War Cry 23 July 2022

Euro 2022: Vicki Sparks on her commentary goals

WAR CRY

23 July 2022 50p

A wealth of sport Competitors get set for Commonwealth Games Simon Calder explores the life of Thomas Cook

From the editor’s desk

What is The Salvation Army?

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.

GARETH SOUTHGATE wouldn’t have known what would be the repercussions in the life of the young Vicki Sparks when he stepped up to take a penalty against Germany in Euro 96. But even Vicki’s dad could hardly have realised what would be the consequence when – in the middle of watching the shoot-out on television – he found the time to explain to his baffled daughter what was going on.

In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Vicki says: ‘Gareth Southgate stepped up, his penalty was saved, and I felt this emotion of “that’s really sad”. The feeling surprised me, because 30 seconds earlier I hadn’t known really what football was.’ Those moments opened Vicki’s eyes to the power of football. Now a commentator, over the past few weeks she has been describing the action of Euro 2022 games to TV and radio audiences.

Could the vicar of St Lawrence Church in Alton have guessed that the sermon he was giving one Christmas Eve would lead to a choir of refugees performing at the Glastonbury Festival? But Becky Dell, who was in the congregation on a visit home for Christmas, was motivated by his words about Jesus and showing love through action, and she began to visit the Calais Jungle refugee camp. Her work teaching music there and the people she met led to the setting up of the Citizens of the World Choir.

The figure at the centre of the Christmas story has had a positive effect on people throughout history.

Travel writer Simon Calder tells us how Victorian businessman Thomas Cook was motivated by his Christian faith. His desire to enable people to see the wonders of God’s world, says Simon, ‘transformed travel for ordinary men and women’.

Vicki Sparks, too, talks of how being a Christian affects ‘every aspect’ of her life, including her perspective on the game that she reports on. ad the War C This week – as every week – the War Cry e re ry v ’ shows that when Jesus makes an appearance u in a situation, it can be a game changer.

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 7586

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Starting lines Commonwealth Games previewed

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Your commentator is…

Vicki Sparks

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Simon Calder on Thomas Cook ‘He transformed travel’

INFO

10 Citizens of the World music

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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

Refugee choir take centre stage REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Now, There’s a Thought!

14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page pictures: ALAMY

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England’s Dina Asher-Smith says that ‘every race is a clean slate’

The Commonwealth Games get under way with a packed schedule of sporting competition Feature by Emily Bright

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N your marks and get set for the Commonwealth Games, which bring together athletes from 72 nations and territories. Host city Birmingham begins proceedings with an opening ceremony on Thursday (28 July).

The next day, the first sporting competitions will begin, with England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland well represented. Paralympic gold medallists such as swimmer Bethany Firth, wheelchair racer David Weir and discus and shot put world record holder Aled Davies are competing in the Games.

Olympic medallists, including cyclist Geraint Thomas and middle-distance runner Laura Muir, are also in the mix.

Another athlete in this year’s line-up who has made her mark is Dina AsherSmith. At the World Championships in 2019, she became the first British woman to win a global sprint title.

Dina was also ranked as a favourite for 100m gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but her hopes were dashed

because of a torn hamstring. However, she is determined to bounce back from her heartbreak. In an interview with The Times last month, Dina was asked whether her experience in Tokyo had affected her preparations for this summer’s competitions.

‘I don’t run with baggage – you run slowly with baggage.

Every year, every race is a clean slate,’ she replied. ‘I don’t believe you are defined by your past, whether that is successes or failures, or things that don’t go your way. I think that every race you stand on the line for is unwritten.’

It can be tempting for anyone to relive past hurts and mistakes in life but, as Dina acknowledges, such an attitude can be unhelpful. For some of us, it may feel as if there are impossible hurdles to overcome.

But they need not be impossible if we have the right support.

One Bible writer asserted that, with

Northern Ireland’s Bethany Firth is a Paralympic gold medallist

the divine help that we can receive from Jesus, we can go again.

He wrote to fellow Christians: ‘We must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete’ (Hebrews 12:1 and 2 Contemporary English Version).

