Voces8 singer is vocal about power of music
Clueless
Crossword compiler
Ludwig is struggling with real-world conundrums
Ross King on showbiz – and The Salvation Army
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 CRY
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major
Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow
Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku
Staff Writer: Emily Bright
Staff Writer: Claire Brine
Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk
Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
Graphic Designer: Natalie Adkins
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ
Tel: 0845 634 0101
Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org
Founder: William Booth
General: Lyndon Buckingham
Territorial leaders: Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn
Your local Salvation Army centre
Beyoncé, Elton John and Mariah Carey have all made an impression on the music scene – and they have all been interviewed by showbiz reporter Ross King. The interviewer has become the interviewee in this week’s issue of the War Cry. Ross speaks to Claire Brine about his upbringing in The Salvation Army – where he was surrounded by music. The time left an impression on him.
He recalls how his dad played euphonium in the Salvation Army band, and he says that ‘the great thing about the Army was that you could sing songs and people would clap along’.
He also recalls learning about the text that has inspired many Salvation Army songs. And he adds: ‘If I didn’t understand anything about the Bible, I could go home and Dad would explain it to me. I was brought up to see God as very loving.’
The repertoire of in-demand vocal ensemble Voces8 includes pop and folk songs. But, as their artistic director Barnaby Smith highlights in this issue, much of their music centres on Christian texts. Recognising that people approach sacred music from a variety of perspectives, he says: ‘A singer is there to help other people find their connection, singing the texts that are wonderfully brought to life through music.’
At the Proms this year, Voces8 presented a new musical arrangement of the 19th-century hymn ‘Shall We Gather at the River’. And Barnaby says it shows how a text can turn a piece of music into something even more moving.
‘Shall We Gather’ poetically talks of how, if we take a step of faith towards God, whose love flows like a ‘beautiful river’, we will ultimately know what it is like to lay ‘every burden down’ and experience a joyful life that lasts for ever.
‘Shall We Gather at the River’ has been sung by Salvation Army and other congregations for decades. And in singing its chorus, which answers the title’s question with a ‘Yes’, unnumbered people – famous and unknown –have decided that its message sounds too good to ignore.
INFO INFO
Lucy wants crossword compiler John, aka Ludwig, to find the answer to a mystery
Crossing the thin blue line
Recluse seeks to solve his biggest puzzle
TV feature: Ludwig Wednesdays BBC1 and iPlayer
By Emily Bright
Life is a puzzle for middle-aged John Taylor (David Mitchell). Content to be a hermit, he enjoys nothing more than creating new crosswords under a pseudonym. But, in BBC1’s comedy drama Ludwig, his peaceful existence is interrupted one day by a call from his sister-in-law Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin).
Enigmatically, Lucy asks John for a favour – to get into the taxi she has booked for him, which will drive him to her house in Cambridge. But she won’t explain why.
On his arrival she explains that her husband, DCI James Taylor, has changed since starting a new case two months earlier.
He would barely communicate with her and locked himself away. Then, three nights ago, he disappeared. The following day Lucy received a letter from James in the post, which instructed her not to meet with his colleagues, talk to them or believe them. She hopes that John can find out what has happened to his brother.
On reading the letter, John describes it as the ‘single most terrifying thing I’ve ever read in my life’. But Lucy’s next request is even more daunting: she wants John, as her husband’s identical twin, to impersonate James and get some answers by rifling through the detective’s desk.
John’s initial reaction to Lucy’s suggestion of committing a criminal offence is a firm no. Yet his desire to crack the case wins out, and he heads into his brother’s workplace.
However, for a man who has barely left his own home for some time, relearning how to drive and make small talk is a huge deal, let alone pretending to be someone else while solving his brother’s disappearance.
And when events spiral out of control, fear threatens to overwhelm him.
While John faces a unique set of circumstances, audiences might well relate to the rising anxiety that comes with encountering the unexpected –
whether that’s being made redundant, receiving a serious health diagnosis or facing up to the death of a loved one.
