11c

War Cry THE

RUBY TURNER

Est 1879 No 7040

Celebrating 100 years of Mahalia Jackson

FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULS

19 November 2011

salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

20p/25c

Page 4

THE DIVINE COMEDY IS BACK writes PHILIP HALCROW

IT feels like heaven for fans of Rev. The BBC Two sitcom has returned for a second series. Adam Smallbone is still trying his best to lead a small congregation at St Saviour in the Marshes, East London. All the while, he is struggling Turn to page 3 BBC/Big Talk

Colourful characters congregate round Adam (Tom Hollander) in ‘Rev’

NEWS

The War Cry 19 November 2011

More Than Gold UK

2

VOLUNTEERS TO HOST OLYMPIC FAMILIES

Games churches head for homes

Stephanie Cook launches the Athlete Family Homestay programme

MONEY IS ‘VITAL FOR WELFARE SERVICES’

Tax change pleases poverty campaign

THE Government has announced that it is to change a tax rule which campaigners have said robs the UK of money that is vital for social and welfare services.

According to the Government, Low Value Consignment Relief (LVCR), which allows goods below a certain value to be imported VAT-free to UK customers, was being exploited by large companies who had the resources to set up operations on the Channel Islands.

Previously, the Government reduced the threshold for LVCR from £18 to £15. From next April, the threshold will apply to goods from the Channel Islands.

Campaign group Church Action on Poverty asked George Osborne to consider changing LVCR when it wrote to him last month. Its letter urged the Chancellor to consider a ‘crackdown on unjustifiable tax avoidance measures’.

Church Action on Poverty national co-ordinator Niall Cooper called the Government’s decision ‘great news’ but argued that it should be ‘just the first step’. He said: ‘In a time of austerity and spending cuts, it is unacceptable for wealthy companies to avoid paying tax. It amounts to stealing from the poor.’

GOLD medallist Stephanie Cook met potential hosts of Olympic athletes’ families when she officially launched a Christian-based programme in front of the 2012 Olympic countdown clock in London.

Run by More Than Gold, the agency that was set up to help churches play a role in the 2012 Games, the Athlete Family Homestay programme will find volunteers to provide free accommodation for competitors’ family members.

Stephanie won gold for Britain in the modern pentathlon in 2000 in Sydney, where her family were given accommodation through the same project. She says: ‘The warm welcome and hospitality of a lovely family made my family’s stay in Sydney very special and meant they were able to support me on one of the greatest days of my life. Now we want to offer the same opportunity to hundreds of athletes and their families during the 2012 Games.

‘For the families of competitors, the cost of flights can be bad enough. For them to know that their accommodation can be sorted is a huge weight off their shoulders.’

Volunteers who are accepted on the programme will provide LIST OF NAMES bed and breakfast for at least READ OUT eight days for up to two guests.

All hosts will be interviewed and their accommodation inspected.

CATHEDRAL A-SPIRES TO FAIRTRADE GOLD A WEATHERVANE refurbished using Q Fairtrade gold gilding has been installed on Chichester Cathedral’s spire. The weathervane’s gold was sourced by local jewellers Cred from the Sotrami mine in Peru, which has achieved Fairtrade and Fairmined certification.

The Fairtrade and Fairmined system ensures that miners receive a set minimum price for their gold, plus a premium to invest in business development and community projects in education, health and other areas.

The Fairtrade Foundation says that the refurbished weathervane – which was paid for by a private donor – is the first Fairtrade and Fairmined gold to go on display on a public building.

The Very Rev Nicholas Frayling, Dean of Chichester, says that Fairtrade and Fairmined gold ‘provides a lifeline for thousands of impoverished and exploited miners in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru’.

THIS ISSUE: SUUE:

CLIMATE DEMONSTRATOR

MEDIA/COMMENT p6

ONE hundred and forty-six names were read out at St Martin-in-theFields, London, during a service which remembered homeless and formerly homeless people who have died in the capital during the previous year. The annual service was attended by staff and volunteers from churches and agencies that help homeless and other vulnerable people, as well as by homeless and formerly homeless people.

The Rev Richard Carter of St Martin-in-the-Fields said: ‘Once again the names of those who had died seemed to go on and on, each name a person, each person unique. It was not only moving, it made you long for change.’

