11 March 2017 NZFT War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION  11 MARCH 2017 | Issue 6662 | $1.50

ANDREW JUDD

Recovering racist

Thank You For The Music How Can I Help My Kids Get Along?

Growing The Church Through Faith and Friends Words to live by:

HOMECOMING Community Driving Programme Set to Expand

6

10

14

18

WAR CRY The Salvation Army

Te Ope Whakaora New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL André Cox | FOUNDERS William

& Catherine Booth

The Salvation Army’s message is based on the Bible. Our ministry is motivated by love for God. Our mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human need in his name without discrimination. War Cry exists to support and advance The Salvation Army’s message, ministry and mission.

EDITOR Major Christina Tyson | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Tanesha Dahya | STAFF WRITERS Ingrid Barratt, Major Shar Davis, Robin Raymond | PROOF READING Major Jill Gainsford | COVER Andrew Judd, Photography: Fairfax Media,

Taranaki Daily News

OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box

6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@nzf.salvationarmy.org, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT www.makeready.nz PAPER Sumo Offset is an environmentally responsible

paper produced using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) FSC® certified Mixed Source pulp from responsible sources and manufactured under the strict ISO14001 Environmental Management System.

Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association.

All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

Keep heading forward I can relate to Andrew Judd’s story of being a ‘recovering racist’. I’m about the same age as Andrew and grew up in a New Zealand where assimilation was the goal, which meant Māori largely becoming like ‘New Zealanders’ (aka like their Pākehā colonisers).

In primary school, I knew just one Māori person—a boy called Rangi.

The only Te Reo I learnt was how to count to 10, and my cultural awareness of Maori tikanga consisted of little more than a visit to the Māori exhibit at the old Wellington museum, where I gave a woeful performance in a poi dance.

And so I have felt the poverty of having no strong cultural identity from my own immigrant ancestors (Denmark, Norway, Northern Ireland and England), while also having no real awareness of New Zealand’s own indigenous culture.

It is almost exclusively through The Salvation Army that I have had this poverty addressed in more recent years. As The Salvation Army has taken steps towards a more determined bicultural commitment—a journey of justice that has faltered in the past but gains ground every year—I find myself gaining a richer sense of place and people.

The word ‘repent’ is a significant word for Christians. It describes our turning from wrong and turning to face forward to a new life led by Jesus. My husband recently reminded me that the key to repentance is that you have to keep going forward in that new life-giving direction, leaving behind the old. Thank God for people like Andrew Judd and others like him who are calling us Pākehā forward to a better way.

Christina Tyson Editor

Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission.

Publishing for 133 years | Issue 6662 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online www.issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

www.salvationarmy.org.nz salvationarmynzftwarcry @salvationarmynz salvationarmynzft

2 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

12

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. John Piper

Proverbs 4:23 Common English Bible More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.

Ngā Whakatauki 4:23 Kia pau ōu mahara ki te tiaki i tōu ngākau; nō reira hoki ngā putanga o te ora.

J

ust another Saturday night at home, but then a simple trip saw this senior citizen take an unrestrained fall.

Such pain!

At first I was sure the feeling of agony would soon go away and mobility would return.

Alas no! So what to do now?

We could phone the ambulance, but that would mean I’d have to move—which would be unbearable.

Common sense spoke up and said, ‘You’ve got no alternative.’

But it’s Saturday night—they’ll be flat out!

I objected.

Despite my protests, the call was made and three paramedics soon arrived. To my great relief, there was no talk of moving me. Just lots of questions and observations.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the paramedics was gently inserting a needle into my arm … and soon the pain-killing fluid flowed. Next, a mouthpiece was placed in my mouth with the instruction to ‘breathe in as much as you want—it’s laughing gas’.

With my pain under control I was placed carefully in the ambulance, ready for hospital.

Hospital? On a Saturday night, their busiest time?! Hardly ideal.

I was wrong again. The emergency department was busy and alert, as was the hospital’s x-ray department.

Their diagnosis? A broken bone.

The next day saw me in surgery, ahead of my transfer to the rehab unit at Burwood Hospital.

Where is God in all this? I pondered.

As if in reply, I heard the sounds of a busy ward. Doctors, soft-soled nurses and aides, porters, beds being moved and linen changed, visitors coming and going. Ah, the squeaky wheel of the food trolley!

Where is God? … Why, he is here, now. Just as Jacob (grandson of Abraham, the founder of the Jewish nation) discovered. ‘Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not.’ (Genesis 32:30) Canadian Salvation Army writer Beverly Ivany puts it this way: ‘Many people know nothing of God, so are not aware of the wonders and miracles he performs daily. They live in darkness, failing to acknowledge it is the Lord who makes the sun rise each morning and causes it to set each night. People fail to admit that it’s God who breathes into all of us the miracle of life—he feeds us, protects us and guides us, loves us.’

And saves us.

BY STAN HARRIS

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 3

GOODSTUFF

‘Tummah’ is the biblical Hebrew word for integrity, and the name of a new ethical clothing company in New Zealand. An online-only store, it stocks Fairtrade and organic products, including on-trend shift dresses from Indian company No Nasties (pictured).

Apurva Kothar, the man behind No Nasties, decided to get into ethical fashion after reading that a cotton farmer commits suicide every two hours in his native India. Tummah Ethical Trade’s founders, Caleb and Anna Morris, want to make a difference: ‘We don’t exist for moral superiority, but to play our part in a new fashion industry.’

Tummah also sells Fairtrade sports balls and other clothing.

The average cumulus cloud is 500 million grams of water—the equivalent weight of 100 elephants!

www.tummahethicaltrade.co.nz

The World’s First Māori Speaking Doll I have a friend who was really surprised to hear his daughter speaking Spanish one day. Then he realised the power of Dora the Explorer as a teaching tool. There’s lots of evidence to suggest that the sooner children start to learn other languages the better.

Pipi Mā are the world’s first 100 per cent Māori speaking dolls for children, created by a Māori-speaking family here in Aotearoa New Zealand. The four dolls are Pipi, Hura, Tītoki and Pītau Pōtiki and they are ‘on a mission to take the Māori language and its culture to a whole new level of cool’.

The dolls are larger than life, and with a little squeeze of their hand they will speak and sing.

Each has different phrases, dialogue, questions and songs. Don’t panic if you don’t know what they’re saying, they come with a card that gives both the Māori and English translation.

Drama, Historical Silence (R-16, Violence & cruelty) Martin Scorsese Silence follows priests Fathers Rodrigues and Garupe in the search for their mentor Father Ferreira, who has ceased correspondence and is believed to have turned from his faith while working to spread the gospel in 17th Century Japan. Silence is a satisfying exploration of the Christian faith under persecution and of the stubborn clashing of different spiritual beliefs, ideologies and cultures. Throughout we are not only confronted with the apparent silence of God in the suffering of his children, but must also ponder the unsettling question: at what point do we get so caught up with theological ideals that the pursuit of spreading our faith interferes with our ability to follow Christ’s command to love? With relatively low-level but nevertheless disturbing violence in places, Silence is not a film for everyone. (Reviewed by Craig Hutson)

4 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

The dolls normalise the Māori language, affirm a sense of identity for Māori children, and they’re really big on the cuddle factor too.