However, at life’s crossroads, many people have taken their strength from a cornerstone of their identity: their faith.
In the Bible, one writer – who was no stranger to puzzling through times of difficulty – says: ‘God is my saviour; I will trust him and not be afraid. The Lord gives me power and strength’ (Isaiah 12:2 Good News Bible). He knew that God would equip him for whatever circumstances he found himself in.
This logic of trusting in God has defined the lives of countless people. By relying on him, they have found that he provides the power and strength they need to see them through.
God won’t necessarily solve all our problems overnight. But, if we put our trust in him, we can know that he is right there with us in the midst of our troubles. When we don’t have a clue what to do next, he can help us figure it out.
talk talk Team talk Team talk ‘ ’
j TEA M TAL K
Expect the unexpected
Claire Brine
gives her take on
a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters
Journalist John Harris describes himself as a ‘devout agnostic’. But in a comment in The Guardian, he wrote of the need ‘for something that may help me make sense of an increasingly chaotic world’.
After considering people’s ‘quiet quests for meaning and transcendence’, John reflected on the role of the Church through history, recognising the ‘enduring presence in our culture of essentially Christian thinking’. He went on to refer to the alternative rock musician Nick Cave, who wrote earlier this year of the solace he found in Christianity after suffering the loss of two sons in recent years.
On his website – the redhandfiles.com – Nick had described his experience of a deepening faith, posting that, to his surprise, he had found truth ‘in that wholly fallible, often disappointing, deeply weird, and thoroughly human institution of the Church’. He also admitted that his faith journey had, at times, felt ‘bewildering’.
While Nick expressed surprise at his new perspective, I have to say that I’m not surprised that faith can turn out in a surprising way. In my experience, God’s presence is often felt in disappointing situations and weird places. I’ve prayed some of my most heartfelt prayers not in church worship services, but at hospital bedsides. I’ve found myself still believing that God is love even when news reports suggest that the world is bleak.
Though Christians often develop their understanding of God when they attend a place of worship, I don’t believe that our ability to connect with him is limited to a church building. God can be found in times and places we think unlikely. All we need to do is look for him.
‘Ask, and you will receive,’ says Jesus. ‘Search, and you will find’ (Matthew 7:7 Contemporary English Version).
God may surprise us. A step of faith may not always look like we thought it would – but when we take it, we may begin to find meaning and solace in a turbulent world.
WAR
An outstanding contribution award has been given to a member of The Salvation Army’s homelessness services team in York.
Charlie Malarkey, who runs the York Early Intervention and Prevention Team that supports rough sleepers, was recognised at the York Community Pride awards for ‘tirelessly championing the cause of people who are homeless’ in the city through his ‘unwavering commitment to The Salvation Army’.
Charlie’s team carries out early-morning street walks, and offers a warm space, food and drinks to people experiencing homelessness. It signposts people to housing, mental health and addiction support through its dropin centre. Charlie also runs boxing classes to improve rough sleepers’ fitness and mental health.
The York Community Pride awards described Charlie –pictured at the awards ceremony with colleague Sarah Pirie – as ‘a beacon of hope for so many people in our city’.
WAR CRYWnRLD
Astronauts make space for church
Two Nasa astronauts have been joining online services and prayer meetings from the International Space Station, the Church Times reported.
Dr Tracy Dyson and mission commander Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore (pictured) have remained in contact with their home church, Providence Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas. Barry’s eight-day space mission has been extended by months because of technical problems during the Boeing Starliner capsule’s first flight.
Tommy Dahn, the pastor at Providence Baptist Church, told the Church Times that the commander was being sustained by faith. He said that Barry – who is also an elder at the church – ‘ministers to us’ by making calls to the congregation from the International Space Station.
Speaking before Tracy was due to return to Earth earlier this week, Tommy added: ‘We are in contact with both Barry and Tracy via email, a few phone messages, and Tracy’s husband and Barry’s family are all in our church also. Our Sunday morning services are live streamed and they have access to the streaming most of the time, depending on their location. We pray corporately often for them.’