Annual subscriptions to Q The War Cry can be ordered online at sp-s.com

p8

PLUS

Service remembers homeless deaths

LIFESTYLE p7

PUZZLES p12

INNER LIFE p13

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

p14

RECIPES p15

19 November 2011 The War Cry

3

Adam is hailed for thwarting a mugger

BBC/Big Talk

From page 1

‘Loving thy neighbour’ sounds so easy but actually it’s hard

to stay on the right track himself.

It’s not easy for Adam (Tom Hollander). His flock could try the patience of a saint. Hard-drinking misfit Colin always manages to give ‘Vicarage’ (as he calls Adam) something to worry about. Flirtatious Adoha can be a bit overpowering.

It’s not as if Adam can count on much help from his pendantic layreader Nigel or the slightly intimidatory archdeacon.

But Adam is aware that he is far from perfect himself.

He is always wrestling with a deadly sin or two.

After accidentally colliding with a mugger on the street, Adam was hailed as a hero by people who thought he had tackled the thief. He became a local celebrity, and an internet campaign led to his being shortlisted for a Pride of Britain Award.

Pride was the problem. He had not set out to lie. People had just got the wrong end of the stick, and he had found it hard to disillusion them.

And the possibility of the award had advantages – it was earning the Church some good publicity and it meant he could take his long-suffering wife Alex to the awards ceremony.

‘Why have you engineered this, Lord?’ he prayed.

He summoned up the courage to tell the truth.

In this week’s episode (Thursday 17 November) Adam is tempted again. A new curate, Abigail, joins the church team. But she grates on him. He has enough self-awareness to know why. He asks God: ‘Why have you sent this woman, Lord? I should be able to love her but I can’t. I’m jealous of her because Curate Abigail (Amanda Hale) annoys Adam she’s cleverer than me and kind and hard-working.’

Abigail is right in her summary: ‘All that stuff that we’re supposed to understand about “loving thy neighbour” – it sounds so easy but actually it’s hard, isn’t it.’

Adam says the wrong things; he thinks the wrong things; he does the wrong things. He can even persuade himself that the wrong thing is the right thing.

He’s not the only one. If we were to look at anyone in their struggles to live life, would we know them from Adam?

The truth is that we find it hard to love our neighbour as ourselves. If we relied on ourselves to try to live as we should, we wouldn’t have a prayer.

But, as Adam would know, God, who commanded us to ‘love thy neighbour’, also offers forgiveness for our laughable failures at doing it. Through Jesus, he assures us that he cares for us and he invites us to put our trust in his love for us.

As one Bible writer summarises: ‘If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing’ (1 John 1:9 Good News Bible).

Amen.

4 The War Cry 19 November 2011

The

gospel truth Mahalia me to

‘A

LL of us singers are always striving to make a song that is timeless – a piece of music that will be listened to in 30 or 40 years’ time,’ says UK soul singer Ruby Turner. ‘And here I am talking about Mahalia Jackson, 100 years after she was born. Doesn’t that tell us something about her legacy! Doesn’t that tell us that she was the real thing!’

RUBY TURNER tells Philip Halcrow why she is celebrating Mahalia Jackson

Ruby is on tour with Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, but dates-permitting she is hoping to join in the UK Gospel Music Industry Alliance’s celebrations of the centenary of Mahalia Jackson. Her fellow soul artist Kym Mazelle is to appear at a concert in Liverpool, billed as Christmas with Mahalia’s Songs of Peace, Love and Joy. Mahalia Jackson was born on 26 October 1911 in New Orleans. She became a hugely successful gospel artist with recordings such as ‘Move On Up a Little Higher’ and ‘Take My Hand, Precious Lord’. She sang at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy and appeared alongside Dr Martin Luther King at civil rights events. After King was assassinated in 1968, she sang at his funeral.

Mahalia died in 1972 but is still known by the title, the Queen of Gospel Music.

5

19 November 2011 The War Cry QUEEN OF GOSPEL MUSIC: Mahalia Jackson

is that moved

tears

T

he meaning of the music is important to Ruby, and she has no hesitation in ascribing the power of the music to God’s Holy Spirit.

She says: ‘I was baptised when I was 12 years old, and I carried on in the

Courtesy of Viv Broughton

‘Such a pioneer of gospel music should be celebrated,’ says Ruby, who recalls how she discovered Mahalia.

‘The first time I heard her she stopped me in my tracks. I remember being very young and watching a film called Imitation of Life. Mahalia was in a church and singing. Something happened to me as I watched her – I wanted to seek out this voice, this woman.