And as adults, we’re bound to learn a few things too.

I have yet to meet a parent who doesn’t know the theme songs to their kids’ favourite show or who can’t recite their kid’s favourite story off by heart.

QUIKQUIZ 1 What Australian

instrument makes a low droning sound?

2 Which member of

the British royal family was born in September 1984?

3 What is the lowest

female singing voice?

4 What NZ city has a main thoroughfare called Childers Rd?

5 Where did Jacob

dream about a ladder?

Answers on page 22

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.

Oprah Winfrey

ONTHESPOT Jay Wanakore Jay and Sarah were popular semi-finalists on the New Zealand version of My Kitchen Rules. They now run a lifestyle blog, and have a new book out.

Secret indulgence: It’s no secret but I love sweet food—I love our clean banoffee pie.

Celebrity crush: Beyonce is beautiful, talented, and has a crazy work ethic—much like my darling Sarah, but she can cook and gave me three beautiful kids, so she wins.

What I’m watching or reading: Been watching lots of awesome docos on Netflix lately—Cowspiracy, Minimalist, Before the Flood are all amazing.

One thing I love: Having quality whānau time with the kiddies (so I get time to be a big kid myself.)

One thing I hate: Bad drivers—take it easy guys, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Clean Banoffee Pie Here it is … free of refined sugar, gluten or dairy, but still as indulgent as ever.

Crust 1 ½ cups of dates, chopped 2 cups desiccated coconut 1 cup raw almonds 2 tbsp coconut oil or melted butter Caramel and topping 1 cup dates ¼ cup coconut sugar or pure maple syrup 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter ½ cup coconut cream 3 bananas, sliced

Soak both sets of dates in boiling water for 10-15 mins.

In a food processor, blitz together the desiccated coconut, almonds and the first quantity of dates until a crumb forms. Add coconut oil or butter and blend well.

Press the crust mixture tightly into a 30 cm round tart or baking dish. Place in freezer while you prepare your filling.

Combine the coconut sugar or maple syrup with the coconut oil or butter in a saucepan, over a low heat. Stir until dissolved, then leave to simmer for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add coconut cream and stir well until well combined. Whisk gently, allowing the caramel to thicken.

Blitz remaining dates in food processor and add to the caramel sauce. Set aside to cool for at least 10 mins.

Take the pie crust out of the freezer and lay half the banana slices over the base.

Pour the caramel over this, and place remaining bananas on top.

Place in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour before serving.

From Jay and Sarah’s Fresh and Affordable Family Food.

What I love most about my job: I work across about three different industries: TV, foodie and running our lifestyle blog (www.jayandsarah.nz). They’re all creative roles. Nothing is ever the same and it’s always fun.

Something that would surprise us about your job: Most of the productions and companies that I work for are Māori owned and run, and I’m fortunate because I can speak fluent Māori.

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 5

Photography: Mark Mitchell, NZ Herald.

When Andrew Judd, the former New Plymouth mayor, came out on national television as ‘a recovering racist’, he hit a collective raw nerve. Describing himself as ‘male, pale and frail’, Andrew admits he’s an unlikely prophet for change, but he’s now on a mission from God …

BY INGRID BARRATT

W

hen Andrew Judd became mayor of New Plymouth in 2013 he had never stepped foot onto a marae. He was a proud supporter of Don Brash’s infamous ‘Kiwi not iwi’ policy, and a champion of the white middle-class male. Today, Andrew admits that he was wrong. He has now become a voice calling out to middle New Zealand, exposing the implicit racism that is destroying our collective soul.

‘I’m 52 this year, raised an Anglican, and I did all the things that I perceived a good Christian person did,’ recalls Andrew. ‘I went to church on Sunday, gave donations to faraway lands, walked away thinking that I’m great, and then would cross the road to avoid someone Māori.

‘I never recognised this disconnect. Who did I think Jesus was, a Pākehā farmer from around the coast?’

Born in Masterton, Andrew admits that the dominant Pākehā culture raised him to be racist. He guarded his possessions carefully when going through the lower socio-economic ‘Māori’ parts of town. He felt uneasy when he saw a Māori flag. Settling in New Plymouth, he began (and still runs) a successful practice as a dispensing optician.

But Andrew’s flimsy contact with Māori didn’t stop him forming strong opinions. ‘I would say things like, ‘It’s not fair, there’s no Department of Andrew Judd Affairs, life is hard for me, too.” ’ All that changed when Andrew was elected mayor of New Plymouth. He campaigned on sensible spending, with the slogan ‘bringing honesty back to local politics’—but Andrew could not have known how prophetic those words would become. He was forced to be brutally honest with himself, with God and with an outraged public.

Just get over it As mayor, Andrew was surprised that observing a local Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) settlement was a profoundly moving experience. ‘I saw the body language of pain in Māori—it’s real for Māori. I had never walked in a Māori world and I realised, “Of course it’s not real for me, I’ve never been hurt like that and don’t know anything about the past.” ’ 11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 7

‘I TRULY BELIEVE THIS IS AN ISSUE FOR PĀKEHĀ TO CONFRONT, NOT MĀORI. THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN SET UP FOR US, YET WHEN IT DOESN’T WORK, WE BLAME MĀORI.’ For the first time, Andrew realised that Māori couldn’t ‘just get over it’. He makes the analogy of an intimate relationship: ‘You think of any relationship, and something has happened to create a rift. You think to yourself, “I’ll buy you some flowers, I’ll buy you some chocolate, I’ll take you away for a weekend.” But you’re still upset. And I say, “What’s wrong with you? Haven’t you gotten over that? I bought you flowers and chocolates.” The problem is, we haven’t talked about it—and reconciliation isn’t possible without talking.’

The final moment of crisis came at Owae Marae in Waitara, where Andrew was invited to observe Sir Maui Pomare Day. Sir Maui Pomare was the first Māori doctor and politican. He was at Parihaka in 1881, when the 1500-strong constabulary broke up a peaceful resistance against land confiscation, arresting protestors and destroying their homes.

‘At the marae, they re-enacted the waiata, poi and the beating of the drum that they could hear in the distance as the troops approached Parihaka,’ explains Andrew. ‘As I sat there, watching the tears falling from the eyes of the Māori people, something happened in me. It was the realisation of my ignorance.’

With his mind racing, Andrew confronted with his own defences. ‘All these questions rushed through my mind—do I ignore what I have seen because it’s not politically favourable?

Or do I stand up and speak the truth?’

A recovering racist An internal war raged within Andrew, and he started recognising what he calls his ‘yeah, buts’. ‘Yeah, but life’s hard for everybody; yeah, but we’ve got to move on …’

Andrew started to confront what he labelled ‘deflections’ that kept him in denial. ‘Deflections like, “Well, I didn’t do it. I didn’t steal the land. I didn’t stop the language. At least 8 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

we’re not as bad as Australia.” I decided to say to myself, “No Andrew, you didn’t steal the land, but you’ve harboured an attitude of ignorance by never learning what happened, by not bothering to pronounce place names correctly, so you are complicit in it.” ’ He began to realise his attitudes did not reflect the thoughts of God. ‘The truth doesn’t harbour anger. The truth sets you free, that’s what I’ve preached all my life,’ reflects Andrew. ‘So something else is wrong, Andrew, I think you’re experiencing … racism.’

