Salvationist 30 January 2021

SALVATIONIST For everyone linked to The Salvation Army

No.1792 Price 70p

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 30 January 2021

Reaching out in the Denmark and Greenland Territory PLUS

DOWNLOADING SALVATION ARMY MUSIC

PAGES 10 AND 11

QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA

FUNERAL DIRECTORS SPEAK OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL EXHAUSTION

26% OF ADULTS DON’T RECALL LAST TIME A NON-RELATIVE CALLED TO ASK HOW THEY WERE, POLL FINDS

MAKERS OF CHRISTIAN EASTER EGG PLEAD FOR ONLINE SUPPORT AFTER BEING DROPPED BY SUPERMARKETS

Funeral directors in the UK have spoken of the ‘heartbreak’ of watching hundreds of mourners grieve alone, and of their own physical, emotional and mental exhaustion under an unprecedented workload, as deaths from the coronavirus continue to rise at catastrophic rates.

The assistant curate of St Peter’s, Stockton-on-Tees, and St John’s, Elton, in Durham diocese, the Rev Daniel Ackerley has experienced all sides of the crisis. He has just been through a family bereavement. He is also the principal funeral director at John Duckworth Funeral Directors in Sunderland.

‘The last months have been the toughest and most challenging yet in my 10 years as a funeral director,’ he said. ‘Throughout the pandemic, funeral workers have gone about their vital work supporting the bereaved and taking care of those who have died, often with very little recognition.’

He, like many of his colleagues, had undertaken ‘record numbers of funerals’ over the past nine months, all under the strain of meeting strict government limitations.

Since the start of the first lockdown, 30 people have been permitted to attend a funeral service or burial in England…

Limits on wakes have fluctuated.

A ‘whole generation of young people’ could be lost to education during ... lockdown because they do not have access to digital learning, a leading charity warned.

Schools have been closed to most children, meaning remote-learning at home with lessons via the internet.

Rae Tooth, of the Villiers Park Education Trust, is concerned about children without computers.

The government said it was providing thousands of laptops for pupils.

Ms Tooth … told BBC Politics East that ‘digital poverty’ hits the ability of children to learn if they have no access to the internet (or can only access it via smartphones with small screens).

Ofcom has estimated that 9 per cent of children in the UK do not have a PC, laptop or tablet at home…

Ms Tooth said ... ‘We have got to get the right tech to the kids, free or affordable access to the internet, and support parents to give them a good working environment at home. If nothing is done we are going to lose a whole generation of young people, because they have not been able to learn.’

Church Times

BBC News

SALVATIONIST

A new study, commissioned by Premier and conducted by Savanta ComRes, has found 26 per cent of UK adults cannot remember the last time someone, other than family, called them to ask how they were.

The poll revealed that those aged ...

35 to 55 were least likely to have said they received such a call.

Director of Premier’s Lifeline, Jonathan Clark, said that technology often replaces the human element people are missing.

‘Lots of people have been so used to emails and texting, but they are missing that human contact and the voice, and the telephone can do that...

Identify people to call on a regular basis, people that you think might welcome that friendly voice.’

Premier

EDITOR Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts – 020 7367 4901 MANAGING EDITOR Ivan Radford – 020 7367 4891

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ART DIRECTOR Hannah Holden – 020 7367 4883

Published weekly by The Salvation Army and printed on paper from sustainable sources by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland. The Salvation Army is a Christian church and a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

ISSN 2516-5909

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mark Knight – 020 7367 4895 Louise Phillips – 020 7367 4896 PROOFREADER Chris Horne

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Salvationist 30 January 2021

Christian Today

LOCKDOWN COULD ‘LOSE A GENERATION’ OF YOUNG PEOPLE

salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist

Staff are working from home and may not be contactable by phone or able to deal with non-electronic correspondence

The Real Easter Egg – the only Easter egg in the UK to tell the Christian story behind the holiday – has been dropped by supermarkets...

The Meaningful Chocolate Company said the decision was down to a bad year for Easter trade during the first national lockdown last March.

While the company saw an increase of 40 per cent in online purchases ... the major supermarkets struggled.

With the country in ... another lockdown one year on, the difficult trading climate has led to supermarkets reducing their Easter stock...

It means that for the first time in 10 years, major supermarkets … will not be selling the Real Easter Egg.

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

KNOWING AND DOING I ONCE had a dozen large encyclopaedias filling a bookshelf. They went off to a charity shop years ago, and now – like many people – I turn to Wikipedia instead.

This free online encyclopaedia reached its 20th anniversary a few weeks ago. When it was launched, the reliability of a website to which anyone could contribute was doubted, and it was criticised for its inaccuracies. These days, volunteer editors check sources and, although they are not infallible, Wikipedia is useful for providing basic facts and pointing to more in-depth resources.

Among other things, Salvationist aims to provide reliable information. So, in this week’s issue, you can find out how the Army’s Toronto Grace Health Centre (TGHC) has set up accommodation for care home residents needing to be temporarily relocated during the pandemic. TGHC has a page on Wikipedia, which says it was a maternity hospital until the 1970s and later became one of the first hospitals in Canada to introduce palliative care.

Not far from Canada is Greenland. Wikipedia says that, although the island is part of the continent of North America, Greenland is ‘an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark’. That’s why it is linked with Denmark in the Denmark and Greenland Territory, which is the focus of our ‘In the zone’ article. Fascinating new developments have taken place within the territory – including in Greenland, where the Army officially opened in 2013 with a corps in the capital, Nuuk. I’m reliably informed – not by Wikipedia but by THQ’s International Projects Office – that our territory is giving substantial financial support for Nuuk’s outreach and family ministries.

A search for ‘SP&S’ on Wikipedia takes you to a page about Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway. That’s not much help if you want to find out about Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, but our interview with Adam Goldsmith and Nicki Tonge might help. They inform us about the range of Army music available to download from the SP&S website and how SP&S works with World of Sound and World of Brass.

In the second of his articles about creation, Major Howard Webber looks at how the natural world has been blighted by human sinfulness. The reality of climate change cannot have escaped our notice, and although there are still some who deny it, Wikipedia points to a 2019 study that found scientific consensus on it had grown to 100 per cent.

Rejecting facts is also something practised by Holocaust deniers. Wikipedia, however, highlights plenty of evidence and, to keep the memory alive, Holocaust Memorial Day has been held on 27 January in the UK since 2001. But as well as remembering the past, being aware of issues faced by Jews today is also important. In his article, the Rev Nathan Eddy introduces resources to help churches understand antisemitism, explore Judaism and begin dialogue with Jews.

As far back as 1964 the New Statesman used the term ‘information explosion’ to refer to the mass of published knowledge in the world. Since then, with the advent of the internet – the ‘information superhighway’ – that explosion has accelerated dramatically. What’s important, though, is not how much information we have but what we do with it. Whether it’s seeing people’s needs, realising the planet’s plight or understanding what our faith requires of us, once we know something, we have a responsibility to act on it.

From the Editor Lieut-Colonel Jonathan Roberts

Quotes from the media

2

Message from the territorial commander

4

Prayer matters

5

News

5 to 7

News feature 8 Army sets up temporary health centre for care home residents Reflection No applause needed

9

by Bandmaster Adrian Lyons

Interview 10 and 11 Putting Army tunes in your pocket with Adam Goldsmith and Nicki Tonge

In the zone 12 to 14 Denmark and Greenland Territory

by Major Levi Giversen

Groaning creation Longing for relief

15

by Major Howard Webber

Bible study 16 and 17 Is there a place at the table?

by Major David Cavanagh

Through the week with Salvationist 16 and 17

by Major Howard Webber

Resources Connected communities

18

by the Rev Nathan Eddy

Letters

19

Reflection Teach us how to pray

20

by Brian Colley

Preview A Child of the Regiment

20

by Bernice Anderson

Adverts

21 and 23

Announcements

22 and 23

The Salvation Army and me

24

featuring Lieut-Colonel Brenda Oakley

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

Be the light

T

HERE are some amazing songs that bless and help us in our worship. But there are some songs that I had difficulty with as a child, and whose true meaning I didn’t realise until I was much older.

I could never understand, ‘There is a green hill far away,/ Without a city wall’ (SASB 203). Why did a green hill need a city wall, and why did it feel so bereft at not having one? If the song’s writer, Cecil Frances Alexander, had said ‘outside a city wall’, perhaps I would have understood it much earlier.

