War Cry 2 March 2024

WAR CRY

On the write lines

T V presenter Joanna’s book aims to encourage kids as they grow up Adam

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

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 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

Your local Salvation Army centre

THE cost of living crisis continues to impact people across the UK. A report last year by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said that 2.3 million families had taken out loans or used credit to pay essential bills.

Many of the worst-off families in the country are struggling not only to pay for things they need today, but also to keep up payments to service the debts that have built up in recent years.

There are many charities that help people through such stressful experiences, including Christian organisations such as The Salvation Army, which has 22 debt advice centres.

Another organisation offering assistance is Christians Against Poverty (CAP). In this week’s War Cry we speak with its founder, John Kirkby. He describes how his faith inspired him to set up CAP, which works through churches to provide free professional debt help, including emotional support and money education. John also says that his experience of previously living in debt motivated him to help people who are struggling.

It’s not only adults who go through struggles of one kind or another. Children also face numerous problems as they grow up. CBeebies presenter Joanna Adeyinka-Burford has reflected on some of her childhood challenges to write What’s Up, a book for 7 to 11-year-olds. It contains true stories from her and her friend’s lives, exploring various issues that young people sometimes face, along with thoughts on how those issues tie in with a faith in God.

‘The whole process of writing the book enabled me to look back on my life and think about where God was in all the different situations,’ Joanna tells us. ‘It was such an encouragement to be able to say: “Whoa, God, you were there the whole time.”’

Millions of other Christians have discovered God to be with them in difficult situations. Whatever our age, and whatever our circumstances, he is able to help us through tough times and face the future with confidence.

Issue From the editor’s desk When you’ve read the War Cry, why not pass it on ➔ ➔ ➔

INFO INFO

Front-page picture: NICHOLAS DAWKES FEATURES 3 Finding some space Astronaut considers his life in Netflix drama 6 Along the write lines TV presenter’s book helps children through life’s challenges 9 ‘I was hounded by debt collectors’ How personal experience motivated entrepreneur to help others 13 By the book Why World Book Day matters REGULARS 4 Team Talk and War Cry World 12 Hands Together, Eyes Closed 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen CONTENTS 2 • WAR CRY • 2 March 2024 13 9 15 6

SPACE ODYSSEY

ABSENCE makes the heart grow fonder, the saying goes. But that’s not true for Czech astronaut Jakub (Adam Sandler). In Spaceman, available to stream now on Netflix, he is 300 million miles from Earth and realising that his pregnant wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), is growing more emotionally distant from him.

The film explores Jakub’s loneliness 189 days into a solo space mission to study the Chopra cloud phenomenon. He plans to collect and analyse the cloud’s particles to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

When he stops receiving messages from Lenka, he fears that she is leaving him. Then, one day, he hears a strange voice. He is horrified to discover that it belongs to a giant arachno-alien (Paul Dano), who has invaded his spaceship.

Astronaut’s close encounter with extraterrestrial prompts self-reflection

Film feature by Emily Bright

Jakub has a series of revelations about taking responsibility for past mistakes and broken promises. On a call to his wife from space, he admits: ‘I have lived a life for all the wrong reasons… If I could do it again, I would do it better.’

During our time on Earth, many of us will have had moments when we realise that we’ve done something for the wrong reasons, or wish we’d responded better in a situation. Sometimes, we just long for a fresh start.

We can repair what is broken

However, the softly spoken creature appears to be benevolent. It explains that while travelling to the edge of the Earth’s solar system, it was drawn to study humankind – and when it came across a human spaceship, the opportunity was too tempting to pass up.

Compelled to understand Jakub’s loneliness, it coaxes the astronaut to explore memories of his wife. Initially Jakub doesn’t want to talk. However, comforted by the presence of another being, he gradually softens and processes his past and his problems with the strange creature. They strike up an unlikely friendship and Jakub names the alien Hanuš.

