Salvationist 21 November 2020

SALVATIONIST

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For everyone linked to The Salvation Army www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 21 November 2020

Water for life Supporting clean water projects

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STREAMING CHRISTIAN CONTENT – NEW FAITH NETWORK

PAGES 12 AND 13

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA

BIBLES AND NEWSPAPERS ‘WOULD BE BANNED UNDER NEW HATE CRIME LAW’

ANTI-RACISM RESOURCES GIVEN TO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TEACHERS

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TO RETHINK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

Books, Bibles and newspapers would be seized and destroyed under the SNP’s plan to criminalise ‘inflammatory’ publications, religious and secular organisations have warned.

An unlikely alliance of chapels, kirks, gurdwaras, humanists, secularists, artists, writers and journalists have united in condemnation of the Scottish government’s Hate Crime Bill.

Only Muslim Engagement and Development, an Islamic rights lobby group, and the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities argued that the bill did not go far enough in the latest round of scrutiny by Holyrood’s justice committee.

The bill as drafted would empower police to seize ‘forfeited material’ to ‘be disposed of in such manner as the court may direct’. The National Secular Society said in a submission to the committee before parliamentary scrutiny… that the ‘draconian and ultimately counterproductive’ bill had ‘dangerously low thresholds for prosecution’.

Extending its defence of free expression to religious leaders who regard same-sex relationships ‘abominable’ and punishable by death, the society said: ‘While we condemn any organisation, religious or secular, that uses such hateful language about LGBT+ people, we do not believe the correct response is to criminalise such speech.’

Free materials to help Religious Education (RE) teachers navigate the issue of racism have been launched.

They include units for primary and secondary RE teachers such as ‘What can be done to reduce racism? Can religion help?’ and ‘Racism: what can be done to reduce its harmful impact?

What can religions do to play their part in a more just society?’

The initiative was put together by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) together with Free Churches and Methodist Schools and included contributions from teachers of black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds…

Primary school teacher Saima Saleh said it is ‘imperative’ that racism is tackled in the classroom. She added that ‘to improve the situation, change must begin by defining and understanding terms like racist and anti-racist’.

The Church of England could reverse its opposition to same-sex marriage by as early as 2022 after bishops pledged to make a ‘decision’ about issues relating to sexuality.

The church’s House of Bishops announced… that it was embarking for the first time on a formal ‘decisionmaking’ process over the church’s attitude to sex, sexuality, marriage and gender. The bishops gave themselves a deadline of 2022 to draw up proposals to be put to the church’s General Synod, which has the final say over changes to doctrine.

Asked if this could include a recommendation for a synod vote on whether to permit same-sex marriages within the church for the first time, the Bishop of Coventry said this was ‘only one question among many’ that they would consider. He added that some within the church felt that its ‘doctrine of marriage is ripe for development’.

Premier

The Times

FOOD BANKS A ‘STICKING PLASTER’ AS UK DEMAND SKYROCKETS, WARNS CHARITY HEAD The head of the UK’s biggest food bank network has vowed to put them ‘out of business’ and reverse a trend in which ‘sticking plaster’ food charity handouts are increasingly normalised as a response to growing poverty and destitution.

The comments by Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, came as the charity reported a 47 per cent rise in food parcels given out by its volunteers between April and September – reflecting an explosion in demand for food aid during the pandemic, including from ‘newly hungry’ families who had fallen into hardship.

‘We have to find better ways of supporting one another as a society than leaving people to rely on food charity,’ said Revie.

The Times

The Guardian

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Salvationist 21 November 2020

THE SALVATION ARMY FOUNDER William Booth GENERAL Brian Peddle TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Commissioner Anthony Cotterill EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Mal Davies

CONTACT SALVATIONIST 020 7367 4890 salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk Find Salvationist on Facebook SalvationistOnline Find Salvationist on Twitter @SalvationistUK

CONTENTS

LIGHT BULB MOMENTS DURING the recent Light, Life and Love congress two people were asked to share ‘light bulb moments’. Ella Doheny (Abergavenny) spoke about the time when she realised that prayer wasn’t just for herself, but that she needed to pray for others as well, and Catherine Mapfumo (Hemel Hempstead) referred to a song she would sing at school, which was a means of her making a covenant with God as a child.

The image of a light bulb being switched on is a vivid picture of a sudden insight or discovery. I’m sure you can think of many examples. Perhaps the most significant light bulb moment in Christian history was the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus. ‘Suddenly a bright light from Heaven flashed around me,’ he recalled later (Acts 22:6), and he had a vision of Jesus. You may have had less dramatic light bulb moments of your own – times when everything seemed to fall into place, a problem you’d puzzled over suddenly became clear or a new experience changed your understanding of something or someone.

Light bulb experiences don’t always happen in an instant, of course. In the early days of energy saving bulbs I remember getting a little frustrated when the bulb in our dining room – which doubled as our home office – took up to a minute to reach its full brightness. It was a lesson in patience, but it also reminded me that our insights sometimes grow gradually. William Barclay suggests that this was the case with Saul.

God had been challenging him since the day he witnessed the stoning of Stephen, so Saul’s road-to-Damascus experience was not ‘a sudden conversion’ but ‘a sudden surrender’.

In his article on pages 10 and 11 Commissioner Keith Banks looks at songs and Bible verses and wonders ‘if our experience of lockdown has influenced their meaning for us’. We may have had light bulb experiences – whether sudden or gradual – when new light has been shed on familiar words, making them stand out in a different way and revealing fresh meaning.

On page 15 Kathryn Casserley says she began lockdown asking God all kinds of questions about her work for him. It gradually became clear that she needed to support the young people in her corps and families in the community.

Elaine Humphries mentions a number of light bulb moments she had during lockdown on page 18. God gave her new insights through Bible verses, Christian books and the Army’s Into The Wild prayer encounter.

What’s significant about Saul’s light bulb moment is that he was prepared to act on it. He could have got back on his horse (or donkey) and carried on regardless, but no, although he still headed for Damascus, his life changed direction. That’s what light bulb moments are really all about: not just gaining new insights but taking new steps as a result. Both Kathryn and Elaine did that, as you’ll see from their articles.

In January we would like to publish some of our readers’ light bulb moments.

Let us know, in no more than 40 words, what spiritual lesson you have learnt during the lockdown and what you are doing or will do as a result. Share your insights with others by writing to me at the THQ address on page 2 or emailing jonathan.roberts@salvationarmy.org.uk. I look forward to hearing from you.

Quotes from the media

2

Message from the Territorial Commander

4

News

5 and 6

Prayer matters

6

Letters

7

Column from the college

8

by Cadet Thomas Morgan

Interview Water of life

9

Ben Gilbert talks to Violet Ruria

Reflection Count your blessings

10 and 11

by Commissioner Keith Banks

Feature A new way to watch

12 and 13

by Simon Hope

Reflection 14 Why I am a well-being champion

by Clare Staniford

Faith at work Keeping the faith

15

by Kathryn Casserley

Bible study The Lord loves justice

16 and 17

by Captain Vanessa Coleman

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17

by Major Lynda Levis

Testimony Listening to God

18

by Elaine Humphries

Lockdown diary Week 1

19

by Major Karen Sandford

Viewpoint Is temptation ever sin?

20

by Major Howard Webber

Review Rewilding The Church

21

Reviewed by Major Tim Justice

Preview Albert Stridemore’s Lockdown Discoveries

21

by Chick Yuill

Poets’ corner November Carol

21

by John Coutts

From the Editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

Announcements

22 and 23

Adverts

23 and 24

SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS Scripture quotations in Salvationist are from the New International Version (2011), unless otherwise stated

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A MESSAGE FROM THE TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

Thought-provoking encounters

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T was my immense privilege to be at Whitehall on Remembrance Sunday representing The Salvation Army at the National Service of Remembrance, especially as so many Salvationists were unable to attend local acts of remembrance.

Those taking part had to arrive very early, which gave us an opportunity to mingle before the service. One of the people I encountered was the prime minister. I said good morning as he walked past and he stopped for a very short conversation. I was able to assure him of the prayers of Salvationists as he leads the country during these days. Regardless of our political persuasions, I’m sure we would want to pray for Boris Johnson and the government. It is incumbent upon us to pray for our leaders – for wisdom, discernment and, perhaps above everything, righteousness.

Proverbs 14:34 says, ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people’ (New English Translation).

