What is The Salvation Army?
2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR CRY • 16 November 2019
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
From the editor’s desk FOR the past 20 years, November has been National Novel Writing Month. Since 1999, thousands of people have taken up the challenge of writing 50,000 words of a novel during the 30 days. Although the initiative is known as a national month, the internet community behind it supports writers across the world and claims that books such as Water for Elephants and Fangirl began as rough drafts during it. The idea of writing a book appeals to many people from all walks of life – there is a school of thought that says everyone has at least one book within them. In this week’s War Cry we speak with Alison Shell, co-editor of a book that explores how Christianity shaped the writings of 13 women who certainly had at least one book in them. The writers featured in Anglican Women Novelists include crime writers P. D. James and Dorothy L. Sayers and 19th-century novelist Charlotte Brontë, whose faith, according to Alison, is ‘woven through’ her books. Alison says: ‘Religion was surpassingly important for so many women.’ The Christian faith was also important to Claire Brine when she gave birth to her daughter two months early. In this week’s issue, the War Cry’s assistant editor describes the care she received from church leaders and Christian friends, particularly in the weeks after she had given birth. Claire says she could ‘see the love of God’ through the practical and emotional support that they gave her during a challenging time. Of course, in the same way that many great books have been written by people who do not profess a faith, it is not only Christians who can care and help others through tough times. All of us are able to do or say something that supports or encourages someone we know who is in need. And, in doing so, we may be able to help write a positive new chapter in their life.
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.
SINCE 1879
140 YEARS
OF THE WAR CRY Issue No 7449
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Staff Writer: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight War Cry office: 020 7367 4900 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
Contents
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 Secretary for Communications: Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant
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 and Wales 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
FEATURES 3
Cosmic conflicts The TV adaptation of The War of the Worlds begins
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Take care The importance of looking after yourself
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6 Ladies-in-writing How faith influenced some female authors 8
Special delivery The joys and challenges of premature babies
REGULARS 4
News and Media
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Browsing the Bible
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Now, There’s a Thought!
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/©Mammoth Screen
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