one. Salvation Army Employment Plus director Rebecca Keating said she was encouraged by the meeting: ‘Organisations such as the Army need to bring informed and constructive challenges to the government, otherwise those who need extra support – either in seeking work or making a claim for benefits – are at risk of being left behind. We are determined this doesn’t happen and will keep up the pressure across the political system on behalf of those we serve.’ – I. G.

PREVIEWS Symphony Sounds and LEAD

LOOKING AHEAD TO SYMPHONY SOUNDS Assistant Director of Music and Creative Arts (brass/choral) Paul Sharman previews this year’s Symphony Sounds weekend

HE Symphony Sounds weekend kicks off at 7.30 pm on Friday 31 May with a concert featuring male vocal group FourHymn at Birmingham Citadel. The group will feature songs from their recently released second album Home. Details of how to buy tickets for this concert will appear on the Music and Creative Arts (Maca) Facebook page and website soon. The main event is at Symphony Hall on Saturday 1 June. Informal foyer concerts begin at 1.30 pm featuring a number of corps sections and introducing the Maca Dance group. There will be an opportunity to catch up with friends,

engage with the Music and Creative Arts team and visit the SP&S roadshow. The Symphony Sounds concert at 6.30 pm will showcase some of the best in Salvation Army music and creative arts. Our musical guests for the evening will include FourHymn and Bellshill Band from the West Scotland Division. There will also be a choir of around 200 young people comprising singing companies from across the territory presenting some ‘golden oldies’ as well as more recent songs. Along with the International Staff Band and International Staff Songsters this makes a great line-up for the evening. For all leaders of music and creative arts groups, Music and Creative Arts Leaders Councils will take place the following day at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. This is an opportunity for leaders to enjoy worship without the pressure that leadership brings and to share with their peers. If you are a leader,

please look out for the invitation that will be sent via your corps officer within the next couple of weeks. If you don’t receive this, please speak to your corps officer or contact the Music and Creative Arts Unit. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a great weekend of Salvation Army music making. Tickets for the Saturday evening concert are priced £20 for adults; young people aged 16 and under enter free with a paying adult (a maximum of two tickets per paying adult). These are available from the Symphony Hall box office (0121 780 3333 or thsh.co.uk)

HERE BE DRAGON S… Deputy Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Phil Ball introduces the youth and children’s ministry conference

ARLY explorers, who set off to discover and map the edges of the known world, used mythological symbols and the phrase, ‘Here be dragons’, to mark the uncharted corners of their maps – places that were often seen as mysterious and dangerous. For other people, desperate to explore, it told them one thing: the cartographers didn’t know what was out there. At this year’s youth and children’s ministry conference we’ll begin to ask where God might be sending us. Where are the ‘off the map’ areas and what discoveries might lie in store? But, more than that, what kind of leadership is needed to discover these new places? How do we become more brave, courageous, adventurous, creative, Spirit-filled and Spirit-led leaders, full of

faith, hope and Kingdom ambition? We’ve got one advantage over our early pioneers – we know Jesus is already beyond the edges of our map, calling us out from the limits we’ve imposed on ourselves to set sail in search of the places The Salvation Army has not yet discovered or explored. The conference is from 22 to 24 March at Wychwood Park Hotel, Crewe. Speakers include Brian Heasley, International Prayer Director for 24-7 Prayer; Helen Cutteridge, Youthscape’s Emotional Wellbeing (Self Harm) Lead; Mark Arnold, Additional Needs Ministry Director at Urban Saints; and Tim Alford, National Director of Limitless, the youth ministry of the Elim Pentecostal Church. Tickets for the conference are priced £130 (single room) and £110 (shared room) per person. Grants are available. Visit salvationarmy.org.uk/lead, email events@salvationarmy.org.uk or call 020 7367 4860 for more information and to book.

Salvationist 2 March 2019

LETTERS

WHEN GOD CALLS… IT was a thrill to see the picture of Cadet Andrea Finch holding the banner at the front of the Salvation Army contingent in the Rose Parade (Salvationist 26 January). In days gone by Andrea would have been called a trophy of grace, and she is still a reminder that God calls the unexpected to serve him. She was addicted to drugs and alcohol for over 20 years. About six years ago she was arrested and

prayed to God: ‘Your will be done’. Her life was transformed. A judge referred her to a Salvation Army adult rehabilitation centre and she became a soldier at the San Diego Kroc Centre. She has a 15-year-old daughter and was one of the last you would expect to be a Messenger of the Kingdom, but God calls people to serve him and I am proud to be her prayer partner – miles away but still linked by the Holy Spirit’s power. We not only share a surname but also the love of our Heavenly Father. Ken Finch, Ipswich

