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War Cry THE

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DOWN-TO-EARTH GOOD NEWS

Christmas 2011 20p/25c

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Good news

The War Cry Christmas 2011

For such a time as H

INSIDE

‘We may not see angels or a guiding star, but God will come to each one of us in a discernible way’

CHRISTMAS IN JERUSALEM p10 ANITA’S ALBUM

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PUZZLES

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INNER LIFE

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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RECIPES

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this

OW relevant is the Christmas story for the 21st century? It is celebrated every year with carols, trees, lights and gifts, but is the coming of Jesus into the world of any significance for such a time as this? More than 2,000 years separate us from the time of his birth. Where are the points of connection?

The answer becomes clear when we look at two groups that played a central role in the first Christmas – the wise men and the shepherds. The two groups have often been contrasted, emphasising the differences of occupation, religious background and learning.

However, what they have in common may be what relates to us now.

Both groups were men of reflection – the wise men studying the heavens, looking for signs; the shepherds with their long evening hours thinking of their occupied homeland and wondering when the promised Messiah would come. Surely there was an expectation that something would happen, must happen, to bring peace to the world.

Would such reflection give birth to hope? I think so.

Both groups rooup upss ex experienced xpe peri rien ence en ced ed a di d divine viine n intervention on – a rrevelation. evel ev elaattioon el n.. T The he shepherds we were eree vvisited issitted ed bby y an angelic host ost announcing an nn nou un ncci cing iin ng the t e th birth of tthe he S he Saviour aavvio viioour ur ooff th the he world. The hee w wise ise m is me men en saw saw a sa star which h bbecame ecam ec amee th their heir eiir gu gguididid ing light too lead lea e d them them to the th Christ-child. ld. ld These tw two gr two ggroups oups of very different me men re rresponded sponded to tthe h he supernatural ral al eve events vent n s an and nd moved move mo v d ve out of their th heeir ir comfort com o fo fort rt zones. zon ones. es es Shepherdss and and wi an w wise see m men en ttook ook oo ook the divinee ssigns igns ig gns n sserieriously. An ac aaction cti tion on of faith w was as as

needed and they took it.

God never disappoints. For both groups, the realisation was all that God had promised. The Saviour-King was born. And whether it was by kneeling at a manger or giving gifts to the child, the shepherds and wise men all saw the face of God, the face of love in Jesus – Saviour of the world.

This past year has been a time of unparalleled natural disasters, economic troubles and political upheavals. For such a time as this, reflecting on this world and perhaps even our own needs, there could be cause for despair. Yet Christmas is about hope, as it was 2,000 years ago. Jesus not only came, he also lived and died for the world. And he lives today. That gives us hope.

We may not see a host of angels this Christmas or a guiding star, but God will come to each one of us in a discernible way, as he did to the shepherds and the wise men. We may choose to conclude that it is just the annual ‘spirit of Christmas’ but it is God making himself known to us.

How we react to it will be a matter of faith, a case of rising from our watch in the fields or following the star, so to speak. And if we do leave our comfort zone to seek the God who seeks us, we will wi ill discover discoveer that that he he is real, re just as the shepherds and tthe wise men did. diid. d He is is love. love lo ve. We are loved.

The The Saviour Savi Sa viou o of the world came came to earth many years yeear ars ag ago, but he also comes come co mess tod today to od to us, to you, you, tto o me me.

– General Linda Bond International leader of The Salvation Army

On the scene

Christmas 2011 The War Cry

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A group of Salvation Army carollers gather outside the Queen Vic

A bit of DRAMA A

T 11 am I meet with a group of Salvation Army musicians and singers at Elstree Studios, all attired in winter uniform and ready to film the Christmas episodes of EastEnders. Everyone is chatty: ‘Which TV stars will we meet today?

I wonder what the main Christmas storyline will be?’ Some of my colleagues are big fans of the show and are excited about what lies ahead.

For the first hour or so we mill around, eat chocolate and drink coffee, waiting to be called on set. It turns out to be good practice, as we

Turn to next page

CRAIG TOPHAM

Back in October, a group of Salvation Army musicians took a trip to Walford, home of EastEnders.

