SALVATIONIST For everyone linked to The Salvation Army
No.1698 Price 60p
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 30 March 2019
HOME FROM HOME RESETTLING REFUGEE FAMILIES
PLUS EMBRACING THE CHAOS
T CONTENTS
Quotes from the media
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News
4 to 8
Feature I Lent resources Lent focus
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by Lieut-Colonel Jayne Roberts
Viewpoint Balance versus purpose
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by Major Martin Wheeler
Reflection Embracing the chaos
10 and 11
by Major Liesl Baldwin
Feature I Community sponsorship of refugees 12 and 13 Community sponsorship – A Salvationist sacrament by Simon Hope
Feature I Community sponsorship – a family’s story 14 Building a home from home by Major Kerry Coke
Lent reflection The words from the cross
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by Major John Waters
Bible study 16 and 17 Wake up and keep the light on! by Major Martin Hill
Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17 by Major Melvyn Knott
New commitments
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Letters
19
Announcements Adverts
THIS week’s Salvationist contains chaos and confusion – ‘nothing new there’ some readers might be thinking! But I’m referring to the themes of two articles. The first is a Mothering Sunday reflection by Major Liesl Baldwin, who writes about her experiences of family and corps life. She says she has drawn closer to God and been enriched by ‘embracing the chaos’. The second is about a refugee family who escaped the chaos of war-torn Syria and have been helped for the past two years by Raynes Park Corps. Supporting the family has brought a number of challenges but this act of faith has also been a blessing. As Major Nick Coke says: ‘It’s the fact that you’re taking a bit of a risk – you’re working it out as you go along – that makes room for God.’ It’s not surprising that both Liesl and Nick speak about finding a deeper awareness of God in situations of chaos, confusion and risk – it’s what the psalmist discovered centuries ago. When he wrote, ‘We will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea’ (Psalm 46:2), he was using two powerful images: mountains (solid and dependable) and the sea (changing and chaotic). And when he imagined the mountains falling into the heart of the sea it’s a picture of all that we depend upon collapsing into chaos and confusion. Nevertheless, the psalmist insists, ‘We will not fear’ because ‘God is our refuge and strength, an everpresent help in trouble’ (v1). We need to ‘Be still’ and know that God is God (v10). In situations of chaos and confusion, practical support of the kind given to refugees and to people caught up in natural disasters, such as Cyclone Idai, reported in our news pages, is vital – so also is prayer. This Sunday is International Day of Prayer for Children and Youth. The world can be a bewildering and threatening place for young people – some of the items on the Quotes from the Media page illustrate this – so it’s important to make them and their wellbeing a matter of prayer. There’s also a need for prayer in our chaotic political situation. A corps press representative contacted me recently about an MP’s proposal to abolish daily prayers in parliament. For those who are concerned that prayer could disappear from the heart of our political life there’s an online petition challenging the proposal at petition.parliament.uk. I can’t mention politics without referring to Brexit. As Salvationist goes to press the outcome remains uncertain, although it may be clearer by the time you read this! Recent days have seen a number of calls for prayer. The Evangelical Alliance, for example, has been posting prayers on its website, and last week it wrote: ‘Sovereign Lord, in the midst of chaos we look to you, our sure and certain hope.’ That reminded me not only of Psalm 46 but also of a line from a Joy Webb song that offers reassurance in uncertain times: ‘Somewhere amidst the confusion there will be hope, there will be love, there will be God.’ May we find hope and love as we encounter God in whatever chaos and confusion we face – as individuals, as communities and as a nation.
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SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS Scripture quotations in Salvationist are from the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated
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SOMEWHERE AMIDST THE CONFUSION
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From the Editor, Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts
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QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
CHURCH MUST RECONCILE WITH LGBT+ CATHOLICS
CALL FOR DIGITAL CONTROLS
Credit is due to Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster for his sensitive and consistent efforts to reconcile gay Catholics with the Church. The latest example was his facilitation of a Lenten pilgrimage to Rome, organised by the LGBT Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council, which included an audience with Pope Francis, and a group photograph and the personal gift of a rosary each to prove it. The group is the main body representing gay Catholics in the Westminster Diocese and, like the cardinal, it has been careful not to move too far ahead of opinion in the Church…
Peers have called for the creation of a digital authority with wide powers to safeguard the internet, particularly for children, and to regulate the big technology companies.
The Catholic Church’s attitude to homosexuality… could be described as being on a learning curve that has not yet reached its destination. At a pastoral level there is increasing acceptance that gay Catholics benefit, just as others do, from being in loving, stable, long-term relationships. The Tablet
The proposals have been welcomed by health campaigners but received a furious response from food companies, which condemned the timing of the announcement while they were preoccupied with ‘battling to ensure the nation is fed’ in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
The report, Regulating In A Digital World, proposes a set of basic tenets for the authority, including the need to protect young, vulnerable internet users. In a blog coinciding with the report, one committee member, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Rev Stephen Cottrell, writes… ‘It is children who are most at risk from an ineffectively regulated internet… Human flourishing requires the foundations of a strong and agreed ethical framework. It is this that is lacking online.’
The Times
Church Times
NO JUNK FOOD ADS ON FACEBOOK UNTIL 9 PM IN PLAN TO FIGHT OBESITY Junk food advertisements would be banned from Facebook and Google before 9 pm under government proposals to fight obesity, specifically in children. Online adverts likely to be seen by many children also face curbs as ministers consult on how to extend a TV watershed to the digital world. Bacon and cheese have won a reprieve, however, as a clampdown
In a report… the House of Lords Communications Committee warns that the current ‘patchwork’ of more than a dozen regulators creates both gaps and overlaps, and it accused the technology giants such as Amazon, Facebook and Google of failing to tackle adequately online harm…
on foods high in sugar, salt and fat is tailored to exclude traditional products.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS CREATING TOXIC CROPS AND POISONING SOME OF THE WORLD’S POOREST PEOPLE, SCIENTISTS WARN Climate change threatens to poison the food supply for some of the world’s poorest people as crops respond to rising temperatures by pumping out dangerous chemicals.
cassava respond by flooding themselves with nitrates and hydrogen cyanide – substances that can be fatal to livestock and humans alike…
Experts are already concerned about the devastating impact extreme weather can inflict on vital crops, but these conditions also pose subtler hazards.
While these issues are a particular concern in developing nations with hotter climates, if temperatures rise as scientists predict, they will probably begin to take their toll further north as well.
When drought strikes, plants like maize, beans and
The Independent
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 4893 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
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THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Brian Peddle TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill
Salvationist 30 March 2019
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NEWS
Mark, Regional Manager for Homelessness Services Yvonne Connolly and Stephen Doughty, MP Pictured with Cheltenham Citadel corps officer Major Melanie Smith, Major Lillian Harkcom receives a certificate of appreciation and is transferred to the songster reserve after 72 years of service
STAPLE HILL: A return visit from Staines Band began with a Saturday evening meeting, which included items from the host songsters. Contributions throughout Sunday included items from Staines Band and worship group, soloists and YP sections, and people shared their personal testimonies. The weekend of fellowship concluded with the band playing the march ‘Cairo Red Shield’. – V. W.