Those words are an assurance that we need not be alone in our struggles with past mistakes and hurts. Regardless of what has happened to us or what we have done, Jesus offers us his unconditional love, strength and peace to sustain us.

If we focus on him, we can leave the mistakes of our past behind us and move into a more hopeful future. As we do so, he’ll be encouraging us every step of the way.

It can be tempting to relive past hurts

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Cathedral is the place to bee

DANNY LAWSON/ALAMY

RIPON Cathedral is creating a buzz with a rooftop apiary.

Joe Priestley (pictured), the cathedral’s marketing officer and a seventh-generation beekeeper, tends to the four beehives with his team of volunteers, accessing them by a spiral staircase from one of the chapels.

The first honey produced by the bees went on sale in the cathedral gift shop recently and sold out. The shop is awaiting a second batch.

Michelle Gee, the cathedral’s communications officer, says: ‘Efforts to increase biodiversity within the grounds are helping the bees to thrive. Hosting the beehives on the cathedral roof is another way in which we demonstrate the importance of caring for God’s creation.’

Do you have a Shop kits out Ukrainian refugees for summer story to share? A SALVATION Army charity shop in Maldon outfits the next day,’ says Kevin. a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

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is supporting Ukrainian refugees by supplying them with summer clothes.

Manager Kevin Dawson-Jennings says that the shop began providing packages of summer outfits to families last month, after it learnt that many refugees arrived in the UK with only winter clothes.

‘We had a phone call on behalf of a mother and son and were able to provide

BEAR GRYLLS described his Christian faith as ‘a secret strength’ when he spoke about his life and career on the podcast The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett.

When the adventurer was asked if climbing mountains and success on television brought him a sense of fulfilment, he responded that his sense of accomplishment came from the ‘simpler things’ in life, such as family and faith.

‘Where do I really find fulfilment? I think my faith is a quiet thing in that sense,’ said Bear. ‘Faith is always a tricky one and hard to articulate very well but it definitely comes from a place of: “You’re OK, you’re OK. We’re forgiven, we are loved.”’

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‘A package contains four or five outfits.

A start-up pack will include clothing, shoes and cosmetics. These can be donations, or we are able to rely on local hubs.’

The charity shop has also taken on its first Ukrainian volunteer.

Kevin hopes that offering even more volunteer opportunities will provide Ukrainian people with ‘hope and purpose’.

Breakfasters pray for persecuted ‘RIGHT across the world today, people are losing their jobs, their education, their homes, their livelihoods, access to justice, even life itself, simply on account of what they believe,’ said Fiona Bruce, MP, when she spoke at a prayer breakfast held during the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London.

Addressing the gathering, the prime minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief asked people to pray that governments would co-operate to protect people from persecution and that people who suffered would receive better care.

The United States ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, Rashad Hussain, and the Bishop of Truro, the Right Rev Philip Mounstephen, who conducted a review into the persecution of Christians worldwide, were among those who attended the prayer breakfast.

COURTESY OF VICKI SPARKS

Vicki with pundit Dion Dublin

Vicki gives voice to football’s epic stories TV and radio commentator VICKI SPARKS explains why she is so excited to be working on Women’s Euro 2022 and how a previous home tournament introduced her to the power of the game Interview by Philip Halcrow

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OR football fans, Old Trafford was the place to be on 6 July. A record-breaking 68,871 supporters were in the stands. Millions more were watching live on BBC1 while others were tuned into Radio 5 Live, where Vicki Sparks was aiming to help listeners experience England v Austria, the opening game of Euro 2022.

‘The role of a commentator is essentially performative,’ Vicki tells me. ‘It’s about bringing the listener or the viewer into the atmosphere and excitement of a football match. Every time I do it, I get a buzz. I used to do a lot of theatre when I was younger, and commentating feels the same as stepping out on stage and connecting with an audience.

‘With radio, it’s about painting pictures for the listener, because I am their eyes. I try to draw them into the emotion, the colour, the excitement as well as the basic facts of what’s taking place on the pitch so that they picture the game as if they’re there.’

