Booth on Discipleship

“Great crowds of working people came to hear me preach; a large number were convinced of sin by the Holy Spirit, and many of them responded to my invitations to come to Christ for salvation. Encouraged by what I saw in Whitechapel, and finding other parts of the Metropolis equally necessitous, I visited some of them, with equally gratifying results. Much enthusiasm was created and many of the converts became my regular coworkers. These I met regularly every week, personally instructing them in the things of God, counselling them in the difficulties that they had to contend with, encouraging them to persevere, and showing them how to do the work they had undertaken. Some of the converts resided in other parts of London, and they soon commenced themselves to hold meetings, and to win souls in their own localities. I was entreated to care for these also... I was... driven to select men and women who I knew to be lovers of souls and living holy lives, for the purpose of caring for these new converts... The Lord was with them in great power, and hundreds of wicked and godless people were converted and united together in separate societies." (General William Booth)

Happy Founders Day

Borrowed from Captain David Collinson on Founders Day, today, 2nd July.

Salvationists in Nottingham, William Booth's birthplace, honoured the Founder's memory by a demonstration in the public parks. The plural, Founders' Day, was adopted to recognize the part played not only by William and Catherine Booth but by all the Christian Mission pioneers. From 1924 to 1939, Founders' Day continued to be celebrated on 5th July, but, from 1940 onwards, Founders' Day changed to 2nd July, which according to Colonel Robert Sandall, the Army's historian, was the anniversary of the first Tent Meeting at which William Booth preached on the Quaker Burial Ground in Whitechapel.

Today is an opportunity to reflect on what God has done through the obedience and passion of this amazing couple William & Catherine Booth. You may want to take some time today and go down to your local park and ask what can we do now that would have a similar impact in our local community. Having a meeting every night of the week in a public setting where people were challenged with the gospel message still seems radical today. Lets ask God what we can do 144 years after that initial meeting that will also result in changed lives and a reformed society.

Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army - Part 5

5. Organic Systems

This is about appropriate structures for metabolic growth. Phenomenal Jesus movements grow precisely because they do not have centralized institutions to block growth through control. Here we will find that remarkable Jesus movements have (1) the feel of a movement, (2) structure as a network, and (3) spread like viruses.

Now, this is an issue for us in The Army. At its best, our military approach was to harness efficiency. By this, we cut out layers of beurocracy such as committees and boards. It was swift and efficient. However, like any man-made system, or even any interpretation of any sort of church leadership structure, it can become an end in itself, instead of a means to an end.

Today, however, is a different picture. Our structures don't allow for flexibility, spontenaity and all the other 'ity's' you care to mention. We sometimes structure ourselves out of any felxible mobility.

Hirsch notes, not without significance, that Jesus movements are viral networks rather than command structures. This doesn't mean to say that there is no structure of leadership, rather it is flexible. We need a structure that can support potential growth, not stifle it.

You see, when I reflect on the leadership of the early Salvation Army, aside from the sometimes control-freakery of the likes of Wm Booth, we see something interesting. The 'Army' thing gave direction and purpose, but when we consider some of Booth's strategies, we see they are something akin to organic structures.

Listen to what he said:

Beginning as I did with a clean sheet of paper, wedded to no plan. willing to take a leaf out of anybody's book. above all, to obey the direction of the Holy Spirit. We tried various methods and those that did not answer we unhesitatingly threw overboard and adopted something else.

And while the conclusion was the military model, Primitive Salvationists were quick to borrow from other systems:

We believe that all rational measures, all the measures which men use with respect to the world, if they are lawful and good, may be transferred by the sanctification of the motive, by the transposition of aim, to the Kingdom of God. Yea, we are bound to it. (Catherine Booth. THE SALVATION ARMY IN RELATION TO THE CHURCHES)

Change, adaptation, fluidity...they were there. It also strikes me when seeing this in reality. Take the stories where Booth would get stories from some distant lands saying that people had started the Salvation Army, could he send and officer. Now thats exponential and virus like growth.

I've heard more modern and recent comments similar. I think it was General John Gowans who noted that he still often had people write to tell him that they had started the Army somewhere and that some of his Salvation Army Commissioners in some African territories could never quite pinpoint how many corps they had at any given point because soldiers would simply go off and start something where they were.

Now, thats apostolic genius at work, all enabled by an organic organising principal.

We all need to work at thinking about how we help, or hinder, the growth of our movement by what we think is our right to sanction or not sanction. Can we get to the place again where we structure for growth and spontenaity?

The Questions

I've no problem with the Sovereignty of God and his choice to take Jo home. It leaves many with sadness, but I know her experience is now a fulness she was yearning for her whole life. No problem with that.

My questions is around the bare fact that there are precious few voices left to speak life and a different path into The Salvation Army. Jo never held a position of authority outside her corps appointment, but yet she was what one would call a true leader in the real Salvation Army in that her leadership authority spoke much wider than her own sphere of immediate infuence.

There are others who had the same voice, who are also now very much outside the Salvation Army. Even if these guys are still linked with Salvation Army communities/corps, they have stepped back from speaking into the corporate life of The Salvation Army in a significant way. Let me just name them: Chick Yuill, Phil Wall, Russell Rook. We also lost Nicola Garnham recently to cancer who was another woman in the same fashion as Jo...we needed them.

I have many friends who would say..well, we coped without Gypsy Smith and Smith Wigglesworth, we'll survive without the others. And yes, there is a real sense that its not just about a few people. The problem is not so much that some prominent voices are now not there, but who will take the stand for a new generation?

Let there be no misunderstanding when it comes to my position. I firmly believe there are aspects of Salvationism that are repulsive to God, without a doubt. Our worldliness, our lack of prayer, our lack of zeal for the lost in this Territory are signposts of the spiritual disease we face. We have soldiers who can't describe what mission is, don't know the Holy Spirit in their lives and don't know what the Kingdom of God this. Please, this is not a judgement, this is a reporting of my experiences with Salvationists. Its a statement of lament, not of condemnation and God knows I, like other leaders, try to change that. We continue to press forward in increasingly irrelevant and self-defeating modes of mission and ministry to preserve our form whilst deglecting to sense the moving of the Spirit.

God knows I love the Salvation Army and that I am enthralled with the call he has placed upon us, but I'm increasingly beside myself with grief to the levels we have forgotten our first love and moved aside to less worthy callings.

I don't know what God is doing with me in these days. I spend nights in tears and mourning over this part of his vineyard. Every day I wake up and ask 'what are we doing?' and more than that, 'what am I doing?'

Well, these are questions I am continually asking. I so sincerely wish I could be released from these feelings and just faithfully do my task as an officer...that I could leave doubt and massive concern behind believing all will be well. I wish I could stick my head in some 'positive-thinking' sand and ignore the blatant and obvious. I wish I could see the good on my front and forget the rest of the thing. But I'm called to The Salvation Army, not just on my local and immediate front, but as a movement and I cannot separate the two. We're all in covenant together you see. When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer.

Major Jo Norton

A huge Armyrenewal salute to Major Jo Norton who was promoted to Glory this afternoon after a short illness. Jo's ministry was a mighty Kingdom ministry, she was a true woman of God and a mighty prayer warrior and leader. There are precious few like her.

Jo Norton has had a profound impact on my own life and ministry. As much as 12 years ago, when I was experiencing the Roots events for the first time, it was in Jo I saw a very different Salvation Army officer and a radically different Salvation Army in contrast to all that I had experienced.

I always remember her testifying that after becoming a Christian, she had two questions. She would read the book of Acts and ask 'ok, when do we do that stuff?' and she would read Salvation Army history and say 'excellent, when do we get stuck in?' Having gotten over the dismay that the reality was far from the records, she set her face towards seeking God and his Kingdom and indeed showed the Salvation Army something different.

Jo's ministry had a profound impact on the direction of Pill Corps whilst we were appointed there. During our Aggressive Christianity Conference, Jo provided timely prophetic ministry which I know that many can look back to as being a decisive change in Pill.

Her influence through the 24/7 prayer movement and the Wandsworth Boiler Room in particular have had an influence on the Army that is simply immeasurable.

I have to be thoroughly honest. I don't understand why God has taken her from us. Her death is devastating to me. She was a hero of mine. I look across the face of The Salvation Army in the UK and ask who will take her place, who will take up the mantle. God's Kingdom is bigger than one person, of course it is. Her gain is now very much our loss.

I thank God for Jo Norton and pray blessing and peace on her husband, her children and the great team at Wandsworth SA boiler room.

Authentic Discipleship

"We must still prove our discipleship by our love one for the other. It is not enough to wear the uniform, to profess loyalty to Army leaders and principles, to give our goods to feed the poor and our bodies to be burned. We must love one another. We must make this the badge of our discipleship. We must wrestle and pray and hold fast that we do not lose this.

The Army is so thoroughly organized and disciplined, so wrought into the life of nations, so fortified with valuable properties, and on such a sound financial basis, that it is not likely to perish as an organization, but it will become a spiritually dead thing if love leaks out. Love is the life of The Army. 'If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.' But if love leaks out we shall lose our crown, we shall have a name to live and yet be dead. We may still house the homeless, dole out food to the hungry, punctiliously perform our routine work, but the mighty ministry of the Spirit will no longer be our glory. Our musicians will play meticulously, our Songsters will revel in the artistry of song that tickles the ear, but leaves the heart cold and hard. Our Officers will make broad their phylacteries and hob-nob with mayors and councilmen and be greeted in the market-place, but God will not be among us. We shall still recruit our ranks and supply our Training Garrisons with Cadets from among our own Young People, but we shall cease to be saviors of the lost sheep that have no shepherd."

- Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle, OF

Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army - Part 4

4. Apostolic Environment
William Booth was, without a doubt, a man with an apostolic ministry. His visionary leadership, along with that of his closest encouragers, launched a spectacular expansion of the Christian faith around the world. Its a legacy that continues today as our current General, Shaw Clifton, launches us into more and more nations.
Essentially, an apostolic environment (where all 5 Ephesians 4 ministry roles are in place) is one that calls out and develops God’s people, and releases them and sends them into their part of the mission. Apostolic ministry creates the background, the bedrock, for other ministries. Apostolic ministry establishes true faith communities. It gives birth to the prophetic ministry which ensures that the people remain faithful. This then gives birth to evangelistic ministry, calling people to the one true God. With souls being won, shepherds are called into play. Once saved, the teaching ministry leads to fuller disciples who then continue the ongoing work. The balance must remain if the movement is to be kept vibrant, ‘sent’ and advancing.

The Salvation Army has inbuilt a ministry model that most churches today can only hope for. In its primitive form, the local corps setting successfully leashed all five ministry roles. In the corps officer, you could have a mix of any of the five, but her main role was as apostolic overseer, steering the mission of the soldiers. We see Generals, Territorial Commanders, Divisional Commanders ‘talking up’ our mission to win the world for God. We have our prophets calling out the word of God, speaking prophetically to the world and the church on issues such as social justice, poverty, sexual slavery, the call to holiness, and on the spiritual nature of the sacrament.

Back at the corps, the evangelists were leashed in a variety of forms, directed by Corps Sergeant-Majors galore. The Recruiting Sergeant team, including the Band and Songster Sergeants, as well as Visiting or Ward Sergeants were mobilised in pastoral care as well as in the teaching ministry along side Corps Cadet Guardians, Sunday School Guards and the Corps Officer.

We all know the story. I contend that The Salvation Army worked because the whole corps (read ‘body’) was mobilised to their particular ministry. It was honouring to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers and it created an effective fighting force.

Today, to a large extent, our officers have become one-man-bands. The simple call is for each officer and soldier to discover, develop and function within his or her own gifting. As officers, we fall into the trap of trying to embody all five ministry roles. Either that, or we believe that our sole function is as pastors. We need total mobilisation.

As officers, are we teaching our soldiers to be warriors? As soldiers, are we engaging in the mission dei where God has placed us? Is the Salvationism you experience a creative culture where you are encouraged and released in ministry? If its not, what can you do to encourage change? Are the five-fold ministries alive in your setting?

Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army - Part 3

3. Missional-Incarnational Impulse.

We saw that a crucial element of discipleship and disciplemaking was a thrusting of ourselves into the world. For Jesus followers, it was the same. The concept of ‘sending’ is central to the mission of the New Testament. Jesus was sent by the Father, the Spirit was sent by Jesus into the context of our lives so that we could then be empowered for witness ‘to the ends of the earth.’ But like Jesus, that ‘sent-ness’ involved becoming one with that which he was sent to. It involved a deep and intimate engagement with the world.
Hirsch describes the missional-incarnational impulse of Jesus like and good preacher and offers us some ‘Ps’:

Presence – Jesus became flesh and blood, ‘moved into the neighbourhood’ and developed a close relationship to us. He didn’t ship out to Heaven every night.
Proximity – He dealt with every strata of society, from Chief Priests, Pharisees, Roman Legionnaires all the way down to tax collectors, prostitutes and ‘sinners.’ He had table fellowship with people in ways that got him a reputation.
Powerlessness – Jesus was the ultimate servant of God. He led from a position of rejecting all the conventional methods of leadership of his day. He didn’t come as a king, priest or prophet, but he was, in the absolute truest sense, King, Priest and Prophet! Jesus influence and authority was spiritual rather than institutional.
Proclamation – Jesus announced the Kingdom as well as demonstrating it. He was at odds with the St Francis of Assisi who thought words we optional. You can’t take away proclamation of the gospel away and remain true to the gospel.
It is clear to see that the early Salvation Army understood missonal-incarnational impulse. The Army invaded and became and integral part of every slum and palace it could get into. In terms of presence, whilst Booth’s Darkest England scheme was happy to ‘get people out’, here was a commitment first of all for the Salvationist to ‘go in.’ The stories of Booth-Tucker in India are legends. With regards to proximity, William Booth’s funeral was attended by queens and prostitutes.

Even with our autocratic rank system and slightly tyrannous William Booth, we find words like this from the likes of Railton: “We are an army of soldiers of Christ, organised as perfectly as we have been able to accomplish, seeking no church status, avoiding as we would the plague every denominational rut, in order perpetually to reach more and more of those who live outside every church boundary. (George Scott Railton, HEATHEN ENGLAND) We resisted the temptation to approach mission from the lofty position of the churches, but instead was happy to be the object of ridicule from the churches who though we ‘dumbed-down’ the glorious body.

In the field of Proclamation, we took need say very little. We were born in the streets and the gospel was broadcast in every genre possible, as we all know.
For today, the questions are clear. Are we sufficiently engaged with the lost? Are we fully participating in the life of our world? What company do we keep? Is our leadership and ‘position’ as Christians expressed in service? Do we assume our position in society? Are we willing to stand up to the requirement of the gospel to proclaim the Kingdom in season and out of season? Are we still creative in getting the message out? Are we a movement accessible by ‘the people’ we are sent to serve and win?

Values

Apparently, here in the UKT we have a new set of values....or maybe its just that we're trying to articulate the ones we've had for a while. Anyway....Xander Coleman is blogging on them over at his blog. You'll want to check it out.

Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army - Part 2

2. Disciple making.

Inherent in the concept of disciple making is the concept of the Holy Spirit imparting to us the grace we need to become, in essence, little Jesuses to our world. The early disciples ate, breathed and slept ‘Jesus’. Their task as talmidim, followers of their Rabbi Jesus, was to become like him in every way, to somehow begin embodying all there was about him in terms of practical expression of his spirituality as well as simply the teaching he gave. The Hebrew disciple wanted to be so close to his masters footsteps that the dust from his feet would be continually in his face. The implication being that as the Rabbi moved, so did the student.

We notice that Jesus’ method of discipleship and teaching was very pragmatic. Yes, there were times when he sat them down and taught them, but much of the teaching was ‘on the go.’ He recognised that the best way to get these guys to think like him, was to first teach them to act like him by practically ‘doing the stuff.’ The thinking came out of the action. Look at the example of Jesus sending his 72 disciples out to heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom in Luke 10. It was at this point that he was saying to a group much wider than his initial 12 ‘Look...you’ve seen me do it, you know the score, its your turn.’ They obey, the respond and faithfully go only to return with a extreme excitement of all they had accomplished. Right off the buzz of their missional accomplishment, Jesus enforces their experience with the theological back-up to explain what had just happened.
When we delve into the history of our own Jesus movement, our own discipleship training mission, we see early Salvationists in the cut and thrust of active discipleship. Catherine Booth explains the discipleship emphasis like this: “There is no record since the Apostles of a body that has so encompassed the Divine idea, all its members being taught to make all other objects and aims of life subservient to the one grand purpose of preaching the Gospel to every creature and striving to win every soul with whom they come in contact to its salvation (Catherine Booth. THE SALVATION ARMY IN RELATION TO THE CHURCHES. p31,32).

Hinting herself at the discipleship making element of Apostolic Genius, she reflects on the contrast between discipleship in the Army and in other churches of her day. The fact that the soldier saved at the drum was pinned with an Army badge, called upon to testify straight away to their new faith in Jesus and in uniform serving Jesus at the front line the next week is proof enough of this dynamic. In Scotland, we have a phrase that goes something like ‘its better felt that telt’ – in other words, learning comes from experience, not from simple accumulation of knowledge.
As we have developed as a Salvation Army, we’ve taken up the very discipleship practices that Catherine Booth was protesting against. We She said that “these people stand in these paths of traditionalism and routinism just where their forefathers left them occupying all their time admiring the wisdom and benevolence and devotion of their forefathers instead of IMITATING THEIR AGGRESSIVE FAITH, and MARCHING ON TO THE CONQUEST OF THE WORLD. (Catherine Booth. PAPERS ON GODLINESS, emphasis hers.)

If ever there was a danger for The Salvation Army, it is this very same thing. It is imitation that is the key, seeking to live out the aggressive and apostolic faith. Not necessarily of Booth, or Railton or any other such name that played a part of throwing the mission of The Salvation Army round the globe, but in the ways of Jesus that threw the Christian faith worldwide; the same passionate commitment to living the life of Jesus that has permeated modern-day China with Christians.
Authentic discipleship can never be about either membership or about simply what we do at the Army. We must ask ourselves, ‘what exactly is the everyday, practical requirement of the follower of Jesus?’ How transformed would our world be by a group of people who covenanted to flesh out in real terms the life of Jesus in every area of life? What would our officer training look like? How would this approach change our teaching and training methods for soldiers and local officers?

It strikes me that if there is to be a future for The Salvation Army, our ‘members’ must cease to be members and begin passionately run after Jesus to see what he is doing in our day in the lives of our communities and learn from him, by his Spirit and grace within us, what it means to be a little Jesus in that immediate context. I wonder if we will have the courage to take our discipleship learning outside the classroom and hit the road with our crazy itinerant Rabbi.

Unleashing the Apostolic Genius in The Salvation Army - Part 1

It seems pretty safe to say that there is probably more conversation going on now about the nature , shape and ‘feel’ of Salvationism that possibly ever before. The fragmentation away from ‘first love principles’ have left us with a Salvation Army which isn’t always encouraging, certainly in the context in which I am placed.
I have personally been convinced that The Salvation Army is something akin to a sleeping bear. When roused and fully awake, its potential is tremendous. I’ve also been one who has been deeply inspired and motivated by the Salvationism of our founders. I’ve long been convinced that there was something in our earliest days as a movement which are key to our regeneration as a missional movement, a permanent mission to the lost.

It was in reading ‘The Forgotten Ways’ by Alan Hirsch that I began to get a really clear sense of what it was about primitive Salvation Army that was so potent. Its actually something that is common to many movements, especially Jesus movements within the Christian Church over the whole course of its history. Alan Hirsch calls it Apostolic Genius...that is, certain elements that are deeply ingrained in the spiritual DNA of Jesus movements. He draws his conclusions specifically from studying the early church and the present day phenomenon of the under-ground church in China. As I read, I started to explore how his principles applied directly to the missional DNA of The Salvation Army.

My history lecturer at Bible College once said that ‘we cannot know who we are and where we are going, unless we understand where we have been.’ The thing is, when we look at issues regarding who we are as Salvationists, we often fail to go further back than Booth, recognising that what was in him and all that The Salvation Army came to be came from somewhere else. Its all in Jesus.

Let me share each of Hirsch’s elements of what he calls, Apostolic Genius, the stuff that fuels and shapes authentic missional movements.

1. Jesus is Lord
The thing that set Judaism apart from the rest of the religions of its day was the nature of God himself. This is the God who declared in the Shema, in Deuteronomy 6:4, that ‘The Lord is God, the Lord is One.’ The implication of this was that God was the God of every aspect of life. This explains the somewhat confusing nature of Leviticus! If God was God of everything, then he was God of everything! For Yahweh, there is no sacred/secular divide. The whole of our being is under his Lordship.

As we move into the New Testament, we have a full revelation of God in the form of his Son, Jesus. The concept of the Lordship of YHWH over everything becomes focussed. We are invited to understand God through the Lordship of Jesus. The central war cry of the early church was ‘Jesus is Lord!’ This wasn’t just a statement of theology, it was the heart of the Hebraic mindset that understood that spirituality and religion were not compartmentalised to certain sections of life. It is the ultimate distillation of our faith. The whole of life was to be ordered under the Lordship of Jesus. Everything was spiritual. It is the essence of faith, after which everything else is marginal.

The early Salvation Army no doubt had the Lordship of Jesus at its heart. Catherine Booth wrote: “And what is our work? To go and subjugate the world to Jesus; everybody we can reach; everybody we can influence, and bring them to the feet of Jesus. (Catherine Booth, AGGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY)

More spectacularly, she said at another point, “ The decree has gone forth that the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and that He shall reign whose right it is, from the rivers to the ends of the earth. I believe that this Movement is to inaugurate the great final conquest of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Catherine Booth, in John Rhemick. A NEW PEOPLE OF GOD.)

Not only did Catherine believe in the centrality of Lordship of Jesus in faith, but she affirmed his was an organising principle, something which gave reason to our coming together in the first place.

We see this Lordship expressed is various ways with the primitive Salvation Army. Consider uniform wearing at work, the desire to take faith into the workplace. Look at our theology of sanctifying the ordinary and our theology of the sacramental life as opposed to the sacramental rituals. Revisit the construct of The Salvation Army flag with its reminiscent ‘Yahweh our Banner’ (Exodus 17:15) and the desire of William Booth to see it flying from every public building. One need look no further than our response to societal problems! This was a robust desire to see the Kingdom come in every sphere, and in every area of life, temporal and spiritual. Today we call it wholistic; a term we were doing before we knew the term.

Is Jesus the Lord of The Salvation Army today? Do we divide our work, service and ministry into sacred and secular? Are we passionate about bringing the world to the feet of Jesus to the extent that everything we do is organised around this principle? And what of our social work? Does Jesus claim of Lordship find itself at home at the heart of all we do in that sector? As a whole, does our ministry look like an expression of the whole ministry of Jesus as we find in the pages of the gospels?

Keep tuned for thoughts on the other elements.

The one about....our missionary challenge

It is the most obscure thing to be a missionary in your own country and culture. The state of the nation, its spiritual temperature, its distance from the 'church' lead us to a very specific challenge. That challenge is how do we share Jesus with people.

In many ways, we face a not to dis-similar challenge to that the Army faced at its birth...a nation far away or excluded from church and in desperate need of redemption. It was on this stage that the Apostolic Genius which Alan Hirsch talks about began to show itself and be unleashed in the life of Booth and his comrages.

Apostolic Genius? At the heart of it all, Jesus is Lord. But also: disciple making, missional-incarnational impulse, organic structures (or at least in the Army's case, a functional structure which gave the structure needed for that particular time), apostolic environment and a communitas (not community) of people focus and gathered round the one over-arching missional task.

In my little foray recently through the archives of armyrenewal I came across a startling quote by General John Gowans. General Gowans drops this bomb, in reference to some particilar corps in the Army:

"They started taking care of the corps instead of taking care of the lost and the Lord took their candlestick from its place. The glory has departed."

Wowee!! Strong. It is a reminder, though, that we are certainly not in this business to build churches. That is congregations of people who gather like sheep to be fed. Rather, we make disciples who are then equipped to incarnate the gospel in the work place, the school, the street, the neighbourhood watch meeting, the parent council, the local government, the local prison, the schools, the statutory youth work, the community associations.

I came across a quote from a guy called Hugh Halter, someone I'd never heard of until a few days ago when I came across his book 'The Tangible Kingdom.' He says this: “The goal of our missional life is not to grow churches. The goal of church is to grow missionaries. The goal of the gospel is not to get people to church. The result of the gospel is that people will find each other and gather because of the deep meaning of a common experience.”

This needs to sink in folks. We can patch up our 'churches' or our 'churchy corps' until the cows come home with all sorts of schemes, deals and promotions but until we mobilise the Army as a force propelled by apostolic genius, we're barking up the wrong tree. Halter's quote could easily have come from the mouth of a Booth or a Railton. And actually, I think it rings true with the very words of the Commander-in-Chief himself, the Lord Jesus.

On blogging

Well, I just managed to make my heart race like a high speed train. Having noticed tha armyrenewal blog's 5th birthday had passed un-noticed by me, I decided to have a look back over the last 5 years.

What can I say? Well, its been a journey! What victories! What defeats! What joys! What heart rending disappointments! And then there has been the One who has been constant in it all, praise his Name. I thank him for the way he's chipped away, moulded, melted and refilled. I'm better for it, for all of it, the positive and he negative. I look back and see things I'd do very differently...but then thats the blessing of hindsight.

This blog for me has always been about recording and reflecting on things at the heart of Salvationism, the regeneration and revigorisation (if thats a word) of it and sometimes even the proposed re-construction of it. Its also been, in part, a mission journal of things ventured, mountains climbed. It has been sensored, complained about, celebrated, quoted, read and maligned. Its been a crucial part of my reflective approach to ministry regardless of all that.

Meanwhile, as the blogs go up and the posts keep coming, I remind myself that behind it all is little me just desperate to be used by God and to see his Kingdom come, and me with all my imperfections and faults at that.

Its not a medium that I intend giving up very soon. I have thought about it once or twice. Certainly, there are some who wish that it wasn't in existence. But I hope that in the writing it reflects one important thing...that is, that as we battle on in the salvation war, we battle as humans in need of His grace. We battle as people doing our best for the glorious Kingdom.

Thank you to those who have faithfully read, encouraged, disagreed, engaged and who offer your public and private words of support. You've no idea what it means. Thank you.

Affirmations #10 Faith at the margins

10. I believe that we exist primarily for those at the edges and margins of our society, the last, the lost and the least.

I did tell you that I had one to add to the list which I think is crucial. These are our people.

Its interesting to note that when William Booth declared to his wife that he'd found his destiny, he was well established in his ministry, really. He'd been a street preacher...that wasn't his destiny. He'd been a circuit preacher...that wasn't his destiny. He'd lead great revival meetings and special prayer meetings...he didn't declare that was his destiny either.

He declared he found his destiny have shared the gospel with the poor and those at the bottom of the social latter on London's Whitechapel Road.

Near the end of his life, he said this:
"...the poor are my people. I gave my life to them ever and ever so many years ago. They were my first love, and I shall be true to my bride. It is with the poor that I shall hope to be in the Kingdom, for, although I esteem the rich, it is for their pocketbooks that I care most, because I know that I belong elsewhere".

The old boy had his head screwed on I think!

But lets go beyond Booth, because we really have to. Biblically, the call to the poor is massive. You can't read the bible and escape all that Jesus had to say about the gospel for the poor. You can't just say 'New Testament' either, because justice and care for the poor are central to Jewish ethics and sense of community and justice.

Yes, we often spiritualise it as if somehow to get ourselves off the hook and say that 'well, everyone is spiriually poor.' Yeah, I don't disagree, and I certainly don't think we leave out those who are not poor in our ministry, preaching or outreaching. We take every opportunity to share with anyone. We simply make it our intention to build faith communities amongst the poor, because quite frankly, they are usually the most 'un-churched' people and in need of the most redemption (you'll need to chew on that theologically).

You really need to go to something like biblegateway.com and search for 'poor' or 'widow' or 'orphan' or that term that always cracks my son up 'alien' and see the response you get.

The next stage is to take the message on board and be like Jesus. We all can probably agree that Jesus spent time with the poor, lots of time. We can all probably agree that its right that the Church should care for the poor. We're not all convinced that its our job to do the same. How can we be like Jesus and not do the same??

To borrow a quote out of context from William Booth - "Not called? Not heard the call I should say!!"

24/7 Prayer

Its official. Confirmed. I am very likely mad.

Here at Torry we are due to embark on a 24/7 prayer week at the end of August. I have to say that fundamentally is just being obedient to what I feel God is asking of us at this time. Thing is its a prety huge thing but so is the battle we face here in Torry. Although we suspect that some people will come from other places to support, and thats great and desirable, the challenge for us is to re-introduce a rhythm of prayer into the life and mission of the corps...something that isn't an obvious part of the fabric of our community here.

We'll be praying like never before out of sheer necessity. Out of a desire for something to shift in our wider community. Out of the need to seek the Lord of the Harvest to raise up labourers for this corner of the vineyard. Out of a heart felt, empassioned desperation to see this place change and the Kingdom to take a stronger foothold.

We see death at work daily on our streets. On the faces of the people who live here, on the children, the adults, the elderly and the youth. We're surrounded y prisons of addiction, sin, godlessness, fear and hopelessness. Our local authority are good at making our community look pretty and presenable, but at the heart there is a cancer that is eating the vitality out of everything. Our community doesn't need plastic surgery, its needs complete transfusion and transformation from death to life.

We might be crazy, but we need God. We won't stand by and let the enemy have his way any longer. Things must change.

While women weep, as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight-I'll fight to the very end!

Prayerful and missional living with a passionate persuit of justice and all that the Kingdom will bring is the answer for Torry.

Affirmations #9 Covenant

9. I believe that covenant is the only hope of avoiding the international fragmentation of The Army within 20 years.

Firstly, let me say that there is a load of good writing on covenant floating around...armybarmy and Journal of Aggressive Christianity in particular. So I'm not going to present a case here.

I'm simply going to testify that its God's grace that has kept me in covenant with him as a soldier of The Salvation Army and as an officer. I fail at times, but God restores. He loves our turning towards him at every step.

On the international front, its certainly true to say that our common covenant is a glue and a strenghthener. Fragmentation is happening in so many places, not just internationally but internally in each Territory. Voices pulling all over the place.

When you actually look at the nature of our covenants, they're all about Jesus, his purpose and our response. There is hardly anything about it that we shouldn't embrace and there is diversity in unity too.

Covenant will halt fragmentation because it will call us back to our covenant making God and to 'Jesus as Lord' at the centre of it all. See, you simply can't be a nominal salvationist if you take your covenant seriously! If its rejected, we'll get all sorts of splinters.

Check out your soldiers/officers/junior soldier covenant today and by the grace of God seek to live it out.

Affirmations #8: Salvo Identity

8. I believe that The Salvation Army is a revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus.

This is the dream.

revolutionary = world changing
movement = not static or declinging, holding light to structure that limits and forging on
covenanted = trust...we trust God, he trusts us, he releases the Kingdom
exercising = doing the stuff
holy passion = take a look at Jesus and follow him
win the world = we set our aims high...118 countries and counting.
Jesus = the point of it all.

There is a lot of rediscovering, praying, educating that needs to take place for this to begin to happen, its a tough climb, and as I said in my last post, the key to becoming this is to look to Jesus.

I'd say that anything other than this affirmation is not really salvationism, so we've no option but to press on and make the vision a reality.

Prayer for Scotland

A request, please, for prayer for all of those who are part of the church of Jesus here in Scotland. We all face testing time here in these days for the spiritual wellbeing of our nation and indeed the advancement of the gospel.

You may or may not be aware of the recent debate within the 'national church', the Church of Scotland. This evening, the Kirk, at their Annual General Assembly, voted to allow the appointment of a gay minister, currently in an open relatonship with another man, to a church in the city of Aberdeen.

I want to stand in solidarity with many good friends and colleagues in Aberdeen who view this to be a huge departure from the Scripture and who will undoubtedly be in very difficult situations at this time.

I believe, in line with what I understand to be The Salvation Army's position, that those who would call themselves 'homosexual' should not necessarily be barred from ministry on those grounds, but providing that the indivuduals involved are committed to a celibate life (as any unmarried officer/minister would be), ministry can be fruitful and in line with the Word of God.

My heart goes out to my many friends in the Kirk, for those who may be considering their position, for whole churches who will be facing great difficulties because of this.

Not a good day for the church in Scotland.

Affirmations #7 New Army

7. I believe that God can do something unprecedented with The Salvation Army.

I believe God can, but will we let him? Where does the future of the Army lie, how will God do his new thing? What will it look like?

I believe God will be able to do something withus when we get a fresh glimpse of Jesus, when we take our eyes off of ourselves and look to the author and perfector of our faith, the beginning and the end, our Commander-in-Cheif.

Unsurprisingly, there was a quote that caught my eye in Alan Hirsch/Michael Frost's new book "ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church". He says this:

"For Salvationists to rediscover the fire and fight within William Booth...is valuable. But, when there is something fundamentally wrong in the basic equation of faith, then it is time to recover a vital and active sense of Jesus: who he is, what he has done for us, the way of life he laid down for us to follow. His passions must become ours."

Primitive Salvationism (read Booths salvationism) was empassioned by Jesus. Read any work of any Booth and you'll see how much Jesus was Lord of The Salvation Army. He must indeed become this again. I don't currently believe every aspect of our Army today is under His lordship. He will do something new in us when we rediscover Jesus.

Going back to what I said a few posts agi, our Christology (our understanding of Jesus from the scripture) should shape our missiology (what we do) and our mission should inform our ecclesiology (what shape we are as an Army).

The extent to which we are a Jesus Army (not The Jesus Army) is the extent to which God will do something new amongst us.

Simple Mission

Just a pause on the affirmations series to interject a post I wrote in Jan 2007, whilst I was still the CO at Pill. As I was reflecting on how things are going here at Torry, God just brought this back to my mind. I was pleasantly surpised about how Torry is beginning more and more to be this! As I re-read this through Torry eyes, it fits so well.

Funnily, since then, I've been heavily incluenced by Floyd McClings book and Neil Cole's books on what has been called 'simple church.' When I wrote this, I hadn't heard of these people or their books. I say that simply to credit our great God about the marvellous ways he speaks to his people to advance his Kingom.

By the way, all we lack in this vision is some bodies to come alongside us and help us. If you feel called, you're welcome to join us.

-------
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Simple Mission

I've got a dream. Its best encapsulated by the phrase 'Simple Mission.' Let me explain how I see it.

It is a corps of soldiers and local officers working a geographical area. It is, of course, a ward based corps, so the main teaching, prayer, worship and pastoral care happens in a network of small groups. New converts are also plugged straight into these groups because this corps doesn't hold conventional meetings...not every week anyway. Now thats a good job, because this corps doesn't have a very expensive building to maintain because its much more Kingdom efficient to just rent the local school hall when all the wards come together for celebration.

The corps does, however, have a decent sized shop front in the main street of the town. This shop front is the hub of the mission. It has a 24/7 prayer room too.

There might be a couple of offices at the back, but the front is just kitted out with sofas, a few tables and chairs and a coffee machine, and its open as much as possible. Its not a scant building though, it is simple yet attractive, modern. People float in and out all day, the young people gravitate there in the evening. Its the kinda place you want to spend some time.

As well as the ward meeting, the soldiers engage in brigade activity. They all get together at another time in the week and get out into the community. Maybe there is some outdoor worship, maybe some will be out doing prayer ministry door to door, some will be ministering practically to the poor. Others will be using the hub providing a course for new parents. Others will be prayer walking. Some might do an afterschool club at the hub to keep kids busy until bedtime. Others might be leading midweek worship at another church. Others are mingling in the local pub with the regulars. Yet more are befriending elderly folks, encouraging them to come down to the hub and meet a few people. Folk from all the wards get together to have a band practice because they spend their Sundays speading the word at as many public parks and events as possible during the summer and they love to go carolling at Christmas.

Others give free hours to the local Salvation Army hostel to help maintain the important spiritual work of saving men and women from addiction. The whole corps is invovled in mission yet everyone has much more time to be building personal networks of friends to invite to their ward because they are not down the Army doing all manner of stuff every night. At the bare minimum, people are attending their ward and doing a couple of hours brigade activity. Others are so enthused that mission is happening that they just want to give as much time as possible to the corps mission and they love manning the hub and supporting other brigade activity.

The corps officers devote their time to training the soldiers and local leaders. They get stuck in along with the rest of the soldiers with the brigade activity. They make the hub their base for most of the week. They may even be overseeing two or three hubs. The Army now has a less officer-centred ministry because of this dedication to simple mission because the whole Army is mobilised. The officer is now released to lead, direct and oversee...pointing out gaps in the strategy, manouvering troops, providing coherence, overseeing the pastoral work of the Ward Sergeants. The officers aren't shattered because they aren't having to carry the whole Army's mission on their own. They have plenty of time for their mariages and families and there is much less unrealistic expectation thrust on them compared to what it was like before the change.

The Army has come into its finest hour and we're opening new corps all over the place. Thousands are being saved, resources are plentiful and joy has returned to The Salvation Army.

Do you see it?

Affirmations #6 cell-based community

6. I believe that charismatic cell-based Christian communities are the most effective means of accomplishing mission today

I have to say that I believe this is true with all my heart. I think there is a place for larger gatherings, absolutely, but for the real nitty gritty, week-in-week-out Christianity, face to face accountability, study, worship, prayer and pastoral support its the way forward. So yeah, benifts in all those areas big time. Also, a small group working together in mission is effective.

We get hung up about leadership. Good leadership is important, and it does need to be a facilitating leadership, but small groups help the leadership challenge the church is facing today. Basically, mission isn't sustainable if the church is led by a priestly class...thats not how the body of Christ was designed to function.

How many people do you know think they can lead a mega church? How many people do you know who think they can lead a congregation of 100? How many people do you know who think they can lead a church of 50? How many people do you kno who think they can lead a group of 10? How many people do you know who can help facilitate a group of 3? See, as the numbers get smaller, more an more people think 'yeah, no problem.' The smaller the number the more flexible you can be and the easier it is to gather people to form the basis of a larger body of people. You see, the more complicated the form of 'church' we run, the more complex the leadership, training and theological education needed to keep the thing goin. We are currently doin our own heads in because we're working with a model of church that isn't cutting it and becoming more and more difficult to sustain.

In our corps, we have just started our 4th small group. Call it what you like. Our cells meet weekly. We then meet monthly for celebration, encouragement and to impart larger vision of who and what we're about, with all the cells plus a few more invited for good measure.

Salvationists need to re-discover our pioneering spirit in the area of church planting by planting small outposts all over the place. It doesn't need any money, doesn't need a building and doesn't need a theologically trained, highly skilled leader to lead.

Here is a great link to get you started. http://www.all-nations.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=48

Also check out simplechurch.co.uk - simple church is a newish phrase to describe these simple expressions of being the church which is taking an identity of its own, currently.

Books to read: the section on Wards in SA301, available at armybarmy.com
'You See Bones, I see and Army' by Floyd McClung
'Organic Church' and 'Search and Rescue' by Neil Cole
'The Forgotten Ways' by Alan Hirsch

You can do it! Lets start winning the world for Jesus using the best known strategy in history...plant churches, loads of em, small ones, everywhere.