As the craft approaches the Chopra cloud, Hanuš explains a theory that it holds fundamental wisdom about the universe. And, as the pair fly towards it,

The good news is that there is someone we can turn to who will help us to move on from our mistakes and give us a second chance in life – and that is God. His forgiveness and benevolence know no bounds. If we take responsibility for our shortcomings and ask him for help, he will enable us to start again.

One writer in the Bible, who frequently used language about the skies and stars when reflecting on God, prayed: ‘Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches

beyond the clouds’ (Psalm 36:5 New Living Translation).

God’s astronomical amount of love for us can provide the strength we need to overcome our regrets and failures. He will always remain faithful to us, even when we mess up.

With his support, we can start to repair what is broken. All we need to do is make space for him in our lives.

Astronaut Jakub

A flashback of Jakub with his wife, Lenka

Team talk Team talk

‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

Not all train passengers are on board with new names

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

LIBERTY, Lioness, Mildmay, Suffragette, Weaver and Windrush – the new names for London’s six Overground lines have been met with mixed reviews.

Speaking on BBC Radio London, one commuter failed to see how they would make it easier for passengers to navigate the network.

‘I don’t think it helps you find where you’re going,’ she said. ‘I just think it’s a name for the sake of naming something different.’

Others were more positive about the alterations to the Tube map, with certain groups praising Transport for London for choosing names that were significant in the capital’s history and heritage. Arthur Torrington, co-founder of the Windrush Foundation, explained: ‘It recognises the contribution of Caribbean people... It’s a big acknowledgement.’

Whatever people make of the new names, the story reminded me how difficult it can be to do something that pleases absolutely everyone. What some people like, others don’t. There are also instances, however, when life is not such a ‘black and white’ experience. Shades of grey exist everywhere. Sometimes we find ourselves sitting on the fence, unsure of what to make of certain issues.

Certain groups praised Transport for London

I guess that’s how many individuals feel about faith. It can be an area that invites mixed feelings, perhaps because people like the sound of receiving God’s love, but hate the Bible’s instruction to love their enemies. Or maybe they’re on board with receiving forgiveness for their past mistakes, but are unwilling to show it to others.

Having been a Christian for what feels like for ever, I think it’s OK to have mixed or even complicated feelings about faith. Our relationship with God isn’t, or shouldn’t be, static. It changes. It ebbs and flows. At times, my faith feels comforting and great. At other times, it presents challenges I could do without. But in the highs and lows, I stick with it – because the Bible tells me that’s what Jesus did.

Despite having a close relationship with his heavenly Father, Jesus endured times of struggle. Nailed to the cross, he asked God why he’d abandoned him.

Today, whether our feelings for God are hostile or happy, the option to take a journey of faith is always open to us.

WAR talk talk

Increase to alcohol unit price welcomed

PLANS by the Scottish government to raise the minimum unit price of alcohol from 50p to 65p have been welcomed by The Salvation Army.

Deputy first minister Shona Robison announced the plan, which will be subject to parliamentary approval, in a statement to Holyrood.

Lee Ball, The Salvation Army’s director of addictions, said: ‘We welcome this increase but also the government’s recognition that this measure alone will not be enough to tackle high levels of alcohol death and addiction in Scotland.

‘People need support to tackle the reasons they turned to alcohol in the first place, and that requires investment in specialist support.’

The Salvation Army provides help for people with drug and alcohol addictions across Scotland through community churches, homelessness centres and outreach programmes. Since 2017, it has worked with the University of Stirling in researching substance use and interventions that can prevent problems and reduce harm to individuals and their families.

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WAR CRY

Comic highlights forgiveness

FRANK SKINNER told The Sunday Times Magazine that he interpreted his Catholic faith as being ‘like CCTV, keeping a benevolent eye on you, making sure what you’re doing is right’.

Interviewed in the supplement’s weekly A Life in the Day feature, the stand-up comedian said: ‘If I do get to Heaven, I’ve often wondered what job I’d get. I’d like to be a defence lawyer for borderline cases: people with a good heart who’ve made a few poor decisions. We used to call it forgiveness and it used to be quite popular, but the world isn’t so keen on it these days. Maybe it’s time to bring it back.’