A fixture in the BBC’s commentary teams for domestic and international games, Vicki says that her preparation begins long before kick-off.

‘It’s like GCSE revision, but with football,’ she says. ‘During the build-up to a tournament, you’re getting your head round all the players, the teams, the managers, the ones to watch, their form. It’s the groundwork that gives me the confidence to do the work of commentating.’

Vicki could predict that Euro 2022 would be a special tournament to work on.

‘I was able to work on the 2019 Women’s World Cup over in France, which was fantastic, but now we have the excitement of a home Euros.

‘There has also been such a growth in the women’s game generally over the past few years, when there has been serious promotion on Sky, on the BBC and with DAZN taking the Champions League. We’ve seen record attendances, with Barcelona getting more than 90,000 at the Nou Camp in the Champions League.

‘Yes, it’s a home Euros for England, but it is also coming at a perfect time to build on this growth of interest in the women’s game and it’s set to smash all

It’s about painting pictures for the listener

Turn to page 6 f

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REUTERS/ALAMY

Vicki commentated on the opening match of Euro 2022, won by Beth Mead’s goal for England

From page 5 attendance records for a women’s Euros.’

It was during a previous tournament in England that the excitement of football was first brought home to Vicki.

‘Growing up, I’d never watched any football until I was about eight,’ she says. ‘Then came Euro 96. I remember that I was upstairs, probably in bed, because it was quite late, and I heard a lot of shouting downstairs. I went down, and my dad was watching the television.

I asked: “What’s this?” and he said: “England are playing Germany in the semi-final, and it’s penalties.” I had no idea what penalties were. So he explained – very quickly, because they were in the middle of the shoot-out.

‘Gareth Southgate stepped up, his penalty was saved, and I felt this emotion of “that’s really sad”. The feeling surprised me, because 30 seconds earlier I hadn’t

known really what football was or that it even existed.

‘It made me think football was something special. Then I started going to matches with my dad, and fell in love with it.’

Vicki links up her desire to commentate on the game with her interest in literature.

‘I did English at uni,’ she says, ‘and, though I think my love of language is part of it, the bigger thing that connects my love of literature and commentary is that they’re all about big narratives. It’s probably too strong a word, but football has a mythic quality. For 90 minutes, there’s an epic encounter – let’s not say between good and evil, but certainly your side are the heroes and the other side, by virtue of being the other side, are the villains.

‘I think the strong emotions I felt

For 90 minutes, there’s an epic encounter

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growing up as a football fan were linked to this sense of a big story.’

Football’s big story extends beyond the boundaries of the pitch. Although she grew up in the southeast of England, Vicki now lives in the North East, and, in talking about how football is a powerful force, she says: ‘You see it in the way Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Newcastle mean so much to the people there, they are such a part of the identity of those places.

‘As we have seen during international tournaments, football brings communities together, fan bases together and nations together, and because it is so important, we have to safeguard that and ask how the fans are being served not just by a team for 90 minutes but by all the community work that the clubs do. It’s something precious.’

Her perspective on football is influenced by her faith. Vicki grew up in a Christian family.

‘But at some point,’ she says, ‘I had to

work out whether I believed it for myself or just believed because my parents did.

I think I had a mini existential crisis at 12, where I started to process that, but it was important to me believe in something because I actually thought it was true rather than because my community or my culture or my parents thought it was. All those things, of course, were influences.

But I had to work out what I agreed with and what I didn’t.

‘From then, it has been a process of continuing with faith, having doubts and wrestling with it – and I think honesty with God is really important – but feeling that God and Jesus makes sense of the world.

‘It makes me who I am. And, from a Christian perspective, I have always been interested in social justice issues and working out how to try to fulfil those two commandments of “Love God” and “Love your neighbour”.’

Vicki mentions issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and concerns over human rights in Qatar, which is hosting the men’s World Cup later this year.

‘I think those are big themes that a lot of people in my industry are wrestling with at the moment.

‘Again, like literature and story, sport is about escapism and imagination, but

it also speaks to our reality as humans.