PICTURES SAY A THOUSAND WORDS DAVID Paget (Salvationist 16 February) unknowingly opened up some old memories for me. Accompanying his letter on old recordings there was printed a picture of a fine-looking band, carrying the caption ‘1928’. This is Govan Band (Bandmaster Arthur Dry) and, at the time, one of the Army’s prime groups. The picture was taken for one of a series of preparations for the band’s Composers Festival to be held at St Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow. My father is in the picture and, as the band’s organising secretary, he was responsible for much of the work involved. I have a programme on my desk as I write this letter. Another souvenir I have is the handwritten multipage set of minutes for the last meeting of the organising committee. The event was held on Monday 10 December 1928 and more than 2,500 people attended. In these days we cannot contemplate the details involved. Cars were almost unknown to Army corps; shift-work had to be considered; how was public transport expected to service the movement of three bands (Clydebank, Hamilton and Govan), plus instruments, to united rehearsals and on the night itself? Two hundred songsters were involved, and the transport of eminent composers is just another ‘wonder’. How was it all achieved in those impoverished days? Another question might be: why am I so interested? Well, at the age of three and a half, on that December night, in one of the adjoining artists rooms, I had been invited (ordered) to present a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton (his was the estate in which Rudolf Hess chose to land his wartime aircraft). Lined up all around that room were the participating composers – Staff-Captain Booth, Bandsman Alex Greig, Staff-Captain Kitching, Bandmaster Marshall, Bandmaster Twitchin, Major Tucker and Bandmaster Vanderkam (Belgium). I didn’t get to hear those bands; it was already well past my bedtime. David Paget deserves to know that pictures, too, can speak. Jim Wilson, Abbots Langley 8

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REVERENCE FOR SACRED SPACES IN an article in Salvationist (9 February), Lieut-Colonel David Kelly reminded us of the need for ‘sacred spaces’ in our living, worship and service. It seems to me that the admonition is incomplete unless we can also bring a measure of reverence to those spaces. The underlying sense of the verb ‘to revere’ holds within it a sense of high worth and rare value, and an informed, deep respect for that worth and value. One example David mentioned was a gasp arising at casual or unknowing disrespect for the mercy seat, but that reaction is only engendered in those of us who have seen worth and value in its use. I am a witness to life transformations that demand respect for God’s power at work there. Therefore I revere the mercy seat as a sacred place and am compelled to point that out to those who are unaware of its purpose. Reverence does not just apply to places and practices, but most especially to people. People are sacred! They have been made in God’s image and we should hold them sacred and with respect for that fact alone. It’s easy to revere the senior prayer warrior who still regards it as an exceptional privilege to intercede on behalf of others. It’s harder, but probably more essential, to revere the most seemingly hopeless sinner as a fellow recipient of God’s abundant grace and let that fact inform my relationship with him. Our secular world wants to treat reverence as obsolete and passé, and often scoffs and ridicules those who hold places, practices and people sacred. I agree with David, and would suggest that we in the Army should be instructed by Leviticus 6:12 to see that the fire on the altar must never be allowed to go out. We must teach reverence by modelling reverence in our lives. Holding the next generation in reverence will go a long way to that end! From the embers of the past, leave the ashes, but take the fire! Jim Black, Concord, California, USA

REAR-M MIR RROR

SEEKING THE SAME LORD General John Larsson (Retired) continues to share glimpses from the 13 astonishing years that shaped The Salvation Army – 1878-1890

ARY Murray, the tall, elegant, 28-year-old daughter of General Sir John Murray, was enjoying an evening dinner with friends when she was suddenly gripped by an inner conviction. Muttering an excuse, she dashed upstairs, seized a cloak and hurried off to the local Salvation Army corps. A meeting was in progress in the run-down hall the Army was hiring, and people stared open-mouthed as Mary, in full evening regalia, swept in and joined them on one of the battered benches. At the first opportunity Mary stood and began to tell her story. She described to the Salvationists how she had come across one of their open-air meetings and had stood transfixed by a brother telling how he had been a slave to alcohol, had sold his children’s shoes and the blankets from their beds to get more drink, and had been dismissed from his work. But since he had got saved he had his job back, his children were well clothed and he had a home of his own. Mary was so astonished by the man’s words that she checked out his story with the manager at the cement works where he was employed. When the manager confirmed the account, it set up a longing in her own heart to experience this force, which she felt could change the whole world. ‘Walking home alone one day,’ she told the congregation, ‘I cried from my heart: “God, if you are real, do for me what you have done for that man.” ‘Even as I cried,’ she continued, ‘a vivid light shone before me and a glory flooded my soul. It was a rebirth. And from that hour, I have known the power

of God to be a real living force.’ Soon after that experience Mary had met the captain who urged her to testify about her conversion. But she had demurred. ‘I was determined,’ she said, ‘that I would rather lose all I had found than speak in public. But the next night I woke to find that I had been taken at my word. The light had gone. My soul was in darkness, in fact a complete blank.’ The general’s daughter then described how at the evening dinner with her friends she had been seized by the conviction that she must speak of what the Lord had done for her, and how she had rushed to join them in the meeting. Her words were greeted with loud

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As the Salvationists gathered round her at the end of the meeting she not only felt the light and peace returning to her soul but also knew that her place was in The Salvation Army

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shouts of ‘Hallelujah!’ and ‘Praise God!’ And as the Salvationists gathered round her at the end of the meeting she not only felt the light and peace returning to her soul but also knew that her place was in The Salvation Army. Mary Murray became an officer. She engaged in rescue and midnight work, police court and prison work, and also in ministry to sailors and soldiers. At the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899 William Booth appointed her to support the soldiers at the front line, and in this role she pioneered the Army’s Red Shield Services. The general’s daughter

