FAITH IN ACTION  18 MAY 2019 | Issue 6717 | $1.50
Can My Marriage Survive An Affair? Epic Easter Camps! Avengers: Endgame and Holiness
How The Sallies Helped Turn Around a Troubled Boarding House Samoa Celebrates One Year
How The Salvation Army is Responding to the Unseen Face of Homelessness
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WAR CRY The Salvation Army
New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Andy & Yvonne Westrupp | GENERAL Brian Peddle | 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. MANAGING EDITOR Ingrid Barratt | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Matt Gillon | STAFF WRITERS Captain Jules Badger, Hugh Collins, Major Shar Davis | PROOF READING Major Jill
Gainsford, Vivienne Hill OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street, PO Box
6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Fax (04) 382 0716, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, www.salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone
(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $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.
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When We Have Nothing To Give I once heard it said that when you know God loves you, you can bear anything. But when you don’t know God loves you, everything is hard to bear. My faith came alive to me when I was 14, and I have had a deep devotion to God ever since. But I wore my Christian ‘busyness’ like Brownie badges—without knowing it, I think I was trying to win God’s love. Then, in my early twenties, I burnt out and escaped overseas. It was an experience of being ‘stripped away’. I no longer had my ‘badges’ to display to God. For over a year, I asked God, ‘Why? Why did you bring me here?’ Yet, without the burden of busyness, it was a time of rich blessing, friendship and adventure. One day, I remember taking my Bible to a babbling brook in the British countryside. As I sat there, taking in the beauty, my heart cried out again: ‘Why am I here?’ Then, I felt God’s gentle response: ‘I brought you here for moments like this’. In that moment, I understood God longed to bless me, not burden me. I was vastly and deeply loved—even when I had nothing to offer. This transformed my relationship with God. That is why Barbara Sampson’s final article in her series especially resonated with me—in it (p. 20), Barbara talks about living under the gaze of God’s love. To me, God no longer feels like a disapproving parent, saying ‘I’m doing this for your own good’. He is my true companion, walking with me through the hills and valleys of life. Ingrid Barratt Editor
Member of the Australasian Religious Press Association. All Bible references from the Holy Bible, New International Version, unless otherwise stated. Articles are copyrighted to The Salvation Army, except where indicated, and may be reprinted only with permission. Publishing for 135 years | Issue 6717 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 SalvationArmyNZFTS @SalvationArmyNZ salvationarmynzfts
2 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
God’s ways are higher than our ways not because he is less compassionate than we are but because he is more compassionate than we can ever imagine. Rachel Held Evans
Isaiah 30:18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. Ihāia 30:18 Nā konei anō a Ihowā ka tatari, he mea kia atawhaitia ai koutou e ia, nā konei anō ia ka whakanekehia ake, kia tohungia ai koutou e ia.
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arvel’s showstopper Avengers: Endgame has already become part of pop culture history. It smashed the box office record for an opening weekend—making US$1.2 billion— and is set to become the highest grossing film of all time. For the blissfully unaware, Endgame is the culmination of 22 superhero films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past decade, it has garnered the kind of following that will remain part of the pop culture lexicon for generations to come. Some would say it has almost a religious following. And, perhaps, that hints at why these seemingly superficial blockbusters have made such a profound impact. One commentator linked the resurgence of the superhero genre with the attacks on 9/11—the first successful Spiderman reboot came out only a year later, and the genre has gained momentum ever since. The superhero genre gives space to something deep within our humanity. Terror and fear may mask it but, ultimately, it cannot be quenched. And that is our nobility. In an ambiguous world, superheroes are still essentially about the fight between good and evil. In a cynical world, they celebrate grandeur and adventure. Humans are made to be part of something greater than themselves. We were born to connect to something vast and deep. ‘You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in you,’ wrote St Augustine. Those words were written towards the end of the fourth century— but we can sense that same restlessness today.
Our modern era is living under a great lie, writes Matthew Kelly. That lie is: holiness is not possible. We think of holiness as belonging to ‘our grandmothers or some medieval saint—but not for us,’ he says. The cult of individualism has disconnected us from our greater story. So, we have lost the language of holiness—words like honour and nobility feel like they belong to another time and place. As a Christian culture, we must take some of the blame for this. We made holiness a set of rules to follow, not a relationship to pursue. Holiness— to be set apart—means to enter into an intimate relationship with our creator which allows us to commune with him, to listen to his voice and learn from him. The superhero genre gives our secular culture the language to explore these expansive concepts. In it, heroes are set apart—given special powers— to literally save the world. They make great personal sacrifices, for the greater good of humanity. There is a theology that argues that every great story we tell, is simply a mirror of the Great Story— of how God sacrificed himself to restore humanity to him. Avengers: Endgame contains a spark of this Great Story. It shows us that holiness, nobility and honour are still alive in the human spirit. This is the story that we are all made to live. BY INGRID BARRATT
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Weird of the Week: A male rabbit is called a buck, a female rabbit is called a doe, but their babies are kittens! A mother rabbit is pregnant for just four weeks, but can carry two litters at a time.
Dress a Girl Around the World The rom-com 27 Dresses is about a woman who has been a bridesmaid 27 times. The film plays on the fact her wardrobe is crammed with weird and wonderful bridesmaids dresses, in a multiplicity of colour, fabric and styles. For many girls around the world, however, owning just one dress is a fairytale. ‘Dress a Girl Around The World’ believes that ‘every girl should own at least one new dress’. ‘Hope 4 Women’ is an international Christian organisation, which began the campaign to ‘dress a girl around the world’ in 2009. ‘We want girls to know that they are worthy of respect, and that they are loved by God,’ says its website. One million dresses have been distributed to over 81 countries in the past eight years. Kiwi Karen Wilson was searching Google for a pattern to sew a dress for her granddaughter in 2014, when she came across the campaign. She was instantly hooked and is now distribution manager, sewing bee organiser and Facebook administrator for 4 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
TOPFIVE
It’s Gagana Sāmoa—or Samoan Language Week—from 26 May to 1 June, so here are some words for the beginner. Use them in a sentence this week! 5 Fa’amolemole—‘please’. An essential word in every language. 4 ‘Apogāleveleve—‘spider’. A deservingly grand word for the big fright they give us! 3 Asikulimi—‘ice cream’. Don’t leave home without knowing this word! 2 Alofa—‘love’. The international language. 1 La soifua ma ia manuia—a greeting meaning ‘be well and prosper’.
SALLIEOFTHEWEEK Tony Haimes
Royal Oak Corps Plant Tony originally found a place to belong at Auckland City Salvation Army when he was asked to help on the sound desk back in the early 90s. A decision to accept Jesus soon followed, with enrolment as a soldier not far behind. Married to the lovely Annette, and a devoted dad to three adult children, Tony is also a doting grandad who loves having the grandkids stay. These days, he serves on the leadership team at the Royal Oak Corps Plant, and rolls up his sleeves along with Annette. Tony is one of the many unsung heroes around the territory, who we only notice if something goes wrong—but who is always doing the right thing behind the scenes!