Textile bank trial aims to sort problem
The Salvation Army’s trading arm SATCoL is running a trial partnership with Tesco to try to reduce textile waste.
The six-month trial aims to ensure that textiles donated by the general public are processed in the right way. Donors will be asked to separate items into two differently labelled textile banks – ‘wear again’ for reusable items and ‘worn out’ for non-reusable items.
The 18 new textile collection bins have been placed at Tesco sites across England and at two household waste recycling centres in the east of England, with a media campaign titled #RuinedNotWasted supporting the project.
Bernie Thomas, circular economy and sustainability manager at SATCoL, said: ‘Separating items in this way, at source, could help make sure that worn-out textiles are given a second life. Rather than being wasted, recyclable textiles would be collected and reprocessed at scale, using innovative technology to repurpose textile fabrics and fibres back into new products.’
App encourages young to open Bible
A new mobile app encouraging children to read the Bible has been created by United Christian Broadcasters (UCB).
Spark is aimed at children aged from 10 to 12, and features Biblebased videos, which include a spoof wildlife documentary and a virtual boxing match.
The videos use tasks and challenges to help children read the Bible for themselves and pray in response to what they’ve read.
David L’Herroux, UCB’s chief executive, said: ‘Our mission is to make the word of God available to everyone, anywhere, at any moment of the day, and children are no exception. We hope this innovative new app will encourage children to discover more about the Bible so they can face today’s challenges with the unchanging truths found in God’s word.’
So happy together
BARNABY SMITH, co-founder and artistic director of vocal ensemble Voces8, talks about the power of singing with other people and joining sacred texts with music
Interview by Philip Halcrow
The artistic director of vocal ensemble Voces8 has harmony on his mind. But Barnaby Smith is thinking not only of the vocal parts that he and other members of the group have sung on albums such as their new release Nightfall or at events such as this year’s Proms. ‘If I could change anything in the world,’ he says, ‘it would be just to bring people together to – if you excuse the pun – live in better harmony. I really hope that our music brings about a positive change in that way.’
Nineteen years after Barnaby formed Voces8 with his brother Paul, the ensemble are singing in top concert venues. In June they were at Sydney Opera House. Weeks later they joined forces with the King’s Singers at the Royal Albert Hall to present the third of this year’s BBC Proms.
‘The Proms has got that thing with people standing at the front and leaning over the rail, and you get a slightly more charged atmosphere in some ways,’ Barnaby says. ‘There’s a sense of informality and conviviality.’
Yesterday (Friday 27 September) Decca Classics released the ensemble’s new album, which is made up of music from a variety of sources, including Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós and South Korean composer Jung Jaeil, who worked on the soundtrack for TV’s Squid Game.
Yet Voces8 are also busy away from the concert spotlight.
‘When Paul and I created the ensemble almost 20 years ago,’ says Barnaby, ‘we also set up a foundation with the idea that we wanted to give back to the community. We recognised that music in the school curriculum is not served as well as it might be, but then generally we also wanted to create opportunities for young people and for everybody in the wider community.’
So the Voces8 Foundation holds a summer school, where adults and teenagers spend a week taking part in masterclasses and rehearsing pieces for a closing festival. It also runs a Sing Every Day programme in primary schools and produces digital
Barnaby Smith
resources including teaching videos for schools.
Barnaby believes that music-making can be a force for good.
‘The sense of community in a choir for me is everything,’ he says. ‘I’m actually trained as a solo singer, and I did some solo singing at the very beginning of my career, but I didn’t really enjoy it. It wasn’t the music I was singing that I didn’t enjoy; what I missed was the sense of creating things with other people.
‘For me, the greatest thing about being a member of Voces8 is that you never walk out on a stage by yourself. You’re always with others.’
As well as singing with others, Barnaby aims to make connections with listeners. And, while Voces8 also enjoy performing new and old pop songs such as Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’, Don McLean’s ‘Vincent’ and Carly Rae Jepsen and Justin Bieber’s ‘Beautiful’, much of their music – whether old or new – has a church background.