Christians pray for end to fossil fuels

CHRISTIANS who want the government to end fossil fuel expansion have held a round-the-clock prayer vigil at the entrance of the Houses of Parliament.

After holding a church service in nearby Waterloo – attended by members of The Salvation Army, including its UK leaders Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main – those taking part in the vigil began a planned 10 days of prayer at Parliament.

The participants were asking the government to make the UK’s biggest polluters pay for climate action through tax; to meet the financial pledges on climate change it has made internationally; and to ban new UK-based fossil fuel projects.

Faith brings swimmer peace

Thousands more congregate at cathedrals

CATHEDRAL attendance rose by 79 per cent in 2022 in a ‘post-pandemic bounce-back’, according to a Church of England report released last month.

A weekly average of 28,200 people attended cathedral services in 2022, up from 15,800 people the year before. But weekly attendance remains below 2019 levels, which averaged 37,300 people per week.

The report also found that attendance at

Christmas services soared from 66,000 in 2021 to 104,000, while the total number of people at Easter services during the same year increased from 12,400 (when some Covid restrictions were still in place) to 42,000.

A total of 8.2 million visitors went to the cathedrals in 2022, up from 4.6 million the year before. The data was sourced from Westminster Abbey and all 42 mainland Church of England cathedrals.

THREE-times Olympic gold medallist Adam Peaty told the BBC that his Christian faith gives him peace after years of mental health struggles.

The swimmer, speaking on East Midlands Today before the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, told that his perspective on performance has changed.

He said: ‘I spent most of my life kind of validating, getting my gratification or life’s fulfilment from my results and that led me to some dark moments.

‘And then it’s really living your life on a quantifiable measure of results, results, results instead of: how are the people around me, how am I, how is my son, how is my family? All these things actually do matter. It’s not just about your job, it’s not just about performance. And to get that, the only place I found it was at church.

‘The only peace is every Sunday in my week because that gives me a nice balance.’

KEITH MAYHEW/ZUMA WIRE/ALAMY

CHRISTIAN AID/A SHEPPEY

TAKA WU/ALAMY

Here’s one for the kids

CBeebies presenter JOANNA ADEYINKA-BURFORD explains why she wrote a book to help children develop their faith in God

Interview by Claire Brine

JOANNA ADEYINKA-BURFORD

is a familiar face to many young children and their parents, popping up on their TV screens daily to introduce shows on CBeebies such as Bluey and Hey Duggee

On camera, she’s funny, upbeat and encouraging – so it’s no surprise that her writing style is just the same. Last month her first book, entitled What’s Up, hit the shelves. Full of real-life stories, fun puzzles and encouragements to ‘fuel your faith’, it’s aimed at 7 to 11-year-olds who want to know more about God.

‘Basically I’m telling stories,’ says Joanna, who grew up learning about God in church. ‘There are 26 true stories from my own life – plus four stories from my lovely friends – and each of them explores different issues that young people might face. So we look at sibling rivalry, anger, grief, identity and rejection.

‘Every chapter has a fun fact in it, plus there are lots of activities for the kids to get involved with, such as word searches, spot-the-difference puzzles and pages to colour in. I wanted to include a variety of material so that each chapter doesn’t feel the same. There’s lots of space to be interactive.’

One of the ways in which children are encouraged to explore their faith is by reflecting on the Bible verses that are scattered throughout the book. Joanna also points out that every chapter contains a prayer.

‘Sometimes there are short prayers that I’ve written,’ she says. ‘But there’s also space for the children to write their own prayers. I give them room to reflect on what I’ve said and how it might apply to their life. It’s like I’m saying: “This was my experience. What about you? How about

you and God?”’

In one of the chapters, entitled ‘Oops, It Was Me’, Joanna considers how it feels to make mistakes, face the consequences and still feel loved. She begins by sharing with readers an experience from her own childhood.