Dress a Girl New Zealand. Thanks to Karen’s networking efforts, Dress a Girl NZ has distributed over 3000 dresses to 26 different organisations in just three years—with Salvationists joining the sewing circle.
dignity to our young sisters around the world?
Karen is thrilled that schools are also now coming on board, with young people taking an active interest in helping others by sewing dresses as part of their NCEA unit standards.
But if you can’t sew, don’t worry: you can still support Dress a Girl NZ by donating fabric, cotton, trims, underwear (all dresses go out with a brand new pair of knickers in the pocket). And, of course, monetary donations are always very welcome.
So (or sew), if you’re clever with the Bernina or Singer, how about whipping up something gorgeous and help bring
MORE INFO | Contact Karen directly at wilson302@xtra.co.nz or visit Dress a Girl NZ on Facebook.
WARCRYINHISTORY
Thriller, Independent, Foreign Language Woman At War (PG) Benedikt Erlingsson
Woman at War is a quirky but engaging tale of an Icelandic cardigan-clad environmental warrior. Halla is a seemingly unremarkable single woman in her fifties, but in her downtime uses her bow and arrow to disrupt pylons supplying the local aluminum smelter. By focusing on a reflective personal journey, the film weaves interesting questions about the balance between individual, corporate, and national responsibility; alongside the cost of who pays, when, and how—without ever feeling heavy. Halla’s embracing of the land around her carries over from the visual, providing quite a visceral, elemental experience at times—prompting questions of: ‘How far is too far?’ The complementary use of music and rhythm help keep the mood light, with recurring trios of folk musicians integrated into the scenes. A rare mix of story, sight, sound, and substance. (Reviewed by Matt Gillon)
QUIKQUIZ
1 Who wrote the hymn ‘It Is Well With My Soul’? 2 What music competition gave Stan Walker his big break?
Staff Captain Bishop, pictured here with his Grecian harp, was given the appointment of ‘Spiritual Special’ in Greymouth. On 11 May 1902, he recounted travelling from the East to West Coast, across the country’s ‘most dangerous roads’, on a carriage of five horses. ‘Now through a loose lumpy riverbed, then up a steep incline … a few minutes more we are rushing down round a rocky elbow,’ he wrote. Bishop made it to the wild West—but we don’t know the fate of his harp. Source: Booth College of Mission Heritage and Archives Centre
Those who say having a childlike faith means not asking questions haven’t met too many children. Rachel Held Evans
Kiwi Choc Chip Biscuits 225g butter, softened ½ cup caster sugar ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk 2 cups and 2 Tbsp flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup dark ‘choc bits’
Preheat oven to 170°C conventional (or 150°C fan-forced). Grease or line baking tray with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk. Sift over flour and baking powder and fold into creamed mixture with the ‘choc bits’.
3 What movie did ‘Slice of Heaven’ feature in?
Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Place on the prepared baking tray leaving room to spread. Press each ball lightly with a floured fork to flatten.
4 Who created the Great New Zealand Cookbook?
Bake for 15–20 minutes or until biscuits are a light brown colour on the bottom, cool on a wire rack.
5 Who is the first musician in the Bible? Answers on page 22
Serves 36–40. Source: Nestle/countdown.co.nz
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New Zealand has some of the worst rates of homelessness in the developed world. The Salvation Army is leading the fight to get people into warm and dry homes. Every person given a home has a story to tell—here are some of their stories. BY HUGH COLLINS
Top right: Major Graham Rattray (left) and Colin Campbell. Centre right: Kim Fraser of Whakatane Centre (left) and Deelah Nathan. Bottom right: John Maeva.
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ou don’t have to walk too far along Cuba or Queen Streets in our main centres to see that homelessness is far too prevalent in this country. But rough sleepers are just a fraction of the homeless in New Zealand. Many of these people are invisible—living in cars, overcrowded conditions or garages. Through its social and transitional housing programmes, The Salvation Army is not only providing people with a roof over their heads—it’s helping them rediscover their dignity, independence and future.
Deelah and Daniel’s story At the beginning of 2018, circumstances forced Whakatane couple Deelah Nathan and Daniel Morgan to ‘move’ into their Nissan Cefiro. With no rental history to their names, the two struggled to find a property of their own. ‘Coming into winter, it was absolutely freezing,’ Deelah says. ‘We used to go to public spaces and public toilets—park up anywhere we could.’ Sleeping in a car left them unable to function in their jobs, meaning they both became unemployed. ‘We weren’t coping with living in the car.’ After around six months, the couple heard through a counsellor that The Salvation Army would be a good place to seek temporary accommodation. They were soon given a room at the Nau Mai Motel—accommodation run by The Salvation Army with funding from the Ministry of Social Development. They have since moved into Salvation Army Transitional Housing. ‘It’s been perfect, it’s given us somewhere to have Daniel’s kids at the weekends as well,’ Deelah says. This has also allowed the two to return to regular employment—Deelah now works at a creche, and Daniel as a painter and plasterer. However, their challenges are far from over. The couple are currently battling to find a longer-term rental solution, something which continues to prove difficult without a rental history. ‘We were getting as far as meeting the landlords and having extra viewings and things like that, but then we just get declined because another family comes in with more references. ‘We don’t get a chance because there’s so many people looking for housing that have rental history that get in before us.’ ‘We’re the couple that gets declined as soon as you fill out the papers. It’s hard when you don’t have experience but then you don’t get a chance to gain it.’ Despite this, the couple have been blown away by the support The Salvation Army Corps in Whakatane has shown them. The two have even started going to Sunday services. ‘It’s like they’re your family, they genuinely care for you,’ Deelah says. ‘We love it. We have met so many cool, genuine people. ‘My partner, he’s got quite a big past with gangs and things. When he had facial tattoos, he would get frowned upon straight away. But The Salvation Army didn’t look at him like that. ‘It doesn’t matter what colour you are, what you look like, they love you for who you are.’ 18 MAY 2019 WarCry 7
Sallies on the frontlines Homelessness in this country is defined as ‘living situations where people with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing are either without shelter, in temporary accommodation, sharing accommodations, or living in uninhabitable housing’, according to a definition produced by Statistics New Zealand, Housing New Zealand and the Ministry of Social Development in 2009. This includes anyone who is sleeping rough (outside) or in vehicles, along with those living in boarding houses, camping grounds or lounges and garages not their own. A story by TVNZ claimed 70 percent of our homeless population are living in overcrowded conditions. A 2017 Yale University study found that, shockingly, New Zealand has the highest number of homeless per capita out of all OECD countries. (However, the researchers noted that comparing countries was difficult due to differing ways of measuring the issue.) Working with the homeless has been an integral element of Salvation Army work since it began in 1865. Today, in New Zealand, we work to house the homeless in two ways: shortterm transitional housing and long-term social housing. Transitional housing provides accommodation for people for a 12–20 week period. This also includes wrap-around support which helps people address the reasons that contributed to their homelessness. Staff then support clients to find longerterm housing. This can be through Salvation Army Social Housing, private tenancies or Housing NZ. Salvation Army Social Housing (SASH) has traditionally offered longer-term, low-rental options for those over 55. However, this has been expanded in the past few years and provides good quality housing for singles, couples, families and the elderly. These tenants pay Income Related Rent through the Ministry of Social Development.