And sometimes the more unpleasant tendrils of reality can creep into it.

So, how do you deal with that as a journalist? It’s an important question to me, because I’m a Christian in every aspect of my life, including my job – and, if there is injustice, I feel I should challenge it.’

Whatever Women’s Euro 2022 produces, Vicki can already name a big game from a previous tournament as one of her personal career highlights: England’s semi-final against the USA in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, when she shared the commentary with John Murray.

‘We’re colleagues and friends,’ she says, ‘but I had grown up listening to him and so it was unbelievable midway through the first half when I heard him say: “To take you through to half-time, it’s Vicki Sparks.”

‘It was devastating that England didn’t end up making the final, but the match had so much drama. There were penalty misses, VAR ruling out goals.

And we had such a good team behind us – the producers, the engineers and the summarisers all coming together to do what we do and bring a tournament to life.’

I have always been interested in social justice issues

BBC/MADELINE PENFOLD

With fellow members of the BBC Euro 2022 team, presenter Emma Saunders and summariser Stephen Craigan 23 July 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

We’re all going on a su At a time when holidays were not the territory of everyday people, Thomas Cook chartered a train and took a group of individuals on the 22-mile ride from Leicester to Loughborough for a day out. These trips continued and eventually developed into the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son. As many people embark on their summer holidays, travel journalist SIMON CALDER talks about Thomas, who was a pioneer in the field of travel and whose work was influenced by his faith Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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transformed travel for ordinary men and women’.

‘He effectively gave everybody the opportunity to become a traveller,’ he tells me. ‘And he did that while approaching it from the point of view of being a very committed Christian. The fact that he could combine his Christian mission with extending travellers’ horizons far wider than they could possibly have imagined is nothing short of heroic.’

During Thomas’s lifetime, travel was not as accessible as it is today, Simon explains. But, as a new technology

Simon Calder developed, Thomas saw what might be possible and seized the opportunity.

‘In the 1800s, the railways were just beginning to create a web of travel possibilities around England,’ says Simon, ‘but the vast majority of people were never going to be allowed to travel on them, because they simply couldn’t afford to.

‘Thomas asked, “Could we do something with this? Could we continue to do the work of God?”. He felt that he

GRANGER HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/ALAMY

ORE than 100 years before Cliff Richard sang of them, travel pioneer Thomas Cook initiated the first ‘summer holiday’ for ordinary people. The name Thomas Cook is most commonly associated with the travel agency, but behind that name was one man who had a mission, says Simon Calder.

As well as providing current travel advice on his Twitter feed @SimonCalder, the journalist and broadcaster has explored the life of Thomas Cook, and describes him as ‘a revolutionary who

Thomas Cook, seated on the ground, right of centre, with a group of travellers at the ruins of Pompeii in 1868 8 • WAR CRY • 23 July 2022

ummer holiday

Thomas Cook’s travel initiative has now developed into a website and at other times in its history has included hundreds of high-street shops as well as planes could. And he made it a force for good.

‘So in 1841, he chartered a train, and filled every seat on it. For a lot of people involved, it was probably the most exciting thing they’d ever done in their lives.’

There were 500 people aboard, and it was the first time that many of them had been on a steam train. As they left, people crowded the streets to watch the carriages, and when the train arrived at its destination, travellers were greeted by a brass band and cheering crowds.

Those on the outing from Leicester to Loughborough were people who had taken a ‘temperance pledge’ – a promise to abstain from alcohol. Such pledges were part of a movement that campaigned against recreational consumption in response to social problems.

‘The trip,’ says Simon, ‘showed the people who had taken the temperance pledge that there were rewards that stemmed from that and they could have a day out that they would always remember.’

Thomas’s travel work developed from that first trip, as he decided he could

operate on a much larger scale. He found that he could persuade an increasing number of people to take his trips.

Thomas organised the excursions every year, but it wasn’t until 1845 that he began to make a profit on them.

‘Crucially, Thomas went into Europe in 1855,’ Simon continues, ‘and creating safe opportunities to travel abroad was really groundbreaking.