It was a Damascus road conversion, confronted with a blinding realisation: that it was not Māori who had it wrong; he had it wrong. ‘We’re wrong; we are the problem, not Māori.

It’s us, Pākehā. It’s us, church leaders. It’s us, politicians. It’s us, business people.

‘I truly believe this is an issue for Pākehā to confront, not Māori. The system has been set up for us, yet when it doesn’t work, we blame Māori.’

An honest politician It was not long before the courage of his convictions was sorely tested. Andrew was heading up a review of local representation and advocated to include an elected Māori seat in council.

He explains in layman’s terms: ‘You can bring in outside experts to help you make good decisions; for example, an accountant has been brought in to a finance committee. It made sense to me to bring in Māori to help with obligations to the Treaty.’

He adds, ‘We cannot sort out our differences if we are not sitting at the same table.’

Andrew ‘absolutely’ knew the decision would be political suicide for him personally, but he could never have predicted the public onslaught. ‘I was spat at in front of my children, I had a man confront me in Nazi uniform, I was called a “left leaning lunatic”, and people stopped me on the street to say I was wrong and misguided.’

But the one incident that haunted Andrew was when a Christian visited him and used the Bible to justify his antiMāori stance. ‘I really struggled with that. And although I did get support from some Christians, for the most part Christian leaders were deafening by their silence,’ says Andrew.

The Māori seat is the only council seat that can be overturned by a petition and a poll. It’s an example of systemic racism, points out Andrew. And the inevitable happened.

A member of the public brought a petition before council, and a public poll voted against Māori representation by 83 per cent.

Yet Andrew refused to give in, and stood by his convictions.

In an interview with Seven Sharp, he described himself as ‘a recovering racist’ and the story hit national headlines. Host Mike Hosking challenged Andrew, asking, ‘What is wrong with democracy, that if you are Māori … tall, short, whatever, you can stand for a publically elected body if you want?’ Andrew replied that in an ideal world that may be the case, but Māori do not live in that ideal world, and we all have an obligation to treat Māori as partners under the Treaty of Waitangi.

‘Look, I don’t judge [Mike Hosking],’ Andrew stresses.

‘I have been that man. I understand that perspective. I could see myself in all those people and recognise myself in the vitriolic hate. Acknowledging that was the final release for me from my fear and ignorance.’

The path to peace Andrew decided not to stand again in last year’s council elections. ‘I can’t be the bait for hate. I thought, “How would it feel to be a young Māori and hear all this hate and vitriol?”

You need to find the strength to stand up, but there comes a time when you need to find the strength to step aside.’

Before he left office, Andrew made one last stand. In mayoral chains, he led a three-day walk from New Plymouth to Parihaka, to promote peace in Taranaki. Standing with him was the Bishop of Taranaki. To Andrew’s astonishment, hundreds of people joined him in the hikoi—including people from The Salvation Army. For all who joined, the hikoi symbolised walking away from hatred and walking towards peace.

Andrew reflects back on that dark day when Māori representation was overturned, and he knew his time in politics was over. ‘I drove up to Mt. Taranaki to sit among the trees and find some solace from what I knew was coming.

But even then, I could see this would be a catalyst for the conversation we’re having now. So I just want to keep telling my story,’ he says.

‘I feel released, I feel totally blessed. I want to yell it from the rooftops: that if you drop those defences, the truth is within yourself and it will set you free. The question is: what’s in your heart? Because that’s where the truth sits. And isn’t that what I was raised to believe as a Christian, that the truth will set you free?’

Walking the Talk Trish Mataki, head of Salvation Army Māori Ministry with her husband Tau, was on the peace walk with Andrew Judd. She reflects on walking the talk.

The peace walk was a moment in my life that I will always remember. My nanny, Dame Whina Cooper, led the hikoi in 1975 to protest Māori land alienation.

So joining this walk, alongside a Pākehā man, was a wonderful experience of reconciliation.

I walked for about 10 km with Andrew, and it was really an intimate time in which we talked about our families, the relationship between Pākehā and Māori, and putting our trust in God. We talked about how important it was for us to do this for our children, so they can take up the mantle and build relationships with each other as partners in the land.

In my life, I have never heard a Pākehā man stand up and admit that he was wrong as Andrew has.

This was a powerful acknowledgement for Māori, as we have always been subservient in our own land.

Acknowledgement is the only way to heal the hurts of the past.

In The Salvation Army, our mission plan calls us to ‘do mission together’, which opens up the opportunity for biculturalism. For me, personally, honouring the Treaty within The Salvation Army would mean continuing on the path of having a real voice at the table and to be partners in the way we do church. We can show other churches that we do not need to be separate and that we can celebrate our differences.

God is good—he can break down our walls and bring us together.

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 9

How Can I Help My Kids Be Friends?

Hearing your precious kids yell at each other, ‘I hate you!’ is always stressful. But that doesn’t mean they will be enemies for life … or even for the next hour.

And as parents, we can encourage their special relationship.

To adults, children’s relationships often seem turbulent and even cruel. But it’s important to remember that our children are still developing as human beings. A pre-schooler, for example, hasn’t yet learnt to empathise and think of others’ feelings.

A child yelling angrily at their sibling, ‘I hate you!’ can actually be a sign of a deep attachment. After all, even as adults, we only ‘let it all hang out’ within our most intimate relationships.

As parents, part of our job is to teach empathy—we intervene and help them make peace, which becomes part of our children’s emotional development. Renowned psychologist and relationship researcher John Gottman calls this ‘emotional coaching’. This is a three-step process, in which we:

CHILDREN WHO PLAY TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER.

1. Label and validate feelings: We teach empathy by showing empathy for our children’s feelings. So we say, ‘You are feeling really mad, why are you mad?’

SWEET SIBLINGS Simple ways to strengthen bonds between siblings.

2. Deal with the bad behaviour: ‘It’s okay to feel mad, but it’s not okay to say mean things.’ Set down an appropriate consequence—such as a timeout, followed by apologising to their sibling.

Talk about your own siblings: Talk about your childhood and adventures you shared with your own siblings.

3. Problem solve: Once the crisis is over, find a moment to chat—coach your child through their feelings, and allow them to come up with solutions. For example, ask them what they want to do next time they feel mad. When a child comes up with the strategies, they are much more likely to follow them.

Promote affection: If you have a baby, it’s easy to say, ‘don’t touch’. Instead, encourage your other children to touch Baby, with just a little guidance.

Research shows that children who play together, stay together. So even if they are quite different, find something your children enjoy doing and give them opportunities to do it together. This creates a sense that their positive experiences as siblings outweigh the negative.

Perhaps most important is that your children sense you treat them both fairly, giving them equal warmth, affection and attention.

10 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

Catch them loving each other: When you see them playing nicely or showing each other love, point it out to them and praise them.

Let them be teachers: Older siblings love to teach younger siblings new skills.

Night-time stories: If your kids are reading age, let them take turns reading each other a bedtime story.

TESTIFY! Murray McLaren has gone from a banker loaning millions to giving out microfinance loans through The Salvation Army in South Auckland and he couldn’t be happier.

