War Cry 12 March 2022

Waterside literature festival floats ideas

WAR CRY

12 March 2022 50p

A policeman’s lot Murder case puts strain on investigating team in TV drama

Artist stitches together Creation story

What is The Salvation Army?

From the editor’s desk

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

A PICTURE, so the saying goes, is worth a thousand words. If that is true, then one of the most comprehensive retellings of the Bible’s story of Creation is touring cathedrals at the moment.

As we report in this week’s War Cry, artist Jacqui Parkinson has created 12 large textile panels for Threads Through Creation, a visual exploration of the beginnings of everything, as described in the Bible.

‘Threads Through Creation shows how everything was good at the beginning before it all went wrong,’ she tells us. Jacqui also explains what she hopes people will come to understand through her work.

‘The important message is that there is a Creator God,’ she says. ‘He is behind everything we see, hear, touch, sense. And he loves us and wants a relationship with us.’

More than 150 years ago, another woman was using the abilities she had to spread that same message. In the second half of the 19th century, Catherine Booth worked with her husband, William, to establish The Salvation Army.

In this week’s issue, we speak with Cathy Le Feuvre, who has written a book about the couple. She explains how Catherine and William came to realise that if people were to be open to hearing about God, then they had to have their material needs met as well. So the couple went on to establish a free labour exchange, food banks, soup kitchens and shelters.

It was unusual in those days for a woman to be so involved in the leadership of an organisation. Cathy says that Catherine Booth ‘was ahead of her time and had the courage of her convictions. She wasn’t afraid to challenge the social norms of the day.’

Whether through artwork, social action or the challenging of incorrect perceptions, telling people about the transforming love of God is vital ad the War C e re ry v ’ because, when they encounter that love, their u lives are improved for ever.

What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

WAR CRY Issue No 7567

When yo

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

PASS IT ON f

not hy ,w

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

CONTENTS

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

FEATURES

Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies

3

Holding on for a crime drama

Investigating ITV’s new series Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

6

2 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

Ideas floated

Waterside literature festival hosts discussions 6

‘Strong beliefs from the beginning’

The story of the woman behind The Salvation Army

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

5

8

O 15

8

Sew creative

Textile tour depicts Creation REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Out of the Mouth of Babes 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV

ITV

Detective Linus Dunne and Sergeant PJ Collins are investigating a death

Holding on to the past Village secrets hit the screen in drama series TV preview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

A

SLEEPY village in Ireland gets a rude awakening when human remains are found by construction workers in ITV’s Holding, an adaptation of Graham Norton’s bestselling novel, which begins on Monday (14 March).

Sergeant PJ Collins (Conleth Hill) hasn’t dealt with a murder case before, so he has his work cut out for him. But a serious younger detective, Linus Dunne (Clinton Liberty), keen to make headway in his career, is brought on to the case.

He’s meant to be helping PJ, but will his ambition get in the way?

The pair begin their investigations on the recent findings that have shaken the village of Duneen, Co Cork.

It’s believed that the remains belong to Tommy Burke, a local legend, who was seeing two women in the tight-knit community at the same time.

He pledged to marry one of them. But he left her at the altar, and supposedly left town.

Bríd (Siobhán McSweeney), the jilted bride, is a prime suspect for his murder.

Her long-lasting alcohol addiction doesn’t make life any easier for her as she attempts to fend off accusations.

Everyone in the village knows everybody’s business. Everyone thinks she did it, but she swears she didn’t. And, for reasons of his own, PJ is inclined to believe her.

As the drama unfolds, the secrets of the villagers, past and present, emerge.

While the investigation is under way, Evelyn (Charlene McKenna), the other woman that Tommy was seeing and also a suspect for his murder, is busy hiding another relationship. Bríd blames Evelyn’s hostile nature on a loss which she experienced early on in life, but which she doesn’t talk about.

Actor Conleth Hill explains that ‘the holding of secrets’ is a major theme within the story. ‘From the guilty and the innocent, the involved and the bystanders,’ he says, ‘they’ve all got their secrets like in all small towns.’