The only people who had done that in general had either been people who were in the navy and the army, or who were missionaries.

It simply wasn’t something people did.

And Thomas said, “I can enable you to get abroad.” Obviously still very few people could, but it was a great opportunity.’

He went on to take people from the UK to Japan, India and the United States on a 222-day world tour. But before arranging trips for others, Thomas Cook had been on his own journeys as a travelling preacher.

‘He was brought up in a Christian household, and it was no surprise to anybody that he was going to go into the church,’ says Simon. ‘He travelled round the East Midlands, preaching to a lot of people. He understood their lives and he wanted to make things better for them.

He saw that travel was important for humanity

‘It’s an example of what a visionary he was in being able to see that travel was an important thing for humanity in general.

Providing the bare necessities of life was clearly essential, but there was more to it than that.

‘He had the idea that people who travelled were likely to be much more engaged with humanity, and that it would enhance their spirituality, because they were realising the many wonders that God could provide to them.’

As his trips picked up speed, he still saw his work as God’s work.

‘He wanted to be commercial, yet he thought it was important to keep the spiritual dimension,’ says Simon. ‘So, for example, he created a network of temperance hotels around the UK. And there are still alms houses in Melbourne in Derbyshire that are an enduring and important part of his legacy.’

Simon concludes: ‘He was a century ahead of his time. I think he felt he had to do all he could to give the ordinary man and woman the chance to see the world.

He said he wanted to make travel simple, easy and a pleasure. He wanted to allow people to see the world and its many glories, to feel personally enhanced, and perhaps feel closer to God.’

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Refugee choir enjoys days like this In the five years since their formation, the Citizens of the World Choir, featuring displaced people from around the globe, have sung at the Royal Opera House, the Party at the Palace and, at the end of last month, Glastonbury. Musical director BECKY DELL explains the part that a church service played in motivating her to support refugees and Ukrainian ANNA BRYZHAN talks about her joy at joining the choir Interview by Philip Halcrow

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Anna’s home country is 1 of about 30 represented in the choir, says musical director Becky Dell.

‘The choir is a 50-50 split of refugees – or displaced humans, as we like to say – and non-refugees,’ she explains. ‘The nonrefugees tend to be pro and semi-pro singers.

‘Every season we do a shout-out for new members. We put up posters in hostels, translated into multiple languages.’

The choir’s songs too are in many languages. Their Glastonbury set included ‘Çayir Çimen’, which Becky describes as

‘a Turkish folk song about love’, ‘Ingoma’, which is ‘in Xhosa, a dialect of Zulu’ and ‘Shchedryck’, ‘a Ukrainian song about the arrival of spring’.

As well as having various national backgrounds, the choir members represent a variety of faiths.

‘We have Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and people with no faith, who are just as important,’ says Becky. ‘We’re a choir for people of all faiths and none, and we celebrate each other’s festivals.

‘We try not to sing anything that is too overtly religious. We wouldn’t, for instance, sing anything with the word

When the war started, I tried not to panic

AREF HUSSAINI

T sounds like it was a beautiful day for Anna Bryzhan when, only days after arriving in the UK from Ukraine, she stepped on to the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury with the other members of the Citizens of the World Choir to sing ‘One Day Like This’ with headliners Elbow. It was one of three appearances at this year’s festival by the choir, half of whom are refugees.

‘At Glastonbury, I was the happiest woman in the world,’ says Anna. ‘I came to the choir on my first day in the UK, because one of the family that is hosting me is in the choir and asked if I wanted to join. I came and saw a lot of talented people from all over the world, singing, enjoying the moment and creating an atmosphere that allowed me to forget about everything else. I was surprised to discover the choir – and then be at Glastonbury.’

As well as singing with Elbow, the south London-based choir made a guest appearance with folk-blues duo Ferris and Sylvester and presented their own set on the Avalon stage.

It seemed like a dream to Anna, who, a few weeks earlier, had been living in a war zone.

‘I was in Kyiv,’ she says. ‘When the war started, I tried not to panic. I tried to stay, but one day I saw that there was only one car parked outside, and it was mine.