There’s a wonderful song that has resonated in my heart and life over many years: ‘Thou Art the Way, None Other Dare I Follow’ (SASB 628). It’s a deep, prayerful song, yet I always smile when I come to the very last line: ‘O take me, and my calling seal!’ Growing up, I often wondered about calling seals and why there is a place in Heaven for them.

Colonel Ivy Mawby wrote a song with the chorus, ‘When I talk with Jesus,/ Bring to him my care,/ With his own sweet comfort/ Jesus answers prayer’ (SASB 797). The final verse, which isn’t in the songbook, says, ‘All my joys he loves to share,/ All my sorrows lighten;/ I can find him everywhere,/ Darkened paths to brighten.’ Hearing the song as a youngster, I was left pondering why the paths to Brighton were so dark.

Our present reality is not without hope, but there are darkened paths. Some of these are unique to us, while others we walk with fellow travellers. One of the 4

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paths that Gill and I often tread ad is along the south bank of the Thames. Heading out from the he city towards the east we come e to Rotherhithe. A few weeks ago o we were stopped in our tracks byy an advert that read: ‘Be the light at the end of the tunnel.’

The poster was appealing for money to deliver new and d improved visitor facilities for the world’s first tunnel beneath a navigable river, the Thames Tunnel, designed by Marc Isambard Brunel, the father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and built between 1825 and 1843.

We all know about tunnel experiences i and the hope of light at the end, but this was the first time I’d been confronted with the thought of being that light. I wondered whether we have missed something. Perhaps we as Christians are meant to be light not at the end of the tunnel but right in the middle of it, to brighten the darkened paths that Ivy Mawby wrote about.

Isn’t that what’s happening already? I think of so many critical workers on the front line; I think of Salvation Army employees, officers, volunteers and members busy in corps, social centres, Lifehouses, safe houses, care homes, nurseries and communities. They are all working and living as lights.

In John 8:12, Jesus said: ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ Our experience confirms that. In the Sermon on the Mount he said: ‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven’ (Matthew 5:14–16).

I believe that’s the challenge for us.

However hemmed in we might feel – however frustrated, pressured or saddened – we seek to be light in the tunnels along the path, blessing and bringing hope.

I think we underestimate our individual contributions to the display of God’s light. It’s far in excess of our understanding and appreciation when we let our individual lights shine. Our actions have the power to change the world for those who walk with us. We cast light when we align ourselves with Jesus Christ, when we speak and act as he would. A card, an email, a letter, a phone call, an act of kindness – these are all within our grasp. So also are a smile and a word to encourage those with whom we work or live, our neighbours and even strangers. And, importantly in this day and age, through the virtual networks so many of us have developed.

Commissioner Keith Banks penned these words: ‘I’ll be a light, let me go to the darkness,/ I’ll be a light, let me show the way./ I’ll be a light, let me glow for the Master,/ Symbol of hope and a brighter day.’

May Jesus shine through us, and may others come to know the glory of Christ within us by all that we say and do.

ANTHONY COTTERILL COMMISSIONER TERRITORIAL COMMANDER O This

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

NEWS

Editor’s note Some of these events took place before the current coronavirus lockdowns

Prayer

COMMUNITY KEY WORKER FOCUS

by Karen Mercer (New Addington) SATURDAY 30 JANUARY – ‘I GIVE MY LIFE TO THE POTTER’S HAND’ The coronavirus pandemic has been part of our daily rhythm for a long time. Those of us working on the front line are sometimes required to switch off our own emotions to be strong enough to help others. The day will come, though, when we need to talk, to process what we have seen, to grieve for colleagues and friends we have lost and express the fear we felt about exposing our families and friends to the virus. Pray for this process, that healing will come. Be open to God using you to reach out to a healthcare worker this week.

PERSPECTIVE FOCUS

by Tony Horsfall (author and retreat leader)

WINCHESTER Thanks to a large donation of stockings and fillers from the Welch family after their business ceased trading, the corps was able to give 550 stockings to families in need, isolated individuals and 170 children at Winnall Primary School.

The donated items were also shared with support agencies in the city and 15 other corps across southern England. Pictured are corps officers Lieutenants Josh and Vikki Herbert with the stockings. – AR

SUNDAY 31 JANUARY – ‘FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN’ With these simple words in Philippians 1:21, the apostle Paul presented his philosophy of life. This was deeply personal, an outlook that shaped everything he did. Pray that you may share the same perspective of desiring to glorify God in all you do and say.

MONDAY 1 FEBRUARY – ‘FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST’ Here is a philosophy that affects how we live every day, seeking to be as much like Jesus as possible in the way we live. Pray for that Christlikeness to be developed in you and expressed in your ministry today.

TUESDAY 2 FEBRUARY – ‘FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST’ We cannot live the Christian life unless Christ lives his life in and through us. Express your dependency on him today in your prayer, asking that as a branch abides in the vine so you may abide in Christ and be fruitful by sharing his life.

FUNDRAISING Frank Taylor (Stapleford) presents a cheque for £1,479 to Tracey Cooper from the Joseph Cooper Trust, which supports children with cancer

COMMUNITY

WEDNESDAY 3 FEBRUARY – ‘AND TO DIE IS GAIN’ Death is not the end for the believer, but the beginning of sharing the glory of God in Heaven. Paul was not afraid to die because of this great hope. Pray that you may share his perspective and help others to have the same confidence.

THURSDAY 4 FEBRUARY – ‘AND TO DIE IS GAIN’ Grief is real and painful, even with this perspective. Pray today for anyone you know who has suffered bereavement, that they may experience the comfort of God and the assurance that Paul possessed.

SELF-DENIAL FOCUS

by Christine Thomas (THQ)

LEEDS CENTRAL Members of the band visited HMYOI Wetherby to play carols to the prisoners and staff. Bandmaster Major Stuart Barker presented toys from the corps toy appeal to the prison’s governor, Peter Gormley, for use in the visitor centre. Also pictured are prison chaplains Majors Colin and Ria Campbell. – CC

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARY The principle of self-denial has been central to the life of The Salvation Army and its founder, William Booth. On 6 October 1849, while recording a series of resolutions by which he planned to live, he made this prayer: ‘God help me, enable me to cultivate a spirit of self-denial.’

Lord, as we follow the prayer of the Founder, help us and enable us to cultivate a spirit of self-denial. We give our money to you with a sacrificial heart and mind. Help us to give the best we can and offer it to you in love. Amen.

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

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NEWS

COMMUNITY

OUTREACH

Gloucester Band, which divided into two groups of six players, bring carols to city centre shoppers Gainsborough corps officers Captains Wendy and Kevin Brown receive an award from the town council recognising the community work of the corps during the coronavirus pandemic

OUTREACH

Members of Bangor Band play and sing songs at the marina on Christmas Day

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

EDMONTON The Edmonton Green Retail Centre partnered the corps to provide toys and essentials to families in need in the community. Pictured are corps officers Captains Dawn and Glenn Roden with Retail Manager Rebecca Bird and colleagues from the centre. – GR

COMMUNITY

BANGOR Adherent Bob Mckeown, who is a member of North Down Cycle Club, organised a shoebox appeal with other club members for residents of Centenary House and Calder Fountain Lifehouse in Belfast. – LC 6

Salvationist 30 January 2021

BRADFORD HOLMEWOOD Since the coronavirus outbreak the corps has been providing food parcels and packed lunches to those in need. Over Christmas more than 130 people joined in a Nativity trail, and toys and food were distributed to more than 400 children and their families. The corps is thankful for the people and agencies that have donated money, food, goods or time. – AM

COMMUNITY

FUNDRAISING BANGOR Corps folk raised more than £1,000 for The Salvation Army’s work in December. Wooden reindeer were made to order, baubles were created and afternoon teas were delivered. Belfast City Hospital staff members also helped to raise funds. Pictured are corps officer Major Linda Cunliffe and Stephen Dorman-Larmour from the hospital. – AR

NEWS IN BRIEF CLITHEROE Simone Williams donated presents worth thousands of pounds to the Christmas Present Appeal after the Army ‘saved her life’. In 2013 Simone suffered a heart attack at the age of 28, while pregnant with her second child. When her marriage broke down, Simone and her two children were forced to move out of the family home. Having given up work so she could care for her daughters, Simone fell into arrears and faced the prospect of not being able to buy her children Christmas presents.

