War Cry 12 August

WAR CRY

All dressed up

Costume drama

Sanditon returns to ITV

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

Issue No 7640

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: Lyndon Buckingham

Territorial Commander:

Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

EVERY day the news headlines remind us that individuals and families across the country are facing difficult and challenging situations. The cost of living is still increasing, as are NHS waiting times – so affecting more people needing treatment – and the effects of climate change continue to be observed.

With these and other serious issues demanding so much of our attention, it can be easy to overlook how we can benefit from sometimes turning our attention to what can initially seem unimportant. In this week’s War Cry, we focus on the good that can come from music and from simply having fun.

Every year The Salvation Army runs summer camps that allow 500 children and young people to enjoy activities including kayaking, mountaineering, silent discos and toasting marshmallows on a campfire. In this issue we discover how attending a camp allowed two sisters to take a break from a stressful home environment and, in the fun, find new confidence.

But it is not only children who can benefit from engaging with the lighter side of life. This week we also report on songwriting workshops run in a prison in Scotland. These workshops have led to the creation of a record label, Conviction Records, to help give ex-offenders a chance of rehabilitation. The camps and the music initiatives are run by Christians. And it is these people’s faith that inspires them in their work.

Christians believe that Jesus wants us to have a full and balanced life. When he was on Earth, he said of his followers: ‘I came that they may have and enjoy life’ (John 10:10 Amplified Bible).

The news headlines are a reminder that there is much going on to concern us and which, in turn, may make our own lives difficult. But Jesus wants us to enjoy our lives as we experience him in all that we do – even the seemingly unimportant things.

And that’s good news for us all.

INFO INFO

Love on the horizon?

The search is on for romance by the sea in final series of Sanditon

TV

by Sarah Olowofoyeku

ALL roads lead to Sanditon. The seaside town is increasing in popularity and, for those on the lookout, potential suitors are everywhere. Viewers will discover whether love is in the sea air in the third and final series of the period drama – which is adapted from a Jane Austen manuscript – when it begins on ITV1 on Thursday (17 August).

Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) is one of the people to have returned to the resort. No one expected her to settle down, so it’s quite the surprise that she intends to marry her fiancé, Ralph Starling (Cai Bridgen). When Charlotte’s old friend Lady Susan (Sophie Winkleman) learns the news, she tells Charlotte: ‘It’s not the life I would’ve expected for you.’

a forthcoming 21st birthday party for Georgiana Lambe (Crystal Clarke) presents an opportunity for potential suitors to meet their match. Some have a scheme up their sleeve. But, as others search for love, Edward Denham (Jack Fox) is seeking redemption after it was revealed that he had been slowly poisoning his stepsister Esther Babbington. He is undergoing a rigorous rehabilitative treatment administered by his aunt Lady Denham (Anne Reid).

Edward is diligent in his quest for forgiveness, knowing that he has done wrong. But when he meets a woman with a fortune, will he throw away the progress he has made and go back to his old, deceitful ways?

Edward knows that he has done wrong

Also taken aback by the engagement is Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), who had fallen in love with Charlotte the last time she was in Sanditon. When he is face to face with the woman he loves and her new partner, will he be able to contain his feelings for her? Does Charlotte still have feelings for him?

For townspeople and visitors alike,

Reflecting on playing Lady Susan in the popular drama, Sophie Winkleman says that Jane Austen’s novels still resonate because ‘they are true about human beings’.

Quests for love and earnest attempts to do the right thing haven’t stopped since Georgian times.

Perhaps we in the 21st century have been working hard at living in the right way, but

temptation has come knocking. We have been trying to tally up our good deeds, but one bad move has knocked us back.

Or maybe we are looking for love, but we aren’t really sure that we deserve it.

Such ways of thinking can make life challenging. We constantly feel as if we are falling short, or we aren’t good enough.