MP visits Salvation Army Lifehouse CARDIFF WHEN he visited Tţ Gobaith Lifehouse, Stephen Doughty, MP, heard how residents are supported and helped to rebuild their lives by building up their confidence through life skills training, education and counselling. Stephen said that homelessness had a high profile in recent years and is a complicated issue, adding that few people know about the work done by organisations such as The Salvation Army. He said it was a privilege to visit the Lifehouse and hear from the
residents about the support they had received from the dedicated staff. Mark – a resident at Tţ Gobaith – shared his experiences with Stephen. Mark said that after three years in the military he couldn’t settle back into civilian life and was drifting between jobs and drinking heavily. ‘I got into trouble,’ he explained, ‘and ended up in prison. My probation officer told me about the alcohol and drug rehabilitation Bridge Programme at Tţ Gobaith and coming here was one of the best things I have ever done.’ The Lifehouse has 66 rooms where men and women who are experiencing homelessness can live and receive specialist support for between six and twelve months. – I. R.
Railway company donates used uniforms CREWE CREWE was one of five places where the London Northwestern and West Midlands railway companies donated uniforms to The Salvation Army. More than 2,000 staff were issued with new uniforms after the creation of the companies’ new brands. Old branding will be removed from jackets and trousers in order to provide smart clothes for people seeking employment to use for job interviews and work wear. Items that cannot be 4
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passed on will be shredded for the manufacture of carpets, insulation, cushions and car seats. Andy Camp, commercial
director for the railway companies, said that by making this donation, they wanted to give something back to the communities they serve.
Corps officer Major Steven Watson is pictured with railway staff members and Justin Frost (far right) from Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd. – A. R.
Teenager leads corps in prayer after 17-year-old girl is stabbed to death HAROLD HILL
Members of Ipswich Citadel and Felixstowe YP Bands present a concert with Felixstowe Harmonies Ladies Choir, raising £400 for the Army and another charity
Healthy future in store for The Salvation Army in Africa RWANDA THIRTY-FOUR Salvation Army leaders representing 26 African countries met in Kigali for the Conference of Africa Leaders (Coal). During the week a wide range of topics was covered under the theme Leading The Salvation Army In Africa Into A Healthy Future. Across 14 sessions delegates examined the dynamics of discipleship, mission, leadership, projects, finance and
self-sustainability and incomegeneration initiatives. Practical sessions on prudent project and financial management led delegates to consider how The Salvation Army in Africa can move towards becoming fiscally self-sufficient. Much thought was given to developing leadership skills for Salvation Army personnel across the continent and identifying the leaders of tomorrow. Honours and congratulations were extended to zonal leaders Commissioners Benjamin and Grace Mnyampi, Commissioners Henry and Catherine Nyagah (territorial leaders, Kenya East) and Commissioner Vinece Chigariro (Territorial Com-
mander, Uganda). The Salvation Army in Africa is indebted to them for their exceptional service to the Kingdom of God and the legacy and impact they have made for the Army. – W. B. SHERINGHAM: A large crowd gathered for an evening with Charlie Green. The first half featured Charlie singing a varied selection of songs including swing numbers and songs from popular musicals. The second half brought blessing to the congregation as Charlie sang his version of favourite gospel songs. Interviewed by corps officer Major Janet Bishop, Charlie shared how his faith fitted with the life of a performer. – A. B.
HULL ICEHOUSE: Majors Mavis and Ray Mackereth led Self-Denial Appeal Sunday meetings, sharing their experiences of serving in Africa and Pakistan. During the afternoon meeting members of the congregation were invited to wear traditional African dress. – H. N.
TWO days after Jodie Chesney was stabbed to death, Cerys Gadsden, who is the same age, led the corps in prayer. Cerys did not know Jodie but led a moving and beautiful time of prayer, saying: ‘Dear Lord, we are all in shock in our community. Jodie Chesney, an innocent 17-yearold girl, should not have lost her life. We lift up her family and friends who are trying to deal with this horrific loss.’ Cerys also prayed for Jodie’s parents who have lost their daughter so suddenly, and boyfriend who was at her side until the end. Cerys concluded: ‘Harold Hill seems to be stuck in an eerie silence; please bring back some joy and hope for the future – bring peace and justice.’ – P. G.
Visiting band helps building fund CAMBRIDGE CITADEL AT the commencement of the Saturday evening festival, Kettering Citadel Band, followed by Bandmaster Richard Phillips, marched into the hall, which was filled to capacity by an expectant audience. Band items included ‘The Witness’ and ‘To The Chief Musician’. Soloists for the evening were Deputy Bandmaster Gary Rose (euphonium), Hazel Hampton (vocal) and, continuing a Kettering Band tradition started by his father, Barry Clark (accordion). Kettering corps officer Major Nigel Govier presented a challenging pause for thought. The evening was a fundraiser for Cambridge Citadel’s building fund, and members of the visiting band kindly travelled at their own expense to assist this. – J. M. Salvationist 30 March 2019
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NEWS
The Salvation Army responds to Cyclone Idai MOZAMBIQUE, MALAWI AND ZIMBABWE WIND speeds of 124 miles per hour have caused devastation across the three countries. In Mozambique, media reports suggest 1,000 people have lost their lives. Flooded roads and the closure of the regional airport resulted in 500,000 people being cut off in Beira, one of the largest cities. In partnership with the Red Cross, The Salvation Army provided emergency food parcels to the most severely affected families in Beira ensuring two nutritious meals a day for at least 21 days to guard against malnutrition and enable the children to continue to attend school. An initial needs assessment was undertaken by The Salvation Army in Malawi. The government estimates that up to a million people have been affected, with 56 deaths and 577 people injured. More than 82,700 people were displaced, with the Chikawa district particularly affected. Communication networks were disrupted, several rivers had broken their banks and access to drinking water was impaired. In Zimbabwe a state of emergency was declared after homes and bridges were swept away. With other agencies, The Salvation Army was aiming initially to provide 167 households with food and other essential items. Major Chris Mulryne from IHQ’s international emergency response team said: ‘This is an unprecedented disaster for this part of the world. Considering the difficulties faced, we are grateful that our teams are on the ground responding effectively to bring relief to those suffering as a result of this disaster.’ – A. R.
Brechin hosts a World Day of Prayer event, joined by members of seven nearby churches 6
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General Brian Peddle encourages effective engagement with moral and social issues IHQ GENERAL Brian Peddle delivered the keynote address at the International Moral and Social Issues Council (Imasic), calling on all present to find more ways to be effective in engaging Salvationists in the issues of the day. Thanking everyone who has worked on these critical matters, he urged those attending the
meeting to find new approaches to help The Salvation Army speak faithfully into our complex world. Attending the council for the first time were chairpersons of territorial councils that address moral and social issues and representatives from Army territories who are considering starting moral and social issues councils. Over two and a half days, thirty people from twenty-four territories and commands reviewed the work done in the past ten years by Imasic and territorial moral and social issues bodies. New resources to encourage conversations on human sexuality were also shared. – A. R.
Redhill corps officer Major Simon Perkin joins the children singing ‘Sleeping Bunnies’ at the parent-and-toddler group
MAIDSTONE: A last night of the proms programme featured the band and the Medway Singers. Bandmaster Stuart Atkinson compèred the evening with the traditional cajoling of the audience to do even better each time they joined in the singing. The Medway Singers contributed items such as ‘I Got Rhythm’ and ‘Goin’ Home’. Soloists for the evening were Neil Atkinson (French horn) and soprano Eva Stout. Corps officer Captain Jon Rouffet spoke about the power of music and how it gives moments that are beautiful, special and sacred. – G. P.
