23 July 2022 NZFTS War Cry

FAITH IN ACTION 23 JULY 2022 | Issue 6796 | $1.50

Sacrifice and Generosity in Service Salvationist Historian Receives Award Tribute: Stan Harris Hangs Up His Hat

Thriving in a Pandemic: Four Northern Division Corps Artificial Intelligence: First Part of a Three-Part Series

A Most

Unlikely

Smuggler

(Bibles, in case you were wondering)

04

11

14

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WAR CRY The Salvation Army

New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Julie & Mark Campbell | GENERAL Brian Peddle | FOUNDERS Catherine

& William 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 Vivienne Hill | GRAPHIC DESIGN Sam Coates, Nicole Gesmundo, Lauren Millington | STAFF WRITERS

Hope Burmeister, Holly Morton, David Youngmeyer | PROOF READING Major Colleen Marshall OFFICE Territorial Headquarters, 204 Cuba Street,

PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone (04) 384 5649, Email warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz, salvationarmy.org.nz/warcry SUBSCRIPTIONS Salvationist Resources Department, Phone

(04) 382 0768, Email mailorder@salvationarmy.org.nz, $75 per year within NZ PRINT MANAGEMENT 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.

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Sleeves Rolled Up The wider team at Territorial Headquarters is being hit hard by a combination of Covid-19, flu and a random tummy bug. Yet the work continues, the bills are being paid and the frontline is supported with services. The Public Relations Department continues with campaigns and the Communications Department publishes War Cry, all while working with major staff reductions. I know it is no different for our Pasifika nations and many of our corps and centres across our territory.

It warms my heart to see and hear of the dedication of my team, but also the wider Army team as we work together to keep the levels of service and support in place for those in our community who need our help. It reminds me why Julia de Ruiter chose the name, ‘Sleeves Rolled Up’ for our podcast, as this is exactly what we all do when we are under pressure.

In this edition of War Cry you will read of a representation of corps from the Northern Division who have not only survived during their multiple lockdowns, but thrived! We also start a three-part series on Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand, on page 12. But the highlight for me in this edition is the story of Laura Bryce and how her life was impacted by a Salvation Army officer who took the time to notice, engage with and disciple Laura across the decades (see page 6).

We are now beyond the half-way point of winter and on the way to spring. I hope that as you look forward to warmer days and light-infused mornings and evenings that you will enjoy reading about the work of The Salvation Army, and the people who have been impacted by the dedication and hard work of our staff, officers and volunteers.

Vivienne Hill Editor

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

SalvationArmyNZFTS

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.

@SalvationArmyNZ

Anne Frank

Publishing for 138 years | Issue 6796 ISSN 0043-0242 (print), ISSN 2537-7442 (online) Please pass on or recycle this magazine Read online issuu.com/salvationarmynzftwarcry

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2 WarCry 23 JULY 2022

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love.

Honour one another above yourselves.

Rōma 12:10 Ka aroha ki ngā tēina, kia tino pono te aroha tētahi ki tētahi; ka whakahōnore, kia nui tā tētahi i tētahi.

Looking Back to Reach Forward

I

have been looking after a spiral manila folder for my dad, which is full of memoirs from his grandmother. I love flipping through the stories, knowing I have a connection to them, trying to imagine what their life would have been like, and wondering if I carry any of their physical traits with me now: a nose, or wavy hair or somebody’s eyes?

When I was younger, I used to love hearing my mum tell me stories about her parents: how they met, the time they lived in Fiji where my uncle was born, how my grandfather stopped to buy a motorbike instead of getting on a train that would become the Tangiwai disaster of 1953.

I think many of us are fascinated by the connections we have to the past. A friend of mine just did one of those family history DNA tests and discovered that she has Belgian ancestry, much to her surprise. We think about those journeys our ancestors made at some point in our familial history, building families and sometimes travelling great distances in their lifetimes for us to end up where we are now. It feels important to many of us that someone came before us, and that we have ties to something bigger than ourselves.

In the Bible, there is a lot of significance given to people’s ancestry. Looking back at their heritage was a way for the people in the Bible to remember how God had been faithful to his people before, and how they could trust that he would show up for them again. It was important for the people of Israel to connect themselves back to biblical

big-hitters, like Abraham, to know that they still had God’s favour.

But a huge part of the Jesus narrative in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke was demonstrating how Jesus is the fulfilment of the words from the prophets through his genealogy. He was connected to David and Abraham (and in Luke’s writings, Adam), and these mentions of his family line were used to explain who he was and who he would be to God’s people.

Through the prophets, God promised a descendant who would restore his people and save them from sin and captivity. He may not have been who they were imagining, but Jesus fulfilled everything that the Old Testament said he would be and of the promises given to Abraham and David and the Israelites.

We are blessed that we don’t have any expectation to be the answer to generations of prayer and prophecy for a messiah. But I imagine that some of our ancestors would have had hopes for our futures, for a better life, more education or opportunities, or that we would follow in their footsteps as followers of Jesus. And similarly, we can look back at the stories of our families to notice moments of God’s faithfulness and promise over time, even simply in the way that so many twists and turns in those stories have led to us being alive in this moment.

BY HOLLY MORTON

23 JULY 2022 WarCry

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Weird of the Week: The flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down.

Winter Appeal for Kiwi in Need Chicken–Lentil Casserole with Pumpkin Mash 2 Tbsp olive oil 750g chicken thighs, halved 1 onion, diced 1 fennel bulb, sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp ground cumin 2 cups chicken stock 400g can of cherry tomatoes 1 cup dried lentils of choice 2 pinches of saffron threads (optional) ½ cup coriander, chopped ½ cup Italian parsley, chopped plus extra to serve

In a large flame-proof casserole dish, heat half the oil on high. Brown chicken for 2 minutes each side.

Transfer to a plate.

In the same casserole dish, heat remaining oil. Sauté onion, fennel, garlic and cumin for 3–4 minutes, or until tender.

Return chicken to pan, and add stock, tomatoes, lentils and saffron.

Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, then cook, covered, for 60–65 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly and lentils are tender.

To serve, stir through coriander and parsley. Top with extra parsley and accompany with pumpkin mash on the side.

Tip: Wash, dry and roast your leftover pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack. Add a little salt, olive oil and spice for extra flavour.

pumpkin mash, to serve Source: countdown.co.nz

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Vulnerable individuals and families are facing an especially bitter winter this year with rising costs for the basics, including increased electricity bills, housing insecurity and fears about how they will cope, according to Territorial Director of Community Ministries Jono Bell.

The Salvation Army’s Winter Appeal asks people (in a position to afford it) to support our community-based social services that bring hope and practical support to families who are doing it tough.

These include supported accommodation, foodbanks, financial mentoring and counselling, addiction services, and Positive Lifestyle Programmes.

‘In normal times, winter can be a particularly bleak time for Kiwi families in need, but add to this the high cost of living, difficulties in securing safe, secure accommodation, and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and influenza, and we are seeing many families struggling to get by,’ says Jono.

‘As the winter progresses, we are unfortunately expecting to see more people pushed towards the need for extra help from social agencies.’