Whether we live in a place where everybody knows our name or we’re surrounded by strangers in a big city, it’s no secret that we’re all holding on to something.

Sometimes, we are holding on to mistakes we made years ago or grievances as a result of what someone has done to us. We may have regrets about our life choices and wish we had taken a different path.

It’s easy to do, but holding on in this way can make us fearful or resentful. It can even stop us from moving forward in life or believing there is hope for the future.

But many people, having investigated the Christian faith, find its claims to be true. We can be free from our pasts. All we have to do is give to God what we’re

Everyone in the village knows everybody’s business

Bríd and Evelyn both have something to hide holding on to.

One Bible writer noted down a message in which God urged: ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!’ (Isaiah 43:18 and 19 New International Version).

If we let go of our past, we can go into the future with God and experience the life of deep peace that he has for us.

12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 3

WtwxcxzWt

WAR CRY

t

Funding given to keep historic churches open

n

poll of 1,500 adults revealed that Stonehenge was the top UK landmark to see.

Dan McGhee, director of optical services at Vision Express, said: ‘We know there is so much joy to be had through vision… Our research shows that there are some amazing places right here in the UK to enjoy with your loved ones.’

Other key locations in the top 30 list included Snowdonia and Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

Poetical centenary celebrated TWENTY-TWO churches in the City of London will be home to a six-day festival taking place next month to celebrate the 100th anniversary of TS Eliot’s poem ‘The Waste Land’.

When Eliot wrote the poem, he was working as a banker in the City of London, a financial hub but also home to many churches.

The festival, titled Fragments, which begins on Thursday 7 April, will take audiences to places named in Eliot’s poem, and will allow them to design their own route through the events, which will include film, poetry, art installations and diverse styles of music.

One of the churches is St Mary Woolnoth, which is mentioned in ‘The Waste Land’. It is known as ‘the Amazing Grace church’, as John Newton, who composed the song, was rector there for 28 years. Several performances will take place at the church, including an evening of music by Incognito Gospel Choir, who will sing ‘Amazing Grace’ and other gospel standards.

Seán Doran and Liam Browne, of festival curators DoranBrowne Arts Imagineers, said they hoped the festival would be ‘a unique shared experience as the audience move through five or more different genres within the space of one event whilst also taking in the breathtaking beauty of these late medieval churches, 15 of which were originally created by the architect Sir Christopher Wren.’

For more information visit thewasteland2022.com.

4 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

n

A NEW chaplain to the Queen has praised the monarch for her openness about her Christian faith, reported the Sunday Express.

The Rev Canon Lynda Klimas, who will join a rota of royal chaplains, said she believed the Queen’s faith had supported her over the years.

‘Like most Christians, I think it is her faith that has enabled her to deal with her many changes in her long reign,’ she said. ‘I find it lovely as so many keep their faith private but the Queen is natural about it. She talks about it without making it awkward for people.’

The priest described the Queen’s loyalty and commitment as inspirational, saying: ‘She has had as many problems as the rest of us, but just gets on with it day by day. It is a loyal commitment and that’s all God asks.’

AF FOTOGRAFIE/ALAMY

CANTERBURY Cathedral and the ruins of Whitby Abbey have been voted as two of the top 30 sights every Briton should see in their lifetime, according to a survey commissioned by Vision Express.

As reported by Mail Online, Canterbury Cathedral was in 10th place as one of the most desirable locations to visit, while the ruins of Whitby Abbey appeared in joint 13th place. The

IAN HADINGHAM

A KENT church which contains an art nouveau stained-glass window by Danish artist Arild Rosenkrantz is among the places of worship that have received funds from the National Churches Trust to keep them in good repair, after Historic England provided a grant of £1.5 million.

St Andrew’s in Wickhambreaux, whose east window (pictured) by Rosenkrantz was made in New York and was reported to be the first piece of American stained glass to be commissioned for installation in Europe, has received £118,000 to fund urgent roof repairs to make the building watertight.

