War Cry 13 May

WAR CRY

All kinds of everything

As Graham Norton hosts this year’s event, Dana looks back on her experience of winning Eurovision

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 7627

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: Brian Peddle

Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

IN musical matters, there will no doubt be all kinds of everything at the Eurovision Song Contest this evening (Saturday 13 May). Some 6,000 audience members in the Liverpool Arena are expected to provide a noteworthy atmosphere for the 26 countries taking part in the grand final.

Watched by millions of TV viewers around the world, it promises to be an evening of music, dance and, if past years are anything to go by, fabulously flamboyant costumes. UK eyes and ears will be on Mae Muller, who is representing the country with ‘I Wrote a Song’, while Irish fans will be hoping that Wild Youth have made it through.

Youth, although not necessarily wild, has been to the fore in Emerald Isle entrants to Eurovision in the past. In 1970 schoolgirl Dana won the competition for Ireland. As she says in an interview in this week’s War Cry, her life was never the same again.

‘With all the press attention, I couldn’t go back to school to do my exams,’ she tells us. She explains how she focused on her singing career – but, even with the success she had enjoyed, life still had its challenges.

‘Sometimes I’d be visiting three countries in one day,’ she says. ‘It was an incredible time, but I felt like I was on a roundabout.’

However, Dana discovered a way to help her through this time. While on tour, she would go to church with her father and find peace. Today the singer still attends services and has come to depend on her faith.

‘Without my faith, I can’t survive,’ she says. ‘I go to church because it’s something I need to do.’

Dana is not alone. Christians all around the globe find their faith to be the foundation of their lives. Their encounter with Jesus has given them stability, purpose and a sense of hope for life in this world and the next. Now that really is something to sing about.

INFO INFO

A place in the sun

AUSTRALIA. To many, it’s a land of sun, sea and sandy beaches. For the British immigrants aboard passenger ship The Fairmore in 1956, it’s their shot at a new start. But – in BBC1’s drama series Ten Pound Poms, which begins tomorrow (Sunday 14 May) – they’re in for a nasty shock.

Before making the voyage down under, mum of two Annie Roberts (Faye Marsay) certainly feels in need of starting afresh. She despairs of her husband Terry (Warren Brown), who has become an alcoholic after fighting in the Second World War. Experiencing traumatic flashbacks to his time as a prisoner of war in Dresden, he spends the family’s income on gambling and trips to the pub in a bid to forget.

When Annie sees a newspaper advertisement offering travel to Australia for £10, with the promise of ‘whitewashed houses’ and ‘huge gardens’, she decides to sell everything so that she and her family can make the trip.

Terry puts on a brave face

On the way, she makes friends with Kate (Michelle Keegan), another English immigrant, who has left her fiancé behind in mysterious circumstances.

Upon entry to the country, the immigrants’ passports are taken away for two years, after which time they will be able to apply to return home if they wish. However, when they arrive at their rentfree destination, Galgownie Hostel, Terry remarks that it’s ‘like a prisoner of war camp’ with its poor living conditions.

In his new job, Terry encounters blatant bullying and xenophobia, but he is kept going by the dream of the day when his family can enjoy the privacy and comfort

of their own home. He puts on a brave face for his wife and children, determined to make the most of his new start.

It’s not going to be plain sailing. But then there are times in most of our lives when things can be tough. Retaining a sense of hope and determination during our greatest challenges is never easy. We all face struggles, whether moving homes or jobs, trying to keep financially solvent or dealing with a diagnosis.

In such times, our relationships and friendships can be put under significant strain, and we can wonder if we will ever make it through in our own strength. But the good news is that we don’t have to simply rely on ourselves or other people.

The Bible speaks of a God who longs to have a relationship with us and to equip us to face each new day. When we’re struggling, we can run to him for support. One book of the Bible says: ‘God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble’ (Psalm 46:1 New Living Translation).

God offers to be that same refuge and source of strength to us all. He’s

ready and waiting to help us through whatever we encounter.

Life still won’t be easy, but if we ask him, God will go to the ends of the Earth for us.