However, corps leaders Aux-Captain Elizabeth Smith and Territorial Envoy Brenda Wise stepped in to help. Since returning to work, Simone has raised almost £5,000 for the Army’s appeal. – AR BARROW-IN-FURNESS On Christmas Day corps officers Lieutenants Jonathan and Kathryn Whitmore visited isolated members of the corps for a chat, something they have been doing regularly during the pandemic. – AR

BARROW-IN-FURNESS Corps officers Lieutenants Jonathan and Kathryn Whitmore have been working to ensure that struggling families, isolated older people and rough sleepers are provided for during the coronavirus pandemic. In collaboration with the local Resilience Hubs, Barrow Borough council, community groups, schools, Spring Mount church, Barrow Food Bank, Drop Zone Youth and Project John, the corps provided wellbeing packs, festive hampers and presents to families in need in the weeks leading up to Christmas. – AR

THIRSK Churches Together, which includes the corps, held Covid-safe drive-in carol services with the help of the local Rotary club. Attendees remained in their cars for the duration of the event while musicians led the singing.

Around 450 people attended, flashing their lights and honking horns in appreciation. – IH

COMMUNITY

ST ALBANS Nearly 150 food parcels and twice as many toys were delivered to those in need over Christmas. A food bank was set up at the hall and volunteers prepared 400 takeaway meals for people experiencing homelessness. Thanks to the generosity of pupils from three nearby schools, the packing and delivery of parcels has resumed in 2021. ‘We are extremely encouraged by all those in our city who have given so generously because they trust us to reach out to the most vulnerable,’ said corps officers Lieutenants Wan Gi Lee and Eun Ok Shin. – BH

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NEWS FEATURE

Army sets up temporary health centre for care home residents TORONTO AS the number of Covid-19 cases peaked in Ontario, Canada, The Salvation Army’s Toronto Grace Health Centre (TGHC) set up a temporary specialised care facility in co-ordination with the government of Ontario.

The 2,508 sq m site at the Toronto Congress Centre, which is usually a complex for meetings and trade shows, will serve as accommodation for long-term care home residents who need to be temporarily relocated. This will provide surge capacity to care homes experiencing challenges such as overcrowding, a shortage of staff, a lack of supplies or outbreaks of Covid-19, influenza or other viruses.

Working with the Canadian Ministry of Health, the University Health Network and Compass Canada food and environmental services, TGHC has transformed the congress centre into a climate-controlled and air-conditioned facility with 30 beds, and secured the necessary medical, clerical and support service staff.

Jake Tran, the president and chief executive officer of TGHC, said: ‘Our physicians, nurses, personal support workers, therapists and other staff members have experience and expertise in the care of

Care facility being assembled 8

Salvationist 30 January 2021

Jake Tran (CEO, TGHC) and Glenn Gosling-Cannell (medical assistance team) seniors and are ready to provide care to residents who may need to be transferred temporarily… Our role in helping establish the centre comes from The Salvation Army’s experience and deep mission of service to Ontarians in times of need.

‘Given that we are looking after a fragile population, we have added comfort care measures, which include the deployment of chaplaincy services to the site.’

With the centre’s initial provision of beds already filled, expansion is under way to accommodate the growing need. When

complete, the facility will provide up to 90 fully furnished spaces for residents, with access to therapy rooms.

The length of stay will vary for each resident, depending upon individual needs and the unfolding situation in their care home. The facility has 24-hour security in place, with on-site nursing and personal support workers.

Lieut-Colonel John Murray, chair of the TGHC board of trustees and secretary for communications for the Canada and Bermuda Territory, toured the site on 10 January.

‘The Salvation Army is pleased to partner government and health agencies to provide this urgent care for seniors and vulnerable people,’ he stated. ‘As the pandemic worsens, we will continue to be on the front lines of service.’

‘We are grateful to the care centre steering committee for its work to quickly establish these new surge capacity spaces for our long-term care residents,’ said Dr Merrilee Fullerton, the government’s minister of long-term care.

‘By working closely with our partners, we are committed to finding innovative solutions to help protect our loved ones as we continue our fight against the second wave of the virus.’ – AR

FLECTI ECTION TION REFLECTION REFL RE FLEC

No applause app ap ppla lau us use neede needed ded ed Adrian Lyons reflects on the practice of clapping pieces of music

T

HE one New Year’s Day tradition my wife and I have is to watch the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, which is seen by millions on television across 90 countries. This year’s concert was quite different from usual. The content, based largely on the music of the Strauss family, was performed as usual, but the concert hall was missing an audience.

Surprisingly, the Vienna Philharmonic sat on the stage in their normal, tight formation. It was explained that this was made possible by members agreeing to strict daily coronavirus tests.

As always, the orchestra played wonderfully. However, at the end of each piece there was a strange silence.

Applause from a worldwide audience at home was played live into the concert hall at the end of the first half and the very end of the concert, but not between pieces. Although I was watching from my living room, it lacked atmosphere.

The concert always ends with three encores. The first is different each year, but the final two pieces are always ‘The Blue Danube’, an ironic waltz as the Danube is rarely blue, and the

‘Radetzky March’. The tradition is that, as soon as the first note of ‘The Blue Danube’ is heard, the audience bursts into applause, the music stops and the orchestra wishes everyone prosit neujahrr (happy new year). This year, with no audience in the hall, the conductor Riccardo Muti made a profound and deeply moving speech before the start of the waltz. ‘Musicians have, in their weapons, flowers not things that kill,’ he told the viewers of what must have been the strangest New Year’s Day concert in history. He went on to say: ‘Music is important not because it is an entertainment… Music is not only a profession but is a mission.’

He concluded by asking leaders of the world to ‘consider culture as one of the primary elements to have a better society in the future’.

Another tradition that could not take place was the audience clapping along to the ‘Radetzky March’. Asked before the concert how he felt about that, Muti commented: ‘It will be heard as written, without the out-of-time clapping from some of the audience… After the liveliest polka, to finish without applause can be embarrassing. But that void will be full of meaning.’

The strangeness of this great concert, with its lack of applause, led me to think about the performance of Salvation Army music. It is a convention that most music receives applause in concerts or festivals. This may be applause of genuine appreciation or sometimes applause to cover up the embarrassment when something is really quite bad.

However, most Salvation Army music is presented without applause.

It is presented as part of an act of Sunday worship,

week in week out – at least until March 2020.

Sometimes, even in worship meetings, there may be applause to encourage the singing company or when the band has played something upbeat. However, we have developed a recognition that ‘devotional’ pieces should be received in silence as the best appreciation of the music and its performance.

When this kind of music is performed as part of a concert or festival the Salvationist knows the form, and the quiet ending usually indicates no applause. However, while those on the inside understand the tradition, the few attendees not used to Salvation Army ways can easily be identified by their lack of knowledge of this custom.

There may even be ‘tuts’ from some of the Salvationists – the insiders – at having the atmosphere ruined, which is unlikely to make visitors feel welcome or keen to return.

Sometimes music leaders give a clear indication that they would rather the next piece was received in silence.

This seems a sensible idea. Eric Ball said of Salvation Army band members in the book Brass Bands in the 20th Century: ‘These men and women are true amateurs – playing for the love of it, seeking high standards, receiving no financial reward, even buying their own uniforms and subscribing to the work of the Army.’

Salvationist musicians need no applause, but should always be grateful when it is given.

ADRIAN IS BANDMASTER AT COLCHESTER CITADEL

INTERVIEW

Adam Goldsmith (Manager, World of Sound) and Nicki Tonge (Brand Manager, World of Brass) tell Salvationist how SP&S is making Army music widely available online

Putting Army tunes in your pocket WHAT KIND OF ARMY MUSIC IS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD? The World of Brass website has included downloadable Salvation Army band material for a while, but Army music as a whole hadn’t quite kept pace in terms of technology. About five years ago, vocal recordings and Sing to the Lord began to be included on the SP&S (Salvationist Publishing and Supplies) website. It took quite a bit of work because we had to go through the whole catalogue.

All audio recordings released by SP&S on CD are now available to download from the one place. People can choose to download a whole album or just individual tracks. We also supply USB sticks with accompaniments for the entire tune book, and they are available to download as well.

The catalogue also includes some recordings of live events. A few are 10

Salvationist 30 January 2021

historical, from when music councils were held at the Royal Albert Hall, and Andrew Blyth at Music Editorial has put together a series of highlights in three volumes. But there are also more recent events, such as Territorial Music School final festivals.

