THE SALVATION ARMY MAIDSTONE CORPS Autumn 2013
Dear All, ‗What‘s cooking?‘ At this time of year it‘s not so common these days to walk into someone‘s house or kitchen and ask that question. Where have all the cooks gone? With the availability of so many ready made products on supermarket shelves the passion for home cooking has all but died. Or has it? It is said that the many cooking programmes on television have led to a resurgence of interest in the culinary arts. Name your favourite. Do the Hairy Bikers tickle your taste buds, or is it Paul and Mary in ‗The Great British Bake Off ‘ who make your mouth water? Perhaps you‘ve had the privilege of eating at one of the many Michelin starred restaurants that the celebrity chefs run across the country. It seems that food never really goes out of fashion! ‗What‘s cooking?‘ might also be a good question for a congregation to think about. When there‘s something good being made the aroma spreads and pervades the atmosphere, attaching itself to everything that comes anywhere near it. Last weekend it was our daughter-in-law‘s onion soup! Delicious, but hard to shake off! If a church is cooking something good others will know about it and some will want to find out more about the cooks and the ingredients, and perhaps where the recipe originates from. Currently (currantly?) there‘s a lot happening at Maidstone Corps (kitchen) as we approach our 131st Corps Anniversary, not 2
much of which would be recognised by our forebears, but I think they would appreciate the spirit in which the various ministries are attempted. There‘s a lot of work going into ‗Jesus Folk‘, the musical, as rehearsals are bringing us ever nearer to the performance dates on 6th and 7th November. Preparations for the Christmas Present Appeal are well in hand as we will once again attempt to bring Christ‘s love into needy homes. Cars and vans are laden to the brim with Harvest goods as we pick them up from schools, churches and individuals, ready to meet the pressure of families and individuals without food. The ‗Women of Worth‘ Course and the Parenting and Cooking Courses at Willowbrook reach out to younger women who simply need to know they are valued. Messy Church feeds young families, not only with an economic meal but with craft and story and song that tell the Gospel message. Outreach to the homeless and marginalized continues to grow. So many people keep coming through our doors requesting help of one kind or another and we try our best to respond appropriately and with love. Add our regular worship, practices and Gospel Choir to this and it is a rich recipe that is being cooked and served in Christ‘s Name. God bless you all, and thank you for your contribution. Yours in Christ, Grayson & Janice Williams—Majors
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E D I TO R I A L C O M M E N T
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t is an obvious statement to say what we believe in affects how we react and to situations that occurred recently caused me to consider this when I was thinking about preparing this comment. The first was the Russian statement at the G20, Political Conference that , ‗Britain was a small island of which no-one took much notice‘, and two days later thousands at the Last Night of the Proms. sang with great gusto , ‗Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free‘! Surely belief in either of these attitudes affects our reaction - Downcast or Confident. Reading in the pages of Grapevine the reaction of those taking part in Jesus Folk, clearly shows the difference it is making to them. That in itself must gladden the hearts of Hazell and Rachel et al who are working so hard to produce it. But what of those who will see it at the Hazlitt Theatre? We never know the eventual outcome of those in the Bible, whose lives Jesus touched, we only know the result in our own lives. This, ‗everyday story of country folk‘, (borrowing from the Radio programme, The Archers), has a lasting effect for good so the more we can do to spread the news that it‘s worth the effort on a November night the better. It is good to welcome new contributors to our magazine. I wasn‘t aware of the extent of the service that Faith‘s Kitchen performs. It is a sad fact that the type of service we perform for the most needy and for which the organisation is known internationally is so often the least well known by the ranks within. Ask
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anyone outside the Army world and the response is always about the ‗good we do‘, to those in need. They never remark about the music or the meetings or the Flag or the Uniforms, only about how we care for the poor and needy. Faith‘s Kitchen also performs another valuable service in that members of other churches are involved. Christians need to be seen to work together. Our differences are only the outward trappings, not our fundamental beliefs. So a big thank you to Joanna and John and their team. Finally, although lastly, but most certainly not least is my— rather our—thanks to Wesley for the almost 4 years of blessing he has brought to us in The Grapevine, by his contributions to ―Words from the Word‖. In these days when he is struggling with health issues, - and he knows we are praying for him, - it will inspire him to know how much we have been helped by all his efforts. If you keep previous copies, read again his writings on making the Scriptures clear and plain. So Thank You, Wesley and God Bless you! It is good to know that Major David Wakefield has so readily agreed to carry on with that vital contribution to our magazine and his first choice of a rarely read passage of Scripture is most helpful.