‘Many years later, I was in Tokyo doing a theatre production of Carmen Jones. I went to a record store which was full of American imports and found the gospel department. And I found Mahalia again.

‘I remember sitting with the leading man in his room after a show and we were going through these CDs. We put Mahalia on and when she sang “In the Upper Room” both of us were just in tears. It was almost as though we were in the Upper Room with Jesus.

‘In the Bible, Jesus says: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst.” And I felt that he was in the midst of us.

‘I realised that, although this woman was long gone, her voice remained as a testimony.’

church until I was 15. I stopped going, because of teenage life, leaving school and going into the world, but I have heard the story, I have kept it with me. I don’t attend church regularly, but once in a while, when I’m carrying on with life, I remember watching that film and sitting in that hotel room listening to “In the Upper Room”, and it comes back to me.

Jesus said, “I will never leave you”, and I believe that. I know there’s a foundation that holds me.’

Ruby is moved by more than Mahalia’s music. ‘What she stood for was important. She came into the music industry, but she was true to gospel. She didn’t deviate or compromise – she stayed the course.

‘I heard her sing something great: “I want to live the life I

sing about in my songs.” And Mahalia did that. How she sang was how she lived.

‘We’re all so fickle. We’re so easily led. We’re so weak-willed – that is the human condition.

Thank God for Jesus, because he knows just what we are and doesn’t judge us.

‘And when one or two make it through, holding fast to the faith, it’s an example for the rest of us.’

Ruby is thankful for the music of Mahalia. ‘I can still put her music on, be swept away by it and listen to the message.

‘Mahalia has not gone, because she left us a legacy of a voice that reaches every part of us with the good news.’

She came into the music industry, but she was true to gospel

For more information visit gmia.org.uk

MEDIA M EDIA

6 The War Cry 19 November 2011

While it may have been Jimmy’s last appearance in the cathedral, it was by no means his first. He regularly worshipped there and would sit at the back, wearing not his TV camera-catching medallion and bling but a duffel coat. A spokesman for the diocese told reporters that Jimmy would say about his attendance at worship: ‘I’m not the star here; people come to pray to Jesus.’

In a business where people go out of fashion long before their tracksuits do, Jimmy remained popular even when he was no longer a regular on the telly or Radio 1. Much of that popularity comes from the fact that he used his celebrity to benefit others. The spotlight that picked him out, he nudged to shed light on terminally ill children or traffic accident victims.

Cigar in hand, he completed more than 200 marathons and raised some £40 million for charity. He also did the hard yards. He ran the entertainment section for some of the most disturbed criminal minds at Broadmoor high security psychiatric hospital. He worked as a voluntary porter in Leeds General Infirmary, and was patron to the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Why? Because he knew he wasn’t the star. Because he knew life wasn’t all about him. Because he knew what Jesus would do. And – now then, now then – because he knew that fragile, fleeting life is best spent doing likewise.

PA photo of Andrew Buchan

GARROW’S Law star Andrew Buchan told the Radio Times about playing Joseph in his school nativity.

The actor – who played Joseph in the BBC series The Nativity last year – said: ‘I was Joseph at school so it’s gone full circle. I was nine or ten and Mary was played by a very tall girl so that was a bit awkward.

That was one A COMMENT piece by Sarah Sands in of my first roles the London Evening Standard suggested so I’ve got the that X Factor contestant Ashley Baptiste – drama teacher who sang in the band, The Risk – left the … to thank for competition because he valued ‘real-life getting me into achievement over the ghastly … circus’. this.’

The paper also said that in the world of showbusiness, Ashley’s Christianity was seen to be ‘embarrassing’ and ‘his intelligence got in the way of the studio lights’.

Why Ashley has the ex-factor

Bolton boss is grateful for pray-maker

BOLTON Wanderers manager Owen Coyle thanked God after the team recorded their first home points of the season by defeating Stoke 5-0, said a report in the Metro.

The commuter paper went on PA photo of to quote Coyle as saying: ‘Last Owen night when I went to Mass, Coyle my local priest was praying for the Wanderers.

So I knew he was onside as well.

It is good when it all comes to fruition.’

PA

CAROL SINGERS MAY FACE SILENT NIGHTS COUNCILS across the country are restricting carol singing this year, reported The Daily Telegraph.