I worked for BNZ for 38 years, I got quite senior in the bank, managing loans. About 14 years ago I became a Christian and my whole world changed. The upside-down model of Jesus changed my heart and I started getting involved in volunteer work. I volunteered with Victim Support and set up an NGO with social workers, mainly helping people in domestic violence situations.

I saw the Salvation Army Community Finance Loan Worker job advertised and it was the perfect fit of banking and social work.

We help low-income people get low-interest loans up to $5000 or no-interest loans up to $1000 for essential items. It’s a partnership with The Salvation Army, the Ministry of Social Development, BNZ and Good Shepherd.

Previously, my clients borrowed on average $10-15 million each. Now, the maximum a client can borrow is $5000, but my job is much more rewarding.

Each week I have probably 60-70 enquiries and I talk to them to sort out who might qualify and set up an interview. They have to go through a check to make sure they can pay back the loan, so it’s ethical lending.

A lot of them have debts with clothing trucks or finance companies. They can be paying $120 a week for loans. When you’re on a benefit of $450 a week, it doesn’t leave much. But with us, the maximum repayments they have are $40 a week.

At BNZ I was aware of these finance companies, but I wasn’t aware of the impact on people—seeing how little they

survive on, the stress it puts on them and how many people are impacted. Our loans can help them get a car to get to work or a laptop to go on a course or simply improve their quality of life.

Every person is different and has a different story of why they’ve come to see me. We’ve had Red Cross clients, Syrian refugees and an asylum seeker from Cameroon. I asked her, ‘What would happen if you had to go back to where you came from?’ She said, ‘I would be given to the army’—in other words killed. To play a part, to help them get a loan and get established here feels really good.

It’s not always about giving someone a loan. I can also refer them to other parts of The Salvation Army or another agency, or I pass on budgeting tips. Often they thank me when I say, ‘I can’t give you a loan’, because they can see where they can make changes.

It can be a community effort. We had a mum of four who was living at Women’s Refuge after eight years in a violent relationship. She asked for a loan for a TV so her children could have some entertainment and she could have a break, and also for some dental work

MY JOB IS THE PERFECT FIT OF BANKING AND SOCIAL WORK. because she’d had some teeth knocked out. She couldn’t afford to pay it back, but I called an old BNZ client who donated a TV. Then I spoke to the local dentist who gave her a free check-up and subsidised treatment and we got her a loan to cover the remaining costs.

Another young lady was working with mentors from The Salvation Army’s Family Breakthrough team at Manukau Community Ministries. It was really clear she was taking responsibility for her life and as a result of the changes she made she was able to qualify for a loan for a car. That really encouraged the Family Breakthrough team that they were making a difference—so it was good team work.

FIND OUT MORE | Community Finance Loans salvationarmy.org.nz/loans

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 11

BY SARAH THOMSON

Music speaks to our souls. It reflects our identity, our passions, even our moods.

It amazes me how many different styles of music there are. Jazz, R&B, pop culture, electronica, worship, country—and yet there seems to be a genre fitting for each and every human being alive today.

Some people like acoustic music. They enjoy the stripped back, simple sound of a piano or a guitar.

Others listen to screamo. Something about the way Silverstein belt out inaudible words connects with them on a level others (myself included, I’m not going to lie!) simply do not understand.

Of course, as well as genres, there are going to be songs or artists we absolutely adore. My sister, for example, sings a Taylor Swift song at least once a day.

I don’t understand it, but somehow listening to Taylor makes her really happy inside—it forms a connection.

Some of my high school friends are into pop rock, including artists like Avril Lavigne, Panic! At the Disco and Twenty One Pilots. Pop rock—if you don’t already know—is quite electric guitar-driven and mainly fast tempo. And loud! And for my friends, this is the kind of music they enjoy listening to. It forms that connection.

12 firezone.co.nz 11 MARCH 2017

WHAT’S ON MY PLAYLIST?

I listen to all kinds of genres, but if I were to define my Spotify playlist, I would tell you it’s chock-a-block full of music that makes me want to dance. (Sidenote: I define myself as a ‘balter dancer’, which means I dance enthusiastically but without any sort of grace or skill. However, my youth leader tells me I can kill it on the dance floor with my Drake dance moves!) Some songs in my playlist aren’t necessarily ‘dance’ tracks, but they do have a really good beat.

I’ll be honest, I’m the person who will plug my phone in but then skip most of the songs because there’s always comments like ‘We don’t know this one,’ or ‘This song sounds weird …’ from other people in the car. But I do love sharing my music with people, so here’s a small introduction to my music …

‘1955’ BY HILLTOP HOODS

This song is what I would call one of my ‘really good beats’. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon it. I think I had heard it once and disliked it, then listened to it again a couple of months later and instantly added it to my playlist.

According to one of the artists, the song is about ‘living in a small town, a place where things don’t change too much … sometimes living in a small town is like living in a different era’. Hence the song being set in 1955. He says he loves small-town life and the ‘simplicity and being part of a community’. One thing I like about ‘1955’ is its interweaving of old adverts from the ’50s. My favourite is: ‘Thousands of flying discs ... descending from the planet Mars’.

‘ROCKABYE’ BY CLEAN BANDIT (FEAT. SEAN PAUL AND ANNE MARIE)

The first time I heard this song I was doing a shift at work. (KFC whaddup!) ‘Rockabye’ has been on high rotate on the radio recently, so you’ll have probably heard it. Without shame, I can tell you I’ve danced around with the scrubbing brush doing the dishes with this song on repeat!

The song has an optimistic message too.

It describes a single mother working hard to give her baby boy a ‘good life’.

‘GRACE KELLY’ BY MIKA

This one takes me back to my childhood. ‘Grace Kelly’ has been around for 10 years already, which makes me feel old! Dad searched it up on YouTube back in the day and would blast it loud through his computer speakers. It’s a good song to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ to, and mimic the strange noises MIKA deliberately makes when he sings.

MIKA says he wrote the song after a conversation with record label executives who wanted him to change his sound to fit society’s take on pop culture at the time.

In an interview he states he was really angry and ‘wrote the song and mailed [the record company] the lyrics.

They didn’t call back.’

‘CAN’T SLEEP LOVE’ BY PENTATONIX

Pentatonix are a group of people who sing acapella, meaning they use no instruments, with every sound coming from their mouths! I was introduced to them in my second year of high school, back in the days when my friend group at the time would blast music obnoxiously loud through classroom speakers and dance around every lunchtime.

Mainly, Pentatonix have done mash-ups and covers of songs, but ‘Can’t Sleep Love’ is one of their originals.

In fact, it was the first original I heard from them. It constantly astounds me how they’re able to do so

much with their mouths. (I don’t know about you, but I can’t beat box to save myself.)

‘LIFE IS A HIGHWAY’ BY RASCAL FLATTS

My brother will love me for this one! When he was little, he watched Disney Pixar’s film Cars so often that I can quote the movie word for word. Yes, I know Cars is a kids’ movie, but it has some great music— including this song.

You can find some legitimately catchy songs on soundtrack albums. Try it! You might just find your next ‘dancing jam’.