The Salvation Army teaches hygiene practices to combat ebola virus
LEEK: Those attending Men’s Fellowship Day were asked to bring paint rollers and brushes. Breakfast and lunch were provided by CT Janette Williams on a day when the team of men painted all the ground-floor rooms and foyer. – B. L.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
More than £170 was raised towards church repairs and joint community projects when Canterbury Songsters presented a concert at St Nicholas church, Sturry.
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MAIDSTONE: The children’s ministry team and young people held a pop-in pancake party to raise funds to subsidise children attending the divisional Easter camp. The young people helped prepare and decorate the hall, giving it a party atmosphere. Balloon games and plastic ‘pancake’ tossing added fun to the occasion, which raised more than £160. As it was Shrove Tuesday, people who popped in for a pancake were invited to write down what they wanted to say sorry to God for, and then screw it up and throw it away as a sign that God had forgiven them. – G. P. An ecumenical day of prayer is held at Rutherglen between 7 am and midnight; various services were held and prayer stations were available throughout the day
Members of Kirkcaldy Home League celebrate the 100th birthday of Jessie Bell, who is pictured with Major Grace Arnott and corps officer Major Heather Coles
SOUTHAMPTON SHIRLEY: A charity music concert, featuring the corps sections and Southsea Band and Songsters, raised £765 for Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity. After opening with a march from the host band, Southsea Band contributed the ‘ARC Centennial March’ and the corps singing group sang ‘Now Thank We All Our God’. Southsea Songsters brought ‘Power In The Blood’ and the concert concluded with the host band playing the march ‘Blaze’. – J. W.
THE outbreak of the ebola virus, which commenced in 2018, is the largest-ever in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with more than 900 cases and almost 600 deaths attributed to the virus in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces alone. In order to minimise the spread of the virus, The Salvation Army is working with health centres, schools and faith-based organisations in the Kivu region, providing leaders with Train The Trainer courses, which build awareness and knowledge of the condition and promote the need for rigorous hygiene procedures. These leaders are then tasked with training a further ten leaders. The Salvation Army has also provided schools and places of worship with hygienic handwashing facilities. It is also liaising with the public health department to provide ten clinics with chlorine-based antibacterial agent instead of liquid soap, protective clothing and full-body protective suits for every member of staff. Leaders who have received the hygiene training will be kept up-to-date with developments and be able to ask for information through the messaging service WhatsApp. – A. R. LEEK: A capacity crowd, including many people who had not attended the corps previously, was attracted to the second annual last night of the proms event. Soloists for the evening were Stephanie Lamplough (soprano, Birmingham Citadel) and pianist Trudy Purkiss. The evening concluded with refreshments. – B. L. Salvationist 30 March 2019
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NEWS
MORLEY: Members of the Yorkshire Enabled group met together for a day themed Mayhem! Magic! Musing! Music! An enjoyable day led by Majors Anne and Paul McNally attracted nearly 40 people. There were quiet moments of reflection as faithful member Dennis Harrison, who was recently promoted to Glory, was remembered. – M. T.
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD: A music night to raise funds for the Big Collection featured the London Central Fellowship Band and Hendon Songsters. The band presented ‘Marche Militaire Francais’, ‘Fire In The Blood’ and the hymn tune arrangement ‘St Clements’. Maurice Patterson played the cornet solo ‘Concert Etude’. The songsters sang ‘Let Christ Be Lifted Up’, ‘Get Happy’ and ‘His Strength Is Perfect’. – L. R.
FEATURE Lent resources
LENT FOCUS by Secretary for Spiritual Life Development LieutColonel Jayne Roberts uring the weeks of Lent you are invited to pray with Scripture, to meditate on God’s word and seek to apply the daily text personally.
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THE GIFT OF LOVE Sunday 31 March ‘Everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands’ (1 John 5:1 and 2). God’s gift of transforming love is evidenced through our love and obedience to him. Take time today to pray about any challenges that this word touches on in your life. Monday 1 April ‘In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world’ (1 John 5:3 and 4). 8
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We conclude our meditations on this theme with a simple yet profound statement, also a great encouragement. Claim the assurance of your faith in God’s love to be an overcomer! DIVINE IMPERATIVES Tuesday 2 April ‘Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!’ (Isaiah 55:1). Come! As you explore some divine imperatives or invitations from God, allow him to deepen your understanding of his word. Come! Are you thirsty and hungry for God? Express your longings in prayer. Wednesday 3 April ‘Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare’ (Isaiah 55:2). Eat! You may take this as a literal instruction about your eating habits. Our relationship with God informs every part of life – physical and spiritual. Thank God for daily bread that is both material and spiritual.
Thursday 4 April ‘Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live’ (Isaiah 55:3). Listen! Lord, I pray that any blockages to listening to you and receiving your life-giving word will be cleared away. Friday 5 April ‘See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples’ (Isaiah 55:4). See! God’s faithful covenant love is expressed through his people, even to our generation. Pray about the witness that you make each day and anyone who you particularly long to share God’s love with. Saturday 6 April ‘Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near’ (Isaiah 55:6). Seek! Seek for deeper understanding of this invitation. Pray to experience God’s constant presence and continue with prayers for others. The Lent Focus appears in Prayer Matters, January to April 2019
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VIEW POINT
BALANCE VERSUS PURPOSE Major Martin Wheeler suggests that we need to find purpose in who we are
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F you are unwell there are a number of tests that you and your doctor can do to assess your wellbeing: measuring your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol and respiration, and myriad tests to analyse your blood. However, how do you test the health and wellbeing of your Salvation Army corps or centre? Now that could be a more difficult question to answer. Over the years the Army has explored numerous initiatives to capture the essence of what a healthy fellowship looks like. There have been various projects to acquire statistical data, studies to explore mission matrixes, the introduction of Natural Church Development (NCD) and, more recently, Apest – Alan Hirsch’s study to understand and develop a church community by identifying and nurturing ‘the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers’ (Ephesians 4:11 English Standard Version). While these studies, initiatives and tools have been and continue to be helpful, I want to suggest that there is a foundation stone that needs to be in place in order for a healthy Christian community to grow and develop. But first we need to go back to the doctor’s surgery… In today’s health-conscious society there is an avalanche of medical advice urging us to consider lifestyle choices that will help maintain physical and mental wellbeing. We are encouraged to adopt a balanced diet by eating less of some foods and eating more of others. With regard to alcohol, while excess is regarded as harmful, debate still
continues around the merits of moderate consumption. Even the screen time on our tablets and phones can be monitored to help evaluate and moderate our online behaviour. If we take our cue from today’s consumer society, it would appear that life is all about a constant see-saw ride to find balance. But perhaps it’s not about balance but purpose. American evangelist Hal Lindsey is quoted as saying: ‘Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air... but only for one second without hope.’ Here is another thought of my own: perhaps our life’s journey should not be about striving for balance
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Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air... but only for one second without hope
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but finding purpose in who we are. Balance is about a search for equilibrium and, as such, is a constant effort in standing still. Purpose, on the other hand, is a trajectory – a movement towards a chosen goal or a desired outcome; a purposeful journey of endeavour and hope. Mission metrics and mission development tools will always have a place in honing the quality and speed of our missional journey but, without purpose, it is a journey with no real goal or destination. The apostle Paul knew something of this when he wrote to the church in Corinth. He identified a number of