Annie, Terry and their family arrive at Galgownie Hostel

Postwar British immigrants find that a new life down under is far from easy in BBC drama

TV

preview by Emily Bright

BBC/ELEVEN/JOHN PLATT

Kate has left her fiancé behind in mysterious circumstances

j TEA M TALK

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Teen fiction can teach adults about faith

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

‘THIS adaptation is an answered prayer.’ That was how Guardian reviewer Lauren Mechling described the coming-of-age film Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, ahead of its cinematic release next Friday (19 May). Based on the novel by Judy Blume, the film follows a young woman on the brink of adulthood as she moves to a new home with her family, experiences peer pressure and faces religious uncertainty.

I can remember reading the book – first published in 1970 – in my own teenage years in the ’90s, curious to see if it really did talk openly about periods, pads and bust-growing exercises. (It did.) Having never read any young adult fiction which addressed the embarrassing subject of puberty, I was relieved to encounter Margaret, who seemed to have a lot of the same anxieties and questions as I did. I was also interested to see that she wasn’t afraid to talk to God about all this stuff. Conversations about boys and bra-cup size sat alongside her wonderings and doubts about faith. Was God there? Could he help her remain patient as she awaited various body changes? Did he want her to be a Christian, like her mum, or Jewish, like her dad?

She stops talking to God for a while

Towards the end of the book, as Margaret struggles to figure out her religious identity, she stops talking to God for a while. She wonders if she needs a faith at all. But it’s not long before she finds herself returning to prayer, picking up her conversation with the Almighty where she left off.

Though many people today may be tempted to dismiss Margaret and see her as nothing more than a flimsy protagonist in some trivial teen fiction, I have to admit that the 39-year-old me continues to see value in her story. I admire her for talking to God unashamedly about the most personal details of her life. I’m encouraged that she finds acceptance in him, even with an uncertain faith. Most of all, I’m reminded that when I pray, my own words need no censoring –because God, who really is there, can handle anything I tell him.

Team talk Team talk

Honour singles, says church

SINGLE people should be valued in the same way as couples and families, says the Church of England in a new report on families and households.

Commissioned by the archbishops of Canterbury and York, Love Matters explores how the power of love can transform lives and communities, and carries the message that it is necessary to ‘honour singleness and single-person households’ as much as family units.

‘Singleness is a reality that most people face during their lives at some point,’ the report says. ‘Singleness, whether by choice or circumstance, needs to be recognised well by society and by the Church of England, other churches and faith communities, so that single people have a full place in the life of society and our churches.’

Referring to Jesus’ marital status, the report adds that his own singleness ‘should ensure that the Church of England … does not regard it as lesser than living in a couple relationship’.

It concludes by saying that ‘everyone, whether married, cohabiting or single, should be valued and supported to flourish’.

WAR talk talk

WAR CRYWnRLD

Warm welcome given to half a million

MORE than two million visits were made to Warm Welcome Spaces over the winter, the church-based Warm Welcome campaign has revealed. Analysis from an impact assessment by Eido Research over the winter shows that more than half a million visitors made 2.4 million visits to 4,200 warm spaces across the UK. About 40 per cent of attendees said they felt lonely or isolated before using a Warm Welcome Space, with the figure dropping to about 6 per cent after attending. After the campaign’s success, 72 per cent of the spaces will remain open beyond the winter and continue to offer social support and comfort.

The Warm Welcome campaign was set up by ChurchWorks, a network of churches collaborating with the government, charities and partners to transform communities.

People urged to use free will option

THE Salvation Army is promoting its free will-writing service as part of Dying Matters Week, which runs until tomorrow (Sunday 14 May).

The week is designed to get people talking about death and bereavement and reduce the stigma surrounding the subject.

Thanks to the church and charity’s partnerships with other organisations, people can now draft their wills online, book an appointment with a solicitor or arrange their affairs over the phone or by video call.