The golden years? Joe and Donna’s story Our emphasis on housing seniors reflects an often invisible face of homelessness in New Zealand. Joe and Donna were thrust into this position when, after 10 years in their South Auckland rental, the landlords wanted the house back. Escalating house and rental prices meant that the retirees could no longer afford to live in Auckland. Joe converted his truck into a functional campervan and was able to use his practical skills to complete the installations, including a toilet, sink and cooker. 8 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
They spent around a year travelling and parking at various locations, mainly in the Coromandel Peninsula and back to Auckland—handy to family. They would regularly go fishing, gathering shellfish, eeling, picking puha and watercress. Any excess was given to whānau. The winter months were particularly tough. Condensation in the truck made it impossible to keep things dry. ‘We didn’t stay too long in one place before people start hassling us, and security and police officers would knock on our door in the middle of the night and ask us to move along,’ Joe says. ‘Apart from losing lifelong living conditions and security due to a number of reasons, the stigmatisation and shame that comes from being homeless can have a very real detrimental effect on the mental health of the elderly.’
‘JESUS WOULD GO OUT AND FIND AND HELP THE HOMELESS, REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD IT MIGHT SEEM.’ After several months, they were offered a Housing NZ home in Huntly. However, the move felt like a step backwards— the house was run down with accumulated rubbish on the section. The neighbours were having a party, and there was the unmistakeable aroma of cannabis wafting in the afternoon air. ‘We’ve had some pretty tough times and met some pretty weird people, but expecting us to move in next door to these characters is beyond a joke,’ says Joe. However, ‘driving from place to place felt like going from nowhere to get to nowhere, and getting further and further away from somewhere to call home’. The couple eventually went onto a waiting list for housing with The Salvation Army. In July last year they were provided with a home in the South Auckland suburb of Favona. Joe says that they have been blessed with a beautiful home that ‘is everything that a home should be. ‘I’d like to thank everyone from The Salvation Army for their support, kindness, and humanity during this difficult time in our lives.’
When tragedy strikes: Colin and Sally’s story Often, homelessness comes fast on the heels of a tragic event. For over 10 years, Auckland couple Colin and Sally Campbell
lived in a small caravan near the Bombay hills. But when Sally was diagnosed with a brain tumour, life got turned upside down. In an interview with the Manukau Courier, Colin said the tumour was about the size of a squashed tennis ball. ‘That’s quite large as far as tumours go,’ he says. After the surgery, the Campbells returned to their caravan, with Sally in a wheelchair. But circumstances quickly proved less than ideal. Sally began having epileptic seizures every few weeks, some which would last up to eight hours. Mundane, everyday tasks, like getting Sally to the ablutions block, became extremely difficult. ‘It was a loose metal footpath and if she wanted to go at 10pm in the rain I had to push her there in her wheelchair,’ Colin said. When Colin applied to Work and Income for social housing, he was told there was a long waiting list. But after a bit of an internet search, he soon came across The Salvation Army’s social housing service. Several forms later, they found themselves viewing a home in Favona. ‘We had a quick look and said “Yep, that’s excellent, if it’s still available we’ll take it’’. Things are much easier now. It’s way better and we’re way happier—I would hate to think where we would be without The Salvation Army.’ Colin says there’s no way the couple could have afforded market rent in Auckland and if they hadn’t secured social housing, they’d probably be homeless. The Salvation Army owns multiple homes in the South Auckland suburb of Favona. Major Graham Rattray manages 25 of these and says he receives up to four applications a week from people needing housing. ‘We could fill all our houses twice over—my application list is growing every week, but we just don’t have the houses.’ Social housing tenants in New Zealand pay about a quarter of their income on rent, with Work and Income paying the rest. In February, Stuff reported that the public housing waitlist had cracked 10,000—73 percent more than a year prior.
Welcoming in the stranger: John Maeva With every story of a person housed safely, Salvation Army staff are working tirelessly behind the scenes. If you’ve ever visited Waitakere Central Corps (aka the Faith Factory), you may have been fortunate enough to encounter the charisma and charm of John Maeva. Every morning John can be seen letting homeless people in to the corps for breakfast. A community outreach worker, John has spent the last four years getting to know a range of homeless folk throughout the suburbs of West Auckland. He regularly spends his weekends
getting to know those sleeping under bridges and on park benches. John says he grew up in a family that would welcome marginalised people, particularly those who had moved from the Pacific Islands. ‘I think my inspiration comes from my parents, just seeing all the work that they did with housing people in the community, and our own people from the Islands coming over and getting specialist help because of the nuclear blasting that had been happening [in Tahiti].’ John recounts a particular story close to his heart: One day, when visiting a Work and Income office in New Lynn, he struck up a conversation with a homeless man. Shortly after, he gave the man his card. The man then recognised John’s surname as being one from the Cook Islands. ‘He knew how to pronounce my name properly, no one can ever do that.’ As it turned out, they both came from the same village in Rarotonga. ‘When I heard that, I said: “You’re coming home with me”.’ The man went on to stay with John and his wife for several months. He has since been housed and gone on to regularly share his story and mental health journey with seminars and clinics run by the Waitakere District Health Board. ‘He became a Christian and turned his life around,’ John says. Despite fighting for a seemingly unsolvable issue, it’s John’s Christian faith that keeps him inspired. ‘Jesus keeps me motivated and keeps me going. I always say “What would Jesus do?”. Jesus would go out and find and help the homeless, regardless of how hard it might seem.’
In numbers • 1446 families—that’s 2876 people—were housed in transitional properties over the past year. • 856 families—or 1989 people—were transitioned into safe, dry and warm longer-term accommodation over the past year. • The Salvation Army has 475 transitional housing units and properties. • SASH (Salvation Army Social Housing) owns 312 properties throughout New Zealand. • A further 117 SASH homes are set to be built and filled by the end of 2020.
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Can My Marriage Survive an Affair? An affair is perhaps the most profound betrayal in marriage. It is false to believe you must make your marriage work after an affair. But it is equally false to believe your marriage could never survive. If you’re both willing to work at it, there is hope. There is never any time when it is okay to have an affair in marriage. If your spouse has strayed, you have no doubt experienced the greatest betrayal of the most important relationship in your life. The marriage you thought you had will be shattered, and you may feel the pieces can never be put back together again. You may decide that you don’t want to put it back together. That is okay—it takes both of you to honour your marriage covenant. Any expectation that you should ignore such a huge betrayal is false. But it is also false to believe you have no other alternative but to break up. In today’s culture, forgiving such a betrayal can be seen as weak. Our world finds this kind of extravagant Christ-like forgiveness offensive. But don’t let anything pressure you into making a decision about your marriage that only you have the right to make.
THIS IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST JOURNEYS YOU WILL EVER FACE. BUT BE ASSURED THAT GOD’S HEART IS TO FORGIVE THE SINNER, AND GOD WILL BE A SOURCE OF COMFORT AND HOPE FOR YOU.