According to the paper, research shows that nearly a third of parish councils are insisting that carol singers need to apply for a permit in order to stop them from upsetting homeowners. The survey – carried out by Fox’s biscuits – revealed that people wanting to sing carols may have to do so in specially reserved areas.

Library picture posed by models

Thefts prompt rethink on church roofs ENGLISH Heritage has told churches that they can replace stolen lead with cheaper material because of the epidemic of metal thefts, reported The Daily Telegraph. The organisation revised its guidance after lead thieves cost church insurer Ecclesiastical more than £22 million last year.

Listed churches were previously obliged to replace like with like. But they are now being treated as a special case

by English Heritage because of the damage that the thefts have caused to buildings which date back centuries.

FARAI MAGUWU speaks Q on the BBC World Service today (Saturday 19 November 1.30 pm) about the comfort he took from his Christian faith after facing the possibility of a 20-year jail sentence for exposing human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

In Heart and Soul, Farai tells presenter Miriam O’Reilly how he revealed evidence of a massacre of civilians in the Marange diamond fields in 2008. Later, his home was raided and family members taken hostage.

Farai gave himself up to the police and was detained for over a month. He tells the presenter that today he has a calling to inspire others.

PA

WHEN it came to going out in style, somebody fixed it for Sir Jimmy Savile. Last week, thousands of people paid their respects to the popular broadcaster as they filed past his gold-coloured coffin, on display in a Leeds hotel. The public lined the route of the cortège from his childhood home. Mourners – including many from showbiz – packed St Anne’s Cathedral for the funeral service.

BBC Joseph recalls school role

RADIO

PA photo of Jimmy Savile

PA

Top of the pops

IN THE PRESS

Comment

LIFESTYLE Library pictures posed by models

19 November 2011 The War Cry

7

Light colours help a room appear spacious

Spatial awareness needed FEW things are more irritating than not having enough space to move around Lamps and the house. Relocating to a larger home mirrors give may be the obvious solution, but as an illusion of many people’s finances are unstable, space some would-be movers are staying in their cramped homes. But interior design experts say there are ways in which you can make a space look bigger.

Using mirrors and certain kinds of lighting can instantly make a room look larger and more welcoming. The more light that is let into a room, the more spacious it will look. Using lamps with a dimmer switch at night will give a room a more atmospheric feel. Dimmers can help create a pool of darkness, giving the impression of Buy furniture which can space where there is none.

Light-coloured paint on a double-up as storage space. large area of the walls sug- A bed with drawers undergests that a room is less neath is particularly useful. cramped. When considering Consider if the furniture being flooring, choose light colours bought comes in a smaller and avoid patterns. A polished size.

If a room has a high ceilwooden floor with a few lightcoloured rugs can be very ing, make use of the space effective. Green plants also by buying tall bookcases and help to create the feeling of cupboards. Don’t buy more utensils and equipment than being outside.

TRYING to keep up with the Q Joneses? Research by Esure home insurance found that Brits spend almost five hours a week improving their homes. House-proud Brits are said to be driven by the envy of properties featured on reality television programmes, such as Grand Designs. Homeowners spend an average of £530 a year on non-functional decorations such as soft furnishings and domestics trends.

A further £400 is spent in a lifetime on items such as designer crockery, silverware and bed linen that are never used for fear of ruining them.

Almost a third of homeowners say that TV property programmes have inspired them to put more effort into their homes.

Five per cent of people polled claim that they are so obsessed with keeping their residence spick and span that they no longer invite people over for fear that they might spill something. Meanwhile 7 per cent confess to covering carpets and upholstery with protective sheets when entertaining to keep their home as pristine as possible.

necessary, especially if they are not going to be used more than once. Equipment such as a power drill or wallpaper steamer could be hired for less than what it would cost to buy one.

Lastly, make use of the loft.

It is the ideal place for those items that can’t be thrown out but often clutter up the living area.

8 The War Cry 19 November 2011

Blue sky Bill, the phrase ‘think globally, act locally’ is often used to summarise the climate campaigners’ message. Is that what you want people to do?

Not quite. We need to think and act globally and think and act locally. In recent years, much of my academic work has been about the need for strong local economies, food systems and the like. Our global grassroots climate 350.org has organised about 16,000 demonstrations in virtually every country, except North Korea.

Can addressing the effect of greenhouse gases on climate change work only if the world acts together?

The problems of climate change can’t be solved unless we make an enormous number of changes in every place we live. The only way to make those changes happen is to win political battles at national and international levels.