‘As a kid, I used to swing on my chair at the dinner table,’ she says. ‘My parents would always tell me to stop doing it but I didn’t listen. Then, one day at dinner time, I was swinging on my chair and fell

backwards through a pane of glass that separated the living and dining rooms. There was a big crash and broken glass everywhere. Thankfully I was OK – but I can remember my parents saying: “What have you done?”

‘The point of the story is that I wasn’t doing what I should have been doing. I had to own up and face the consequences. But, even though I made a mistake, my mum and dad didn’t stop loving me. Their unconditional love was still strong. It

Joanna Adeyinka-Burford

NICHOLAS DAWKES

I give the children room to reflect

reminds me of how much God loves me – even when I mess up. Nothing will change that.’

Another chapter in the book invites children to consider their friendships and how God cares about who they spend time with.

Joanna tells me: ‘When I was growing up, some of the experiences I had with my friends weren’t great. So there’s a bit

Turn to page 8 f

Joanna played Lion in the CBeebies production of ‘As You Like It’

In a voiceover booth, recording for the CBeebies animation ‘JoJo and Gran Gran’

From page 7

in the book where I ask the kids to write down the names of their closest friends and to pray for them. If they don’t have any good friends, I suggest that God might be able to help them. The idea is that they can begin to discern how to make good choices about who they are friends with.’

Most spaces are geared to adults

To help children think more deeply about subjects such as pride, fear and generosity, Joanna chose her stories carefully, making sure that the content was relatable. In the prayers, she has used simple words that children can understand. She explains why seeing the world from a young person’s point of view was important to her during the writing process.

‘Often, when young children walk into a church – or any building that isn’t their school – everything is above their head level. Nothing is designed or created for them to be able to see very well. We live in a world where most spaces are geared to adults, and kids have to work things out for themselves. I didn’t want my book to be like that. I wanted the readers to feel that I was kneeling down with them, chatting on their level.

‘While some of the topics we look at in the book may be complex, when you break them down they become more manageable. I’ve tried to make each chapter as accessible as possible, so as I was writing, I thought about the child who doesn’t like reading, the child who’s dyslexic and the child who has ADHD.

That’s why the layout is different in every chapter. It’s a book that keeps moving.

‘My hope is that, as children get to grips with what we are talking about, they’ll say: “This is easy for me to understand. I get this.”’

Sometimes the topics up for discussion deal with spiritual concepts, such as forgiveness and unanswered prayer. There are stories in which Joanna reflects on the pain of being bereaved when a childhood friend died and watching another friend face cancer.

Joanna argues that it’s good for children to address such difficult subjects.

‘It’s never too early for us all to selfreflect and consider the ways we look at the world,’ she says. ‘And, as parents, we need to prepare our children for the future as best we can. Experiences such as grief and loss are reality. As sad and hard as it is, our kids will face these things at some point in their life. They need to be equipped and prepared for it.

‘The chapter about unanswered prayer is particularly important to talk about, because the truth of the Bible is that God is faithful and provides for us, but we

need to understand that sometimes our prayers aren’t answered in the way we would expect. In those instances, we have to trust that God knows much more than we can see and that he loves us. It’s a challenge. And a complex subject to tackle.’

While writing about the joys and struggles of living a life of faith, Joanna ended up gaining new insight into her own relationship with God. She tells me that she enjoyed reflecting on his comforting presence.

‘My faith was definitely ignited,’ she says. ‘The whole process of writing the book enabled me to look back on my life and think about where God was in all the different situations. It was such an encouragement to be able to say: “Whoa, God, you were there the whole time.”’

Such feelings of awe and admiration

for a heavenly Father are what Joanna hopes her readers will begin to discover for themselves. Her dream is that, through her book – which is also available as an audiobook – more children will learn about God’s love for them.