Jono says that families who came to The Salvation Army often face a ‘tipping point’ issue such as a lack of food or an immediate need for somewhere to stay.

‘Our approach is to help people with immediate relief, while providing wraparound support for any other issues.

We provide a lifeline and then help individuals and families back on their feet.’

MORE INFO | Information about the Winter Appeal, including how to donate, is available at salvationarmy.org.nz/winterappeal

TOPFIVE

You have probably heard that a tomato is actually a fruit, not a vegetable, but do you know there are many other fruits in disguise?

Here are five other fruits that most would think are vegetables.

1. Avocado—while some might consider it a lunch staple (on toast), it is actually classed as a single-seeded berry.

2. Corn—each corn kernel is known as an ‘ovary’ with a single seed. Corn actually comes under the caryopses or grain family.

3. Cucumber—this is considered a fruit simply because it has seeds and grows from a flower, so technically is a type of botanical berry.

4. Pumpkin—while not uncommonly used in desserts (pumpkin pies), pumpkins are part of the squash family, have seeds and technically are, again, a type of berry.

5. Eggplant—eggplant (or aubergine) is defined as a fruit because it contains seeds, so it comes under the same category as apples and pears.

Action/Adventure, Science Fiction Thor: Love and Thunder (M) If the world Directed by Taika Waititi seems cold The second outing for Chris Hemsworth’s Thor under the direction of Kiwi Taika Waititi was an equally entertaining and confusing to you, watch. While Marvel films typically skirt super serious emotional kindle fires material, Thor: Love and Thunder has us staring down the themes to warm it. of carrying on after major loss, and disappointment with God— Lucy Larcom two heavyweight themes indeed! While there is a lot to like in the film, I couldn’t help but think the wild tonal shifts didn’t do the narrative any favours. Waititi’s attempts to reconcile whimsy This cover for a supplemental companion and mass appeal with a far more piece to War Cry features the 1940 serious message—while usually on Centennial Exhibition, which was an point—here seem to muddle the extravagant event lasting six months, effectiveness of both. (Reviewed by in Rongotai, Wellington. It celebrated Sam Coates)

WARCRYINHISTORY

a hundred years since the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. It also celebrated the progress of New Zealand as a nation, with a miniature railway and even an amusement park with a roller coaster. Unfortunately, the celebrations were interrupted by the announcement of World War II. Source: The Heritage Centre & Archives at the Plowman Resource Centre, Booth College of Mission.

QUIKQUIZ 1 What is the capital of the Republic of Honduras?

2 What was Margaret Thatcher’s middle name?

3 Which symbol (letter) represents the number 100 in Roman numerals?

4 Which is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust by mass?

5 In the Bible, when Elijah challenged the priests of Baal, what were they sacrificing to their god?

Answers on page 22 23 JULY 2022 WarCry

5

Conversations Along the Way

Laura Bryce’s chance encounter with Salvation Army officer Brigadier Hildreth at the age of eight helped lead her to a life of faithful work for God. Now in her later years, Laura reflects back on her journey and the impact that Brigadier Hildreth’s enduring faithfulness had on the course of her life.

BY HOLLY MORTON

L

aura Bryce grew up in Scotland just after the end of the Second World War, in ‘the kind of family that was the least likely to encounter the Lord—an atheist father and an agnostic mother. The first time I heard about God was when the teacher drew a pretty picture of the Garden of Eden on the blackboard; she said, “God made that” and I was just so delighted and I thought, God must be a God of beauty.’

Despite not having anyone in her family to help her understand the nature of God, Laura was still curious and had a lot of questions.

Beginnings with the brigadier

Clockwise, from left: Laura Bryce; the van used for the group’s final Biblesmuggling trip to Romania; Brigadier Hildreth, 1978; Checkpoint Charlie, the best-known crossing point through the Berlin Wall; the streets in Western Berlin, circa 1970s; street evangelism in Germany.

When Laura was eight years old, her family emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand, with a six-week-long journey by ship to their new home. On board the ship, she noticed an older man wearing a dark uniform, and asked her mother who he was. She discovered that he was a brigadier who, according to her mother, ‘had something to do with God’.

Laura did a lot of reading during the voyage to keep herself occupied, and Brigadier Hildreth would often sit next to her and ask about her books. ‘He would ask me questions about life in Scotland, and the first thing that struck me was that an older person actually noticed a kid and was kind to a kid. At that point I don’t remember learning anything about God, but I just thought, what a delightful person.’

Those conversations with Brigadier Hildreth would continue to have an impact on Laura’s life, even without her feeling like she knew any more about God at that time. When her family settled in a small timber town in the Waikato, Laura would pull a big chair up next to her bed to talk to God, because she knew that ‘God is big, so he needs a big chair’. Laura would tell God about her day and ask for his help.

She recalled one time when she was particularly afraid of the dark, but had the idea that God is bigger than the dark, so she asked him to tell it to go away.

Although the dark didn’t disappear, Laura explained that she hasn’t been afraid of the dark since.

Answering the questions As Laura was growing up, Brigadier Hildreth would send her the children’s stories from War Cry, so she began to learn about all the major people in the Bible. She would tell her younger sister bedtime stories about the biblical 23 JULY 2022 WarCry

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DURING HER TIME IN GERMANY, SHE WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A TEAM WHO WOULD BE SMUGGLING BIBLES INTO ROMANIA.

characters she read about in the War Cry. When Laura was 17 years old, her father passed away unexpectedly, leaving the family with a deep grief and Laura with many questions that she didn’t know how to answer: Where is my father? His life was so short; what was the point of it? She was studying in Auckland at the time and visiting different churches in the hope of finding answers to her questions.

Laura then remembered the brigadier as someone who knew God, and she wrote to him. ‘He never wrote back,’ she said. ‘He took a train all the way from Wellington to Auckland to come and talk to me. That really amazed me. I thought, Why would he do that, why would he be so kind? This must be really important if he’d come all this way to tell me about God.’ Laura and Brigadier Hildreth wrote many long letters to each other over the years, and Laura spent time studying the Bible and questioning who God is. ‘At the same time I was looking at Hinduism and Buddhism and every sort of “ism”, because I had in my mind that if I was going to commit to something, I wanted to know that it’s true. I eventually came to the conclusion that the only faith that made sense of so many of my questions was Christianity.’

Once Laura had come to that conclusion, Brigadier Hildreth prayed with her so that she could ‘follow the Master’, as was his saying. After all her questions and careful consideration of the options, Laura joked that ‘nobody would ever have accused me of coming to the Lord on a wave of emotion’. She was inspired by the brigadier’s faithfulness, which gave her a hint of the faithfulness of God, and she discovered that he had been praying for her since they first met on the ship to New Zealand, 15 years before.

European adventures Laura had been studying German and French since high school, with a particular love for German, but didn’t know what she could do with those skills. Brigadier Hildreth had a sense that one day God would use her love of language for his kingdom.