admirable behaviours that the followers of Jesus Christ could demonstrate but, without love as the foundation stone, they meant nothing (see 1 Corinthians 13:1–3). Our Salvation Army programmes are admirable demonstrations of ‘doing’ but, as Paul pointed out, the root of all this activity should be the life-purpose of ‘being’ disciples of Jesus Christ. Years ago, I read the curious fact that if you place a frog in a pan of water that is slowly being heated, the frog does not decide to leap out until it is too late! Subsequent reading has suggested that this fact may not be completely correct – not to mention it being cruel to frogs! – but it does serve to illustrate how easy it is to become accustomed to our surroundings. Could it be that the need for security in the status quo of our corps and centres is also an example of the limitations created when we choose a mission model of maintenance or even preservation? Perhaps the lesson of the oblivious frog has something to teach us: simply choosing to stand still is a perilous place to be. Could it be that knowing how to move beyond our pools of preferred preferences is at the heart of mission? We may not be able to quantify this missional journey of endeavour and hope easily, and the tools we use to navigate our way may not suit everyone, but we can ensure we know why we are travelling. With this thought in mind I am reminded of General John Gowans’ words charging us to ‘save souls, grow saints and serve suffering humanity’. These are powerful words of purpose, which will lead us into God-given opportunities that are full of potential. MAJOR WHEELER IS DIVISIONAL MISSION ENABLER, ANGLIA Salvationist 30 March 2019
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FLECTI ECTION TION N REFLEC REFL REFLECTION
Major Liesl Baldwin reflects on chaos and the way it can enrich our lives
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HRIS and I are at Caerphilly District Miners Hospital, Wales, on 24 July 1999 at around 5 am. Everything suggests that our first son will be born soon. The much-awaited moment is finally here. How we had longed for this joy! But, however strong the joy, nothing could have prepared me for the chaos that this little bundle would bring into our lives. Within hours the house was in chaos. However hard I tried, it was always around me – with cloth nappies, wet wipes, baby clothes drying on radiators, cold half-drunk cups of tea and
In the kitchen at Deptford Corps unopened post. What had once been a calm place of rest and cosy hospitality now seemed to have been turned upside down. And in one moment these words flashed through my mind: ‘Liesl, you either live a frustrated life, trying to keep the place tidy, or you embrace the chaos.’ The sentence lingered in my mind for quite some time, with the question: ‘Which one do you choose?’ Little did I know that those very words, that very choice, would settle a much deeper battle within my heart. You see, I had embraced chaos in my life before. Growing up as the child of officers serving in the warm climates of South America, I had grown up with the ‘chaos’ of a culture that laughed easily, 10
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Embracing the chaos valued an alternative meaning to mañana – the Spanish word for ‘tomorrow’ understood as something that could possibly happen at some future point – and where people embraced a stranger easily as a sign of hospitality and friendship. Chaos had been easy to embrace! But with a baby in my arms and chaos all around me, it was different. The baby was adored but the chaos was unwanted. My mind could only hanker for the days when everything was in its place – neat, tidy and in control. ‘You either live a frustrated life, trying to keep
Joel, Chris, Benjamin, Reuben, Liesl and Daniel the place tidy, or you embrace the chaos.’ I had to make a choice. I chose to embrace. I soon realised it was a choice I would need to make more than once. Every time we felt the joy of our family growing again and again and again – we have four boys – the choice was mine. I was invited to embrace the chaos each time. The choice is there for each of us. With any growth comes chaos. With a new job, a new school, a new friend or a new home, the chance of chaos is probable! We feel the butterflies in our stomach. We’re frustrated because we thought we were beginning to get a handle on it and we realise that we’re still learning. We’re still making mistakes. We still get lost. We think we’ve got to know people but we
suddenly become aware that they are so different from us. We resist change even if we know it’s good for us. And perhaps we long for a time when what we did, where we were and who we were with were all familiar. But the chaos that comes with growth can be beautiful. In every corps that I have been part of, chaos has been unpredictable and messy; it’s edged me out of my comfort zone. But it’s also brought people into my life I would never otherwise have met. It’s replaced uniformity with colourful diversity. It’s enriched my life in unimaginable ways.
Liesl with friends at Deptford It’s enabled me to become more of the person Jesus wants me to be. It’s become God’s Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. New life, creativity, diversity, change – they can all become beautiful chaos. So, what has helped me embrace the chaos of motherhood, of growth, of change? It’s been the choice to accept God’s invitation to open my heart; the choice to trust rather than fear – to trust that chaos will be beautiful. For some of us, chaos will always be beautiful; we welcome it. Some may even thrive on it! For others, chaos may be an enemy. In his book, Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen invites us to explore God’s calling to convert the hostis into a hospes, the enemy into a guest; to create a fearless space for those we fear.
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You either live a frustrated life, trying to keep the place tidy, or you embrace the chaos
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I wonder what opportunities chaos might open up for you. I wonder what you might miss by resisting it. Nouwen writes: ‘Hospitality requires poverty, the poverty of mind and the poverty of heart… It is not the movement from weakness to power, but the movement in which we become less and less fearful and defensive and more and more open to the other and his world, even when it leads to suffering and death.’ Andrei Rublev’s depiction of the Trinity is often used to reflect on the hospitality God offers us, showing Father, Son and Holy Spirit with one more space at the table. It’s a space for me; a space that welcomes me and allows me to be me; a space that welcomes me into the perfection of the Godhead; a space where I am accepted, loved and embraced.
God embraces our chaos, daily. May we find a place of safety in God’s presence, and may that safety enable us to embrace that which is chaos to us, so that we, and others, may flourish. ‘Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord – now and always’ (Psalm 131:1–3 New Living Translation). MAJOR BALDWIN IS TUTOR AND PASTORAL SUPPORT OFFICER, WILLIAM BOOTH COLLEGE Salvationist 30 March 2019
11
FEATURE Community sponsorship of refugees
COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP A SALVATIONIST SACRAMENT Simon Hope catches up with the Raynes Park community sponsorship team two years after they welcomed a refugee family into their community
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AUNCHED in 2016 the community sponsorship of refugees scheme allows ordinary people in ordinary communities to resettle registered refugee families in the UK. The programme was co-designed by the Home Office and civil society organisations after the prime minister announced that 20,000 people would come to Britain as part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. While not experts in refugee resettlement, many members of sponsorship groups are well rooted in their communities and have a history of supporting people in some way. They already have the gifts and skills needed
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to welcome and support a vulnerable family. Refugee Response Co-ordinator Major Nick Coke (Raynes Park) explains why this model of resettlement was used to bring Syrian refugees Ghassan and Manal Alnabulsi, and their three children, into the UK. ‘If you’re trying to avoid people drowning in the Mediterranean, risking terrifying journeys or paying criminal gangs to smuggle them, you have to find legal and safe routes for people to come. This scheme does that. ‘Part of my motivation around this is the fact that we could do it ourselves. It’s not just government or local authorities doing it, but ordinary people stepping up to support a family. ‘We in The Salvation Army absolutely have the resources and skills needed to do this. It’s a Salvation Army thing, isn’t it! After all, William Booth said, “do something”. This is us doing something.’ On top of the safety it gives to refugees entering the country, the scheme has proven to be safe for the sponsoring groups as well. This is, in part, because of the many hoops that sponsors have to jump through to protect against safeguarding issues.