All the neighbours had disappeared. I decided to leave too.

‘It was an awful time. My family were in Mariupol when it was being bombed, and I lost touch with them for a period.

I was very nervous. But finally they got themselves to a safer place.

‘I was in many places, and I started to prepare to come to the UK. Then I had a friend who had a friend who connected me to a family who were waiting to host a refugee.’

Mehmet, Becky and Kadir of the Citizens of the World Choir at Glastonbury 10 • WAR CRY • 23 July 2022

PA IMAGES/ALAMY

The Citizens of the World Choir singing with Elbow on the Pyramid stage

AREF HUSSAINI

“Jesus” in it. We occasionally sing something with the word “God”, but by “God” we mean love or whatever your version of God is.’

The name ‘Jesus’ does come up in the story of how the choir was formed.

Becky describes how she had been experiencing a distressing period of ill health at a time when millions of people were fleeing Syria because of war and there were ‘awful posters saying that refugees were not welcome here’.

‘In a strange way,’ she says, ‘it changed my experience of what I was going through.

I thought that statistically there would be a Syrian woman who was going through what I was and yet would not have access to the operation that had saved my life. It made me grateful.

‘About two months later, I was back home at my mum and dad’s church for Christmas.

I was listening to Vicar Andrew preach a sermon about Jesus and about actions carried out through love. It made me think that Jesus would have been the first one down at the refugee camp.’

Anna at Glastonbury, shortly after arriving from Ukraine

So Becky and some friends made several visits to the Calais Jungle and taught music in its schools. She linked up with other people determined to help, including Lord Roberts, who was campaigning for the UK to do more to look after unaccompanied refugee children.

Becky recalls: ‘He contacted me and said that we should do something for refugees already over here by setting up a choir.’

Since being formed in 2017, the choir have performed at a Royal Opera House event welcoming the giant refugee puppet Little Amal to London, at the Party at the Palace for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and now at the Glastonbury Festival, where Becky made a short video backstage to send to St Lawrence Church in Alton, Hampshire, saying thank you for its support and for inspiring her to make that first trip to the refugee camp.

Becky says that her own life has been ‘massively changed for the better’ by the choir and what they have shown her about community.

Anna also is grateful for the choir.

‘For me,’ she says, ‘it’s like a second family.’

Vicar Andrew preached about actions carried out through love

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Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances, for publication.

Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org. uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

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.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Exams alone don’t mean someone’s up to the mark Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

OVER the past couple of years, Richard Branson has got involved in his grandkids’ education. In an interview with The Times, the businessman said that, earlier in the pandemic, he took his new students outside to explore the world around his Caribbean home. One day they saw a scarlet ibis, then went online to learn more about it.

‘We were just getting out and about looking at things that are relevant and exciting,’ Richard said.

After sharing stories from his own schooldays – when he remembers being ‘bottom of the class’ – Richard argued that the education system needed reforming so that ‘every young person is set up to thrive in life, and not just thrive as a result of having good exam marks’.

He went on to reveal that his Virgin Group no longer asks job applicants for their exam grades.

Interviewers, he added, should ‘talk to people about their personality, about what’s going on in the world, how good they are going to be at motivating and inspiring people’.

I was impressed by Richard’s thinking. Since my own schooldays, I’ve wondered why my ability (or inability) to solve algebraic equations should count more to employers than the effort I’d put in to being a good friend. So what if a person has a great degree if they have zero skills at handling conflict in the office or supporting overworked colleagues? Is it desirable for a job applicant to have top GCSE grades if they also hold racist or sexist opinions?

Don’t get me wrong – I know that qualifications matter. I’m relieved that when I was in labour, I could trust a well-trained doctor to deliver my baby safely. But society needs also to look beyond the academic and recognise the value of all kinds of talents and attributes.

It matters that businesses are honest. It’s important that employees and would-be employees are kind and fair. These are desirable qualifications that everyone can work on.

It matters that businesses are honest

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

"

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Looking for help?

Name Address

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

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 23 July 2022

NOW, THERE’S A THOUGHT!