‘A lot of our audience approach our music from a position of faith – and I think that’s wonderful – and a lot don’t approach it from that perspective,’ he says. ‘As singers it’s important that we realise we’re conduits between a
composer or a lyricist and an audience. So, whatever we believe, we have to find a way of empathising, connecting and bringing those texts to an audience.’
A singer helps people find their connection
Barnaby,
who as a boy sang in the Westminster Abbey Choir, hopes that, in connecting with the listeners, he will help them explore their own viewpoints.
‘Growing up around church, we spent most of our lives singing sacred texts’, he says. ‘When I was about 18 years old and was applying to be a choral scholar, I was asked by a college chaplain whether I thought it was important to believe in God if I wanted to be a choral scholar. I said that it was not necessarily so, because a singer is there to help other people find their connection, singing the texts that are wonderfully brought to life through music.
‘I think my response would be similar today. I wouldn’t say I believe in God; I also wouldn’t say I don’t believe in God. But what I am always minded to do is to use music for the betterment of the community.’
Barnaby speaks of being moved
himself by words and text brought together. He recalls how he became emotional when singing a hymn during evensong at this year’s summer school. ‘In the third verse there was a big descant,’ he says, ‘and then the text started talking about love and friendship, and I just cried.’
Then he mentions one of the pieces that Voces8 sang at the Proms – a 19th-century hymn, newly arranged by ensemble member Blake Morgan, about the grace of God, laying down burdens and gathering together.
‘Blake’s arrangement of “Shall We Gather at the River” is powerful from a musical perspective alone. You could sing it to “ahh”, and it would be great. But then you put the nature of the text to it, and it moves people in a way that the music or the words by themselves possibly wouldn’t.’
l Nightfall is released on Decca Classics
Voces8
‘I found being at The Salvation Army uplifting and inspiring’
Presenter ROSS KING, the LA correspondent for ITV’s Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, reflects on his Salvation Army upbringing in Glasgow and the influence of his Christian parents on his life
Interview by Claire Brine
Every morning, when Ross King gets out of bed, he looks out the window and sees the Hollywood sign. Despite moving to the district nearly 25 years ago, he still can’t quite believe that this is home – and that he gets to interview the world’s biggest stars for a living. But befriending those in the spotlight is what Ross does best.
In his role as LA correspondent for the ITV programmes Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, Ross is responsible for bringing the latest news from Hollywood into UK living rooms. He has interviewed countless celebrities, including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Tom Hanks, Barbra Streisand, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston and Denzel Washington. He has covered every red-carpet event going – the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, Golden Globes and Grammys. He has even picked up a few awards of his own, including four news Emmys for his entertainment reporting on channels in the US.
‘And through it all I’ve enjoyed
Ross interviews George Clooney at a red-carpet event
Ross King
everything I’ve done,’ he tells me over a video call. ‘I learnt at a young age to be present in whatever I was doing – whether that was radio work, TV or theatre – which meant that I could enjoy it while it was happening.
‘I think a lot of people get into the habit of thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, without realising that often it isn’t. Sometimes there’s no grass over there at all. Or the grass may have been painted to look green. In terms of my career, I’ve always tried to enjoy the moment that I’m in, rather than thinking ahead to what the next thing might be.
‘And taking that attitude has meant that, whatever job I’m doing, it’s always been enough.’
Ross’s media career began in his home city of Glasgow, where as a teenager he became a teaboy and then a presenter on Radio Clyde. Several years later he landed his big break in television when he was selected to host the ITV programme Young Krypton, a children’s version of the game show The Krypton Factor
From there, he went on to host numerous television series for ITV, the BBC and Sky, before making the permanent move to LA to focus on reporting.
I admire the stars who don’t change
Hisability to put film stars at ease during interviews means that he has ended up befriending many of them. But which celebrities does he most admire?