Other churches receiving money from the grant include St Mary Magdalene’s in Peckleton, Leicestershire, whose acoustics have led to its hosting of many concerts, and St Andrew’s in Rushmere, Suffolk, which was originally built as a small church in the 12th century but was extended to hold larger congregations in the 20th century.

Newsreader Huw Edwards, vicepresident of the National Churches Trust, said that the money ‘will help to protect heritage and keep churches open so they can continue to support local people’.

tWwxcx Salvation Army responds to refugee crisis SALVATION Army teams across Ukraine are providing food and other essential items to people displaced by fighting in the country, while the church and charity’s personnel elsewhere in eastern Europe have begun supporting a huge influx of refugees.

The Salvation Army in Romania has sent emergency teams to work alongside other agencies and individuals at the border crossings in Siret and Isaccea, where they have been supplying food and hygiene items to refugees.

As people began to arrive in Molodova, The Salvation Army used its buildings to provide them with free temporary accommodation.

Salvationists of all ages contributed to the relief efforts by distributing hot meals, drinks and parcels containing other essential items.

In Poland, The Salvation Army has been preparing parcels in anticipation of playing its part in responding to the expected arrival of 100,000 refugees a day, and Salvation Army personnel in Slovakia and the Czech Republic are also planning their response to the crisis.

All the while, The Salvation Army is continuing its community work on the Russian side of the border.

The leader of the worldwide Salvation Army, General Brian Peddle, has asked Salvationists to ‘pray for the safety of those who are fleeing and for those who are already displaced’, that there will be ‘adequate hospitality from neighbour countries’ and ‘for the de-escalation of the battle so that the threat to life is no longer a reality’.

Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

WORD GETS AROUND Literature festival is a place for hearing and sharing ideas Feature by Claire Brine

R

EAD all about it – because stories, the ideas they inspire and the authors behind them are up for discussion at Words by the Water, a literature festival that begins on Tuesday (15 March) at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick.

As organisers in the Lake District prepare to celebrate 21 years of the festival, book-lovers are signing up to attend talks that explore a number of topics.

Bestselling author Ann Cleeves will be considering readers’ attraction to troubled detectives in her talk on the art of crime fiction, while philosopher Elizabeth Cripps is planning to broach the real-life subject of climate activism, explaining why it’s for everyone. Other special guests who will be taking to the stage to share their experiences and ideas include broadcaster Michael Buerk, who will ask if words are weapons, and author Peter Stanford, whose book If These Stones Could Talk explores how Christianity has been central to the lives of the people of Britain for almost 2,000 years.

While a lakeside theatre venue makes a picturesque setting for a modern-day literature festival, history books reveal that many inspiring stories of centuries past have taken place by the water’s edge. Some of those real-life stories have even transformed the people who have heard them.

The Bible records that it was by the Sea of Galilee, some 2,000 years ago, that a teacher named Jesus invited some fishermen to drop their nets and follow him. They did – and his teachings about God’s love and forgiveness opened their eyes to a whole new way of looking at the world.

It was on a boat, as Jesus’ followers watched him miraculously calm a storm, that they grasped more of what it meant to put their faith in him.

And, days after Jesus was crucified, it was by the water’s edge that his followers saw him cooking some fish, proving to them – undoubtedly – that he had risen from death.

Whether we are new to the Bible’s stories about Jesus or not, there is much that they can teach us about the world and our place in it. The question for discussion is: what are we going to make of them?

Real-life stories can be transforming

12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 5

‘C

ATHERINE BOOTH had strong beliefs right at the beginning,’ says Cathy Le Feuvre, the author of William and Catherine, a book about The Salvation Army’s founders. ‘She had a strong sense of animal rights. It’s said that she decided from an early age that she wasn’t going to have sugar, because it was a product of the slave trade. She was also a member of the temperance movement, which encouraged people not to drink alcohol because of the risk of alcoholism and people drinking away all their money.’