‘Talking about death doesn’t bring it closer,’ says The Salvation Army’s legacy assistant Caitlin Carr. ‘It’s about planning and knowing that death is a part of life. Being prepared for our own end of life is actually a gift to those we love the most. Writing a will ensures your wishes will be met and can help reassure your loved ones that your legacy will benefit the people and causes you care about.’

For more information visit salvationarmy.org.uk/gifts-wills

Faith offers Dolly light and energy

DOLLY PARTON has highlighted the central role that her Christian faith has played in her life and career.

The singer told Fox News: ‘My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible. And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with.’

Dolly added that her faith had been ‘a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy. And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.’

Affordable food scheme a ‘godsend’

AN affordable food club hosted by a Salvation Army centre in Sunderland has distributed more than 4,500 bags of supplies since it was launched in December.

Operating out of Austin House Family Centre every Friday, national

charity The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT) has been providing nutritious food at discounted prices to its members to alleviate the impact of the cost of living crisis.

Since the initiative began, members have purchased 4,599 bags of healthy and fresh food, which equates to 47,400 meals.

Graham Wharton, community manager at Austin House (pictured), said: ‘Our community has been hit hard over the past few years and with prices for basic goods shooting up, we know that people who were just about managing their weekly budgets before have been finding it impossible in recent months. So to be able to work with TBBT and set this up at Austin House has proved a godsend for many.’

KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Scripture receives

TV comedy writer JAMES CARY

with the Bible

Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

THE Bible and the Marvel universe don’t often appear in the same conversation, but when TV comedy writer James Cary compares the two, it makes complete sense. He is explaining the purpose of his one-man show, Water into Wine, which tells the stories of some of Jesus’ miracles from the Gospel of John. The writer of sitcoms such as Miranda and Bluestone 42 believes that the Bible, which is central to the Christian faith, is ‘worthy of lifelong investigation’. He accepts that it can be a daunting read, but points out that there are fictional concepts in popular culture that are also far from straightforward.

‘The Marvel universe is complicated,’ says James. ‘But people have no problem fitting that together. Also, if you’ve watched EastEnders or Coronation Street your whole life, you know some 300 characters, and if somebody walked back in, you’d know exactly who they were and what their backstory was.

‘The Bible is like that. It’s not some random disconnected set of stories. It’s much more than that. And I want people to enjoy that as I do. I have no control over whether they believe it or not, but I’d love for them to understand that it offers a world of amazing stories and compelling characters that fit together in an enthralling way.

‘I’ve been a Christian since I was 10, so I’ve been thinking about this for 30 years, and I’m still finding new areas and new things, including in one of the most famous stories of the Bible where Jesus turns water into wine.’

The story of Jesus turning water into wine is a central part of James’s show, a comedy special, which he has performed in churches and which was made available at jamescary.co.uk on Friday (12 May).

The show is a product of James’s love of theology, eye for comic moments and screenwriting experience.

He describes the miracle, which Jesus

talks about the show he has written exploring the miracles of Jesus and why it is worth engaging

James Cary

JONATHON JOHNSON

screenwriting treatment

performed at a wedding.

‘It’s the first miracle Jesus does in John’s Gospel. Six stone jars are filled to the brim with water, producing a comically large amount of wine at a wedding that had already run out of wine – this is the top-up. Then here’s the real weird thing: we assume that Jesus did that so everyone would see how powerful he was and believe in him, but who got the credit? The bridegroom.

‘Why does Jesus do this amazing miracle but not claim it? I noticed he keeps doing that in John’s Gospel. Many of the miracles are under the radar. Even when he feeds 5,000 people with a small amount of bread and a couple of fish, he does it in a way that doesn’t bring attention to himself. The more you think about that, the more you wonder why he is doing it. My show goes into that.’

himself as a stand-up theologian.

I bring my sitcom brain to the Bible

‘It’s good to be upfront and say this has got quite a lot of theology in it and, therefore, the jokes will be surprising to you. Whereas if you say it’s going to be a stand-up show, people will think, “This guy talks a lot about the Bible.” I’m not terribly interested in being funny for its own sake. It’s much more to me about how we can take the Bible, agree with it, approve it and revel in it, rather than say that it is a bit stupid and we don’t really believe it.’