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

2

Who wrote the historical romance novel Snow Country, published last year?

Harry Styles was formerly a member of which boy band?

A 3

Who played DCI Tom Mathias in the Welsh TV crime drama series Hinterland?

4

How many members of parliament do the UK public elect to the House of Commons?

5

Who did Novak Djokovic beat in the men’s singles final at this year’s Wimbledon?

Which children’s author created the Wombles?

ANSWERS

1. Sebastian Faulks. 2. One Direction.

3. Richard Harrington. 4. 650.

5. Nick Kyrgios. 6. Elisabeth Beresford.

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by Modupe Ogunniyi

Disruption was followed by new departure S

PEAKING selfishly, I wasn’t too inconvenienced by last month’s rail strikes. I was even slightly relieved when they fell on the days I was meant to be in the office. For one thing, it meant not having to pay for travel or potentially buy lunch; and secondly, I think I’m much more productive when I work from home. But that way of thinking misses the importance of the strikes.

Fifty thousand workers walked out because of a dispute over job cuts, pay, working conditions and pensions. Some people may say this was completely unnecessary. Others, though, will have supported the action.

Regardless of our views, one thing we all can be confident of is that we will experience disruption in life. Whether it’s an unexpected diagnosis, an unplanned bill or a broken-down car, an unwanted problem can suddenly appear.

For me, one such derailing came in 2020 when I was made redundant from my job. But I’ve come to learn that God was still watching over me even then.

No interruption is past his knowledge. In fact, being the master planner that he is, I’m sure he knew the interruption was on its way and had an idea for how he was going to use it for my good and his glory. And he did just that. A few months after my redundancy, I started a new job that was precisely what I wanted and needed.

We set out each year, week and day with the best intentions.

We write goals and make to-do lists, but we have no control over what may come our way. That’s why I choose to trust God. I believe that, regardless of what may happen – whether big or small inconveniences – he is in control.

Sometimes he may not act as quickly as we would like and at other times we may not understand why things are working out as they are. But, if we trust God and follow his way of living, we can always be confident that he will show us how to get back on track again.

We have no control over what may come our way

23 July 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Melody (5) 5. Surmise (5) 8. Open sore (5) 9. More pleasant (5) 10. Passageway (5) 11. Reject with disdain (5) 12. Garden hut (4) 15. Ditch (6) 17. Hasten (5) 18. Yell (6) 20. Member of enclosed order (4) 25. Firearm (5) 26. Sediment (5) 27. Rectify (5) 28. Adroit (5) 29. Loathsome (5) 30. Shrub fence (5) DOWN 1. June, July etc (6) 2. Safe (6) 3. Swear (5) 4. Happen (5) 5. Storehouse (7) 6. Flag (6) 7. Detective (6)

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

4

6

5

9 3 4 3 2 7 4 8 5 9 2 3 1 2 5 8 1 9 6 7 3 9 6 2 8 5 6 13. Abbreviated royal title (3) 14. Seabird (3) 15. Attempt (3) 16. Tin (3) 17. Gossip (7)

18.

19.

21.

22.

23.

24.

Depress (6) Alcove (6) Insult (6) Ignite (6) Frequently (5) Demise (5)

WORDSEARCH

7 9 4 3 5 8 1 6 2 5 8 2 1 9 6 3 7 4 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these 6 words 3 1associated 2 7 with 4 5exercise 8 9 8 4 7 6 1 5 9 2 3 P ZN I YC I BORE ANAAC T Y Z I J O P Q E3A Q 6 L 9R U7 C 4G E2L Q 8 T5 1 Y Z N R Z H S OO I J ME Z QMG G 1 2 5 8 3 9 7 4 6 MM C T H R V B Y C B P S A O N S Y Q I J I E Z K4D H 1 J 8U B9 Z 6Q I7T Z 2 R3 5 MQ D Q B R K R YWH Q E N R F W F 9 7 6 5 2 3 4 1 8 J D A I Y O V S Q F E Z I E HMH B Y U L Z T Q R2A H 5 Y 3A A4 N 8C H1L K 6 Q9 7