‘INSIDE OUT’ BY THE CHAINSMOKERS

Okay, I’m not a big fan of the group’s name, but I really like this song. ‘Inside Out’ is different to other songs from The Chainsmokers. It’s softer and slower—and has a good message compared to a lot of music we listen to in modern pop culture.

The lyrics express the thoughts of an individual who wants to know more about someone they love and care about very much. The individual wants to ‘see the dark sides as well as the bright’ and ‘get to know [the other person’s] thoughts/so I can read your mind when you don’t wanna talk’. This definitely reminds me of the way God sees us and wants to love us—despite all the imperfections and flaws we may want to hide away.

IF I WERE TO DEFINE MY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST, I WOULD TELL YOU IT’S CHOCK-A-BLOCK FULL OF MUSIC THAT MAKES ME WANT TO DANCE. THANKS GOD!

God made each of us in his image—and we all have a love for music. So the way I see it, God made us with that love. We know music is a big part of who we are.

We love it! And we love the way we feel when we listen to it, whether it be when we are happy, sad, angry, excited or somewhere in the middle.

I think we owe a round of applause to the Big Guy, and a lifetime of thanks. God’s given us music, and that’s pretty special. So I’ll put it how ABBA sang it way back in ’77: ‘Thank you for the music, for giving it to me.’

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 13

STICK TOGETHER! Faith and friends are the glue that keeps people engaged in their church communities.

BY CHRISTINA TYSON

It’s great to see the Army focused on connecting with our communities—heading out our doors to invite more people into God’s family, and increasing our efforts to engage those who come to us for social service support with the same invitation.

Globally, The Salvation Army has launched its ‘Whole World Mobilising’ campaign, while in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga, we’re also focused on a new Mission Plan under the banner of ‘The Army that Brings Life’. But for these initiatives to have more than a short-term impact, we need to think about our next steps. How are we going to care for those God connects with our Army?

Faith and friends are what keep people involved in a church–they’re the glue that helps us stick around. So these are two areas we need to strengthen to maximise the effectiveness of our outreach efforts. Otherwise, we’re simply throwing The Salvation Army’s front doors wide to welcome people in, without paying attention to shutting the doors where the lonely, hurt, disgruntled and (to use a somewhat old-fashioned term) ‘backslidden’ exit.

14 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

Faith …

If a Sunday morning sleep-in is more enticing than heading off to the Army, this might be a sign our faith barometer is dropping. This is a Catch-22 situation, because if our commitment wanes, we’re less likely to get to those places where our faith is strengthened—like Sunday church, prayer meetings and Bible studies. And our attendance can also start to drop at those places where we have opportunity to serve— where our faith is also strengthened as we share God’s love and share encouragement with others.

Given enough time, our faith experience can stagnate so we start to look at Christianity more distantly. Like an observer or a critic, rather than a participant or champion. We’re less likely to live enthusiastically for Christ and more likely to live selfishly for ourselves. In time, cynicism can take root. And perhaps that old word ‘backslidden’ suddenly isn’t such an outdated label for where we eventually find ourselves?

Colossians 2:6–7 says, ‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.’ What a great picture of an exciting and faith-filled Christian life! And isn’t this the experience we want for ourselves and for others?

Hopefully, we already have effective pathways at our corps (Salvation Army church) that make it easy for people to learn about Jesus and come into a relationship with him. If not, the Whole World Mobilising and our Mission Plan are great opportunities to employ fresh enthusiasm for helping people meet Jesus and grow in faith.

Friends …

But if we back up a bit, we may need to prioritise friendships over faith if we’re serious about introducing more people to God and the Army. That’s because, for many people, friendship is the need that has to be met before they turn their attention to faith issues.

Some corps are very programme-focused, with lots of emphasis on activities. Sometimes this busyness can get in the way of building relationships, but it’s also true some of the ‘doing’ things we run offer tremendous opportunities for people to ‘be’—as helpers and participants. For those who gain satisfaction from service, this can be a great way to meet new people and find a few they especially ‘click’ with.

Sometimes in the search for the new and exciting, we underestimate existing groups as places that nurture friendship. Women’s ministries and pre-school groups are top of many people’s lists as warm and friendly spaces. Youth groups are great for connecting young people to church life and faith discussions—and they offer the chance to build connections with parents and caregivers.

But we may need to switch our thinking from ‘everyone knows about these groups and that they’re welcome’, to being more active in promoting them to newcomers. The thing about being part of a church with people we’ve known for ages is we forget that when you’re new, even the most ‘open’ group can seem ‘closed’.

As we mobilise and work our Mission Plan, we might also want to throw open our friendship doors by offering personal invitations to shoppers at our Family Stores. Does a mum with pre-school children know about our exciting kids activities on Sunday morning? Does that teenager shopping for second-hand clothes know our youth group is going bowling this weekend and that they’d be welcome?

In our quest to meet people’s needs for friendships, those in our corps who enjoy organising fun social events are crucial. We must never see their service as some trivial sideshow to the main event of Sunday worship! Like the connecting points on Lego blocks, social events are essential aspects of a healthy church life. Those who organise such events create sticking points that are building blocks for a growing faith community.

Of course, Bible study groups also provide an excellent environment to strengthen our connections to both faith and friends. But one of the challenges is that from time to time, we’re going to need to disrupt our comfortable group to make room for new people. Or we’ll need to release some of our close friends so they can host or lead a group for others. This can be hard, but if we keep that goal of faith and friendship in mind, we’ll hopefully see how broadening our corps’ circle of influence is helping to grow God’s Kingdom.

As the writer to the Hebrews reminds us, faith and friends do their best work together: Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on … (Hebrews 10:24–25, The Message)

Mission Plan: Our Values Helping people connect to The Salvation Army by offering opportunities to build strong relationships is a good example of our offering a place to belong value.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? | Download resources developed by our Mission Team | sarmy.net.nz > Strategic Mission Plan > Mission Resources. And follow us on Facebook facebook.com/NZFTMissionResources

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 15

Community Driving Programme launch in 2014.

Record-breaking Community Driving Programme Set to Expand A Christchurch Salvation Army driving programme that’s helping people get licences and change lives is expanding and could soon have an impact nationwide.

The Community Driver Mentoring programme was set up by The Salvation Army Education and Employment in Christchurch in partnership with NZTA, AA, Chevron, NZ Police and Gary Cockram Hyundai. It provides volunteer mentors to help people struggling to get their driver’s licence.

After two years, a second programme and helping more than 290 people, the programme is expanding again. Coordinator Keran Tsering has been asked by NZTA to support new programmes around the country, while the mentors have decided to establish a driver mentor’s guild to further the programme’s impact.

The original Community Driver Mentoring project was set up to help people aged 16-24 who needed some help getting their restricted licence. They were often young people in need referred by a range of community organisations and paired with a mentor, who provided lessons.

16 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

Community Driver Mentoring worked with the Christchurch police, which provided some mentors and also referred some young people to get them out of trouble with the courts or police.

Last year, that relationship with the police grew, with the addition of a new programme called ‘Operation Graduate’, where 20 mentors from the police worked with people of all ages helping them move on from either their learners or restricted licences.

