The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church
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 7512
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 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army ©The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland 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 Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper
Your local Salvation Army centre
INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 13 February 2021
EDITOR From From the editor’s desk
WITH lemon juice and sugar at the ready, people across the UK will spend Tuesday (16 February) frying and flipping pancakes. Sadly, because of the restrictions brought in to curb the spread of Covid-19, pancake races, such as the one that has, according to tradition, been staged in Olney, Buckinghamshire, since the 15th century, will not be taking place. However, the culinary tradition of frying up a treat on what is more formally called Shrove Tuesday has been part of our culture for so many centuries that the day has come to be known as Pancake Day. Many of us, though, don’t know how it started. In this week’s War Cry, author Nick Page serves up the reasons for and relevance of the custom of eating pancakes six and a half weeks before Easter. In the interview, he explains that Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the start of the Christian season of Lent, which is when Christians prepare to mark Jesus’ death and resurrection at Easter. He tells us that eating pancakes on this day is ‘a tradition dating back centuries … In Lent all meat, eggs, cooking fat and cheese were forbidden, so making pancakes was probably a way of using up the excess eggs and dairy.’ Nick also explains that the name Shrove Tuesday comes from the old word ‘shrive’, which described the act of Christians confessing all the things they had done wrong and receiving God’s forgiveness. It may not be known as shriving any more, but God still offers to forgive us for the things we do that are wrong. When we accept that forgiveness, we find that the guilt that has weighed us down can be removed and the past put behind us. Nothing is beyond God’s forgiveness if we tell him about it. If we do, life can be flipped on its head as we experience a new start.
FEATURES
CONTENTS
What is The Salvation Army?
3
Call of the wild
Interactive drama presents choices
5
On the right frequency
Kiss presenter links work with faith
8
Pantastic day
Why Shrove Tuesday cooks up a treat
10 It’s a date!
App helps people find love
REGULARS 12
Team Talk
13
Faces of Faith
14 Puzzles 15
5
War Cry Kitchen
10
Front-page picture: DUANE HOWARD/NETFLIX
15