War Cry 28 January

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his faith

Watch the birdies!
28 January 2023 50p How a church uses toy bricks to build community
WAR CRY
Why people are keeping an eagle eye on their gardens Mime ar tist acts on

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.

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

Issue No 7612

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 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

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

ACTIONS, so it is said, speak louder than words – something for which mime artist Steve Murray is no doubt grateful.

In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Steve tells us about his 25 years of performing Christian-based mimes in theatres, churches and schools. He explains that mime has the ability to make people laugh and cry, and he believes this emotional connection enables him to teach people more about the faith.

‘My work is about helping the audience to see the Bible in a new way and find healing from the things that trouble them,’ he says. ‘I want people to see Jesus.’

There are other actions that Christians take to help people see the love Jesus has for them. In Blaydon in Tyne and Wear, a Salvation Army church is supporting people in a practical way. As we report this week, the Victory Programme teaches people how to cook economical meals and then gives them the ingredients to take home so they can make the meals for themselves and their families.

To help War Cry readers with the cost of living crisis, for the next few weeks we’ll be running a Money-Wise Meals series, featuring some of the best recipes from the Victory Programme.

As in Blaydon, Salvation Army centres all over the country are supporting people in the current crisis through community food larders, the provision of school uniforms and heating and fuel aid.

Alison Dare, team leader of the Victory Programme, explains how she is motivated by her Christian faith.

‘We want these people to feel loved and to know they’re worth something,’ she says.

Whatever circumstances we may be facing at the moment, it is good to be reminded that we are all loved and valued by God.

Front-page picture: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

INFO INFO
CRY
Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Army
Published weekly by The Salvation
© 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.
FEATURES 3 Counting crows… etc The Big Garden Birdwatch is under way 6 Bricks and altar Church uses Lego to appeal to families 8 Actions speak louder Mime man talks about his art 10 Food, glorious food Project helps people to cook good low-cost meals 13 Tell tale Storytelling Week celebrates the power of words REGULARS 4 Team Talk and War Cry World 12 Walking with Jesus 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen: Money-Wise Meals CONTENTS Your local Salvation Army centre 15 10 6 4 2 • WAR CRY • 28 January 2023 From the editor’s desk When you’ve read the War Cry, why not pass it on ➔ ➔ ➔
Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

Eyes on the skies

The RSPB is asking people to look out for birds this weekend

HUNDREDS of thousands of people up and down the country will be in for the count this weekend when they take part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. Until tomorrow (Sunday 29 January), they will be peering off balconies, into gardens and around parks and recording how many birds they see.

The annual count is a part of the RSPB’s work to see how garden birds are faring. It says that the watch takes place in winter because that’s the time of year when garden birds need people most – if it’s very cold, it’s likely more birds will go into gardens, seeking shelter and food.

With people looking for birds in many different parts of the country, in different

weather conditions and at different times of the day, the RSPB hopes to get an accurate snapshot of garden bird life in the UK.

The results of last year’s watch showed that the house sparrow was the most common garden bird for the fifth year in a row it had more than 1.7 million sightings across the UK. Altogether, more than 11 million birds were seen by about 700,000 people.

To see which bird rules the roost in the 45th year of the count, participants will enter their findings online or send them in by post, using the RSPB’s free guide to help them identify the birds they have seen.

The RSPB is using lots of ways to engage people and get them involved in the count. Throughout the weekend it is live streaming content, with famous faces providing commentary, laughs and interviews. Its website is also offering information about special events and activities, including a session in Newport, south Wales, on learning bird calls, a bird identification workshop in Birmingham and a

guided birdwatching walk in Chichester.

And just for fun, there’s a Big Garden Birdwatch Quiz that tells users which garden bird they are. Results could be a blackbird, who is independent and prefers being alone; a very noisy and sociable house sparrow; a wood pigeon, who has a loud call and is speedy for its size; or a robin, who, despite its cute appearance, would be happy to fight off intruders.

The bird comparisons are fun and a good way to spend a few minutes, but the quiz is not the only place we can find people being compared to birds – and sometimes the analogy can have a deeper meaning.

One Bible figure, who felt called to share God’s messages, told people: ‘Those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired’ (Isaiah 40:31 Contemporary English Version).