had become the soldiers’ friend, and in time Lieut-Colonel Mary Murray was honoured with a royal award: she was appointed OBE. The early Army attracted to its ranks a considerable number from privileged backgrounds. Down-to-earth graciousness was their defining characteristic, a quality never better shown than in the classic story Edward Joy tells in The Old Corps, his reminiscences of the Army’s beginnings in Folkestone. Lady Beatrice was a real aristocrat, Joy recalls, and whenever she arrived at the hall in her horse-drawn carriage, her footman showing her to her seat, the Salvationists always sat up straighter than usual. However, just across the aisle, near the stove, where his odours became intensified, sat Dirty Jimmy, stinking, unwashed, ragged and verminous. One Sunday evening when the captain made the appeal, Lady Beatrice went forward and knelt at the penitent form. Though every head was bowed, a whisper soon went round the hall: ‘Lady Beatrice has gone to the front.’ It probably was the whispers that did it, for just at that point Dirty Jimmy woke from his slumbers and decided he too must respond. There was plenty of room at the penitent form, but to everyone’s consternation he chose to kneel right next to Lady Beatrice. Flustered, the captain whispered to him: ‘Move along, Jimmy, kneel over here.’ But Lady Beatrice, to her everlasting credit, lifted her white-gloved hand and said, ‘Leave him alone, captain, we are both seeking the same Lord.’ Salvationist 2 March 2019

FEATURE World Book Day

WANTED WRITERS OLD AND NEW To mark World Book Day on 7 March Rebecca Goldsmith introduces a project designed to celebrate the anniversary of a famous Salvation Army publication

N 1890 General William Booth published In Darkest England And The Way Out. Although it would be incorrect to say that this was the beginning of The Salvation Army’s social work, which had been in existence prior to this publication, it would be difficult to ignore the importance of In Darkest England as the blueprint of Booth’s vision for social action. His ‘scheme’, as it became known, proposed to combat the plight of the destitute classes by housing the homeless, training the unemployed and providing people with a means to have a livelihood free from poverty. Booth wrote: ‘The social problem presents itself before us whenever a hungry, dirty and ragged man stands at our door asking if we can give him a crust or a job. That is the social question. What are you to do with that man?… You must provide him in some way or other at once with food, and shelter, and warmth. Next you must find him something to do, something that will test the reality of his desire to work… Then, having trained him, you must provide him wherewithal to start life afresh.’ In Darkest England outlined Booth’s vision for three self-sustaining communities – the city colony, the farm colony and the overseas colony – which would ‘act as harbours of refuge for all and any who have been shipwrecked in life’. He went on to define his practical ideas for housing women, children and unemployed men, and for assisting 10

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released prisoners and sheltering alcoholics. The response to In Darkest England was extraordinary. On the day it was launched 10,000 copies were sold, rising to 90,000 within three months. A further 200,000 were printed within the first year and it has continued to sell internationally, the last reprint occurring as recently as 2016. Although not all the proposed ideas of the scheme came into fruition, much of the present social work of The Salvation Army can find its roots in the Darkest England scheme, and the continued and successful running of the Hadleigh Training Centre and Farm is a living legacy to Booth’s farm colony design. Next year, in celebration of the 130th anniversary of its publication, Shield Books, the book publishing arm of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, would love to create an anthology of new works dedicated to the spirit and vision of In Darkest England – and to do that we need help! Booth’s book dramatically captured his God-given vision, yet, as we reflect on the significance of this 130-year-old book, the true value of his writing is most powerfully revealed in stories of transformed lives and imaginative responses to social need. There are remarkable stories to tell, theological lessons to learn, moments of personal and corporate inspiration to capture. We are encouraging writers to compose and submit a piece inspired by William Booth’s famous work or inspired by the social work and mission of The Salvation Army which had its formation in In Darkest England. Whether you are a seasoned author or you wish to try your hand at writing, perhaps for the very first time, we hope that this project will inspire you. There are no limits to the genre of writing that can be submitted: essay, testimony, Bible study, poem, fictional short story. We ask only that no piece is longer than 3,000 words and that no quoted material which may still be in

copyright is included (poetry, for example). Material from The Song Book Of The Salvation Army or works published by The Salvation Army may be cited provided it is clearly referenced. Unless it is your own story that you are happy to tell or you have the permission of the person involved, please anonymise any testimonies or true-tolife stories. Submissions cannot be returned to you, so please ensure that you have copies of any material you send. The deadline for submissions is next year’s World Book Day – 5 March 2020. We look forward to hearing from you – happy writing! Submissions can be emailed to rebecca.goldsmith@salvationarmy.org. uk or posted to the Publishing Department at Territorial Headquarters. Please include your name, address and email or telephone number.

REBECCA IS BOOK EDITOR, SHIELD BOOKS, THQ

WHAT SHIELD BOOKS HAS TO OFFER The following Shield Books publications are available from SP&S and as ebooks on Amazon On The Altar: The Call To Be A Living Sacrifice by Jonathan Roberts £4.99 Launched in February, On The Altar looks at how the New Testament uses the idea of sacrifice to describe familiar aspects of the Christian life – praying, praising, serving, doing good, giving and witnessing. In the foreword, Commissioner Robert Street writes: ‘Very readable, with an uncomplicated style, the book covers its engaging variety of topics in inspiring and imaginative ways.’ All Glory Tae God by David Armistead £4.99 Published to mark this year’s 140th anniversary of The Salvation Army in Scotland, All Glory Tae God presents highlights of those years, featuring Salvationists who acted with zeal, compassion and dedication, sometimes in the most challenging of circumstances. A Prodigal Mum by Catherine Wyles £3.99 When her son decided to walk away from church Catherine felt disappointed, guilty, angry and afraid. This book describes her journey through negative and destructive emotions to a new understanding of God’s purpose. Light Bites by Peter Mylechreest £4.99 In 100 bite-size chapters, Light Bites connects Scripture with science, literature, history, film, television, the natural world and many other areas. These reflections emphasise that God’s word speaks about everything we experience and everything we enjoy. It is a book to dip into for intriguing insights and anecdotes, food for thought and spiritual nourishment.