‘I want them to know that whatever they go through – whether they lose someone close to them, struggle with anger or have a hard time with friends at school – they can still have a solid relationship with God. He is there through everything.’

l What’s Up is published by Starshine Books

Joanna is one of the presenters in the CBeebies House

No small change

JOHN KIRKBY tells how he went from debt collector to founder of a debt charity

Interview by Emily Bright

POVERTY was stalking 30-year-old Bradford entrepreneur John Kirkby. Each morning, he felt the weight of his debt bearing down on his chest. He was grappling with guilt, shame and emptiness after the breakdown of his marriage and was sharing custody of his two daughters.

‘I was entrepreneurial, hardworking and married with two kids,’ recalls John. ‘But in the early ’90s, I lost everything. I was living in a room at a friend’s house. I made lots of mistakes along the way and was massively in debt. It was grim. I know what it is to have no money, to be abandoned by people and to be hounded by debt collectors.’

John had had a relatively idyllic upbringing until, at the age of nine, his dad became seriously ill.

‘By 16 I’d lost the plot,’ he recalls. ‘I wasn’t addicted, but recreational drugs and alcohol were a big part of my life. I became quite an angry, violent and lost young man. When I was 18, my dad died. Within about six months, my mum had a breakdown. The authorities came and, to all intents and purposes, sectioned her.

‘I was on my own. I got a job working for an American

Turn to page 10 f

John Kirkby

From page 9

finance company as a door-to-door loan salesman and debt collector in Bradford.

Then I worked my way through the finance industry. I had a brush with the law when I was arrested for aggravated theft after a repossession went wrong.

But financially I did OK.’

Over the course of the next decade or so, John’s entrepreneurial spirit meant that he experimented with various business ideas. But his finances spiralled out of control.

“Jesus is real. I’ve seen his impact on others.” I accepted him into my life.

‘Over the next couple of years, the compassion of people, my church and God’s Holy Spirit meant that I got passionate about Jesus. I then met my second wife, Lizzie. She took me and my girls on and was a part of God’s plan to restore me.’

I was hounded by debt collectors

‘My underlying problems were that I was a serial entrepreneur with very little wisdom, and that I’d enter lots of things without thinking about it. I wasn’t great at managing my money.’

By 1992, he had fallen into serious debt, and life seemed bleak. But at that time, he met a man called Paul, whose rent he was collecting.

‘He cared for me and befriended me,’ John remembers. ‘He was compassionate, a great guy and a Christian. He invited me to church, and I learnt about Jesus.

‘I came to realise that there was a hole in my heart that only the love of Jesus could fill. And fill it he did. Hope entered my life. I felt this warmth inside. I thought:

By 1996, John was running a secure lending division for a large finance company and had his own house. His family life was looking bright too: he was engaged to Lizzie, had reconciled with his first wife and had become a ‘decent father’ to his two daughters. But, about four months before his wedding, John realised he wanted to give up his job.

‘I sat down with Lizzie that night, as we were doing the place settings for the wedding. I leant in and said: “I think God’s calling me to give up my job and help the poor in Bradford.” She said: “I’ve got faith in you and God, and we should do it.” So I did. I resigned, and we started Christians Against Poverty with £10.’

While they felt God was behind the venture, they still experienced many tough times in establishing their new

debt relief charity.

‘We didn’t get paid on time for 13 years,’ he says. ‘We had to give our house up. But my faith and my whole relationship with Christ was supercharged through adversity, and it still is today.

‘We did five years of clinging on to the house, living hand to mouth and breaking into the kids’ piggy banks to buy them presents for their birthday. Although it was really difficult, I was seeing people find faith and freedom from debt.’

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) uses church networks to provide free professional debt help, offering advice, emotional support and money education. It also runs job clubs and life skills groups.

CAP has now expanded across the globe and, though he was appointed CBE in 2018, John puts the charity’s success down to God.

‘There are now 500 centres across the UK, and we’re helping tens of thousands of people in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. And I want to give God all the glory for that.’

After John had spent almost a decade helping others to find freedom from debt, he decided to look for freedom from his past.