James, who has a degree in theology from the University of Durham, highlights something called ‘typology’, which relates to symbols or people in the early parts of the Bible being forerunners of events and people who appear later on.

experience to the Gospel of John. It’s the same process. John is intentionally using people, characters, locations, forms of words, themes that run through, so that it all comes together.’

James believes that the whole of life and the universe can be seen as comedy ‘because it has a happy ending’.

‘Life isn’t a tragedy,’ he says. ‘It can be tragic, but it isn’t a tragedy, because Jesus won, has won, is winning, will win. Therefore, we don’t need to approach theology and the Bible in a gloomy fashion.’

It’s an approach that gives James joy and comfort.

James says that he wants to ‘manage expectations’ of the production, describing

‘In a way that’s how movies and sitcoms are written,’ he says. ‘So I’m trying to bring my screenwriting brain to bear on the Bible. I’m applying 25 years of sitcom writing

‘One of the most common commands of Scripture is: Don’t worry,’ he explains. ‘We do worry. But when you see through the Bible how God is able to fulfil his promises over days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, millennia, it gives you a sense of perspective. You see yourself as being in God’s hands and know there is a bigger story here.’

‘I was totally unknown when I won Eurovision’

Excitement is building. The Eurovision Song Contest has arrived in the city of Liverpool and Irish singer DANA will be among the millions of fans watching worldwide. She reflects on the shock of winning the competition in 1970, the life-changing career that followed and the Christian faith that has continued to sustain her

Interview by Claire Brine

OOH aah, there’s more than just a little bit of excitement as singers and musicians from around the globe take to the stage for the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest tonight (Saturday 13 May). Whether fans are catching the event live at Liverpool Arena or glued to their telly at home, they know that they are in for an unforgettable evening of catchy tunes, glamorous-but-questionable costumes and jaw-dropping performances guaranteed to get the heart boom bang-a-banging.

Hosting the UK’s coverage of this year’s final is Eurovision stalwart Graham Norton, alongside singer Alesha Dixon, actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina. It’s a team bursting with star quality – but even they know that theirs are not the faces that the audience have come to see.

UK fans will be focusing their attention on Mae Muller, who is hoping that her performance of ‘I Wrote a Song’ will prove even more successful than ‘Space Man’ – the hit with which Sam Ryder reached second place last year. Meanwhile,

viewers supporting Ireland this week will have been backing the rock band Wild Youth, keen to find out what would happen to their offering of ‘We Are One’.

Flamboyant and fun, the Eurovision Song Contest always promises to be a larger-than-life spectacle in which all kinds of everything can happen. For the singer Dana, who won the competition in 1970 for Ireland, it was also the event which changed her life.

‘When Eurovision came along, I was totally unknown,’ she tells me over a Zoom call from her home near Galway. ‘I was an 18-yearold schoolgirl, studying for my A-levels, and wanted to be an English literature and music teacher. Although I had grown up singing in various competitions, hardly anyone in Ireland had heard of me. When we got to Amsterdam, where Eurovision took place, no one knew who I was at all. But I took the approach that I had nothing to lose

and thought it would be a wonderful experience. And then I ended up winning with “All Kinds of Everything”, which was a lovely song.’

After her unexpected success, Dana returned to Ireland, no longer unknown but a global superstar. Fans wanted autographs. Photographers surrounded her school. International film crews

Dana

Crowds turned up at Dublin airport to welcome Dana home after she won Eurovision

Graham Norton, Alesha Dixon, Julia Sanina and Hannah Waddingham are hosting the UK coverage of Eurovision

camped out at the family home. ‘All Kinds of Everything’ became a worldwide hit.

‘With all the press attention, I couldn’t go back to school to do my exams,’ she says, ‘so I focused on my singing and went on tour. Sometimes I’d be visiting three countries in one day. It was an incredible time, but I felt like I was on a roundabout.’

