War Cry 4 December 2021 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

WAR CRY

Christmas 2021 50p

Glad tidings of great joy In tune with the good news of Christmas

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

When yo

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

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

2 • WAR CRY • Christmas 2021

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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

O 15

FEATURES

Charting Christmas successes

A look back at festive No 1s

See him lying on a bed of straw

Couple provide songs for school

Nativity plays

‘My life has changed’

How The Salvation Army helped Stephen

get off the streets

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

Boney M topped the chart in 1978 with ‘Mary’s Boy Child’

AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY

Winter one-derland Book looks back at the tracks that became Christmas No 1s Feature by Philip Halcrow

T is the single most talked-about fixture in the chart calendar. Every year, there’s a crescendo of speculation about who will top the singles chart on Christmas Day. And later this month, the 70th Christmas No 1 will be announced. Ahead of the milestone, music writer Michael Mulligan has delved into the archives of the Official Charts to put together The Official Christmas No 1 Singles Book. Readers can pick up noteworthy pieces of information – such as the fact that, of all the Christmas No 1s so far, seven have had the word ‘Christmas’ (or ‘Xmas’) in the title. The Beatles held the top spot for four years out of five, from 1963 to 1967, though none of those hits were specifically festive. The similarly non-seasonal ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen is the only recording to have been a Christmas No 1 twice, surmounting the summit on its first release in 1975 and returning there after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. It is one of only three songs to have been a Christmas No 1 more than once. ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, by the various incarnations of Band Aid,

reached the top in 1984, 1989 and 2004, highlighting the power of the charity record. That success story has been followed by charitable chart-toppers such as ‘Wherever You Are’ by the Military Wives with Gareth Malone and ‘A Bridge over You’ by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir. The only other song to have been at the top of the tree more than once is ‘Mary’s Boy Child’. In 1957, Harry Belafonte reached No 1 with his telling of how ‘Mary boy’s child, Jesus Christ, was born on Christmas Day’. Twenty-one years later, Boney M took it back there as the track ‘Mary’s Boy Child / Oh My Lord’. Both versions were million-sellers – and sit 14th and 4th on the Christmas No 1 biggest sellers list, alongside X Factor winner Alexandra Burke’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, Pink Floyd’s school’s-out-forever anthem ‘Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)’ and Bob the Builder’s affirmative answer to the question ‘Can We Fix it?’ Such lists suggest that there does not seem to be one type of song that constitutes a Christmas No 1. Noting in his book how Christmas No 1s may highlight the record-buying public’s generosity in

Three songs have been a Christmas No 1 more than once

A new book explores the history of Christmas hits

charity singles, sentimentality or humour, Michael Mulligan calls the tracks that win out ‘the good, the great and the occasionally curious’ – and ‘wonderfully unpredictable’. Maybe Christmas No 1s do reflect something of who we are. Christmas may be a time when, as Slade put it, ‘everybody’s having fun’. It may also bring with it the kind of ‘bittersweet memories’ Whitney Houston sang about in ‘I Will Always Love You’. Looking at the world, we may understand the words in Leon Jackson’s ‘When You Believe’ that ‘hope is frail’. But Boney M’s disco description of the Nativity is still making it big, being the 11th most streamed Christmas No 1 with 48 million plays. So it seems that we still feel the draw of the day when one particular child was born. Maybe we still want to hear the message – in words that Boney M sang on their recording – that ‘there is hope for all to find peace’. Maybe we still sense the power of what happened ‘long time ago in Bethlehem’.