‘When I was a teenager, my dad was

John is baptised as a Christian in 1992

John with his wife Lizzie and children at Buckingham Palace after receiving his CBE insignia

dying, and I was selfish,’ he says. ‘I added to the trauma by going Awol for days. I had a lot of guilt at what I’d done, and felt that, when my dad died, I wasn’t what I should have been to my mum. I blamed myself for her breakdown.’

But when, many years after his dad’s death, John eventually plucked up the courage to ask his mum what his dad thought of him, her answer was an unexpected one.

Jesus is my constant companion

‘She said: “The more you got into a mess, the more he loved you and knew that you would come good.”

‘My dad was reflecting the heart of God really – the more mess we get into, the more he loves us and is compassionate towards us,’ John explains. ‘I want to tell

everyone that we’re created with a hole that only the love of Jesus can fill.’ Helping people experience Jesus’ love is John’s number one priority. Consequently, in March last year he established the Isaiah 61 movement, which aims to enable Christians to share their faith through online resources and an app.

The idea is to facilitate church group discussions and create a degree of accountability around talking about faith to non-Christians. The name is inspired by a Bible verse that Jesus once quoted, Isaiah 61:1. It says: ‘The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.’

John is convinced that the best way to tell people about the Christian faith is through creating genuine relationships with them.

‘Friendship has got to be at the root of all that we do as Christians,’ he says. ‘If we see a person as a project, they’ll know straightaway. I’ve shared my faith with great friends of mine, and I’m not embarrassed of doing that.’

Reflecting on the relationship which transformed everything for him, John explains: ‘Jesus is my constant companion. ‘He’s a source of grace and forgiveness, and his word – the Bible – gives me hope. I see overwhelming fruit, not only in my own life, but also in the lives of many others who have found him and have had their lives transformed.’

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

Andrew Stone looks at the Lord’s Prayer

Hands together, eyes closed As we forgive them that trespass against us

THE would-be murderer carefully took the poison and added it to the drink he had just poured. When he returned to the lounge, he placed the glass on the coffee table, making sure it was in the right position.

Having taken his seat, he made himself comfortable before reaching for the poisoned cocktail. He crossed his fingers as he drank, hoping that, by drinking the poison himself, the man he wanted to murder would die.

We can let go of resentment

This may sound ridiculous, but many of us do something similar to it every day. When we decide not to forgive someone who has done us wrong, we may think that it will hurt them – but the reality is that it hurts us more.

When we fail to forgive, we keep hold of bitterness and anger, which slowly eat away at us, making us miserable. Meanwhile, the person we refuse to forgive could well be enjoying their life and be unaware of how we are feeling.

That is why not forgiving can be compared to someone drinking poison and yet hoping another person will die. When someone wrongs us, the hurt may linger, but if we choose to forgive and let go of resentment, we stop ourselves from adding to that hurt.

Our Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever.

Amen

The Bible writer Paul advises: ‘Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone’ (Colossians 3:13 New International Version). God knows that this is hard to do but, if we ask him, he will help us.

When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that we forgive ‘them that trespass against’ – ie do wrong to – us, we pray it because it takes the bitterness and resentment from our minds and leaves us free to get on with living.

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

QUICK QUIZ

Who hosts the UK version of the American game show Jeopardy! ?

Which British Formula One driver has the words ‘Still I rise’ inscribed across the back of his helmet?

Which American company, known for producing trainers, was originally called Blue Ribbon Sports?

Who had a Top 10 hit in 1982 with ‘It Started with a Kiss’?

In which decade was the BT Tower in London opened?

What is the capital of Indonesia?

Story time

World Book Day encourages reading for pleasure

Feature by Claire Brine

ARE you sitting comfortably? It’s nearly time for World Book Day to begin. The celebration of reading, authors and stories takes place next Thursday (7 March). Across the UK and Republic of Ireland, thousands of school kids and their teachers will be dressing up as their favourite fictional characters to promote a love of reading.

Created by Unesco in 1995, World Book Day was designed to encourage children across the globe to read for pleasure. The founder of the initiative, Baroness Rebuck, says that the message of the day has always been that reading has ‘the power to transform lives’.