But one group of people have discovered another way to live. Christians believe that they do not have to do anything to be deserving of love or to earn forgiveness. They have learnt that these are free gifts given by God, who sent his Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for everyone’s wrongdoing – meaning that redemption is available to us all. All we need to do is believe.

One man, Paul, whose wrongs are recorded in the Bible, and who needed a lot of forgiveness, said: ‘It is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God’ (Romans 10:10 New Living Translation).

It is true – if we believe that Jesus paid the price for our mistakes, we will be forgiven and become recipients of his endless love, which will also transform the way we live.

We don’t have to work hard to earn a relationship with God.

Charlotte has decided to settle down with Ralph, much to the surprise of others

feature

‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

Dying matters

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

WE don’t talk about death enough, said Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast. She was interviewing Bronnie Ware, a former palliative care worker and author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying But despite society’s hesitance to discuss what happens when our time on Earth is up, death is an inevitable part of life.

At the risk of sounding morbid or odd, I confess that I’ve been pondering death since childhood. The not-knowing what will happen or where my soul will end up afterwards used to frighten me. That’s why the conversation with Bronnie – who has seen death up close and isn’t afraid of it – made for compelling listening. Her approach to dying also made me think about living and how I want my own life to be.

In her work as a palliative carer, Bronnie spent hours chatting with patients in their final days and realised that many of them had something in common: regret. Some regretted working so hard or losing touch with friends. Others wished they had let themselves be happier in life.

Bronnie went on to tell Fearne why she saw happiness as a lifestyle choice, explaining that ‘you’ve got to allow it in’.

‘It’s about steering your thoughts,’ she said. ‘If you can steer your thoughts into a place of gratitude or presence, then you’re claiming your power back over those harder times. And the more that becomes a habit, the more you are actually happier.’

As a lifelong pessimist, choosing happiness on a bad day doesn’t come naturally to me. But Bronnie’s words remind me of something I’ve read many times in the Bible. Paul, a persecuted church leader, urged his Christian friends to rejoice in God always – no matter what tough times they were going through. He went on to explain that choosing joy in his own life had taught him ‘to be content whatever the circumstances’ (Philippians 4:11 New International Version).

Imagine the freedom of that.

None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know if we have two days left in this world or two decades. But if we know God, and choose to make his love our source of joy, then we will find peace, contentedness and gratitude to last a lifetime.

Team talk Team talk

Uniform approach helps families

NEW school uniforms have been made available for free at The Salvation Army in Penrith to help struggling families. Shirts, polo tops, shorts, trousers and pinafore and summer dresses can be obtained from the church and charity’s centre on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays each week while stocks last. The uniforms cater for children from 2 to 16 years of age.

Major Carole Donaldson, leader of The Salvation Army in Penrith, said:

‘The school summer holidays already bring added expense to families, and to then face extra outgoings for mandatory uniforms that children require for the new school year can be very costly.

‘We’re a church which understands the importance of working within the community, and we wanted to offer something that people can find useful, taking the pressure and stress away, as well as building on the existing relationships that we have with families in the area and creating new ones.’

nNOVELIST Kate Mosse explained why she loves the Christian hymn ‘Morning Has Broken’ when she was the guest on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs

Speaking to presenter Lauren Laverne, the bestselling author of Labyrinth shared her memories of singing the song – which praises God for his creation – in assemblies at infant school.

‘I love it because that is still how I feel,’ she said. ‘When I wake up in the morning, whatever has happened, whether you’re in good times, bad times, you’re feeling sad about things or thrilled about things, that moment when you just look out and there are the trees and they’ve always been there, and the grass is there. You do hear the first blackbird singing and I still have that sense of it’s a pretty amazing world.’

WAR talk talk

None of us know what tomorrow will bring

Faith helped actor’s addiction battle

ACTOR Dennis Quaid told People magazine that his Christian faith helped him battle addiction.

In an interview with the US celebrity weekly, Quaid, who starred in Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow but struggled with cocaine addiction after his rise to fame in the 1980s, spoke of how he was saved by returning to his Christian roots after a period in rehab.