Being a Christian means trusting God at all times, even when life presents challenges, and those words from the Bible offer the assurance that when they do so, God will give them the strength to get through.

It’s a promise that is available to everyone. All we have to do is acknowledge that we need God and go to him. He will look out for us, strengthen us and make sure that we are faring well.

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BEN ANDREW/RSPB IMAGES
People counted more than 11 million birds
A free guide helps people identify which birds they have spotted

talkTeam talk ‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

It’s good to talk

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

HAVE you got a minute? Next Thursday (2 February) is Time to Talk Day, an annual event in which friends, families, communities and colleagues are invited to get together for a chat and to listen to one another. It’s an initiative run by the organisations Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which are highlighting the importance of conversation when it comes to tackling mental health problems.

To learn a bit more, I visited the Time to Talk Day website, which offers numerous tips on how to support a friend or relative who is struggling with their mental health. It says that sending a text and stopping for a few minutes to ask how a friend is doing are ‘simple ways to start conversations about mental health and show the people in your life you’re prepared to talk and listen without judgement’.

The website also points out that when we talk openly with others, the resulting conversation ‘has the power to change lives’. I can believe that. In my experience, talking allows me to identify my emotions and, consequently, begin to process them a bit better. As I try to find the words to explain to someone what I’m feeling, I find clarity slowly emerging in my mind. And the knowledge that someone cares enough to listen to me also helps me to feel less alone.

While I see huge value in Time to Talk Day (and I hope that many people support it), my experience is that, as well as turning to friends, I can find ultimate comfort in my faith. The God I believe in is available for me to talk to any time, any day. And, because I believe that he loves me unconditionally, I know that I can tell him everything. Whether I’m embarrassed, ashamed or feeling guilty, I can confide in God and find forgiveness, understanding and strength.

Though opening up about our most private feelings may feel strange and unsettling, an honest conversation with God can also be greatly liberating. Every day, it’s worth making time for.

Mel Gibson resurrects sequel to biblical film

THE sequel to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is set to start filming in the spring, the Daily Mail reports.

The Australian directed the original 2004 film about Jesus’ death, which made $612 million worldwide, and he is now returning to direct The Resurrection, which focuses on the events after Jesus’ crucifixion.

Mel Gibson was asked about rumours of a sequel in 2016, when he took part in an interview at a Christian event in California, and said: ‘That is a huge undertaking, and you know, it’s not the Passion 2. It’s called the Resurrection.

‘Of course, that’s a very big subject and it needs to be looked at because we don’t want to just do a simple rendering of it – you know, read what happened.

‘But in order to read it, experience and probably explore deeper meanings of what it’s about, it’s going to take some doing.’

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Talking allows me to identify my emotions
Jim Caviezel as Jesus in ‘The Passion of the Christ’

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Do you have a story to share?

Families’ faith-full conversations

RELIGIOUS and philosopical questions are a talking point between parents and children, a survey has found.

The Savanta ComRes survey was commissioned by Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, a charity that promotes critical and reflective education in religion and world views.

Its findings showed that 78 per cent of parents discuss beliefs about the origins of life and the universe with their children and 72 per cent discuss beliefs about what happens when we die.

About 7 in 10 parents said that what their child learnt in RE was important. They thought it helped teach children values of respect and acceptance and provided an opportunity to explore different belief

Light show ‘brings windows to life’

AN immersive sound and light show staged at Birmingham Cathedral has helped visitors learn more about four historic stained-glass windows. Colourful images – created by light and sound projection company Luxmuralis – were projected on the inside of the cathedral as part of Divine Beauty at Night, which told the story of the cathedral windows produced by artist Edward Burne-Jones in the 19th century. The windows include depictions of the Nativity and the Crucifixion.

‘The Burne-Jones windows in Birmingham Cathedral are amongst artworks which can be rightfully classed as national treasures,’ said Peter Walker, artistic director of Luxmuralis. ‘I have known the works of BurneJones since I was young, and we are privileged to be able to bring these windows to life for new audiences.’

The CEO of Birmingham Cathedral, Anna Pitt, said that staging Divine Beauty at Night was ‘a way of getting people of all ages and backgrounds interested in and engaging with the windows’, which she described as ‘beautiful treasures’.