‘There are so many stars that I respect, but if we’re talking in terms of acting, then I’d say George Clooney,’ he says. ‘He’s a great actor, but he also comes across as a great guy. He’s funny and doesn’t take himself too seriously.
‘Hugh Jackman is another actor I admire, because he really can do it all and, at the same time, he remains a nice person. I first met him before he was really famous, when he was starring in Carousel
in the West End. He was lovely back then, and every time I meet him now, he’s the same good guy.
‘I suppose I admire the stars who don’t change. It’s been said before, but fame only magnifies what’s already there. So guys like Tom Hanks and Henry Winkler, who were nice to begin with, have grown even nicer with fame.’
While Ross has grown accustomed to rubbing shoulders with Oscar winners and music stars, his upbringing in the west of Glasgow was a far cry from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. He reflects on his childhood as a wonderful time – full of football matches, holidays on the Devon coast and Sundays spent at church.
‘My mum was Church of Scotland, and my dad was Salvation Army,’ he explains. ‘So when my sister, Elaine, and I were kids, Sunday morning was spent at Sunday school at the Church of Scotland
Ross (left) and his sister, Elaine, pictured with their parents, Isabel and David, who raised them in the Church of Scotland and The Salvation Army
with Mum, then on Sunday afternoons, we would go to Sunday school at The Salvation Army with Dad.
‘Dad was the songster leader at Partick Temple Corps, which meant he led the choir there. Sometimes he conducted the band as well, and occasionally he led the services and preached sermons. He was so funny and charismatic. Often he would find a way to weave jokes into his talks.’
Ross believes that it was from his dad, David, that he learnt his first lessons about stage presence.
‘When I moved out to LA, I started working on the television station KTLA, and I mentioned on air that I’d grown up in The Salvation Army,’ he says. ‘The Pasadena Tabernacle Salvation Army then got in touch, asking me to host an event for them one evening. I thought: “What am I going to do?” In the end, I channelled my dad. I told the same jokes and funny stories that he had used.
‘I believe that I get a lot of my presenting and performing ability from my parents. Dad played euphonium in the Salvation Army band, which is a beautiful instrument. And my Mum, Isabel, could play the piano. Often she’d play the new songster music that Dad had picked up. I remember hearing her playing the alto parts. So Salvation Army music is ingrained in me.’
As a baby, Ross was dedicated to God at Partick Temple Corps – which is The Salvation Army’s equivalent to a christening service. When he grew up and
joined the Sunday school, he became a uniform-wearing junior soldier.
‘I tried to learn how to play the cornet so I could join the band, but I failed badly,’ he laughs. ‘But I did like being out the front, singing. The great thing about the Army was that you could sing songs and people would clap along. The Church of Scotland wasn’t like that back then – it was more sombre. I loved the Army because of the band and the tambourines and the clapping.
‘I also remember some of the musicals that were written by Salvation Army composers, such as Hosea. One of the songs was called “Light Fingered Freddie”, which was about a burglar who was prevented from breaking into a house by the sound of the Salvation Army band as it marched down the street. I remember being asked to beat the bass drum for that. So that was my introduction to musicals and showbusiness.’
As well as appreciating the musical influence of The Salvation Army, Ross enjoyed being part of a friendly congregation. The people he saw on Sundays were like a second family to him.
‘Friendliness was a big thing at Partick Temple,’ he says. ‘As a boy, I had all these aunties – who weren’t really my aunties, but that’s what we called them. There was Aunt Jenny, Aunt Louey, Aunt Lily and Aunt Maureen. Everyone seemed to smile a lot and be happy. The band played great marches, and I found just being at the Army uplifting and inspiring.
‘It was also the place where I learnt about God. And I felt fortunate, because if I didn’t understand anything about the Bible, I could go home and Dad would explain it to me. I was brought up to see God as very loving, rather than full of anger or someone to be feared. I was also taught to say my prayers at night and to say grace before meals. Dad’s favourite grace was: “Heavenly Pa, ta!”’