It’s vital to note that your spouse will need to be one hundred percent committed to earning back your trust (see below). If they show repentance through true change, it can be an opportunity to offer radical forgiveness. This is one of the toughest journeys you will ever face. But be assured that God’s heart is to forgive the sinner, and God will be a source of comfort and hope for you.
partner the dignity of having all the information, so they can make a genuine decision about what they want to do. 3. Be accountable—give your spouse full access to your cell, email and online activities, as well as your whereabouts. Do this for as long as it takes to rebuild trust.
Together with your spouse, you’ll each need to confront the circumstances that gave space to an affair in your marriage. ‘Sometimes your barn has to burn to the ground in order to see the moon,’ says Dr Jay Kent-Ferraro, author of Surprised by Love, who rebuilt his marriage after an affair.
4. Let your spouse rehash—your own shame will stop you from wanting to talk about the affair. But research shows that healing is much more likely if your spouse can talk, and even rehash, the details they are trying to process.
‘Together, we decided to evolve as individuals first, by learning how our early wounds set us up to fail in love, and then, acquiring the practical skills to be able to love more profoundly.’
5. Go to counselling—perhaps with your spouse. This journey will take a lot of self-reflection, discovery, forgiveness and grace from both of you.
If you’re the one who has had an affair, but you want to make your marriage work, here are some things you’ll have to do: 1. Show true repentance by taking full responsibility for the affair, including getting tested for STDs. Make rules and boundaries for yourself, so it can never happen again. 2. Be completely honest—do not betray your partner again by telling half-truths or withholding information. Give your
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The goal of healing is not a papering-over of changes in an effort to preserve or present things as normal. It is to acknowledge and wear your new life—warts, wisdom and all—with courage. Catherine Woodiwiss
TESTIFY! Addiction work is ‘in her blood’. But Natasha Christopher had to discover that for herself—and is now a case worker at the Auckland Bridge. I can’t complain at all about my upbringing! I’m so grateful to my parents for the spiritual legacy they have passed to me. Our family has always been involved with The Salvation Army—on both sides. But it’s Mum’s side that has an historical link with addictions work. My greatgrandmother was even born on Rotoroa Island to officer parents, and Mum’s parents served at various Bridge programmes around the country during their officership. I was born and raised in West Auckland and have been part of the Glen Eden Corps whānau for as long as I can remember. As a teen starting to think critically, I had to decide if I would accept the message of Jesus for myself. My first Easter Camp—ironically held on Rotoroa Island—was a time of real conscious decision-making, and that’s when I chose Jesus for myself. When I enrolled as a soldier, I experienced a very strong ‘call to action’. I wanted to be obedient, but I knew officership wasn’t that call. Nor was youth work. So what else was there in The Salvation Army? I wasn’t sure.
WHEN THE PERSON I’M WORKING WITH INITIATES A CONVERSATION ABOUT SPIRITUAL THINGS, WELL, YOU KNOW IT’S REAL!
I went overseas for a few months with Camp America and when I came home I took a job working at the Waitakere Bridge as the receptionist. One day that feeling of a ‘call to action’ came back suddenly and strongly. It was like the pieces fell into place in my spirit. I had this profound awareness that the core values I loved so much were strongly present at the Bridge. So, I went to WelTech and obtained a Degree in Addiction Studies.
salvation—and were necessary to it. At the Bridge, I see healing and then openness to spiritual reconciliation. I work within the boundaries of the DAPAANZ’s (Drug and Alcohol Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa– New Zealand) Code of Ethics, so I won’t use my position of relative power in a therapeutic relationship to push my own beliefs. But when the person I’m working with initiates a conversation about spiritual things, well, you know it’s real!
I love my job! When I consider the origins of the Army, social reform came first: ‘soup and soap’ came before
Addiction is so very complex, and it’s an easy mistake to think that success is about people completing the programme
and heading off to live a happy life. But success is also the smaller steps forward. Addiction relapse is actually very high, so having a realistic perspective of what successful treatment looks like is crucial. For me, it’s about building the kind of relationship where someone feels comfortable to come back again if they need to. It’s improving 10 percent on their motivation—it’s any forward movement! It doesn’t need to be the ultimate end goal now—this often comes months or years later. It’s about doing the marathon, not the sprint, with someone. When I was younger and trying to work out what this ‘call to action’ meant, I had no idea that there was this whole other half of the Army that needed case workers, counsellors, social workers and budgeters. My advice to anyone thinking about a professional career within The Salvation Army would be to check out the website and see the broader picture of what we’re involved in. Consider what qualifications are needed and what inspires you—maybe there’s something ‘in your blood’ too! 18 MAY 2019 WarCry 11
FULLATHEA
CAMPS BY JULES
Hundreds of Salvation Army youth had full hearts, full tummies and were filled-up by the Holy Spirit at this year’s Easter Camps around the country.
Photography by Peter Henare, Vanessa Singh, Gabi Gardner, Jayden Wall and Ian Vallance.
KO IHU KARAITI E: NORTHERN AND MIDLAND About 250 Salvation Army youth and leaders considered Jesus’ call to ‘Haere Mai—come follow me’, as part of the 5000-strong Northern Easter Camp, run by Baptist Youth Ministries at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. The Sallies tent was set up like ‘Nana’s Whare’, where ‘Haere Mai, welcome, come as you are’ was the warm invitation to all. Being part of a 5000 person haka during worship was a very powerful moment, says Divisional Youth Secretary (DYS) Captain Naomi Holt. The rallying cry was: Ko wai te Kaiwhakaora [who is the Saviour], Ko Ihu Karaiti e [It is Jesus Christ], Ko te ihi, te wehi, te wana [his Sovereignty, his Supremacy, whom we fear], Ko Ihu Karaiti e [It is Jesus Christ]. ‘With everyone crying out together the atmosphere shifted, and God really started moving following this,’ Naomi recalls. ‘Seeing our youth groups circle up with arms around one another, praying for each other, was another highlight. One youth group had as many as eight decisions made for Christ.’ ‘Tribal Wars’ was ‘an experience like no other’, says Claire Gardner of the Territorial Youth Department. As 10,000 feet stomped in anticipation around her, she found herself thinking: ‘What on earth is going on? The opening
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bars of the classic 80s anthem “The Final Countdown” began and the whole place erupted with people lifting their chairs above their heads and cheering!’ For Midland DYS Lieutenant Jordan Westrupp, it’s all about the personal stories: ‘I’m excited and celebrating the stories that are trickling in about young people who reached out to God and made decisions to follow Jesus. Youth groups prayed over each other, some for the first time. A young woman proudly boasted on social media that she “met God” at camp! Another posted that they’d “felt peace like never before”. And another young man explained that while he knew hope was real for some people, he’d never experienced that realisation for himself—until Easter Camp.’
FEELING FULL: CENTRAL DIVISION ‘Experiencing the fullness of Easter means reflecting on what Jesus did for us on the cross, but also considering what that means for us in our daily lives,’ says Divisional Youth and Children’s Mission Director Kate Geddes, who spent Easter with 140 Central Division youth at Silverstream Retreat in Upper Hutt. This year’s theme was ‘Fullness’ and featured Salvation Army speakers, as well local young adult leaders Maddy Lopdell (Miramar Corps) and Chris and Alannah Moody (Palmerston North Corps) who shared their testimonies. ‘We also had an incredible Creative Team made up of
HEARTS ASTER
S 2019 BADGER
young adults who not only set the scene with their amazing design creativity, but their tech abilities and musical talents inspired us to honour God,’ says Kate. For her, the highlight was observing God’s deep work in young people over Easter. ‘There was a palpable spiritual intimacy at camp this year with a significant number of first-time decisions, as well as special encounters with God for others.’ Lots of crazy fun was also there in ‘fullness’, of course! Stuart Irwin and the youth services team led the charge on Friday night with a big game that involved pool noodles and (clean) rolled up nappies as weapons of mass destruction!