Weighed down with brass instruments and carol books, they arrived in Albert Square ready to pretend it was Christmas. As the cameras focused on the stars acting out their festive scenes, the band and singers stood in the background, proclaiming the Christmas message through music.

War Cry reporter CLAIRE BRINE writes about her experience on the BBC soap

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On the scene REBECCA SPAUL

Claire Brine takes ‘The War Cry’ to the Queen Vic and (below) carol singers gather in Albert Square

discover that there will be a lot of standing around today.

Around lunchtime, third assistant director Craig Topham comes to meet us. The crew is ready to shoot our first scene, so he leads us to the square. As we make our way through Walford, we take it in turns to point out sights which are so familiar: the fruit and veg stall, Ian Beale’s chippy, Shirley Carter’s caff and, of course, the Queen Vic pub. Funny how every bit of the set seems smaller in real life than it appears on screen.

Our group huddle together in front of the square’s large Christmas tree. Assistant director Julie Sykes asks us to ‘give a blast of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to get the crew in the mood’. So we do.

As we play and sing, Patsy Palmer (who plays Bianca) has a little jig along to the music. Along with Charlie Brooks (Janine) and Jessie Wallace (Kat) she runs her lines.

The crew check our sound and speed levels.

Suddenly the director is ready to ‘go for a take’. But rather than belt out our Christmas music, we are instead asked to mime the carols, as we will record the sound later on. Trying to get our group to mime the same words at the same time is no easy feat – but practice makes perfect! It is funny to see the characters acting as though they are enjoying our music, when we are not making any sound at all.

The shoot seems to go well. The only direction Julie gives us is to ‘look a bit more wintry please’ – even though it is a

We mime the Christmas carols

CLAIRE BRINE

From page 3

Christmas 2011 The War Cry

The band helps the actors to believe it really is Christmas sunny October day.

Later, she tells me why she appreciates the presence of The Salvation Army on set. ‘Having the band here is good for the actors, because it helps them to believe that it really is Christmas,’ she says. ‘We couldn’t film the Christmas scenes without hearing the carols. They prepare us for the scenes we are about to shoot.’

Once the scene is in the can, the cast and crew disappear off to lunch, leaving our group under the direction of sound supervisor Paul Crichton. We grab the opportunity to snap a few photos of various parts of the square, then we gather together outside the Vic and get back to work. Huddled under the boom microphone, we record ten Christmas songs, including the carols ‘Away in a Manger’ and ‘O Come, all ye Faithful’.

Of course, our group make the odd mistake or occasionally get the giggles, but we record the songs relatively quickly.

Paul offers encouragement by saying how good we sound. By the end of the hour, the singers are a little hoarser and the musicians are running out of puff.

The cast and crew filter back to the set, so we make our way to the canteen for lunch. Once we’ve eaten our fill, we head back to the square to crack on with our second scene. We stand on Phil Mitchell’s doorstep and perform the song ‘White Christmas’. Joshua Pascoe, who plays Ben Mitchell, tells me that having the band here ‘makes it more cheerful’.

We spend the afternoon stood near the Christmas tree, filming further scenes. Mostly we are in the background as the regular EastEnders characters act round us. But several members of the band are given their chance to shine in the spotlight. The camera zooms in on a couple of our number as they set up their brass instruments and music stands. For a later shot, carol singer Jonathan Barker is asked to walk over to our carolling group and on the way bump into Masood Ahmed, played by Nitin Ganatra.

While he takes a quick break, I grab a few moments with Nitin and find out that he loves Christmas. ‘It brings out

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REBECCA SPAUL

Claire interviews actor Nitin Ganatra

the best in people,’ he says.

‘Many of them go the extra mile to do good. I find that during December there is a friendlier atmosphere.’

Nitin is also pleased to see the Salvation Army carollers on set. ‘The band is a familiar presence at Christmas-time, so it is heart-warming to see them in the community of Albert Square.’

As darkness begins to set in, we have one scene left to film. We mime ‘Silent Night’ while several actors play out an emotional scene round us. The fairy lights twinkle on the tree. The night is cold. It feels a bit like Christmas.

But then someone yells ‘Cut!’ The

We stand near the Christmas tree to film our scenes

scene is done and we are thrust back into reality. Time for us to pack up our music and head up west.