HOW FAR BACK DOES THE DOWNLOAD CATALOGUE GO? It goes back to the start of the CD era.

When a CD has gone out of print the album can still be downloaded. For example, I doubt we’ve got any copies of the classic International Staff Songsters CD More than Wonderful in the warehouse, because it was released in 1994, but it is available to download in all its original glory.

There’s a huge archive, which is useful if people’s CDs have been scratched or lost in a house move.

We’ve heard of people who have found

recordings of CDs they don’t have anymore, and they’re grateful to be able to download them. We haven’t yet covered LPs, although we hope to soon.

We’ve got an archive of all the old records, with most of the original master tapes, and there are some real treasures in there!

HOW ARE WORLD OF SOUND, WORLD OF BRASS AND SP&S RELATED? All three are part of the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL). World of Sound is a recording company, which records, edits, mixes and masters CDs and videos. World of Brass is a distributor for all things brass band – sheet music, CDs, DVDs, instruments, mouthpieces and so on. SP&S distributes similar products to The Salvation Army and is focused solely on Christian mission.

record at a higher sample rate and a higher bit depth. You can’t get that on a CD because they’re limited by 1980s technology.

Sing to the Lord children’s and mixed voice series, as well as the brass Unity Series recordings, are all produced in the studio. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 16 vocalists would come in on a Saturday three times a year to record the three volumes of Sing to the Lord.

For the Unity Series we get 12 players to play through the material that’s published for that year. They’re mostly designed as demonstration discs and downloads to give music leaders an idea of what the pieces are meant to sound like. But Sing to the Lord includes backing tracks as well, so if a songster brigade or singing company doesn’t have a pianist, they can use them for rehearsals and meetings.

We’re working hard to resource the Army in the most appropriate ways at this time, but we can’t wait to get back to providing these useful resources again.

Photo taken prior to the first coronavirus lockdown

There is a big following in the brass band market for Salvation Army music, which is available from World of Brass and its new streaming platform, wobplay.com. But it’s important that all Army recordings, including vocal, contemporary and live events, have a place to sit together, and the SP&S website has been updated for that purpose.

HOW DO PEOPLE DOWNLOAD THE MUSIC? The music is on the SP&S website, so people can directly download a file from there. There’s a search bar, so they can find what they’re looking for, and new releases are clearly displayed. We have looked at developing an app, but so far haven’t gone down that route, as the cost is prohibitive for our small market.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE MUSIC AVAILABLE IN THIS WAY? Our market is quite well protected – so when the International Staff Band or

Songsters release an album, it does well as a physical product – but the commercial trend has moved well beyond this. In addition to SP&S, there’s a great selection of our releases on iTunes and Amazon, so people can buy an album there if that better suits their habits – although the super highresolution files aren’t available from those retailers, if that’s something they value.

Downloads were already available alongside the brass band CDs produced

by World of Brass, so we decided we should also do it for SP&S with non-band music. It’s also a helpful tool in that we don’t have to make full-length albums on every project. For instance, we recorded a couple of singles with the contemporary worship band Meraki, which seemed a much more appropriate style of release for that kind of group. This helps keep the SP&S label as diverse as possible, and more appropriately represents the Army’s music-making.

One of the biggest advantages of a download site is that it reaches around the world. That means it’s a big form of mission. One market we’re very aware of is people affiliated with the Army or former Salvationists who will perhaps remember the music they were listening to in their late teens and want to revisit it.

We will always try to resource The Salvation Army and be relevant to the people out there who want to hear our music. It is important to make Army music as widely available as possible.

O Music

downloads are available from sps-shop.com/downloads

HOW ARE ARMY RECORDINGS PRODUCED? A large proportion of World of Sound’s work is recording on location. We go to a church, an Army hall or another suitable location and set up for a couple of days.

All the post-production – editing, mixing and mastering – happens in our own studios at SATCoL in Wellingborough. If you download albums recorded in the past two or three years you get the very highest quality recording, as we now Salvationist 30 January 2021

11

IN THE

ZONE Tapping into grea Denmark and Greenland Territory

How well do you know The Salvation Army’s Europe Z Major Levi Giversen continues our series with an ove

Summer camp for vulnerable families

T

HE work of The Salvation Army in Denmark began in Copenhagen on 8 May 1887, led by pioneer officers Majors Isabella and Robert Perry. In August 2012 Lieutenants Magnus and Petura Haraldsen were appointed to commence Army work in Greenland.

Today, the territorial commander, Lieut-Colonel Christina Jeppsson, describes the Denmark and Greenland Territory’s relevance and opportunities as ‘large untapped potentials’, which expresses the territory’s belief that the greatest days are not behind it but ahead.

Although the territory is smaller today than a few generations ago – measured by its membership rolls and numbers of corps and institutions – the Army continues to be adaptable and play a significant role in society. Impact cannot solely be measured by volume and capacity; dedication and development are equally important. Renewal and growth are essential, and there is 12

Salvationist 30 January 2021

A new hall for the Army’s work in Nuuk, Green evidence of that in the number of new corps that have opened and the development of new approaches to ministry in the community.

HOLY MOMENTS IN NUUK The decision to establish the Army in Greenland, which is an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, was announced at the territory's 125th anniversary congress in 2012. General Linda Bond commissioned and appointed Lieutenants Magnus and Petura to begin the work in what would be the Army’s 125th country. A few months later, in February 2013, International Secretary for Europe Commissioner Robert Street conducted the official opening in the capital, Nuuk.

Since then, many ‘holy moments’ have taken place. Greenland's first two adherents were welcomed in 2014, and within a year the premises became too small for the Army’s growing work. A new building, twice the size of the first, was acquired in 2015 as the result of a

much-appreciated donation from the USA Western Territory, a partner in mission with the Army in Denmark.

After eight years of rapidly expanding social and spiritual work, mainly aimed at people experiencing homelessness and those socially marginalised, the corps has developed new programmes for a wider range of people. Toddlers and their parents attend ‘baby rhythmic’ groups at the corps, and families gather for board games evenings, which precede a newly established night church fellowship. Attendees include native Greenlanders and Danish newcomers.

MIRACLES IN SØNDERBORG In the southern Danish town of Sønderborg, at the opposite end of the territory, another pioneer initiative was officially opened in 2013. An outreach effort was launched among vulnerable families who received much-needed support from the Army the previous Christmas.

at potential

Zone? rview of the Denmark and Greenland Territory *

* Photos and events described on these pages are mostly from before the current coronavirus lockdown and safety guidelines

THE TERRITORY AT A GLANCE

797 soldiers 266 adherents 9

junior soldiers

23 corps 7

Coronavirus response

community centres (plus a shelter, nursing centre, camp, day nursery and student residence)

3 emergency centres 20 second-hand shops 81 officers (35 active, 46 retired)

3 envoys

nland, in 2015 Captains Astrid and Strange Christensen pioneered the work prior to becoming officers and initiated activities in their own home. Before long the work moved to more functional facilities, where a wide range of familyfriendly activities have since unfolded. At the official dedication the then chief secretary, LieutColonel Henrik Andersen, described the venture as ‘a miracle’ as it was a comeback in the town after a 40-year ‘pause’.

Since then the growth has continued, and today activities include family workshops, an adult café and a counselling service.

The corps has contact with more than 200 vulnerable families and

Mobile outreach from Aalborg Corps offering coffee, sandwiches and prayer

Salvation Army Redesign – second-hand shop in Elsinore

Baby rhythmic in Nuuk

80 employees co-operates closely with local authorities in a holistic effort. A number of people from these families have been enrolled as soldiers or welcomed as adherents.

The experience gained in Sønderborg has led to a similar initiative in another town in the region.

The experiences in Nuuk and Sønderborg serve as examples for the whole territory, where integrated mission – close interaction between evangelistic and social work – has been an objective for several years. This has led to a close partnership between corps, institutions and second-hand shops.

SUPPORTING FAMILY NEEDS Socially vulnerable families are a significant target group in the territory.

Recognising that these families have social and spiritual needs all year round, a programme has operated for more than 15 years that involves national camps and an annual excursion for thousands of children and adults. This work has been documented in the book Under the Skin Salvationist 30 January 2021

13

Food bank at Vejle Corps

Official opening of Sønderborg Corps in 2013 and published in English as a Kindle ebook with the hope of inspiring other territories.

A recent enterprise has been the setting up of food banks, which are able to distribute surplus food from supermarkets.