Sponsorship group and the family ‘The Home Office was nervous to begin with,’ Nick continues. ‘If they are opening it up to ordinary people and it goes wrong, they’re going to get absolutely destroyed.’ However, the project’s safety also comes from the communities themselves. One of the most powerful aspects that has emerged about the sponsorship model is in the way communities have accepted refugee families. ‘We’ve had people contacting us to say how proud they are of our community,’ expresses Major Kerry Coke. ‘They’re nothing to do with our corps or The Salvation Army, but they’re so proud. ‘Sometimes people have a fear of someone who’s different from them. But because this has come from the bottom up, and it’s not imposed, a lot of those racial fears are squashed. People see it as “us” doing it, not somebody telling us to do it. ‘It’s also been important to talk about it in a wider context than just the stuff that has to be done. At Raynes Park we did this whole Sunday about Syria and about war and the Christian response to war. We looked at the theology of what we’re doing and at how this was going to be an act of salvation. ‘It’s not just about finding schools and
Nick and Ghassan
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It’s not just government or local authorities doing it, but ordinary people stepping up to support a family
’
sorting out universal credit; it’s the whole understanding of it. There’s a lot of division around at the moment, but this is about building community instead of dividing. The whole thing is sacred, and none of us really expected that.’ ‘It really is a Salvationist sacrament,’ says Nick. ‘I think there’s something about the unknown nature of stepping out in faith that makes it sacramental because if you didn’t need God to play a role you wouldn’t encounter the sacred in it. It’s the fact that you’re taking a bit of a risk – you’re working it out as you go along – that makes room for God.’ The Raynes Park sponsorship group are still stepping out in faith as they approach the end of two years with the Alnabulsi family. ‘The legal responsibility is to support the family for one year and provide housing for two years,’ Kerry says. ‘We’re only the second group in the UK and we haven’t hit two years yet, so there really isn’t a precedent for what happens next. ‘What we see is that some families, even those who have arrived after the Alnabulsis, are able to fly. Perhaps they arrive with better English or children who aren’t so poorly and they’ve been able to get into work and get themselves
housed more permanently. The property that they’re living in now is owned by DHQ, who have very kindly let them stay for another year.’ ‘We can’t say whether we might want to do it again with another family just yet,’ continues Nick. ‘But I think our next thing has already presented itself. In our neighbourhood, there are other groups wanting to start their own community sponsorships. So the next step for us is the outward stuff. Some of our team have even become ambassadors for the community sponsorship scheme around the country.’ This includes supporting other community sponsorship teams, such as the one at nearby Sutton Corps, who recently supported a family of their own. Sutton’s community sponsorship team leader Gill Bonner has begun to see how the benefits of sponsoring a family are branching out even further. ‘We were meeting with the Home Office to approve our resettlement plan,’ she says, ‘and got talking about interpreters. Tentatively, we suggested Ghassan – he had started working with us at Sutton – and they thought it was a fantastic idea! We wondered if they would worry, but they just saw it as showing the effectiveness of the whole scheme.’
Reflecting on mission opportunities of days gone by, Gill refers to William Booth’s match factory, which aimed to improve the conditions of factory workers. ‘We haven’t got the match factory any more, but we have this project. This is the match factory for our times, and we should be throwing everything we have at it. But it’s still only 45 families across the UK so far.’ Leicester South, Hythe and Liverpool Stoneycroft have recently submitted applications to the Home Office to add to this number. ‘We are delighted to be part of a growing number of community sponsorship groups across Liverpool and the territory,’ shares Lieutenant Sam Tomlin (Liverpool Stoneycroft). ‘We hope that these groups can be an inspiration for even more to respond to the dire situation in Syria over coming years.’ Hedge End and Stepney are not too far behind in their own applications and there has also been interest in the Republic of Ireland, with Dublin South applying to do a similar scheme. ‘In 30 years’ time, how many refugees are we going to be able to say have been resettled by ordinary people?’ Nick asks. ‘I think it’s really exciting that we’re at the forefront of something that could be so prophetic and changing for our nation.’ O For more information and resources on the community sponsorship of refugees scheme contact Major Nick Coke at nick.coke@salvationarmy.org .uk or visit www.gov.uk and search for community sponsorship Salvationist 30 March 2019
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FEATURE Community sponsorship – a family’s story
BUILDING A HOME FROM HOME Major Kerry Coke, Raynes Park, shares some experiences of a resettling family
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E often think back to the day we picked up the Alnabulsi family from Gatwick airport. They’re a family from Syria who had been living as refugees in Lebanon for a number of years. They lived in a place where the war began and had to move immediately. They came to us as a family of five: Ghassan, Manal and three beautiful children, the eldest of whom has a lifethreatening illness. This is why they were chosen to come and to live alongside us in the UK. Part of our resettlement planning included getting the family a bank account. Who knew it was going to be so difficult! A group of seven of us, plus translators, went en masse into the bank. It’s very difficult to get an account if you don’t have a birth certificate and you’re awaiting documentation. Although they were here legally, it was still early days. So we sat in that bank and didn’t move until they saw us. And that’s when the story gradually started to come out. They’d been here only a couple of days and the bank manager was filling in the form for them and asked what their last address was. I remember the translator asking Ghassan and he descended into this sad state and explained their address. The best that the bank manager could write down was Al Ameen roundabout. They had lived in the middle of a roundabout. Little things like that happened all the time. Like the fact that we had to get them to a dentist because their dental health was so poor; obviously, there are much more important things to think about than flossing when your life is under threat. We also noticed that Manal wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. I asked if that wasn’t part of the culture, but she replied: ‘No. We had to sell everything because we had to flee.’ That’s when we started to wonder how far people had to go in order to survive. They later started to open up to us more about what it was like for them when the bombing started. They didn’t have the English and we didn’t have the translator with us, but they started to act out what it was like on the day when they had to flee, describing the bombs. A doctor had come knocking on all the doors urging them: ‘Go! Run, run, run!’ They showed us how they just picked up their children and ran out of the room. That’s what it was like and that’s when we realised: this isn’t a family who decided to pack up and go. They explained how they fled their house, as it was bombed, with just the clothes on their backs and holding their children, and we started to realise the enormity of the situation for them. But they are fantastic. They are so resilient. Within ten weeks of arriving in the UK one of their daughters was performing in the Royal Albert Hall with her school choir. Their eldest is undergoing an enormous amount of healthcare. She had a significant health need, but she’s 14
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recovering now. Manal is getting really good at speaking English and Ghassan is working at Sutton Corps and an Arabic shop around the corner from where we live. His English is incredible too. Their middle child is just about to start secondary school and the little one will know no different. Born a refugee, here he is in the UK. His English is just like any other three-year-old. What we didn’t expect was for it to be quite so life changing for us as well. We thought we were helping this family, but it turns out this family has really helped us. While we’re now more involved in the community and we’ve learnt a lot about the benefits system and mental healthcare, we’ve also been transformed inwardly because this is a sacred act. When we go to their home we step through the front door and feel like we’re standing on holy ground. Every time we see Ghassan, Manal and their family we encounter Jesus, and we haven’t looked at anything in the same way again.