Laura moved to Germany at 25 years old to teach, despite her declaring to God that she never wanted to be a teacher. She began working in a kindergarten, and struggled with feeling lonely, so she prayed that she would make some friends. She discovered by saying grace at lunch that all the other girls working at the kindergarten were Christians too. They helped her find a flat and furnish it, and Laura spent more and more 8 WarCry 23 JULY 2022

time talking to God and diving into the Bible.

Laura and Brigadier Hildreth still wrote to each other, but Laura continued to wonder how she would be able to use her love of languages for God. During her time in Germany, she was given the opportunity to join a team who would be smuggling Bibles into Romania. Laura explained that they would travel over Christmas as there was a lot of traffic so the border control couldn’t check everyone thoroughly.

‘We travelled for 50 hours non-stop. We had a beat-up old van that was freezing cold, we had pieces of board for seats and we slept on top of our luggage. It wasn’t really luxury travel but that was okay. Interestingly enough, the part of Romania we went to was actually German speaking! We stayed there on a farm and there would be several nights where we would just be waiting for a rendezvous in a field in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly car lights would go off and a car would just roll towards us. We’d all jump out and unpack whatever we’d brought. Although we never saw each other’s faces and had no idea who anybody was, we’d all stand in a circle and pray together. Then they’d take off as fast as they could and we’d do the same in the opposite direction.’

Laura made multiple trips with the team to bring Bibles to Romania, although Brigadier Hildreth did worry about this and Laura was ‘sure he prayed all the harder’. Their work in Romania was eventually closed down after they met with a man who they believed at the time was a Christian, but ‘was a bit too knowledgeable about what we were doing’. On returning to Germany they discovered that he was a Communist spy so they had to stop making those trips.

Laura reminisced about one particular journey back to Germany through what was Yugoslavia at the time. A stone flew up from the road and shattered their van’s front windscreen.

It was in the middle of a snowstorm, and they all had to cram back into the van with the two men in the front to drive, and Laura and two other women wrapped up in sleeping bags in the back seat. ‘The snow cut right into our faces, and after a while we couldn’t put our feet on the floor because the metal was

burning from the cold. The only thing I could think was, Lord, please don’t let me cry. We wanted to stay strong for each other.

After eight hours of travelling like that, we crossed the Austrian border with great jubilation, because we were still alive.’

Despite having to struggle up the stairs at the boarding house they finally stopped at, Laura said that the amazing thing was that nobody got sick from the journey through the snowstorm.

Aside from night-time meetings in Romanian fields and hours of wintery travel, one of the things that struck Laura the most during her time with the team was an interaction with an old man who lived in a house worn down by the floods, who felt sorry for the team living in the West and ‘drowning in your own prosperity and not even noticing it’. This conversation stuck with Laura and caused her to consider whether she should consider herself a Christian and what she’d be willing to give up for God.

A heart for young women Laura had been working at a grammar school in Germany, but felt the call to move into youth ministry despite there being no women doing youth work at her church. She left her job at the grammar school and attended the International Apostolic Bible College in Kolding for a year to prepare her for youth ministry.

The school was multilingual, and Laura was asked to help with translation work at some of their conferences. ‘I said, “Oh Lord no” and he responded with “Oh Laura yes!” And I remembered the brigadier saying the Lord would use my love of languages, so I knew I couldn’t get out of this now.’ Laura travelled, mostly to international theological conferences and did interpretation work for them.

Once she had completed her study at Bible College, she asked the male youth pastors about helping out in youth ministry. Laura was subsequently asked to help in the kitchen.

‘That wasn’t quite what I had in mind. But he eventually said I could come along to the meetings. I wasn’t asked to do anything, but I thought the most important thing was to get to know the kids and build relationships, so I did that for a long time before I was allowed to teach—although they weren’t

allowed to call it teaching, so we were “sharing”.

‘Other churches weren’t happy, but I didn’t actually choose to do it, I simply thought that there are so many young women with huge potential, and it wasn’t being used. If someone doesn’t step up to start, then it’ll be totally erased—that was my vision.’

Laura co-led that youth group for 16 years. ‘Obviously as my life became more embedded in Germany I wrote less to the brigadier and he wrote less to me, but I knew we never forgot each other. And he gave me a very soft spot for The Salvation Army.’

In 1988, Laura returned to New Zealand and did teaching work as well as further study.

Looking back When Laura looks back on her life, she reflects that even among the blessings from God in her life, her journey has not been easy. ‘I contracted an illness and over the years it has become very serious, and the doctors have said there’s nothing more they can do … you may read my testimony and may think it’s moving from one fortunate experience to another, but in following the Lord there has been a lot of heartache along the way. But also, sheer amazement at what God can do.’

Despite these moments of excitement—from smuggling Bibles to Romania to working as a translator at European theological conferences—Laura’s walk with God across her life has been punctuated by curiosity, humour and a quiet trust in God’s presence.

Laura has a picture of the brigadier sitting on her bedside table to remind her of the impact he has had on her life.

After Brigadier Hildreth passed away, she reached out to his granddaughter to express her gratitude, and discovered that she and the granddaughter are about the same age.

Laura explained that ‘ultimately the beginning of my story was the meeting with the brigadier; I wondered, on a ship of a thousand people, why would he talk to me? … Now at the age of 73, it has been good to look back at the long way the Lord has led me, and that it all started with one person.’

AS LAURA WAS GROWING UP, BRIGADIER HILDRETH WOULD SEND HER THE CHILDREN’S STORIES FROM WAR CRY, SO SHE BEGAN TO LEARN ABOUT ALL THE MAJOR PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE. 23 JULY 2022 WarCry

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Trust In all of our relationships and interactions with other people, regardless of our familiarity with that person, we can never fully know them or predict their actions and decisions. The foundation for all of these relationships, whether we are aware of it or not, is trust. Trust is an essential part of the way that we relate and build deep connections with others.

Trust is an expression of how safe we feel with what is vulnerable in our lives: our emotions, our possessions, our children, our secrets. We are more or less willing to share these things with others depending on how much trust we feel we can have with them. The possibility of betrayal appears next to our conversations of trust; it is always a potential outcome that we have to reckon with.

A way to think about distrust is the belief that ‘what is important to me is not safe with this person and in this situation’, as described by Charles Feltman.

While we can feel that a person or situation is trustworthy, trust itself is less of an emotion and more of an assessment that we make, although it can lead to other emotions. A label of non-trustworthiness placed on us by other people can be very hurtful.

BRENÉ BROWN, HOUSTON UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROFESSOR, HAS DISCOVERED SEVEN ELEMENTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A FEELING OF TRUST, UNDER THE ACRONYM OF BRAVING: • Boundaries: When your boundaries are respected, and the other person will ask and clarify these if they aren’t sure what is and isn’t okay, it feels safe to say no without worrying about a negative response.

• Reliability: You can be sure that this person will do what they say they will do, which also means having a realistic idea of what they have capacity for and not overpromising and then not living up to it.

• Accountability: This person can own up to their mistakes, apologise sincerely when they need to and actively work to make amends.

• Vault: You can be sure that the other person knows what they need to keep in confidence, and what is not theirs to share. You also know that they are not sharing things with you about other people that should be confidential.