Violet E Clarke EDITOR 5
THE LOOM OF TIME Man‘s life is laid in the loom of time To a pattern he does not see, While the weavers work and the shuttles fly Till the dawn of eternity. Some shuttles are filled with silver threads And some with threads of gold, While often but the darker hues Are all that they may hold. But the weaver watches with skilful eye Each shuttle fly to and fro, And sees the pattern so deftly wrought As the loom moves sure and slow. God surely planned the pattern: Each thread, the dark and fair, Is chosen by His master skill And placed in the web with care. He only knows its beauty, And guides the shuttles which hold The threads so unattractive, As well as the threads of gold. Not till each loom is silent, And the shuttles cease to fly, Shall God reveal the pattern And explain the reason why The dark threads were as needful In the weaver‘s skilful hand As the threads of gold and silver For the pattern which He planned. Author Unknown 6
AUTUMN There is something special, you can’t deny In the glow of a late September sky. The colours merge beneath the artist’s brush, Orange hue and scarlet blush. Late in the evening as the daylight fades The clouds perform their own parade. They dance above us in a circus ring, Prancing horses circling. All the while we sit below And gaze in silence at the show. The sun is giving a last goodbye As it leaves the summer sky. Giving the clouds bright red clothes, A little present before it goes. The end of Summer is on its way, Two minutes towards a shorter day. Philip Hudson [re-print from the Daily Mail]
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WORDS FROM THE WORD Lamentations 3:22 - 25 & 40 We all need encouragement and God is not slow to give us that through His word, but there is something more we must do to benefit fully from that encouragement. That is to search our hearts and to examine ourselves as it says in V40. This is the challenge, to get alone with God and to ask Him to search us through and through. David says something of this as well in Psalm 139: 23 - 24. It is true to say that to much preoccupation with ourselves could lead to discouragement, but if we don’t look at ourselves carefully and prayerfully we could so easily become careless and just drift along. One of the Holy Spirits Ministries is to bring us to a sense of need and to show us how far short we have fallen of His righteousness and then to lead us to the place of confession and renewal. Should we ever feel that we are as perfect as we might be, we should simply obey the command of V40. We should constantly ask God to put His finger on anything that is displeasing to Him. Only then can we become as it says in 2Tim 2: 20 - 21, ’ vessels unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use.” V40 says we must “try our ways,” not examine others, but ourselves and there are several ways that we should do this. We should do it regularly; 2 Cor. 13: 5 says, “examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves.” Not in an attempt to fault or disprove our faith but with a view to receiving greater blessing, claiming more of His grace and a closer fellowship with the Lord.
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We should do it thoroughly. How exactly are we to search our ways? We are to ask the Lord through prayer and the reading of His word to reveal to us any sin in our lives, especially the secret sins as it says in Psalm 90: 8 “our secret sins in the light of your countenance.” To search our lives to remove the most secret of sins is often very painful and disturbing. Nevertheless necessary if we are to maintain full and blessed communion with God. And, we must do it honestly. There are four estimates of our lives, The Worlds - Our Loved Ones - Ourselves - and Gods. The object of searching our lives is to see ourselves as God sees us, to see ourselves as we really are. We can hide our failures from others, we can at times appear almost saintly but we can never hide our true selves from God who “ never slumbers nor sleeps” Psalm 121: 4 and is Omnipresent. Psalm 139: 1 - 4 confirms this for us. It can be a very disturbing experience to pray the prayer “ search all my senses and know my heart, and let the deep hidden part of me be fully shown.” But, it is a wonderful prayer to be able to pray regularly, thoroughly and honestly, for God waits to lead us on to make us the person He would have us be. We should ask ourselves the question, are we what God would want us to be, is there anything that is hindering His good work within us, have we searches our lives thoroughly and honestly recently? Have we allowed God to search the deep dark recesses of our lives to reveal any hidden secret sins.