LENT R EFLE EF LECT LE CTIO CT ION IO N LENT REFLECTION REFLECTIO
The words from the cross Major John Waters continues his series for Lent, reflecting on ‘the word of despair’
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Y God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46). There is no doubt that here is a mystery – one that we cannot fathom, for we cannot enter entirely into the mind of Jesus during this intense moment of the Passion. The other two evangelists were sufficiently perplexed by the idea of ‘despair’ that they decided to omit it and to use rather more positive statements of faith in God the Father. Hence, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30) and ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46). Could Jesus have died with such despairing words on his lips? The saying is a quotation from Psalm 22, and therefore some commentators suggest that although he only recited verse 1 he also had in mind those other verses which speak of hope and trust; verse 5 for example, which in reference to previous generations, says: ‘To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed’ (New English Translation). There is, however, a good, and an even more profound, reason to suppose that Jesus did, for a short period of time, feel that he had been deserted by the Father. Until that point in his short life he had experienced many of the untoward human experiences: bereavement, rejection, ridicule, misunderstanding and even betrayal. Yet there was one experience he had not shared with us – the sense of abandonment by God. Since he made the perfect response to God and was sinless, he had never experienced in his own life the consequences of sin. The most significant of these consequences is that
awareness of one’s sin brings about just such a sense of utter abandon – and here on the cross Jesus knows that final desolation. He became, in Paul’s memorable phrase, ‘sin for us’ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Theologian Morna Hooker explains that these words provide a profound comment on the oneness of Jesus with humanity and on the meaning of his death, in which he shares human despair to the full: ‘Christ was made sin – was identified with the human condition of alienation from God, even to the extent of sharing the penalty for sin, which is death.’ Sensitive to the mystery of the Passion, we must, however, be careful to note the reality at the heart of this experience, which is not that he was abandoned but that he felt abandoned. The difference is not one merely of words. While the abandonment feels real on the human side, it is not real on the Father’s side – and any suggestion that the Father turned his face away and left Jesus to his fate, alone, is a denial of the gospel. Indeed, if God the Father had actually forsaken the Son in his time of greatest suffering and need, then what prospect have we in our times of despair? ‘Whosoever will may come’ (SASB 945) then becomes less a statement of faith than an arbitrary hope, and the ‘Eternal God, unchanging’ (SASB 12) becomes instead subjective and capricious. Salvation is God’s initiative – his attitude depicted in the story of the prodigal son, in which the father runs down the road to greet the returning miscreant. So Paul persuasively argued that while we were helpless, enemies, sinners – when in fact we most deserved to be abandoned by a holy God – God sent his Son (see Romans 5:6–11). This is not to devalue the experience of Jesus. Of all people he would understand most deeply the horror and
despair at being separated from the Father. He felt the pain at its most intense. Our modern problem is, perhaps, most acute in the lack of concern we have that so many separate themselves from God. But the greater despair would be to believe that he has given up on us, in which case Ballington Booth’s verse becomes mere sentiment… The cross that he gave may be heavy, But it ne’er outweighs his grace; The storm that I feared may surround me, But it ne’er excludes his face. (SASB 894) The people of Jerusalem sometimes thought themselves forsaken by God but Isaiah reminded them of the reality of God’s continual concern: ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands’ (Isaiah 49:15 and 16). The cry of dereliction, as it is sometimes called, was the ultimate fulfilment of Jesus’ acceptance of the cup of suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the greatness of the Christian gospel is expressed in this truth – that even when we feel separated from God he seeks us out.
MAJOR WATERS LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN BIDDULPH MOOR
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BIBLE STUDY
WAKE UP AND KEEP Major Martin Hill encourages us to live to please the Lord STUDY PASSAGE: EPHESIANS 5:1–14
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HE apostle Paul was in Rome. A weekend in the Eternal City might sound attractive, but this was no holiday. Paul was under permanent house arrest and the only sights he saw were viewed from his window. He was not writing ‘wish you were here’. He wished he was with the Christians in Ephesus and was penning a letter to them and their near neighbours. (This is the traditional view, although other opinions question Paul’s authorship of the letter.) Paul was familiar with the great city of Ephesus, with its large, dynamic and cosmopolitan population. It held significance for Paul. He briefly visited the city on his first missionary journey, entering the synagogue to reason with the Jews. He made an impact. He was invited to stay on but declined (see Acts 18:19 and 20). He later returned to Ephesus where, in addition to arguing persuasively in the synagogue for three months, he
Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day by Major Melvyn Knott
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spent two years in discussions every day with Jews and Gentiles in the lecture hall of Tyrannus (see Acts 19:8 and 9). Paul was a passionate preacher, an enthusiastic evangelist and a tough teacher. His letters, and the accounts in the Acts of the Apostles of his missionary travels, give the impression of a driven and spiritually intense man, a holy activist for whom compromise meant capitulation. His letter to the Ephesians endorses this view. In chapter 5 verses 1 to 14, the subject on his mind is Christian lifestyle: the standards of behaviour demanded of Christians. He clearly distinguishes the admirable from the abominable. In the first two verses Paul gives the theological basis of his teaching, setting out the important principles. We should follow God’s example as dearly loved children. Like offspring influenced by their parents’ words, actions and attitudes, so we take our lead from God, as seen in Christ. We should live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God. QUESTIONS O What godly examples have parent figures provided for us? O How did Christ love us and what does this mean for how we live?
Paul says that the Ephesian Christians’ behaviour should be so impeccable that there should not even be a hint of sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking. Some people seemed to idolise ungodly behaviour. Self-indulgence, whether through inappropriate flirting, risqué jokes, swearing, gossip or personal gain, was off-limits. If that was your lifestyle, forget entry into the Kingdom of Christ and of God. We need to be careful about who we listen to. We can be deceived by people’s empty words, so avoid bad influences. We could do what Paul implies and look at Jesus. Did Jesus tell jokes? He used humour when he talked about a camel going through the eye of a needle. However, he did not need to raise a laugh to gather a crowd or gain popularity. Did Jesus gossip? If he had something to say he told people to their faces. Greedy? We read nothing about personal possessions. Sexually immoral? Not a hint. He counted Mary and Martha as friends, spoke with a lone Samaritan woman and bonded with an all-male team of disciples, but no one suggested impropriety. QUESTIONS O When does banter become boorish, comment become criticism
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
I’m living my life for Jesus,/ His love and grace I’ve seen;/ And now that I live for Jesus/ Life has a newfound theme./ My life has a newfound intention,/ I follow a purposeful aim,/ And life has a newfound dimension,/ I witness that I’m born again./ I’m living my life for Jesus,/ His love and grace I’ve seen;/ And now that I live for Jesus/ Life has a newfound theme. (SASB 858)
‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.’ (Matthew 5:14–16)
Seeking to mirror thy glory,/ Living to answer thy call,/ Each faithful vow now renewing,/ Gladly I yield thee my all. (SASB 591)
Prayer Father God, we thank you for the example of your Son, Jesus. Help us to be true imitators of him as we seek, by the help of the Holy Spirit, to live according to your will and purpose for our lives.