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 3

Nativity story is a Songwriters HELEN and MARK JOHNSON penned their first school Nativity play in 1989. Today, their company provides songs for 20,000 primary schools Interview by Claire Brine

‘W

E wrote our first Nativity play as a result of a glorious misunderstanding,’ says former teacher Helen Johnson, who, with her husband Mark, set up the company Out of the Ark Music to provide songs for primary schools. ‘It was 1989, and I was teaching in a new school,’ she says. ‘The head teacher knew that I’d previously written a couple of songs for children, so shortly before the October half-term, he announced that I would be doing the Christmas show that year! I thought it would be easier to go home and write one than to set him straight.’ For the next few weeks, Helen and Mark spent their evenings writing songs and putting together a Nativity show called Off to Bethlehem. The kids staged it, and it was a huge success in the community. Six months later, Helen and Mark quit their jobs to write songs for schools full-time. Out of the Ark Music was born. ‘At first, we never thought we’d write music for children,’ says Mark. ‘But Helen had picked up from her previous school that there wasn’t a lot of great material out there. We thought kids deserved better.’ ‘After that first Nativity,’ adds Helen, ‘we started writing other songs and shows. Today, we write songs for collective worship and assemblies, some that teach the curriculum, others purely for the fun of singing and musicals. We cover the whole range. What’s important to us is the potential for a song to transform the people who sing it.’ In its first year of business, Out of the Ark Music sold 100 copies of Off to Bethlehem to teachers wanting to stage it with their kids. Thirty years later, the company has thousands of songs in its repertoire and 20,000 regular primaryschool customers. Helen explains why Out of the Ark’s name is important. ‘It goes back to the story of Noah in

Helen and Mark Johnson write Nativity plays for schoolchildren to perform

We thought kids deserved better

Genesis. God told Noah to take every creature that has breath and put it in the ark. For me, that conjures up the most incredible picture of life, colour, noise and diversity. Then, after the Flood, Noah opened the ark door and sent all that life, colour and energy out into the world. ‘At Out of the Ark Music, we want

our songs to have the same colour and excitement – and to spread those things as widely as possible.’ As well as composing songs for children to enjoy singing all year round, Helen and Mark are keen for their Christmas songs, in particular, to convey a positive Christian message. Their Nativity show, It’s a Miracle!, was written to help children explore the concept of the incarnation of Jesus. ‘We always try to keep the story of Jesus’ birth centre stage,’ says Helen, ‘because so many children don’t hear it unless they learn it at school. It’s a challenge, trying to keep the story fresh every year and find that new angle. We are trying to convey big spiritual truths through songs for children as young as

Helen and Mark have written numerous Nativity plays 4 • WAR CRY • Christmas 2021

act

Children from primary schools across the UK tell the story of Jesus’ birth

five. We want the children to know not just that Jesus was born in a manger, but the miracle of who he is, and all he came to be and do.’ Last year, Covid-19 meant that staging a Christmas show was out of the question for many schools. ‘We saw massive drops in our sales,’ says Mark. ‘But we created an online resource, called @ Home, where we gave away many of our songs for free. We wanted to support the

teachers who were still working at school and help parents who were trying to teach their children at home. ‘We also came up with the idea of creating a bubblefriendly Nativity, which restricts the social interaction between different groups of children.’ Helen explains: ‘We wanted to make staging a Nativity this year as easy as possible. So we have scripts where the story is broken up into bite-sized chunks, meaning the different characters can rehearse separately before all coming together at the end.’ One of the titles released by Out of the Ark Music this year is called The Big

We are trying to convey big spiritual truths

Little Nativity. Helen and Mark hope that the little people taking part in the show will gain a bigger understanding of the meaning of Christmas. ‘Christmas is about a God who loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, Jesus,’ says Mark, quoting John 3:16 from the Bible. ‘The truth is that God’s love is the core of everything, and it’s up to us whether we allow that truth to change us.’ Helen agrees: ‘Jesus came to give us fullness of life. And that’s something to celebrate.’

l For more information visit outoftheark.co.uk

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 5

OUT OF THE ARK MUSIC

class

From drugs and despair to hope for the future Sleeping on the streets for more than a year left Stephen in a state of deep depression. But thanks to The Salvation Army, he now has support and somewhere to live, his mental health has stabilised and he feels safe Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