At 12 o’clock every day there is a call to prayer – when the hands come together, we pray together – and, of course, at any time during the day we can pray. Pray for the leaders of our nations across the territory, and for those who are suffering, those who have been bereaved and those who have been affected by this terrible pandemic in many other ways. Pray especially for those at the forefront of 4

Salvationist 21 November 2020

service, whatever form that takes. We thank God there are signs that a vaccine might be available in the relatively near future. But while this gives us great encouragement, we still have a long and difficult journey ahead, which is all the more reason to keep praying.

Another encounter I had was a very unexpected one. I was talking to a faith leader, a Buddhist monk, who mentioned where he lived in north London. I indicated that I used to teach close to there, at Neasden High School. At that point the UK leader of the Jain religion, an ancient religion from India, joined in and said he had been a pupil at the school in the early 1980s, which was the time when I was on the staff. While I can’t say for certain that I would have taught this new-found friend, it’s more than probable that we would have passed each other in the corridors.

I’m not suggesting that I had an influence over him as a boy, but it did remind me to appreciate teachers. They are so important to our communities at this time – school teachers, of course, but also those who teach and lead and thus influence children in our corps and centres. The pandemic is hard for all of us, but the potential damage to our children is frighteningly immense. So, as well as praying for those in authority, we should pray for the young generation and those who teach and nurture them.

The last encounter of the morning was one that I saw at a distance. One of the guardsmen fainted or collapsed quite close to the members of the royal family who were about to lay their wreaths.

Within moments the medics were there and took him off on a stretcher, followed by one of his colleagues carrying his bearskin and gun.

The memory of seeing a soldier being carried off on a stretcher will stay with me for a very long time. You see, we were there to honour the fallen, the thousands of men and women who in too many wars and conflicts over the years fell where they stood or were stretchered off, wounded, exhausted, overcome by the intensity of the circumstances.

Then I thought of us as soldiers of The Salvation Army and the universal Church, together with all our adherent

members, employees and volunteers, standing our ground, serving the community, guarding the truth, protecting and serving the vulnerable. Many of us face extreme circumstances and are marked by weariness, if not exhaustion, frustration and anxiety as we seek to work our way forward in these days of pandemic.

We still face a silent enemy that has affected all generations. It has attacked our freedoms and our way of life: our worship, work, family and leisure. It has affected us physically and mentally, has undermined our economy and threatens to undermine our confidence and even our faith. That’s why we must keep putting on our PPE, the equipment outlined in Ephesians 6: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and all kinds of prayers and requests prayed in the Spirit.

I leave you with a song that was sung at the Cenotaph – with words based on Psalm 91, assuring us that God is with us, that he is for us and that he shelters us.

O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal Home.

Under the shadow of thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is thine arm alone And our defence is sure.

(SASB 47) May those words resonate in your heart and may you know that our defence is sure because he holds us, shelters us in his arms and leads us forward.

ANTHONY COTTERILL COMMISSIONER TERRITORIAL COMMANDER O This

message is based on a video that can be viewed at facebook.com/ SalvationistOnline or youtube.com/ user/salvationarmyvideo

NEWS

Editor’s note: Some of these events took place before the current restrictions relating to the coronavirus pandemic

CORPS

INTERNATIONAL

Army reviews coronavirus response IHQ THE Programme Resources Consultancy Group (PRCG) met virtually, bringing together many of the Movement’s leaders and practitioners in the fields of emergency relief, recovery, community development and mission to reflect on the Army’s international response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the title ‘Same Storm, Different Boats’, PRCG delegates explored the reality of the pandemic and considered what needs to be done to discover and enact a ‘Kingdom normal’.

Six main aspects of the response were explored: adaptations of project management systems and structures, financing structures and capabilities, local capacity for implementation, communications and relationships, power and resource imbalances, and changing patterns and modes of work.

General Brian Peddle, World President of Women’s Ministries Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, Chief of the Staff Commissioner Lyndon Buckingham and World Secretary for Women’s Ministries Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham came together for the conference’s concluding session. They were joined by the international secretaries responsible for ministry across the Movement’s five zones as well as territorial leaders from around the world.

PRCG will generate recommendations for future collaborative project support, informing international Army leadership about development priorities and policies and guiding values and practices significant to the Army’s international agenda in the years ahead. – AR

WORTHING A virtual Harvest Festival was held following an appeal for donations that would be suitable for the Christmas parcel distribution. The deputy head teacher of the Georgian Gardens Community Primary School in Rustington – who is the daughter of one of the retired officers – also organised a collection of Harvest produce for the parcels. Corps Community Manager Vanessa Fraser (left) is pictured receiving the donations. – SH

FUNDRAISING

A tabletop sale at Bristol South raises £315 for the Big Collection

CORPS

DROITWICH SPA Community support worker Carolyn Gomersall has been keeping in touch with older people who attended the corps before the coronavirus lockdown to combat feelings of isolation or loneliness. She calls or visits 70 individuals each week. ‘I don’t go into people’s houses, I speak to them at a safe distance from their home entranceway or on the phone,’ Carolyn said. ‘We take hot meals and food donated by local supermarkets. I also take them puzzle books, a copy of War Cry and other Christian reading material.’ – AR

COMMUNITY BUCKIE The corps food bank received a letter of commendation from the lord lieutenants of Banffshire and Moray, Andrew Simpson and Seymour Monro, for its work feeding some of the most vulnerable people in the area during lockdown. Corps officer Major Bruce Smith said: ‘It’s a big boost not just for the volunteers who have put so much in, but also for the whole community, which has supported us with donations.’ – AR STRAWBERRY FIELD To mark what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, Strawberry Field launched a competition to find ‘people of peace’ in Liverpool.

These awards are designed to recognise people’s efforts to promote or enable peace in difficult times. Five winners will be announced by a panel of judges that includes Strawberry Field Mission Director Major Kathy Versfeld and Lady Anne Dodd. – AR Is your corps adapting to the coronavirus crisis through innovative ministry opportunities? Salvationist wants to hear from you.

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Prayer

NEWS

ARMY NEWS

Territory issues inclusion statement UKI A NEW statement has been issued declaring that the Army aims to be a church where everyone is welcome and that it will serve people without discrimination. It also acknowledges that the Army has much to learn about inclusion.

The statement reads: ‘Everyone should find The Salvation Army to be a hospitable, inclusive and welcoming community for all adults and children.

‘The Salvation Army is a Christian church and charity that began in the East End of London in 1865. Today, we operate in more than 130 countries with more than 1.8 million members.

‘In the United Kingdom, The Salvation Army is made up of thousands of people who worship, work, volunteer, donate and serve together every week. This includes many people who are LGBT+. We welcome and serve people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, race, religion and ethnicity. Our employment practices are non-discriminatory and we seek to create welcoming, nurturing work environments.

‘The Salvation Army finds no scriptural support for demeaning or mistreating anyone for any reason. People who come to The Salvation Army for help will receive assistance based solely on their need and our capacity to serve.

‘The Salvation Army rejects racism and sexism and stands against homophobia and transphobia, which victimise people and can reinforce feelings of alienation, loneliness and despair. We aim to be an inclusive church where everyone finds welcome and can develop their relationship with God. Like many other Christian churches, we have much to learn about issues such as structural discrimination, racism and human sexuality.

‘Several stories alleging discrimination by representatives of The Salvation Army are regularly recycled on social media. These allegations are often incomplete, some are distorted but are spread across social media on a regular basis.’ – AR O The statement is available at salvationarmy.org.uk/about-us/ policies where there is also a link to further information

Like our page at SalvationistOnline to keep up to date

PRESENTATION Winton corps officer Major Mike Coleman presents Gill Symonds with flowers on behalf of the Community Care Ministries team as she steps down as manager due to failing health 6

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Follow Salvationist on Twitter @SalvationistUK

ENABLING MISSION FOCUS

by Majors Alan and Carol Young (Divisional Mission Enablers, East Scotland)

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER – HOW? ‘“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” says the Lord Almighty’ (Zechariah 4:6). There are many tools and resources available to help us, but they are all ineffective if we miss the essential truth that human endeavour is not enough. Pray for a fresh anointing of the Spirit upon The Salvation Army today.

SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER – BE STILL Now we have asked our questions and maybe allowed the Lord to question us, take time to simply be still and give God’s mission back to him, confident that it is safe in his hands. ‘I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day’ (2 Timothy 1:12).

SCRIPTURE FOCUS – PSALM 121

by Major Gillian Miller (Prayer Network, THQ)

MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?’ (v1). Father God, you encourage me to look up, to look high, to take my eyes off the things that surround me and search for your glory and majesty in the creation around me. As I look to the hills I give thanks that I see your power and beauty in all their splendour. Thank you for lifting my heart to Heaven. Amen.

TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER ‘My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth’ (v2). Dear loving God, where else can I turn for help but to you, my creator? You who put stars into space and covered the Earth with beauty, you are my God, the Saviour in whom I trust. Thank you for showing me such beauty and creativity. Amen.

WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER ‘He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber’ (v3). O Lord, how wonderful to know you are always alert and awake to our every need. You watch our every step and guide our paths. Thank you for being our rock, dependable and strong, ready to take us out of harm’s way and keep us on the narrow path.

Amen.

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER ‘The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand’ (v5). I praise you, Father God, for keeping watch of my soul.

When I am tempted you show me the right way, and when I am down you lift me up because of your amazing love. I know I have nothing to fear in this world when you are with me. Thank you for the assurance of your care over my life. Amen.

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER ‘The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life’ (v7). O Lord, I don’t deserve your tender care and your gentle mercy. So often I am prone to go the wrong way or say the wrong words or think unholy thoughts. Yet when I turn to you I find forgiveness and peace. Thank you for preserving my soul, for keeping me holy, for shielding me from evil. Amen.

O A PDF of the Prayer Matters booklet is also available to download from salvationarmy.org.uk/resources

LETTERS

NOT QUITE NECK AND NECK

OVER THE THRESHOLD

IN response to the letter ‘Neck and Neck’ (Salvationist 3 October), if a section leader insists all members of their section look the same, in terms of uniform, are they not excluding members of the congregation who may have chosen not to wear it? For equality and accessibility, should we not consider a semi-formal uniform with, for example, Oxford shirts for men and short-sleeved blouses for women, with the addition of pullovers for both? And also for women, trousers being the norm? This might make things simpler for those of us who cannot afford the more expensive uniform items. In my view, the idea of winter and summer uniform for women is a little outdated and reminds me of a private secondary school I once briefly attended.

ADRIAN Lyons’ article ‘Crossing the threshold’ (Salvationist 15 August) appears to have given readers a vision. Adrian cited evidence of renewed interest in faith matters among the UK population ‘no bigger than a man’s hand’ (1 Kings 18:44 Good News Bible). Once coronavirus restrictions are finally lifted will we witness a harvest of souls?

Meetings will only be efficacious in soul-saving if they feature intelligent and authoritative preaching. Bible-based preaching may be ‘a cordial for our fears’ (SASB 975). Back in the 18th century John Wesley was hardly a stranger to church. He was an ordained minister, yet he was captivated by nominalism, legalism and disappointment. Having listened to an exposition of the precious doctrine of salvation by faith alone in a church in Aldersgate, he gained the spiritual reassurance he craved. Moreover, he preached to hundreds. What heart longings might prompt 21st-century citizens across the threshold? Professor Alice Roberts – an atheist – has recently presented a series of social media lockdown lectures on embryology. This is but one example of how intricate and complex the human body is. The Christian apologist Professor Alister McGrath in his book Surprised By Meaning compares the reductionist approach of the atheist Professor Richard Dawkins to that of the Christian author CS Lewis. The latter claims that our intrinsic knowledge of God creates a heart-longing in the human condition. If folk do cross the threshold into church, compassion should be our watchword.

Annabelle Short Cheltenham

Kevin Chubb Barry

KEEPING CONNECTED

SHALL WE PRAY?

IN the editor’s note (Salvationist 24 October), Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts references Tom Wright’s book God And The Pandemic. Here at Gateshead we are witnessing growth as a result of our increased community support, which has opened the door to people asking to join our meetings. One family walked two miles in torrential rain to come to our school shoes and warm coats project.

They were soaking wet as they had no umbrellas and couldn’t afford the bus fare to reach us. They asked to come to church a little time later saying they reflected on the warm, kind and nonjudgmental welcome they received. Two volunteers also wanted to share and both have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives.

Our style of worship has since changed, with dancing and the revival of timbrel playing. We shared a virtual Harvest breakfast over Lifesize from our homes – the breakfast bags were distributed beforehand, with devotions for those who couldn’t join online or over the phone – and this was a great opportunity for us to share relaxed fellowship in a new way.

Our corps WhatsApp group has been an uplifting tool as most of the corps connects through the group and we can share readings, meeting summaries and prayer requests, as well as other news. Our oldest member at 94 has the information shown to her on a daily basis. We have also used it to introduce our over-80s to the wider congregation, sharing a photograph and a little bit about them as this allows those newer to the fellowship to get to know them.

SOME meeting leaders use the rhetorical expression ‘Shall we pray?’ While in no way minimising their sincerity and fervency I believe it would be more helpful to use another phrase.

There are plenty of alternatives: ‘Let us pray’, ‘I invite you to bow your heads in prayer’, ‘Let us bow down before the Lord our Maker’, ‘Now is the time to spend some time in a devotional period’... Maybe other readers can add to these suggestions.

Ann Humes CSM Gateshead

Cliff Kent Major Beckenham

LETTERS Readers’ letters are a popular and wellread section of Salvationist. Many years ago General Frederick Coutts said letters for publication in the Army’s press should be ‘carefully thought out, logically presented and charitably expressed’.

Letters may be edited and should ideally be no more than 300 words.

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COLUMN FROM THE COLLEGE

Moving in and starting out

M

Y wife, Jo, and I arrived at William Booth College on a busy August bank holiday Monday.

Navigating our way through central London was something of a challenge, with roadworks, bridge closures and cyclists all adding to the experience.

However, on arrival at WBC we were greeted by many smiling faces, which certainly lifted our spirits. After a cup of tea and prayer with our assigned support officer, we began the task of moving into our top-floor flat. That night we went to bed physically exhausted but with a deep sense of peace, knowing that we were being faithful to the God who called us to serve him.

Prior to this we had spoken with the other members of the Messengers of Reconciliation session through Zoom meetings. This meant that the transition to college was fairly smooth and seamless, as we had all got to know each other rather well. Equally important was that we could already begin to pray for each other by name, put those names to faces and share our lives together.

Classes began a few days after our arrival, as did the preparation for our session’s welcome meeting. As with Commissioning earlier in the year, it was a mixture of live and prerecorded elements. We were guided through much of the process by Captain Stephen Oliver, who is a tutor and pastoral support officer. At every stage he gently 8

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Cadet Thomas Morgan looks back at his arrival and early days at William Booth College reminded us that, however frustrating and confusing the filming process may appear at first, we can praise and honour God in all that we do. His calm modelling of patience, trust and placing God at the centre of everything is certainly a lesson to remember, particularly in more challenging moments.

At our welcome meeting Chief Secretary Colonel Lee Graves preached on 2 Corinthians 5:16–21, reminding us all that the message of reconciliation is at the heart of the gospel. Indeed, the theme of reconciliation is one that I am reminded of daily. No matter what we do, we can always return to the God of love and forgiveness.

The welcome meeting is normally the occasion when a session sings its sessional song for the first time in public.

Uniquely, our sessional song, ‘You Have Reconciled Our Hearts To Yours’, was sung for us by the International Staff Songsters. We thank them and Staff Songster Leader Dorothy Nancekievill, as well as Stephanie Lamplough (lyrics) and Major Stephen Forman (music), for their beautiful gift to us. We hope that one day we can sing this song together as a session. For now, our songs to God must remain in our hearts and minds.

In these early days at WBC, God has reminded me of two things. First, to place all my trust in him because he will provide. Covid-19 safety regulations may be challenging and frustrating, but God is at work in everything and – even in

moments of great suffering – we are never alone. Second, that in two years’ time we will become officers of The Salvation Army.

In many respects, it is impossible to predict what ministry will look like in 2022. However, in all the discussions we have about the Army of today and the future, we always bear in mind this truth: ‘If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 and 18 New Revised Standard Version).

With God on our side, I have no doubt that The Salvation Army will be renewed in Christ during and after these challenging days. I am truly blessed to be journeying through WBC with the other members of the session. It may be early days but we have already shared tears of sadness as well as tears of joy and laughter.

Most of my training is still ahead of me but I am strengthened by the assurance of prayers by friends and family, as well as from those people I have yet to meet.

I continue to be humbled by the love and support we have received from people in this territory and beyond.

As I look to the future, my prayer paraphrases the lyrics of our sessional song: I pray that I will take God’s love and make a difference in this world, whatever his plans may be.

INTERVIEW

International Projects Office Team Leader Ben Gilbert continues a series exploring the UKI Territory’s international development work by discussing clean water with Programme Adviser Violet Ruria

I

F you have ever wondered how water is linked to dignity and justice, keep reading. Violet Ruria, who specialises in supporting the Army’s international water, sanitation and hygiene projects, explains why everyone should care about people having access to clean water.