Now in her early 70s, Dana looks back with fondness and joy on the events that thrust her into the spotlight. She tells me that her Eurovision medallion is hanging proudly in the hallway. But before we talk in more detail about her winning performance, she takes me back to her childhood, explaining how her career in music began.

‘I started studying music and ballet when I six years old,’ she says. ‘And I used to sing in competitions. When I was about 15, I won a competition where the prize was a recording contract with

Turn to page 10 f

I had nothing to lose

Dana sings at Eurovision

From page 9

Rex Records. I started working with them, and then the secretary entered me for the Irish National Song Contest. I hadn’t done any major television before and found the whole thing to be a terrifying experience. But I came second.

‘After that competition, I decided that I wasn’t going to sing any more. It had been a lot of pressure, and I didn’t want that for the rest of my life. I also knew that the next year I’d be busy with my A-levels.

‘But in the spring of 1970, a TV producer phoned our house and said he had come across a song which he thought would suit me. He asked if I wanted to sing it by competing again at the Irish National Song Contest. I wasn’t sure, but my family and teachers encouraged me,

saying it would be a great experience. So I did. And, this time, I won, which meant that my next step was Eurovision. By then it was so close to my exams that I decided to take my school books with me.’

Along with her mother and grandmother, Dana travelled to Amsterdam ready to represent her country in her biggest competition yet. But her arrival couldn’t have been more low-key.

‘I was so unknown that no one wanted to take my photos or interview me, except for some Irish journalists and a reporter from Norway,’ she laughs. ‘So for me and my family, it was like a week’s holiday. It didn’t feel like I was about to take part in this huge competition that my whole life depended on. My attitude was: I’ll never get to do this again, so I want to

remember all the details.

‘I remember going to various receptions and being thrilled to meet Mary Hopkin, who was singing for the UK. She was such a lovely person, and our mothers instantly clicked.’

When the day of the contest finally dawned, Dana knew she would be the last performer to sing. Backstage, she and her fellow artists made their final preparations.

‘Julio Iglesias from Spain was walking up and down, singing his scales,’ she recalls. ‘But I just sat there and prayed. I knew that my family would be watching me at home, and I wanted to give the best performance I could. I prayed to God that I wouldn’t mess anything up.

‘When the competition began, all the artists were taken into a large room with a television so that we could sit together and watch each other’s songs. Each time an artist was called to the stage, the rest of us would give them a round of applause and wish them good luck. There was a lot of camaraderie in that room.

‘When my turn arrived, I was led to the side of the stage and I can remember thinking through the logistics of what I needed to do. I told myself: “Don’t forget your breathing; don’t slip on the slope as you walk to the main part of the stage; and don’t sit too far forwards or too far back on your seat.” Once I got into my song, my mind turned to other thoughts. I had to think where the cameras were and remember my words. I had to believe what I was singing.’

When the song ended, Dana felt a huge rush of relief.

‘I’d done the best I could. I hadn’t panicked, tripped on the slope or fallen off the stool. I hadn’t forgotten the words. I was perfectly happy – and if I had come last, I wouldn’t have minded.’

As voting began, Dana returned to the other artists. Together, they watched the television screen, arms round each other for support.

‘But I wasn’t really interested in the votes,’ Dana says. ‘I just wanted to keep all the details of this beautiful moment in my mind. And it was assumed that Ireland wouldn’t win anyway.

‘The next thing I knew, a stage manager grabbed my arm and started leading me to the stage, saying I had won. I thought: “I haven’t won! They’re still voting!” But apparently a big vote had come in for Ireland, and it meant I’d won the contest even though some votes still needed to be announced. I followed him in a total daze.

I prayed that I wouldn’t mess anything up

Dana with her mother, who travelled with her to Amsterdam

‘As I walked on to the stage, my eyes searched for my mother. I was in shock. Flowers filled the stage. I’ll never forget the smell of the freesias. Or the flashbulbs of the photographers. After I sang my song again, people started rushing towards me and I was completely surrounded. My mother gave me a hug and a kiss. Everywhere I moved, a swarm of people followed me.’

That night, every reporter in the room wanted an interview with Dana.