NYONE who met Stephen as a young boy enjoying a happy childhood could not have imagined the troubles he would face as he grew up. These problems included addiction, homelessness and poor mental health. Stephen’s challenges began when he was nine years old. After the death of his grandmother, he began experiencing episodes of psychosis. Within two years, he was experimenting with cannabis. By the time he was a teenager, he was using the drug regularly. He also drank alcohol as a coping mechanism for his mental health problems. But both substances only made things worse. Life seemed to be looking up for Stephen when he moved out of the family home in his early twenties to live with a partner. Sadly, the relationship broke down a few years later, and he moved back. But he found it difficult to settle back into life with his mum and siblings. His addictions were still a problem and were putting a strain on their relationships. ‘We would argue about silly little things,’ he says. ‘One day in December 2018, it got out of hand and things were said which shouldn’t have been said. And once things have been said, you can’t take them back, so I walked out. I felt really low. I knew I couldn’t go back there. But I had nowhere else to go so, just like that, I was homeless.’ For months, Stephen slept rough, finding a place to rest anywhere that he could feel safe – shopping centres, car parks, tower blocks. On a couple of occasions he even slept outside on Stephen’s confidence has increased since he moved into a place of his own

I had nowhere to go so, just like that, I was homeless

6 • WAR CRY • Christmas 2021

a football field, because he had practice the next day. He was still smoking a lot, and any money he got, he would spend on cannabis. His mental health deteriorated. ‘I became very depressed because I felt invisible,’ he says. ‘When you’re on the street, everything spirals and you can feel like you’re nothing – it’s damaging to both your physical and mental health.’ Eventually, he found a place in a council shelter, but, for him, that was as difficult to cope with as being on the streets. ‘I found the unpredictable environment in there hard,’ he explains. ‘The shelter caused me stress and my anxiety got even worse. It may sound strange, but I felt safer sleeping in the car park, because of the regularity it gave me. When things are unpredictable, I feel more anxious.’ But, just a few weeks later, he was offered a way out. The council put him forward for a flat at Malachi Place, supported accommodation in Ilford, run by The Salvation Army. Stephen knew about the organisation because he had stayed at one of its winter night shelters while sleeping rough. He was excited to be offered a room there. ‘When they said I could go to look at a flat, I didn’t wait for the bus, I walked so fast to get there. When I saw the flat with my own bed and shower and toilet, it was a no-brainer. I said yes straightaway. I went back to collect my things from the shelter and moved in that same night. It was 19 March 2020, just before the country went into lockdown at the start of

the coronavirus pandemic.’ Since being at Malachi Place, Stephen has felt better and he is working on rebuilding his life. He has engaged with the programmes on offer, such as art and cookery, and has learnt how to budget. ‘Looking back, it is hard to believe how much my life has changed,’ he says. ‘It took a week for it to sink in that I was safe. But here, everything is different. I have a place of my own for the first time in my life. I have Maria, my support worker, and a team of people who are here to help me. I am getting help with my addictions, and my mental health has stabilised. In the moments I feel weak, there is always someone here I can talk to.’ The supported accommodation, which opened in February 2020, helps people take steps from homelessness back to a more stable life. It is made up of 42 self-contained flats, each with a bed, sofa, bathroom and kitchen area. Salvation Army volunteers are on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide welfare assistance to any residents as needed. ‘At Malachi Place, I have a community of friends who have been supportive of me and who I am able to support,’ Stephen says. ‘Just like any neighbours, we help each other out. I am learning independence and I am experiencing for the first time that “new home” feeling in a place I finally feel comfortable in. This is a stigma-free environment. No one is judged. ‘Having a place of my own has not only helped with my anxiety, but my confidence has also increased. I feel pride in my flat at Malachi Place, and I’m excited about the future.’