Golden Globe winner is grateful to God

ANGELA BASSETT referred to her Christian faith when she won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress for her role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In her acceptance speech, she said: ‘By the grace of God, I stand here, I stand here grateful… My mother always said that good things come to those who pray, and I see the truth of that every day.’

The actress has previously spoken about belief in God in an interview with entertainment news website Parade in 2015, where she revealed that she grew up in a Christian household in Florida and used to study the Bible with her grandmother.

‘Love of God makes so much sense to me when other things don’t,’ she said, adding: ‘Knowing who you are and staying true to that is everything. Everyone is going to serve something and that can become the centre of their existence. Mine is love of God and faith, as opposed to fame and money.’

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TheWarCryUK @TheWarCryUK warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk a
salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry B
E V E RETT CO
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Bui lding rela t ionships

To celebrate International Lego Day, the Rev STEPHEN COOK talks about conducting what hit the headlines as the UK’s ‘first Lego baptism’ and how the church is teaching children the gospel through the toy product

WHETHER you’re a child who’s a construction and demolition expert or an adult who secretly longs to create a beautifully symmetrical and colourful structure, Lego seems to hold a widespread appeal. And each year International Lego Day, which takes place today (Saturday 28 January), celebrates the anniversary of Danish carpenter Godtfred Kirk Christiansen submitting his patent for the original Lego brick in 1958.

While it has been played with by children across the world in all kinds of settings, Lego might not typically be associated with learning about the Bible. But All Saints Church in Okehampton, Devon, manages to combine the two seamlessly.

The Rev Stephen Cook, whose ministry includes All Saints, explains that its monthly ‘Lego church’ event was built out of a simple desire to connect better with families in the community.

‘We’d been trying to work out how we could make church more accessible for people with children,’ he says. ‘Suddenly the idea of Lego church was like a lightbulb moment where we thought: “We can do that.” We asked a church in Staffordshire, which was one of just a couple in the UK who ran something similar, about it. Then we waited for the opportunity to start once lockdown had ended.’

All Saints started Lego church – which it has recently given the working title of Block Church – in September 2021. It now takes place on the last Saturday of every month.

Stephen explains the format of the event, which comes complete with snacks, drinks, a story time and prayers.

‘People arrive at four o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. We’ve got

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The Rev Stephen Cook

br ick by br ick

loads of Lego in the middle of the room, and tables set out around it. Everyone is welcomed and is invited to sit at a table, where there’s a building challenge that is related to the Bible story we’ll be using on that day.

‘So they set about making anything they want. It might be a house, it might be a garden, it might be a bus.

‘We tell the story, we have some prayers, they go back to their tables with things to think about and to finish off what they’re doing. We take pictures of the things people have made. And then we have a closing ceremony.’

Lego church hit the headlines in an unexpected way last year when Stephen conducted what was said to be the first ‘Lego baptism’ in the UK.

‘Michelle, one of the mums who comes along, found that she was pregnant,’ he explains. ‘So when little Oliver was born, she asked if he could be baptised at Lego church. His family came and they had the task of building a surround for the bowl we were going to use as the font. After that, it was a fairly normal baptism ceremony.’

Since Lego church began, Stephen has found the response to be ‘really positive’, and it is now in contact with 60 people, with a regular attendance of about 30 each time.

‘Most of the people who go aren’t regular church people,’ he says. ‘We

started small. But it slowly built up, mainly by people just telling and bringing their friends.’

Part of the initiative’s growing success is, he believes, the cross-generational appeal – older family members also go along to supervise their children and have fun too.

‘It’s something that parents and grandparents enjoy,’ says Stephen. ‘Lego was around when I was a kid. We’ve all grown up with it. It’s a kind of universal thing, it has been around for so long and is still engaging people.’

‘The most important thing is trying to build a sense of community, where people get to know each other in that informal way. When you’re making something with your hands – for men especially I think – it

becomes easier to talk. Being creative is the way that some people think, through kinaesthetic learning.’