I saw Dad’s Christian faith in operation
As Ross grew up, his understanding of God deepened. Again, his dad played a key role in teaching him about Christian love and how to show it.
‘I started to see that God was bigger than I realised,’ he explains. ‘I saw him as omnipotent and omnipresent. To this day I still think of him as an overarching God, something far bigger than a person could be.
‘While my dad’s faith was very public, I always thought it was good that he never pushed his religion on to me and my sister. But I learnt a lot about what faith meant through hearing him speak. He used to say things like: “Always leave something in the deal for the next guy.” At first, I thought he was just talking about trying to be a decent person. But every message that Dad came out with was that we can always do better and be better people.
‘I also saw his Christian faith in operation. Whenever he saw someone getting soaked at the bus stop, he’d stop the car and offer them a lift – even if it meant going out of his way. Images like that stuck with me. It taught me about giving to others and loving your neighbour. I’d like to think that I’ve taken some of that on.’
During the summer, when Ross found himself in a situation requiring him to help someone in need, he worked out the best action to take by asking himself: What would Dad have done?
‘I was out walking in Palm Springs with my girlfriend when we heard someone shouting for help. We came across a man lying in the shrubbery, and he told us he’d been stuck there for an hour because he couldn’t get up. As I talked to him, got him a drink and helped him on his way, I realised that I had become my dad! I had even started talking like him. It was so strange – but I knew what to do because I’d seen my dad in similar situations so many times.’
Towards the end of his dad’s life, Ross
Ross and Elaine enjoy a day at Wimbledon with their parents
Ross has interviewed numerous celebrities, including (clockwise from top left) Barbra
asked him about his faith and whether it had ever wavered. The answer he received was: not at all.
Though Ross is no longer a regular churchgoer, the faith of his parents continues to inspire him. He thanks God for them every day.
‘I very much still believe in God,’ he says. ‘I have faith in him and I pray. Every single day, at the most weird and wonderful times, I’ll say “thank you” – out loud – to God, to my mum and dad, and to the
universe. I never used to say my prayers out loud, but these days I do, because I want to vocalise them and really put them out there, rather than just think about them in my head. I’m giving thanks to God for everything I have.’
Streisand, Elton John, Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Mariah Carey and Dwayne Johnson
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, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. 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
Eating fruit and vegetables is good for us – and, according to the Bible, a healthy inner life also includes fruit. In this series Peter Mylechreest takes his pick of nine life-enhancing qualities called ‘the fruit of the Spirit’
Francis wasn’t family nor even a close friend, but a member of the church that Alice attended. When she was in a road accident and an internal organ was severely damaged, Francis felt he needed to do something.
After long discussions with Alice’s parents – and the medical authorities – it was agreed that one of his organs would be donated and transplanted to Alice. However, Francis insisted that only the family would know the donor’s identity. Here was love in action, with no thought of personal gain, publicity or selfglorification.
Paul, an early Christian teacher, named such self-giving love as one quality of what he described as ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ – meaning that God’s Spirit, working in co-operation with a Christian, creates a special love full of compassion and concern for others.
Loving someone who loves you is easy. Loving someone you like is straightforward. Loving someone who isn’t like you can be difficult. But loving those who deliberately hurt your feelings is at a different level.
Jesus spoke about loving even those who could be labelled as enemies. That’s not a natural reaction. In theological terms it is called ‘supernatural’ – that is to say, it has no known scientific explanation, yet it happens. God’s Spirit working in and through a follower of Jesus will demonstrate this fruit of the Spirit in everyday life: a wholesome love that reaches out to others, regardless of their background, situation or need.
That love could be shown through listening to the concerns of others and helping them to overcome their problems. Or it could be demonstrated by putting other people first when it comes to sharing the necessities of life. Or by caring for those who are unwell or disadvantaged. Or helping to overcome family disputes with gracious understanding.
This growing fruit of the Spirit, given to make people more like Jesus, becomes part of the Christian’s character. Jesus told his disciples that they were to love one another as he loved them. That is, unconditionally, inclusively and sacrificially.