Those who want a sustainable future are in a big fight with oil and coal companies. Energy companies are making huge profits. They want us to keep using fossil fuels. Science says that’s unsustainable.

The United States was reluctant to sign the Kyoto Protocol to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It is yet to ratify it. There have also been reports that the American Administration did not believe the science that links human activity to the accelerated rate of climate change. Is that still the case?

The Obama Administration is perfectly willing to admit that the science is accurate. They are just not willing to do very much about it. The Republicans based their climate policy on ideology rather than on science. The bottom line is you can’t argue – you can’t negotiate – with scientific data.

There’s a denial going on and it’s very dangerous.

How much is political inertia among American politicians linked to the oil industry?

Very much. For instance, the US Chamber of Commerce is the country’s biggest donor to elections.

It is dominated by energy suppliers. Last time, it gave 94 per cent of its campaign fund to climate change deniers.

thinking When it comes to caring about the planet, American environmentalist BILL McKIBBEN is not alone. Scholar in residence at Middlebury College, Vermont, and lauded by Time magazine as ‘the planet’s best green journalist’, in 2009 he founded 350.org, a global grassroots campaign group that has organised climate change demonstrations in 160 countries. Part of his motivation stems from his faith as a Christian. He talks to Nigel Bovey about his vision for the world

How does the American public view climate change?

Polls show that about 70 per cent of Americans think global warming is real and that most of them understand humans are causing it. There future, what lifestyle changes do people is a very extreme but vocal minority have to make today? who don’t.

People can bathe in cold water and not The main problem is that most of that use as much electricity. We can use the 70 per cent don’t consider global bus more and the car less. We can cycle warming a problem worth taking action to work. We can cut down on eating over. factory-farmed meat. There are a lot of ways for each of us to reduce our If the world is to have a sustainable

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNER: Bill McKibben

Turn to page 10 NIGEL BOVEY

19 November 2011 The War Cry

The bottom line is you can’t negotiate with scientific data

9

10 The War Cry 19 November 2011

The whole point of consumerism is to make an individual the most important thing in the Universe

From page 8 personal carbon footprint. But the biggest lifestyle change is to get out there and organise.

The only thing that will make a big enough difference to the carbon concentration of the atmosphere is a global political decision to move off fossil fuel. Nothing is more important than getting politically engaged.

You meet with all types of politicians.

Do you approach dictatorships differently from the way you talk to democracies?

Dictatorships sometimes are more sympathetic to this issue than democracies. China, for instance, is making far more progress on renewable

energy than the US. Dictatorships can bring about change more quickly, but in democracies change tends to run deeper and be longer lasting because you’ve had to convince a lot of people, not just the guy at the top.

One of the key elements of a consumer society seems to be the idea that the more people have, the happier they will be. Is that true?

Up to a certain point, consumption is necessary for personal happiness. For example, if you don’t have enough food or you are living in cramped accommodation, more income will result in a better, happier life.

But economists reckon that there is a point after which happiness decreases, the richer a person becomes. One of the

reasons is that the richer a person becomes, the more socially isolated they become. The quality of their social interaction diminishes and they are less happy as a result.

Typically, somebody moves from a neighbourhood into a suburban house.

It is more comfortable, with its own grounds, but it is further away from the neighbouring house. That person now sees fewer people in the day. Research shows that, on average, Americans have half as many friends today as they did 50 years ago. That is a recipe for unhappiness.

Humans are social primates. One of the first things God did was to give Adam some company.

Are there spiritual aspects to consumerism?

Consumerism is our times’ attempt at a substitute religion. The whole point of consumerism is to make an individual the most important thing in the Universe.

That is idolatory.

Against such a self-centred culture, it

After a point, happiness decreases, the richer a person becomes

19 November 2011 The War Cry 11

is not surprising that Christianity sometimes has a hard time. But the weakness of consumerism is that it doesn’t deliver what it promises – having more things doesn’t make people feel fulfilled or happy.

How can Christianity challenge the me-first attitudes that fuel consumerism and eventually an unsustainable planet?

If people are serious about the gospel, the main duty is to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. The average Westerner is failing miserably in this respect.

Fossil-fuel consumption in the West is threatening to raise sea levels, which will flood people in Bangladesh. That’s not very loving.

Because of changes in climate, grain prices have increased 70 per cent in the past two years. In countries where you pay as much for the box as for the cornflakes, that might not mean very much. But if you live in a country where you buy fresh grain every day to feed your family, it makes a huge difference.