David Wakefield 9
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write this article on reflection of our Friday night rehearsal [27th]. Except, it wasn't just a rehearsal! Of course we practised script and songs and choreography but we prayed too. We shared together as a cast and chorus in a time of prayer, a time that you almost didn't want to stop! Cast members gave thanks for what the musical was doing in their lives, they prayed that the hearts and ears of those who come to watch might be prepared now. They prayed that we might be true, living, breathing examples of Jesus Folk. They prayed that they wouldn't forget their lines and they gave thanks because it had brought this group of people together in a new way. They were having conversations with people that they hadn't before and that was all before we had even sung one note! And then God answered the prayer prayed during one of our early rehearsals, that God would make something beautiful out of the chaos -and he did. We as a cast group are living and breathing the musical, Jesus Folk. We are waking up in the night thinking of our part, dreaming of various stories that the musical teaches, going over and over the moves. I would be lying if I didn't say that there's been a few nightmares too! The cast have great faith as to how God will use this musical. He has moved us to tears in rehearsal, He has challenged us, guided us, prodded us, but blessed us in ways we could never have imagined and we give him the thanks. The commitment of the cast members has been huge, the hours taken immense from the catering team to the scenery and prop builders to the chorus to the cast, I am so impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of all those involved. Thank you so much, it's going to be fantastic! Please don't miss the opportunity to hear the special message that God has for you through this musical. It really is a 'must see'!
HAZELL BALL 10
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BIFF and NETTA WAY
ne of the things that enriches our lives as a Community is all the differing accents we have. We would never confuse a Londoner with a Yorkshireman nor a Scot with the Welsh. It becomes even more interesting to identify accents from overseas, especially from English speaking countries ; one such couple is Biff and Netta Way. Netta and her twin sister were born in what is now known as Zambia. Whilst still a baby the family moved to Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe. She eventually became part of a large family of nine children. Her schooling and college was in Rhodesia, where after school, she trained as a Short Hand Typist. She then worked in the Admin Department of the Town Council Offices, in Fort Victoria, a town very close to Zimbabwe Ruins. It was here that she met Biff on a blind date and they were married in July 1960. They have two children, Derek now living in Canada and Karen living in London. They have one granddaughter. Biff, along with his two sisters was born in Rhodesia. Amongst his jobs he served in the British South Africa Police in Rhodesia for over 20 years. He then became a Tobacco Auctioneer, before moving into the Motor Trade where he managed a large Garage, selling new/used cars, new motorcycles and caravans as well as carrying out general vehicle repairs. As Rhodesia was a British Protectorate the family all had British passports but after The Rhodesian Government declared themselves to be an Independent State, the passports were cancelled. When Mugabe came to power in 1980, the Police Force came to an end and the rest is history. The family then moved to South Africa where Biff finally became The National Security Manager for a large American Company. On the 12
anniversary of his 65th birthday he was advised that as per American practice, it would be his last day of work. The problems this caused does not have to be spelled out. Eventually they arrived in England in December 2004 – fortunately their daughter had already been in the UK for some time and had bought a house in East Malling, but as she no longer lived there, Biff and Netta moved in and have been there since. Biff and Netta obtained employment in a Security Company in London, where Netta worked in Admin and where Biff, was the Vehicle Fleet Manager. Netta later left the Company and became a private personal carer, until she finally decided to stop work in April of this year. Biff in the meantime, retired at the end of December last year. Before leaving Rhodesia, Biff ‘s mother was very fortunate in occupying a cottage in the Salvation Army complex in Braeside, where she spent 8 of the happiest years of her life. Due to her living there, they all began worshipping at the Corps within the Complex, until they moved to South Africa, where they linked with the Pretoria Corps, and where Biff and Netta were enrolled as soldiers. Initially some difficulties in becoming involved in the Maidstone corps were experienced, but whilst listening to the band playing in Week Street, contact was made with Wesley, who welcomed them into the Corps. They both now find great joy in worshipping with us and helping with meals for the homeless. his is just a brief resume of a very interesting story and it is a pleasure to have them in our fellowship.