• Integrity: The other person practises their values rather than just expressing them, choosing courage over comfort and prioritising what they believe is right.

• Non-judgement: You feel safe to ask the other person for

10 WarCry 23 JULY 2022

TRUST IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE WAY THAT WE RELATE AND BUILD DEEP CONNECTIONS WITH OTHERS. what you need, and they can do the same. You are both able to share your feelings and ask for support without judgement.

• Generosity: The other person extends generosity and understanding towards your intentions, words and actions.

As helpful as it can be to reflect on the ways we can determine trust towards other people, it is vital to also evaluate our self-trust.

Brené explains, ‘Self-trust is normally the first casualty of failure or mistakes. We stop trusting ourselves when we hurt others, get hurt, feel shame or question our worth.’

We may at times find it hard to trust ourselves after experiencing disappointment and regret around things we care about. We can use this BRAVING acronym to notice if those prompts feel true for us and work to move back into a space of self-trust, which is an essential building block of confidence, self-compassion and growth.

WIN!

We have one copy of Atlas of the Heart to give away. If you are interested in receiving the copy, send your favourite Brené Brown quote to warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz.

Entries close 6 August 2022.

Source: Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown, 2021 (Penguin Random House UK).

TESTIFY! Anthony Souvatzoglou (pictured top right) is an executive assistant in the Mission Section at Territorial Headquarters. He shares the importance of faith in his family line and how this impacted his decision to come to work at the Army.

I was born here in Wellington in 1987.

All together we are a family of five.

My mother’s faith and beliefs were Anglican. My father’s faith was Greek Orthodox, and as a family growing up, we were always taught to make a sign of the cross when we passed a church or a cemetery or before we ate food. We were taught to give thanks to Christ for everything that he’s done for us. When my parents divorced, my mother went back to her Anglican faith. My father kept the Greek Orthodox faith.

I have always believed that there is a God, though at times I questioned whether or not God existed, especially with the difficulties we had to go through. I’d sometimes lie in bed and think to myself, if God does exist, why does he do these kinds of things?

I remember a conversation I had with my grandmother when I was probably only about seven or eight years old.

She said to me that God works in mysterious ways. God will give you something, but at the same time, he’ll give you an obstacle. He’ll provide you with the tools and what you need in order to overcome that obstacle, but you have to find them out and the only way you can find out is if you have faith and allow God to talk to you within your inner being.

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. I’ve often doubted. But then I get a wakeup call. I kind of feel an extra strength lifts me up and allows me to think clearly and I know this is not me. I know that’s God who has spiritually enabled me to have that flexibility to think.

Anthony’s grandparents Anthony’s father

Above: Anthony’s grandmother’s Bible.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THERE IS A GOD, THOUGH AT TIMES I QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT GOD EXISTED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DIFFICULTIES WE HAD TO GO THROUGH. I always remember my father. He used to constantly make his sign of the cross and constantly pray, and I asked him one day, ‘How many times a day do you pray?’ I remember he said to me, ‘I wake up in the morning and I thank God that I’m alive’. He said, ‘I pray every day, throughout the day. I’m constantly praying. Praying for a better tomorrow and a better today. Praying for things to happen well’... pretty much just praying for his family and children.

My father passed away on 22 December 2020 from a very nasty form of cancer.

When he passed away, I just sat there and I felt empty. I literally felt like someone had taken a knife, took my

heart out, cut it in half and put the other half somewhere else.

After about a week of being at The Salvation Army, I realised that my father would be smiling in heaven that I have got a job at The Salvation Army, because my father used to always talk about helping people. I know that my father had help from The Salvation Army years ago. I know that he also told people to go to The Salvation Army to seek help.

I now realise that the part of me that I lost is now actually in heaven with my father.

23 JULY 2022 WarCry

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Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand: Historical Context Artificial intelligence (AI) is such an integral part of our lives, but not always readily recognisable.

It is viewed with both curiosity and suspicion, but there is no doubt the technology is here to stay and is increasing in its reach. In part one of this three-part series, David Youngmeyer reflects on the development of the AI concept and the related expression.

AI is something that is widely referenced and used in our twenty-first century world. It is a popular concept in books and films (often in science fiction/ horror genres); is found in universities; in industry; military research; forms a key part of many consumer electronics, such as the mobile phone; and is found more broadly all throughout the fabric of the online/ digital world. It’s also frequently in the news media.

But what does AI actually mean? Where did it come from and how did it develop into what we know today?

Although there are many possible definitions of AI, the AI Forum of New Zealand defined it in 2018 as: Advanced digital technologies that enable machines to reproduce or surpass abilities that would require intelligence if humans were to perform them. This includes technologies that enable machines to learn and adapt, to sense and interact, to reason, predict and plan, to optimise procedures and parameters, to operate autonomously, to be creative, and to extract knowledge from large amounts of data.

AI in literature and film

To be sure, the concept or idea behind what we now know as AI has been canvassed in one form or another in human thought for centuries, although the term ‘artificial intelligence’ did not exist until the 1950s.

Jonathan Swift, for example, referred to a mechanical word device called the ‘Engine’ in his 1726 satirical novel Gulliver’s Travels. This mechanical

device contained all the words of the local language and was able to produce new prose and poetry. It was powered by students who turned iron handles to move the configuration of the words, while others read out coherent parts of sentences created by the machine and scribes made a note of the output.

In the satirical context, the Engine machine was likely a comment on the need for years of careful study to attain mastery in a field rather than any amazing prediction of what in the future would be called a computer. It is nevertheless an intriguing idea, particular from today’s vantage point.

In Mary Shelley’s 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein, a scientist creates a living being out of materials sourced from ‘the dissecting room and the slaughter-house’ among other less than seemly places.

In 1900, L. Frank Baum introduced the Tin Man in his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The metallic Tin Man resembled a person and acted for all intents and purposes as if he was a living thing, although he lacked a heart, which caused him no end of heartache.

A few decades later, the 1927 silent

THE CONCEPT OR IDEA BEHIND WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS AI HAS BEEN CANVASSED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER IN HUMAN THOUGHT FOR CENTURIES. 12 firezone.co.nz 23 JULY 2022

TODAY, AI IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGY, WHICH EXISTS NOT ONLY IN BOOKS, FILM AND THOUGHT, BUT INCREASINGLY IN OUR REAL WORLD. German film Metropolis—one of the earliest science fiction movies—brought forth the ‘machine human’, a robotic character who was successfully transformed into the living image of a real woman, thereby managing to fool many people as to its true identity.

The Turing test

This leads nicely to the Turing test, or ‘imitation game’ [on which the 2014 movie The Imitation Game is based]. British mathematician, code breaker and early computer scientist Alan Turing came up with a type of thought experiment to consider the question: Can machines think? His seminal paper was published in the philosophical journal Mind in 1950.

The basis of the Turing test was a conversation between an interrogator and two other parties. One of the parties was a person, while the other was a computer. If the interrogator could not tell the difference between the two parties, then the computer could be said to think.

To remove any visual, auditory, tactile or other such cues, the conversation would be carried out in written form or via an intermediary. As Turing noted: ‘We do not wish to penalise the machine for its inability to shine in beauty competitions, nor to penalise a man for losing in a race against an aeroplane’.