The driving force behind Catherine’s decisions in her life was, says Cathy, her belief in God. Catherine was born in 1829 and ‘had a well-formed faith from a young age’.

Cathy Says: ‘There’s lots of evidence that she went to church when she was growing up. It’s reckoned by the time she was 12, she’d read the Bible several times over.’

It was because of her faith that Catherine met William Booth in 1852,

A M A RCH TOWA RDS EQUA LIT Y Catherine Booth, who founded The Salvation Army with her husband William, pioneered a radical approach to social action and female equality.

To mark International Women’s History Month, CATHY LE FEUVRE, author of the biography William and Catherine, highlights her lasting legacy Interview by Emily Bright

through the Reformed Methodists movement. They married in 1855, and she became a stalwart of spiritual guidance and emotional support to him.

Cathy, whose book is based on their love letters, explains: ‘They were kindred spirits. They both had this deep yearning to see people become Christians.

God came first in their lives, even before each other. It was an equal partnership and they spoke about everything.’

Cathy elaborates on what drew William to Catherine.

‘First and foremost, I think he admired her faith. She was living her life for God. William later appreciated her as a wife and as a mother to their eight children.

He was also inspired by the way she inspired others, and he admired her intellect and bravery.’

One of Catherine’s acts of bravery was to pioneer the path for female preachers at a time when the idea was widely derided. In 1859, she wrote an article entitled ‘Woman’s Right to Preach’ to set out her theology. She later decided to practise what she preached.

‘In January 1860, she suddenly felt she had to stand up during a meeting,’ says Cathy. ‘She beckoned to her husband, and he bent down and spoke with her before telling the congregation: “My wife would like to say a word.”

‘That was the first time that she’d spoken to a congregation. Then that

It was an equal partnership

Catherine around the time she met and married William 6 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

Cathy Le Feuvre evening she actually preached. She became recognised as a very strong preacher and had a ministry in her own right.’

Catherine also attracted a different demographic from her husband. Cathy says that she ‘became well known amongst upper-class circles. She talked really well to women about the things they were concerned about. And she reinforced the message “you’re as good as men” without taking anything away from men.

‘That filtered into The Salvation Army, when it was created in 1865. Women quickly became preachers and corps officers.’

Indeed, three of Catherine’s four

Catherine Booth daughters became leaders in The Salvation Army.

The couple’s evangelistic style grew in popularity. So on 2 July 1865, when William was preaching in the open air, The Christian Mission, as The Salvation Army was formerly named, officially began. Over time, it drew elegant women and reformed alcoholics alike to its ranks.

While their primary aim was to preach the gospel, Catherine and William quickly realised that they had to meet people’s material needs too.

So they went on to establish a pioneering free labour exchange, alongside food banks, soup kitchens, shelters for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution, shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and work among prisoners.

In 1890, William published a social

action manifesto summing up their life’s work. The book In Darkest England and the Way Out offered a blueprint of how to tackle social ills, spanning topics such as job centres, refuges for women and access to banks and lawyers for people living in urban poverty. On its first day in print, it sold 10,000 copies.

The book’s success was tinged with sadness. It was published two weeks after Catherine had died of breast cancer. However, as Cathy explains, her influence was present on every page.

‘Even in her final days, when she was very ill with cancer, she insisted that William carry on writing.

She saw it as their life’s work. The things they’d talked about and the campaigns they’d had were all in there.’

Catherine had gained behind a remarkable reputation as ‘the Army mother’, as Cathy explains.

‘After her death, the Methodist Recorder paid tribute to her as “the

She had the courage of her convictions

greatest Methodist woman of this generation”. About 50,000 mourners from all walks of life processed past her coffin over a five-day period.’

Cathy sums up Catherine Booth’s legacy: ‘She was ahead of her time and had the courage of her convictions. She wasn’t afraid to challenge the social norms of the day, in terms of the place of women.