HOW DOES CLEAN WATER HELP INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT? We all know that water is essential for life; our bodies and the bodies of all creatures are made of water, and water is a source of life. We are therefore responsible for protecting and preserving water, and also sharing it for the benefit of all creation.

One in ten people lack access to water close to their homes. That’s 785 million people. A lack of water means that women, children and older people have to spend many hours walking, often in very dangerous places, spending many hours in search of water. All this time and energy could be invested in other productive activities.

When water is insufficient and becomes contaminated, communities suffer from waterborne diseases that could essentially be prevented. In most communities where there is no water, there is also inadequate sanitation. That means communities do not have a safe way to dispose of their faecal matter.

They often have to resort to going into the bushes or out in the open, which denies them their dignity and privacy.

Inadequate sanitation in schools often

Vi o

let Ruria

Water of life

Malawi means girls have to carry water in and are absent when menstruating because of a lack of facilities. That’s why clean water is critical for international development.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO INVEST IN WATER PROGRAMMES OVERSEAS? Access to clean water is a human right.

For us as a church, it’s also a mandate from God. This features in Matthew 25:31–46, where Jesus says that only people who serve others will enter the Kingdom. It’s paramount that we obey God’s command and provide water to the thirsty. It is also an issue of championing justice. The United Nations sustainable development goal is very clear. It stipulates that we need to work to ensure that all human beings have access to clean water and sanitation. We are part of championing that so no community, especially the poor and marginalised, is left behind in acquiring clean water.

to drill a borehole or shallow wells, protecting their natural springs or increasing rainwater harvesting systems so that they have adequate water.

Next week…

Captain Ben Cotterill talks about food security programmes O Episodes of the Develop podcast are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud and Google Podcasts O Find more information and resources at salvationarmy.org.uk/internationaldevelopment

Democratic Republic of Congo

WHERE IS THE ARMY CURRENTLY SUPPORTING CLEAN WATER PROJECTS? Currently, we have teams working in Kenya, in the arid regions. We also have worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mali, Malawi and Burkina Faso. Our programmes in all these countries are empowering communities to plan, manage and sustain their water sources. We support these communities to improve their local water sources. That could include helping Salvationist 21 November 2020

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REFLECTION REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION TI ON

Count your blessings Commissioner Keith Banks wonders if our experiences of lockdown will give us a deeper understanding of what the Lord means to us

I

N his book Traveling Light, Max Lucado tells the story of a meeting between a missionary visiting the island of Tobago and a Christian woman who had suffered from leprosy. While conducting a service on the final day of his visit to a leprosy hospital he asked if anyone had a favourite song they would like everyone to sing. This woman, whose face had been ravaged and who had lost her ears, nose and lips to the disease, raised a hand that was missing some fingers and asked to sing ‘Count Your Blessings’. The missionary was deeply moved by this request. Later someone said to him: ‘I suppose you will never be able to sing that song again.’ He replied: ‘Oh, I will sing it again and again, but never in the same way.’

This is a good example of how the kind of people we become is greatly influenced by the situations we encounter.

It also illustrates how our experiences influence our understanding of words.

We can all sing ‘Count Your Blessings’ (SASB 909) with hand-clapping abandon when all is well with us and the world. It is a different story, however, when life appears to be much more about burdens and the blessings are not apparent.

Words gain colour – sometimes vivid, sometimes dark – and take on a greater depth of meaning when we experience what they are referring to or describing. My father was at the Battle of Dunkirk in the Second World War and was evacuated from the beaches in a small boat. Before boarding, two soldiers standing either side of him were killed. He survived but he never spoke to me about it.

I only know what my grandmother told

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Salvationist 21 November 2020

me. Because of what my father experienced, the word ‘war’ had a totally different meaning for him than it does for me. It’s different again for my grandsons.

We can think similarly about hunger, pain, homelessness, beauty, love and so on. The word ‘lockdown’ is another good example. For many of us, that word has a different meaning today than it did a year ago because we have experienced it. This is what the missionary in Max Lucado’s story found: the words of ‘Count Your Blessings’ had a different meaning after what he saw and experienced in that meeting.

I thought about the songs many of us have sung in public worship, some over many years, and wondered whether our experience of lockdown has influenced their meaning for us.

What about the words ‘Why should life a weary journey seem?/ Jesus is my light and song’ (SASB 910). For some, the lockdown experience will have been, and maybe still is, a long, wearisome journey, but hopefully the experience has brought Jesus, the Light of the World, into clearer focus and inspired an uplifting song in the heart. When we next sing that song, will we have a deeper understanding of its message?

What about this verse from ‘Loved With Everlasting Love’ (SASB 723)?

Heaven above is softer blue, Earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen; Birds with gladder songs o’erflow, Flowers with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am his and he is mine.

Flowers with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am his and he is mine Lockdown for many has meant weeks of shielding and self-isolating, and some people’s windows will have offered only a restricted view of the world around them. They will not have seen much of the blue sky or the green Earth, but hopefully through the lockdown experience they have sensed other, deeper beauties in an act of kindness, the arrival of a card, a telephone call, someone waving at the window or through an online broadcast.

It is likely that others have found a similar thing as they have read verses of Scripture during the months of lockdown. Prolonged anxiety, fear, frustration and loneliness give new meaning to words in verses such as these from Philippians 4:6 and 7: ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus’ (New King James Version). Or from Isaiah 40:31: ‘But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint’ (NKJV ). Or the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:20: ‘I am with you always.’

The end of lockdown, when it does eventually come, will bring a sigh of relief for all of us. But let us dare to hope that the experience will lead to a deeper understanding of what the

Lord means to us and what it means to follow him. I think that is how it was for the apostle Peter. The first recorded words of the Lord to Peter were ‘follow me’ (Matthew 4:19).

Some of the last recorded words of the Lord to Peter were identical (see John 21:19). After all that Peter had experienced in his three years with Jesus – revolutionary teaching, miracles (including the healing of his own mother-in-law), the glory of the Transfiguration, the intensity of the upper room, the nightmare of denial, the horror of the crucifixion of Jesus, the wonder of his resurrection and the freedom that comes with forgiveness – surely those words carried a different meaning for him the second time?

Let us count our blessings in the light of the new insights Covid-19 has given us and allow words like ‘hope’ and ‘praise’, as found in Psalm 43:5, to ring in our hearts with a refreshing newness: ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him’ (NKJV ).

They mean a lot more now, don’t they?

COMMISSIONER BANKS LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN INVERKIP

Salvationist 21 November 2020

11

FEATURE I New Faith Network

A NEW

TO WA

HENK BOUT AND ELS GRIFFIOEN INTRODUCE SIMO

D

ESPITE the popularity of online streaming services such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer and YouTube, many people have difficulty finding quality Christian media online.

New Faith Network aims to change this.

The streaming service is on a mission to inspire Christians globally by sharing the stories of the Bible. It has curated hundreds of Christian films and series into a collection designed for all ages, making it not only accessible but also fundamentally safe and family-friendly.

As streaming platforms increasingly became mainstream providers of film and TV, broadcasting veteran Henk Bout saw the potential for sharing biblical stories online. He founded New Faith Network in 2017 and is now fulfilling a lifelong dream to play a part in spreading the good news of Christ far and wide.

Originating in the Netherlands, the service is blessed with growing international momentum. It is now also available in Belgium, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and recently launched in New Zealand and Australia. So far, its membership base has grown by around 110 per cent every year. A recent boom over the past six months has seen an increased uptake of 150 per cent.

Henk explains: ‘Our subscriber 12

Salvationist 21 November 2020

numbers have increased every year because there is a growing demand from the Christian community for this type of content. We listen and respond to their needs by offering more titles, being more innovative and continually improving our service. Our opportunity to grow has been supported by our strong bonds with local and international partners.’

With eyes on the future, New Faith Network is continuing to stay in step with current technology. As well as a website and mobile app, the service has a smart TV app compatible with Android TV operating systems and an Apple TV app. People with Google Chromecast can also watch everything on their television.

Providing a monthly subscription service that many will find familiar, the service has been heralded as ‘the better alternative’ to mainstream streaming services thanks to its content and ethos.

With this in mind, it has become a reliable source of Christian films, programmes and documentaries that are safe and edifying for all ages.

This tailoring to Christian viewers’ requirements is clear to see in the way New Faith Network curates and creates content. Holding Christian values in mind and staying connected to their beliefs, the service aims to unite diverse

communities on one platform, regardless of differing viewpoints.

The catalogue is unique in its emphasis on Christian material. It is also set apart by the way that every video – outspoken Christian content, feel-good romance or something else – is handpicked and screened by the editorial team. Viewers can be confident that they will never be surprised by a bout of foul language or scene of nudity.

And with many videos to choose from, there is plenty of material to keep children and adults busy during long winter evenings. The service already boasts several animated Bible series created especially for children. The selection includes the powerful series The Torchlighters, which tells stories of influential Christians throughout time – including episodes on John Wesley, Corrie ten Boom and William Booth.

‘Personally, I really like I Can Only Imagine,’ senior producer Els Griffioen suggests. ‘The film tells the story of Bart Millard’s life, his relationship with his father and how he wrote the title song for his dying father. Or if you like films based on the Bible we have three great ones: The Book Of Daniel, The Book Of Esther and The Book Of Ruth.

‘We’re also currently filming our first original production in the UK called The

W WAY

WATCH

ON HOPE TO THE CHRISTIAN ANSWER TO NETFLIX

The catalogue is unique in its emphasis on Christian material Origin, which is about Christian speakers and reverends telling their life stories, how they came to faith, how they got their calling and more.’

Els’s background in television and love of storytelling led her to join the team as a way to combine her passions with her love for Christ. As senior producer, she is aware of the impact that New Faith Network’s stories can make.

‘I think you can get inspired a lot when you hear testimony from someone else,’ she enthuses. ‘How do they deal with things in their lives? How do they experience God in their lives? I think that’s a part of a lot of the films and series we have. You can really see how God has worked in somebody’s life through all the things that they have experienced. It can work as an inspiration for your own life.’

By fulfilling this need for family-friendly content fed by religious beliefs, New Faith Network aspires to be more than a Christian streaming service, inspiring people around the world to tackle life’s questions.

‘I’ve run an Alpha course for years now,’ Els continues. ‘If someone is a new Christian and I want to give them something easy, I can suggest a great movie about the life of Jesus. We used to swap DVDs in our small group, but now I just say, “Check out this movie on New Faith Network!” It makes it so much easier to share great stories.

‘We want to inspire Christians around the globe. It could be through biblical films or just a portrait of somebody’s struggles and how God helped them.

Especially now, we want to keep people in touch with the living God even if we can’t leave home.

‘From time to time we do tests in some countries to see if there is demand. All tests we’ve done show that there is a demand among Christians to have their own streaming service. I don’t know where it will end, but we’re still growing!’

For more information or to start watching, visit newfaithnetwork.com

O

Salvationist 21 November 2020

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CTI O REFLECTION REFL RE FLEC FL ECTI EC TION ON

Why I am a well-being champion Clare Staniford shares why she’s excited to help support others within The Salvation Army

I

WORK as an assistant regional manager in the Homelessness Services Unit. My official base is Warrington, but I live in sunny Fleetwood, just down the road from Blackpool. I line manage the service managers in our Lifehouses across the North West Region, from Fleetwood down to north Wales, and ensure our services are contract compliant.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact upon my work. I was classed as a member of staff that could work from home and so my daily commute of between 40 and 110 miles a day became a two-minute walk to my dining room – or bedroom, to get some quiet time away from the kids.

Being someone who thrives on routine and needing to leave the house each day, this was a challenging time. Not only was I used to travelling and moving around the region, I was also used to 14

Salvationist 21 November 2020

meeting up with managers, staff members and residents on an almost daily basis.

Conversations instead took place via my phone or computer – Lifesize, Zoom and the Microsoft Teams app became the norm and still are for me, with sometimes not much hope of returning to the way things used to be.

The main impact for me and my family was that we were all stuck in the house 24/7. I was working, my partner was off work long-term and my five-year-old son, Louis, and one-year-old daughter, Poppy, were running wild. Fortunately we did not have any shielding family members to worry about, but we are concerned about our parents. My dad and mother-in-law both live alone and are dedicated grandparents used to living very active lives.

Louis was in his first year of school and due to lockdown missed out on so much. Home-schooling was difficult, especially as I was working from home and we had a one-year-old in the house.

I felt a lot of mum guilt.

At times the living-working situation felt quite overwhelming, especially when we were only allowed out for one hour a day. I did, however, keep reminding myself that we were healthy, had stable jobs, a nice home and each other.

What did surprise me professionally was the strong relationships I’ve built with colleagues during this difficult period. I came to rely on these partnerships and real friendships to get me through, including my line manager, who is always so patient with the regular interruptions from ‘Superman’ (Louis) on our Lifesize meetings.

As a manager, caring for and valuing staff members’ well-being is vital. It is so

important for our residents and for our staff members and I love that it is valued so much by The Salvation Army. Having worked in similar roles to this for different organisations who do not value or prioritise it in the way that the Army does has made me realise its importance. The Well Being Unit and chaplains play a vital role within our organisation, as do management, senior management and staff teams. I’ve learnt, personally and professionally, that I can perform better and am generally healthier and happier if I look after my own well-being. I therefore think it’s important that I look after the well-being of others. Being a well-being champion would mean I am hopefully better equipped to do this.

I also want to be a champion because I’m so incredibly grateful and proud of our teams across the region who have kept the Army’s services going, helping people stay safe and off the streets in such a scary and uncertain time. I feel that their well-being is now of paramount importance.

Supporting others is so important. I feel I’m supported and have a strong network of managers, colleagues and friends within the organisation who I know are always there to support me. I want to offer the same back to them and others. I’m excited about being asked to be a champion and hope I am up to the role. I am very much looking forward to meeting people across the organisation and being able to offer support and friendship to others. I am also looking forward to working as part of the champion network and about learning new skills and receiving training in this area to help build on the knowledge and skills I already have.

O For

more information about well-being forums, which are led by well-being champions and provide a safe space for sharing and reflection, email wellbeingforall@salvationarmy.org.uk

FAITH AT WORK

Keeping the faith Kathryn Casserley (Southport) shares how God has used and strengthened her at work during the pandemic

I

F ever there has been a time when faith has been needed, it is this year. Faith has kept me focused, positive and confident that we will get through 2020, not in our own strength but in God’s.

For the past two and a half years I have been privileged to be employed by The Salvation Army to develop the children, family and youth ministry at Southport.

There have been challenges, twists and turns along the way, which no one could have foreseen – not least, the strict lockdown that began in March. It meant our usual activities, roles and programme were forced to cease.

During the first weeks I spent many hours talking with God, asking for comfort and assurance that all would be well, and also for guidance along the path he has planned. How was my role to play out? What did he want me to do? Where was he at work? What role did our church have to play in that? Big questions that I still ask, and I am certain I was not alone in asking.

The thing that kept me going was the knowledge that God has got this. He knows his plans for me, my church and the community in which I live and serve.

I just needed a little help to see what that was, especially when I was placed on furlough at the end of April. My role changed from preparing and running

youth activities to being at home with my three children and trying to guide them through home schooling.

I must admit there were days when my garden was my sanctuary. I must also admit that there were moments when I questioned where God was in all this. Being able to share my doubts, concerns and thoughts with like-minded Christians in my church family was invaluable and helped me to keep my faith strong.

Fast forward to August and it was becoming clear that the pandemic was having significant implications for people within our community. There was also a growing need for us to work harder at maintaining connections with young people and families within our church, so I was placed on flexi-furlough, which allowed me to return to my role on a part-time basis.

Our young people aged 11 to 18 have been particularly impacted and have missed the opportunity to meet and connect with one another. I strongly felt that God was calling me to show his love to our young people and for us as a church to support them however we can. These personal connections and relationships are important right now.

As time rolled on, we were made aware of a growing need for practical

support in our community, such as fuel, food and furniture. We worked with primary schools over the school holidays to offer activity bags, which contained treats and toiletries. These enabled us to connect with families and make sure they were doing OK. We also became a food bank and are holding weekly sessions for people to come and collect essentials.

We have had the opportunity to shine a little of Jesus’ love into the lives of the people who come through our doors.

That is the most important way I can express my faith at this time. Through faith I have been able to adapt to the changes to my role and live out my Christian service in a way that I believe God wants.

We live in a society that tells us our own skills and abilities are the key to success, but what happens when those are stripped away through no fault of our own? It’s important for me to remember that it is God who has given us our talents and that he has a plan for each of us.

Faith in action is what I love about my role here at Southport. It’s a role that I could not do in my own strength. I truly believe that God has a purpose for my life. I just need to keep the faith, and he will guide me along his chosen path.

Salvationist 21 November 2020

15

BIBLE STUDY

The Lord loves justice Captain Vanessa Coleman asks what kind of world we create by our actions

PSALM 33

W

HEN we begin to talk about justice, there are two dangers I see facing the Church. One is that we attempt to do justice without Jesus. The other is that we attempt to do Jesus without justice.

QUESTION O Which of these two dangers is more of a temptation for you?

The writer of Psalm 33 is clear: true, biblical justice comes from a place of worship (see vv1–5). We learn the heart of God by spending time in his presence and we live out justice in response through our practical action. We learn what God is like by studying his word, by looking at the world he has made (see vv6 and 7) and by reminding

Through the week with Salvationist – a devotional thought for each day

Mark’s Gospel and life exploded into being in him as he read: ‘I baptise you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit’ (Mark 1:8). As he read those words and hungered for the fire of the Holy Spirit, right there and then a calling, tongues and prophecy were some of the gifts God birthed in him.

QUESTIONS O Have you ever followed God’s leading and seen the world change as a result?

What happened?

QUESTION O How do you create space in your life for the word of God to speak creation into your being?

On becoming a junior soldier, a boy in our corps was given a Bible. Reading Genesis, he was excited about how God spoke Creation into being. Then, as he started to read the New Testament, I encouraged him to listen to what God wanted to speak into being in him. Painstakingly, he started reading

The psalmist reminds us over and over again that it is the word of the Lord that brings about life and true transformation. Let us not be people who attempt to change the world without him. We might not have barracks full of troops, battle horses or great warriors, but we are nonetheless

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

(Proverbs 21:3)

His Kingdom cometh not by force/ But, by the gentle power/ Of righteousness and truth and grace,/ He triumphs every hour./ Sometimes his happy people march/ With banners floating high,/ Though often in secluded ways,/ They fight that self may die.

(SASB 991)

The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence for ever.

(Isaiah 32:17)

by Major Lynda Levis

16

ourselves as we worship with our voices and instruments.

God is faithful. His love never fails.

He is right and true and can be trusted.

If God could speak Creation into being, what can he speak into being in and through our lives? What kind of world can we create by our actions?

Salvationist 21 November 2020

all too quick to rely on our own strength to get the job done.

QUESTION O When do you most struggle to rely on God rather than on yourself or something else?

God keeps a special eye out for those people who keep coming back to him, trust his word and have a tight hold on remembering who he is and what he is like: ‘But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love’ (v18).

We need such love because pursuing justice is hard, heartbreaking and exhausting work. We put our hope in God to become as trustworthy as he is, to love like he does and to see justice completed, as Jesus did on the cross when he said, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30).

Justice looks like love. How can people in our community perceive love, especially those who are mistreated, disadvantaged or abused?

QUESTION O What practical step can you take to ensure your justice is not just theoretical?

Is there something in the world that makes you angry or something that stirs your heart with its beauty? What are you passionate about? Do you see the beauty and creative energy of God? Might there be a fight for justice to pursue?

We can all fall into the trap of getting confused and starting to question what is right and true. The solution is to return to God, who is the source of righteousness – his word, his nature

and his example – and understand what righteousness is.

We wait in hope for the Lord because justice cannot be done on our own.

The pursuit of justice is slow, faithful and persevering work. We have been – or, if not, soon will be – attacked, misunderstood, laughed at, blocked and frustrated at every turn but God is our shield. He is the one who helps us.

As we worship, we put our trust and hope in God. We restore him to his proper place in our lives and regain Heaven’s perspective on us, our work and our efforts for justice. God looks at you and it brings him joy.

CAPTAIN COLEMAN IS CORPS OFFICER, BUCKINGHAM

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Peace in our time, O Lord,/ To all the peoples – peace!/ Peace surely based upon thy will/ And built in righteousness./ Thy power alone can break/ The fetters that enchain/ The sorely stricken soul of life,/ And make it live again.

(SASB 1010)

‘This is what the Lord Almighty said: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”’

(Zechariah 7:9)

Lighten our darkness, breathe on this flame/ Until your justice burns brightly again;/ Until the nations learn of your ways,/ Seek your salvation and bring you their praise./ God of the poor, friend of the weak,/ Give us compassion we pray./ Melt our cold hearts, let tears fall like rain;/ Come, change our love from a spark to a flame.

(SASB 998)

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

Prayer Lord, give me the mind of Christ. When the world looks at me, may they see him.

May I do or say nothing that would diminish his beauty, and may my life shed his light to all I may meet.

Salvationist 21 November 2020

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TESTIMONY

Listening to God Concluding her two-part testimony, Elaine Humphries (Cardiff Canton) writes about the way God has encouraged and challenged her during the coronavirus pandemic

I

STARTED the lockdown in March by doing the soldiership course To Serve. This was the beginning of a journey in which I started memorising passages of Scripture and using different translations in my Bible study.

I didn’t realise it then, but these verses would speak to me at different points during the months ahead.

To begin with I was very relaxed about the virus. However, when I ended up catching it, one of the verses that gave me confidence was: ‘Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be’ (Psalm 139:16).

As Easter was approaching I really wanted to witness to people about Jesus dying for our sins and about the Resurrection. I decided to read a book called The Case For Easter by Lee Strobel. It was so powerful in describing how much Jesus had suffered, and as a result of reading it I spent Holy Week praying, ‘Jesus, why did you do it?’ Of course, I knew it was because of love – but the word ‘love’ by itself no longer seemed adequate to describe what Jesus had gone through for me. The only words that seemed to come close were ‘outrageous, reckless love’.

At the end of the book, it explained that we know in human terms that it is impossible for someone to rise from the dead – but God is not ruled by the laws of science and nature. He is Almighty God. He is able to do the impossible.

That was a real revelation to me. I now began to grasp how big and powerful God is. This made my witnessing bolder. It also made my praying more effective, as I really believed that God could heal people.

With Easter over we got to week five of the lockdown. Those weeks had been OK, but by then I was beginning to get a little fed up with not seeing anyone outside of my family. I went for a walk and started repeating some of the Bible verses I had memorised.

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Salvationist 21 November 2020

I began with 2 Timothy 3:1 and 2: ‘But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves.’ God spoke to me through those words. It wasn’t about me – it was about other people.

This changed my whole outlook during lockdown. I began to see lockdown as an opportunity for God to work. For me, it wasn’t a depressing situation but an adventure in what God was doing. Sometimes I even felt as though God had planned the lockdown just for me – although I do, of course, understand that wasn’t the case and that many people have suffered greatly during this time.

Then the opportunity came to sign up for The Salvation Army’s year-long prayer encounter, Into The Wild. It started by looking at how God shows up in lockdown. I began to think of people in the Bible who experienced different kinds of lockdown.

For example, Noah was in the ark for almost a year, yet he did not appear to become impatient with God. When he eventually left the ark, he worshipped him (see Genesis 8:20).

I found myself reading the Bible and Christian books more and more. I no longer became frustrated by my lack of time; I learnt to put God totally in charge of my time.

God then began challenging me about social justice. He kept bringing a verse to me: ‘And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah 6:8). God challenged me to help with delivering food parcels. And, all through lockdown, he was bringing

to my attention those people who have suffered from human trafficking.

I feel that God is calling me to help with transporting victims of human trafficking. One night, when it was looking as though I would not be able to do this, I had a dream in which I was travelling some distance to collect someone who had suffered from human trafficking. I felt God was saying to me that it would happen.

I am excited about what God has for my future, and just as he has spoken to me at crucial moments during recent months, I trust that he will make his will known to me at the right time.

LOCKDOWN DIARY I The Sequel

Week 1 Major Karen Sandford (Harlow) resumes her day-by-day account of life in lockdown DAY 1 Thursday 5 November Well, here we are again – this time facing a lockdown of four weeks. Some things have changed here at Testosterone Towers. One of the residents has left, and we miss him.

The paddling pool isn’t set up in the garden – yet. As we are well into the winter swimming season, it looks as if I can travel to a river for my fix. It was 10C at 7 am yesterday. Perfect.

From a work perspective, we still have a lot of things in place that we had to create and implement last time. We are carrying on mostly as before.

My husband, Chris, is back to about 75 per cent capacity. He still suffers from fatigue, headaches and breathlessness. Long Covid is alive and well here, but we’re grateful for recovery.

I feel fairly confident for the days ahead, but I know that in the past few days my emotions have ranged from despair to ‘Come on! We can do this!’ I think we’ll be taking it day by day. Failing that, hour by hour or moment by moment.