I feel pride in my flat at Malachi Place

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 7

Light ROGER McGOUGH has edited a new anthology of Christmas poems for children. He explains why he associates the season with ‘carols and candle glow’ Interview by Philip Halcrow

OET Roger McGough is well versed in looking at Christmas from different angles. He experienced it as a child during the literally and metaphorically dark days of the war. He saw it through the eyes of his children as they grew up. Now he has gathered together a variety of writers’ perspectives on the season for a new anthology, 100 Best Christmas Poems for Children. The initial idea that set this book of poetry into motion was to ask schools to submit their favourite Christmas poems. When the pandemic put paid to those bestlaid plans, Roger sifted through poems children. And serious poems, of course.’ already amassed by the publishing Roger has contributed two poems, director and then introduced poems one of which is ‘Alternative Santa’. from other sources. ‘Santa wears a T-shirt emblazoned ‘As well as some old favourites, I with “Happy holiday”, because people was able to bring in some new poems don’t want the word and younger poets into the “Christmas”. He has a anthology and try to give rocket-powered silver different views on Christmas,’ toboggan rather than a he says over a Zoom call. traditional sleigh, but then The book opens with a his delivery of presents selection of poems about ends up all being done winter. online.’ ‘The first poem is “Winter As the poem heads toward its Morning” by Ogen Nash, an American conclusion, it reflects: who was great with words. He takes us And that was years and years ago into the time of year with: “Winter is the Now little children barely know king of showmen/ Turning tree stumps About midnight Mass and mistletoe into snowmen.” He ends: “Snow is Christmas carols and candle glow snowy when it’s snowing,/ I’m sorry it’s ‘It’s about how the commercialisation slushy when it’s going.” can, in a sense, ruin the spirituality that ‘The book ends with a very short we should concentrate on,’ says Roger. poem, “What Christmas is For” by Philip ‘So there are things in the book that I Waddell.’ hope are discussable. Mums and dads Roger reads: and children can talk about what these Christmas is a time for gifts – poems mean.’ For giving and for getting. Some of the images in those later lines Christmas is a time for peace – of ‘Alternative Santa’ seem to mirror the Forgiving and forgetting. memories Roger has of Christmas while ‘In between,’ he says, ‘are a child’s growing up in Liverpool. points of view about what you get for ‘I was born before the war,’ he tells Christmas, what you don’t want me, ‘so my earliest memories are of for Christmas, the way aunties pick being taken as a three-year-old or fouryou up and give you a big hug and year-old on my dad’s shoulders down to the relationships between mums and

It was joyous and there was lots of singing

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verse NEIL SPENCE/ALAM Y

the air raid shelter. A freaky time – but as a child you don’t know what’s going on. You’re protected by your parents. ‘At Christmas, most of the presents I was given were homemade. It was a time of sharing but never a time of luxury. ‘We went to each other’s houses. It was joyous and there was lots of singing. There were lots of aunties but most of the uncles were away at war.’ He recalls of those wartime days: ‘It was dark. There were no lights outside. Often the only lights were the searchlights in the sky, looking for enemy bombers. ‘But Christmas was certainly a light. Going to church was warm, with lots of candles and the crib. And for us as a Catholic family, Christmas was, at its heart, a religious festival.’ Since then, Roger has experienced various kinds of Christmas. ‘Having had four children over the years, it was wonderful to be part of their Christmas and see it through their eyes with their innocent joy. You watch their development as they ask whether Father Christmas is real and then who is Jesus. Sometimes it’s a difficult time as a parent and it’s a relief when it’s all over, but it is a joyful thing.’ The poems in the anthology encompass presents, robins, puddings, turkeys and snowmen. But there are also countless references to the light of a star, angels, a mother and – in the words of one of Marian Swinger’s poems – the fact

Roger McGough that ‘It started with a Baby’. ‘Lots of people who don’t necessarily go to church or believe in what the birth of Christ meant still want Christmas to be part of their lives,’ says Roger, who does go to church, because, even though he feels it is difficult to find the philosophical language to explain what is at the heart of religion, ‘it works for me and why would you give up something that is central to you? ‘Some people try to get rid of things and want this time to be called “holiday” rather than “Christmas”, and big business comes in and makes money out of it. I would be agin that. ‘The heart of the book is a sense of joy and sharing and the birth of Christ.’

l 100 Best Christmas Poems for Children is published by SPCK

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 9

Becoming a Christian

THERE is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

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Special A seasonal message from Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, leader of The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland

HE arrival of a baby into a family changes everything. I know this not only from observation, but also from experience, as I am the father of four boys. Life is never the same when a child enters the world. Priorities, especially time and finances, are suddenly and totally reconfigured in response to the new member of the family who, let me be honest, is remarkably demanding, but who is also the fresh object of a wonderful surge of love that wells up from deep within us. Every year at Christmas, I am drawn to a wonderful short story written by Bret Harte entitled The Luck of Roaring Camp, which was published in 1868. Roaring Camp was a settlement of about 100 men in the Wild West of the United States. The camp was a rough, filthy and lawless environment where it was every man for himself and killings were common. There was, however, one woman, Cherokee Sal, and the story opens with the men crowding round her shack because she is in labour. She desperately needs a midwife, but all she has is this motley crew. One of the men, Stumpy by name, is pushed inside to help – while the other men expectantly wait, placing bets as to what might happen. Suddenly the camp stops to listen. Harte writes: ‘Above the swaying and moaning of the pines, the swift rush of the river, and the crackling of the fire, rose a sharp, querulous cry – a cry unlike anything heard before in the camp.’ A child has been born, but sadly the mother passes away. What happens afterwards is miraculous. ‘Luck’, as the baby boy is named, has a transformative effect upon the men, who are suddenly responsible for this new life. One by one, the men enter the shack where

delivery Cherokee Sal lies alongside the crying baby. The first man takes off his hat, and all the others follow suit. Another hat is laid by the door, for ‘them as wishes to contribute anything’. And contribute they do. Among the unexpected gifts are a silver tobacco box, a beautifully embroidered lady’s handkerchief, a diamond ring, a Bible, a silver teaspoon and about $200 in loose gold and silver coin. Some days later, a christening service of sorts is arranged where Stumpy declares: ‘I proclaim you Thomas Luck, according to the laws of the United States and the State of California, so help me God.’ It is the first time that the name of God has been uttered, other than as a swear word, in the camp. The regeneration of the camp continues as the men are inspired to keep the baby’s cabin scrupulously clean and whitewashed. Later it is boarded, papered and furnished. Stumpy insists that anyone who wants to hold the little boy must be washed and wearing a clean shirt. The shouting that had given Roaring Camp its name is prohibited within hearing distance of the baby. The men increasingly speak in whispers, some are even heard to sing lullabies. Swearing is given up around what has become the sacred space of Luck. I will not spoil the dramatic end to the story, which some of you may like to read for yourselves, but the essence of this tale is the potentially transformative power of a baby entering the world.

When this baby arrived, everything changed

A newly born baby inspired the lyrics of the Johnny Mathis Christmas No 1, which included the lines: A ray of hope flickers in the sky. A tiny star lights up way up high. All across the land, dawns a brand-new morn, This comes to pass when a child is born. When Jesus was in Bethlehem in Judaea, the angel of the Lord proclaimed to the shepherds: ‘Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. Today your Saviour was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord’ (Luke 2:10 and 11 New Century Version). This was the fulfilment of so many prayers and hopes and not least of all the prophetic words of Isaiah when he declared: ‘For to us a child is born, to us

a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6 New International Version). Not surprisingly, when this baby arrived, everything definitely changed. He came as the image of the invisible God, full of grace and truth, and he opened the way so that everyone who believes in him should become a child of God themselves. His arrival continues to impact us, transforming us and our communities as we acknowledge and honour Jesus, in a similar way to how the birth changed Roaring Camp. That’s the essence of Christmas, and it is why we will be celebrating again and singing: ‘Joy to the world! the Lord is come!’ May all the blessings of the Christ child be yours this Christmastide!

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 11

What vibrant colour are the leaves of the Christmas houseplant poinsettia?

Who plays Kevin, an eight-year-old boy who tries to protect his home from burglars at Christmastime in the 1990 film Home Alone?

Which poet wrote ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’?

Which group had three consecutive Christmas No 1 singles from 1996-1998?