Lego church signposts people to something that endures far beyond their childhood years. Stephen knows the lifelong effect that a relationship with God can have on people, if they listen to the Bible stories behind the Lego building challenge.

‘I’ve been a Christian since I was 13,’ he says. ‘Then, at the age of 19, I had an experience of renewal when I was a member of the Lee Abbey Community in Devon, and it was that which set me on the road to ordination. Although the intensity of the experience died away quite quickly, the sense of God being with me has remained. I’m in my 60s now, and he has been my friend and my Lord all that time.’

Now All Saints Church is equipping the next generation with all they need to build up their own belief in God.

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Being creative is the way some people think

m i m e s p e a k s

F you mention mime, people generally think of Marcel Marceau with his stripy top, leotard and white face – but most mime artists don’t look or dress like that nowadays,’ says Steve Murray, a mime artist of 26 years and the founder of Behold Mime Ministry.

‘When I’m performing, I wear a very basic costume of black trousers and a plain T-shirt. I never wear white make-up, because a lot of people have a phobia of clowns. And my mimes aren’t silent, because I perform to music and songs.

‘The preconceived idea is that mime artists are those annoying people pestering you in the street, but I see mime as a fabulous art form which has the power to make people laugh and cry and to draw them into a story.’

Since 1997 Steve has been travelling the world, performing his Christian-based mimes in theatres, churches and schools. Some of the pieces he has created are based on stories from the Bible, whereas others address contemporary issues such as fatherlessness and self-worth.

‘I perform a piece called “My Father’s Chair”, which explores our relationship with our earthly father but then points towards our heavenly Father, who loves us unconditionally,’ he explains. ‘Another piece I like to do is called “Food for Thought”, which is about the little boy in the Bible who gave his packed lunch to Jesus, enabling him to feed 5,000 people. In that mime, I add a bit of poetic licence by focusing on the boy’s perspective and how he saw the events of that day.

‘Whatever I’m performing, my heart is to get across a message of faith. It’s not about being in the “entertainment

business”. I want to help people grow a little closer to God.’

Before Covid hit in 2020, many of Steve’s performances took place in secondary schools, where he used his mimes to prompt pupil discussions on subjects such as identity and peer pressure. At the end of every session, he remembers, teenagers would be lining up to talk to him.

‘Mime often brings a lot of emotional baggage to the surface,’ he says. ‘And it can really make you think. When you’re watching a film, everything is laid out for you on screen. But with mime, nothing is force-fed. The audience have to create the character’s world in their own mind, because there isn’t anything else on stage to look at. And when a person’s brain starts to fill those gaps, their emotions become vulnerable because they are so absorbed in the story.

‘Through the type of work I do, people are seeing Bible stories delivered in a

completely different way from what they expect. That’s why I feel mime has such a lot of value.’

Today Steve has about 30 mime pieces in his performance repertoire. Some are funny, others are serious. Most are a few minutes long, but some last for about 15 minutes. He sees mime as his Christian ministry – but, for many years, the art form wasn’t even on his radar.

‘Mime wasn’t something I thought about when I was growing up,’ he says. ‘But when I was in my 20s, I was made redundant from my job in a jeweller’s, and someone at church said to me that God had given her a vision in which I had a white face and people were stood around me. She didn’t understand what it meant – and neither did I. So I said thank you and just left it at that.

‘A couple of weeks later I was talking to another friend from church who said he had a gift for me which would change my life. I hoped it would be a car or cheque. But then he put on a video of the

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Steve Murray
‘I
To coincide with London’s International Mime Festival, which runs until Sunday 5 February, mime ar tist STEVE MURRAY reveals the impact that silent story telling can have Interview by Claire Brine
Mime has the power to make people laugh and cry

v o l u m e s

Christian mime artist Todd Farley and, as I watched him perform, I started bawling my eyes out. It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. I felt as though God was saying to me: “I want you to do this.”

‘Suddenly, my friend’s vision of me with a white face made sense. And the rest just fell into place.’

After attending mime school in Los Angeles, Steve returned to the UK and launched Behold Mime Ministry. His hope is that, wherever he performs, his work will challenge, encourage and inspire.