Blood On The Flag by Nigel Bovey £7.99 Blood On The Flag traces the story of the Skeleton Army’s opposition to the fledgling Salvation Army using insights and coverage from first-hand reports in the Victorian press. How those battered and bloodied Salvationists refused to give in and continued to take the good news to the streets will fascinate and challenge today’s reader. Hadleigh Salvation Army Farm: A Vision Reborn (Second Edition) by Gordon Parkhill and Graham Cook £9.99 In 1891 William Booth bought 900 acres of farmland in southeast Essex as part of the Darkest England scheme. Hadleigh Salvation Army Farm: A Vision Reborn gives fascinating insights into the history and the work there today: the training centre and the farm, with its Rare Breeds Centre, as well as the new tea rooms, visitor centre and mountain bike trails, part of the 2012 Olympics legacy. A Girl With A Mind Of Her Own by Cathy Le Feuvre £7.99 The story of Commissioner Gisèle Gowans: from childhood in war-torn France, through years of officership, including as one half of The Salvation Army’s global leadership team between 1999 and 2002, and into retirement when she faced her husband John’s diagnosis of dementia and subsequent promotion to Glory. Through it all we sense a woman determined by God’s help to do her best for whoever was in her care, be it her husband, her family, her church family or the global Salvation Army. These and other books are available from the SP&S shops at Tiverton Street, London, and Denington Road, Wellingborough (new shop opening on 25 March). They can also be bought at SP&S roadshows, as advertised in Salvationist, and online at sps-shop.com

Visit the Shield Books Facebook page to keep up to date with new releases: facebook.com/ShieldBooksUK

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INTERVIEW

KNEELING DOWN IN ORDER TO LIFT UP General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Bob Fyffe tells Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts about the purpose and work of this ecumenical organisation

ANY churches, including Salvation Army corps, will soon begin using Lent study material produced by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI). But this is just a small part of what CTBI does as it supports unity among the denominations. ‘The clue to our purpose is in the title,’ says General Secretary Bob Fyffe. ‘It’s not about the ecumenical organisation – it’s what churches do together. Our main purpose is to support the work that churches do. Our overall mission is actually quite simple: it’s to enable churches to live out the prayer that our Lord prayed, that we should be one. I don’t think it means that we’re all going to be the same. What it means is that we’re working out how to be faithful to Christ’s prayer.’ Before taking on his present role in 2006 Bob was a parish priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church. Looking back to this, and to his involvement in full-time church-based youth work, he says: ‘Throughout my life I’ve been involved one way or another in ecumenism. I have always longed for the unity of the Church and I’ve seen the way in which churches are much more effective when they work together.’ CTBI’s membership includes most of the major denominations from across Britain and Ireland, including The Salvation Army. It provides a range of resources and opportunities for churches to work together, and aims to make them relevant and useful. ‘One example is that we’re looking to resource discussions around Brexit,’ 12

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Bob reveals. ‘Communities have been really quite divided, so how can we bring them together? We need to have a larger prophetic voice around the kind of society that we’re going to build together. We’re in a position to work with organisations like the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland, the Iona Community and many others, whose real heart is for reconciliation and peace building. With them we’re going to produce resources for use at congregational level.’ CTBI has also been quick to respond to an issue that has hit the headlines in recent days. ‘One of my colleagues is doing some work around serious youth violence,’ he says, ‘particularly focused around knife crime. Various churches are involved in initiatives, but we want to bring them together to encourage each other, and to learn from the things that work and the things that don’t work.’ Other CTBI initiatives include a programme in partnership with the Board of Deputies of British Jews called Invest in Peace. Meetings are hosted jointly by churches and synagogues where people hear the stories of Israelis and Palestinians who are looking for peaceful ways to engage with one another. In addition, CTBI enables churches to be involved in inter-religious

dialogue and racial justice issues. CTBI has also developed a response to the refugee crisis. This is something Bob understands in a new light following a recent visit to Egypt with a group of church leaders. ‘We were following in the steps of the holy family when they fled into Egypt,’ he says. ‘It was quite extraordinary. One of the interesting things was recognising that our Lord was himself a refugee who was hunted and chased with his parents. Part of our calling is to support people who are often escaping enormous problems.’ CTBI has organised fact-finding visits and joined a campaign calling for the UK government to give people seeking asylum the right to work – a campaign The Salvation Army is also involved in. Some of CTBI’s work is innovative and unusual as it attempts to approach mission in creative ways. One example is its work to encourage churches to be more dementia-friendly. Another is the funding of an artist in residence at the Centre for Theology and Justice in Manchester. ‘Following the awful arena bombing in Manchester there has been a development of arts and creative work,’ explains Bob, ‘and we’re finding that our artist in residence is doing quite a lot of interesting work around what it means to belong in a community. That’s