In what town was Jesus born?

In Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, how many ghosts appeared to Ebenezer Scrooge?

12 • WAR CRY • Christmas 2021

What does Norway donate to London’s Trafalgar Square each Christmas as a thank you for British support during the Second World War?

In the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, what was given on the eighth day?

According to his 1964 single, what colour Christmas did Elvis have?

Who played Scrooge in the 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol?

Who was crowned King of England on Christmas Day 1066?

According to Matthew’s Gospel, what gifts did the wise men present to the infant Christ?

In the 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life, what happens every time a bell rings?

According to Luke’s Gospel, why did Mary and Joseph have to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem before Jesus was born?

Who did the angels appear to after Jesus was born?

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 13 CHRISTMAS QUIZ 1. Red. 2. Christina Rossetti. 3. Macaulay Culkin. 4. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. 5. The Spice Girls. 6. A Christmas tree. 7. An angel gets their wings. 8. Bethlehem. 9. Eight maids a-milking. 10. Michael Caine. 11. For a census. 12. Four. 13. Blue. 14. William the Conqueror. 15. Shepherds. NAME THAT CAROL A. ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’. B. ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’. C. ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. D. ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. E. ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks’.

ANSWERS

D C

B A

Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. With the poor and mean and lowly Lived on earth our Saviour holy. Where meek souls will receive him, still The dear Christ enters in. Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.

In which carols can you find the following lines?

Name the carol

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Mature (5) 5. Drying cloth (5) 8. Snake (5) 9. Consecrate (5) 10. Monastery head (5) 11. Leather fastener (5) 12. Electric wire (4) 15. Stick (6) 17. Pool of money (5) 18. Fount (6) 20. Destiny (4) 25. Seat (5) 26. Chunky (5) 27. Combine (5) 28. Deputy doctor (5) 29. Mould (5) 30. Mix (5) DOWN 1. Snub (6) 2. Penetrate (6) 3. Repulsive (5) 4. Farewell (5) 5. Calamity (7) 6. Waver (6) 7. Small (6) 13. Circuit (3) 14. Lively dance (30) 15. Consumed (3) 16. Rodent (3)

SUDOKU Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

6 3 9 4 9 4 5 2 5 6 5 9 4 8 5 2 3 4 17. Finger joint (7) 18. Rank (6) 19. Network of optic nerves (6) 21. Busy (6) 22. Stretch (6) 23. Humorous play (5) 24. Food fragment (5)

7 1 2 5 6 8

9 6

1 5 6

WORDSEARCH

2 8 4 6 3 5 9 7 1 3 1 9 4 8 7 2 5 6 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these 7 words 5 6associated 1 9 with 2 3Christmas 8 4 5 7P W D W S 6 9 1Y K2 8 K Y F A L J 4 L B 3V M U Q N Q S F Y T P R J G H O K R M P T 6 7 1 8 2 3 4 9 5 A A G D W T S X N P C M J D Y Z S S 9 2 5 1 4 6 3 T Z J Q S I 8 S P Z Q B H S V S L X I 7 U A Q M K V Z G N S G D R 1 6 I 3 K C O T 9 5 8 7 4 2 U M I S Y I N A I T G Z R L L P S H 4 I 8 B B 2 L 7N 1L V 5V C6 3 G T Q O Q T 9 J O Q O Z O F R A N K 5 2I N C E N S E Y W S 7 3 4 6 8 1 9

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

U S A C Z N K G N S B F C Q B Z G U N N U T C R A C K E R H A A H T Q S E Q M H K M E M L L I L Z C G H N E S P H Q Y T C G E M B I C E I O U J J O Z P Q D N G N N Y B Q D E Q L M X A W J Z I N E Z A T R H L L K L D Q D G F J A Y L S W M S R K S M H M S B Q D S Z V Z V E N Z R H B Y T Z J C G V O X K W Q K R U Z Y B D T F J Y X E T U Z Q T T J P T M K C P R