In Southend-on-Sea, primary school teacher Katie Irvine will be marking World Book Day with her year four class by holding a book swap. Children are invited to take in a book that they have enjoyed and exchange it for a different one.

‘Reading is everything,’ Katie tells the War Cry. ‘Children who read regularly – even if it’s for just 10 minutes a day – always have an advantage over those who don’t. It helps with spelling, comprehension, vocabulary, writing skills, using your imagination ... the list is endless. I believe that there’s a book out there for everyone.’

Reading has the power to transform lives

Katie’s right. If we enjoy imaginative stories, we may feel at home reading fiction. If we prefer true-life stories about people, we may prefer to bury our head in an autobiography. Perhaps, when we face problems, we find ourselves reaching for the nearest self-help book.

Whatever genre we enjoy, there’s one book that, for centuries, has remained a worldwide bestseller for its ability to inspire people with its life-changing message. The Bible tells the real-life story of a man called Jesus, who teaches his followers that their heavenly Father, God, loves them and is willing to forgive their mistakes. Its chapters also contain good lessons for life, encouraging people to love their neighbour, stop judging one another and show endless forgiveness.

The Bible has the power to transform who we are, what we believe and how we live. No doubt about it – this is a book for everyone.

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. Woody plant (5)

4. Amidst (5)

8. Unusual (3)

9. Farewell (5)

10. Appetising (5)

11. Garland (3)

12. Make payments (5)

13. Malice (7)

16. Character (6)

19. Meritorious (6)

23. Rumbling noise (7)

26. Eagle’s nest (5)

28. Beam (3)

29. Also-ran (5)

30. Loitered (5)

31. Transgression (3)

32. Rendezvous (5)

33. Holy (5)

DOWN

2. Uplift (5)

3. Large rock (7)

4. Respect (6)

5. Frequently (5)

6. Zest (5)

7. Purchaser (5)

9. Fire-raising (5)

14. Vehicle (3)

15. Exclamation of disgust (3)

17. Cinders (3)

18. Vase (3)

20. Complying (7)

21. Concede (5)

22. Apprehend (6)

23. Claw (5)

24. Disconcert (5)

25. Filthy (5)

27. Angered (5)

DON’T LEAVE ME FIELDS OF GOLD

I WANT IT THAT WAY

I’LL BE THERE KEEP THE FAITH LIVIN’ LA VIDA LOCA

NO LIMIT

OLD BEFORE I DIE PARKLIFE

PICTURES OF YOU ROLL WITH IT

SAVE OUR LOVE

SIT DOWN SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT STAND BY ME

THERE SHE GOES TOP OF THE WORLD

YOU’RE STILL THE ONE

SERVES 4

SERVES 2

Chicken, leek and mushroom bake

INGREDIENTS

1tsp vegetable oil

400g chicken, diced

2 leeks, trimmed and chopped into 2cm-thick pieces

200g mushrooms, thinly sliced 2tsp plain flour

250ml semiskimmed milk

1tsp dried mixed herbs

3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

50g reduced-fat mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.

Heat the oil over a high heat and add the chicken, then stir for 5-10 minutes, until cooked. Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, until they start to soften.

Stir in the flour until there are no lumps. Pour in the milk and stir well. Turn the heat down, add the dried herbs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the chicken mixture into an ovenproof dish. Arrange the potato slices on top so they overlap. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and starts to brown.

Roast potato wedges

INGREDIENTS

1 large baking potato

1tbsp olive oil

1tbsp honey

1tsp paprika

1tsp thyme, fresh or dried

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6. Place some baking parchment on an ovenproof tray. Wash the potato, then pat it dry with a clean tea towel and cut into 8-12 equal wedges.

Mix the oil and honey in a bowl. Add the potato wedges and mix until evenly coated. Sprinkle with paprika and thyme and mix well. Arrange the wedges on the tray so that they do not overlap.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes, turning the wedges halfway through cooking. Once cooked, serve immediately.

God be in my heart, and in my thinking

Anon