What is The Salvation Army?
From the editor’s desk
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
THE Communards keyboardist who became a priest was preparing to say goodbye to his parish when he wrote an article in The Sunday Times Magazine. Ahead of retirement, the Rev Richard Coles reflected on his ministry and of having encountered the good and the bad in the world. He said that he had experienced ‘life in its fullness’. In words that caught the attention of War Cry writer Claire Brine – and which she quotes in her Team Talk this week – Richard distinguished between ‘fullness’ and ‘serenity or fulfilment or happiness’. A life of fullness rather than happiness, he noted, was ‘what Jesus actually promised’. Claire’s Team Talk is one of two articles in this issue that contain echoes of one particular saying of Jesus: ‘I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10 Good News Bible). Some other translations of Jesus’ line end with him saying that he had come so that people could have life ‘abundantly’. And ‘abundant life’ is how Danielle Gault describes her experiences over years during which she has faced a number of health conditions. In an interview in this issue, Danielle talks about having ‘walked through the valley of the shadow of death’, but also about discovering patience, kindness and gentleness and feeling ‘empowered by God’s grace’. ‘Jesus didn’t promise us that everything was going to be okay,’ she says. ‘But he did promise that he would be with us as a comfort and helper.’ Marian Sinclair speaks similarly in this issue of finding comfort in her faith. ‘My husband dying is absolutely horrible,’ says Marian, who took over the running of his Motorcycle Funerals company after her loss. ‘But knowing that God has me in his hand helps me.’ Aiming to show compassion to those who are grieving, she feels ‘blessed’ to be ‘helping so many families through such a difficult situation’. As the War Cry shows every week, those who ad the War C e re ry take up Jesus’ offer of ‘life in all its fullness’ u’v not only receive his help but also give it.
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 7574
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
CONTENTS
Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies
FEATURES
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Jessops’ mishaps 5
Green days
RHS cultivates enthusiasm for gardening 6
Final journey
Funeral vehicles for bikers
INFO
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‘I was in pain. I couldn’t do anything’
How faith has helped Danielle in
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2 • WAR CRY • 30 April 2022
Hapless family BBC One comedy follows the
Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper
Your local Salvation Army centre
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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight
difficult times REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Now, There’s a Thought! 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC