War Cry 18 May 2019

18 May 2019 20p/25c

It all grows to show

RHS CHELSEA IS COMING BACK INTO BLOOM

HOME AND AWAY Football project supports young refugees

ACTRESS TURNS HER DISEASE INTO A DRAMA ‘Being able to laugh dashes away the anxiety’

2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a church and 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 over 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 THE FA Cup final, which takes place today (Saturday 18 May), is one of the signs that the football season is reaching its end. There is still, however, a lot to play for. Hearts and Celtic are a week away from competing for football’s oldest piece of silverware. And the Champions League does not reach its climax until 1 June.

Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur’s achievements in overcoming big deficits to reach the Champions League final prompted headline writers to reach for the word ‘miracle’.

Whatever part divine intervention did or did not play in the victories, it is worth noting the role that the Almighty has played at all levels of the game.

Many top clubs owe their existence to churches. In football’s early days, Christians saw that the game could be character-building, fostering qualities such as loyalty and the notion of fair play. So they started teams, some of which went on to become well known.

Spurs are one such club, while Liverpool grew out of another, their rivals Everton (originally St Domingo Football Club). Fittingly, community foundations attached to Spurs and another club with Christian origins – Fulham – are today helping a church run a footballing project for refugees.

As we report in this week’s War Cry, the clubs are providing some coaching and funding for Hillsong Church, London, which has been putting on football sessions for young people who have fled difficult circumstances in countries such as Eritrea and Afghanistan.

Hillsong’s Ralph Boer describes Football United as ‘a safe space’ for the refugees. He tells us that he and the other organisers try to ‘create an atmosphere where people are known and loved, where everybody is welcome’.

At the end of a season when ugly moments in domestic and international games have highlighted that society as a whole still has a problem with racism and bigotry, Football United is a reminder that we can all strive to generate an altogether better atmosphere.

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 7423

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Stephen Pearson Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Assistant Editor: 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

Contents

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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

Back in bloom RHS Chelsea nurtures love for nature

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Pop stars – the rivals Acts dream of Eurovision win

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Pitching in Football project supports refugees

9

Belly laughs Actress finds comedy in her condition

REGULARS 4

News and media

12

Browsing the Bible

13

Now, there’s a thought!

14 Puzzles 15

What’s cooking?

Front-page picture: RHS/LUKE MacGREGOR

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RHS/LUKE MacGREGOR

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 3 A visitor photographs flowers at last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Flower power D

AZZLING displays of flowers will be opening in London’s backyard next week with the start of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday (21 May).

Since it first took place in 1862, the annual event has become well established. Every spring about 165,000 people wander round the grounds of the Royal Hospital, admiring floral displays and discovering the latest developments in horticulture.

Among last year’s visitors were actress Joanna Lumley, comedian David Walliams and TV presenter Holly Willoughby. They saw gardens that explored a variety of issues, including forced migration, dependence on technology, and human interactions with the environment – which goes to show that the displays at Chelsea are designed to be more than merely decorative. Every year they encourage people to see the world from a different perspective.

This year the Trailfinders Undiscovered Latin America Garden seeks to raise awareness of how rainforests are rapidly disappearing as a result of urbanisation, overfarming and logging. Featuring tumbling waterfalls and lush tropical plants, the plot showcases the biodiversity of the South American rainforest, and highlights the essential role that the

Gardeners spring into action with return of the Chelsea Flower Show, writes Emily Bright ecosystem plays in sustaining a healthy planet.

The Duchess of Cambridge has also dug deep into her creativity by designing her own show garden.

Her RHS Back to Nature Garden is a woodland space designed to connect people with nature, and to demonstrate the physical and emotional benefits that come from spending time outdoors.

The garden includes a play den, a swing seat, and a waterfall and stream

In the Back to Nature Garden seeds were sown to provide nectar for bees for children to play in. But it is also carefully cultivated to sustain wildlife.

Flower and fruit seeds were sown to provide food for animals and nectar for bees and butterflies. RHS directorgeneral Sue Biggs describes it as a place where families can ‘connect with nature’.

We can sometimes forget the power

of nature in shaping our world. Seeds may seem small and insignificant, yet are the source of the planet’s bountiful array of flora and fauna. Nothing could survive without the oxygen plants produce.

In the Bible, Jesus taps into an appreciation of the natural world to communicate the importance of faith, which allows people not only to survive, but also to thrive. He tells a story about a seed to explain how just a little faith in him can have a transformative impact on a person’s life.

He says: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches’ (Matthew 13:31 and 32 New International Version).

Jesus’ words tell us that, even if someone’s faith in him is as small as a mustard seed, they can still experience all the fullness of life with him.

Our lives may not always be rosy, but if we are rooted in a relationship with God, we can flourish.

MALACHI AJOSE

4 NEWS AND MEDIA • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

Royal wedding gospel choir sing lullaby for baby GOSPEL group the Kingdom Choir have written a lullaby to celebrate the arrival of the new royal baby.

Singing live on BBC Breakfast, the Kingdom Choir performed a preview of the lullaby created for the son of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

‘We have a very special spot for Harry and Meghan,’ said Karen Gibson, founder and conductor of the choir, which sang at the couple’s wedding last year.

They sang the lullaby in full for the first time at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester while on tour promoting their debut album Stand by Me.

Persecution of Christians ‘close to genocide’

ARCHAEOLOGICAL research into an Anglo-Saxon burial site in Essex has revealed that the items excavated point to ‘a remarkably early date for the adoption of Christianity’.

In 2003, a team from Museum of London Archaeology excavated a small plot of land in Prittlewell, discovering a well-preserved burial chamber containing rare and precious objects.

In the years since, experts have been analysing finds from the site, including two gold crosses.

They say that the identity of the man who was buried at the site is uncertain, although he would have been of princely or aristocratic lineage.

MOLA

CHRISTIAN persecution has reached almost genocidal levels in some countries, according to an independent interim report commissioned by the Foreign Office.

The document, the result of a review led by the Bishop of Truro, the Right Rev Philip Mounstephen, cited figures showing that numbers of Christians in the Middle East have rapidly declined as a result of persecution.

According to the report, in Syria the Christian population has declined from 1.7 million in 2011 to below 450,000, while in Iraq it has fallen from 1.5 million before 2003 to below 120,000 today.

The report also highlighted the prevalence of mob violence, church bombings and imprisonment as part of persecution across the globe.

‘Evidence shows not only the geographical spread of antiChristian persecution, but also its increasing severity,’ it says.

‘In some regions, the level and nature of persecution is arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide, according to that adopted by the UN.’

Crosses mark the spot of early Christianity

Scientific dating has revealed that the burial most likely dates to the late 6th century, which represents ‘a remarkably early date for the adoption of Christianity, as attested by the presence of Christian symbols within the grave’.

Objects from the burial, including the gold-foil crosses, have gone on permanent display at Southend Central Museum.

Research highlights high degree of support given by uni chaplains UNIVERSITY chaplaincies are playing a key role in supporting students, according to a report.

The Chaplains on Campus study also reveals that chaplains help to build a sense of community in universities.

In a survey of 188 students, respondents described chaplaincies as ‘safe’, ‘welcoming’, and ‘comforting’.

Two thirds (65 per cent) of students surveyed also said that they had spoken one-

to-one with a chaplain since starting at their university.

The study was conducted by academics from Coventry, Durham and Canterbury Christ Church universities.

‘Our research has found that chaplains are doing a great job supporting students pastorally and responding to an increasingly multifaith environment,’ said Dr Kristin Aune, co-author of the report and professor of sociology and religion at Coventry University.

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 5

THE leader of the Scottish Liberal n Democrats visited a Salvation Army centre in Edinburgh to see how it is trying to

reduce rough sleeping.

MSP Willie Rennie met the people helped by the Pleasance Lifehouse and spoke to the centre’s staff about the issues surrounding homelessness.

The centre previously had been catering only for single adult males, but after joining a rapid access pilot scheme introduced by the Scottish government and Edinburgh City Council it now also offers spaces to women, couples and people with dogs. It is working in partnership with Holyrood-based homelessness charity Streetwork to reduce the number of rough sleepers.

Mr Rennie says of the Lifehouse: ‘It’s getting more people off the street and under a roof for the night. It’s making sure they transition on to the next phase of their lives.’

Andrew McCall, manager for Salvation Army homelessness services in Scotland, adds: ‘The scheme is proving successful because it allows us to provide a wider range of support to men and women within a shorter period of time.’

n

PAKISTANI Christian Asia Bibi, whose conviction for blasphemy was overturned last year, has safely arrived in Canada, her lawyer confirmed to the BBC. Initially convicted in 2010 for insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a row with her neighbours, Asia Bibi was imprisoned and spent eight years on death row.

After the conviction was overturned, she was held in a secret location until it was safe to leave Pakistan.

CHELSEA footballer Olivier Giroud n has spoken of how he ‘thanked God’ after winning the World Cup with France

last year.

Giroud, who attends St Barnabas Church in Kensington, told the Mail on Sunday: ‘At that moment, I just thanked God. I was very grateful to have the opportunity to live my dream.’

Michael Rice will represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest

SING IT TO WIN IT

Vocalists compete for the prize of their dreams, writes Sarah Olowofoyeku LAGS and face paint at the ready. Tonight (Saturday 18 May) patriots FContest. will gather round TVs as 26 nations compete in the Eurovision Song And Michael Rice is representing the UK in the grand final in

Tel Aviv.

The 21-year-old is no stranger to singing competitions, having won the BBC talent show All Together Now last year. Tonight he will be singing ‘Bigger Than Us’, which he says ‘is about love, coming together’.

The slogan of this year’s contest is ‘Dare to dream’, which reflects the ambitions of many of the contestants.

Though every year there is a new theme, Alice Guyatt from London enjoys the familiarity of the show. She remembers watching it with her family when she was younger.

While she and her friends now often gather for a light-hearted viewing of the event – armed with bingo sheets on which they can tick off some of the goings-on – she doesn’t dispute what taking part to the acts.

We all see means ‘It’s a big deal for the performers,’ she says. ‘It’s value in about them daring to dream that they can be successful gain international recognition.’ hoping for or The number of dream-themed songs in pop history something – and Croatia’s entry this year being titled ‘The Dream’ – only underlines the reality that we all see value in hoping better for something better.

‘For me,’ says Alice, ‘daring to dream means questioning why we have told ourselves that there are things we can’t do, because they are probably possible.’

Sounds like something Jesus said: ‘Everything is possible for one who believes’ (Mark 9:23 New International Version).

We may not be the kind of people we know we should be. Or perhaps we feel that nobody can help us get through difficult circumstances.

But, by putting their trust in Jesus, countless people have experienced the new possibilities that he offers.

Jesus assures us of a love that is bigger than us. It promises forgiveness when we make a mess of things and support when we feel worried about our future.

We do not have to earn points to receive his acceptance. The prize is ours if we let him take centre stage in our lives.

Do we dare?

BBC/JOE GIACOMET

n

A CHRISTIAN who founded two international movements that welcome people with learning disabilities has died at the age of 90.

Jean Vanier established L’Arche, a network of houses where people with and without learning disabilities live together. He also co-founded Faith and Light, a movement which encourages people with an intellectual disability, along with their family and friends, to meet together for prayer.

In 2015, he won the Templeton prize, presented annually to people who have made an exceptional contribution to the affirming of life’s spiritual dimension.

6 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

Football coaches tackle refugee crisis Hillsong Church

Ahead of FA Cup final weekend, Sarah Olowofoyeku visited a football programme that helps young refugees to find their feet. The leader of the project RALPH BOER tells her how the organisers try to create a welcoming atmosphere

S

SARAH OLOWOFOYEKU

OME top players from around the world will be going toe to toe at 5 pm today (Saturday 18 May) in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Tensions will run high as five previous rounds of knockout matches for the two teams culminate in the competition’s finale. By the end of today, either Manchester City or Watford will walk away victorious, cup in hand.

Every Friday, on the other side of the capital, the stakes are a little lower for a group of boys who come from all over the world. A highlight of their week is a kickabout with Football United, a programme that exists to help refugees relax and find a safe space amid their difficulties.

Ralph Boer On a chilly night, I join this group on the grounds of a south London school.

The atmosphere is buzzing as the boys and their coaches begin to gather on the artificial pitch. Greetings are lobbed through the air in numerous languages, and rough play and banter are on show. Some boys team up to practise their shooting and passing, while others catch up off the pitch.

The coaches blow their whistles, and the scene that follows is nothing out of the ordinary: boys who just want one more attempt at scoring a goal, stragglers who still haven’t finished putting on their kit and boys kicking a ball at the other end of the pitch who show no sign of joining the huddle.

Eventually, though, everyone gathers and the boys are put into teams. The volunteer coaches are from Hillsong Church in London, and the programme was initiated by the church’s

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVIEW 7

We have boys from a whole range of nationalities

Coaches gather the boys at the start of a session refugee response team, which is headed by Ralph Boer. The programme started when he and his team were thinking about ways in which they could tackle the refugee crisis.

‘We had done some refugee projects out in Calais,’ Ralph says, ‘but we wanted to find out what we could do in the UK, so we developed a relationship with the children’s section of the Refugee Council.’

The Refugee Council’s Children’s Advice Project works with unaccompanied asylumseeking or refugee children. Some 90 per cent of asylum seekers are male.

‘We asked if there was anything we could do, and the Refugee Council told us that there was no sports provision for these children,’ Ralph continues. ‘We wanted to try to fill that

gap. So we suggested doing a football session twice a month for the boys. We got some coaches from our church involved and initially started running the session for two hours every two weeks.’

Ralph laughs: ‘At our first session, we had volunteers and pastors all ready to play a game, and nobody showed up. Then we had one boy from Eritrea who never came back.’

The volunteers’ initial challenge was to encourage the boys to attend the football programme. So they went back to the Refugee Council to get some more support. In turn, it began to refer more of the young people to the sessions.

‘When we had no one come, we were wondering whether we had done something

wrong,’ Ralph admits.

‘But over time we built our relationship with the Refugee Council.’

The improvement is obvious.

At present, roughly 70 boys, between the ages of 14 and 18, attend Football United in south London on a Friday. Last September, another session was started in Tottenham and runs on a Wednesday evening, and is now attended by about 25 young players.

‘We’ve started partnering with Fulham FC Foundation for our Croydon project and with the Hotspur Foundation in Tottenham.

They help with some of the funding and coaching and get us connected to a wider network of football opportunities,’ Ralph explains. ‘Some of the boys have now done coaching training with Spurs.’

Many of the young men and boys are living with foster-carers and are enrolled in either school or college. Their reasons for entering the UK are various, and many of them travelled thousands of miles to get to British shores.

The boys have faced problems in their home countries because of issues including blood feuds, war, persecution and conscription.

‘We have a whole range of nationalities,’

Turn to page 8

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SARAH OLOWOFOYEKU

8 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

From page 7

Hillsong Church

says Ralph. ‘We have boys from Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Albania and Afghanistan as well as boys of Kurdish ethnicity. The majority are from a Muslim background.’

Although the football programme is run by a church, it does not include preaching, or Bible or church-related activities. But Ralph is motivated by his Christian faith.

‘I believe God loves these young guys and wants the best for them,’ he says. ‘To communicate this to them, we simply create an atmosphere where people are known and loved, where everybody is welcome, whether or not they speak English and wherever they’re from.

‘It’s a safe space where they can develop their football skills as well as their confidence in English. Our behaviour, our actions and how we work with these young people are an expression of the truth that God loves them and that they’re worthy of our time and attention.’

While he is sure of God’s love for the boys, he admits that sometimes he is angry with God over the type of experiences they have had to go through. Ultimately, though, he knows that humans are responsible.

‘A lot of the situations they face are manmade and are as a result of the evil that’s within humanity because we separated ourselves from God.’ alph had been aware of this and other R basic beliefs of the Christian faith from a young age, having grown up within a

Christian family and community in the Netherlands. But it wasn’t until he went backpacking in Australia that his faith became personal for him.

‘Today I know that Jesus is present with me in my daily life,’ he explains. ‘I know that I’m loved by him and that he gave his life for me, so it means that I can give to others – such as these young guys. My faith gives me a drive to live for other people that probably I otherwise wouldn’t have.’

His passion is alive and kicking. As I walk round the pitch, taking my own shots of the players with a camera, I can see Ralph talking and joking around with the boys, as well as ensuring everyone is where they need to be, welcoming new arrivals, and communicating with his team.

There is a relaxed feel to the session, and Ralph and the coaches make certain that no one is left on the sidelines. I get the chance to speak to a few of the boys. They all tell me that they enjoy the programme and that they’ve made friends here. They are all smiling and laughing.

But the story hasn’t always been so positive for many of them. One tells me of his journey to England. ‘It was difficult to come here,’ he says. ‘I came on my own and had to conceal myself inside a lorry to get to England. It was scary and dangerous.’

This lad is not the only one who will have a story such as this.

‘Some of the things the young people share are heartbreaking,’ says Ralph, ‘but one of the successes of the programme is seeing the boys become friends with each other and being able to have a good time.’

I believe God loves these young guys and wants the best for them

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVIEW 9 LEO WILLIAMS

‘I feel gifted to have an illness’

Liz Richardson

Ahead of World Inflammatory Bowel Disease Day tomorrow (Sunday 19 May), actress LIZ RICHARDSON talks to Linda McTurk about living with ulcerative colitis and creating a play based on her experiences

CHRIS PAYNE

‘O

NE day in my early twenties, I collapsed on the street outside a shopping centre while waiting to use the toilet,’ recalls Liz Richardson. ‘Being so obviously poorly, I was immediately put on medication and hospitalised.’

After having a colonoscopy for unexplained bleeding and pain, Liz was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes ulcers to form in a person’s large intestine. People with the illness often have a number of symptoms that interrupt their daily life, such as abdominal pain, recurring diarrhoea with blood and the need to empty their bowels frequently.

‘The more people are aware of inflammatory bowel disease, the better,’ says Liz. ‘Not all disabilities are visible. People like me who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis sometimes need special keys to access disabled toilets, because if I’m in a rush and I need the loo, I need to find a loo quickly. It would be good if more people were aware of this need and didn’t question why someone is using a disabled toilet if they look fine and are not in a wheelchair.’

To raise awareness about inflammatory bowel disease, Liz, who is an actress, has created a one-woman comedy about her experiences of living with ulcerative colitis.

Called Gutted, it has been performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and in a variety of venues across the UK, including hospitals.

In Gutted, which she developed with theatremaker Tara Robinson, Liz plays various roles to show audience members what it is like to live with a chronic health condition. At the

Liz in ‘Gutted’

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10 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

From page 9 heart of the play is humour, which she uses to help alleviate people’s fears of talking about illness.

‘We all know that there are undertones of sadness or fear when we face problems in life, but to be able to laugh at them dashes away the anxiety,’ she says. ‘I’m a big believer of light moments. Everyone goes to the toilet, everyone poos. Some of us just have a different, more painful experience with it.

‘Sadly, ulcerative colitis is a young person’s disease. If someone is going to get diagnosed, they will probably be diagnosed between

11 and 25 years old. But because of the taboo of the subject, it often doesn’t get talked about.

I wanted to use drama to slash away the shame and to make it human and real.’

While Liz is outspoken about her story now, back in 2006 when she received her diagnosis, she barely talked about her experiences.

I was in denial, although I was poorly the whole time

‘When I first found out I had ulcerative colitis, I was in denial, although I was poorly the whole time,’ she admits. ‘I was in a lot of pain. I was also taking medication, which got me down, and I lost a bit of hair and was swollen on steroids.

‘It wasn’t quite the graduation from acting school that I was hoping for – but I refused to let it get in the way of my having a good time in my twenties. So I carried on having fun, but then would often end up in hospital once a year.’

For years, Liz tried to manage ulcerative

CHRIS PAYNE

Quote for this one and more here etc like this one here

In her comedy play, Liz uses videos and props to demonstrate her experiences of illness

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVIEW 11 CHRIS PAYNE

colitis using medication. But she still struggled to carry out daily activities. Then, at Christmas 2010, her life came to a halt when she had a severe flare-up of the disease.

‘I had met my partner only six months beforehand, and I knew that after surgery, if we ever wanted a family, I would have no more than a 50-50 chance of being able to conceive naturally. But I got very poorly, so we decided we were going to have to go for the surgery, and I had my large intestine removed.

‘It took me quite a long time to recover afterwards. The operation was all in the abdominal area, so I couldn’t walk about. I also had 48 stitches and had to live with an ileostomy bag attached to my body, which collects waste. That was pretty hard.’

fter spending a year in recovery, Liz A married her partner and moved from London to the Peak District. She underwent a

further procedure to install an ileal anal pouch, sometimes known as a J-pouch, inside her abdomen so that she would not need to live with an ileostomy bag any longer.

‘I’m relieved, because I didn’t want to live with a bag for ever,’ she explains. ‘However, I’m also aware that there is a chance that the pouch will fail in years to come and I would have to go back to living with a bag. But I don’t

Without knowing how bad things could be, I would never have known how good things are think about it. I get on with enjoying life now.’

Liz’s decision to have major surgery has meant that today she lives in a lot less pain. She works as a part-time youth worker and actress and is mum to a little girl she calls her miracle child.

Liz went through many tough times after her diagnosis, but she says that her faith helped her get through them.

‘I’ve always had a lot of hope in my life because of my faith,’ she says. ‘Before my illness, I accessed my faith when I wanted to. But after my diagnosis, I made faith the foundation of my life and my purpose. For me, it was about letting go of control. So instead of feeling anger or hate towards God or asking “why me?” I chose to put my life into God’s hands and trust that he would deliver peace.

‘I’m not saying that every day I wake up loving God or that I’m always pleased in the way my life is going. But God is more than I could ever comprehend. If we give our troubles over to him, he will carry us through them all.’

Liz’s faith has also influenced the way that she sees her illness.

‘I know it sounds strange, but I feel gifted to have an illness,’ she says. ‘It has given me

a positive outlook. Many people who haven’t encountered suffering are not aware of the preciousness of life. But without knowing how bad things could be, I would never have known how good things are – things such as the joy I feel when I get better, gratitude at being able to walk down the road without cramping or the joy of having a husband and a child that I didn’t think I could have.

‘My illness has affirmed to me the importance of stepping back from societal pressures and the constant, fast-forward pace of life. I’ve realised that life is short and I’m going to live as much as I can.’

l The text of Liz’s play Gutted is published by Methuen

12 INNER LIFE • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Debbie, who is very ill in hospital; and for Dorothy and Alex, who have unexpectedly lost their daughter.

The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances. Send your requests to Prayerlink, War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘Confidential’.

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.

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures

Psalms HYMN book used in Temple worship, A the Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs. Nearly a half (73) are ascribed to David, the shepherd boy who became a king. Some of these, notably Psalm 23 (which begins ‘The Lord is my shepherd’) and Psalm 51 (a song of penitence), are inspired by personal experience.

Reflecting the Pentateuch – the first five books of the Bible – the collection itself is arranged into five books. The first book (Psalms 1 to 41) is dominated by themes of humankind and creation; the second book (Psalms 42 to 72) is concerned with deliverance and national identity; the third (Psalms 73 to 89) concentrates on the sanctuary and worship; the fourth (Psalms 90 to 106) is characterised by wilderness and wandering; and the fifth book (Psalms 107 to 150) focuses on worship and God’s word.

Expressing a wide range of human emotions, the Book of Psalms contains some well-travelled themes. There are hymns of worship that extol God for who he is, what

Key verse ‘Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day’ (Psalm 96:2 New International Version)

he has done and what he will do. There are laments, asking God to reach out in times of personal and national sorrow. There are expressions of thanksgiving to God for his goodness and grace. There are festive songs to sing while making a pilgrimage to

Some psalms look towards the coming of the Messiah Jerusalem. There are also psalms – notably 119, the longest – that instruct the worshipper in righteous living.

Significantly, some psalms look towards the coming of the Messiah – a divinely anointed Davidic king who will establish the Kingdom of God. It is the opening of Psalm 22 that Jesus quotes while being crucified – ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ This psalm also speaks of being mocked, having hands and feet pierced and onlookers casting lots for clothes.

Other psalms offer prophetic insight that will be fulfilled in Jesus during his crucifixion. His bones will not be broken (34:20) and he will be offered vinegar to drink (69:21).

Some psalms, such as 150, encourage collective worship, while others, for example 139, are prayers that reflect a personal searching for, and relationship with, the God of the universe.

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18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • EXPRESSIONS 13

NOW, THERE’S A THOUGHT!

by Audrey Fairbrother

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B www.salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

Mistake was vehicle for comedy Y husband dropped me off at the shop and I nipped in for a few items. When I had got everything I needed, I left the store and M walked to the car. Opening the back door, I put my bags on the seat.

But when I got round to the passenger door and opened it, I realised my mistake. The elderly man sitting in the driving seat was not my husband – I had gone to the wrong car.

With a hasty, embarrassed apology, I retrieved my purchases and made my way to our vehicle two cars away. My husband, who had witnessed what had happened, was in fits of laughter.

We all make mistakes. Some, such as going to the wrong car, are silly and easily rectified. Others are more serious, however, and may cause hurt, anger and even devastation Pride and to ourselves or to other people.

Whatever our error, we need to say stubbornness can sorry and seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. But forgiveness works get in the way both ways. We need to be ready to forgive the people who have wronged us and who seek forgiveness from us.

This is all sometimes easier said than done, as pride and stubbornness can get in the way. But if we do not deal with our mistakes and subsequent hurts, we may harbour resentment and bitterness, and eventually suffer regrets.

In the Bible, Paul – someone who made a lot of mistakes – urges people to ‘be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32 New International Version). By dying on the cross, Jesus Christ opened up the way for us to be forgiven by God and to be able to enter into a loving relationship with him.

We need not live with guilt and regret. When God is in the driving seat, our lives can move forward.

14 PUZZLES • WAR CRY • 18 May 2019

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Appeal (4) 3. Cut off (3) 5. Counterfeit (4) 7. Grass cutter (9) 9. Entreat (4) 10. Church dignitary (4) 11. Marine mammals (5) 14. Taut (5) 15. Once more (5) 17. Manifest (5) 18. Softly, in music (5) 19. Cake topping (5) 20. Clear (5) 23. Be sullen (4) 25. Festival (4) 27. Surrounds (9) 28. Puff (4)

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Coconut chocolate bar 2. Scandinavian country 3. Day after Saturday 4. Used with a needle 5. Dairy product 6. Attached to a hand

WORDSEARCH

HONEYCOMB 1 Bounty. 2 Norway. 3 Sunday.

4 Thread. 5 Cheese. 6 Finger.

BLACKBIRD

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Plea. 3 Lop. 5 Fake.

7 Lawnmower. 9 Pray. 10 Dean. 11 Seals.

14 Tight. 15 Again. 17 Overt. 18 Piano.

19 Icing. 20 Plain. 23 Sulk. 25 Fête.

27 Encircles. 28 Blow. 29 Guy. 30 Lazy.

DOWN: 1 Pomp. 2 Away. 3 Lance.

4 Prowl. 5 Feed. 6 Erin. 7 Laughable.

8 Relatives. 11 Stoop. 12 Arena. 13 Satin.

14 Tap. 16 Nag. 21 Lying. 22 Itchy.

23 Snub. 24 Know. 25 Feel. 26 Envy.

CHAFFINCH

BLUE TIT COAL TIT COLLARED DOVE DUNNOCK GOLDFINCH GREAT TIT

6

5

GREENFINCH

9

1

HOUSE SPARROW

3

7

8

4

LONG-TAILED TIT

5

9

MAGPIE

1

2

2

3

ROBIN

7

6

STARLING WOODPIGEON

DOWN 1. Pageantry (4) 2. Not home (4) 3. Spear (5) 4. Pace stealthily (5) 5. Nourish (4) 6. Poetic name for Ireland (4) 7. Amusing (9)

8. Family (9) 11. Bend down (5) 12. Stadium (5) 13. Glossy fabric (5) 14. Light knock (3) 16. Horse (3) 21. Recumbent (5) 22. Scratchy (5) 23. Rebuff (4) 24. Comprehend (4) 25. Touch (4) 26. Jealousy (4)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB

ANSWERS

29. Man (3) 30. Idle (4)

8

4

9

5

1

7

6

2

3

6

7

5

3

4

2

8

1

9

3

2

1

6

8

9

7

5

4

2

1

7

9

6

8

4

3

5

9

5

6

1

3

4

2

7

8

4

8

3

2

7

5

9

6

1

7

3

2

4

9

1

5

8

6

1

9

8

7

5

6

3

4

2

5

6

4

8

2

3

1

9

7

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these birds

8 4 9 5 1 7 6 2 3 E C C W S L O N G T A 6 7 5 3 4I L E D T 2 8 1 I 9T E V Y H W V U D E O I X K M A H T Z 3 2 I 1 Q U E O X G M R N 6 8 9 7 5 4 T E O K Y Z B E K A J D H U C M P Y D M 2 1 7 9 6 I 8 R M S M L 4 3 5 L Q X L D K B H G P C V U Q U A C N 6 R 1R O W O 3 4 2Z 7 8K P H O U S E 9S 5P A Z Y N W P Z Z I 4R L M F E Y D V Y L N Y 8 3 2 7 5 9 6 1 X A Z M C U I A T V F E U R L X E A 7 3 2 4 9 1 5 8 6 O U B M H Z C I L K W I N Y O Q H C 1 9 8 L O Z N F R Z O H 7 5 6 3 4 2 R C C C R O T R A U W W O A T P N J O O T O C 5 6 4 8 2 3 1 I K C C 9 7 Q L B L A C K B I R D C C Q H N X C T I T E U L B A V T P T K E I V C K N I R I X M A A Z R I Z C F N X A H T G C K K T G W X W G J D O V M Q Q F J V C V D B K F B E L Y Z D C M A C P N O I T K H R W O V M I O E P Z B T V H U Z M Y D G N I L R A T S L

4

8

6

5

9

1

4 8 2 3 6 7 1 5 9

8 7 4 2 1 9 6 3 5

2 5 9 7 3 6 8 4 1

3 6 1 5 4 8 9 2 7

1 3 5 9 2 4 7 8 6

9 4 8 6 7 3 5 1 2

7 2 6 1 8 5 4 9 3

SUDOKU SOLUTION

4 8

8 7

2 5

3 6

1 3

9 4

7 2

18 May 2019 • WAR CRY • WHAT’S COOKING? 15

Roast beef thatched cottage pie 1tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 1tsp tomato purée 1tsp plain flour 400ml beef stock ½ tbsp brown sauce 400g cooked or leftover roast beef, roughly chopped 100g frozen peas SERVES

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

4

400g Rooster potatoes, peeled Salt and milled pepper

Loaded potato skins 2 large potatoes Olive oil, to roast Salt and pepper 340g can sweetcorn, drained 3tbsp light mayonnaise 4tbsp chopped coriander 1 lime, juice and zest 2tsp chilli powder 100g grated cheddar

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.

Microwave the potatoes for 8 minutes, then halve and scoop out the flesh. Reserve the potato flesh for another dish. Roast the potato skins in the oven with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper for 20 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden.

Mix the sweetcorn with the remaining ingredients and fill the skins. Place the skins back in the oven for 2 minutes, then serve with salad and lime wedges.

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

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion, celery and carrots until soft. Add the tomato purée and cook for a further minute before stirring in the plain flour.

Pour in the beef stock and brown sauce. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Add the roast beef and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and half of the rosemary.

Season lightly and tip into a suitable oven dish.

Coarsely grate the potato and place in a clean tea towel.

Squeeze the potatoes dry and season lightly. Cover the cottage pie filling with the grated potato and sprinkle over the remaining rosemary. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the top is crispy.

Serve with greens.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board website lovepotatoes.co.uk

SERVES

4

How sweet it is to be extended a compassionate hand when we are least deserving Allen Satterlee