Loving one’s neighbour is a gospel imperative. Christians need to be at the forefront of changing the world, of intervening politically on behalf of the world’s poor.

For too long the idea that God has given humankind dominion over the earth, as the Book of Genesis puts it, has been interpreted to mean that humans can do what they like with planet Earth. That is not the case. God appoints us as stewards – caretakers.

Imagine how a parent would feel if they left their toddler in the care of a babysitter, only to return from an evening out to discover that the babysitter had let the child have a tattoo. That’s pretty much the way humankind is behaving towards the fragile planet.

You mention the gospel. How and when did you become a Christian?

I grew up going to church, but like many people I drifted away when I went to college.

While I was studying at Harvard I heard Peter Gomes preach. Time magazine once called him ‘one of the most distinguished preachers in America’. He was amazing. I started to go to hear him regularly.

I moved to New York City for my first job and starting going to a church which also had a great preacher. A good sermon is important to me.

What convinced you that Jesus is who he says he is?

When I considered what Jesus did and said, I saw that there were so many easier ways he could have tried to get

people to believe he was the Messiah.

It would have been easier to be an all-conquering king.

Jesus, though, took the counterintuitive route. He appeared to be weak.

It is a very remarkable testimony that someone whose basic advice is to ‘turn the other cheek’ becomes the most important person in history.

I am also impressed by those who have gone before me in the faith, such as Dr Martin Luther King. He is someone who cannot be understood without taking Jesus seriously.

What does your Christian faith give you?

I don’t really have a good answer to that. My faith is so much a part of who I am. You might as well ask what my blood supply gives me.

I hope it gives me some openness to people beyond me, some reason not to revert to selfishness as my default position.

Loving one’s neighbour is a gospel imperative

You are inspiring many thousands of ordinary people around to the world to stand up for the planet. Are you a man on a mission?

I don’t see it that way. By nature, I prefer to work alone. I’m a writer, after all. But at the moment, I spend all my time working on the question of climate change.

I find myself in unexpected places – giving talks in prisons or giving speeches to tens of thousands of people.

Part of me hopes we will win this fight soon, so I can go back to doing the things that I was cut out to do. But I imagine that I am in this fight for the long haul.

PUZZLEBREAK

12 The War Cry 19 November 2011

SUDOKU

WORDSEARCH Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these terms for parts of a church Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 Solution on page 15

AISLE ALTAR AMBULATORY APSE BAPTISTRY BELLTOWER

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. Piece of turf (5) 4. Quick (5) 8. Very warm (3) 9. Emblem (5) 10. Twilled cotton fabric (5) 11. Fleece (3) 12. Tempest (5) 13. Dictionary (7) 16. Wrinkle (6) 19. Bisects (6) 23. Tropical storm (7) 26. Teacher (5) 28. Observe (3) 29. Sow (5) 30. Damp (5) 31. Edge (3) 32. Strained (5) 33. Taut (5)

ANSWERS

Y M B S C I O N E E S P A S

N R E T C E L Y R M E P T V

I S L L A T S R I O H C E R

I S L L T W C O P D E S N L

L S T E E Y R T S I T P A B

CHANCEL CHOIR STALLS CROSSING CUPOLA DOME FONT

I A O P O D S A S I N U R A

R O W L S T C L B N C L T E

S S E E E R E U A L R P H T

Y T R E I C L B O I O I E T

LECTERN NARTHEX NAVE PEWS PORCH PULPIT

L R P S U E N M Y W S T X C

R L T P E S N A R T S L F S

E Y O S P O R C H A I O E R

P L P E E A C A R C N K A R

A I R N A V E L I T G O P S

SACRISTY SPIRE STEEPLE TRANSEPT VESTIBULE VESTRY

HONEYCOMB Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Break free from confinement 2. Funeral vehicle 3. Science fiction film directed by James Cameron 4. Holder for money and plastic cards 5. Item that can be seen and touched DOWN 2. Recorded film (5) 3. Flask (7) 4. Steady (6) 5. Forefinger (5) 6. Pick-me-up (5) 7. Female (5) 9. Fundamental (5) 14. Unwell (3) 15. Raw mineral (3) 17. Beam (3) 18. Entire (3) 20. Try (7) 21. Swagger (5) 22. Snuggle (6) 23. Prank (5) 24. Skill (5) 25. Frequently (5) 27. Any object (5)

6. Optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions

QUICK QUIZ 1. On a clothing label, what does a circle with a cross through it mean?