‘Catherine Booth was one of the pillars of helping women to understand that they had a place in the world. She was inspiring, not just for her own generation, but for future generations. Without her, The Salvation Army wouldn’t be what it is today.’ l William and Catherine is published by Monarch 12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

Stitche

Stitches in time Textile artist JACQUI PARKINSON has produced a series of panels depicting the beginning of everything. As an exhibition of the work tours cathedrals, she explains how she took on the challenge of portraying Creation Interview by Philip Halcrow

‘T

HAT sound,’ remembers Jacqui Parkinson, ‘of scissors cutting out fabric. My mum used to take in mending. She’d mend clothes. So I was used to the sound of a machine going and a room full of fabric. I came to enjoy fabrics. I don’t really know why.’

Jacqui is trying to tease out how she became a textile artist. After growing up in Manchester, she spent much of her adult life in London, where she set up a performing arts centre. ‘And that ties in with my art works, because performance arts are about stage sets – hence my works are big.’

Then, about 15 years ago, Jacqui explains, she made a new year’s resolution to take ‘a little textile course’.

She completed one and then studied for a degree ‘and ended up doing this work full-time’.

She says: ‘It’s strange – I didn’t intentionally set out to become a textile artist. But I

Jacqui Parkinson

‘Threads Through Creation’ is being exhibited at cathedrals 8 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

es

‘Earth – Dance with Creatures’

The Creator God is behind everything we see, hear, touch, sense

love it as a medium.’

A series of Jacqui’s works are touring cathedrals. They were installed last week at Southwell Minster, where they will remain until 24 April, when they will travel to Worcester Cathedral. The 12 large panels that make up Threads Through Creation reflect a strand that runs through all Jacqui’s work – and through her life.

‘When I was 14, I became a Christian,’ she says. ‘I had a friend who kept saying,

“Come to church, come to church.” I thought, “No, I’m not going, because it’s a place for old people and children but not for a teenager.” Then she invited me on a church holiday. I went, and I heard a speaker talk about how Jesus loves us. I thought, “I’ve been searching for love, so I’ll accept it.”

‘I went home and told my dad that I had

Turn to page 10 f 12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 9

From page 9 become a Christian, and he said: “Never mind, luv, it won’t last long.” But here I am.’

She sees her art as a way of expressing her faith.

‘I’ve always loved all the arts, because I think they’re a good way to communicate,’ she says.

‘I love the idea of sharing the news of Jesus through something that will raise questions.

That’s what I like to do: make people think.

‘When I first became a Christian, somebody gave me the New Testament and the Psalms, and I scribbled all the way through them, putting question marks down by passages that seemed to disagree with each other, then finding verses that connected the ideas together and discovering that it does all work. I love that whole world of ideas and putting those ideas into a visual form.’

In Threads Through Creation, Jacqui has taken on some very big ideas. The panels – each of which took her about two or three months to create in her studio in Devon – are a visual exploration of the beginnings of everything, as described in the Bible.

‘The first panel,’ she explains, ‘simply expresses the words “In the beginning God”, because I wanted to say to people looking at this exhibition: “OK, we do have this wonderful creation, but it didn’t just come about by luck or chance. Actually it has a basis in a loving Creator God.” It was a struggle to work out how to do that visually. How on earth do you depict God? But I love that struggle.’

And in her struggles, Jacqui wanted to stay focused on the overarching idea. She was not planning to get tangled up in questions of whether Creation happened over six days or of whether there was a literal Adam and Eve. ‘To me, those questions are not the most

‘God Spoke – a Green Earth!’ important thing,’ she says. ‘The important message is that there is a Creator God, and he is behind everything we see, hear, touch, sense. And he loves us and wants a relationship with us.’

The good news of God’s love underlies not only the content of Jacqui’s panels,

Jacqui at work on her ‘Threads Through Creation’ panels 10 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

but also the methods and materials she uses.