THE LIGHT ON! So let’s shine a light on the whole subject. Ephesians 5:1–14 can appear depressingly focused on ‘thou shalt not’ negativity. Surely the crux of the matter is expressed in verse 10. Rather than doing what pleases us, we are encouraged to ‘find out what pleases the Lord’. What does God want? We please those we love. We are encouraged to ‘live a life of love, just as Christ loved us’ (v2). The negative behaviours Paul highlights are more than mere personal selfishness or indulgence. They are unloving because they are not in the genuine best interests of others. And that does not please the Lord. The lesson is to stay spiritually awake with the divine light switched on, shining brightly. That way you see the world and yourself more clearly.
and a joke go too far? O Have the boundaries of acceptable behaviour changed and is this good or bad? O How important is it to choose our friends wisely and take care what company we keep? Paul contrasts the past behaviour of his readers (or ‘listeners’, as the letter was probably read aloud) with their present situation. In the past they were not merely in the darkness, they were darkness. Now they are light, God’s enlightened children. The fruit of the light – goodness, righteousness and truth – is nothing like the fruitless deeds of darkness, which should be addressed not ignored. Light must be shed on them. Wake up! Put the light on! Deal with things!
QUESTIONS Are there things you see differently or more clearly since becoming a Christian? O What do you do that most and least pleases God? O
MAJOR HILL IS DIVISIONAL COMMANDER, CENTRAL EAST
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ (Galatians 2:20)
I will proclaim the glory of the risen Lord,/ Who once was slain to reconcile man to God./ For ever you will be the Lamb upon the throne./ I gladly bow the knee and worship you alone. (SASB 237)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)
We are moving in the power of God,/ We are moving in the power of God./ We are moving in the power of God,/ We are moving in the power of God./ We are moving, we are moving O,/ We are moving in the power of God,/ We are moving, we are moving O,/ We are moving in the power of God. (SASB 903)
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Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven
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NEW COMMITMENTS
BIRMINGHAM CITADEL: Mufaro Charumbria, Junior Rusike and Jacob Sharman were enrolled as junior soldiers by corps officer Captain Clare Allman. After signing their promises, each gave their testimony with their reasons for taking this step. They are pictured with Edward Dixon, Captain Clare and Junior Soldiers Sergeant Ruth Taylor. – R. O.
ROMFORD: Stephen Claxton, Lynn Clifford and Kirsty Warbey have been welcomed as adherent members by corps officers Captains Julia and Mark Cozens. Stephen and Kirsty have worshipped at the Army for some time. Lynn started attending on Sundays after volunteering at the drop-in. All three decided to become adherent members after some teaching on belonging. – J. C. HUCKNALL: Barry and Margaret Bexton decided the time was right to return to the Army and were welcomed as adherent members by corps officer Major Gayner Ward. – C. W. 18
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BEDLINGTON: Sadie Thompson and Tina Ohlenschlager were welcomed as adherent members by corps officer Major Sheryl Clarke. Major Randall Clarke prayed and welcomed them into the corps family. – S. C.
CLACTON: Many family members and friends attended the Self-Denial Appeal Sunday meeting when corps officer Major Barrie Sampson enrolled Carol Grimsey as a soldier. They are pictured with Major Maria Sampson. – V. R.
PONTYPOOL: Corps officer Captain Andrew Warriner enrolled Karen Dipple as a soldier. Karen testified to God’s faithfulness towards her on her Christian journey. Also pictured is Captain Lorraine Warriner. – A. W.
FALKIRK: Evelyn Walton was enrolled as a soldier by corps officer Major Jane Kemp. Evelyn had ceased to be a soldier when she was 17, but recently God led her back and called her to renew her commitment. Pictured are associate officer Lieutenant Laura Tomlinson, Evelyn, Janice Sneddon and Major Jane. – J. K.
LETTERS
BUON COMPLEANNO, GEORGINA!
Georgina and Matthew, 1975 WHAT a pleasant surprise to read the interview with Major Georgina Atkinson (Salvationist 16 February)! My husband, Ruben, a retired minister of the Italian Waldensian Church, was particularly interested, his family having known Georgina and her husband many years ago. Among old family letters and documents we have an interesting account written by his father Baldassarre Vinti, of a missione (campaign) in Trieste, Georgina’s hometown, in the year 1925. Vinti, a young officer, and Adjutant Pesatori, aided by Brigadier Ebbs (the officer commanding for Italy) and his concertina, despite strong opposition, ‘held open-air
meetings’ and managed eventually to get to the hall where faithful Triestini comrades awaited them, having suffered ‘just a few punches and some dents in our uniform caps’. Ruben was just a lad when, in 1940, Fascist agents raided the Army headquarters in Rome and the Albergo del Popolo (hostel), where his father was the manager. Brigadier Carmelo Lombardo, then in charge of the Army in Italy, Baldassarre and all the staff and residents of the hostel – many of them just poor needy folk – were arrested; most were released after a few days, though Vinti and Lombardo were imprisoned or ‘confined’ for two years. My father-in-law’s written description of his arrest is a precious document in our family, as is his grateful telling of the valiant red shield officers (among them Brigadier John Stannard and his wife in charge of the Red Shield Services in Rome) who succoured the needy Salvationists towards the end of those dark times. Ruben, a growing lad at the time, together with his sisters Miriam and Eva, who became Salvation Army officers, always remembered the large slabs of fruitcake and other goodies, unknown luxuries for so long to hungry youngsters! It is wonderful to learn that Georgina is still so well and active. I was at the Women’s World Day of Prayer held in the Army hall in Torre Pellice, near Turin, a place Georgina knows well. I took the article from Salvationist with me to share with some old mutual friends; they join Ruben and me in saying ‘Buon Compleanno, Georgina!’ God bless you very much. Florence Vinti, Luserna San Giovanni, Italy
ONE THING I WOULD NOT CHANGE EACH week, when my copy of Salvationist arrives in my post box, I immediately turn to the back-page feature ‘The Salvation Army and Me’. Without exception, I find the answers interesting and revealing. One question regularly posed is: ‘What one thing would you change about the Army?’ With some frequency, the response is a variation of the theme: ‘I would make it more democratic.’ During the 65-plus years since I was commissioned as an officer, great strides have been made in that regard. I believe it was General Albert Orsborn who, in the early 1950s, established the Advisory Council to the General – now the General’s Consultative Council. Some time later the concept of the corps council was introduced. Prior to that time the corps census board was the only official advisory group at a local level, and their responsibilities were limited to
advice concerning the corps rolls. Happily, the autocratic – and sometimes nepotistic – governance typical of the Army’s first half century has gone by the board. Officers at every level, from territorial headquarters to corps, are now inclined to listen to others before making important decisions. So, to that extent, I am in agreement
with those who wish for a more grassroots governance. But if people who call for ‘a more democratic Army’ are suggesting that total control be placed in the hands of individual congregations, I strongly disagree. With the exception of the Roman Catholic Church, I believe The Salvation Army is the largest Christian denomination in the world with one individual in command. News releases from IHQ regarding personnel and policy begin with the words: ‘The General has decided…’ Certainly those decisions have not been made in isolation. But the voice of the General is supreme. The monolithic structure of the Army keeps us unified in doctrine and practice in 131 countries around the world. The top-down structure of the Army ensures that when we see a soldier or officer in uniform, we know that he or she is a true brother or sister in Christ. That’s one thing I’m not ready to change. Robert Thomson, Commissioner, Clearwater, Florida, USA Salvationist 30 March 2019