DAY 2 Friday 6 November A few weeks ago, as another lockdown was looming, I had a chat with our centre co-ordinator about what we would need to do personally to manage lockdown for a second time. I needed time to process it. I didn’t want the sense of being on a hamster wheel that I felt last time.

In some ways it won’t happen. We have had to decide how best to do the toy appeal, but other than that a lot of the things we put in place before are still there. So I will be intentional about resting, and pausing before acting or reacting. Probably. Possibly.

It’s hard to keep things in perspective, especially as we are all reacting differently to our current circumstances. I’ll be doing some form of exercise every day, for at least 15 minutes, throughout November. I’ve done one swim, and the rest was walking. This week it has really helped and inspired me.

I’ve been more creative and had more brain

space. I’ve also shared prayer unexpectedly.

Next week’s worship sheet is done, the ‘out of office’ is on and I’m ready for the weekend. Now if I could just stop eating cake, my life will be complete.

DAY 3 Saturday 7 November Today started with a beautiful drive to a place where I could have a swim. The water felt icy, even with the sunshine. I feel really fortunate that outdoor swimming is still permitted.

The rest of the afternoon was spent collating Advent resources that I recklessly offered to share. I really love Advent so it wasn’t too much of a hardship. How wonderful that it is just around the corner.

All that joy. The hope. The possibilities.

Finally, something to look forward to.

Day 4 Sunday 8 November This morning was a little nerve-racking as we broadcast our first worship from home via Facebook Live. My reason for rejoicing was not because it went well, though it did I think, nor because of the number of views it has received, but because of the sense that the individual parts of our church are still able to glorify God, even though we are apart.

As I was getting ready, a thought crossed my mind: ‘Isn’t it a shame we didn’t do this before? We could have done live worship all this time.’ But the answer to that is, ‘No. God, who is in the business of making all things beautiful in his time, has brought me to today.’ I had something to share in a way that I wasn’t ready for previously.

DAY 5 Monday 9 November Chris put up the Christmas tree today. I know it’s early, but it is a new tree and you have to check these things. Then maybe leave them up for a bit, until it’s not worth taking them down.

That was the plan anyway. Unfortunately, it had a screw loose and the lights didn’t work on the bottom section. So it’s back in the box to return, and there’s another one on the way.

I don’t mind if Christmas starts early this year. We could do with a bit of light, life and love at the moment. Does singing along to Christmas music in the car count as work? It’s good for Advent prep after all.

Now where’s my Amy Grant album?

DAY 6 Tuesday 10 November I felt tired today – not so much physically, but more mentally and emotionally. I wanted to get loads of prep done for Advent, but I’ve got nothing.

So, what did I do? First, I went for a walk. I thought I’d be inspired by autumn colour. It was OK. Second, I ate something healthy. Then, I did a bit of yoga, watched a bit of telly, drank some water and decided to write this. Maybe I’ll get some inspiration later.

Days don’t always go to plan – but tomorrow is another day. ‘His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness’ (Lamentations 3:22 and 23 New King James Version).

DAY 7 Wednesday 11 November I was grateful to our bandmaster, Andi, who recorded the Last Post, and sent it to me at the weekend. I played it out loud as I stood, paused and remembered at 11 am.

It’s been hard trying to organise and plan the corps Christmas present appeal, but I think we’re ready. The vouchers are ordered and the JustGiving page is set up, so now we’re hoping for generosity from people who may well be struggling themselves. It’s a tough one but, as with most things this year, we just do what we can, and leave the rest to the one who has it all under control.

O To

read Karen’s daily posts in full, go to karensandford.blogspot.com Salvationist 21 November 2020

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VIEW POINT

Major ajor Howard ard Web ebber er consi considers ers a que uest estion on that at tro roubles es man many Christians

A

RE you ever amazed at the way, on occasions, a ray of sunlight shines through a window and reveals millions of tiny particles of dust, normally invisible to the naked eye, floating in the air?

You don’t want them and you haven’t invited them, yet even with your doors and windows firmly shut, you can’t stop them entering the room and settling everywhere.

So it is with temptations. We don’t want them and we haven’t invited them – they just float into our mind’s eye, our consciousness or physical sight out of the blue. There’s little any of us can do to prevent them from presenting themselves. But what we can control is how we respond to their attempts to hold our attention.

Unable to sleep one night, King David wandered out onto the roof of his palace, where he caught sight of a beautiful young woman bathing (see 2 Samuel 11:2). While he may not have expected or intended to see what he saw, he refused to turn his mind from the compelling sight to other things.

Initially, when he then sought to know who the woman was, he may have convinced himself that he was merely inquisitive, making an innocent enquiry. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read that ‘the heart is deceitful above all things’.

Dare I suggest that the person most readily deceived is ourselves?

David already had numerous wives and concubines, yet despite discovering that Bathsheba was the wife of another man, he decided he wanted her. With this decision David stepped on to what 20

Salvationist 21 November 2020

turned out to be a very slippery slope.

In Genesis 2:16 and 17 and 3:1–13 we see a story not just about Adam and Eve and the fall of mankind but also about us. Adam had been told that he could eat from any tree in the garden except one. I’ve no idea how many fruit trees there were, but there were perhaps hundreds with more fruit than he could ever have eaten.

I once had a plum tree that regularly produced a profusion of plums.

Despite eating them raw, freezing them, making pies and puddings and giving away loads, there still remained an abundance of unpicked, uneaten fruit on its branches.

God is not a prohibitive killjoy. The things we are not to do are few compared with the abundance of things we are allowed to do. Yet, for some reason, Eve allowed herself to be seduced by the serpent to do the only thing God had forbidden. Taking a bite from the fruit was not Eve’s first mistake, however. Her first mistake was to have gone anywhere near the tree in the first place.

As well as distorting what God had said and making him out to be a liar, all the time the serpent was speaking it was keeping her attention firmly fixed on the tree and its fruit. It probably would not have occurred to her that it was ‘good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom’ (Genesis 3:6) had she not stood there looking at it for so long.

Although eating a piece of fruit seems a very small issue compared to many other sins, disobedience is disobedience. Unfortunately, we tend to trivialise what we consider to be small sins, not realising just how offensive even the smallest act of disobedience is to a holy God. Temptation is a powerful thing that, as in this case, often appears to be beneficial, pleasurable and desirable.

You and I know how powerful the pull is and how justifiable we can make conceding to it seem. Yet, if we have any conscience, the moment we concede to temptation all our justifiable reasons for giving way to it suddenly evaporate, leaving us feeling naked and ashamed before God. Found out and challenged, how quick we are, like Eve and Adam, to shift the blame from ourselves, making excuses to justify our actions and downplay what we have done or said. Both King David and Eve should have turned away immediately from the enticing lure, just as Jesus did (see Matthew 16:23), and filled their minds with other things (see Philippians 4:8) before it grew in compelling strength as real temptation always will.

Is temptation ever sin? Not initially.

But it becomes sin the minute we make a home for it and entertain its possibilities in our hearts (see Matthew 5:28).

Whether or not it ever manifests itself in action, it quenches the Spirit and removes the heart’s purity. We need to deal with it the moment it appears, as Jesus did. With God’s help – and with our focus on him – we can.

REVIEW

Learning from nature Major Tim Justice (Herts and Essex DHQ) reviews Rewilding The Church

by Steve Aisthorpe

I

N recent years the concept of ‘rewilding’ has gained ground in the sphere of ecology. Much natural landscape has been managed over the decades, which has led to a lack of biodiversity and will eventually be unproductive.

Rewilding is a process that allows nature to take its course with limited human intervention. The results are often surprising, bringing greater life and abundance to the chosen areas.

What if these same principles were applied to the Church? Jesus often told his hearers to observe and learn from the natural world – Steve Aisthorpe’s book explores what the Church might learn from rewilding.

The author draws from years of research of journeying with those who have left the institutional Church but are still people of faith, and his experience of helping churches to reflect on their mission and ministry.

The book leaves us in little doubt about the decline of the Church as an institution. This is a repeated but necessary theme, as we are so often blind to current reality.

‘Rewilding moves beyond a sense of duty to perpetuate institutions and seeks to engage with the coming of the Kingdom that is already at hand,’ writes Aisthorpe.

Intrigued by the ecological angle, I was thankful that this was not another ‘how to’ book with a methodology or strategy for growth, but rather a series of observations about a natural process that could speak into the life of the Church. However, readers may well have a number of actions they want to pursue afterwards, and those who like to quote from books will find plenty of material here.

It also contains three pages on listening together, something so important to the

PREVIEW

life of congregations but lacking in many.