‘AI’ comes to life

The examples above illustrate that although AI was on our minds in many forms, it was very much a concept without a name. This all changed in 1955 when Dartmouth mathematics professor John McCarthy used the term ‘AI’ in the title of his proposal for an academic conference: ‘Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence’ that took place the following year.

Today, AI is a well-established technology, which exists not only in books, film and thought, but increasingly in our real world.

The second part of this three-part series will focus on the growing realisation of the importance of AI in our nations.

Should we fear AI?

Questions have been raised over the proliferation of AI in society and its predicted ability to supersede human intelligence and function at a level beyond the capabilities of humans.

The detractors of AI also point to the current use of AI in countries where it is used in the surveillance of minority groups, such as Christians. Also, in the US, where the Justice system is now using the technology for bail and sentencing decisions.

These AI algorithms are being implemented increasingly within business, politics, social media and industry, and while they can bring benefits for companies, such as increases in productivity, they are also being used for worker monitoring and displacement of workers.

Caution has also been called for in the media and social messaging, particularly within democracies where AI can manipulate the flow of information and skew what is presented to readers through social media channels.

No doubt AI is here to stay, but a question remains: is the predicted super-intelligence of AI the main concern for humanity, or rather is it the people who implement AI for their own purposes?

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Albany Bays Corps.

Northern Division Corps Navigating Covid-19

Northern Division was hit by multiple lockdowns due to the pandemic. Each corps navigated as best they could within an unpredictable climate. War Cry checked in with four corps representative of the region and asked them how they stayed connected to their faith communities over the lockdown periods. Ōtāhuhu Corps Ōtāhuhu Corps is an exciting place to be—even during a pandemic! Since the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 only one Sunday meeting has been missed, with pre-recorded meetings being posted on the corps Facebook page during lockdown and livestreamed whenever meetings have been held at the corps.

After four months of lockdown, Sunday meetings recommenced at the corps in 2022, with members having the option of attending in person or continuing to join in through the livestream. When people still felt uncomfortable about meeting in person, they were invited to participate through recorded Bible readings or testimonies which were played during the meetings.

‘In recent weeks, four new families have chosen to begin attending Ōtāhuhu Corps,’ says corps officer Major Heather Kopu. ‘One of those families had checked out the meetings on the corps Facebook page and decided that they wanted to be a part of what they saw!’

Other postings on the Facebook page have included a Bible chapter read each day during the month of May by different corps members, with messages of encouragement and invitations to make prayer requests. In addition, chat groups for children, youth and young adults are helping to keep them connected to the corps.

‘Plans are also underway to connect foodbank clients to the corps by encouraging them to check out demonstrations on the corps Facebook page of how to use the items supplied in their food parcels,’ said Heather.

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Although some small groups such as a women’s Bible study and ministry training group are now able to meet together, children’s ministry is conducted online with the children coming together every four to six weeks, the first occasion being for a wonderful Corps Easter Camp led by the young adults.

Leadership team meetings and the weekly corps prayer meeting also continue to be held online during the cold winter months.

Fortnightly newsletters (weekly during lockdowns) are emailed to everyone connected with the corps. A copy of the newsletter is also posted to those who don’t have access to the internet, and the corps’ dedicated pastoral care team maintains regular contact with these people.

Auckland City Korean Corps Auckland City Korean Corps has made great efforts to return to its pre-Covid corps programmes and activities as much as possible, though continuing to be cautious.

In the return to in-person Sunday services after several lockdown periods, the corps moved their 11am services to 2pm to avoid an overlap with Auckland City Corps in line with Covid-19 safety measures. From the first week of June, they were able to revert back to their 11am services.

Major Steven Lim said that to mark the return to in-person services, they held a lighthearted corps event (Bible quiz and traditional Korean games) ‘to regain joy and laughter after a time of separation and hardship’.

They were able to swiftly revert to their usual corps schedule after the multiple lockdown periods as they stayed connected

during those times through frequent communication on the corps messaging forum. There was also the corps-wide Scripture reading and writing, weekly online prayer services on Saturdays at 8pm and recorded sermons in Korean that were accessible for the entire congregation.

‘Even though it was a difficult time spiritually, physically and emotionally for many,’ said Steven, ‘the corps were able to come out of this with renewed spirits, strengthened faith, deeper relationships and a greater sense of community.’

Waitākere Corps.

Albany Bays Corps Albany Bays Corps is currently running both in-person and online services. The online service is a pre-recording of their inperson service on YouTube.

Corps officer Rochelle Reddish said that over the past few years of the pandemic, ‘the care of the people was paramount’.

They’ve provided care packages for those at home, and are keeping in contact with people, especially those who are nervous to come back to in-person services.

There was a lot of uncertainty during the 2021 lockdown, as the restriction updates were fortnightly, so they found it difficult to pre-plan services. Instead, their focus switched to looking out for their people.

‘Our main priority was that people were really cared for and they knew what was happening because it was such an uncertain time, and it still is,’ Rochelle said.

After Auckland’s 14-week lockdown, they created a tutorial video for the congregation of what to expect when coming to a Sunday service, such as mask wearing, tracer app scanning and social distancing.

The first service back they had balloons and a welcome back sign because ‘it was really exciting to be back after so long’, she said.

Since returning to in-person services, Rochelle has heard people’s stories of how God was moving and how they held on to hope and joy during lockdown.

Rochelle mentioned, ‘when you’re in lockdown and … there’s been a lot of uncertainty and changes, I think people’s faith and trust in God has really deepened’.

Auckland City Korean Corps.

Waitākere Corps Waitākere Corps was meeting in person or through Facebook live stream during the pandemic. They currently run both inperson and livestreamed services in the Facebook group.

During Covid-19, these live-streamed services were only half an hour and were pared-back, with no worship and a simple message.

‘It was just us sitting on a couch talking. It was short, to the point. But I think it just gave people something to think about,’ said corps officer Captain Phil Mellsop.

Even now for their services they have gone back to basics, by focussing on Bible studies and not adding too much to that.

Their congregation has become ‘tired and jaded’ because of the pandemic, so for them it’s about supporting one another to rest and recover.

‘I think we’re seeing God moving in the congregation as it starts re-emerging and re-working out what it looks like to come back into community, corporately together,’ said corps officer Captain Nikki Mellsop.

She said it’s important not to overwork their staff and congregation at this time, since the previous long lockdowns in Auckland were hard on people’s wellbeing.

Although the pandemic hasn’t been easy for them, Phil said it’s allowed people in their congregation to ‘own their faith’ or develop more of their personal faith.

‘I think we can be quite religious in our approach to church …

I think it’s maybe freed up people a bit or just allowed people the opportunity to not feel obligated but to want to do stuff.’

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Major Kingsley Sampson Honoured at Symposium During the recent Salvation Army History Symposium, held in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, retired officer Major Kingsley Sampson was honoured with the title of ‘Fellow of The Salvation Army Historical Society’. The award was in recognition of his research, publications and promotion of Salvation Army history.

