Editorial

One Sunday on the way to church last year, our congregation got a shock. The six-metre wooden cross that graced the top of our church spire was lying in pieces on the ground. A combination of high winds and rot had conspired to damage the beams to the extent that they needed to be removed before they tumbled down.

I should mention that this was St. Peter’s Lutheran Evangelical Church in Toronto, a space that The Salvation Army North Toronto Community Church is renting while our new church is being built. Our old building at Yonge and Eglinton, the bustling epicentre of Toronto’s uptown, was expropriated by the city three years ago to make way for a new light-rail transit subway line.

Since St. Peter’s had become our temporary home, many felt the loss of the cross as though it was our own. St. Peter’s quickly marshalled a benefit concert to raise funds to restore the cross to its former glory.

As Easter is fast approaching, the challenge our church faced made me think of the “old rugged cross” on which our Lord was crucified. Do we still “cling to that cross,” as the hymn suggests? The central emblem of Christianity has for centuries instilled a sense of awe and humility, that God would take on human form and deign to suffer one of the worst fates for our sake. In this issue of Salvationist, General Brian Peddle notes in his Easter message (page 10) that Jesus “took on our weaknesses, infirmities and sorrows so that we don’t have to carry them…. A horribly painful moment brings us healing and a horrifically violent act brings us everlasting peace.” What a reversal!

Also, Commissioner Floyd Tidd (page 9) emphasizes the miracle of Christ’s Resurrection—the empty

Price Change For the past 14 years, we have not increased the price of our four territorial publications—Salvationist, Faith & Friends, Foi & Vie and Just for Kids. Unfortunately, with rising postage and production costs we are forced to increase the bulk rates of the magazines by $0.05 per copy starting this month. Individual subscriptions will stay the same price. Even at the new rate, Salvationist and our other publications are a tremendous value. The bulk price for Salvationist, which continues to include Faith & Friends, works out to less than $1.60 per copy. We are grateful to territorial headquarters, which subsidizes one third of the total cost of production. And we thank you for your ongoing partnership in the magazine ministry. tomb upended the disciples’ expectations. It was the “nothing” they found that changed everything. Valerie Pavey shares a practical Easter activity for kids (page 19). Lastly, Colonel Lindsay Rowe examines how the failure of Peter did not mean defeat. Despite his repeated denials, Jesus still chose to build his church on the “Rock” (page 20). He can use us, too, in our human frailty.

As we celebrate the miracle of Easter, may we continue to fix our eyes on the cross.

GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Salvationist is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory Brian Peddle General Commissioner Floyd Tidd Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel John P. Murray Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief and Literary Secretary Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Copy Editor and Production Co-ordinator (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer

Salvationist Brandon Laird Senior Graphic Designer Hannah Saley Digital Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Christian Communicators Association. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.

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