‘There was meant to be a big dinner for us after the show, but I didn’t get a bite to eat, because everyone wanted to talk to me,’ she says. ‘I was giving interviews until 3.30am. By the time I got to bed I was exhausted.’

When she flew back home to Ireland, she was greeted by thousands of supporters cheering for her at Dublin airport. Over the next few months, her life became a whirlwind of television appearances, studio recordings, tour dates and press interviews. New-found fame was proving thrilling, but the teenage singer also faced a number of insecurities.

‘There was a lot of self-doubt, selfexamination and loneliness,’ she says. ‘I knew that I was a musician with so much still to learn. When people clapped my performances, I thought they must have been feeling sorry for me because I was terrible.

‘But during that period of uncertainty,

I found that the people who treated me the most “normally” were the Christians I met. I felt safe with them. On tour, I’d go to church with my father and find peace. The Christians I encountered truly cared about me.’

Although Dana had grown up in a churchgoing family, it wasn’t until she reached her mid-teens that her faith in God became personal.

‘When I was 15, I woke up one morning and had the thought that there was no God,’ she tells me. ‘I thought I’d been told a lie all this time, and I felt very depressed. But I kept going to church because my mother would have killed me if I didn’t.

‘Then, one day at school, I told the priest how I felt. He explained that the Christian road was the most challenging road a person could take in life, but it was also the most fulfilling. Our conversation wasn’t a big lightbulb moment for me, but I’d never thought of faith like that. I began reappraising my walk with God.

‘By the time Eurovision came along, I

was still taking baby steps with my faith, but I knew that it brought me peace. It still does.’

Today, Dana’s faith in God is at the heart of every decision she makes. It inspires her music – her recent release, ‘Light the Fire (St Patrick’s Song)’, recalls the words and actions of the early Christian missionary in Ireland – and it also brings stability and purpose to her life.

‘Without my faith, I can’t survive,’ she says. ‘I go to church because it’s something I need to do. Often, I’ll say to God: “Lord, I completely trust you. Let me know what you want me to do in my life, then give me the courage to do it.”

‘When times are turbulent, God is always there for me. Whatever I tell him, he hears. I know that he’s aware of every minuscule moment in our lives. He’s an awesome God.’

l For more information visit dsmusicstore.com or danaofficial.com

Dana and Mary Hopkin, who represented the UK

Backstage, Dana called her father after winning Eurovision

Without my faith, I can’t survive

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’.

Becoming 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

How to…

read the Bible

This week in our series of handy hints, author and pastor

ANDREW OLLERTON explains how to get to grips with the all-time bestselling book

THE Bible has so much to offer. Rather than starting at the beginning, Genesis, I would start at the centre. Genesis frames our understanding of where we’ve come from, our origin story, but I think the centre of the Bible is Jesus. So I would recommend reading one of the four Gospels, such as Mark’s Gospel or John’s Gospel. There are so many good resources. The YouVersion and the Bible in One Year apps have reading plans that will help. There are a lot of options that can enable us to start where we’re at and help us grow.

by Andrew Ollerton is published by Hodder & Stoughton

Andrew was speaking to Emily Bright

Read the Bible in its context as much as possible. One context is the historical: when it was written, for who and why. Then there’s the story context, how it fits within the big story of the book. Thirdly, there’s our own context: God wants to speak to us and our situations through Scripture. Some of what’s in the Old Testament speaks to our entire human condition. But often it’s like with Russian dolls – we’ve got to find the story within the story. We may not have been wandering in the wilderness having been set free like the people in the Book of Exodus. But the story helps us understand what is deeply true of all human beings – we need to find help if we’re going to live free, and the God of the Bible helps us to walk into freedom. One of the best guides to the whole Bible is the New Testament. Its authors are continually going back to the Old Testament and finding how the stories show us Jesus. There are a lot of symbols or signposts in the Old Testament, and to read the Bible well is about recognising that these signposts are pointing to Jesus.

I think that, overarching all the great theology, history, culture and literature in the Bible, its message is that God loves us and he’s reaching out to us.