Love is good to grow.
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Or email your name and postal address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk War Cry
Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International
QUICK QUIZ
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Rhyme time
Day celebrates poetic licence
Feature by Emily Bright
Wordsmiths and readers alike will be getting in line for National Poetry Day next Thursday (3 October). Some 1.5 million people are expected to join in celebrations of the art form in schools, libraries and cultural venues across the UK.
A multi-school online workshop with poet Laura Mucha will aim to break the Guinness World Record for the largest poetry lesson. It is hoped that more than 60,000 senior school students will take part.
There are plenty of in-person events too. A Poetathon in Folkestone is celebrating the town’s diversity through recitals in as many languages as possible. In Nottingham, Beeston Library is running a poetry workshop for neurodiverse adults. And in Newcastle upon Tyne, the Estate Tea Co shop is hosting an ‘honesty box’ where anyone can contribute a line of poetry. The contributions will then be turned by publisher Kulvert Books into a long-form poem.
According to the National Poetry Day website, the idea behind the honesty box is that ‘everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate, regardless of age, experience, or writing style – every voice counts’.
Inclusion is something worth celebrating. But the reality in the world today is that some voices may not be acknowledged or encouraged in the way they should be. There is somewhere, however, where everyone can know that they count: in a relationship with God.
A poet whose words are included in the Bible once wrote: ‘Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay requests before you and wait expectantly’ (Psalm 5:3 New International Version). He was vocalising his belief in a God who would always listen to and help him. The writer knew that, no matter what challenges lay ahead, God would provide him with encouragement and support.
That’s just as true today as it was when the poem was written thousands of years ago. God’s listening ear – and unconditional love and support – is open to us all.
We too can express what’s on our hearts and know that we are heard and valued by God. His loving encouragement is unparalleled. If we invite him into our lives, we will experience a relationship that’s sheer poetry.
PUZZLES SUDOKU
Quick
ACROSS 1. Doctrine (5)
Steam bath (5)
Hot beverage (3)
Map (5)
Rapture (5)
Tear (3) 12. Stadium (5)
Listless (7)
Good-looking (6) 19. Not susceptible (6)
Aperture (7)
Awaken (5)
Convent sister (3)
Slack (5)
Small picture within a bigger (5)
Sped (3)
Bisect (5)
Barriers (5)
Fireplace (5)
Draw (7)
Specimen (6)
Of the city (5)
Goodbye (5)
Soothed (5)
Grip (5)
CROSSWORD
14. Jewel (3)
Tavern (3)
Sharp knock (3)
Yellowish-brown colour (3)
Daybreak (7)
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HONEYC O M B
Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with autumn
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
1tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
200g lean minced beef
400g can chopped tomatoes
½ butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 1cm cubes
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1tsp dried mixed herbs
Ground black pepper
400g wholewheat spaghetti
Greek yogurt lemon cheesecake Spaghetti bolognese with butternut squash
INGREDIENTS
40g unsalted butter
200g ginger biscuits, crushed
250g low-fat quark
250g low-fat Greek yogurt
75g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
2 medium egg whites
4 lemons, juice and zest
2tsp vanilla extract
50g plain flour
400g fresh berries, to serve
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on a medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir until lightly browned, then add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Add the beef to the pan and brown lightly, stirring all the time.
Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, carrots and mixed herbs and season with pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes, until the meat is cooked and the butternut squash has softened.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed round cake tin with a little butter and set aside.
Melt the remaining butter in a medium pan and stir through the crushed biscuits until they are coated. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin and press down to form an even layer. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the filling, beat the quark for 2 minutes in a large bowl until softened. Mix in the yogurt and sugar.
Add the eggs and egg whites and beat until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla extract. Sieve the flour into the mixture and fold until just combined. Pour the filling over the biscuit base and smooth out.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture is just set. Cool completely before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Serve the cheesecake with the fresh berries on top.
Alister McGrath