WAVING THE FLAG: SOUTHERN DIVISION For Southern DYS Alison Moody, a personal highlight was seeing many of the Army’s 150 young people freely express themselves in worship, as part of the 3000 crowd at Spencer Park in Christchurch. ‘Some of our young people who have struggled to express praise to God were dancing and lifting their hands and voices! It was such a blessing to see this freedom.’ When speaker Liam Cadigan of Elim Church quoted Salvation Army founders William and Catherine Booth during his message, ‘our young people cheered and were so encouraged! It was such a thrill to see our flag being waved high and proud in the Camp Big Top’.
A very special formal family dinner took place in the Sallies Marquee on the Saturday night. Beautiful settings adorned the tables, complete with grape juice in fluted glasses. ‘It was a hoot lining up in the usual camp food queues in our best digs with everyone wondering what we were up to,’ Alison says. ‘But it was a special time for us as a Southern Sallies family to share a meal and celebrate being together.’ Alison was especially excited by the four first-time decisions made at camp—one by an Aspire student, signalling the spiritual momentum gained by the programme. ‘It’s such a privilege to serve the youth of the South. I love being “Mum” to so many young people. Each one carries something special—I can see it! My prayer is that they would recognise it too,’ Alison affirms. Captain Mat Badger was at all three camps during Easter: ‘I was chuffed to observe an experienced youth worker spending time with a new Christian, explaining how to read the Bible and use the resources he’d been given. ‘Youth work is complex, and the needs of young people are diverse and varied, but the opportunity to sit down and pray with a new Christian—to be part of that divine exchange—well there’s nothing like it, and I was thrilled for both parties. ‘The gospel message is timeless and tireless, and still transforming lives,’ says Mat, grinning ear-to-ear. ‘I was tired by the end, but my heart was full.’ 18 MAY 2019 WarCry 13
Positive Impact at Controversial Boarding Home
Staff at Pukekohe Corps have been positively reconciled with a controversial boarding home they were once banned from visiting. BY HUGH COLLINS
Opened in 2014, the Wiseguys Men’s Refuge and Community Housing Project has been scrutinised over the last few years following reports of incidences of poor management. Criticisms include allegations of violent crime and drug use. Located in Kingseat, beside a former psychiatric hospital, the Wiseguys website claims it specialises in helping men who are homeless, ‘have nowhere to go’, or need help getting their lives back on track. It claims to offer both emergency and long-term housing for up to 50 men and women.
Pukekohe Corps steps in Wiseguys first came to the attention of Pukekohe staff around February 2017, when residents came to the corps every week in search of food parcels. The men were suffering from a lack of food, poor living conditions and issues around drugs, violence and bullying. 14 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
When Pukekohe staff attempted to meet with Wiseguys management in May 2017, they were told not to feed the men as this meant they would have money left over to buy drugs and alcohol. Corps staff then attempted to assist Wiseguys residents on site, however they were subsequently banned from visiting the premises. ‘Because Wiseguys is a private business we couldn’t visit the site without permission or invitation from them,’ Pukekohe Corps Officer Ted Kim says. As a result, Ted and his Pukekohe team began advocating with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), alongside the Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit (SPPU), to intervene and advocate for the extremely vulnerable people who came under the care of Wiseguys. Progress didn’t occur until November last year when a meeting, advised by MSD, occurred between Ted and the director of Wiseguys.
‘I told him that there was a lack of communication and misunderstanding between us and that we wanted to work together to help the residents at Wiseguys,’ Ted said. ‘He was happy with what I had offered and we were able to be reconnected.’ The outcome of the meeting was that Ted and his team were once again permitted to visit Wiseguys. ‘For the last two and a half years we have fought for the access to those people and now God has opened the door for us,’ Ted said. ‘I’m so grateful and delighted to have been accepted as a friend to the residents at Wiseguys, and am allowed to visit anytime.’ Ted Kim says he and his staff have worked hard to build trust with Wiseguys staff and residents. ‘It wasn’t easy work, especially for our staff, it has been very demanding and sometimes I have had to be mindful of our safety.’ Ronji Tanielui of SPPU says last year his unit began advocating for MP Carmel Sepuloni, the Labour Minister for Social Development, to put pressure on Wiseguys to function correctly. As a result, Wiseguys is now looking to get ‘Level 3 Social Housing Accreditation’ with the Ministry of Social Development. ‘Which is a really good thing because that means they fall under the parameters and the guidelines of MSD, who can hold Wiseguys accountable,’ Ronji says. Ted and his team gaining access to Wiseguys is a huge victory for those wanting to work with the refuge, Ronji says. This is good not only from a missional perspective but also from the perspective of holding Wiseguys accountable to the local community. ‘We’ve seen some huge changes in terms of the type of clients, the fact that there are no more women with children on the property is a huge win for us.’ When asked why he believed Wiseguys initially spun out of control, Ronji says it was established in a ‘grey area’ of government policy—it was never clear who was keeping the facility accountable and ensuring it was run as it should. ‘They were set up as a business but they were operating this place as an NGO, as a social service agency, yet it had no capacity for that, not a lot of money and minimal staff,’ Ronji says. And while Wiseguys were not receiving any government assistance, there were still reports that the Department of Corrections was referring outgoing prisoners. Ronji says New Zealand laws in this area need to become more ‘flexible’ to prevent this kind of thing happening in the future. ‘We’re always going to find a way to get around something, so we need to be flexible enough to deal with whatever that cunning innovation might be.’ Despite its issues, Ronji believes the Wiseguys directors established the refuge with good intentions. ‘I think it just became overwhelming for them. They had no capacity, they didn’t have the staff or funding. ‘At one point they had about 60 clients staying there. Clients with high needs, high risk … this is complex, so, of course you’re going to lose it.’ Ronji also makes it clear SPPU never had any intention to shut Wiseguys down. ‘People are desperate and there’s very few options. Our intention was always to work alongside Wiseguys and see how we can help and support, and if necessary hold them to account, and that ended up being the case.’ Ted says he now hopes to see the Wiseguys residents getting their lives back on track.
‘IT REALLY IS A PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN A DEVASTATING SITUATION.’ ‘There is still a long way to go to lift up the living standards of the place, but one of the big achievements is that they are now feeding their residents three times a day,’ Ted says. ‘It really is a privilege to work with those who are in a devastating situation.’ Ted has talked with Wiseguys management and residents about having an afternoon church service—an idea which was received positively. ‘I really want to bring the Good News and life there. ‘I, and our team, will do our best to support and work with those vulnerable people who are actually our friends.’