‘I want people to learn about God and for their faith to become stronger,’ he says. ‘It’s as simple as that. My work is about helping the audience to see the Bible in a new way and find healing from the things that trouble them. I want people to see Jesus.’

l For more information visit beholdmimeministry.org

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Cooking that won’t cost

As the cost of living rises, The Salvation Army is helping people to bring their food bills down through its Victory Programme, a course that teaches affordable recipes and budgeting skills

WARTIME rationing is the inspiration behind a Salvation Army initiative that teaches people to cook economically. The Victory Programme is a six to eight-week course run by several of its churches, including Blaydon in Tyne and Wear. Allison Ellis, community co-ordinator for the church, explains that the programme is all about ‘cooking, budgeting and growing your own’.

‘We make very cheap one-pot recipes and help people make their money go further,’ she says, ‘and we have given herbs to people who haven’t got a garden, so they can grow them on their window ledge.’

Initially run for six weeks, Blaydon increased the length of the course to seven or eight weeks because of demand. Simple but delicious recipes that were popular during the Second World War have been revived for the programme, giving participants the opportunity to make nutritious and tasty meals for themselves and their families. Over the next eight weeks the War Cry will run a Money-Wise Meals series of recipes taken from the Victory Programme.

Equipment, ingredients and refreshments are provided for those people who take the

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are provided with all the equipment and ingredients needed
Participants

classes – and they receive a free gift and certificate on completion.

Alison Dare, team leader at Blaydon, explains how important the recognition is.

‘Some of the participants have said they’ve never been given a certificate for anything in their life,’ she says. ‘One gentleman in his 50s said he hadn’t ever achieved anything except this certificate and that he was going to frame it.’

The Salvation Army launched the Victory Programme in 2017 after a pilot project in Crook. Blaydon started running its courses in 2018 and is now working with its 12th cohort. People with varying abilities attend – some who have not previously been able to cook at all and others who have been limited in the meals they make. The recipes include sweet treats, such as apple flapjacks, and mains, such as homemade pizza and a bacon hotpot. After learning to cook the recipe during the session, participants are given the same ingredients to take

home so that they can make the meal again.

‘A lot of the ingredients were around in wartime, and we give the group tips on how to make the food go further,’ says Alison. ‘For example, in one of the mince recipes, we add porridge oats or lentils to bulk it out, which is obviously good because meat is very expensive at the minute.’

The success of the course boils down not only to the cooking but also to what happens while the meals are being prepared. Participants find that they are gaining more than just culinary skills.

‘It builds their confidence and their self-esteem if they’re able to contribute,’ Alison says. ‘People have gone on to volunteer for us in other programmes.

‘The Victory Programme shows them that they’re not on their own. There are other people in the group who are like them, who are struggling – whether that’s emotionally or physically or with money. I think that helps them to feel better.

‘Rather than just handing out food parcels, through Victory we are trying to give people a broader experience and something long-term.’

Allison Ellis adds: ‘When we started

it was mainly about the cooking, but we realised that the social aspect was helpful for people. We’ve run a group just for domestic abuse survivors. And we’ve had a group of African refugees. The course works well in small groups rather than large groups, which can be more intimidating.’

‘Isolation and the cost of living are the big needs. Knowing that the need is there, we want to help in any way we can and be there for them when they are feeling isolated.’

It is the slogan of The Salvation Army – ‘Love God, love others’ – that most motivates the pair who run the groups together.

‘If you do love God,’ says Alison Dare, ‘then that has to be visible in the way you serve people who are in need around you. We want these people to feel loved and to know they’re worth something.’

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Alison (fifth from left) and Allison (third from right) with some Victory Programme graduates
We give tips on how to make the food go further

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’.

jBecoming 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

Walking with Jesus

When we first explore Christianity, we may have lots of questions. In this series, some of the basic principles of the faith are explained

The Trinity

FUNDAMENTAL to the Christian faith is the concept of the Trinity – that is, the three-in-one God. God as Parent, God as Son and Saviour, and God as Holy Spirit, the constant presence.

In our 21st-century societal structure, it’s very easy to over-separate things. People may think of God the Father as the boss, the one who is really running the show and the main player. Jesus runs the PR department; he’s the face of the campaign. The Holy Spirit does all that touchy-feely stuff, hovering somewhere in the background.