‘The vital heartbeat of the Church is the rhythm of listening and responding,’ observes Aisthorpe.

Ecological rewilding has brought renewed life to natural landscapes, reinvigorated spaces and given hope.

A Church that is rewilded – focused on following Jesus, loving its neighbours, drawing on the power of the Resurrection and being open-minded about what emerges – will be an exciting place to be.

O Rewilding The Church is available from amazon.co.uk as a paperback priced £12.76 and as an ebook priced £12.12

Poets’ corner

Albert Stridemore’s Lockdown Discoveries

November carol

by Chick Yuill

Lord of the drizzle, the damp and the chill; Lord of the leaves that lie soaking and still; Christmas comes earlier, year after year.

Santa’s been sighted! Your season is here.

S

EVENTY-five-year-old, greenfingered Albert Stridemore’s carefully ordered life has been unchanged for years. Content to live alone and diligently work his allotment, he safely buries the past as he turns the soil. But with the arrival of the coronavirus and lockdown, he finds himself digging up more than just potatoes in the spring.

With time to think and an unexpected new acquaintance in the attractive widow Penny Finch, Albert is compelled to revisit past betrayals, even as his eyes are opened to a generous and richer world in the present. And when injustice is exposed as the virus strikes close to home, Albert is thrust into a new role and makes the most unexpected discoveries.

Chick Yuill writes: ‘I’d no intention of immediately writing another novel when I finished To The Fourth Generation just as we went into lockdown. One book a year is more than enough! But for some reason a name came into my mind, and

slowly that character of the man who carries that name began to take shape.

So, meet Albert Stridemore, the retired postman and passionate vegetable grower, for whom life holds no more surprises – until lockdown!’

As with his previous novel, all author royalties will be donated to charities working in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.

O Albert Stridemore’s Lockdown Discoveries is available from amazon.co.uk priced £9.99 and as an ebook priced £5.99 O For signed copies, email Margaret Yuill at margaretyuill@ martyart.co.uk

TV commercials proclaim the good news; Make us an offer we dare not refuse.

Come with your credit cards: stand up and spend!

Pay when the universe comes to an end.

Lord of November, come early, come soon.

Gleam through the mist of our grey afternoon.

Short and depressing and dull is our day.

Come with the catalogues: come Lord – and stay.

JOHN COUTTS (STIRLING) Salvationist 21 November 2020

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMY PEOPLE The following appointments and promotions, decided upon by the General, have been announced by the Chief of the Staff Effective 1 January 2021 O Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham is appointed as the World Secretary for Spiritual Life Development. Commissioner Buckingham is the first officer to hold the title Effective 1 March O Majors Elder and Roxana Dinardi, officers of the South America East Territory, are appointed as Chief Secretary and Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries of that territory, with the rank of lieut-colonel Effective 1 April O Colonels Kenneth and Cheryl Maynor, officers of the USA Eastern Territory, are appointed as Principal and Assistant Principal, International College for Officers. They will succeed Colonels Neil and Chris Webb who will be taking up appointment responsibilities in their home territory (UKI) O Lieut-Colonels Steve and Wendy Morris, officers of the USA Southern Territory, are appointed as Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, Japan Territory, with the rank of colonel APPOINTED Effective 13 January 2021 O Captains David and Kate Donaldson, Maroochydore, Australia WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES Emerald (55th) O Commissioners Judith and Raymond Houghton (4 December) RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Major Maureen Gill (80 on 2 December) O Mrs Major Brenda Beunders (90 on 2 December) PROMOTED TO GLORY O Enid Payne, Felixstowe O Cyril Browning, Dudley O Major Stuart Ashman, Cwmbran, from Royal Gwent Hospital on 4 October O Jean Thomas, Llanelli, on 5 November 22

Salvationist 21 November 2020

Smith, Ipswich Citadel, on 6Â November O Major Alfred Shields from Villa Adastra care home, Hassocks, on 12Â November O Maisie

BEREAVED O Susan Grundy, Burton-on-Trent, of her father O Margaret Browning, Dudley, of her husband Cyril Browning, Captain Dawn Roden, Edmonton, and Karen Bridgewater, Dudley, of their father O Brian Smith, Ipswich Citadel, of his wife Maisie O Major Paula Ashman, Cwmbran, of her husband Major Stuart Ashman O Bandswoman/Songster Rosemarie Morgan, Kidderminster, of her brother Christopher Pitt

TRIBUTES MAJOR MARJORIE STOKES MARJORIE was born into a Salvation Army family in Stainforth near Doncaster in December 1928.

She left her home corps in 1949 for the International Training College to become a member of the Standard Bearers session.

Marjorie was commissioned in 1950 and had corps appointments in many areas. In 1974 she was appointed to the Records Department at National Headquarters. In 1981 she was appointed to the training college as assistant senior training officer, moving three months later to the National Headquarters Finance Department.

In 1982 Marjorie became a national auditor, and four years later was made administrative officer at National Headquarters, from where she retired in 1989.

Marjorie loved to travel back to Doncaster to see her family and friends, particularly at Christmas time, until ill health stopped her visits. Her last visit was in 2018 to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Marjorie loved to attend Salvation Army meetings on a regular basis and take part in activities when she could.

In 2019 she made the decision to move to Glebe Court care home, where she was well cared for during her last months.

Her life was given totally to serving

God. She is sadly missed by all her family. – KS NORMAN RIDDIOUGH, LEIGHTON BUZZARD NORMAN was born in Thornaby in 1933.

Soon after, his family returned to Bradford.

When his father died in 1949, Norman went to work at Sir James Hill and Sons, where he met Mavis. They married in 1960 at Bradford Temple and had three children, Martyn, Jill and Mark, and nine grandchildren.

Norman had a great love for Army music and was songster leader at Bradford Temple and Hemel Hempstead.

In 1973 the family moved to Sydney, Australia. They lived there for 10 years and soldiered at Chatswood. In 2012 Norman and Mavis moved into Shenley Wood Village in Milton Keynes, where they enjoyed a full and happy retirement.

Norman presented the much-appreciated Music with a Message, which combined his love of music and words.

A great encourager to all who knew him, Norman is missed by his family and lifelong friends. – MR ESTHER WADSWORTH, SKEWEN WHEN Esther was 14 her mother died and she moved with her father to Glasgow.

She trained there as a nurse and midwife and by the end of her career had become a ward sister. Esther later moved to Leamington and then Lewisham and was invited to the Army by a friend. Although she was a Baptist at the time she felt at home in the Army. At Lewisham she met and married Reg. They spent 59 happy years together and had three children, Simon, Ruth and Sarah, and five grandchildren. Esther was the home league secretary for many years.

Upon retirement 16 years ago, she and Reg moved to Wales and soldiered at Skewen. Esther used her gift for preaching in the corps and local chapels.

Esther is missed by Reg, her family and her friends, who are thankful to have known this gentle woman of God. – SL

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MESSIAH JESUS

by Jim Bryden

Mabl l^\hg] [hhd bg FZchk Cbf ;kr]^g l Journey of Faith series examines the life of Jesus – who he was, what he did and his death and resurrection. Sixteen daily readings, explanations and applications, as well as optional short exercises, help the k^Z]^k ]b` ]^^i^k bgmh @h] l phk]'

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Messiah Jesus is available from onwardsandupwards.org priced £6.99 or as an ebook priced £2.99

Territorial Carol Concert 2020 Wednesday 2 December at 8pm

This online event can be viewed at youtube.com/salvationarmyvideo

An evening of music and Scripture reading featuring the Territorial Commander, International Staff Band, International Staff Songsters and celebrity guests

Salvationist 21 November 2020

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and raise funds for your corps this Christmas

It’s not too early to be thinking about Christmas!!!

The Community and Events Weam have created a suite of ideas to help corps fundraise this Christmas under the theme of ‘Be a STAR’, which came out of one of RXU corps focus groups. :H have designed posters and banners that you can personalise and use for your Facebook and RWKHU social media pages to help you promote what you are doing this year and raise EXTRA funds. Here are some examples of the concepts: Please get in touch with us at FKDOOHQJH#VDOYDWLRQDUP\ RUJ XN for more information, to let us know how we can support you or to share your ideas for corps fundraising at Christmas.

Here’s ho-ho-hoping for a great festive fundraising season, albeit a slightly different one this year!

Christmas Appeal 2020

The Salvation Army is a Christian Fhurch DQG registered Fharity No.214779 and in Scotland SC009359; Social Trust Registered Charity No. 215174 and in Scotland SC037691; The Salvation Army Trustee Company, registered number 00259322 (England and Wales).