They have also tailored additional programmes for people who did not fit the criteria for Community Driver Mentoring, but needed more assistance, programme coordinator Keran Tsering said. They included a fasttrack programme for more experienced drivers who only needed six weeks support and a programme helping full licenced drivers gain confidence and skills to teach others in their family to drive, through one on one sessions and mentor training days.

‘I thought if we had another way of helping them without burning resources, we should do it—that’s what we’re about at The Salvation Army,’ Keran said.

More than 290 people have graduated through the different programmes. Based on those results and after discussions with NZTA, the police and mentors, the programme in Christchurch has been renewed for two years and is adding a second car to take on more people.

The Christchurch programme is in high demand and the expansion was a testament to its success, Keran said. ‘When we did this for the first two years, nobody knew what the benefits would be, but we’ve kept looking at it and developing it. NZTA have thought we need to support this strongly. It has been so successful they thought, “We need to look at how do we make this bigger and work.” ’ While the aim was to help make New Zealand’s roads safer, the programmes had some less expected benefits as well, Keran said. Many of those on the course had found the lack of a licence was stopping them getting a job. And for some there were bigger consequences, including people facing thousands of dollars in fines, loss of car or imprisonment.

‘We had a young mum with four kids who had breached her licence so many times she had lost her car. When they caught her the last time she was such a habitual law breaker the police had to impound her car and she had to walk home with the kids.

The support that having a licence gives that family is huge. [The driving programme] makes such a change and such an impact on a family! It’s one of the most wonderful programmes I have been involved with.’

Many also had low self esteem or confidence, but spending time with the mentors in the car made a big difference and many had gone on to further training or work. ‘One of the biggest benefits was the enormous sense of achievement that spurred them on to a whole new level of confidence. They connected with someone else in the community who was taking time to help them voluntarily.’

Keran has been asked to share her skills with other communities looking to start similar programmes, after achieving a 92 per cent pass rate with the Community Driver programme compared to the national average of 55 per cent. The aim was to help communities that wanted to set up similar programmes but needed a bit of help, she said, and it was an ideal role for The Salvation Army to be involved with.

Flying the Flag on Waitangi Day Māori Ministry leaders Lieutenants Tau and Trish Mataki made their annual pilgrimage to Waitangi as part of the ecumenical dawn service on Waitangi Day. There’s a strong Salvation Army presence every year at Waitangi, said Tau, as people gather at the place where New Zealand’s founding document was signed between Māori and Pākehā in 1840.

‘Whangarei Corps attends in big numbers, with a real whānau atmosphere’, Tau said. ‘There were rangatahi (youth), tamariki (children), mokopuna (grandchildren) alongside kaumatua and kuia (elders)—all having a wonderful day in the 28-degree heat. The corps sold arts and craft, cold drinks and food to raise funds for the Army’s work in Northland.’

Kaitaia Corps was also represented, along with a large contingent from Tauranga Corps and Recovery Church. ‘Tauranga were first-timers to Waitangi and really excited. They had a wonderful time of whanaungatanga (building relationships).’

Salvationists from Auckland had also made the trip. This included Captain Hana Seddon, Māori Ministry Secretary for the Northern Division, and Lieut-Colonel Ian Hutson, Director of the Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit and Chair of the Māori Ministry Council, as well as Papakura Corps.

‘Sometimes the media give a blunt experience of Waitangi, but it’s a must for everybody who wants to learn the true history of our nation,’ Tau said. ‘As well, there’s food, celebrations, kapa haka displays, waka on the river, arts and crafts, groups fundraising and kids swimming. Of course, the colourful day also includes the politics and protests around Treaty grievances. But this helps to better inform how we might live together in a multi-cultural nation.

‘We’d love to see even more Salvationists at Waitangi next year. Perhaps a Salvation Army band playing on the Treaty Ground or our kapa haka roopu entertaining the many manuhiri (visitors).

That would show we are truly embracing the uniqueness of our nation.’

‘The Salvation Army is everywhere—so if I was in Hamilton, for example, I could connect people with the local corps (church) and its programmes. There’s often a synergy between the people The Salvation Army is working with and those on these courses, and we can also connect them with people we know in the community.’

BY ROBIN RAYMOND LEARN MORE | educationandemployment.org.nz 11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 17

New Vision for Strawberry Fields Site An iconic Salvation Army site immortalised in The Beatles hit song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ is set for a major redevelopment that will open its famous gates to the public for the first time.

In 1966, Lennon wrote ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, reminiscing about his childhood when he used to jump over the wall to play in the grounds with friends. To coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of the song, the Army has launched a new vision for the site that will include a training and work placements hub for young people with learning disabilities.

The Salvation Army’s research found that in the area, just 16 per cent of people aged 18-plus with learning disabilities were known to support providers and just seven per cent were in paid employment—the Strawberry Field project will help address this. Vocational training will be offered in areas such as catering, retail, visitor experience and horticulture.

Donated to The Salvation Army, the large Victorian house was a home for the city’s most vulnerable children from 1936 to 2005. A new exhibition exploring the story of the place, the song and Lennon’s early life will be opened, along with a café.

The gardens will be at the heart of the new experience, with an opportunity to see the site’s fabled gates, which were at one time stolen and subsequently recovered from a nearby scrapyard.

Another planned initiative is Music Rocks, a music-based mentoring scheme. Young people will develop new skills, expand their creativity and use music to re-engage and manage personal development. The site will also incorporate a Christian community for spiritual exploration, retreat and pastoral care.

Major Drew McCombe, Divisional Leader for The Salvation Army in North West England, says, ‘Strawberry Field is special in the hearts of many people in Liverpool, the UK and across the world, and we are aiming to redevelop the site to do justice to the many people that have been supported by the children’s

home or formed a connection with the iconic Beatles song.

We’re going to inspire people to become involved in the project in any way they can, to create a pivotal place in the lives of young people and a must-see destination for Lennon and Beatles fans the world over.’

His excitement was echoed by the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, who said, ‘I’m expressing my wholehearted support of The Salvation Army’s plans to redevelop their children’s home at Strawberry Field. Their plans for a totally unique project, to provide vocational training for young people with mild to moderate learning disabilities are to be commended.’

Peter Hooton, Chair of The Beatles Legacy Group, said, ‘I can think of no better way Strawberry Field could be redeveloped in such an innovative way, which gives hope and job opportunities to vulnerable young people, whilst making a valuable and worthwhile contribution to The Beatles’ legacy in Liverpool.’

LEARN MORE | strawberryfieldliverpool.com

Red Shield Appeal Nets Davey Award

In November 2016, the Army’s ‘Falling’ Red Shield Appeal advert won a Gold Davey Award for best not-for-profit commercial at the 12th Annual Davey Awards in New York.

Each year the Davey Awards honours the best in web, design and video advertising from around the world, with a focus on delivery by smaller agencies. Winning entries are selected by a 18 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

panel of members of the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

Over 4000 entries were received from around the world.

The Davey Award derives its name from the story of David, who defeated the giant Goliath with a big idea and a little rock.

It looks to honour the achievement of the ‘creative David’s’ who can make a significant impact with limited resources.

The winning TV advertisement featured people falling into a Salvation Army-branded safety net. The concept communicated the many different ways that people can fall into desperate need, and the Army’s continued commitment to meeting this need.