‘When you’re done with the addiction, you need something to fill that hole, something that really works, right?’ he explained.

In 1990 he wrote the song ‘On My Way Home to Heaven’ for his mother, ‘to let her know I was okay, because I wasn’t okay before then.

‘That’s when I started developing a personal relationship [with God]. Before that, I didn’t have one, even though I grew up as a Christian.’

He went on to say that he believed everyone is looking for the ‘joy of life’.

Quaid said that drugs ‘give that to you really quick. Then they’re fun and then they’re fun with problems, and then they’re just problems after a while. That’s really what we’re looking for, the joy of life, which is our gift, actually, the relationship with God that we all have. It’s at the bottom of it, the joy of being alive.’

81-year-old takes steps for slavery survivors

AN 81-year-old grandfather and fitness enthusiast is taking on a 124-mile trek that includes the Great North Run to raise funds for The Salvation Army’s work in supporting survivors of modern slavery. Travelling the distance in nine days, Andy Peddle will walk from his home city of Wakefield to Newcastle, before taking part in the Great North Run the day after his walk ends.

Wearing a distinctive top hat, Andy hopes to encourage other people to walk with him on the route, which passes through Leeds, Harrogate, Ripon, Northallerton, Darlington and Sunderland. He will travel via the Angel of the North and The Salvation Army’s Newcastle City Temple church.

Andy, who has volunteered as a driver for The Salvation Army to transport modern slavery survivors to safe houses, said: ‘I’d been thinking about a challenge for my ninth decade after completing the London Marathon in 2015 for The Salvation Army. This won’t be easy, as my aim is to do 10 miles on the first day, then 16 miles a day until the final stretch when I’ll do 5 miles to ease off in time for the Great North Run, which is another 13 miles that I plan to run and walk. I am in training now and more than ready to go!’

Vicar’s belief in board games

A VICAR from Norwich was one of three finalists in an international competition to find ‘the next big family game’, reported the Premier Christian News website.

Before becoming a vicar, the Rev Canon Edward Carter had tried to set up a business that created board games. Now he serves at St Peter Mancroft in Norwich while also continuing to make board games socially.

Last year, international puzzles and games company Ravensburger launched a global search for ‘the next big family game’, the winner of which would have had a retail version of their game produced by the company. Edward entered with his wildlife-themed board game, Serengeti Sanctuary.

He told Premier that his faith and love of board games are linked. ‘I really believe that God has created us to play as well as do other things, that play is really important. That recreation, which is literally re-creation, really, day by day under God.’

Reading within the lines

by Sarah Olowofoyeku

ONE in six adults in the UK struggles with reading, according to the National Literary Council. Meanwhile Mencap has identified that there are 1.5 million people living with a learning disability. To Jo Acharya, those are not just statistics, but represent some of the people she works with.

‘For the last few years at my church, I have been helping to lead a group for adults with additional needs – learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions like autism,’ she says. ‘I quickly found that there were very few teaching resources that could help to explain the Bible and faith in a simple enough way.

‘My co-leaders and I had to make our own resources. That was time-consuming, as it takes particular skills to make information easier for people with learning disabilities to understand.’

So Jo, who is a music therapist, created a resource that she hopes will help the people in those groups. Living Well with God is an easy-to-read guide to Christian living made especially for people who have learning difficulties or who struggle with reading.

Living Well with God is an adapted version of a similar guide to wellbeing that Jo had written for a general Christian

audience, having noticed wellness books written from a secular perspective in shops.

‘I had thought that something about wellbeing from a Christian perspective would be helpful for a lot of people,’ she says. ‘From the start, I wanted to make it accessible but realised early on that a one-size-fits-all book wouldn’t work, so I decided to make two versions. Refresh is the mainstream version and Living Well with God is an adapted version.’

For a book to be considered accessible, Jo explains, it should follow some accepted guidelines, called Easy Read,

used by people across many fields.