This provision reduces food waste and helps disadvantaged families living on tight household budgets. Because of this, many families have become familiar with the corps fellowship and expressed interest in other activities.

STEP BY STEP There are also developments and new initiatives for the growing number of people experiencing homelessness, especially with migrants from other parts of Europe who are excluded from officially supported shelters. In response to this, a programme called Step by Step, managed by a drop-in centre in Copenhagen, was established last year.

The two-year project is supported by the EU’s Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived. It offers a quarterly course with accommodation, training, employment assistance and personal development for a total of 180 migrants who are experiencing homelessness.

During the cold winter months some corps open night shelters for those who do not have other alternatives. Other corps 14

Salvationist 30 January 2021

help out at street level by offering food, coffee, conversations and prayers from a freight bicycle.

RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING Many people associate The Salvation Army with second-hand shops, a field in which the territory was one of the first movers in Denmark decades ago. In recent years, however, the focus has changed from mainly recycling to include upcycling as well.

In 2010 the territory's first Redesign shop was opened in Copenhagen and has since been followed by two more. In line with the Army’s faith that new life can arise from the old or seemingly useless, the aim for the concept is to give new life to clothes and textiles that would be unsaleable.

As well as raising money for the work of the Army, a key element of the scheme is to limit overconsumption and protect the environment.

‘The Redesign ethos is rooted in our Christian values of justice and compassion – to be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with,’ says the territorial commander.

This summarises the intention for the territory: to be good developers of the large untapped potential entrusted to it.

THE TERRITORY DURING THE PANDEMIC With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 the territory went into an early lockdown, limiting the spread of the virus. Adapting to the situation led to new ways of thinking. Services and activities took place outside and creativity was shown in many practical ways.

Although the Army’s Pakhuset community centre in Copenhagen had to close because of the high risk of transmission, 60 of its clients – mainly migrants and people experiencing homelessness – continued to be supported on a one-to-one basis and were given nutritious meals. In Nakskov food packages were distributed to social centre clients and the wider community via a hatch in the wall to minimise social contact. In some places food parcels were delivered by bike or car and passed through people’s windows.

As well as meeting essential needs the Army included a little added enjoyment to family food parcels by including Lego sets, thanks to generous donations from the Lego Group. Young people associated with Valby Corps in Copenhagen helped to deliver the parcels, adhering to the guidelines for social distancing.

Free legal advice was provided to a number of vulnerable people who were experiencing particular hardship because their jobs had ceased.

Officers kept in touch with corps folk using social media and broadcast meetings online. Some were also able to create special online chatrooms for children from disadvantaged families, so that communication and education could continue.

A

CR

EA TI ON

GRO

N

ING

Longing for relief In the second of three articles, Major Howard Webber considers how human sinfulness impacts the planet

T

HERE’S an old story about a preacher who, driving through the countryside, came across a farm the like of which he had never seen. He felt compelled to stop and have a proper look at it. The old buildings looked amazingly well maintained, and the shrubs and flowers in the gardens around the house were a kaleidoscope of colour. His view of the avenue of trees leading up to the farmhouse, the vast field of ripening corn and adjoining pasture full of cattle was breathtaking.

As he stood there absorbing this beauty, the farmer happened to come along on his tractor. He pulled up beside the preacher, who turned to him and said: ‘God has blessed you with an amazing farm.’

‘Yes, he certainly has, and we’re grateful,’ the farmer replied. ‘But you should have seen it when he had it all to himself!’

Although God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to ‘work it and take care of it’ (Genesis 2:15), this was not a wearisome task. There was a partnership between him and nature. The adama (soil) was his willing subject, providing all he needed. It was so fruitful that it required little effort from him until the fateful day that God cursed it as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. Then everything changed. Adam had thorns and thistles to contend with, and it required intense labour and sweat, as well as foraging in the field, to get the food they needed (see Genesis 3:18 and 19).

Never again would they or their descendants know the bountiful provision or the ease, safety, security and peace that they had once known in the Garden of Eden. Their sin also brought them death and decay, something it imposed upon nature too.

As Paul wrote in Romans 8, ‘creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it’ (v20). He recognised that creation was in ‘bondage to decay’ (v21) and added: ‘We know that the whole creation has been groaning as

in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time’ (v22).

Surely, as we look around the world today, none of us would deny that creation is groaning. I would suggest that it’s doing so more intensely than ever, as a result of man’s continuing sin; his abuse, misuse and exploitation of this wonderful world God created.

According to the United Nations, we are altering the natural world at a rate that is ‘unprecedented in human history’.

The devastation of nature through human activity includes the destruction of natural habitats, intensive farming, logging, poaching, fishing and mining.

We’ve polluted the sea with discarded waste and plastic, the land with chemicals and all sorts of waste, and the air with emissions resulting in global warming and rising sea levels. We’ve also littered space with countless pieces of debris, ranging from small scraps to defunct satellites.

Although biofuels were considered a good replacement for petroleum in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sulphur pollution, in many places like Malaysia and Indonesia, forests have been destroyed to grow palm oil.

Sumatran tigers and orangutans are facing extinction in Indonesia through loss of their habitat.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Zoological Society of London state that the world’s animal populations plunged nearly 60 per cent between 1970 and 2014 4 due to overconsumption, population growth and intensive farming.

The threat of extinction extinctiion isn’t confined to animal species. A recent report by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew (RBG Kew) says that 40 per cent of plant species are at risk. Professor Alexandre Antonelli, RGB Kew’s director of

science, said: ‘We are living in an age of extinction. We’re losing the race against time because species are disappearing faster than we can find and name them.’

As the WWF manifesto notes, we are ‘the first generation to know we are destroying our planet and the last one that can do anything about it’.

Frustrated at having to suffer through no fault of its own, creation is groaning as it waits in eager expectation of the day when it will be liberated from its bondage, the day when it will share in ‘the freedom and glory of the children of God’ (Romans 8:21).

MAJOR WEBBER LIVES IN RETIREMENT IN BOURNEMOUTH Next week…

‘That dayy draws ever closer’

Salvationist 30 January 2021

15

BIBLE STUDY

Is there a place at the table?

Major David Cavanagh considers how God’s love reaches out to all people

ACTS 11:1–18

A

FTER Peter’s visit to Cornelius, the Christians of the church in Jerusalem wanted to know why Peter had been fraternising with Gentiles – who were viewed as impure foreigners standing outside God’s covenant with Israel. God’s people were to be holy, set apart and separated from the pagan world.

These anxieties should be taken seriously, and cannot be dismissed glibly as xenophobia by appealling to a supposedly inclusive gospel.

Welcoming Gentile converts was an unprecedented step, and the primitive Church would continue to grapple with its implications, prompting further discussion at the Jerusalem council (see Acts 15:1–22) and a clash between Peter and Paul at Antioch (see Galatians 2:11–22).

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

by Major Howard Webber

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Salvationist 30 January 2021

QUESTIONS O If the gospel is universal in scope, does it follow that the Church must be inclusive of everyone?

O Do you think people are unfairly excluded from the Church?

Debates about inclusion continue today. We will not dwell on the detail of Peter’s response but instead look at the reasons why Gentile converts were accepted and welcomed.

Crucially, the Holy Spirit told Peter to go to Cornelius’s house, and also came to Cornelius and his companions in the same way as he did to the disciples at Pentecost. This was a sign that God had accepted them. Peter knew he must welcome Cornelius as a brother in Christ and to do otherwise would be to stand in God’s way.

This challenges our experience of the Holy Spirit. We typically deduce that

anyone who believes has received the Spirit because he is promised to all who believe (see Acts 2:38). Yet, time and time again in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit comes with a dynamic immediacy that cannot be doubted (see Acts 2:1–4; 8:14–17; 19:1–7). Notice how Paul could rhetorically ask if the Galatian Christians had received the Spirit because they believed in Jesus or because they observed the Mosaic Law (see Galatians 3:2).

It need not follow that the Spirit will always come in such dramatic fashion.

Overall in the New Testament the Holy Spirit mediates the life of the risen Lord to believers (see Romans 8:10 and 11), pours God’s love into their hearts (see Romans 5:5) and transforms their hearts and minds so that they know and love God and become more like Jesus (see Romans 12:2; Galatians 5:22–24; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 4:6).

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.’

(Acts 10:34 and 35)

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy/ Like the wideness of the sea;/ There’s a kindness in his justice/ Which is more than liberty.

(SASB 437)

Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles should hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.’