Salvation Army Public Relations Director, Shane Chisholm, says the award was validation of a successful appeal campaign.

‘We needed these commercials to both create awareness of social issues currently facing our country, and to clearly communicate the opportunity for people to be a part of the solution by financially supporting the work of The Salvation Army.’

The concept was developed by creative agency Black, and together with The Salvation Army it was brought it to life though a variety of advertising and communication channels.

GAZETTE Divisional Envoy: The Territorial Commander is pleased to announce the acceptance of Sharyn Saggs as a Divisional Envoy, Northern Division, effective 1 March 2017.

ALL THAT RUNNING …

AND WHAT I WAS CHASING WASN’T EVEN REAL.

Appointments: Effective 1 March: Capt Mathew Badger, Div. Youth Secretary, Northern Division; Envoy Sharyn Saggs, Corps Leader, East City Corps, assisting Corps Officer Capt Julie Badger.

Bereaved: Lt-Col Gordon Daly and Captain David Daly of their father, Brother Alfred George Daly who was promoted to Glory from Christchurch on 24 Feb, aged 97. The funeral was at Sydenham Corps on 2 March, conducted

by Capt David Daly. Please pray for George’s wife Coral, Lt-Cols Gordon and Susan Daly (on overseas service in the Spain and Portugal Command), Capts David and Denise Daly, and other family members.

Birth: Congratulations to Lts Ben and Karen Schischka on the birth of Nadia Mae on 19 Feb, a sister for Nathan, Luke and Jordan.

Most people chase after some prize or other. Something they’re desperate to achieve or claim for themselves. What is that ‘something’ for you, I wonder? Can you name it? And have you stopped to reflect on whether it’s really worth all the effort and cost to pursue it?

Dr Fred Craddock was a theologian, seminary professor and pastor of a small, rural church in the Appalachian mountain area of north Georgia. But what Fred Craddock is most remembered for is the folksy stories he’d weave into his sermons to drive his point deep into the hearts and minds of his listeners.

Like the time he described a visit to the home of one of his former seminary students. After enjoying dinner with the family, Fred explained how the young parents excused themselves to settle their kids into bed, leaving Craddock alone in the living room with the family pet—an old spotted greyhound. Earlier, they told Fred the dog used to be a champion racer who would fly around the track after the mechanical rabbit. They adopted him from a rescue shelter that specialised in finding homes for greyhounds once their racing careers were over.

So, with no one in the room except him and the dog, Craddock told how he struck up a conversation with the animal.

‘So, do you do any more racing?’ he asked. ‘No,’ said the dog, ‘I’m retired.’

‘What, did you get too old? Too slow?’ ‘No, that wasn’t it. I still had a few good years left in me and I was plenty fast. In fact, I won over a million dollars for my owner during my days at the track.’

‘Then what was it, bad treatment?’ ‘Oh, not at all,’ the dog answered. ‘I was treated like royalty!’

‘So did you hurt yourself? Is that what happened?’ ‘No, no … I was completely fine and healthy.’

Sunday 12 March 6pm Wellington City Corps 92 Vivian Street

Livestreaming on livestream.com/ salvationarmyNZFT

‘Then what was it? Why’d you quit?’ Fred pressed. The dog replied, ‘During my last race, I was way out in front of the others, running faster than I think I ever ran before. That put me really close to that rabbit we were all running after; close enough for me to get a good look. It was a fake! Can you believe it? Fake! I had spent my whole life chasing a fake rabbit! All that running, running, running, and what I was chasing wasn’t even real. I stopped right then and quit. No more running after fake rabbits.’

Which brings me back to my opening question: what are you chasing today?

Whatever it is, let me encourage you to look closely to make sure the rabbit is real and that it’s worth your time and effort.

Colonel Willis Howell Chief Secretary 11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 19

In the second of three reflections, Major Barbara Sampson paints a picture of what it means to come home.

BY BARBARA SAMPSON

I’ve been keeping company with a young man in recent months. It’s okay, there’s no need to tut-tut or send my husband a shocked ‘Did you know?’ message. The young man in question has no name, but his story has gripped and held me firmly for weeks now.

It all started when I was asked to speak about prayer at a nearby Brethren church one Sunday morning. I went along with two questions and a painting. The questions were: Who are you, God? and Who am I? It seems to me that these two simple questions are foundational for an understanding of prayer. The painting answers them both.

The painting is ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’ by the famous artist Rembrandt. It captures the moment when the younger son of a wealthy landowner returns home after his sojourn in a far distant place where 20 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

HOME IS MORE THAN A PLACE, IT’S WHERE YOUR ROOTS ARE, WHERE YOUR STORY BEGAN … he squandered his share of the family fortune. At the edge of the village the father, wearied by long years of waiting for his son’s return and anxious to get to him before his angry neighbours do, meets the boy. Rembrandt has painted a moment of infinite tenderness as the old man lays hands of forgiveness and blessing on the boy’s slumped shoulders.

To one side of the scene, standing as ramrod straight as the staff he holds, is the figure of the boy’s older brother. He looks on the scene with stern disgust, incredulous that his low-life brother has returned home to such an extravagant (in his eyes, undeserved) welcome. This older brother has never left home, never stopped being dutiful, but at the same

time he has never known the depths of love in the father’s heart for both his sons.

Deep in the shadows of Rembrandt’s portrayal there stands another figure, scarcely seen. It looks like a female figure. Could this be the boy’s mother?

She has no mention in the gospel story but she must be there somewhere.

Maybe she had a parallel experience of her own—a sudden departure, a far distant country, and eventually a homecoming. Is this why she is silent, even invisible in this story?

There’s no place like home Home—for better or for worse, there’s no place quite like it. Home is where you can turn up at the darkest hour or at the darkest moment and they have to take you in. You’re family after all. Home is more than a place, it’s where your roots are, where your story began, where you grew up from being just a kid on the block to being someone in the world.

I remember some years ago sitting outside my childhood home at Kamahi, near Edendale in Southland, and feeling full of emotion. This is where I began. This place, even 50-plus years after I left, is still home where my deepest roots are buried.

We can wander the world and still carry home in our heart. We can just as easily never leave yet have no sense of a home where we belong, a place to hang up the jacket of our soul or kick off our shoes of weariness. In the vocabulary of the spiritual life, ‘homecoming’ is one of those winsome God words that beckons and calls us to a deep place of rest and welcome. No matter how far we have wandered or strayed, God is always waiting, watching for our return, just like the father in the gospel story.

Come Home, come Home!

Ye who are weary come Home!

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling Calling, O sinner, come Home!

Salvation Army Songbook No. 436

Place and people A few years ago I worked alongside a man who had a checkered career. He had been in and out of prison, but he had huge potential for making a difference for good in the world. As the end of one year approached we both sensed that the coming year would be a year of homecoming for him—connecting with his family again after years of living apart. Not just physically, but also as far as relationships were concerned. He had

Rembrandt has painted a moment of infinite tenderness as the old man lays hands of forgiveness and blessing on the boy’s slumped shoulders.

children he had not seen for years and grandchildren whom he had never met.

