What is The Salvation Army?
From the editor’s desk
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
MUSIC plays a big part in many people’s Christmas, whether that’s hearing a Salvation Army band playing in the town centre, singing carols at community events or listening to the familiar Christmas songs that have appeared in the charts over the years. In this issue of the War Cry, we look back at some of the songs that have made it to the coveted No 1 spot at Christmas including Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and Boney M’s ‘Mary’s Boy Child’. Poet Roger McGough knows what it is to have a Christmas No 1. In 1968, his group, the Scaffold, topped the charts with ‘Lily the Pink’ but in his interview with us he is talking about a new poetry anthology he has edited. ‘The heart of the book is a sense of joy and sharing and the birth of Christ,’ he tells us. The book, 100 Best Christmas Poems for Children, includes his own ‘Alternative Santa’. Talking about the poem Roger says he believes that the commercialisation of Christmas can ‘ruin the spirituality that we should concentrate on’. A lot of people would agree with Roger. The commercialisation of the season, along with the busyness and pressures that so many of us experience, can distract us from the deeper meaning of Christmas. However, it is a time when millions of people do remember that a baby was born more than 2,000 years ago whose life would change the world for ever. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God whose life, death and resurrection offers everyone an opportunity to experience and encounter God in a new way. Those who have taken up that opportunity have found that it has changed them completely, as they have discovered a new purpose and meaning to their lives. If we’re ready to concentrate on the spiritual side of Christmas this year and accept all ad the War C e re ry v that Jesus offers us, then this Christmas could ’ u change our lives. Isn’t that music to the ears?
What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
WAR CRY Issue No 7554
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
CONTENTS
The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper
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INFO Your local Salvation Army centre
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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
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FEATURES
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Charting Christmas successes
A look back at festive No 1s
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See him lying on a bed of straw
Couple provide songs for school
Nativity plays
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‘My life has changed’
How The Salvation Army helped Stephen
get off the streets
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Poetically correct
Book of poems focuses on the true
meaning of Christmas
10 The baby changed everything
A Christmas message from the Salvation
Army leader for the UK and Ireland
12 Christmas Quiz
REGULARS
14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: MARTIN SEXTON