Before we leave the studios, we sign some confidentiality forms in which we promise not to divulge any of the storylines we have witnessed. Then we are free to go.

As we make our journey home, we reflect on the day. Some of us feel as though the day has flown by. Others are excited by the thought of seeing themselves on the telly.

The episodes featuring the Salvation Army carollers are scheduled for broadcast during the run-up to Christmas. If past EastEnders seasonal episodes are anything to go by, there is plenty more drama yet to be revealed. But for now, and for The Salvation Army at least, the show’s over. That’s a wrap.

Media talk

6 The War Cry Christmas 2011

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ORWEGIAN singer Anita Skorgan sang in London in 1977 when she made the first of her five appearances in the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite not winning with the song ‘Casanova’, she went on to make hit albums and perform sell-out concerts in Norway. Now, she is again being brought to the attention of UK audiences by Radio 2, which has been playing music from her English-language Christmas-themed album Adventus. One of the tracks from the album The Miracle in Me has also been released as a double A-side single with ‘Silent Night’.

Anita – who made a name for herself as a teenager in the early 1970s when she won a Norwegian-Swedish TV talent show – has been touring churches in Norway at Christmas-time for more than two decades. It’s an important time of the year for her, because of her faith.

Anita says that she has always felt ‘a deep urge to find out the answers to those essential questions: Why am I here? Who am I? What is the point of life?’

She says: ‘I read a lot of books on religion. I just had to find the answers to my questions. I haven’t found all the answers, but I think I have found the path, the way to follow, and this is what I am singing about.

‘I believe that Christ was trying to show us that we have potential, a possibility of reaching a higher level.

Humans are in a dark situation, because we have the habit of murdering each other and doing other terrible things. Christ shows us there is a Heaven, which can also be seen as an inner condition.

I have a Heaven in me. He shows me that I can stretch for a higher level and become purer and more positive – more caring for other people, seeing their situation

ANITA SKORGAN tells Philip Halcrow about her Christmas-themed album

Anita Skorgan Adventus is released on Thru The Mill

Scandinavian singer makes tracks to the Christ-child and not only my egotistic point of view.’

Anita expresses her faith on Adventus, which includes ‘Stille Natt (Silent Night)’, the hymn ‘Be Thou My Vision’, an Easter song ‘Is it True?’ and a track about Mary singing a lullaby to her child, ‘Little Road to Bethlehem’.

She explains: ‘Christmas-time is about presents and joy, of course, but the Christmas story is also very deep.

The child Jesus symbolises something pure, an innocent child, that we all have inside. We are all born with this child within us and we carry it with us, but as we live it gets lost because our ego takes over and we are blinded by our cravings and competition.

‘Jesus said that we must all become like children again, and I think he refers to the pure, Godlike part of us. We need to develop the child within us and to care for it. I become aware of the child inside me when I make music.’

Jesus said that we must all become like children again

Puzzlebreak

SUDOKU

Christmas 2011 The War Cry

S T L A F R

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9 Solution at foot of page

P S M D Y A

O S T A B L E N

S B S L E G N A K K

V U R R E P E E K N N I

S U S E J I H T C B A X O N

W A S QH K E N P E H M E E R S D I S W E H I T L A O J B D A C E

WORDSEARCH U C A M E L S J O V N S E T Y N

Y T A D B T I R E H T H G S

K R L T F P E L R J E E

ANGELS GIFTS BABY GOLD BETHLEHEM INNKEEPER CAMELS JESUS CATTLE JOSEPH CENSUS KING HEROD Caption blurb DONKEY MANGER FRANKINCENSE MARY

POEM GRID

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated Y with the O Christmas H G story I B E G R H F E V G G G R G N Z W Y A I D M S M Y K MYRRH NATIVITY SHEPHERDS STABLE STAR WISE MEN

HONEYCOMB Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Tree decoration 2. Food traditionally served on Christmas Day 3. Complete the carol title: ‘Away in a _______’ 4. Santa rides one 5. What colour are the five rings in the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’?