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t is true to say that when we step out in faith to do our Father‘s will and to help others it so often is us who are blessed alongside those whom we had set out to bless. Faith‘s Kitchen came into being almost 2 years ago and was born of 2 people‘s heartfelt desire to reach out and bring comfort to the homeless community in our town over the Christmas period. Since then we have been blessed in so many ways with gifts of money, clothing, food and people volunteering to help from many churches in and around our town. Our Father‘s hand has been so clearly seen on this project and from its humble concept it has grown to encompass every bank holiday in our calendar. I never cease to thank the Lord for the blessing and privilege of watching my friends grow in ability and faith as they undertake this work, the enthusiasm and joy that abounds as we work together is a tangible thing , something that cannot fail to be conveyed to our guests – the ones we strive not only to feed physically but to convey the love of God to also often by the simple act of listening – something that sounds simple but that can convey a wealth of understanding and of which is so appreciated by our guests who are often shunned by society and have difficulty engaging with others. We do not discriminate between those whom we will and will not serve, the homeless, needy or lonely, many of our guests have 4 legged friends (dogs), for company (and security) and we strive to feed them also – everyone is welcome at 14
Faith‘s Kitchen. The August bank holiday was a very special day having just the day before been so blessed by the message given during our morning worship by Major David Wakefield on Matthew‘s Gospel (25:31-46) , we had an entire team of 16 come in from St Luke‘s Church to help; serving food to 32 guests and 5 dogs Each Faith‘s Kitchen event has built in (before the doors open to our guests) a time of fellowship and prayer - something we felt was vitally important, and something I have been blessed to lead on many occasions. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who responded to our appeal for towels so that our guests might enjoy the luxury of a shower – something we daily take for granted. We now have a good number of ―towel rolls‖ ready for use not only by Faith‘s Kitchen guests, but which will soon also be available to the ―Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter Project‖. All of the honour and glory for all that Faith‘s Kitchen is goes to the Lord our God – we may be physically drained at the end of each day but spiritually we are always uplifted!
JOANNA SPICE
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THIS month’s viewpoint from a musical expert member of the Corps:- Rachel Walters Choosing my favourite Band piece, Songster piece and Congregational song has been very difficult because different pieces of music have held significance for me at different times. So I have chosen pieces that evoke memories as well as containing words that have blessed and strengthened me during my life.
BAND PIECE — „Light of the World‟ by Dean Goffin I can remember playing this piece in three different Salvation Army bands and on three different parts! The inspiration for this music is Holman Hunt‘s painting The Light of the World, which always challenges me with the bramble covered doorway and the handle on the inside. Revelation 3:20 says, ―I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.‖ Jesus waits for us to open the door and invite him into our hearts. The piece ends meditatively with the reminder of our promise we made when we gave our hearts to him: ―And Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end; O give me grace to follow, my master and my friend.‖
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SONGSTER PIECE - „Don‟t Doubt Him Now‟ by Frank Reynolds (words) and Leonard Ballantine (music) I first sang this song at Central and West Yorks (as it was then called) Divisional Music School, over 20 years ago. As a teenager, naturally concerned about discerning God‘s plan for my life in the coming years, I took comfort from the repeated phrases, Don‘t doubt Him now, Trust in God‘s love and Have faith in Him. When we put our trust in our faithful God, he dispels our doubts, turns our care to gladness and bestows his love upon us. In the years since I have sung this song many times – with singing groups, Songster Brigades and as part of a trio with the ladies who would become my Mother and Sister-in-Law! I am always blessed by the words and feel God reminding through them that He is always with me.
CONGREGATIONAL SONG - „The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended by John Ellerton (words) Immediately upon hearing the familiar tune St Clements I am transported to the foreshore in Scarborough, on a (sometimes!) warm August evening, watching the sun set onto the sea. I never tired of singing this song – usually every Sunday in July and August – surrounded by holidaymakers from far and near, all gathered to worship the same Lord. I am always moved by the reminders throughout the song that Jesus saves and keeps people across the whole world and the assurance that, ―His kingdom stands and grows forever‖. Around the world and throughout the day and night people are lifting prayers and praise to God and He is always watching over us.