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‘We All Have a Responsibility to Help End Poverty’: Red Shield Breakfast 2019 The message from this year’s Red Shield Appeal breakfasts was clear: poverty is real, it’s not going away, and tens of thousands of New Zealanders are in crisis. Breakfasts were held in Auckland and Wellington on 7–8 May to highlight The Salvation Army’s work, and to tie in with the annual Red Shield Appeal. Salvation Army head of Community Ministries, Jono Major Ian Gainsford standing in as Bell, encouraged New host for Mike McRoberts, who was Zealanders to dig deep unable to attend due to injury. both financially and personally to work together to help end poverty. ‘We all have a responsibility. You can’t deny the fact that we have a crisis in New Zealand,’ he told those gathered. ‘I would encourage all of us to know our neighbours: two streets over there’s probably some whānau who are struggling.’ The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal is a major fundraiser for its work with some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people. One in 40 New Zealanders accessed the Army’s services in 2018. From food parcels, to housing, addiction services, counselling services and budgeting advice, we touched the lives of 120,000 New Zealanders. The Army is increasingly seeing the working poor come through its doors, as housing costs in particular continue to rise. Jono says while The Salvation Army has the ear of the Government, and is grateful for its work in increasing access to services for some people in need, much more is required. ‘Statistics New Zealand releases a report each year and it shows we’re not even making a dent in child poverty. ‘We appreciate our partnership with the Government, but we were disappointed that it has taken up just two of the 42 recommendations on welfare reforms in the Welfare Expert Advisory Group report.
‘Have some courage, is what I would say.’ People come to The Salvation Army with an array of issues: ‘The complexity of people’s situations is alarming. The levels of debt, lack of housing, mental health issues tell us that poverty in New Zealand is alive and well.’ Housing is a key to solving poverty. More houses are needed, and they need to be affordable. ‘It’s going to take decades to solve the housing crisis,’ Jono said. The Salvation Army recently got The Good Shop van on the road in south Auckland, as a foil for predatory shopping trucks that encourage shoppers to borrow at high interest rates to pay for goods sold at inflated prices. A second Good Shop van will be launched in Porirua at the end of June, and Jono said it’s initiatives such as these that will help solve the problem of poverty. ‘Hope is the number one thing.’ Those attending the breakfast in Wellington were also blessed with a stunning performance of ‘Abide With Me’ by Le Art—one of 12 artists who contributed to the Offering project. Left: Jono Bell, Territorial Director of Community Ministries, speaks at the Wellington breakfast. Below: Le Art singing at the Wellington breakfast.
Pentecost Sunday Special Service To celebrate Pentecost Sunday on 9 June, a special New Zeal service will be live-streamed around the territory. The celebration service will continue the New Zeal theme of ‘Encounter’, which was launched in October last year. It will be held at Napier Corps, with the local worship team and Captain Sammy Miller speaking. All corps from around the New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory are urged to join in by live-streaming the service. 16 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
‘We know God is working and we are witnessing the Holy Spirit moving,’ says Secretary for Programme Colonel Melvin Fincham. ‘We pray that once again we will all “Encounter” and be filled with the Holy Spirit especially on this Pentecost Sunday.’ SERVICE | Begins at 10.00am PREACHING | 10.30am with Sammy Miller TO LIVESTREAM | newzeal.salvationarmy.org.nz/livestream
A Great Big Day Out! Around 75 children and leaders gathered together for a fun-filled day that included a big team game called ‘The Goose Chase’, waterslides and more, at the annual Junior Soldiers’ Big Day Out. Other highlights of the day included a beach dig, a visit from a DOC (Department of Conservation) ranger, a yummy ‘build a burger’ lunch and, of course, swimming in the ocean. The jam-packed day was held on 30 March, at Long Bay Marine Reserve on Auckland’s North Shore. Northern Divisional Children’s Mission Director Sue Ellis says she is always ‘super excited’ to run the Junior Soldiers’ Big Day Out. ‘Coming together provides another layer of connection for children across the division who have made a decision to follow Jesus. There’s a baseline of faith and relationship with Jesus—however small—that we can honour and build on. It’s a day for discipleship and connection,’ explains Sue. Another key facet of the day is ‘valuing our hard-working leaders by providing a space for them to connect with the children they serve, and have fun.’ And have fun they certainly did! Albany Bays Corps Junior Soldiers Inara (9), Savannah (8), and Miriam (7) all agreed that their favourite part of the day was ‘The Goose Chase’. Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator Althea Walker agreed that she ‘loved looking for answers in the Bible together during The Goose Chase’, as wells as ‘just getting to hang out with the kids for the day!’ Lorelei (6) from Hibiscus Coast Corps loved the waterslide, and Luke (9) said he was having a ‘very fun day’ but was ‘really looking forward to lunch!’ Leaders and Junior Soldiers also cleaned up the beach and received praise from the DOC ranger. A special part of the day was the time of ‘popcorn prayer’, says Sue. ‘Multilple children will contribute to public prayer and say, “Thank you God for … ” if given the opportunity. So often kids are seen and not heard, but children should be seen and heard. We need to hear their voices. ‘It’s also just so great to see the kids at the beach! Even here in Auckland some kids don’t get near a beach very often.’ Sounds like a great ‘big day out’ for sure!
Salvation Army Leader in Sri Lanka Calls for Prayer and Unity As the people of Sri Lanka try to regain a sense of normality following the Easter Sunday terror attacks on churches and hotels, Colonel Suresh Pawar, Territorial Commander of the Sri Lanka Territory, asks for the prayers of the international Salvation Army. ‘Nobody expected this ...’ are the words most commonly heard as Sri Lanka processes the loss and pain of the brutal terrorist attack on Easter Sunday (21 April 2019), that saw over 250 lives lost and left more than 400 people injured and receiving medical treatment. The attacks centred on three churches (Roman Catholic churches in Colombo and Negombo, and Zion Church in Batticaloa, in the eastern part of Sri Lanka) and three five-star tourist hotels in the heart of Colombo. Unrest against the minority Christian followers has, unfortunately, been a regular occurrence in Sri Lanka, but an attack of this magnitude and horror was beyond comprehension. The Salvation Army, as a constituent member of the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL), has been at the forefront of offers of help and assistance. The political climate of the country and our position as a minority religion has led to some frustration, but still we stand ready as The Salvation Army to provide spiritual and material support as needed—in the short and long term. The country is still very tense as rumours circulate about more attacks and possible reprisals. At present, many Salvation Army corps (church) buildings are being guarded by government forces. There has been a call for corps to stay closed this Sunday because of fears for the safety of worshippers gathering in large groups. The Salvation Army in Sri Lanka endorses the need for unity and mutual acceptance of all faiths and religious beliefs, and joins with other Christian believers seeking reconciliation and building trust with Sri Lankan brothers and sisters at this time of united sorrow and grief. We will continue to kneel at the feet of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom nothing is impossible.