1. Quadrangle 2. Evening meal 3. Fastener 4. Blood component 5. Ship’s kitchen 6. Red fruit

ANSWERS 2 3 7 4 6 8 1 9 5

8 1 5 3 7 9 6 4 2

4 9 6 5 1 2 3 8 7

6 4 1 7 8 5 9 2 3

3 8 9 6 2 1 5 7 4

5 7 2 9 3 4 8 1 6

9 2 3 1 4 6 7 5 8

9 4 8 1 5 5 2 3 4 6

7 5 8 2 9 3 4 6 1

1 6 4 8 5 7 2 3 9

HONEYCOMB 1. Square. 2. Supper. 3. Velcro. 4. Plasma. 5. Galley. 6. Cherry. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Ripen. 5. Towel. 8. Adder. 9. Bless. 10. Abbot. 11. Thong. 12. Flex. 15. Adhere. 17. Kitty. 18. Spring. 20. Fate. 25. Chair. 26. Thick. 27. Unite. 28. Locum. 29. Shape. 30. Blend. DOWN: 1. Rebuff. 2. Pierce. 3. Nasty. 4. Adios. 5. Tragedy. 6. Wobble. 7. Little. 13. Lap. 14. Jig. 15. Ate. 16. Rat. 17. Knuckle. 18. Status. 19. Retina. 21. Active. 22. Extend. 23. Farce. 24. Crumb.

14 • WAR CRY • Christmas 2021

ANGEL CHIMNEY FRANKINCENSE GOLD HOLLY JESUS CHRIST JINGLE BELLS MAGI MANGER

MYRRH NATIVITY NOEL NUTCRACKER ORNAMENTS PRESENT SLEIGH BELLS STOCKING TINSEL

Christmas cupcakes Ingredients

Method

325g butter

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

175g caster sugar

Line a 12-hole muffin tray with red cake cases. Add 175g butter and the caster sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in the egg and flour alternately and continue to mix until light and smooth.

3 eggs, beaten 175g self-raising flour 2½ tsp vanilla extract 80g unsweetened desiccated coconut 300g fresh raspberries 300g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra 100g green ready-to-roll icing

Mix in 1½ tsp vanilla extract and half of the desiccated coconut, then fold in half of the raspberries. Divide the mixture between the cake cases and spread the tops level. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Lift the cakes out of the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. To make the icing, add the remaining butter to a bowl and gradually beat in the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the remaining 1tsp vanilla extract to make a soft icing. Pipe or spread the icing over the cakes. Top each cake with a sprinkling of the remaining desiccated coconut and 3 raspberries. Roll out the green icing on a surface dusted with a little icing sugar, then stamp out small holly leaves with a cutter. Lift off the paper with a small knife and press 2 leaves into the icing on each cake.

MAKES

Seared salmon with Thai strawberry sauce Ingredients 250g strawberries, hulled ½-1 red chilli, halved, deseeded, finely chopped 2.5cm root ginger, peeled and grated 1tbsp sweet chilli dipping sauce 1tbsp soy sauce 1tsp fish sauce 4 salmon steaks 200g thin rice noodles 1tbsp sunflower oil 300g stir-fry vegetables with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts 150g frozen edamame beans Small handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method To make the sauce, mash the strawberries in a bowl and mix in the chilli and ginger. Stir in the sweet chilli, soy and fish sauces. Set aside. Line the grill rack with foil, then put the salmon steaks on top and spoon about 1tbsp of the strawberry sauce over each. Grill for 8-10 minutes, turning over once, until browned. Break into large flakes and set aside. Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the stir-fry vegetables and edamame beans for 2-3 minutes. Stir in half the remaining strawberry sauce, then add the noodles. Cook for a further minute. Add the remaining strawberry sauce to a small bowl and set on a large platter. Stir half the coriander into the noodles, then add to the platter. Break the salmon into large flakes and scatter them over the noodles. Garnish with the remaining coriander, to serve.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Summer Fruits website lovefreshberries.co.uk

SERVES

Christmas 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

Light and life to all he brings From ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ by Charles Wesley

WAR CRY