Picture: ADRIAN LAMBERT

Art installation by Micah Purnell, Manchester

being explored through art installations and workshops. Different people have different ways of being able to express themselves, and we’re trying to explore new ways for people to do that.’ As well as supporting local churches CTBI works in conjunction with the national ecumenical bodies in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. ‘We try to bring people together around particular projects that are common to the four nations,’ Bob says. ‘An example of that would be Brexit, where in each nation

there was something that was going on that spoke about the national context. The context is different in the four nations and indeed in England it varies from region to region.’ Bob recognises that a lot has changed during the 13 years he has been General Secretary of CTBI. ‘The churches across Britain and Ireland have gone through radical change in terms of how they understand their mission,’ he says. ‘But also, the context of mission has changed. We’re all aware

of some places where there’s church decline and there are other places where our outreach has become much more central, more crucial – no more so than in the church’s work with Street Pastors or food banks or the many social projects that churches are involved in. They’re the things that have changed because the social context has changed.’ Having an opportunity to go on a pilgrimage in Egypt has helped Bob view his role, and the place of churches in Britain and Ireland, in a new light. ‘There were some wonderful words that I heard, and I know it will resonate with members of The Salvation Army – a person said: “We cannot lift up unless we kneel down.” Those are such powerful words. Whatever it is we’re called to, however we’re called to change, whatever we’re being asked to lift up, we’ve got to start that work on our knees. That’s at the heart of what we’re doing. We kneel in front of God’s majesty in order to lift other people up. ‘If we were less concerned about our own survival and more concerned about kneeling down in order to lift up, then I think we would be more successful in our mission.’ Salvationist 2 March 2019

FEATURE Lent resources

LENT FOCUS by Secretary for Spiritual Life Development Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts

SH Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which originally meant ‘holy spring’, a time of repentance, reflection and rededicating ourselves to God. For the next five weeks you are invited to pray with Scripture, to meditate on God’s word and seek to apply the daily text personally. REPENTANCE Wednesday 6 March ‘Come back to the Lord your God. He is kind and full of mercy; he is patient

and keeps his promise; he is always ready to forgive and not punish’ (Joel 2:13 Good News Translation). Lord, today I return to you wholeheartedly and ask forgiveness for my sins. Strengthen me as I embark on my Lenten journey of repentance and prayer. I praise you for your mercy and kindness. Thursday 7 March ‘But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing’ (1 John 1:9 GNT). Take time to pray through this verse, which brings a personal challenge to confess our sins. Thank God for his grace in keeping his promise to forgive and cleanse.

LENT RESOURCES A Garland For The Passion: Poems For Easter by John Coutts This book was first published more than 30 years ago but has since been revised and enlarged. It includes poems for reading, reflection and performance and can be used during Lent or Easter. In the first section, ‘Encountering Jesus’, the events of Passion Week are retold by people who took part in them: witnesses – friendly, hostile or uncertain. The second section, ‘Interpreting Jesus’, looks at Easter through the eyes of later witnesses: artists, a 20th-century martyr and persons unknown. A Garland For The Passion is available from RG Publishing, 138 Ladysneuk Road, Stirling FK9 5NR priced £8 (including postage). Email johnjcoutts@gmail.com for details

Friday 8 March ‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10). This sounds like a spiritual heart transplant! Consider what would need to change for God to create a pure heart in you. Saturday 9 March ‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:10). Continue to reflect on and pray the psalmist’s prayer, asking God to renew a steadfast spirit within you. Thank him for his work in your life as he fulfils his word. The Lent Focus is taken from Prayer Matters, January to April 2019

Celtic Lent: 40 Days Of Devotions To Easter by David Cole From the author of Celtic Advent, this inspirational book takes the reader through the 40 days of Lent to the celebration of Easter through the eyes and beliefs of Celtic Christianity. Drawing on primary sources of pastoral letters, monastic rules and the theological teaching of the Celtic church, David Cole presents a different perspective on the Cross of Christ and draws us to see our own life journeys with a new and transforming vision. At Home In Lent and Celtic Lent are available priced £8.99 each (plus postage and packing) from brfonline.org.uk or as Kindle ebooks priced £7.49 from Amazon

At Home In Lent: An Exploration Of Lent Through 46 Objects by Gordon Giles Here is an original way of approaching Lent that will encourage you to consider your own faith journey in the light of the Easter story. Gordon Giles spends each week in a different room, gleaning spiritual lessons from everyday household objects. Running as a thread through it all are the seven Rs of Lent: regret, repentance, resolution, recognition, reconciliation, renewal and resurrection. You might discover that finding God in the normal pattern of life transforms how you approach each day. 14

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The Mystery Of God This Lent course, produced by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, seeks to rediscover what it is that draws us so deeply in our search for God. You are able to follow Jesus through the Lenten readings, allowing him to draw you, in love and wonder, into the mystery of God’s plan of salvation. Designed as group studies, there are eight resources, one for each week of Lent, two extra resources for Ash Wednesday and Palm Sunday, and an alternative resource for Mothering Sunday. The Mystery Of God is available to download free from ctbi.org.uk/lent

VIEW POINT

WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY? Sunday 3 March is Church Action on Poverty Sunday. The Rev Gerald Paisey urges churches not only to act but also to speak up about social welfare