The symposium, held at the beginning of July, commenced on Friday with Australian award-winning journalist Dr Ian Townsend delivering the keynote address. This was followed

by Salvation Army history papers, a heritage walk and dinner on Saturday. The symposium concluded on Sunday with an old-style meeting and summative discussion.

On Saturday, via Zoom, Major Sampson presented a history paper on New Zealand Salvationist Kingsley Mortimer.

People from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Sweden, the UK and the USA were represented in person or via Facebook livestream. Other papers represented the depth and breadth of Salvation Army history.

During Saturday’s Symposium dinner, Major Sampson, again via Zoom, received his award which was accompanied by a plaque and framed certificate. Other noted historians linked to The Salvation Army also received the same title during the evening and included Dr David Malcolm Bennett, Garth R. Hentzschel and Major David Woodbury.

GAZETTE Appointment in retirement: [amendment to 25 June Gazette] Captain Lindsay Andrews as corps officer, Rangiora Corps, alongside corps officer, Major Nigel De Maine.

Promotion to Glory: Retired Divisional Envoy Stanley (Stan) Harris was promoted to Glory on 29 June 2022, aged 91 years. Stan was the Divisional Planned Giving and Stewardship leader and also Youth to Soldiership Programme leader for Canterbury Northwest Division.

Stan was the writer of the ‘Cap at the Bar’ column for War Cry for many years while also mentoring others into Hotel Ministry. We ask you to uphold in prayer Lorna, children Adrienne and Christopher, Captain Jocelyn Smith (wife of the late Captain Brent Harris) and Major Jack Harris (older brother of Stan), along with other members of the Harris family at this time of grief and loss.

Major Helen Spargo was promoted to Glory on 1 July 2022, aged 78 years. Helen Melva Berry was born in 1944 and married Ian Spargo in 1964. In 1965, Helen and Ian entered The Salvation Army Training College from Avondale Corps as cadets in the Defenders of the Faith session. Following their commissioning in 1967, Lieutenants Helen and Ian Spargo were appointed as corps officers, Rangiora/ Kaiapoi Corps, followed by appointments in Carterton Corps (1968); Addington Men’s Social Service Centre (1969); Auckland South Corps (1970); Taumarunui Corps (1971); Eltham Corps (1972); Hornby Corps (1975); Invercargill Social Services Centre (1976). In January 1980, they were transferred to Australia East Territory, returning to New Zealand in 1982. Appointments followed in Waikato; Wellington (1983); Tauranga (1985); Auckland (1988);

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Wellington (1992). In 1998 Helen was appointed to the Central Division as assistant officer to Court and Prison continuing with her Outer Circle Home League appointment and it is from these appointments that Helen retired from active service in 2009. In 2013, Helen returned to the Courts pro tem. Helen continued a phone and card ministry to many throughout her retirement.

Major Ian Spargo was promoted to Glory on 23 August 2018. Please remember in prayer Helen’s children Bruce, Jennifer, Ian and Dean, her grandchildren, along with other members of the extended family at this time of grief and loss.

Bereavement: Major Bruce Aldersley, of his sister Linda Manaia Aldersley, who passed away on 26 June 2022 in Wellington. Please prayerfully support Majors Bronwyn and Bruce and the wider family at this time.

Appointments: Effective immediately, Ōamaru Corps, Southern Division is under divisional oversight.

Confirming commencement date of 1 August 2022, Lieutenant Cassandra Henderson has been appointed as corps officer, Far North (Kaitāia) Corps and chaplain, Bridge Kaitāia, for Northland Area Pilot.

Effective 1 August 2022, Captain Kylie Tong will be covering the role of candidates officer (secretary) (pro tem), for Auckland Area and Northland Area Pilot.

Effective 1 September 2022, Captains Rachel and Simon Montgomery have been appointed as assistant corps officers, Whanganui Corps, Central Division.

Ukraine update United Kingdom

The Swindon Recycles scheme (an initiative of the Swindon Citadel) is providing bicycles for Ukrainian refugees as part of a local ‘Bikes for Ukraine’ project in the town of Swindon in the south-west of England. This was set up by Swindon Welcomes Ukraine in response to new arrivals’ requests for transport to reach services in an affordable and accessible way. Swindon Welcomes Ukraine is a committee working in partnership with Swindon Council and Pattern Church which helps refugees to settle into the community.

Recently, representatives from the ‘Bikes for Ukraine’ project were delighted to be able to hand over bikes to Ukrainian refugees, including for children and families.

France Food aid is being offered in Marseille, for people from Ukraine. Part of this action is funded by French donors of The Salvation Army.

Denmark The Salvation Army has signed an agreement with the Dragør Municipality to rent out its campsite for a period of two years, which will now serve as accommodation for refugees from Ukraine. The maximum camp capacity means that they are able to accommodate 23 families. In the past, the campsite was also used for refugees after both the First and Second World Wars.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the situation regarding refugees has been taken care of by the Danish Government and local municipalities. While the local municipality is in charge of the families from Ukraine— their accommodation, legal procedures, funding— personnel from The Salvation Army are available daily for spiritual, social and practical assistance.

Salvation Army personnel from the homeless hostel are visiting the families, spending valuable time with them each day, offering integration support into Danish society.

Romania The French Ambassador, Madame Laurence Auer (below, in red), visited the RomExpo refugee relief operation in Bucharest and had a conversation with The Salvation Army team there. To date, The Salvation Army in Bucharest has distributed 19,824 vouchers there for 9305 children. Thanks to all the local and international colleagues whose efforts and diligence enable the work there, as well as in many other places around Europe and the world.

Hopehaven Special Needs Care Centre Melaka The Hopehaven Special Needs Care Centre in Melaka, Malaysia has been working to adjust to life amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. The care centre provides education and daycare services for children, teenagers and some adults up to 50 years old who require special care. The centre has developed programmes to help their residents reach their full potential with specialised support facilities.

The number of residents at the care centre has dropped recently due to precautions from parents and caregivers around the pandemic and fears for their low immune systems. For the residents who are still attending, proper hygiene practices including mask wearing and hand washing are being taught to ensure all staff and residents can remain safe and healthy. There are some unique challenges with the residents with special needs, as they work to understand and adapt to the changes that the pandemic has brought.

Contributions from The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory have helped the centre support 29 residents with social skills, life skills and vocational skills training, as well as outdoor activities, outings and workshops. The centre has been gradually introducing more activities to the residents, including creative arts sessions, language and communications sessions and community functioning sessions.

We continue to pray for the residents and staff that they will remain safe and healthy during this time, and that the centre will be well resourced to support those in their care.

The Salvation Army and partners delivering bicycles to Ukrainian refuges in Swindon, UK.

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General Excitement From Anchorage to Honolulu General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle (World President of Women’s Ministries) took the good news of the gospel to Salvationists and friends along the full length of The Salvation Army’s USA Western Territory. They began in Anchorage, Alaska, and travelled southwards to four other locations: Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California; and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The international leaders The General enrols soldiers at Anchorage Congress in Alaska. Photo by John Docter. took part in public meetings with Salvationists and friends in each location. They shared news of The Salvation Army’s international ‘I was delighted to see that, with all the amazing facilities and ministry and spoke about the movement’s momentum, which state-of-the-art equipment, God’s word was right at the heart of continues even through difficulties such as the Covid-19 everything that happens in the centre.’ pandemic.