6. Nativity scenery

Answers at foot of page Fit into the grid above the words of this Christmas rhyme (not including the word ‘a’)

SUDOKU

ANSWERS

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

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HONEYCOMB 1 Bauble. 2 Turkey.

3 Manger. 4 Sleigh.

5 Golden. 6 Stable.

PETER COX

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The War Cry

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom

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World view

NIGEL BOVEY

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NIGEL BOVEY looks at how the birth of Christ will be celebrated at two Christian centres in Jerusalem

O

hristmas in erusalem

N top of the Mount of Olives, overlooking the ancient city of Jerusalem, is a place of hope and healing. Established in 1965 as a home for children who were physically disabled, mostly as a result of polio, today the Princess Basma Centre for Disabled Children cares for youngsters with a wide range of special needs. Last year, 248 children stayed at the centre for two to three weeks with their mothers to receive intensive physiotherapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech therapy and hydrotherapy.

As well as specialist medical facilities, the centre, which in 2000 was entrusted under the Arab Anglican Episcopal Church, runs a mainstream school. The 720-pupil school educates able-bodied children and children who are physically, visually and aurally challenged. For the centre’s children, as for children the world over, Christmas is a special time.

Princess Basma Centre

‘Christmas is a very important feast for us as a family and for Christians in the Holy Land,’ says the centre’s executive secretary Lina Majaj. ‘Most of the children at the centre are Muslim. We prepare for Christmas by talking to them about Christ. We have parties for the children, complete with Christmas tree, decorations and Santa. We have music. The school is closed for Christmas. At the rehabilitation department, Muslim staff come to work, while the Christian staff have time off.

‘At home, we decorate the Christmas tree. Family bonds are reinforced during the season. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we share dinner with our families and exchange gifts, which the children especially enjoy. For Christmas dinner we usually have turkey stuffed with rice and meat – the traditional Arab way.

‘As a family, we worship at the Anglican Episcopal Church in Jerusalem.

Over the

Those with family members in the West Bank do not get to see them, even at Christmas Celebrations at the Princess Basma Centre

Christmas 2011 The War Cry 11 NIGEL BOVEY

Christmas period, many services are held, including a carol service at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. ‘Many people attend church over Christmas. St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem holds a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Two more Communion services are held on Christmas morning, when the congregation sings carols, accompanied by the organ. Sometimes a choir takes part in the services, which are held in Arabic and English.

The atmosphere is joyous.

‘A

Helen Keller School

lthough it is easy for Jerusalem residents to get to Christmas services, residents of the West Bank need a permit from the Israeli authorities to come to Jerusalem. It is

difficult to obtain. Consequently, those with family members in the West Bank feel deprived because we do not get to see them, even at Christmas-time.

‘My prayer this Christmas is for the peace of Jerusalem – that

Above: the Princess Basma Centre Below: children remember the birth of Jesus

the city would be open to family members and friends from the West Bank to worship in Jerusalem freely, not only on religious holidays but also daily, as was once the case.’

Five miles north of the Princess Basma Centre is another Christian-based centre of healing. The Helen Keller School is a boarding school for visually impaired, blind and disabled children. Day pupils also take the bus in from neighbouring West Bank towns, such as Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron.

The build-up to Christmas, says the school’s director, Suad Younan, is a very busy time.

‘O

nce Advent arrives, the children start to prepare for the celebrations,’ she says. ‘There is much going on, with rehearsals, carolling, feasting and gift-giving. Many of our children are Muslim, but it would be wrong to assume that only Christians celebrate Christmas. It is a joyous season for everyone at the school. You can see the happiness and joy on the children’s faces as we approach Christmas Day. ‘The pre-Christmas period is always very busy at the school. With the help of their homeroom teachers, the children rehearse for the Christmas pageant, and they are always in high spirits. As part of our preparations, we take the children to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Shepherds’ Field and to an olive-wood workshop owned by a Christian family in Beit Sahur.

‘It is also a busy time for us as

Turn to next page

World view

12 The War Cry Christmas 2011

From page 11 a family. My husband, Bishop Munib, is head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. This year, he is conducting a Christmas Eve service in Bethlehem, a Christmas Day service in Jerusalem and one the following day in Ramallah.