RITING on homelessness and poverty in Victorian times in the November 2018 issue of BBC History magazine, Professor Jane Hamlett states: ‘Central government simply did not regard it as part of its role to provide any kind of health or social care, or any kind of safety net for the most vulnerable in society.’ While after 1834 local authorities were obliged to set up workhouses for the poor, the system was not designed to relieve homelessness and poverty; the tendency was to deal with the poor as a social problem in punitive ways that would act as a deterrent. The social history of those times is well recorded in history books and literature of the period. Professor Hamlett claims that, while some of the middle and upper classes were stirred into action, it was the various charities that responded, particularly religious groups. ‘By the late 19th century,’ she says, ‘The Salvation Army had established a complex network of institutions across the capital designed to help those in need of immediate support, before encouraging them to earn a livelihood through training in new trades.’ The professor points out that ‘unfortunately, our concern for the homeless has rarely been matched by universal, stateorganised action to bring homelessness to an end’. A photo from around 1901 that accompanies the article shows how, for four pence, The Salvation Army provided people experiencing homelessness with food, drink, a basic bed and a tarpaulin cover; clearly basic care for those who were fortunate but, as always, charities can only meet the needs of a relatively small number of people who are homeless, malnourished and poor. The cycle of poverty and homelessness had persisted for centuries but gradually

during the early 20th century social reformers and local authorities realised that charities and other local welfare schemes could not meet the social welfare and health needs of the whole population, and a modern, civilised society required a universal system of care. Furthermore, towards the end of the Second World War the government was aware that returning servicemen were demanding a better society than many had experienced in the 1930s. These expectations were recorded in a display of British national newspaper front pages that I saw some years ago in the Memorial Museum of the Battle of Normandy in Bayeux, France. The demands of social reformers, some politicians and charities, as well as the general public, led to the creation of the welfare state after the war, which brought together the many piecemeal welfare schemes that had been developed during the years of deprivation between the two world wars. Social scientists also began to ask why the poor were poor and deprived. It is often difficult for later generations to appreciate social conditions in Britain before the creation of the welfare state – surely a Christian societal concept, encapsulating New Testament ethics by embracing collective responsibilities and concern for all! In contemporary society many people are beginning to realise that social need is not just characteristic of presumed feckless shirkers and scroungers (statistically, a small minority) but now includes many families further up the social ladder experiencing the uncertainties of current welfare benefits and uncertain incomes at a time of

economic instability. As the number of food banks and people using them has dramatically increased, so more people are experiencing what it is like to be continually on the receiving end of charity, and it is unlikely they are finding the experience as ‘uplifting’ as a prominent politician recently suggested. And, as my daily paper reported recently, alongside those who willingly give their time freely to serve people in the community with social and health needs, there are some providers who appear to make excessive profits while providing inadequate caring services at public expense. The word ‘poor’, significantly, was one of the words most frequently used by Jesus. His teaching raises two questions: what kind of people ought we to be? And what kind of society ought we to seek to create? Our answers will reflect our attitudes to work, to finance, to public services, to education, to health and welfare provision, to wealth and poverty and to politics. The Gospels reveal a concern for life here and now, and the general public need to know how Christian faith is relevant to them as they cope with life today. Surveys of church attendances show continual decline and, although churches are in the front line with food banks, unless they have a lot more to say publicly about social welfare and health, that decline may well continue. THE REV PAISEY IS A RETIRED UNIVERSITY LECTURER AND SCOTTISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH MINISTER LIVING IN UPHALL, WEST LOTHIAN Salvationist 2 March 2019

BIBLE STUDY

SAVED BY GRACE Major Brian Slinn highlights the amazing truth of the gospel that has the power to transform lives STUDY PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 2:1–10

HE letter to the Ephesians is written from Rome where Paul is imprisoned pending his appeal to Caesar (see Acts 25 and 26 for the background to the story, with Acts 25:11 the moment he requests the appeal). Imprisonment for Paul was not a completely negative experience, as he was allowed to communicate the gospel, in Rome itself (see Acts 28:17 and Philippians 1:12–14), and by writing to the Christian community, notably to Colossae, Philippi and Ephesus. Paul admits: ‘What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel’ (Philippians 1:12). The letter to the Ephesians, and by association to us, is a letter of encouragement and presents a gospel that includes all people. Its message centres on Paul’s

Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day by Major Melv yn Knott

Salvationist 2 March 2019

fervent belief that God invites us all into relationship with himself, and not simply those who might expect to be his concern (see Ephesians 2:12 and 13). This inclusive gospel, sometimes declared as ‘his’ gospel because it seemed so radical at the time, becomes the reason he was first imprisoned in Jerusalem and then at Caesarea before going to Rome. Paul believed it was on God’s mind to reconcile the world to himself in Christ. Therefore, Paul presents salvation’s story as a divine initiative, an act of grace. It is so amazing to Paul – a devout Jew who has worked hard to be who he thinks God wants him to be – that he is willing to lose everything to declare what he had himself experienced, even to imprisonment and potentially martyrdom. QUESTIONS O What are you passionate about? O Is there anything that so fires you that you could imagine yourself in Paul’s experience? O It could be hard to do, but reflect on Paul’s willingness to be where he was because of what happened when he met Christ. What helped Paul cope in that situation?

If Paul presents an inclusive gospel, he also admits to being part of a common humanity. In his letter he identifies with the fact that, apart from Christ, we are all distanced from God. We might ask what value he placed on his Jewish heritage and his religious experience so far. It is maybe hinted at in his contrast between the grace that God shows towards humankind and human effort in ‘works’ – trying to do the right thing. We can’t earn it or achieve it. It echoes our reference from Philippians that, for Paul, religion is not the same as a relationship with Christ. Not only are we distanced, Paul suggests, but also we are somehow captured by the spirit of this world. This becomes personified and demonstrated and has consequences. Albert Orsborn wrote: ‘We were not left in sin to stray/ Unsought, unloved, from thee away’ (SASB 205). Paul writes: ‘But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

I am amazed when I think of God’s love,/ So wonderful, matchless and free;/ The love that could see, from eternity,/ Something worth saving in sinners like me. (SASB 170)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23 and 24)