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octrines 5 to 8 are about ourselves, God‘s highest creation. They spell out what we believe about human beings, our place in God‘s plan; how we have failed by our sinful disobedience to live up to that original plan; how God offers mankind an answer in Jesus and the steps we must take to receive God‘s gift and live out the ―Christlike life‖. 5. We believe that the arrival of human beings on earth was no accident but the deliberate purpose of God so that we might live in harmony with him, with others, and with the world He gave us. We were ―Created in God‘s image‖ to love Him freely without pressure, God did not create us as puppets but as respected, loved individuals with the right to choose our own destiny. We call this ―Free Will‖. Sadly our ―First Parents‖ (Adam and Eve) misused that freedom in wilful disobedience‘ leading to our estrangement from God, our disharmony with other human beings and with our environment. You could say that ‖We are at the same time specially created, and wilfully fallen” . As a result of this the image of God in us has become distorted and in spite of our vast progress in knowledge and scientific advance - each of us has an inbuilt tendency to sin, in wilful disobedience to God‟s commands. We believe that we need a “Salvation” from this condition. (Anyone with any doubts about this should read the first ten chapters of Paul‘s letter to the ROMANS it makes sobering and very topical reading) 6. God however made provision for our salvation. ―The Cross of Jesus Christ stands at the heart of the Christian faith. It is the greatest revelation of the love of God. Through 18
the Cross God overcame the separation caused by (our) sin. Once and for all Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the way for humanity to be reconciled to a loving God” (Page 127) We call this reconciliation ―the Atonement‖ literally making at one, or ―at-one-ment‖. However, whilst God has taken the initiative to make our salvation possible, it is necessary for us to make a personal response by repentance and faith to experience forgiveness and reconciliation with the One who longs for us to have fellowship with Him. Our belief is that the Atonement was ―foreshadowed‖ in the writings of the Old Testament, offering hope to those peoples of history whom God longed to reconcile to Himself, and that He completed and fulfilled the reconciliation prophesied in the Old Testament in and through His Son Jesus. The incarnation of Jesus was God‘s initiative leading to our salvation. We believe that Jesus gave Himself fully to God in life, and in death he laid down his life for us (Matt 26:42) By dying on the Cross. Jesus made the Atonement! “ He bridged the separation between ourselves and God. We are reconciled to God in Christ and our sins are forgiven” (Page 129) 7. Our belief is that there are three steps that must take place for this process to happen:The first is ―Repentance” Recognising our great need; Christ‘s sacrifice and God‘s provision for us, we become so seriously sorry for our sin that we are ready to confess it and turn away from it so that by God‘s help we regain our fellowship with Him. ―This act of repentance is, we believe, the gift of God’s grace to us through the Holy Spirit who stimulates within us a longing to be different and leads us not into self despair, but by becoming aware of our sinfulness, towards God, we are drawn to confess our sins, renounce selfish 19
lifestyles and to make restitution for the sins of the past (p146) The second which is closely linked is ― Faith” in Christ. “We may well be sorry for acts of sinning and want to leave them behind us, We can have a deep guilt for the past and want to have a clean conscience, we can even make major changes and turn in a new direction. This can all be called “Repentance”, but it is not the repentance that leads to life in Christ. Salvation results only when repentance is combined with faith in Christ as Saviour” (page 146). These actions of repentance and faith, enabling us to experience forgiveness and a longing to follow Christ unconditionally, lead to what we call ―Justification‖ This is the joyful experience of those who are saved. Repentance and faith are what we need to exercise, but the act of change which we call “Regeneration” is the work of God the Holy Spirit. If ―Justification by faith‖ means that we are accepted by God, “this new relationship brings to life new desires for inward purity and love for others. These desires are signs of the experience of new life, the spiritual transformation that we call regeneration” (Page 147). We say that we are ―Born again‖ Paul uses this idea of a new creation to illustrate what it is like to have the inner revolution which marks the death of our old life and the beginning of a new life (2 Cor 5:17). If Doctrine seven has to do with the process of salvation, Doctrine eight has to do with the nature of salvation:Doctrine 8. Justification, grace and faith are the precious elements that bring us to the place where we know deep within ourselves the reality of God‘s freely offered forgiveness; the depth of the saving atonement secured by our Lord‘s sacrifice on the Cross. These are not just a doctrine that we may learn and understand, but a personal transformation that comes from trusting the God who saves. 20