The moving of the Holy Spirit was felt through times of ‘They are passionate leaders, with a steadfast commitment testimony, like that of Joshua Needham, a soldier from Santa to Christ,’ said Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Clara Corps (church) in California. He told the congregation in Riley. ‘They share that with the world, and they want the world San Francisco how he had overcome addiction and found Christ to know Jesus.’ through The Salvation Army, which led to him getting his family The General delivered messages centered on the living hope and life back. He said, ‘The relationships that were destroyed that is available through Christ—hope that ‘marches on’. The during my addiction were restored. I was recently awarded joint General said: ‘God has a plan for his Church. We will stand tall custody of my six-year-old son. I get to be his father again … I am and strong. We will stand firm on the gospel principles that we also able to coach my son’s soccer team.’ understand to be truly relevant. We will preach the gospel of On his four-year sobriety anniversary, he was watching as his Jesus Christ. We will call men and women to repentance; we will son scored four goals. ‘Coincidence? Never,’ he said. ‘Praise God!’ offer the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in their lives.’

The General told his listeners: ‘The world needs salt and Enrolments were a feature of each meeting, beginning in light,’ adding that everyone who shared in the meetings across Alaska with the swearing-in of nine senior soldiers. As he moved the territory is called to be those things. ‘It’s about one thing southwards through the territory, the General enrolled junior and one thing only,’ he said. ‘It’s about welcoming prodigals and senior soldiers and adherents, with groups big enough home. The Kingdom of Heaven here on earth depends on each to fill the stages of the various venues. A time of prayer and of you. It depends upon me.’ recommitment in San Francisco resulted in several people moving forward to declare a calling to full-time ministry as Salvation Army officers.

The rich cultural diversity of the USA Western Territory was on display at every venue, with worship including a song in English and Tlingit (the language spoken by the Tlingit indigenous people from the coastal regions of Alaska and western Canada), a Fijian dance, a performance from a youth mariachi group (a traditional Mexican music style) and Hawaiian hula dancers. Additionally, Scripture and prayers were offered in English, Spanish, Korean and Marshallese.

In Hawaii, the international leaders toured the Ray and Joan Kroc community centre where the General picked up some pointers from a personal trainer. While he was being shown around the fitness centre, Commissioner Rosalie spoke with a group of women engaged in Bible study outside on the lanai (a Hawaiian term for a covered veranda). The commissioner said: The General enrols junior soldiers in San Francisco.

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I THANK GOD FOR OUR TEAMS OF PEOPLE WHO DAILY PROVIDE SERVICES TO FULFIL OUR MISSION…

Tribute: Stanley Wallis Harris Stan Harris was born in Blenheim on 7 December 1930, number 9 out of 10 children, into a Salvationist family. Stan went to school at Koromiko, between Picton and Blenheim. Some years later the family moved to Westport. After leaving school Stan worked in a grocer’s shop, then in the Denniston mine. By the time Stan was 19, his father had died and Stan and his mother moved to Christchurch. In the following years he worked at a garage; for the Christchurch Transport Board driving buses; as a mechanic at the gasworks; then he moved into selling stationery.

Stan’s life was always lived within the context of The Salvation Army. This was the birthplace where his faith was nurtured, where he found his identity and belonging, and his avenue of service.

The Salvation Army was where he met Lorna, a sweet singing 18-year-old when they first met one evening at an interchurch youth choral night. Engagement eventually followed, then marriage and children—Adrienne, Brent and Christopher.

For a number of years Stan was a divisional envoy with specific roles, and within Sydenham Corps he held positions of young people’s sergeant major, sergeant major and corps cadet guardian. He did regular hotel ministry for over 50 years and was a bandsman and songster. He wrote letters to men in prison and a regular column called ‘Cap at the Bar’ for War Cry. In everything he did, Stan was an enthusiastic and faithful soldier of The Salvation Army.

Stan kept working until he was 70; then he and Lorna did a number of overseas trips. In more recent years Stan had significant health challenges but into his 92nd year his mind was still sharp and he was always ready to speak a word of encouragement and testimony. Stan was promoted to Glory on 29 June 2022.

BY MAJOR BARBARA SAMPSON

August 1 is the day the Northern Division commences the pilot or trial of the Local Mission Delivery Model. This is an opportunity for officers and managers from all mission expressions, in various geographic areas around Auckland and Northland, to meet together regularly to build connections, increase understanding and provide support for the incredible ministry and mission operating in these areas.

This is an exciting and significant step forward in achieving our Strategic Mission Framework and, above all, the mission of The Salvation Army in Aotearoa New Zealand. I thank God for our dedicated teams of people who daily provide services to fulfil our mission of caring for people, transforming lives and reforming society

by God’s power. Together, we are an effective and powerful force for God in our community. He Waka Eke Noa, all of us together doing our part, using our faith, gifts and qualifications to fulfil our mission with God’s power.

During the past few months, Mark and I have been ‘on the road’ and enjoyed visiting various mission expressions. We have met many teams representing corps, housing, ASARS, Community Ministries and Family Stores working together to provide a place for people of all ages to belong, discover more about the love of Jesus and experience the compassion of Jesus in very practical ways. One member of staff told me that he was very grateful to find a workplace where he can serve and help others and offer to pray for them.

I have been challenged by the following verses from Hebrews, and commit to doing my part to think of ways to motivate and encourage others as we seek to love and serve God and our community together.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (Hebrews 10:23–25, NLT).

Commissioner Julie Campbell Territorial President of Women’s Ministries

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The call to sacrifice is clear, loud and unambiguous. It is a call that is, and always has been, a ‘hard teaching’, certainly a hard sell.

Perhaps one of the reasons for this lies in a lack of understanding of the notion of ‘sacrifice’.

BY MAJOR JOANNE WARDLE

Sacrifice is usually interpreted in today’s culture as an unrealistic expectation, an extreme aestheticism, in which genuine discipleship and Christian spiritual development require a growing repudiation of self and the resources available to it.

In Music and Worship in the Church, authors Austin Lovelace and William Rice write, ‘While many people claim to love the “old rugged cross”, they really prefer to have it on a hill and very far away’.

Physical and the spiritual There is a point of view, shared with heresy of the early church, which argued that the human or physical realm was entirely evil and only the divine was good.

Extreme positions such as this have the tendency to generate extreme reactions, like the ‘prosperity gospel’, where genuine discipleship and Christian spiritual development is evidenced by wealth, influence and admiration, which is one such counter-reaction.

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WE KNOW DEEP WITHIN OUR HEARTS WHETHER WE ARE SACRIFICING SOMETHING OF OURSELVES OR HOLDING BACK. Both extremes are wrong. Scripture never calls us to extremes, but rather to balance, lived extremely. As disciples of Jesus Christ, he is our primary model.

It is his sacrifice and simplicity that informs our aspirations.