I am amazed that the Saviour should die/ For sinners like me and like you;/ That we may be saved by the work he has done/ And not by the works that we do./ But it’s true, it’s true,/ This wonderful story so old, but so new./ I am amazed that the Saviour should die/ For sinners like me and like you. (SASB 170)

have been saved’ (vv4 and 5). This is the amazing truth that has transformed Paul. It changed his religion and changed his life. QUESTIONS O What do you perceive to be the ‘spirit of the age’? O How different is it from what Paul is describing? O How reliant are we on our ‘religion’? In the remaining verses, we could almost imagine Paul as he vigorously dictates and emphasises the repeated theme of the grace and generosity of God, which peppers the

‘

These few verses imagine the rescue of humankind from a common bondage of selfishness and its consequences

text, and what that means for him and for us. ‘God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus’ (vv6 and 7). This is not only rhetoric but also testimony. These few verses imagine the rescue of humankind from a common bondage of selfishness and its consequences – prompted by the ‘spirit who is now at work’ in us (v2) to the realisation and acceptance that this is not what God wants for us and that we are ‘God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (vv10 and 11). Pivotal to Paul is that it is ‘in Christ’ that change becomes possible. The generosity of God in Christ is celebrated in the repeated truth that ‘by grace you have been saved’. To finish the quotation from Albert Orsborn’s song: ‘For from thy cross irradiates/ A power that saves and recreates.’ It all happens ‘through faith’ (v8) – gifts given have to be received.

QUESTION Since Paul describes salvation as ‘the gift of God’ (v8), how hard is it for us to accept – to believe and receive – what God wants to give to us: a relationship with himself through Christ?

MAJOR SLINN IS DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, EAST MIDLANDS

’

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

He has saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9 and 10)

O Thou God of all,/ Hear us when we call,/ Help us one and all/ By thy grace!/ When the battle’s done,/ And the victory won,/ May we wear the crown/ Before thy face. (SASB 981)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Not in my own strength can I accomplish/ All thou art planning for me, day by day;/ Owning the limit of human endeavour,/ Humbly I seek, Lord, the grace to obey. (SASB 599)

Prayer Father God, it is impossible to merit your free and undeserved grace. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do in our lives. We are saved by your grace alone and our response is to offer ourselves to you, living this week for your praise.

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NEW COMMITMENTS

BALLYMONEY: Corps ofﬁcer Lieutenant Tim Cook enrolled Clare Campbell as a soldier. After some time away, Clare explained that coming back to the Army was like coming home again. She spoke about people who had encouraged her during her life and how the Holy Spirit had convicted her to make this commitment. Clare volunteers at the midweek drop-in and loves talking with people about her faith. Also pictured is Major Jane-Marie Cook. – T. C. GREENOCK: Lynne Kane was given Ephesians 4:3–5 and 16 when corps ofﬁcer Major Lynn Farmer welcomed her as an adherent member. Lynne is active in the corps and has been a volunteer at the Garage Project. – L. F.

TAVISTOCK: Marilyn Trigger ﬁrst linked up with the corps three years ago after an invitation from her neighbour, Colleen. Having found her spiritual home, Marilyn was enrolled as a soldier. She is fully involved in corps life and hopes to launch a new community outreach project. Marilyn is pictured with Recruiting Sergeant LieutColonel Joan Williams. – P. S. 18

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CLOWNE: Oona Peacock ﬁrst linked up with the corps through Rainbows before attending Messy Church with her family. She later joined the Winners group, where she learnt more about Jesus, and decided to begin junior soldier classes with Peta Coates. Oona is pictured with Peta and corps ofﬁcer Major Elaine Holder, who enrolled her. – M. N.

BOSTON: Nathen Day was introduced to the corps by his fiancée, Ruth Jackson, and soon began regularly attending. He was welcomed as an adherent member by corps officers Majors Gerald and Jayne Nicoll. Nathen testified to the warm welcome he received and spoke about the reigniting of his faith after a time of struggle. – G. N.

DOUGLAS: Gloria Balakrishna was enrolled as a soldier by corps ofﬁcers Lieutenants Dylan and Rachael Nieuwoudt. Gloria shared how she was amazed at how The Salvation Army truly welcomes everyone, and how she has been supported and inspired along her discipleship journey. – D. N.

HYTHE: Alfie Stanley-Kilden and Lucas Carroll were enrolled as junior soldiers. Lucas’s brother, Harrison, was enrolled as a soldier and Aimee Margott was welcomed as an adherent member. Alfie started to attend Sunday worship last year with his nan, who linked up with the corps through the Family Links parenting programme. Lucas was excited to show everyone that he had decided to follow Jesus. Harrison spoke about the impact of the Transformers Mission trip to Kenya on his decision to commit to God. Aimee also participated in the mission trip and completed the Alpha course to renew her commitment to God. They are pictured with corps officers Lieutenants Berri and Callum McKenna, and Bandmaster Richard Carroll, who is holding the flag. – C. M.

Some photos removed

BATH TEMPLE: Family and friends attended the meeting when Jessica Mullane was enrolled as a junior soldier. Jessica, who attends Sunday school and sings with the All-in choir, made her promise and reminded the congregation of the need to shine like Jesus. – R. K. GRANTHAM: When Divisional Commander Major Brian Slinn led the Sunday morning meeting, Janice Webb and Pamela Dodd were welcomed as adherent members. They have attended the corps for some time and chose to take a further step in their spiritual journeys. – S. W.