‘The services will include choirs, special liturgies, a nativity pageant and a sermon in Arabic, English and German. The churches are decorated with natural pine trees with coloured bulbs that twinkle when the church lights are put out at midnight. As worshippers begin to sing “Silent Night”, candles are lit. Official representatives from the Palestinian President’s office

Christmas is a time for forgiveness and bridgebuilding

Children from the Helen Keller School perform a nativity play

take part in the Christmas Eve service.

‘Not everyone who wants to get to church at Christmas will be able to do so. There are immense difficulties for people to obtain permits to enter Bethlehem on Christmas Eve to worship in the midnight Mass, as there’s security and army personnel everywhere. Jerusalemite Christians who live in neighbourhoods divided by the separation wall will not be able to cross to the Old City to

worship and celebrate.

‘Despite the busyness, I try to make Christmas a time of serenity, quietness and peace. It is a time for the whole family to come together for worship and Communion. We usually invite friends, expatriates and colleagues who have nowhere to go to partake in a Christmas meal, after the Christmas Eve service in Bethlehem.

‘S Helen Keller School

adly, in some areas Christmas has become commercial. Shop owners take advantage of the season and raise the price of toys, gadgets and clothes. Many parents simply cannot afford to buy their children those fancy electronic toys that are displayed in shop windows.

‘For some families, Christmas is just about buying gifts, eating in expensive restaurants, or travelling abroad. But many still consider Christmas a time of family reunion, a time of forgiveness and bridgebuilding and a time to remember the wonderful story of birth and redemption.

‘For me, Christmas symbolises a very deep and significant truth about life, spirituality and divinity. Jesus Christ was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred and hypocrisy prevailed.

In some quarters, they still do.

‘The world needs to renounce evil and call for justice and truth.

The birth of Christ needs to take place in our hearts, so that our celebrations and worship are done with simplicity and holiness.’

The birth of Christ needs to take place in our hearts

For more information visit biblelands.org.uk

Inner life

Christmas 2011 The War Cry 13

At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus went into the synagogue in Nazareth, as he often did. He was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah’s writings and invited to read to the assembled congregation. What he read described his forthcoming mission so precisely that he said: ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4:21 New International Version)

MAN with a MISSION In this series, PHILIPPA SMALE looks at how Jesus saw the work God had given him to do

REDEEMED: former prostitute Mina in the Hatkhola Lane brothel

JESSORE is a town of 200,000 people in the west of Bangladesh. There is a large community of commercial sex workers in a place called Hatkhola Lane. Since 1997, Joseph Das has been working there for The Salvation Army.

It took years to build up trust but Joseph and his team now belong there and are making a huge difference to some 300 women prostitutes.

Captain Albert Mir, a former Muslim who is now a Salvation Army officer, joined the team and works at sharing the gospel with the Hatkhola Lane community.

Mina Rani Das was a prostitute for 18 years. She still works in the brothel but in a different capacity – she wears The Salvation Army’s blue sari uniform.

Something in Joseph’s presence made

‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Luke 4:18, 19)

The price is

right

KNUT BRY

REFORMER: Joseph Das

an impression on her. Captain Mir’s gospel message touched her. She came to know Jesus, and he changed her life.

Mina found freedom, forgiveness and new life in Christ. For her, it was the year of the Lord’s favour and her life would never be the same again.

In the Old Testament, the year of the Lord’s favour was known as the jubilee and was designed to happen every 50 years. It was a time of restoration. Land and property could be redeemed, indentured workers were freed, poor people were supported and agricultural land was rested.

When he spoke in the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus proclaimed that the year of the Lord’s favour was happening then and there – at the very moment he read those words.

It was the time when God was going to restore his relationship with his people through Jesus, who would

make the ultimate sacrifice by dying for people’s sins on the cross.

We do not have to wait 50 years for the jubilee. When we accept Jesus Christ as our saviour, we can experience the Lord’s favour here and now. It happened for Albert Mir. It happened for Mina Rani Das. It can happen for us all.

LOOKING FOR HELP? Just complete this coupon and send it to The War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN 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 Christmas 2011

One man makes a difference TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of 2011 includes artists, activists, reformers, researchers, heads of state and captains of industry.