2. Which mountain overlooks Cape Town?

3. What is comedian Jasper Carrott’s real name?

4. What is the name given to the smallest type of grand piano?

5. In the TV programme Waiting for God, who played Diana Trent?

6. What gift is traditionally given for a fifth wedding anniversary?

CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Divot. 4 Swift. 8 Hot. 9 Badge.

10 Denim. 11 Rob. 12 Storm. 13 Lexicon.

16 Crease. 19 Halves. 23 Cyclone. 26 Tutor. 28 See. 29 Plant. 30 Moist. 31 Lip. 32 Tense. 33 Tight.

DOWN: 2 Video. 3 Thermos. 4 Stable. 5 Index.

6 Tonic. 7 Woman. 9 Basic. 14 Ill. 15 Ore. 17 Ray. 18 All. 20 Attempt. 21 Strut. 22 Nestle. 23 Caper.

24 Craft. 25 Often. 27 Thing.

QUICK QUIZ 1 Do not dry clean. 2 Table Mountain. 3 Robert Davies. 4 Baby grand. 5 Stephanie Cole. 6 Wood.

HONEYCOMB 1 Escape. 2 Hearse. 3 Avatar. 4 Wallet. 5 Object.

6 Mirage.

INNER LIFE

19 November 2011 The War Cry 13

emember emember

In a three-part series, PHILIPPA SMALE recalls the importance of remembering

‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’

Luke 23:42 New International Version

JESUS was hanging on a cross. Two criminals were being crucified with him.

One of them hurled insults at him but the other said: ‘We are being punished justly – we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus: ‘Remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’ Jesus answered him: ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise’ (see Luke 23:41–43).

I remember when I was working for The Salvation Army in the Czech Republic, and I met a man who was facing a prison sentence. There was no question that he was guilty. He knew he deserved to be punished. But he wanted me to reassure him on one very important point. He wanted to be absolutely sure that he had been saved by faith in Jesus Christ before he went to prison. He knew that his faith would keep him safe, even while he was sitting in a jail cell.

We prayed together and he went away with a rocksolid awareness of Christ’s presence. When he was released from prison six months later, he still had that awareness and he told me that never for one moment had his faith failed him in that time.

People may think that what they have done in their lives means that they can never experience Jesus’ saving power. However, there is absolutely no one beyond the reach of God’s love. If we are truly sorry for what we have done, we can be forgiven.

People may think that they have left it too late to

Everyone can hold on to God’s love think about faith and salvation. There is no such thing as too late in this life.

The thief hanging on the cross could hardly have been closer to ‘too late’ but Jesus gave him the assurance of salvation.

Jesus came to this earth so that everyone could be saved.

There is no such thing as too late in this life

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Please send me Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army Contact details of a Salvationist minister Name Address

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

14 The War Cry 19 November 2011

The latest gadget or toy is often high on people’s wish list. But some high-tech ‘must-haves’ can set the buyer back hundreds of pounds.

Some people like to own fancy gadgets and believe that they are the season’s essential products. Others have no interest in them and fail to get excited.

People can take the same approaches when considering Jesus. There are those who regard him as vital – must-have.

They feel that they need him in their life because he plays an essential part in it.

Then there are those who can’t see what all the fuss is about.

They have the ‘don’t want, don’t need’ attitude towards him.

Although millions of people are happy to give gifts to their loved ones during the Christmas season, not everyone chooses to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I find that strange. But that is the choice of each individual.

As well as giving us Jesus, God gave us freedom. We are free to decide whether or not we accept his Son. We can accept Jesus gratefully, or we can simply say ‘no thanks’.

When Jesus lived on earth, his invitation to people was simple: ‘Come, follow me’ (Matthew 4:19 New International Version). He didn’t order, bully, bribe or persuade. He left the decision up to us.

If we accept the gift of Jesus, we can receive forgiveness for our mistakes, find peace in our present and live with purpose in the future.

In the build-up to Christmas, what will we choose?

The latest gadget is often high on wish lists

Library picture posed by model

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The War Cry

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by JIM BURNS

What presents are

WRITTEN your Christmas list yet? Or do you think it is too early? Christmas may well be weeks away, but some people save all year to buy gifts for their nearest and dearest.