The following year he did a Salvation Army 12 Steps course and in the process got in touch with the little boy he had been at the age of five when he was yanked from under a bed and taken off into foster care. He had been forced to grow up without his family, using his fists to make his way, always feeling angry but never understanding where the anger came from. When he told me his story I wept.

NO MATTER HOW FAR WE HAVE WANDERED OR STRAYED, GOD IS ALWAYS WAITING, WATCHING FOR OUR RETURN …

At the end of the course he met up with some of his children and an ex-partner.

They came and visited, stayed for a long weekend, talked all day and all night, telling the stories of that huge gap of years that had separated them. They listened to each other’s explanations and found a new love that bound their hearts together—tentatively at first as they were strangers, after all. But gradually the bonds strengthened and became meaningful for them all.

It was beautiful to watch this happen over a period of months. They still live in separate cities but a homecoming has happened between them—a return to the roots, a discovering of place and a people (also known as ‘family’) to belong to.

The welcome of homecoming The story is told of a man who lived on a steep slope. One morning as he looked out over the valley and up the other side he saw a house with gold in its windows.

He decided to go and look closer at this wonderful place. It took him all day to trudge down the hillside, cross the valley floor and clamber up the other side.

MAKE ONE OF YOUR DETERMINATIONS FOR 2017 Savour the word.

If you took God up on his invitation to come home, what would you come home to? A place? A relationship?

A new beginning?

Set your heart on homecoming throughout this year. What might it look like for you?

to find the house did not contain gold at all. It just looked like an ordinary place.

But when we looked across the valley to the house from where he had come, he saw his own windows were lit up with the golden blaze of the afternoon sun.

In that moment he realised the treasure that lay in his own home.

A friend of mine has a sister living in England. She is unhappy in her job and her living situation is becoming increasingly unsuitable. What should she do? Move half way around the world to come home to this country and to the sisters and extended family that she knows and who love her, or move closer to the man she is fond of but who cannot hold his drink?

Author Frances Murphy writes, ‘An exile is someone who is separated from the place they call home.’ Where is home for this dearly loved sister? Does she have the sense that she is in exile? What kind of homecoming could this year hold for her?

What kind of homecoming could this year hold for you or me? In those moments when we have a sense of exile or dislocation may we hear God sing his words of welcome and homecoming over us.

NEXT TIME | Restoration

By the time he got to the house it was late afternoon and he was disappointed 11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 21

SUDOKU

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS

Each Sudoku number puzzle has a unique solution that can be worked out logically (not mathematically). The numbers 1 to 9 appear once in every row, column and 3x3 square. Difficulty | Easy

9

8

2 1 4

1 8 3 9 6

5 6 8 7 5 3 9 2 4 7 1 2 3 8 3 6 4 3 1 4 7 6 2

To advertise your event, email: warcry@nzf. salvationarmy.org

PRAY

22 WarCry 11 MARCH 2017

Sunday 30 April 10 am Worship: Past, Present, Future. Speaker: Territorial Commander Comm Andy Westrupp. Fellowship lunch to follow.

For more info P: (03) 366 0740, E:christchurchcity_corps@nzf.salvationarmy.org

Quiz Answers: 1 Prince Harry, 2 Didgeridoo, 3 Contralto, 4 Gisborne, 5 Bethel (Genesis 28:19).

Send to: warcry@nzf.salvationarmy.org or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141

4 9 7 3 6 5 8 1 2

Phone

1 3 6 2 4 8 7 9 5

Address

5 8 2 1 7 9 4 6 3

Email

3 7 9 5 1 6 2 4 8

prayer for the following needs:

8 1 5 7 2 4 9 3 6

The Salvation Army to contact me

2 6 4 8 9 3 5 7 1

information about The Salvation Army

9 4 8 6 3 2 1 5 7

to learn about who Jesus is

7 5 3 9 8 1 6 2 4

I would like:

Official Opening Weekend of the New Christchurch City Complex Saturday 29 April 2 pm, Official Opening 3 pm, Afternoon Tea and Viewing 7 pm, Celebration Dinner/Cabaret (this is a ticketed event, contact the corps office for details)

Waitakere, Wanganui City, Waihi, Wellington City and Wellington South Corps; Blue Mountain Adventure Centre; The Salvation Army Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory.

Want to Know More?

Name

Christchurch City Corps: The Next Chapter

6 2 1 4 5 7 3 8 9

400–600 words with one or two captioned photos.

Promotion to Glory tributes are approx 300 words. Email reports and large, high-quality jpeg images to: warcry@ nzf.salvationarmy.org

Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 10–11 Mar: Territorial Executive Council, Wellington 12 Mar: Territorial Welcome to Cadets, Wellington 19 Mar: Kilbirnie Corps 26–28 Mar: Cabinet Retreat 8–10 Apr: Midland Division Review 29–30 Apr: Christchurch City Complex Opening 9 May: Red Shield Appeal Breakfast, Auckland 11 May: Red Shield Appeal Breakfast, Wellington Colonels Willis Howell (Chief Secretary) and Barbara Howell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries) 10–11 Mar: Territorial Executive Council, Wellington 12 Mar: Territorial Welcome to Cadets, Wellington 17–20 Mar: Top of the South, Southern Division 26–28 Mar: Cabinet Retreat 8–10 Apr: Midland Division Review 13,14 & 16 Apr: Easter services at Feilding Corps 29–30 Apr: Christchurch City Complex Opening 9 May: Red Shield Appeal Breakfast, Auckland 11 May: Red Shield Appeal Breakfast, Wellington

Queen’s Birthday Weekend, 2-4 June 2017 Guest Leaders: Commissioners Andrew and Yvonne Westrupp For more info and a registration form P: (06) 368 8177, E: Trish at levin_corps@ nzf.salvationarmy.org or Find Salvation Army job opportunities: salvationarmy. org.nz/employment

‘Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything.

Ask and pray, and give thanks to him.’

which key opens the door?

Philippians 4:6, NIRV

draw a walrus

in just ONE line

START

If you asked your mum or dad if you could have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner, what would they say? If you asked to skip school because sometimes it’s boring, what would your parents say?

End

A good parent would say no!

And they would keep saying no, even if their son or daughter kept asking.

Sometimes we ask God for things that aren’t good for us, and so God says no. That’s because God knows that what we want isn’t always what we need.

3

4

2

find the reflection

10

5

7

12 9

8

6

11

Reflection Answers: 1–9; 2–7; 3–11; 4–12; 5–8; 6–10.

1

When we don’t know what to pray, the best thing is to tell God everything anyway and then let God decide. Sometimes God will say, ‘Yes.’ Sometimes God will say, ‘No.’ And sometimes God will say, ‘Not yet.’ Because he wants what’s best for us.

Dear God, thanks for loving me and not just giving me everything I ask for when I pray. I trust you to know what is best for my life. Amen.

11 MARCH 2017 WarCry 23

There is More Can you hear the whisper of the Spirit in your heart?

There is more!

Can you glimpse the picture God is starting to impart?

There is more!

Will you give that vision space; will you give it room to grow?

There is more!

Will you shift your steps to follow, moving on from what you know?

There is more!

Christina Tyson

‘People plan their path, but the Lord secures their steps.’ Proverbs 16:9 (CEB)