‘The guidelines say to use very simple language, use the easiest words you can to get across your meaning, and use short sentences so they aren’t too hard to keep track of. There are also guidelines about layout and presentation, such as to use big text – ideally a dyslexia-friendly font, a clear one that doesn’t have lots of tails on the letters – and an uncluttered layout with some colour and pictures to help support the text.’

With the pages of her book being accessible, Jo is able to take readers on a journey that she says is relevant to everybody.

‘It starts by looking at topics to do

Jo Acharya

When JO ACHARYA began leading a group of people with learning disabilities at her church, she discovered a lack of resources. So she decided to write a wellbeing book for them and for others who struggle with reading and understanding

Interview

The guidelines say to use very simple language

with physical life – rest, looking after our bodies and being part of a community. The next group of topics is more to do with our emotional life – feelings, thoughts, managing our inner life and understanding that we are loved. Then it’s our spiritual life – getting to know God, what it means to follow Jesus, how we relate to God when life is really hard, and looking towards Heaven as our eternal life.

‘Whether you’re rich or poor, married or single, employed or disabled, all of these things will be relevant to you in some way.’

It is important to Jo for such content to be accessible, because its message can change people’s lives for the better. She explains what that message is.

‘God made us, he loves us, and he wants us to live lives that are good for us. He wants us to be well in our souls and to be invited to be part of that. Wellbeing is about inviting God into every part of our lives and letting him help us in everything that we do. That’s relevant for us all, including people with learning difficulties, whose inner life is often overlooked.’

Furthermore, Jo wants people with learning difficulties to know that they can not only receive help, but can also be a help to others.

‘We are all made in God’s image,’ she says. ‘We’re made to be like God in some way, whatever our abilities are, and we’re all needed in his family. The Bible talks

about the Church being like a body, with lots of different parts, but with everybody being needed and valued. Whatever we find difficult, we have a place in God’s family.

‘It helps so much to know that God is with you, he’s on your side and helping you. It doesn’t mean that all our problems go away, it doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle with physical health or mental health.

‘I have a lung disease, cystic fibrosis. But knowing that God is with me, knowing that I can be honest with him, knowing that he loves me and cares makes such a difference.’

l For more information visit valleyofsprings.com

We are all made in God’s image

JAILHOUSE R

Singer-songwriter JILL BROWN explains how volunteering at a prison inspired her to start a record label

Interview by Emily Bright

WALKING into a prison for the first time could be a frightening experience for many people. But Jill Brown, who has been volunteering at a men’s prison in Glasgow for the past 10 years, did not feel afraid at all when she first set foot in HMP Barlinnie.

‘I never felt particularly daunted, and I can only put that down to God,’ she says. ‘I actually feel really comfortable. Partly that’s because I can be myself, and I relate to the men in there as who they are – people.’

singer-songwriter, was drawn to volunteer in the prison after a fellow Christian gently challenged her.

Jill, a former television news presenter who became a Jill found her vocation: music ministry to prisoners.

‘I used to meet up regularly with a mentor. He said to me: “What do you think Jesus would do if he had your singing voice?” I thought the obvious answer was that he would work with people on the margins of society.

‘So I wanted to make live music available to those on the margins of society. After doing a gig in a homeless shelter and one in a recovery café for people with addictions, I started working in Bar L.’

HMP Barlinnie, colloquially referred to as Bar L, is one of the largest prisons in Scotland. It houses people on remand, those who are serving less than four years, and life-sentence prisoners approaching a potential release date. It was here that

‘As soon as I walked in I felt at home, ironically, and knew it was where I was meant to be,’ she says. She began volunteering independently of any organisation and quickly found her groove.

‘I felt an affinity with the guys in there, many of whom are suffering,’ she says. ‘I have PTSD as a result of an abusive and violent partner so I know what it’s like to suffer. I also know that many of the prisoners have come from abusive and violent homes with few opportunities in life. Who knows where we all would be had we had the same upbringing.’