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
ARMY PEOPLE APPOINTED Effective 1 May O Major Julie Forrest, International Liaison Officer for Dialogue on Human Sexuality, Administration Department, IHQ, with promotion to the rank of lieut-colonel O Major Peter Forrest, Assistant Chief Secretary (Administration), Administration Department, IHQ, with promotion to the rank of lieut-colonel Effective 1 July O Majors Kevin and Pam Pitt, Armadale Corps/Sports Centre, Australia Territory LOCAL OFFICERS APPOINTED O RS Beth Collins, Northampton O CMS Gary Collins, Northampton O YPBL Adrian Letts, Northampton O Cradle Roll Sgt Joy Portas, Northampton WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Diamond O Rtd SL James and Amaris Richardson, Tunbridge Wells (11 April) Golden O OSCS David and CS Polly Buckle, Enfield (8 March) O Derek and Eileen Jolliffe, Blackpool Citadel (15 March) O Majors Andy and Gwen Cox (12 April) DEDICATED TO GOD O Hattie, daughter of CSM Andy and Dep SL Claire McKay, at Leek by Lieutenant Leanne Wallis
Reuben Joseph Edward, son of Wayne and Bandswoman/Songster Rebecca Jackson, at Leek by Lieutenant Leanne Wallis O Frederick Albert, son of Bandsman/ Songster James and Bandswoman/ Songster Stephanie Mockett at Southsea by Major Helen Urmston O
RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Major Doreen Ingram (80 on 7 April) O Major Sarah Bell (80 on 10 April) O Lieut-Colonel Dorothy Knightley (85 on 11 April) O Major Christine Smith (85 on 15 April) BEREAVED O Maureen Wildman, Burton-on-Trent, of her mother Vi Wheatley PROMOTED TO GLORY O Kenneth Prowen, Worthing
TRIBUTES MARJORIE WATSON, BURTON-ON-TRENT MARJORIE was born in 1923 and was No 1 on the corps roll, living in Burton all her life. On starting work, she became friendly with a Salvationist, who brought her to the Army, where she entered into all the activities available to a teenager. When she was 21 Marjorie was enrolled as a soldier and shortly after was commissioned a songster. For the next 52 years she enjoyed singing with the group until transferring to the reserve, but there
ENGAGEMENTS GENERAL BRIAN PEDDLE AND COMMISSIONER ROSALIE PEDDLE O Zimbabwe and Botswana Territory (Commissioner Vinece Chigariro’s retirement), Sat 30 Mar – Tu 2 Apr* O New Zealand (women’s conference), Sat 30 Mar – Th 4 Apr** O Peterborough Citadel (Palm Sunday), Sat Sun 14 O India South Western Territory, Wed 24 – Sun 28 THE CHIEF OF THE STAFF (COMMISSIONER LYNDON BUCKINGHAM) AND COMMISSIONER BRONWYN BUCKINGHAM O ICO (welcome to session), Th 11 Apr O ICO (lecture), Tu 16 O Croydon Citadel (Easter), Th 18 – Sun 21 O USA (National Advisory Board meeting), Tu 23 – Sun 28 THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER (COMMISSIONER ANTHONY COTTERILL) AND COMMISSIONER GILLIAN COTTERILL O William Booth College (territorial advisory council), Fri 5 Apr O ICO (welcome to session), Th 11 O Bishop’s Stortford (Palm Sunday), Sun 14 O Nottingham William Booth Memorial Halls (Easter), Fri 19 – Sun 21 O William Booth College (spiritual day with cadets), Th 25 O Harpenden (opening after refurbishment), Sat 27 *The General only **World President of Women’s Ministries only
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Salvationist 30 March 2019
were occasions when she relished the opportunity to help them out. As a talented seamstress Marjorie left behind many examples of her work throughout the corps. She was a staunch Salvationist who was clear about her principles and felt it important to witness to the end by wearing her bonnet. This example was reflected by the fact that the hall was full for her funeral service. – K. A. MARY FOSTER, NEWCASTLE CITY TEMPLE OVER the past 87 years Mary saw many changes in and around Winlaton and Blaydon. She lived in the same home for around 56 years, where, with her husband, George, she brought up Susan and David. After leaving school Mary worked behind the counter at the post office. It was there she met with others from Blaydon Corps and became a soldier. Mary loved the social side of the fellowship, helping to build up that aspect of the corps. She was an avid baker and took orders to help with corps finances. Mary could turn her hand to almost anything, and her DIY skills made her a very helpful member of the fellowship. Mary transferred to Newcastle City Temple with her friends, who were known fondly as the Blaydon ladies. Mary was, as her husband George describes, ‘a lovely lass’. This is a fitting statement from one who loved and was loved in return. – B. I. JOAN MARLOW, FORDINGBRIDGE BORN to Christian parents in 1929, Joan was raised in a Congregational home. Upon her marriage to Ray she transferred to Fordingbridge, where everyone affectionately came to know her as ‘nanny’. Joan was a songster, home league secretary and organist, and brought blessings to many through her solo singing. She was also an avid corps visitor and she loved people. Through her living she was an inspiration to others. Everyone loved her devotion to the Lord and in her final earthly words she sang: ‘When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there’ (SASB 559). Joan is sadly missed by her two sons and all who knew her. Well done thou good and faithful servant! – W. H.
DAVID MOORE, BECCLES DAVID was born in Broome, Norfolk, in 1943. At an early age he attended Beccles with his Salvationist parents, Hilda and Ernest, and his two sisters, Captain Ruth Hammond and Christine Coe. Captain Ruth, with her husband, Peter, conducted David’s funeral. At the age of 16 David was enrolled as a senior soldier by Brigadier George Gartshore, his future father-in-law. David was a bandsman for a number of years and played cornet and then bass. He was a printer by trade. David was an encourager who had a placid nature. His good example shone through his quiet disposition. He married Mavis at Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, in 1964 and they were married for 55 years. He had a great love for his wife, for his two children and their spouses – Tim and Sharon and Deborah and Alan – for his four grandchildren, Joshua, Chloe, Danny and Thomas, and for his great-granddaughter, Bella. He is missed by them all. – M. M.
DAVID COBBOLD, NORTON BORN in Norton, David spent his entire life connected to Norton Corps. With his wife, Marie, he was always active within the corps. He was a bandsman and songster, and for many years took on the responsibility of band secretary and bandmaster. He was also a patient man, which was evident when teaching young people to play instruments. Apart from his musical abilities, some of David’s happiest moments were in front of the deep fat fryer, organising the fish and chips ‘fry up’ for various sales in the hall. During his working life his Christian values were evident to those who came into contact with him. In retirement he was a keen bowls player, on the green and carpet alike. A true Christian gentleman, David was admired and loved by all. He is greatly missed by his family, corps comrades and friends. – P. N.
FLORENCE CONNOLLY, GRAYS FLORENCE was born in 1918, the second child of Harry Bass, also known as ‘Bass of Grays’. Florrie’s love for Jesus, and the transformation of her alcoholic father to evangelist, compelled her to share the gospel with everyone. She was the home league secretary and led the singers for more than 60 years. It gave her great joy to sing with the songsters and speak at nearby churches even when she was in her nineties. Florrie moved to a rest home which gave her new opportunities to tell of her love for Jesus. She remained a soldier of the corps, as vowed, until her promotion to Glory at the age of 99. Florrie was a wonderful mother, to Valerie Lovegrove and David Connolly, grandmother and great-grandmother whose faith continues to inspire. – M. L-H. Please note that soldiers’ and adherent members’ tributes submitted for publication should be no longer than 150 words. Good quality pictures will be included with tributes.
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Salvationist 30 March 2019
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Salvationist 30 March 2019
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