God does not leave us bereft

In reality, all three are equal players and are of equal status, but all have distinctive characteristics.

Jesus says he and the Father are one and the same and yet, in the form of Jesus, God laid down his status, aligned himself to us with empathy and compassion, and climbed under the skin of humanity even to the point of being tortured by crucifixion.

But, being God, Jesus never lost sight of his divinity – he could not be less than who he truly is. He could not deny his power. He beat death, rising from the dead and making a way for humanity to be in eternal relationship with the three-in-one God. He overcame the human condition and makes us co-winners alongside him.

On leaving the Earth in flesh-form, God does not leave us alone, rejected and bereft. He sends the Holy Spirit to comfort, direct and speak to us in many and various ways. The Bible says the Spirit is poured out on all people. When we move towards Jesus, we become alive to the Holy Spirit, who shows us the truth, opens our eyes and directs us towards completeness.

Jesus said: ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you’ (John 14:16 and 17 New International Version).

Excerpt taken from First 30 Days of Walking with Jesus by Carrie and David Grant, published by SPCK. ISBN 978-0-281-08678-8

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

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Prayerlink 12 • WAR CRY • 28 January 2023 "

QUICK QUIZ

‘If’ is the title of a poem by which English poet?

In which year did RMS Titanic sink?

Which river flows through Paris?

Who is pop singer Mabel’s music-making mother?

Which actress plays Shuri in the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ?

According to the nursery rhyme, who couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together again?

j j Are you

sitting comfortably?

Week celebrates the art of storytelling

HERE’S the tale of how one organisation is helping children to develop a greater love for storytelling. The National Literacy Trust is running National Storytelling Week, which starts on Monday (30 January). The week is designed to celebrate the power of telling stories.

Activities include performances by professional storytellers, a webinar with historian and broadcaster Greg Jenner about his podcast You’re Dead to Me and a chance for children to write their own adventure stories inspired by Anthony Horowitz’s teenage spy series Alex Rider.

Storytellers open up a world of possibilities

The trust is also offering schools free downloads of River of Stories, a four-volume collection of poems and stories from all 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

Whether they’re teaching about historical figures and different cultures or firing up imaginations, storytellers open up a world of possibilities. At the same time, storytellers can also reflect universal and fundamental themes in our own lives.

Perhaps the greatest storyteller of all time was Jesus. He often told parables – stories with a message – to explain important truths about what God is like and how people can

For instance, he once said: ‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock’ (Matthew New International

Those words remain true to this day. Engaging with Jesus’ stories in the Bible and listening to the lessons within them will equip us for whatever challenges we may face. Following Jesus and his teachings may not always be easy, but doing so will set us on the greatest adventure of