Jill began rehearsing music with the prisoners and hosted a series of concerts at which the inmates performed alongside her or with each other.

Jill Brown

She then decided to take her music volunteering to the next level. She piloted some songwriting workshops in the prison, where inmates created individual raps which she set to melody.

‘The workshops were successful,’ she says. ‘But then it occurred to me that there wouldn’t be an outlet for the guys if they wanted to pursue music, because it’s very hard if you have any kind of criminal record.’

The realisation prompted Jill to create her own music label, Conviction Records, with aim of giving ex-offenders a chance at rehabilitation.

Conviction Records has just received a grant from Creative Scotland, which will enable it to hire two specialist tutors to deliver workshops in songwriting and hiphop. While it’s still early days – Conviction Records is still seeking funding and building relationships – the future looks promising.

Music is a universal language

CK

Among its staff team is Eric McLellan, who has worked in major label marketing for the past 15 years. He was also at Warner Music Group’s Sire Records –which signed artists such as Madonna, Talking Heads and the Pretenders – for more than a decade.

As Conviction Records hopes to hit the right note with investors, Jill remains in no doubt about the power of music to affect lives, having grown up playing instruments as part of a musical household. Her father is a contemporary hymn-writer, and Jill was fascinated when she came across a picture of her grandmother – who attended The Salvation Army – playing the guitar.

‘There’s something about music that’s magical,’ she says. ‘It’s also very accessible, regardless of who you are or your situation. It is a universal language, and it enables you to express yourself in a way that can be quite difficult if

you’re talking to someone normally in a conversation. There’s something liberating about putting your emotions to song.’

Despite her dedication to providing a musical outlet for ex-offenders, Jill says that setting up a record label has been far from easy.

‘There are lots of challenges. For instance, we did have an artist we wanted to sign but unfortunately he was poached by somebody else.’

However, her Christian faith has spurred her on.

‘I’ve learnt that being a Christian is not always a straightforward path, but your faith matures as it goes through different tests and trials,’ she says.

At the heart of Jill’s faith lies the

Jill believes that everyone can be given a fresh start

conviction that God offers everyone a fresh start. She says: ‘He gives us all second chances, that’s the gospel. I don’t feel we should deny that opportunity to others, although I appreciate that justice must be served. Faith in a God of compassion is the reason why I’m doing the work, and it keeps me going.’

i n the summer time

by Claire Brine

THE summer holidays are a time of fun, adventure and freedom for many young people. There’s no need to set the alarm clock. No dashing to catch the bus to school. No being nagged to straighten that tie or tuck in that shirt.

But while the long break provides rest and relaxation for lots of families, it can be difficult and depressing for some children and young people. They may be facing poverty, tough circumstances at home or long-term personal problems.

That was the case last summer for teenage sisters Hannah and Jess. Today, they live with their mum, Amanda, who was abused by their dad. After he left home, Amanda struggled to cope as a single parent, and money was tight. She also had mental health problems, making day-to-day life difficult for the whole family.

Living with long-term stress at home has affected Hannah and Jess in different ways. Fourteen-year-old Hannah worries constantly about her mum and what would happen if she were to miss a dose

of her medication. She sees it as her responsibility to remind her to take it, which can sometimes feel like a big weight on her young shoulders.

Younger sister Jess also feels anxious, worrying that her own health problems –including a blood condition and asthma – make her mum’s life more difficult. As someone who stammers, Jess often clams up in public, meaning it’s hard for her to make friends and join in with activities.

Last summer, when the pressure at home became overwhelming, Hannah and Jess were able to take a much-needed break. They attended a Salvation Army summer camp, which enabled them to get away from their usual surroundings, make new friends and have some fun by trying activities that they’d never experienced before.

As well as kayaking, mountaineering and sleeping in tents, the girls had plenty of time to stare up at the stars, sing songs round a campfire and discover the joys of time spent outdoors with friends. During

the sisters’ time away, Hannah found reassurance that her mum could cope without her. And Jess felt comfortable and confident enough to enjoy conversations with her peers.