(Acts 15:7 and 8)

Prayer

Father, open our eyes to see others as you see them, value them as you value them and realise that often those without you possess virtues we lack. Humble us that we might admit when, like Peter, our views and judgements are wrong.

Be that as it may, it does follow that if the Spirit can be seen at work in the life of someone who professes faith in Jesus, they should be accepted as a Christian. As James Dunn comments in Baptism in the Holy Spirit: ‘The one thing which makes a man a Christian is the gift of the Spirit.’

Cornelius and his companions were welcomed into the family of God because they had ‘accepted the word of God’ (v1 International Standard Version) – the message of salvation. Detailed teaching for them would follow.

QUESTIONS O We sing the words ‘whosoever will may come’ (SASB 405), but does this mean the Church must grant membership to anyone who wants it?

O Can you understand why others might answer differently?

O How might talking together help you understand each other?

The inclusion of the Gentiles is ultimately God’s initiative. At the end of this passage, the Jerusalem Christians rejoiced because ‘even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life’ (v18).

This development is clearly foreseen in the Old Testament. God announced in Genesis 12:2 that all nations would be blessed through Abram. Israel was to be a light to the nations, offering liberation and salvation to all mankind (see Isaiah 42:6 and 7; 49:6) so that all people would one day flock to Jerusalem to worship Israel’s God (see Isaiah 2:1–3).

These hopes are now fulfilled because, through Jesus, God has initiated a new stage in his plan to save all mankind. The gospel will henceforth be preached to all nations (see Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8) so that people everywhere will know Jesus and believe in him (see John 12:32).

QUESTION O What should the Church do to welcome newcomers and support them as Christians?

Debates about inclusion will continue – and rightly so. The story of Cornelius’s conversion reminds us that we must approach such issues, which easily stir up strong feelings, trying to understand how God’s love reaches out to all people, and what obedience it expects from those who believe.

MAJOR CAVANAGH IS ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

But we make his love too narrow/ By false limits of our own;/ And we lose the tender shepherd/ In the judge upon the throne./ For the love of God is broader/ Than the measure of man’s mind;/ And the heart of the eternal/ Is most wonderfully kind.

(SASB 437)

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

(Romans 10:12 and 13)

To save the world the Saviour came;/ It was for this in mercy/ He gave his life; the news proclaim/ And give to Jesus glory./ What matchless grace, how rich, how free!/ Our Saviour calls all to him;/ A Saviour he to all would be;/ O give to Jesus glory!

(SASB 444)

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people… This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

(1 Timothy 2:1–6) Salvationist 30 January 2021

17

RESOURCES

The Rev Nathan Eddy introduces a new resource to support proactive responses to antisemitism

Jewish and Christian leaders from the UK on a recent CCJ trip to Israel and Palestine

Connected communities

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HURCHES Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) have produced a free resource designed to help churches, ecumenical groups and theological colleges understand antisemitism, while exploring Judaism and beginning local dialogue with Jews.

The resource has the draft title of Connected Communities: Churches Responding to Prejudice against Jews and Judaism and is the product of several consultations with leading scholars and practitioners. It is the fruit of the labours of CCJ, which is the UK’s leading forum for Jewish-Christian dialogue, and of several rabbis and Jewish scholars who have contributed reflections. It features user-friendly sections on key points of dialogue in Jewish-Christian relations, including covenant, Jesus’ Jewishness, the Bible, evangelism, antisemitism and the state of Israel in relation to UK JewishChristian dialogue.

The need for the resource was recognised by CTBI as a strategy to promote community cohesion across Britain and Ireland, and grow understanding around antisemitism.

Antisemitic incidents online and in the street have been rising year-on-year since 2016. Connected Communities does not explore the headlines, but rather takes a step back and considers the biblical and theological issues that Christians in particular should care about.

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Salvationist 30 January 2021

The title also references the need for flourishing towns, villages and cities in the UK and Republic of Ireland. A report released in March last year found that seven in ten UK residents feel their community has declined in their lifetime, and that one in four do not trust their neighbours. Connected Communities is about the special connections that bind Christians and Jews together, but also addresses the ties that bind everyone together, wherever they live.

It is designed to be a practical tool.

There are many essay collections and academic books on the subject, and the recent Church of England report, God’s Unfailing Word, also features in-depth studies that merit close reading.

Connected Communities is different.

While the various sections have fairly meaty introductions, the emphasis is on group study and conversation. Each section has study questions and boxes giving definitions, quotes, and background information.

The resource will initially be published as a series of stand-alone, user-friendly leaflets so that they can be easily downloaded and shared. The tone of these is aimed at non-specialists and is geared towards church groups, house groups, Lent study groups, ecumenical study groups and mixed JewishChristian groups. A second part will be published at a later date, including sample sermons, Holy Week resources and Bible studies.

Connected Communities is also designed to be conversational, helping groups to think and talk about Judaism, Christian theology, the Bible and society.

It mimics a conversation by including personal reflections from several rabbis and Jewish scholars on each of its themes; even if a church group lives far from a synagogue, it is possible to hear from many contemporary Jewish voices.

Finally, Connected Communities is designed to be encouraging. CCJ often finds that Christians are surprised by how inspiring the first steps in Jewish-Christian dialogue can be. For many people, taking the plunge opens up new perspectives on the Bible, on history, on Jesus’ identity and even on their own identity as Christians.

Aspects of Jewish-Christian relations are certainly challenging and call for sombre reflection, and the resource equips churches to consider antisemitism and anti-Judaism.

But Jewish-Christian dialogue can also inspire hope. The resource aims to motivate churches to begin the journey, inviting them to go deeper.

Communities will be freely available soon from ctbi.org.uk O CCJ has 30 branches across the UK. Find out more at ccj.org.uk O Connected

THE REV NATHAN IS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CCJ

This article first appeared in CTBI Magazine

O

LETTERS

AN ENCOURAGING INFLUENCE IT was with sadness that I learnt of the promotion to Glory of Lieut-Colonel Geoff Perry. He was unfailingly supportive of cadets on placement at Ilford Corps, where he soldiered for a number of years. I was one of those fortunate enough to have benefited from his quiet words of encouragement, and I am certain many others were also blessed by this aspect of his ministry.

Lieut-Colonel Perry will be remembered as a gifted and gracious Christian gentleman. His unassuming and humble manner enhanced an influence that will linger for many years to come.

Stephen Poxon St Albans

A MAG WITH A MESSAGE THIS is the lovely story that an encouraging supporter and friend of The Salvation Army shared with us recently about the Spirit of God working in his village: ‘For a long time I have been trying to get one of the folk in my road to come to a meeting on a Sunday. She has even had the War Cry, but this Christmas she asked for a regular copy – she was really touched by what she read. She lost her husband some time ago and has blamed God for taking him, so thank you for the War Cry. It’s the only weekly magazine that has a gospel message in it with a sinner’s prayer.’

Susan Tidball Captain Launceston

A NOTE OF THANKS I AM an avid reader of Salvationist and want to say how much I appreciate the articles you publish. In particular, ‘Pathway to peace’ in the 9 January issue. This was a wonderful sharing of God’s word, and gave assurance that he is with us during this very hard time.

The Israelites roaming in the desert, bemoaning their lot day after day, must have worn everyone down, yet they could do nothing but continue their journey. We too press on, and the vaccines being administered give us hope.

Psalm 139 assures us that God is everywhere, all powerful and wants to help us. Nothing we experience in our lives is beyond his care. So we can have confidence in the days ahead. A smile and a wave to passers-by through the window, a telephone call or perhaps an email ends the feeling of being alone and frightened. Thank you for the sensitivity and kindness shown in the pages of Salvationist.

Margaret Garland Basingstoke

ON THE SUBJECT OF BEGINNINGS ANY response to ‘The evolution of Creation’ (Salvationist 9 January) would require more space than a letter, but two comments seem appropriate.

First, the article raises the question of how we read the Bible.

During the past 60 years or so, biblical scholars have taught us much about how, when and why the Hebrew Bible was written and reached its present form. I’m sure General Coutts would not have been unhappy with that. The Old Testament is much more theological than historical or scientific. Its many literary styles require different interpretive methods.

Second, the science-versus-Bible debate of the 19th century should be dead and buried. The questions asked today about the truth of the Bible are of a different kind and have a more positive response. Some scientists, and many Christians, are dogmatic.

Current scientific methods make and test assumptions on known evidence and, when the evidence changes, the assumptions must change. Would that many Christians were brave enough to follow this method while endeavouring to learn how to read the Bible.

Yes, I am sure we should treat the ‘subject of beginnings’ seriously but the Creation narratives have more important lessons to teach us than a merely literal understanding of Creation in six 24-hour days.

Basil Canvin Stokesley

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE OUR Zoom meeting this morning was led by Lieutenants David and Eveline Haines (Whitehaven). Modern technology is great: they are about 300 miles away from us, yet we all were together for the meeting.

The theme was ‘Thankfulness’. We looked north, south, east and west, to the floor and to the heavens, and reflected on how people living in these areas have helped us over the past few months. Trying to be positive with the situation we are all in can be very difficult, but we do have a lot to be thankful for. So, instead of looking at the negative things in life, let’s all try and focus on the positive things – if we can all do that, we will be surprised that the positive outweighs the negative. So let’s be thankful for what we do have and not what we don’t have. Let’s all look for ways we can share God’s love to people that we come into contact with in these difficult times.

Chris Parr Penarth Salvationist 30 January 2021

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RE EFLEC FLECTION FL ECTI EC CTI TION TION ON R REFLECTION EFLEC

PREVIEW

Bria an Collley (Clown ne) sharres som me wise e and helpful quotes abo outt prayyer

M

ANY sayings about prayer are often quoted. Here are some: ‘It’s never too late and never too early to pray.’ ‘Prayer is the key to the day and the lock to the night.’ ‘Prayer is the cry of our deepest needs, our innermost longings.’ ‘The secret of living is learning to pray. It’s asking our Father for strength for the day.’

We sing ‘Teach me how to love thee,/ Teach me how to pray’ (SASB 624), echoing the request the disciples made to Jesus in Luke 11:1: ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Jesus responded with a shorter version of the prayer that Matthew recorded as part of the Sermon on the Mount. In that account Jesus said: ‘This, then, is how you should pray’ (Matthew 6:9). He went on to outline the perfect pattern for prayer – the Lord’s prayer – which is repeated by individuals and congregations worldwide today.

Prayer is the way God allows us to communicate with him. ‘Prayer gently lifts me to highest Heaven,/ From Earth’s confusion to Jesus’ breast’ (SASB 783).

It is amazing and beyond human understanding that he can hear and answer prayers being made by so many people at the same time around the world in different languages.

There is, however, a need to respect the fact that God allows us to speak directly to him, and to think carefully about what we are saying. At times we start a request with the words, ‘You know, Lord’ – then go on to describe what we have just acknowledged he already knows. We pray for individuals,

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Salvationist 30 January 2021

then give details as to who they are: ‘Mrs So-and-so who lives at number six… The person I used to work with.’

Why do that when God already knows?

‘Your Father knows what you need before you ask him’ (Matthew 6:8). ‘All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ (Psalm 139:16). We sometimes sing ‘God’s not dead’ – but neither is he daft!

We tell him how great he is, then belittle him. ‘I often say my prayers;/ But do I ever pray?’ (SASB 765).

Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote: ‘There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life.’

Billy Graham said: ‘A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.’

The apostle Paul wrote: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:6 and 7). That is repeated poetically in our songbook: ‘The Lord is near; have no anxiety,/ Make your requests known to God in prayer’ (SASB 793).

And one final quote, from Linn Carlson: ‘No ocean can hold it back. No river can overtake it. No whirlwind can go faster. No army can defeat it. No law can stop it. No distance can slow it. No disease can cripple it. No force on Earth is more powerful or effective than the power of prayer.’

Lord, teach us how to pray.

A Child of the Regiment

by Bernice Anderson

T

HIS is the story of a girl, Bernice, and her sister, the daughters of dedicated Salvation Army officers, seeking a normal childhood in The Salvation Army during the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s.

The book offers a glimpse behind the scenes of Army service through the eyes of a child. It is a candid account of life as a ‘child of the regiment’. A thread of happy optimism runs through the 300-plus pages – an unspoken conviction that all will be well.

Published in 2014, it has sparked a lot of interest from people who could identify with the author’s experiences, as well as from others, including younger Salvationists, who knew little or nothing about the Army of the mid-20th century or what prompted the kind of selfless dedication displayed by people such as her parents.

Such has been the popularity of the book that it has had a fourth print run and a sequel is on the way.

O A Child of the Regimentt is available from sps-shop.com priced £9.99 (plus postage and packing) or as a Kindle ebook from amazon.co.uk priced £2.34 O Signed copies are available by calling Bernice on 07791 681819 or emailing benanden@talktalk.net

Hurr

place y are s limit ed

HIGHLIGHTS • Summit North Africa’s highest peak amidst the stunning Atlas Mountains • Experience the cultural delights of Marrakech • Discover the real Morocco and the local Berber way of life • Make new, lifelong friends • Support our vital work or your favourite Salvation Army project

salvationarmy.org.uk/trek-toubkal 020 367 4819 EJCNNGPIG"UCNXCVKQPCTO[ QTI WM TheSalvationArmyCommunityandEventsFundraising

@teamsallyarmy

The Salvation Army actU as CP agent for Global Adventure Challenges. Global Adventure holdU an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL number 6506) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. Registered charity No. 214779, and in Scotland SC009359 Social Trust: Registered Charity No: 215174, and in Scotland SC037691 | Republic of Ireland: Registered Charity No: CHY6399

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ARMY PEOPLE The following appointments and promotions, decided upon by the General, have been announced by the Chief of the Staff Effective 1 May O Colonels Edward and Shelley Hill, officers of the USA Western Territory, are appointed international secretary and zonal secretary for women’s ministries, Americas and Caribbean Zone, International Headquarters, with the rank of commissioner O Colonel Evie Diaz, an officer of the USA Central Territory, is appointed chief secretary, Canada and Bermuda Territory O Lieut-Colonel Peter Forrest, an officer of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, is appointed chief secretary, International Headquarters, with the rank of colonel. Lieut-Colonel Julie Forrest will remain in her current appointment at IHQ and will be promoted to the rank of colonel.

RETIRED OFFICERS Birthday congratulations O Major Raymond Atkinson (85 on 13 February) PROMOTED TO GLORY O Jim Anderson, Clydebank O Doreen Roberts, Staple Hill O Major Joan Joyce from Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, on 15 January O Major Glenys Green from Florence House care home, Peterborough, on 17 January BEREAVED O Mary Anderson, Clydebank, of her husband Jim Anderson, Commissioner Carol Telfer and Elaine Scott of their father, Major Fiona Broom, Devon and Cornwall DHQ, Kenneth Broom and Colin Broom of their stepfather O CCMS David James, Staple Hill, of his brother Malcolm O Bandsman Ian Roberts, Staple Hill, and Neil Roberts of their mother Doreen Roberts, Roger Chappell of his sister O Carolyn Ellis, Burton-on-Trent, of her brother O Dorothy Scott, Rushden, of her husband B/Reservist Bill Scott, Wendy 22

Salvationist 30 January 2021

Iverson, David Scott, Karen Scott, Sandra Krywold and Kevin Scott of their father O Major Janet Bishop, Sheringham, of her mother Margaret Southern O Songster Marion Gibbs, Abertillery, of her husband Michael Gibbs O Songster Jenefer Edwards, Rushden, of her father John Richard Nicholas OFFICIAL GAZETTE UKI Territory LONG SERVICE 35 years O Major Annette Coleman, Winton O Major Michael Coleman, Winton ANTHONY COTTERILL Commissioner Territorial Commander

TRIBUTES MAJOR ALFRED SHIELDS ALFRED, known as Ted, was born and raised in Middlesbrough. He followed the call to officership at the age of 24, entering the Heralds session at the International Training College in London.

At college he met Dorothy. They married in 1955 and began their joint ministry at Preston Citadel. Appointments followed at Workington, Huddersfield, Bury St Edmunds, Clowne, Dublin Rathmines, Portadown, Gainsborough, Scunthorpe, Grimsby Citadel, Gloucester with Brockworth, Brighton Congress Hall and Plymouth Congress Hall.

In 1981 Ted was appointed to the Birmingham Division as divisional secretary and then to the Bristol Division as divisional commander, before taking up his final appointment as special efforts secretary at National Headquarters.

In 1993 he moved to Eastbourne with Dorothy to enjoy his retirement. During this time Ted served as chaplain to several auxiliary-captain training courses and at Heathrow airport. He also worked at Eastbourne Citadel’s charity shop for nine years and was involved in corps community activities.