COVENTRY CITY: Rebecca Clifford was enrolled as a soldier by Major Brian Slinn (DC, East Midlands) during 141st corps anniversary celebrations. Rebecca shared how, at the age of 14, she left the Army but, years later, after hearing the band playing, felt God calling her back; she received a wonderful welcome from the corps family. – V. S.

MAIDENHEAD: Dawn Cowlard was welcomed as an adherent member by corps ofﬁcer Major John Mclean. Dawn helps cook for the lunch club and, having been a junior soldier in Sheldon, wanted to commit to the Army. Dawn and John are pictured with Recruiting Sergeant Eileen Davies. – J. M.

Salvationist 2 March 2019

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMY PEOPLE APPOINTED Effective 11 July O Major Jane Cowell, Divisional Commander, Yorkshire North with Tees LOCAL OFFICERS APPOINTED O CS Sandra Miles, Ramsgate O CPR Michael Kerridge, Hull Citadel WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Blue Sapphire (65th) O Peter and Mavis Harden, Ramsgate (13 March) Golden O Rtd S/Ldr Gordon and Songster Ann Camsey, Leighton Buzzard (8 March) O John and Carol Stafford, Wellingborough (8 March) O CT Stuart and RS Jennie Riley, Upper Norwood (15 March) DEDICATED TO GOD O Abigail Lilian and Henrietta, daughters of Rick and Ruth Deller, by Major Sylvia Lane at Droitwich Spa O Makai Theo, son of Brett and Hannah Riches, by Major Christine Piper at Cheltenham Citadel

RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Colonel Mary Elvin (80 on 13 March) BEREAVED O Fred Paffey, Andover, of his wife Val O Songster Carol Gray, Maidenhead, Songster Penny Gray, Felixstowe, Pauline Sillence and Cathryn Whitmore of their mother Rtd S/Ldr Pam Lindsay O CS Jennifer Douglas, Filey, of her husband Martin, Joanne Parker and Peter Douglas of their father

TRIBUTES MAJOR AUDREY BARTLETT AUDREY was born in 1932. On leaving school at 14 years of age she was employed in the accounts department of Scarborough council. During her time there she felt called to be an Army officer, but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enter the training college for several years and was commissioned in 1963. She had various appointments as a

ENGAGEMENTS GENERAL BRIAN PEDDLE AND COMMISSIONER ROSALIE PEDDLE: O Sunbury Court (International Moral and Social Issues Council), Mon 4 Mar O Pakistan (commissioning), Wed 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sun 24* O Sunbury Court (International Theological Council), Mon 25* O William Booth College (International Child Protection Conference), Tu 26* O Zimbabwe and Botswana Territory (Commissioner Vinece Chigariroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s retirement), Sat 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tu 2 Apr* THE CHIEF OF THE STAFF (COMMISSIONER LYNDON BUCKINGHAM) AND COMMISSIONER BRONWYN BUCKINGHAM: O India Central Territory, Wed 6 Mar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sat 9** O New Zealand (womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference), Sun 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sun 31*** THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER (COMMISSIONER ANTHONY COTTERILL) AND COMMISSIONER GILLIAN COTTERILL: O Swanwick (homelessness conference), Mon 4 Mar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tu 5 O Ireland (divisional congress), Sat Sun 10 O Sunbury Court (five-year review of officership), Mon 11 O William Booth College (Design for Life), Sat 16 O William Booth College (Exploring Leadership Day), Sun 17 O Sunbury Court (leaders orientation), Wed 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sat 30 THE CHIEF SECRETARY (COLONEL LEE GRAVES) AND COLONEL DEBORAH GRAVES: O Yorkshire South with Humber (divisional officers retreat), Tu 5 Mar â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Th 7 William Booth College (spiritual day with cadets), Wed 20 O Devon and Cornwall (divisional leaders officers retreat), Mon 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wed 27

*The General only **Chief of the Staff only ***World Secretary for Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministries only

Salvationist 2 March 2019

second officer to Brigadier Gwen Wyatt, then subsequently on her own, although Gwen, in retirement, continued to live with Audrey. In 1992 Audrey retired to Birkenhead after 30 years of active officership. She undertook numerous roles within the corps, including recruiting sergeant, and became involved in the songsters, leading worship, prayer meetings, volunteering in the charity shop and other activities. She also led Wallasey Corps for a while and was the retired officers visitor for the Wirral and North Wales. Audrey loved young people and the first person she recruited at Birkenhead was Harry. She then went on to take part in his wedding to Amanda, the dedications to God of their children, Hannah and Sophie, their enrolments as junior and senior soldiers and often joked that she would lead their weddings next. Aunty Audrey, as she was known to the young people, was loved by everyone. There was always a reason to laugh when she was around. Audrey died after a fall at home, and is sorely missed by her friends and her adopted corps family, especially the young people. Goodnight and God bless Audrey, a good and faithful servant. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; B. W./A. T.

PHYLLIS TAYLOR, NORTH WALSHAM PHYLLIS was first introduced to the Army, which she loved, by her parents and came into a real faith that remained for the rest of her life. During her service at the corps she helped in the charity shop, was a songster and visited pubs to sell the War Cry. Sadly, the last few years meant that for most of the time Phyllis was housebound; although she missed the fellowship and worship at the corps, her faith remained strong. Remarkably, she had some respite a couple of years ago, and was able to get out of her home in spring 2017 on a few occasions, including attending the Easter Sunday meeting. Friends and family celebrated Phyllisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promotion to Glory as they gave thanks for a special lady, a soldier of Christ and, now, a citizen of Heaven. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R. D.