The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life

QUICK QUIZ

1 2 3 4 5 6

Robert Galbraith is the pseudonym of which UK author?

Koalas eat the leaves from which trees?

In which county is the royal Sandringham Estate retreat?

In the nursery rhyme, where was Doctor Foster going when he stepped into the puddle?

In music, how many beats make up a minim?

Who has had hit singles with ‘I’m Still Waiting’ and ‘My Old Piano’?

Manchester United’s Nikita Parris and Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd during March’s WSL fixture

Groundbreaking

Wembley set for Women’s FA Cup final record crowd

Feature by Philip Halcrow

THE Women’s FA Cup final between holders Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium tomorrow (Sunday 14 May) is a sell-out, the attendance all set to surpass last year’s record 49,094.

‘The growth of the women’s game, since the first Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley has been astronomical,’ Kelly Simmons, FA director of the women’s professional game, tells the War Cry. ‘The attendance for that final in 2015 was 30,710. This year we’re expecting over 80,000.’

Over these game-changing years, the players who have brought about this transformation have sometimes talked about what made a difference to their own careers and lives.

When she received an honorary doctorate this year for creating a sporting legacy, Manchester United and England forward Alessia Russo said her sporty family believed in her before she believed in herself. Her team-mate Nikita Parris – who has already won two FA Cups with Manchester City – told the My Sporting Mind podcast about the youth club leaders and football coaches who kept her on the right track.

Players have talked about what made a difference

And, looking back on the ‘first historic Wembley final’ in her autobiography They Don’t Teach This, the woman named player of the match remembers how her contribution on that day was influenced by her Christian faith.

Chelsea’s Eniola Aluko was racked with anxiety ahead of that final after a recent disappointment, but fellow footballer Linvoy Primus helped her to understand that God wants people to learn from their experiences, which can mean that there may be setbacks and failures before they can know the ultimate joy that he has planned for them. Eniola decided to play her heart out for God and trust in him, whatever the result – which turned out to be a win.

She describes the experience as a ‘lesson’ that she tries to apply throughout ‘the game of life’.

Linvoy had reminded her of a Bible verse: ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen’ (Hebrews 11:1).

They are words that highlight a truth –that God can be trusted because he cares for us.

And for the countless people who accept it, it’s a game-changer.

MALCOLM PARK/ALAMY LIVE NEWS

Eniola Aluko

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

insect

SERVES 4

Seared salmon with Thai strawberry sauce

INGREDIENTS

250g strawberries, hulled

½-1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled and grated

1tbsp sweet chilli dipping sauce

1tbsp soy sauce

1tsp fish sauce

4 x 150g salmon steaks

200g thin rice noodles

1tbsp sunflower oil

300g stir-fry vegetables with bamboo shoots and water chestnuts

150g frozen edamame beans

Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

MAKES 10

METHOD

Mash the strawberries in a bowl, then mix with the chilli and ginger and stir in the dipping, soy and fish sauces.

Line the grill rack with foil, then put the salmon steaks on top and spoon about 1tbsp strawberry sauce over each salmon steak. Grill for 8-10 minutes, turning over once, until browned and the sauce has made a deep-coloured glaze. Meanwhile cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions, then set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the stir-fry vegetables and frozen edamame beans and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in half the strawberry sauce, then add the noodles and cook for 1 minute.

Add the remaining strawberry sauce to a small bowl and set on a large platter. Stir half the coriander into the noodles, then spoon on to the platter.

Break the salmon into large flakes and scatter over the noodles with the remaining coriander, to serve.

Raspberry and white chocolate cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe bananas

50g runny almond butter

100g oats

80g oat flour

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

50g white chocolate chunks

80g raspberries

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Mash the bananas in a large bowl and stir in the almond butter. Stir in the oats, oat flour and bicarbonate of soda. Carefully fold in the chocolate chunks and raspberries. Use a large tablespoon to divide the dough into 10 cookies, then roll into balls with your hands. Place the balls on the baking tray

Prayer is simply talking to God

Joyce Meyer