After the camp ended, the two girls’ connection with the friends they made at The Salvation Army remained. Today the whole family attend community support groups run by the church, including Soup Stop, which serves up healthy food and cheerful chat. Mum Amanda says: ‘The Salvation Army is like a second family. Now it’s not just me on my own.’

This summer, hundreds of young people like Hannah and Jess will be attending Salvation Army camps across the UK, enabling them to take a break from home life, enjoy the company of other young people, and engage in fun activities.

Richard Prescott, who works as part of The Salvation Army’s children and youth team, explains why the weeks are an

Richard Prescott

Salvation Army summer camps are encouraging young people to explore their identity, purpose and sense of belonging

Feature

Many teenagers are struggling

important time on the church’s calendar.

‘We believe that all young people need a space to be themselves,’ he says. ‘And summer camps provide that. They allow young people time away from home to explore their identity, purpose and belonging in a safe, Christian-influenced environment.

‘So many teenagers that we meet are struggling with their mental health or they come from difficult backgrounds. Some of them don’t know what it is to be heard or loved. At summer camps, the staff are able to focus on building relationships with the young people, and they are always prepared to listen if ever they want to talk about their personal situations at home. It’s all about creating a place of belonging.’

From next Saturday (19 August), Richard will be part of the staff team for a week-long Salvation Army summer camp taking place in Somerset. Scheduled activities include an outdoors session on survival skills, a Nerf foam-dart gun battle, a silent disco and an evening spent exploring creative prayer.

‘For young people who perhaps don’t usually connect with church or faith, or who wouldn’t normally take time to reflect on life, we offer them spaces where they can dip in and out of those things,’ he says. ‘Our summer camps will always have a Christian theme, but there’s no pressure for the young people to make any kind of faith commitment. Often, towards the end of the week, we all gather

round the campfire, sing songs and toast marshmallows, and the teenagers will start talking, saying things like: “I don’t know if I believe in God, but this week has meant so much to me. I’ve been able to ask questions and make new friends.”

‘The conversations that come up during that time can be incredible. Every summer, we hear young people sharing that their time with us has been life-transforming.’

This year, more than 500 young people

are expected to attend a Salvation Army summer camp, where they can take part in a range of activities designed to develop their confidence, self-awareness and independence. By having fun, making friends and exploring faith, there’s hope that the young people will be able to create treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

l Some names have been changed

Prayerlink

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

❱❱❱❱❱❱

Muttering about decluttering

YOU don’t need to flick through too many TV channels before you’ll find a programme dedicated to helping people make space in their overcrowded homes by decluttering. My favourite of these shows, Love It or List It, features Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp helping couples desperate for more space. While Phil looks for bigger houses, Kirstie offers alternative solutions to moving, such as knocking down walls, building extensions or simply getting rid of accumulated stuff.

When one family of five had close to a hundred mugs in their kitchen, Kirstie instructed them to choose five favourites each and donate the rest to charity shops. The result: because they learnt to declutter, they didn’t need to move.

Inspired by the programme, when I packed to move to my new home, I began sorting out my own smaller collection of mugs.

It wasn’t easy, as I like unusual mugs. I particularly like ones that I can use to match my mood. I have several in the ‘Keep calm’ range, my favourite being, ‘Don’t tell me to keep calm’ – which warns my husband to be quiet until I am calm! But my absolute favourite has to be one that says: ‘I’m surrounded by idiots.’

However, I had to accept that I had too many mugs, and I reluctantly said goodbye to some.

It’s not only our possessions that need a declutter from time to time. Our minds do too. Ridding ourselves of unnecessary, hurtful and potentially harmful thoughts and memories we have stored up can be just as important.

In the Bible, early Christian teacher Paul suggests a better way to think: ‘You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse’ (Philippians 4:8 The Message).