The Pharisees were early proponents of the ‘prosperity gospel’. They considered wealth to be proof of a person’s righteousness. The poor, in their opinion, were unrighteous and simply suffering the consequences.

Such a point of view quickly produces hardened hearts that see not only righteousness in wealth but also extra righteousness in remaining separate from the poor.

Financial gain and sacrifice In response to the scoffing of the Pharisees, Jesus told the parable of the rich man and the beggar (Luke 16:19–31), which cuts through all the rationalisations about wealth and success common to each generation.

The fact that the rich man had a large capacity to generate income was not something Jesus held against him.

The fact that he retained all his money and spent it on himself was the issue.

Money is not the only area of sacrifice for the Christian. Others include the sacrifices of time for prayer, appetite in fasting and ego in forgiveness, among many others. Money, however, is a good place to start.

‘WHILE MANY PEOPLE CLAIM TO LOVE THE “OLD RUGGED CROSS”, THEY REALLY PREFER TO HAVE IT ON A HILL AND VERY FAR AWAY’.

For Jesus, the only question raised by wealth was its use.

Biblical generosity The Bible makes it clear that part of the financial resources given to us by God needs to be retained to sustain self, family and provide the ability to generate income. Giving should be in proportion to one’s means, and Christians are called to apply their wealth scripturally.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for both the rich and the poor because among other things it gives the wealth of the rich a point. It meets the physical needs of the poor, because it includes them in the context of a secular society that doesn’t.

Jesus’ attitude to personal resources is summarised in Luke 12:22–34, ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’.

Jesus and his disciples were not known as poor and destitute, because they weren’t, they had both divine and human support. They were compassionate to the poor and destitute, providing spiritual, emotional and physical resources.

Christians are not called to be the poorest in the neighbourhood. They are called to live out a simple but wellpresented model of good stewardship, earning as much as they can and giving away as much as they can, while maintaining a good witness to the provision of a loving and righteous God.

Accountability As Christians we all know whether we are being sacrificial in what we do by each attitude and action we express.

We know deep within our hearts whether we are sacrificing something of ourselves or holding back.

Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian philosopher and author, once observed, ‘Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself’. It is only as we are willing to change ourselves, through the help of the Spirit of God and through sacrificial

living, that we can effectively introduce the values of the kingdom of God into today’s world.

Co-founder of The Salvation Army Catherine Booth wrote in Papers on Aggressive Christianity in 1891: ‘Show the world a real, living, self-sacrificing, hard-working, toiling, triumphant religion and the world will be influenced by it, but anything less they will turn around and spit upon’.

Catherine Booth set out the ethos of The Salvation Army at its inception.

She called for a movement that would live out the gospel in a practical and sacrificial way. She wanted to condition society and not have society shape or condition the Army. Only then, she believed, could the Army deliver a credible message to society.

FOR JESUS, THE ONLY QUESTION RAISED BY WEALTH WAS ITS USE. The witness of simplicity Robert Longman in ‘Spiritual disciplines and practices’ says ‘By taking our focus off getting stuff, we have more of ourselves available to focus on learning to love rightly, or taking time to be faceto-face with those in need, or learning Scripture, or learning how to depend on the Spirit’.

The Bible reflects back to each of us the challenge to live out our lives in a way that will be counter-culture. The ‘prosperity gospel’ says we could all live as kings and queens when we were actually called to live lives of simplicity, generosity and radical love for others.

Jesus and his disciples changed the world with this counter-cultural stance and so can we.

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OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS Commissioners Mark (Territorial Commander) and Julie Campbell (Territorial President of Women’s Ministries) 26 July: Recovery Church ASARS, Auckland 27 July: Hamilton Home League 93rd Anniversary, Hamilton 28–31 July: Northern Division visit 31 July: Northern Division Celebration meeting, Auckland City 1–2 August: Midland Division Winter Fellowship, Napier Colonel Gerry Walker (Chief Secretary) 25 July: Midland Retired Officers’ Meeting, Hamilton Major Liz Gainsford (Territorial Secretary for Spiritual Life Development) 1–3 August: Southern Division Officers’ Fellowship

PRAY We continue to pray for the people affected by war in

Ukraine; for the Kingdom of Tonga rebuilding after the eruption; Porirua Corps, Porirua District Court Service, Territorial Property and Public Relations Departments, Pukekohe Corps and The Salvation Army in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

INTERESTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE? Reports, regular newsletters, TSA government submissions: salvationarmy.org. nz/socialpolicy

BCM Library to the rescue!

From reference books for study and sermon prep to biographies and Christian living, enjoy unlimited access to the EBSCO eBook Religion Collection as part of a Booth College of Mission Library membership.

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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@ salvationarmy.org.nz

I would like: to learn about who Jesus is information about The Salvation Army The Salvation Army to contact me prayer for the following needs:

Name Email Address Phone Send to: warcry@salvationarmy.org.nz or War Cry, PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Quiz Answers: 1 Tegucigalpa, 2 Hilda, 3 C, 4 Aluminium, 5 A bull (1 Kings 18:25).

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How to Make Snow!

Learn how to make fake snow that is cold to the touch using just two ingredients you may already have. You’ll love playing with this DIY snow that feels SO real!

YOU WILL NEED… • Plastic container with lid or large bowl (to mix the snow in) • 1kg of baking soda • 1–2 cans shaving cream METHOD… 1. Pour baking soda into a plastic container with a lid.

2. Add some shaving cream, and knead it into the baking soda.

Keep adding more shaving cream, mixing and repeating, until the mixture is the consistency of snow.

You will know it is done when it is light and powdery and doesn't leave residue on your hands.

Source: makelifelovely.com

Isaiah 1:18

Do you have a favourite T-shirt? Maybe you have a white shirt you really like.

The problem with white shirts is they often get stained. Maybe you’ve stained it by painting, eating messy food or playing sport. It’s frustrating when you stain a white shirt because it’s hard to hide. Once it’s stained, the shirt is no longer white. However, parents are great when it comes to removing tough stains. If they get to the stain quickly, the shirt can be soaked and washed, and the stain completely removed. The shirt can then be restored to clean and white.

Snowflake Maze!

This verse compares sin to the colour red. Red is a bright, strong colour and it stains white. The ‘stains’ of our sins are impossible for us to get rid of on our own. The only way we can ‘wash’ them away is through Jesus. He removes the red stain of our sins through his sacrifice on the cross. He makes us clean and ‘white as snow’, our sins removed.

Can you navigate your way through the snowflake maze? e: B Sourc

o How ds stay n i ta moun arm? w

‘“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”’

rai nyM aze.com

ut They peir on t h p s . a snowc Why did the person put money in the freezer?

Snowally tu is ac urless, ar colo n appe ca y n a d as mannt e r diffeours. c ol They wanted cold hard cash!

You may not be able to avoid stains in the future, but maybe try to avoid wearing white shirts when doing messy activities! Similarly, we can never completely avoid sin. But when we do sin, we can rest assured that we can always ask Jesus for forgiveness and be forgiven.

I WONDER...

What are things you can be thankful to God for?

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