SA

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LVATION

WHAT’S COOKING? THE MAIN ATTRACTION

19 November 2011 The War Cry 15

FOR STARTERS

Blue cheese mushroom soufflés Ingredients:

Cheese and mushroom pizza omelette Ingredients: 2tbsp olive oil 150g mushrooms, sliced 6 large British Lion eggs ½ tsp dried oregano Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4–6tbsp ready-made tomato and herb pasta sauce 1 x 195g pack mozzarella cheese, drained and diced Method: Heat half the oil in a frying pan, then add the mushrooms and sauté for 3–4 minutes or until golden. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Beat the eggs together with the oregano, salt and black pepper. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, then add the eggs and cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes.

Use a spatula to push the cooked egg into the centre SUDOKU SOLUTION

of the omelette, then tip the pan so that the raw egg fills the gap.

Repeat until no runny egg remains and the base is golden.

Place the omelette under a hot grill and cook for a further 1–2 minutes or until the top has set.

Spoon the tomato sauce over it, then top with the cheese and mushrooms. Season with more black pepper and a little salt if required. Pop the omelette back under the grill and cook for 2 minutes or until the cheese is pale golden. Serve in wedges.

Serves 4

Recipes reprinted, with kind permission, from the British Egg Information Service website eggrecipes.co.uk

5 large open cup mushrooms, wiped, peeled and stalks removed Low-calorie cooking spray 5 The Laughing Cow Deli-Light triangles with blue cheese 45g low-fat Cheddar, grated 1 tsp French mustard Salt and pepper 3 large British Lion eggs, separated Chives, finely chopped Mixed fresh herbs (optional) Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Spray a baking tray with the cooking spray before arranging the mushrooms, underside up.

Place the Deli-Light triangles, Cheddar and mustard in a bowl, then add the salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Whisk the egg whites until they are thick and fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks well. Carefully fold the egg mixtures together. Add the chives and mixed herbs to the egg and adjust the seasoning.

Use a knife to spread the cheesy mustard mixture over the mushrooms, and top with the egg mixture. Place the tray in the oven for 20–25 minutes until the soufflés turn golden brown. Serve hot with fresh salad leaves.

Serves 5

Sony Pictures Animation

EVER wondered how Santa delivers presents to children across the world in just one night? The secret is revealed in the festive animated adventure Arthur Christmas, now on general release.

It’s Christmas Eve. Children are nestled all snug in their beds. Santa (voiced by Jim Broadbent) and one million elves travel across the globe in a high-tech sleigh. When they reach each city, the team has just 18.14 seconds to get into each house, deliver the gifts and get out. Efficiency is everything.

Once again, the military operation – co-ordinated from the North Pole control room by Santa’s eldest son, Steve (Hugh Laurie) – appears to be successful.

Christmas accomplished for another year. But then

Operation peratiion Santa Claus is coming to town writes CLAIRE BRINE

Santa’s youngest, Arthur (James McAvoy), discovers a problem. A child named Gwen has been forgotten.

Arthur remembers receiving Gwen’s letter to Santa. And he can’t bear the thought of the little girl waking up without a present. Arthur suggests to the team that they deliver her gift as quickly as possible.

Trouble is, morning is approaching and Gwen will soon be waking up.

Steve convinces Santa that the operation is not worth a Christmas candle. ‘Who cares about one single tiny child?’ he asks.

YOUR LOCAL SALVATION ARMY CENTRE Arthur does. So he decides to go to Gwen’s house the old-fashioned way – by travelling in a disused sleigh, pulled by reindeer.

It’s no easy ride. There are navigation problems. The mysterious craft is mistaken for a UFO. Can

Arthur (voiced

by James McAvoy) receives children’s letters to Santa Arthur make Gwen’s dreams come true before she awakes?

He certainly hopes so. All Arthur cares about is making Christmas perfect for people. In his eyes, every child matters. Each one is important.

He is not alone in holding such a view. When God looks at the people in his world, he wants to be in every aspect of their lives.

He sees us as valuable, as worth bothering about.

God cares so much about us that he gave us the ultimate gift of his Son, Jesus. Through Jesus, God willingly forgave people for the times when they were more naughty than nice. He demonstrated his perfect love by ensuring that no one was excluded from it.

God sent Jesus to live among us because he believes we are worth it.

It’s a gift worth accepting.

The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army.

Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Ltd, Bicester, Oxon. © Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army, 2011