The great news is that, if we ask him, God will help us to do this. By getting rid of some of the rubbish that consumes our thoughts, we can find space to think about the good things of life.

Name

Address

It’s not only our possessions that need a declutter

QUICK QUIZ

1 2 3 4 5 6

In which European city is the Rembrandt House Museum?

In what year was the Channel tunnel opened?

In the children’s cartoon Bluey, what are the names of Bluey’s parents?

Which Shakespeare play features the twins Viola and Sebastian?

Which brand of beauty products has the advertising slogan: ‘Because you’re worth it’?

Who plays Kathy Beale in the BBC1 soap EastEnders?

MARKS OF SUCCESS

A-level results day highlights questions of identity

Feature by Emily Bright

THE results are in – almost. A-level grades will be handed out to thousands of students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Thursday (17 August). It will be time to see if the months of hard work and revision have finally paid off, potentially opening up the worlds of universities or apprenticeships.

For some, their exam grades will bring elation and hope. But for others, the day may bring disappointment and frustration as they don’t get the results they wanted or expected, which may throw their plans for the future into disarray.

While academic achievement should be celebrated, and it’s understandable for students to be emotionally invested after putting so much work in, it isn’t everything. There is much more to our identity than any exam grades that we may or may not have attained. Life is far more about who we are.

Academic achievement should be celebrated

Many millions of people around the world see their identity as being based on their faith and a relationship with God, which provides answers when they don’t have any.

Thousands of years ago, one man made a declaration that has remained true. He said: ‘The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you’ (Zephaniah 3:17 New Living Translation).

God is alive and at work in the world today and longs to be in a relationship with every one of us. He delights in and loves us for who we are, regardless of what we have or have not done. He sees us not through the lens of our achievements, but rather through his Son, Jesus, who died willingly on a cross so that we could be reconciled to him.

God is on hand to provide reassurance and comfort during our toughest tests in life, and he cheers us on in our moments of triumph. If we let him into our lives, we can receive his love and encouragement. That’s something really worth celebrating.

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

18.

19.

21.

22.

23. Trap (5)

(6)

SERVES 4

Pork tortillas

INGREDIENTS

1 red pepper

Handful salad leaves

1 red onion

100g cherry tomatoes

500g pork escalopes

Cooking salt and freshly ground black pepper

Paprika

4tbsp olive oil

200g padrón peppers

Coarse sea salt

4 tortilla wraps

4tbsp canned sweetcorn, drained

SERVES 4

Cut off the top of the red pepper, remove the seeds and thinly slice into rings. Wash and shake dry the salad leaves. Peel and halve the onion and cut into thin strips. Halve the tomatoes.

Season the pork with salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika. Heat 2tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the pork for about 2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside and leave to rest.

Preheat the grill to high. Brush the padrón peppers with the remaining olive oil, then grill for 5-6 minutes, turning regularly, until softened and charred. Tip into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

Briefly warm the tortillas, then top with the salad leaves, red pepper, onion and tomatoes.

Cut the pork into strips, arrange on top with the sweetcorn and fold over the tortillas to enclose. Serve with the grilled padrón peppers.

Smashed sweet potatoes with beetroot and feta salad

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sweet potatoes

4tbsp olive oil

300g beetroot, cooked and peeled

1tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2tbsp parsley, chopped

150g feta cheese

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Wash the sweet potatoes, pat dry and prick deeply several times with a fork. Place on the tray, drizzle with 2tbsp olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until soft.

For the salad, cut the beetroot into small cubes and set aside. In a bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the vinegar and remaining oil and season the dressing, to taste. Add the beetroot and parsley, then crumble in the feta cheese. Mix everything well and season, to taste.

Press the tops of the baked sweet potatoes with a spatula to open, roughly loosen the flesh with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the beetroot and feta salad on top, lightly season with pepper and serve.

It is good for the human spirit to be still

Archbishop Stephen Cottrell