Justification describes the act of God which transforms our relationship with him. Even though we are sinners, because of our faith in Jesus Christ God declares us righteous. God accepts us as we are, We do not deserve this, nor can we earn it, or repay it. We can only enjoy the experience of forgiveness through reconciliation with God. We are like the Prodigal in Jesus‘ parable and are treated as one who has the right to the Father‘s fellowship and esteem (Luke 15: 17-24) We say about this new experience that ―we are justified by grace”. It is totally unmerited, it is typical of the way God deals with us, which we can see demonstrated supremely in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:14). “This grace awakens us, convicts us of sin, convinces us of hope and leads to a new life” (p.164). We also say that we are ―Justified through Faith” We respond to God personally in trusting acceptance of the good news of the gospel that God accepts us because of Jesus Christ. “It involves commitment to him, and obedient response to his goodness and a desire to follow him in the way of discipleship (Romans 5:1,2)” (page 165). Well, there is so much more that we can discover as we read ―The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine‖. I have only been able to give a very condensed summary of what we Salvationists believe. We will conclude the series in the next issue of ―Grapevine‖ with looking at our last three Doctrines which have to do with how saved people keep ‗saved‘. How the idea of Holiness of life is a part of that process, and how our faith relates to life after death. NB. Direct quotes are in italics, in most cases with a page number for reference. Colonel Michael Pressland 21
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cannot really say that it was just my Father whose influences steered me away from all religious leanings, not intentionally, but neither he nor my Mother were inclined in any way towards the Church, or that as I have a questioning, logical mind, which feeds hourly on answers to a host of enquiring questions about everything, that I really needed the ‗scientific answer‘. I even ended up postulating my own theory that Jesus was from another planet, where they had created life, just like we have through cloning. However, this life, being hostile to their world and owing to their code could not be destroyed thus being advanced beings they eventually dumped us on this planet, watched over us for a few years and eventually left. Hey! that appeased me! I could see the logic in it! It satisfied my scientific mind, what else did I need? Thoughts of theology were never even a consideration in my life —until I started attending the Salvation Army in 1982, basically to appease my first wife. And eventually, I realised that these weird beings prattling on week after week actually had something to say; something very meaningful in their lives, that I certainly did not—anyway the rest is history. So you can imagine my consternation, when standing in WH Smiths a couple of months ago looking at a sciencefiction novel, my mind started wandering and I started thinking about space travel/time travel [all of which I am still madly 22
passionate about] when I was suddenly transported back in time to 1972!!!! And—standing in the presence of two Captains in the Salvation Army, and who do you think these chaps were? None other than Captains Gowans and Larsson. And imaging my surprise when having introduced myself I discovered they were working on none other than Jesus Folk, the Musical!!! I know it was first shown in 1973, but they needed a bit of time to put it together. Well, I explained that I was from the year 2013 and that Maidstone Corps were in the throes of rehearsing to deliver a couple of performances in November, they thought I was joking when I told them our timescale, but nevertheless, they eventually thought it possible. They were actually having a bit of trouble writing the Lazarus bit, so I let it slip, not intentionally, but they wrote it so what difference did it make me telling them what eventually they would come up with , anyway. The weird thing was that all possessions on my person, manufactured after 1972, other than my apparel, did not return to the past with me, I had a biro, but my mobile phone [which had a good camera in it] must have stayed put in Smiths!! What a shame because, unless you have faith you are really going to struggle to believe this really happened. Funny that, - this faith thing, I guess it is what I did not have before becoming a Soldier in the Salvation Army. Still you are an in23
telligent lot! And you have heaps of faith, so when I tell you this all happened, you will have no trouble whatsoever in believing me—it would have been nice to put a picture of me with the Captains on Facebook, I might have even won the competition for reading my Jesus Folk words in the most unusual place! Anyway, after a couple of hours—Oh! You should have heard the chorus for Jesus Folk, just did not sound right until I whistled it to them!! We had such a laugh! As I was saying after a couple of hours I felt like I could see myself standing in Smiths looking at a sci-fi book, so I proffered my best to them and in the blink of an Annelies wrote:eye, I was back in When volunteers were needed at the beginning of the year for the musical Jesus Folk, Smiths, and the funny I thought it would be fun to take part. Fun it thing is when I looked has been so far, but the pressure is now on at my watch—no time with the performance dates drawing nearer. had lapsed, whatsoever. I expected it to be a ‗breeze‘, just learning the words to all the songs. It has been an eyeopener, how the musical has come to life, thanks to our wonderful producer, Hazell. It‘s remembering all the actions (at the right time!), which I am struggling with. I never realised how difficult it is to do a little 1-2-3 dance! Lisa‘s individual directing has helped too, she has turned me into a nasty, mean hoodie! The part will become my psyche!! Beware, don‘t cross me before November 7th. 24