Eugen Parciasepe/Shutterstock.com

I find it interesting that each mini-biography of the nominees has been written by one of their peers. So we have Dame Helen Mirren commenting on Colin Firth, Germaine Greer on Julian Assange and Thierry Henry on Lionel Messi.

One of the biographies that caught my eye was about Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark in New Jersey, written by Oprah Winfrey. She described him as ‘a man of, for and about the people’. She also defined him as a ‘servant leader’.

Her words made me think of someone else who fitted that description. Jesus told his followers that he came to serve, rather than be served, yet there was no doubting his leadership qualities.

I began to wonder. If Jesus had made the Time 100 list in AD30, what would his peers have said about him?

After he raised their brother Lazarus from the dead, Mary and Martha would probably have labelled him a miracle-worker.

Those who heard his Sermon on the Mount may have described him as a wonderful orator and teacher. The people whom he healed would Cory have perhaps called him Booker a great doctor. Even the and religious leaders who Oprah came to test Jesus Winfrey

PA

by JIM BURNS with questions would have had to admit that he knew the Jewish Law and gave intelligent, insightful answers.

But I believe the statement that best sums Jesus up comes from the soldiers present at his crucifixion. They declared: ‘He really was the Son of God!’ (Matthew 27:54 Good News Bible).

Next year, Time will have a different list of influential people. It is unlikely that many of them will be remembered 2,000 years later, as Jesus is today.

Jesus has proved that he has staying power. But is it time for us to get to know him better?

PA photo of 'Time' magazine cover

This year’s ‘most influential’ person, Mark Zuckerberg

She described him as a ‘servant leader’ Helga Esteb/Shutterstock.com

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Editor: Nigel Bovey, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Stephen Pearson Editorial Assistant: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Renée Davis Chief Designer: Gill Cox DTP Operator: Denise D’Souza Secretary: Joanne Allcock War Cry office: 020 7367 4900

Registered at Companies House as a newspaper under the Newspaper Libel and Registration Act 1881

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What’s cooking?

Christmas 2011 The War Cry 15

Try a delicious vegetarian option this Christmas SPECIAL OFFER:

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Festive layered loaf Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a loaf tin (measuring 20cm x 12cm x 6cm) with greaseproof paper.

Gently fry the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and mince. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Add the curry paste, breadcrumbs, almond essence, water, rosemary, half the prunes and hazelnuts to the Ingredients:

pan, stir well, then remove from the heat. Allow the dish to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Line the base of the loaf tin with the orange slices.

Put half the mince mixture into the tin, top with a layer of red peppers, then add the remaining mixture.

Use the remaining prunes to make a final layer on top of the mince mixture. Cover the tin with greaseproof paper and bake for 30–40 minutes.

Remove the tin from the oven, then invert the loaf so that the orange slices are at the top. Serve as a festive centrepiece.

1 onion, finely chopped 1tbsp olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, crushed Serves 4 300g Quorn mince 2tbsp mild curry paste 30g breadcrumbs 3 drops almond essence 2tbsp water 1 ⁄2 tsp dried rosemary Tip: 50g toasted chopped This recipe can also be vegan if you hazelnuts substitute frozen vegan 250g ready-to-eat prunes, mince for Quorn and 1tbsp of gram flour mixed with 4tbsp water for the eggs. finely chopped 4 free range eggs, beaten 1 orange, skin removed and finely Recipe reprinted, with kind permission, from the Vegetarian Society website sliced vegsoc.org/christmas 1 jar roasted red peppers, or 1 red pepper, roasted and skin removed Salt and pepper, to taste

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IN the fullness of time, God stepped from eternity Into time, into space, In the form and the face Of a child.

In the fullness of time, He talked a message Of love, of grace, Where there is place For a child.

In the fullness of time, He walked a pathway Marked out, nailed down, A fate he’d known Since a child.

In the fullness of time, God reached from eternity, With life, through death, Past sin’s foul breath, For his child.

In the fullness of time, God gathers the hearer – Twice-born, faith-borne, Heaven-bound, sin mourned – As his child.

Nigel Bovey

A peaceful and a joy-filled Christmas to all our readers YOUR LOCAL SALVATION ARMY CENTRE:

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