She says: ‘I always start on old bed sheets of cotton or linen. I use them because I like the idea that they’ve been used, that they’re ordinary and that they’ve held tears and joys, moments of extreme pleasure and moments of extreme grief.

‘I wad those sheets with a backing, I hand-paint them with fabric dyes and then I place very colourful silks on top. I then cut into the silks or fray them so that the edges are fragile.

‘So, the ordinary cotton has been finished with expensive silk. Something that started out as an ordinary thing has been transformed. It echoes that our lives are ordinary and can be transformed into something different.’

A story of transformation is at the

‘Universe – Sparkle with Lights!’ centre of her projects. Before turning her attention to Creation, she produced a series of panels on the last book in the Bible, Revelation, which envisages a time when evil will finally be put to rest. Now, while Threads Through Creation is touring, Jacqui is working on a series based on the crucifixion of Jesus.

‘Threads Through Creation shows how everything was good at the beginning before it all went wrong; Threads Through Revelation depicts how everything will be good at the end. Threads Through the Cross will look at the messy bit in the

middle which shows how everything that was wrong was made right again.

‘Eventually, it would be my hope to tour all three together, if we could find venues big enough – to show the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, with the cross at the centre of the story.

‘I want to share Jesus with people.

I want to say to them that the Bible is relevant. What God has to say to us is important. There is a big story.’ l For more information visit jacqui-textile.com 12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 11

Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

Becoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.

Team talk

talk ‘ ’ TEAM TALK

Nuns present faith to TV star

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

SHE admitted that she’d ‘never gone to church as a worshipper’ and wasn’t sure what to make of God. But in the BBC One documentary Stacey Dooley: Inside the Convent (available on BBC iPlayer), the presenter took a leap of faith, spending 10 days living alongside the Order of the Holy Paraclete Anglican religious community at St Hilda’s Priory in Whitby. ‘Could some peace and spiritual reflection help me find a more fulfilling life?’ Stacey wondered.

Even before she arrived at the convent, Stacey recognised that the sisters were living a life that was ‘entirely different’ from her own. In her efforts to understand their calling, she threw herself into their daily activities, rising early for morning prayer, attending Bible classes and eating breakfast in silence. Being in chapel, she confessed, Both women bit weird – but not a bad weird’. were trying to feltAs‘a Stacey got to grips with her new timetable, she connect to God found that she kept coming up with questions for the sisters. She asked them about their lives before they became nuns; about their beliefs on life after death; and about how to find a meaningful connection to God. Their answers prompted her to consider her own approach to faith.

‘I can’t claim to understand all of the Scripture,’ she said after chapel one day.

‘But I get the general sort of gist of it.’ As I watched the rest of the programme, I found that I couldn’t get Stacey’s words out of my head.

There was something profoundly moving about seeing a TV presenter with little knowledge of faith and a nun of 25-plus years reading the Bible together. Both women spoke of the flaws they saw in their own characters. Both women were trying to connect to a God they didn’t completely comprehend. Though the world might think they were poles apart, when it came to seeking God, perhaps they weren’t so different after all.

It reminded me that faith comes in all sizes – and that, whether our faith is as great as a mountain or small as a mustard seed, God is always accessible to those who pursue him.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

"

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

Tick one or more of the options below, complete the coupon and send it to

a

War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

12 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

Address

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

Rosemary Dawson on the life lessons she has learnt from her grandchildren

Ready to change the world

B

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

2

Which American actress plays pop superstar Kat Valdez in the romantic comedy Marry Me?

Gardens by the Bay is a 101-hectare nature park in which city state in southeast Asia?

A

4

5

6

British athlete Eve Muirhead led her team to a gold medal in which sport at this year’s Olympic Winter Games?

Who ruled as Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 until her death in 1603?

Who created the cartoon character Snoopy?

What does the French phrase ‘de rien’ mean in English?