Hazell, that has to win me the prize, surely!!! Having had this wonderful experience, I decided that as I am part of Jesus Folk—in more ways than one, it
would be a good idea to Terry said:On a certain Sunday evening, the dream elicit the thoughts and of ―Jesus folk‖ was launched. We as a congrepassions from members gation were asked to add our names to one of the various lists awaiting us in the foyer. I of the cast and chorus, looked at the lists, and added mine to the list to get a feel for what of those wishing to help with stage managetheir own aspirations ment and props. I knew I was not an actor, are from the Musical. nor was I a vocal musician. Even today I am not sure what happened to those lists, but the What effect it has had following Sunday, I was invited by our direcon their lives, so far. I tor Hazell, to be the ―Chorus leader‖ which recall when at Winton involved both acting and singing. I managed in 1990 we aired Glory to squeeze out a limp ―can I think about it―, and that evening I said ―Yes‖ What is it about to the Corps; this was this lady Hazell, that makes you say yes, when played on Thursday; your head is shouting NO. Maybe I should Friday and Saturday have consulted Roy her husband. I am how(twice). Later we were ever, so glad that I did say yes. It has been a journey so far, a mix of self-belief ,and invited to Butlins dur- great endless encouragement from great leaders, ing the Holiday Fellow- new friendships, and old ones re-forged by shared nerves, and walking an unknown way, ship Week and delivstretching limited skills to a point of acceptered two further perability. I am excited about the evangelical poformances on the Sattential of the production,‖ I believe in it ―.If urday. Then to cap it my part is a success, I will give all the glory to all I am sure we did an- my Lord, If I am a failure I will hold Hazell Ball and Rachel Walters accountable. other performance a (probably)! month later at the Corps—back by popular demand!!! Our Officers at the time were Majors Steve and Jean Russell, and Major Steve was playing the ‗drunk‘, I recall that at each performance the episode where he related his conversion to four men in the Skeleton Army, their reactions were more and more exaggerated. I cannot help but laugh to my25
Nathan wrote:Jesus Folk for me has changed my spiritual life as it is putting a different light on the stories in the Bible and relating them to modern day situations. It also is affecting my social life with members of Maidstone as it has given me more time to meet up with people that I do not get to speak to much as we are all very busy either on practise nights on during Sundays. It is a lot of pressure and hard work learning the words and the actions/dance moves to every song but it has been very rewarding up to now and I am sure that it will just carry on getting better and better the more I reflect on what is being said/ sung and acted. My aspiration for this musical is not so much to tell the community about Jesus but also to help Maidstone Corps to develop their own faith and give people the chance to do something that they possibly would not have dreamed of doing (I know I never thought I would be able to do it).
self, even now as I recall it. With the stage changes at each scene, the performances were just over three hours and very gruelling. So what comparisons am I drawing here, well! Whilst it would be wonderful to believe that the Jesus Folk audience would be full of nonChristians, eager for the message we will be delivering, I can only believe that there may be a few fitting this category, who may have been coerced to attend by their Christian friends. From my experiences at Winton and during my time there we had also done, ‘The Blood of the Lamb‘, in the main it cemented the commit-
ment and strengthened the fellowship within the Corps folk. Also as it was performed in the Salvation Army Hall, and at the end of a couple of performances we had a few folk kneeling at the Mercy Seat. Whether we may be invited to stage a version in the 26
Hall at Maidstone remains to be seen, I certainly would not discount it, God works in mysterious ways, so we say. So what have members of the Cast/Chorus given as an insight to their own feelings regarding Jesus Folk:- Read the boxes!
Toni wrote:Jesus Folk has given me the opportunity to worship in a completely different way. I've learnt through the words, music and cast members a glimpse of some significant biblical characters and scenes. It's been great fun getting to know some people in the corps I wouldn't ordinarily have the opportunity to and it's really brought us together as a group. I've been really blessed by the support and encouragement we have given each other when rehearsals have been hard or fun! I'm really looking forward to sharing the message with others and hope they get as much out of it as I have!
So what does the future hold for Salvation Army Musicals? Especially now that sadly only one of this great team exists! Has the Army plans to coerce other members of the flock to take on this challenging and thought provoking medium? Is there really a place for musicals of this type in this day and age? Has anybody got any thoughts on this subject? We attempt, once again to provoke dialogue within our Corps Folk, and invite comments on this subject, do you have anything to say? Please; PRETTY PLEASE!!
PHILIP HALES 27
Driving down the street looking for a parking spot, Peter was anxious because he had to attend an important business meeting. He prayed earnestly, “Lord!, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I’ll make sure I go to church every Sunday and give a tenth of all I possess for the rest of my life”. Just then a car pulled out from the line of cars a little ahead of him. “Don’t worry, Lord!, He prayed, “ I’ve found one”.