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Samoa Celebrates One Year Anniversary It’s almost one year to the day since The Salvation Army began holding church services in Samoa. God has been busy ever since, and a celebration service will be held on Sunday, 19 May. Arriving in February 2018, Lieutenant-Colonels Jenny and Rod Carey, along with Captain Miriama Simanu, wasted no time positioning themselves for mission. Securing somewhere to live, opening bank accounts and working to have The Salvation Army recognised as a Charitable Trust in Samoa, were just some of the immediate challenges they faced upon arrival. But just a year on and the Sunday congregation, ranging between 40–70 attendees each week, is comprised of people from all different walks of life—including the unemployed, university lecturers, a CEO, school teachers and young people. With recommitments, first time decisions and physical healing, it’s no surprise that membership classes are already underway. Around 12 enrolments are scheduled for the first anniversary celebrations service this Sunday. Alcohol and drug rehabilitation began in Samoa in July last year, with God providing passionate and professional leadership to deliver a culturally appropriate programme. Already, 170 clients have accessed the service—mostly referred through the courts. Completion of the programme reduces sentencing and the likelihood of prison time for many. Recovery Church started in November with a regular group of around 35 people attending. God’s divine hand of provision and power can be seen all over the work The Salvation Army is now doing, says Rod. ‘God provided us with a rhema word from 1 Corinthians 2:9 before we left New Zealand, and it continues to inspire and sustain the work in Samoa: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”. ‘We pray daily and are regularly blown away by how God comes through again and again. He asked us to step out in faith and launch into the deep, and he’s faithfully turned up in ways we truly couldn’t have imagined.’ 18 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
‘ … SO MUCH MORE CAN BE ACHIEVED WHEN WE COMBINE OUR SKILLS.’ The profound impact of the Offering Project—which was launched in Auckland at the end of April, with subsequent sales of CDs and artworks—is an outstanding example of what it means to work collaboratively for a common cause.
GAZETTE Bereavement: Lieutenant Seremana Rokovesa, of her father, Jone Lului who passed away on Wednesday, 24 April 2019. Please uphold Seremona’s mother Olivia, Lieutenants Seremana and Adriano Rokovesa, and other family members in prayer during this time of grief and loss. Promotion to Glory: Major Phyllis Kirby, from Auckland on 13 April 2019, aged 97 years. Phyllis Armitage was born in Drighlington, United Kingdom on 8 February 1922. Phyllis entered the International Training College from Drighlington Corps in November 1945 in the Challengers Session and was commissioned on 23 May 1946. Her corps appointments were to Chorley, Horwich, Carlisle Citadel, Great Harwood, Wigton, Brierfield, Standish, Carnforth and Darwen. Phyllis married 1st Lieutenant Andrew Howard Kirby in May 1953. Andrew and Phyllis served as Corps Officers at Leyland Corps, before being transferred to overseas service in May 1954. Apart from a three-year appointment in East Africa, Andrew and Phyllis served in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) until their retirement in 1993. In 2005, Andrew and Phyllis moved to New Zealand and soldiered at Auckland Congress Hall Corps. Major Andrew Kirby was promoted to Glory on 16 September 2007. In recent years, Phyllis has been part of the Albany Bays Corps. Please uphold Major Phyllis Kirby’s children, Phillip, Sharon Swinfen, Andrew and their extended family in prayer during this time of grief and loss. Well done good and faithful servant of Christ.
The Salvation Army is the grateful recipient of funds raised because Murray Thom and Tim Harper who worked out a vision that was years in the making and shaping. It was such a privilege to be at the gala celebration at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland on the night of the launch. The way that Offering brought together musicians and artists to gift their exceptional talents for The Salvation Army is nothing short of wonderful. Collaborating together for a cause is necessary. It enables needs to be met that are way beyond our means individually or as one group alone. This year, Women’s Ministries across New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa has launched a project to raise funds to assist rebuilding homes in Indonesia that were destroyed in the September 2018 earthquake and tsunami. Our brothers and sisters in Sulawesi—the area in Indonesia that suffered the most destruction—continue to live in makeshift conditions while continuing to be active in mission to their communities. If you’re a regular War Cry reader you will have read about this recently, but I raise it again here because the speed at which life events move from one thing to the next, the things that grabbed our attention one day, can so easily slip from our minds. The fact is we can’t respond to everything, but we can all give to something. While this is a project sponsored by Women’s Ministries, it is our hope and request that each corps and centre takes hold of this, because the need is great. Collaboration takes planning and organisation. Yet so much more can be achieved when we combine our skills, resources and creativity. One of the pictures that we see in the Bible, is that this is how God wants his church to act— together as a faith community, working in unison to an agreed end. As you read in this issue about The Salvation Army’s work in Samoa, celebrating one year since commencement, you’ll see how this, too, has been a partnership or collaborative effort. The work being undertaken in Samoa is so much more fruitful because of this. It’s such a complex and needy world in which we live. So thank God that we don’t need to work alone! We can work to a unified purpose with others and effect change for the benefit of all. ‘Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone,’ Galatians 6:10. Colonel Heather Rodwell Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries 18 MAY 2019 WarCry 19
Prayer at the Loose Ends
Prayer brings us before God, but does he receive us with a gaze or a glare? Barbara Sampson discovers that prayer can teach us to know ourselves in the same way that God knows us. BY BARBARA SAMPSON
Week Seven: Prayer under the gaze of love Every day on his way home from the fields a peasant farmer stops by the village church, goes inside and sits, just sits. Day after day the priest watches him then one day asks, ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Nothing,’ says the farmer. ‘I’m just gazing on God as he gazes on me and we are telling each other that we love each other.’ 20 WarCry 18 MAY 2019
PART 4
Gaze, glimpse, glance, glare—they all sound much the same, all ways of looking at someone or something. But they are all very different—when we think about a mother’s gaze upon her newborn, or a glare from a parent at a naughty seven-year-old, or a glimpse or glance with which you spot someone through the window of a moving train. Many people grow up thinking that God, if he even spares us a glimpse or a glance at all, most often glares at us. After all, he is the all-seeing God, taking note of our every fault and failure. The only way to cope with such an ever-watching deity is to be constantly on one’s best behaviour,
hoping like crazy when we do make a mistake that he was busy watching someone else at that very moment. This all makes for a sad, but very real theology for many people. The God who Sees—Hagar’s wonderful revelation of El Roi (Genesis 16:13)—can be a fearsome figure who stands over us in a threatening way, not unlike our first headmaster at primary school. How liberating to discover that the look with which God looks upon us is not a glare, nor even just a passing glance or a glimpse, but a gaze. How differently these words express how God holds us in his love.
HOW LIBERATING TO DISCOVER THAT THE LOOK WITH WHICH GOD LOOKS UPON US IS NOT A GLARE, NOR EVEN JUST A PASSING GLANCE OR A GLIMPSE, BUT A GAZE. To gaze on something—whether a sunset or a beautiful work of art or a special person—is to appreciate, to admire and to wonder. The word gaze is the look of a lover, the kind of word we find in the Song of Solomon. ‘How beautiful you are, my beloved. I gaze upon you and want you to know how much I love you.’ (My rough translation). The great Christian author Henri Nouwen—who spent his life writing, travelling, teaching, helping people to understand the heart of God—spoke of two voices that competed for his attention right throughout his life. One voice kept urging him, ‘Go there, teach this, write that, show them how smart you are’. The other voice kept inviting him to, ‘Come, sit in this chair that has your name written on it—you are my beloved’. Nouwen confessed it was only in the final decade of his life that he really listened to that second voice. Only then did he fully understand the greatness of God’s love and allow himself to be held in a gaze of belovedness and welcome. When the rich young ruler turned away from Jesus, the gospel writer says that Jesus looked on him with love (Mark 10:21). That’s what a gaze is— often a mingling of love, sorrow and longing. What is prayer like in this place of being gazed upon? It is often wordless, a prayer from the inside, a prayer that needs no explanation or apology or analysis. Just a longing to be held in that loving presence. And that kind of prayer is enough. Let me see beyond the surface live deeply all my days may I pause and linger gently held in your loving gaze.