ANSWERS

1. Jennifer Lopez. 2. Singapore. 3. Curling.

4. Elizabeth I. 5. Charles M Schulz.

6. You’re welcome.

3

OYS, I have discovered, can be every bit as fussy and pernickety about what they wear as girls – perhaps even more so. I have my grandson Samuel to thank for this insight into a boy’s mind (he’s number seven out of my nine grandchildren).

His mother and I have now learnt through personal – and sometimes expensive – experience not to buy him clothes for Christmas or birthday presents unless they are specifically chosen by him. If he doesn’t like something, he just won’t wear it.

Samuel celebrated his eighth birthday recently, and was very pleased with his birthday money. He later proudly showed me what he had chosen to buy. It was yet another hoodie, but this one had a rather challenging slogan on the front and back: ‘Ready to change the world.’

That’s some statement to make! Whatever our age, it’s not easy to be bold and adventurous during some of the most difficult and uncertain times we have ever known. And where do we even start? ‘The world’ is a very big place.

Perhaps the clue is in the first three words. Before trying to change the world, what about our own prejudices, attitudes and dislikes? After all, there’s always room for improvement.

But we don’t have to do it on our own. The Bible tells us that God’s Son, Jesus, came into the world to change our perception of God and demonstrate a better way of living. Who better to show us the way?

BOOK REVIEW Be: Godly Wisdom to Live By Authentic Media Fiona Castle and friends FIONA CASTLE is the president of Activate Your Life, a charity that aims to encourage, resource and inspire Christian women. In this book, she has worked with other women from many walks of life to produce a year’s worth of daily readings.

Each day’s reading contains a Bible verse, a thought based on a topic taken from that verse and a prayer. As each day is numbered rather than dated, the book can be started at any point during a calendar year. The daily segments are given ‘Be’ headings, such as ‘Be Courageous’, ‘Be Grateful’ and ‘Be Active’.

The thoughts relate to the writers’ everyday experiences and they cover topics – including worry, laughter, joy and fulfilment – with honesty. Each bite-sized reading is concise and should easily fit in with the most hectic of schedules, bringing with it godly inspiration for every day.

Andrew Stone

12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Protect (5) 5. Furniture item (5) 8. Energy (5) 9. Under (5) 10. Disconcert (5) 11. Twelve (5) 12. Fastened (4) 15. Retrieve (6) 17. Scrub (5) 18. Threaten (6) 20. Diplomacy (4) 25. Cost (5) 26. Implant (5) 27. Requirements (5) 28. Keepsake (5) 29. Stop (5) 30. Secretes (5) DOWN 1. Drinking glass (6) 2. Assert (6) 3. Dull (5) 4. Astound (5) 5. Loud rumbling (7) 6. Close to (6) 7. High regard (6) 13. Anger (3) 14. Frozen water (3) 15. Regret (3) 16. And so forth (3)

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

2

2 6

8 4

17.

18.

19.

21.

22.

23.

24.

Royal mace (7) Dangerous person (6) Sick feeling (6) Attach (6) Dissertation (6) Stupid (5) Seat (5)

9 6 3 9

9 4

1 4

8 4

8

1 2 6 8 1 4 2

2 7 5

WORDSEARCH

7 2 1 8 4 9 6 3 5 5 4 backwards 8 7 6and3diagonally 2 9 1 Look up, down, forwards, on the grid to find these words associated with wisdom 9 3 6 1 5 2 7 8 4 G N K U Y W P2R W D Y8D 7F 3 6 Q5M K 4 M9 I 1 D Y T N G U Z L E A R N I N G U C B I U N O K W G1C 8 F X9V 3 S M2T 7 Z T4K 5 Q 6 S S E N D W E3R H S P S K E G Q X 7 4 6 8 5 9 1S 2 C OMMO N S E N S E E C L C T I I 1 R2L N 9 R3L 6S H5 F 4F 7 E R N V Q S N8R N R F E N H K A4 I V B L L E7 I 8 D H1C 6 O 9 5 3 2 N Q T U Q E I E I Z Q U R G E D H Z 9 V7D 5 2 8 M W H E Q G K6S R F U1E 4 Z N3P M