One strawberry to another, “If we hadn’t been in the same bed, we would both be in this jam we are now”. A man who had been dating a girl for a number of years took her to a Chinese restaurant. Studying the menu he asked, “How would you like your rice, fried or boiled?” Looking him directly in the eye, she replied, “thrown!”.
“Where will you be on the Day of Judgement?”, said the poster in bold letters outside the church. “Still waiting for the Number 95 bus”, was written underneath. Patience is the ability to put up with people you’d like to put down.
Following a visit to her G.P. A woman told her husband the result of the consultation. “He thinks I need a complete change and recommends a month at the seaside, where should I go?”, “To see another doctor”, came the reply. 28
Show me your ways O! Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are my God and Saviour and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 24 v04—05 I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29 v11 My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. Song 745 v1
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01) Which herb is regarded as, “The King of Herbs”, by many leading cookery authors? - PARSLEY! 02) Used generally in the cooking of lamb, which herb is thought to be the herb of remembrance? - ROSEMARY! 03) From which tree is MACE obtained? - NUTMEG! 04) Which herb combined with onion is commonly used as a stuffing for poultry and meat? - SAGE! 05) Which spice imparts a yellow colour to Indian cuisine? - TURMERIC! 06) Which herb is commonly used to flavour the tomato on pizza toppings? BASIL! 07) What type of flavour does FENNEL have? - ANISEED! 08) Which part of the GINGER plant is used in cooking? - ROOT! 09) Which four herbs did Simon & Garfunkel sing about in the 1960s? - PARSLEY; SAGE; ROSEMARY & THYME! 10) Which spice is said to combine the flavours of CINNAMON, NUTMEG & CLOVES, hence it’s name? - ALLSPICE! 11) By what name is wine that has been combined with a mixture of spices and often served warm, known? - MULLED! 12) Which spice widely used in Indian cooking is known as “The Queen of Spices”? - CARDAMOM! 13) Which spice, obtained from the flower of the crocus, is one of the most expensive? - SAFFRON! 14) Which spice added to soups and stews is usually removed prior to serving? BAY LEAF! 15) In the children’s TV series, “The Herbs”, what type of creature was PARSLEY? - LION! 16) With over 150 varieties, which common herb is said to provide relief from an upset stomach? - PEPPERMINT! 17) What is the difference between a HERB and a SPICE? - A HERB IS THE PLANT AND A SPICE IS THE DRIED SEED! 18) What are the real names of the SPICE GIRLS? - MELANIE CHISHOLM; VICTORIA BECKHAM; EMMA BUNTON; MELANIE BROWN & GERI HALLIWELL! 19) In what units are the heat from CHILLIES measured? - AFTER IT’S CREATOR AMERICAN PHARMASIST WILBUR ‘SCOVILLE’! 20) Which spice, synonymous with Christmas, are the dried flower buds of a tropical tree? - CINNAMON! 30
Our Weekly Services
Contact Information
You are welcome to join with us for worship & praise:
Maidstone Salvation Army 74-80 Union Street, Maidstone ME14 1ED
Sunday Worship: Family Service (Sunday School) Prayer Meeting Evening Service Youth Group
10.15 10.45 17.15 18.00 19.30
1st & 3rd Monday in month (to be confirmed) The Living Word Bible Fellowship 19.30 Tuesday: Ladies Meeting (Home League)
13.30
Wednesday: The Parkwood Fellowship Ladies Meeting (held at the Rosemary Graham Centre Sommer Walk, Parkwood). 14.00 Wednesday: Held Fortnightly, please contact the office for the next date Cameo & Crafts 10.00 3rd Wednesday: Ladies Fellowship
20.00
Thursday: The Over 60‘s Club
13.30
Corps Officers: Majors Grayson & Janice Williams Captain Lynne Clifton Administrator: Mrs Lorraine Munn Address as above. Telephone: 01622 681808 Email: Maidstone@salvationarmy.org.uk Weekly Community Events: Monday & Friday SAM‘s Tots (Salvation Army Maidstone) Parent & Toddler Group 10.00 For information on other mid-week activities please telephone the administrator on the above number. Please telephone 01622 681808 for further information and/or to check
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Closing date for next issue is 15th Dec, 2013 to be sent to the Editor or Philip Hales at email: philiphales@blueyonder.co.uk 32