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ANSWERS 1. Rudyard Kipling. 2. 1912. 3 The Seine. 4. Neneh Cherry. 5. Letitia Wright. 6. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men.
SOPA IMAGES LIMITED/ALAMY
Historian Greg Jenner is hosting a webinar
Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Defect (4) 3. Raised edge (3) 5. Appear (4) 7. Lasting (9) 9. Role (4) 10. Lofty (4) 11. Seashore (5) 14. Thigh bone (5) 15. Eject from school (5) 17. Fill with a quality (5) 18. Immerse in water (5) 19. Hillock (5) 20. Pointed missiles (5) 23. Stopper (4) 25. Moderately warm (4) 27. Amuse (9) 28. Sketch (4) 29. Knight’s prefix (3) 30. Jealousy (4) DOWN 1. Failure (4) 2. Sharpen (4) 3. Shakespeare character (5) 4. Less (5) 5. Dispatched (4) 6. Repast (4) 7. Too early (9) QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Flaw. 3. Rim. 5. Seem. 7. Permanent. 9. Part. 10. Tall. 11. Coast. 14. Femur. 15. Expel. 17. Imbue. 18. Bathe. 19. Mound. 20. Darts. 23. Cork. 25. Mild. 27. Entertain. 28. Draw. 29. Sir. 30. Envy. DOWN: 1. Flop. 2. Whet. 3. Romeo. 4. Minus. 5. Sent. 6. Meal. 7. Premature. 8. Tarpaulin. 11. Cried. 12. Amber. 13. Teems. 14. Fib. 16. Lid. 21. Abets. 22. Tutor. 23. Cord. 24. Know. 25. Mime. 26. Deny. HONEYCOMB 1. Edible. 2. La-di-da. 3. Fitted. 4. Sublet. 5. Pledge. 6. Double. ANSWERS 14 • WAR CRY • 28 January 2023 PUZZLES 8 6 2 5 9 3 7 1 4 4 5 1 6 8 7 2 3 9 9 7 3 4 1 2 8 6 5 3 8 5 1 7 4 9 2 6 1 2 4 9 6 5 3 7 8 6 9 7 2 3 8 5 4 1 2 3 6 8 4 9 1 5 7 7 1 9 3 5 6 4 8 2 5 4 8 7 2 1 6 9 3 8 5 9 4 6 7 2 3 9 7 3 3 8 9 9 5 7 4 1 1 5 7 1 9 3 6 2 2 1 3 Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 SUDOKU APPLE PIE BERRY COBBLER BROWNIE CHOCOLATE FONDANT CREAM CUSTARD FRUIT CRUMBLE JAM ROLY-POLY RICE PUDDING STEAMED PUDDING STICKY TOFFEE SAUCE STRUDEL SYRUP SPONGE WAFFLES Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with puddings H Z C T K B L W T M L T I Q G Y J H G L R N Y S J N Q V B R O W N I E R N K E A R Z W Y M L C G T X I S K M I Z A D Q E G X N S W J V L D W Z Y D T M N U J L R Z A Q S H K D Q I W D N X O W R V B F W Z G K E U Z S H U W S F M Z T F B T E F R J P V X K P L V E J K L S W O L Q W Z E D J L D S C T Z E Y G P Q C K J E C H Z R E C U A S E E F F O T Y K C I T S E M H E L B M U R C T I U R F R W I O A Y L O P Y L O R M A J Z R T P Y G E I Z C S Y R U P S P O N G E T W S T C B O Z H X Z L C Q J M L Z B C M S J V H K N P C Z W H K P G N V Z I N T M C U S T A R D Q P C D Z Y U R Q G B V Z L J I H M A K H F X Z N G E N H M C B Z U F Z J V P W H L E U W RDSEARCH 16. Cover (3) 21. Assists in crime (5) 22. Teacher (5) 23. Rope (4) 24. Understand (4) 25. Convey by gesture (4) 26. Refuse (4) 8. Waterproof cover (9) 11. Sobbed (5) 12. Yellowish resin (5) 13. Pours (5) 14. Falsehood (3) HONEYCOMB 1. Fit to be eaten 2. Snobbish (2-2-2) 3. Made to fill a specific space 4. Lease a property to a subtenant 5. Promise of a donation to charity 6. Twice an amount Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 8 6 2 5 9 3 7 1 4 4 5 1 6 8 7 2 3 9 9 7 3 4 1 2 8 6 5 3 8 5 1 7 4 9 2 6 1 2 4 9 6 5 3 7 8 6 9 7 2 3 8 5 4 1 2 3 6 8 4 9 1 5 7 7 1 9 3 5 6 4 8 2 5 4 8 7 2 1 6 9 3 1 5 7 1 9 3 6 2 2 1 3

Beef and vegetable mince

WISE MEALS

28 January 2023 • WAR CRY • 15
the
and
the vegetable
Add the potatoes and
Add
and
INGREDIENTS 225g potatoes 350g carrots 25g butter ½ onion, sliced 2 salad tomatoes, sliced EQUIPMENT Knife Chopping board Large pan Wooden spoon Dish 200g minced beef 600ml vegetable stock 15g flour 225g peas 50g oats Recipe provided by the Victory Programme
SERVES 2 MONEY
Cut
potatoes
carrots into small pieces. Melt the butter in the pan and fry the onions and tomatoes until soft. Then add the mince and fry until brown. Spoon the mixture into a Pour
stock into the pan.
carrots, bring to the boil. Cook until tender.
the flour, peas and oats. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the mince mixture
cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve in bowls.
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones
WAR CRY
Proverbs 17:22 (New International Version)

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