M O HONEYC B

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

E N T C A K E V K

1. Plastic cup 2. Return to 3. Fastened 4. Long-tailed crow 5. Drink made with crushed ice 6. Kitchen appliance

ANSWERS 7 5 9 2 1 3 8 4 6 4

2 4 3 6 8 7 1 5 9

1 8 6 5 9 4 2 3 7

8 7 1 4 3 6 9 2 5

2 7 5

4 6 5 9 2 8 3 7 1

9 3 2 1 7 5 6 8 4

6 2 7 8 4 9 5 1 3

3 9 8 7 5 1 4 6 2

8 1 4 2

5 1 4 3 6 2 7 9 8

HONEYCOMB 1. Beaker. 2. Revert. 3. Secure.

4. Magpie. 5. Frappé. 6. Cooker.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Guard. 5. Table. 8. Oomph. 9. Below.

10. Upset. 11. Dozen. 12. Tied. 15. Redeem. 17. Scour.

18. Menace. 20. Tact. 25. Price. 26. Inset. 27. Needs.

28. Relic. 29. Cease. 30. Hides.

DOWN: 1. Goblet. 2. Allege. 3. Dowdy. 4. Amaze.

5. Thunder. 6. Beside. 7. Esteem. 13. Ire. 14. Ice. 15. Rue. 16. Etc. 17. Sceptre. 18. Maniac. 19. Nausea. 21. Append.

22. Thesis. 23. Silly. 24. Bench.

14 • WAR CRY • 12 March 2022

8 8 7 1

J O B W Y P J T Q

G I L N E Z B D C

N T E Q U J M Z B

I C S P X E U J G

D E L W O N K U X

N P T G D B D D Y

A S H H Y R N G L

T S R MU C A Y P QG Z GMA Q I D Q A S EME B KM

E R A C R C C N P

D I T I O N I T I

N U U C P C RWR E EMU Q T MDW I Z E H H J F QO V X D Q ZMZ X T T T ZW Q Y P CW

CAREFULNESS

JUDGEMENT

CIRCUMSPECTION

KNOWLEDGE

COMMON SENSE

LEARNING

DISCERNMENT

PRUDENCE

ENLIGHTENMENT

REASON

ERUDITION

SAGACITY

EXPERIENCE

SENSIBLE

INSIGHT

SHREWDNESS

INTELLIGENCE

UNDERSTANDING

Tuna pasta bake Ingredients 200g penne 420g bag chopped chunky Mediterranean vegetables 485g jar tomato tuna pasta bake sauce 2 cans tuna in spring water, drained and broken into chunks 125g cheddar cheese, grated

Method Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas Mark 6.

Add the uncooked pasta and vegetables to a large ovenproof dish. Pour the jar of sauce over the top, then fill the empty jar with water and place the lid back on.

Give it a shake to get all the sauce out, and pour into dish.

Mix well to cover all the pasta and vegetables in the sauce, then add the tuna. Mix again to combine all the ingredients.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and scatter over the cheese. Return to the oven to cook for a further 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the pasta is cooked through, then serve.

SERVES

4

Tuna superfood salad Ingredients 250g bag whole leaf kale, rinsed 2tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, juice Sea salt flakes 250g pack readyto-eat quinoa ¼ red onion, diced 250g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cans tuna in spring water, drained 50g toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Method Prepare the kale by removing the centre stems from the leaves.

Add the leaves to a large salad bowl and drizzle with 1tbsp oil, half the lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt.

Massage the kale leaves by picking them up and rubbing them between your hands for 2 minutes.

Gently fold in the quinoa, onion and tomatoes before topping with the tuna and toasted seeds.

Cover with the remaining lemon juice and oil, to serve.

SERVES

4

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Love Vegetarian Seafood Society website website loveseafood.co.uk vegsoc.org

12 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

Stick with love…

Hate is too great a burden to bear Martin Luther King Jr

WAR CRY