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

Q YMK I F V T P L V L RS I V L T NB CYC L I B WM N X Z BGUE H T FWL X Y V I F Y V P J C

1. Pay back money 2. Pool of water 3. Noon 4. Order not to do 5. Einstein’s forename 6. Relating to the lower back

ANSWERS 7 5 6 8 3 1 4 9 2

9 8 3 4 6 2 1 7 5

4 2 1 7 9 5 8 6 3

3 1 2 6 7 8 9 5 4

5 9 7 1 4 3 6 2 8

8 6 4 5 2 9 7 3 1

1 3 5 9 8 7 2 4 6

6 7 8 2 5 4 3 1 9

2 4 9 3 1 6 5 8 7

HONEYCOMB 1. Refund. 2. Puddle. 3. Midday.

4. Forbid. 5. Albert. 6. Lumbar.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Music. 5. Guess. 8. Ulcer. 9. Nicer.

10. Aisle. 11. Spurn. 12. Shed. 15. Trench.

17. Hurry. 18. Shriek. 20. Monk. 25. Rifle. 26. Dregs.

27. Amend. 28. Adept. 29. Nasty. 30. Hedge.

DOWN: 1. Months. 2. Secure. 3. Curse. 4. Occur.

5. Granary. 6. Ensign. 7. Sleuth. 13. HRH. 14. Auk. 15. Try. 16. Can. 17. Hearsay. 18. Sadden. 19. Recess.

21. Offend. 22. Kindle. 23. Often. 24. Death.

14 • WAR CRY • 23 July 2022

ZHE LQR RPKA T T ZQU T HR NOHS T A NGE S S T I T J HZ E A EWA T G XMZQCO VMKWP K T DX S P F

AEROBIC ANAEROBIC CYCLING FLEXIBILITY HEART RATE INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING JUMPING JACK LEG CURL

G E P A K N R V Z P

TWZOR V E BGUQT NXNOY A SN I RZU I WMW A Q T NMH I S Y U I WZ S P WW N D T T Q SMG N R Z WWM D

PILATES PRESS-UP RUNNING SPORT SQUAT STRENGTH STRETCH SWIMMING WEIGHT TRAINING

5 9

6 6

2

8

Broad bean bruschetta with fried egg and watercress Ingredients 100g frozen broad beans Olive oil ½ garlic clove, crushed Nutmeg Ground black pepper 2 free-range eggs 2 thick slices sourdough bread 100g watercress 1tbsp lemon juice Salt Chives, chopped

Method Set a small pan of water over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the beans and cook for 4-6 minutes, until tender. Drain and put in a blender with 1tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and a pinch of nutmeg and black pepper. Blend lightly to a coarse texture.

Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan and fry the eggs.

Toast the bread slices and place on a plate.

Drizzle with a little olive oil.

Place some watercress on each plate alongside the pieces of toast and coat with the lemon juice, a dash of oil and a pinch of salt. Spoon the broad bean mixture over each piece of toast and sit a fried egg on top.

Sprinkle with a few chopped chives, to serve.

SERVES

2

Avocado and lentil salad Ingredients 60g Puy lentils, rinsed to remove any stones 250ml reduced-salt vegetable stock 1tbsp olive oil 2tbsp wholegrain mustard 1tbsp lemon juice Salt and ground black pepper 150g Savoy cabbage, washed and shredded 1 medium avocado, chopped

Method Place the lentils in a medium pan, then add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are slightly tender.

Meanwhile, to make a dressing, combine the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once the lentils are cooked, drain them, return to the pan and, while still warm, combine with half of the dressing. Set aside to cool.

Blanch the cabbage in boiling water for a minute, then drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.

Add the lentils, cabbage and avocado to a large bowl. Stir in the remaining dressing and combine well. Serve with warm pitta bread and lemon slices.

SERVES

4

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Vegetarian Society website vegsoc.org

23 July 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

We get one shot at life; so live it boldly.

Life is an amazing gift Bear Grylls

WAR CRY