Ted had a positive impact on many people during his years of ministry and in retirement. He is greatly missed by Sue

and Gordon, Chris and Pauline, Alistair and Karen, grandchildren Rebecca, Bethany and Callum and the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren he inherited along the way.

Ted was promoted to Glory on 12 November 2020 having served the Lord all his life and is now where he always wanted to be – at rest with his Saviour.

Servant of God, well done! – SF MRS MAJOR VIOLET BALKHAM VIOLET Hopwood was born in Bootle, Liverpool, in 1936. She attended Bootle Corps and, after leaving school, worked at Jacob’s.

Violet entered the International Training College as a cadet in the 1956 Faithful session. It was during this time that she met David Balkham, a cadet in the 1955 Swordbearers session. They married in 1959 at Bootle. If ever a marriage was made in Heaven, it was theirs!

After being commissioned in 1957 Violet was appointed to Long Eaton then Derby Central. Following their marriage, Violet and David were appointed to Sleaford, Tyldesley and Crowland. In 1963 they were transferred overseas to Chikankata Hospital in Zambia. They returned to the UK in 1969 to serve at Swindon Gorse Hill before serving in Hong Kong as training leaders and divisional leaders.

From 1977 further appointments in the UK included corps ministry at Cradley Heath and divisional responsibilities in South Wales, during which time Violet was appointed the divisional director for women’s organisations. After a decline in David’s health, their active service concluded at Kidsgrove Corps.

Following David’s promotion to Glory in 2001, Violet continued to soldier at Birmingham Sparkhill until she returned to Cradley Heath. She remained active, singing in the songsters and helping with the over-60s. She always enjoyed visiting and supporting others.

Violet was proud of her three sons and daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.

She was fun-loving, with an engaging smile for everyone she met. She was also very practical and could turn her hand to making anything. She used her many talents during her ministry.

Following a diagnosis of dementia, Violet became a resident at Ridgeway Court care home in Dudley in 2018. Her friendly,

ADVERTS radiant smile remained until she was promoted to Glory – for ever, a ‘Faithful’.

– MB KEN KILGOUR, BASINGSTOKE KEN was born in 1948 to Salvationist parents and attended Govan Citadel.

While he was a student at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow he met Marilyn, who was also studying there. They married in 1971 and had two children, Louise and Raymond.

Ken was singing company leader until 1978 when the family moved south.

They transferred to Basingstoke where, over the years, Ken held the positions of singing company leader, songster leader and bandmaster twice until his promotion to Glory.

He was totally committed to the corps and gave much encouragement and help to others. He will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humour and caring nature, and is greatly missed by his family, including his seven grandchildren, but is now at peace with his Lord whom he served faithfully to the end. – MK JOAN MASON, ABERTILLERY JOAN was born into a Salvation Army family, her mother, father and sister all soldiers at Abertillery.

Joan herself became a uniformed soldier after progressing through the junior corps, becoming the record sergeant in the primary and also a songster.

She never married and did not enjoy the best of health but she was a steady, reliable factory worker. She was a worldwide traveller and travelled to Australia to visit a former Abertillery friend.

Joan’s health deteriorated until she became housebound and subsequently lived in a care home for the last 15 years, maintaining her hobby of knitting. She kept a cheerful disposition and looked forward to the monthly pre-pandemic ministry of the band and their playing outside the care home on her 87th birthday. She was promoted to Glory soon after, a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her passing is a loss but she has now entered eternal rest. – AB

EUNICE TAYLOR, SUTTON-INASHFIELD EUNICE grew up in a Christian home. Early in married life she found her spiritual home at Sutton-inAshfield. Eunice was cradle roll sergeant and helped in many practical ways in the corps. With her husband, Tom, she led a large over-60s group, bringing many of its members to faith.

In later years Eunice suffered poor mobility and was not able to worship at the corps very often. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic she was able to reconnect with corps worship through online meetings. This was not only a lifeline but a great blessing to her as she was able to share her faith right to the end.

Eunice was a kind soul and her heart was for her family. Her sudden loss has left a huge gap, but her faith in this life being a preparation for the life to come, and knowledge of the home prepared for her in Heaven, are a great comfort. – SP IRIS GRIFFITHS, SUNDERLAND MILLFIELD IRIS was born in Sunderland. At the age of 18 she became a cadet at the International Training College and was commissioned as an officer in 1958. Her appointments included Bentley, Wath-upon-Dearne, Stevenage, Ashby, Feltham, Belfast Ballynafeigh, Belfast McTier Street, Dublin Abbey Street, Blaydon and Howdon. At Blaydon she met CSM Bill Griffiths. They married in 1966 and moved to Sunderland Millfield, where they both served faithfully. They were blessed with two sons, Mark and Glyn, and four grandchildren, and Iris devoted her life to her family.

She served as home league secretary for 40 years and despite failing health continued her ministry by phone. Her calling was to save souls, and she constantly urged people to accept Jesus.

Iris was an example of consistent Christian love and care, and a source of wisdom and support. She is greatly missed but her influence lives on in the countless lives she touched. – RB

THE LAST DAYS

by Jim Bryden

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The Last Days and the other books in the series – Ephesians and Messiah Jesus Zk^ ZoZbeZ[e^ _khf onwardsandupwards.org ikb\^] £6.99 ^Z\a

Are you in need of some daily hope during this lockdown?

We have a new FREE telephone line for you to ring to hear comforting hymns, daily prayers ­ĊÌ īÐŦÐÆĴðďĊĮȘ

Please note that soldiers’ and adherents’ tributes submitted for publication should be no longer than 150 words. Good quality pictures will be included. Copy should be sent to salvationist@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Salvationist 30 January 2021

23

‘

For I am his and he is mine – Bought with the precious blood of Christ

(SASB B 861)

All kinds of people attend, join, volunteer with or work for The Salvation Army.

We’ve asked some to tell us about themselves.

This week…

LIEUT-COLONEL BRENDA OAKLEY Leamington Spa How did you first come into contact with the Army?

I was brought up in the Church of England and took part in the Whit Walks in Manchester, led by the Salvation Army band. At the end of the walk a young bandsman asked me and two friends to join the torchbearer youth club on a trip to a country house and park. I began to attend the club, then meetings on Sundays.

What made you want to become an officer?

During my first Easter at The Salvation Army I attended the Easter convention at Manchester Star Hall. Although I considered myself a Christian, on the Sunday evening I knelt at the mercy seat and committed my life to God. That was where the call to officership first came.

I was courting the youth club leader, Ray Oakley, who was a candidate. After much thought and prayer, I knew that the call was also mine. Eighteen months later we were married. We entered the training college the following year.

If you could be in a film, which would it be and what character would you play?

Jesus Christ Superstar. r I’d play Mary Magdalene. I saw the original West End production and loved it, especially the song ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’.

If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

William Shakespeare. I have always loved writing and drama, so perhaps I could pick up a few tips from him. It would have been interesting to be at some of his original performances.

If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?

Laugh and the world laughs with you.

What do you do in your spare time?

Word and logic puzzles and gardening.

If you could bring back any fashion trend, what would it be?

I did love the mini skirts and dresses of the 1960s.

What was the first record, tape or CD that you ever owned?

Diana by Paul Anka, released in 1957.

What is your favourite food?

Sirloin steak.

What is your favourite hymn or worship song?

‘In Christ Alone’ (SASB B 861). It never fails to move me.

What is your favourite kind of holiday?

Since retiring we have discovered cruising. My favourite destination is the Caribbean.

Which Bible figure would you like to meet and what would you ask them?

Paul. I’d ask, ‘Do you think now that you were a little hard on women?’

’’’

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Isaiah 43:1 and 2: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.’

Many years ago, I was going through a difficult patch and I opened my Bible and asked God to give me a word.

These verses have always remained with me in difficult times.

Is there something you’ve never understood?

Why people who deny the existence of God blame him when something bad happens.

If you could rid the world of one thing, what would it be?

Selfishness.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I can tap dance (although I’m now very much out of practice).

Apart from the Bible, which book would you want on a desert island?

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis – although that’s technically seven books in all.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

‘Forgiveness is not a feeling. It is a conscious act of will.’

What is the most valuable thing you possess?

My family. They care for and support each other and us. We are immensely proud of all that they are and have achieved.

Something interesting people might not know about you is…

In my teens I won medals for Morris dancing.