Week Eight: Living a prayersoaked life ‘I don’t know who or what put the question. I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer ‘Yes’ to Someone—or Something—and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal,’ wrote Dag Hammarskjöld, in his book Markings. It seems to me that one of the basic tasks of getting older is to explore and discover who you are and to live from that place of knowing. So much of one’s early life is taken up with growing physically and becoming an individual, building one’s life of relationships, vocation and purpose. At some point the challenge comes: But who am I really? Sickness may throw this question at us. A sudden change, a devastating loss, an unexpected death, can all be ways of making us face the deep inner issues. Author and surgeon Atul Gawande says the questions for him are: ‘What is important to me?’ and ‘What do I value?’ Great questions, they go to the very heart of every matter. Poet Mary Oliver wrote:
watched vibrant young officers-intraining as they took centre stage. That same year, my son and daughterin-law were expecting their first baby. It seemed no time since I was a young mother myself. Now suddenly I was on the side, watching, observing, encouraging—an altogether different role with quite a different perspective. In recent weeks, that first baby—my oldest grandson—has married. The side from which I observe life has stretched out even further. As much as I long to be in the heart of the action, the reality is that I am not. So how do I find a place that still has something to offer to that heart? What has become important to me at this stage of my life? What is it that I value more than anything? While the questions are clear, the answers are tinged with mystery. My vocation (literally ‘calling’) now has to do with prayer and with presence— being in a place where God can use me to offer blessing to others. Prayer is so often hidden, unseen, offered in the secret place, as Jesus advised (Matthew 6:6). In a world of smart phones and watches, what is S.M.A.R.T. about prayer? What difference can it possibly make? Surely nothing much. But prayer is like a drop of water offered to a drooping flower or a thirsty pilgrim. And somewhere along the way, prayer soaks into the very pores of the one who prays. I want to live a prayer-soaked life let loose with love cracked open with compassion
Things!
walking the earth with humility
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
dancing with delight at being called
fire! More room in your heart for love,
‘Beloved’, ‘child of God’, ‘daughter of the King’,
for the trees! For the birds who own
‘apple of God’s eye’, ‘precious treasure’ …
nothing—the reason they can fly. For myself, the journey to get to a place of answering the questions of who I am and what is important, has not been a straight line. I recall the year my husband and I took a group of cadets to a corps where we had been the corps officers just a few years earlier. It was great to go back, but this time, rather than this being ‘my’ platform, I sat and
spilling your light wherever I go Please God!
18 MAY 2019 WarCry 21
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Andy (Territorial Commander) and Yvonne Westrupp (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 20 May: Investiture of Major Campbell Roberts, Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Government House, Wellington (Andy only) 26 May: Visit to East City Corps, Auckland 30 May: Retired Officers forum, Levin Corps Colonels Suzanne (Chief Secretary) and Melvin Fincham (Secretary for Programme) 19 May am: Dunedin City Corps, Dunedin (Melvin only) 19 May pm: Dunedin City Corps Exchange service, Dunedin (Melvin only) 20–22 May: General’s Consultative Council, London (Suzanne only) Colonel Heather Rodwell (Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Spiritual Life Development) 20–24 May: Officers’ Retreat, Featherston
PRAY Sigatoka Corps, Social Policy and Parliamentary
Unit, Spiritsong, the Supporter Care Unit, Supported Accommodation in Christchurch and Wellington; The Salvation Army in Kenya West.
SPIRITUAL RETREAT Open to all Salvationists 8–11 July 2019
Bellbird Heights, Living Springs Camp & Conference Centre, Christchurch Limited to 14 participants $180.00 + travel Expressions of interest now being received: heather.rodwell@salvationarmy.org.nz or 027 481 6421
Celebrating Expressions of interest are invited from former corps officers, soldiers and friends regarding the Celebration Weekend.
of ministry in Hornby Please direct these to Major Gill Waugh by email gill.waugh@salvationarmy.org.nz or P.O Box 16 967, Hornby, Christchurch 8441
29–30 June 2019. Guest Leaders: Majors Clive and Lesley Nicholson
Stock Clearance All Resources Reduced to Clear Clearance Pack includes: DVD, Leader’s Guide, 6 Explorer Journals = $49.00
ENGAGE YOUR FRIENDS WITH GOD’S STORY. Long Story Short is a New Zealand made evangelism resource created to help Kiwis engage their friends with God’s story and take them on a gracious journey from unbelief to belief. ALL RESOURCES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FREE ONLINE
Ph: 07 573 3367 E: office@longstoryshort.co www.longstoryshort.co Quiz Answers: 1 Horatio Spafford, 2 Australian Idol (2009), 3 Footrot Flats: The Dog’s Tale, 4 Murray Thom (creator of the Offering project), 5 Jubal (Genesis 4:21).
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‘You will tell everyone about me in … everywhere in the world,’ Acts 1:8 (CEV)
Talofa Lava! Samoan Language Week is coming up—and did you know that Samoa is the latest country to join our Salvation Army territory? The Salvation Army is in 130 countries around the world and we alofa (love) having our Samoan aiga (family) as part of the Army! People all around the world come together every Sunday morning, just like we do. It’s cool to think about thousands of people in different languages, clothes and colours, all worshipping God. After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to lots of people. Heaps of strange things had happened to the disciples, but maybe this day was the most mind-blowing of all:
Colour in this beautiful siapo
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Cool facts about Samoa:
If you go Samoan The famous swimming in the warriors Hollywood uliuli (black) sea in Samoa, do a fire star Dwayne moana (blue) you might spot Samoa has dance, where ‘The Rock’ giant turtles they perform Johnson is fish that look moli (orange) that live stunts with part-Samoan. just like for over knives that Nemo! mūmū (red) 60 years. are set on fire. Can you say ‘hello’ in these different languages? What language are each of these people speaking (you can ask an adult!)
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The disciples thought Jesus was going to be the King of Israel, and they asked him when he was finally going to take over. But Jesus said something very strange—he told the disciples that they would be the ones to spread his Kingdom to all nations, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he rose off the ground, disappeared behind a cloud, and was gone forever! But he didn’t leave the disciples alone, he promised to send his Holy Spirit. Finally, the disciples began to understand the Kingdom of Jesus would live in the hearts and minds of his followers. We are still his disciples today, and we are still spreading the good news of Jesus all over the world. THINK ABOUT …
Who do you want to tell about the good news of Jesus? 18 MAY 2019 WarCry 23
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, Â Â Â is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing. Psalm 68:5 -6