Affirmations #5 Demonstrating the Kingdom

5. I believe that signs and wonders and prophetic and deliverance will play a big role in winning the world

Again, long time readers of armyrenewal will know that this is another common feature. As we look through the pages of scripture, the gospels and Acts etc, we see a very direct correlation between proclaiming the kingdom and demonstrating the Kingdom. Jesus very rarely proclaims the Kingdom or calls people to repentance without then demonstrating the Kingdom he is proclaiming or inviting people into.

All versions of the great commission, especially Mark's version, leave us with no uncertainty that signs, wonders, prophecy, demon-kicking will be part of our ministry. Certainly in Salvation Army history and heritage, we're not unfamiliar with this kind of thing. Five minutes digging in SA history will prove that...so lets not hear any silly cries of 'its not Army.' The SA gave birth the pentecostalism and the more modern charismatic renewal.

We experience in the Army an alarming lack of teaching on these sorts of things. It often doesn't appear on our radar. However, this is partly because we've been low on discipleship in the last few decades. Things are changing though. Many salvationist are now much more spiritually aware.

Now, its not the case that we want to find a demon under every banana skin...but we will want to be aware of the enemy and his minions. We will want to fight until the very end for the freedom of every person both saved and yet-to-be-saved. It is for freedom that Jesus set us free, said Paul.

Demonstrating the Kingdom in its many forms is something that needs revisited.

Resources for that? Try SA101, SA201, SA301. Full of great stuff and available at armybarmy. SA101 available now in book form via Australian trade departments.

Other resources
'Know you Spiritual Gifts' by Mark Stibbe
'Demoloshing Strongholds' by David Devenish
'Power Evangelism' and 'Power Healing' by John Wimber
'Come Holy Spirit' by David Pitches
'Prayer Ministry' (DVD course from Holy Trinity Brompton - home of Alpha course) by Sandy Miller
'Freedom in Christ' course by Neil T Anderson and other books of his.

Affirmations #4: Jesus or Hell

4. I believe that lots of people are going to hell forever (some who never got saved, and some who lost their salvation)

I can totally understand why people would want to theologise hell out of existance. I can imagine why in the midst of grief and uncertainty, Christians may chose to opt out of thinking about the issue of hell.

Funnily enough, we don't seem to have the same problems about heaven. Somehow, we can cope with heaven because its 'nice.' Somehow we can better understand a God with a heaven than a God who lets hell exist. Goes to show how much we don't know about God.

My grandmothers death in particular brought this issue to the forefront of my mind. Its over ten years ago now, but I will never forget the anguish of realising that she was probably heading for hell...that is unless she repented on her death bed. Its shocking, isn't it? My granny going to hell.

I had a thousand and one opportunities to share Jesus with my granny, but at that point I was in a strage softly softly place with evangelism and Jesus...I'd believed the lie that all you had to do was be nice to people and let Jesus shine out, and so I never took the opportunity to share Jesus with my granny.

Friends, the evangelisation of the world is urgent because hell is real. The God of love and perfect justice will deal with sin and rebellion in that place. Its repent now, or pay later. I thank God that he is a God of justice.

Some people think that its not right to be thinking about hell as a motivation to get ourselves off out backsides and share our faith. Some think we should just think about God's massive love. You know, let me just say that one of the biggest parts of Gods love is his love of justice and righteousness. His judgements are 100% right and so if hell is someones destination and its God that has done the sending, I agree with God, without a doubt.

Luke 16:19-31 (New International Version)

The Rich Man and Lazarus
19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

Let that word sink in.

Affirmations #3: World Winning

3. I believe that we should (and can) win the world

Again, this is a topic that has been repeatedly accented on this blog over its however many years now. We realise that the bottom line is that its either Jesus or hell...salvation is in him alone. We don't hide that, we declare in in out doctrine and everything about us. You may or may not have heard the prophecy given by Catherine Booth along the lines that she believed that The Army would be highly significant in winning the world for Jesus, in facilitating the 'big push' for world evangelisation and actually, at 118 countries invaded so far, we're not doing too badly!

But we don't just rest on the call of the Booths or the Railtons or even the Cliftons or Gowanses for they are simply emphasising the words of Jesus himself who called us to go into all nations and to make disciples of them. Preaching the Kingdom, demonstrating the Kingdom.

Is it possible? Well, everything is possible with God. However, doubt has crept in about our purpose as an Army. It is interesting that when we talked up winning the world for Jesus, people were actually bold enough to have a go! We were zealous for the Lord in this, absolutely. We know the task remains the same, so whats changed?

a) the task? - nah, the great commission still calls us.

b) culture? - we know the world has changed, church has changed, people's views of Christianity have changed. However, this is inevitable. Culture is always changing. What often doesn't change is our mindset or our methods. Commissioner Joe Noland has a little formula:

attack + adapt + attract = some (I Cor 9:22)

The key I want to bring out is adapt. We were very adaptive in our early days, we took leafs from anyones book and had a jolly good go...seeking to grab the attention of our culture. We must do the same today. The message is the same, the method, howver, will be creative as always. Have we lost our creative spark? Have we lost our innovation as a movement? Nah....its there, lets just unearth it!

c) the Army? - its my long held and annoyingly vocal opinion (to some) that the Army has been guilty in some quarters of losing its focus as a permanant mission to the unconverted. We've drifted into thinking we're a church, which is a grave error. Sure, we are the church (the church is the people/body of Jesus, yes?), but we are a mission. Our soldiers are missioners. But its not terminology thats the problem, lets not fall into that one. The problem is where we set our eyes!

If you set your eyes inwards, you become a people obsessed with the 'inwards' of the organisation. You become too focussed on yourself, trapped in unhealthy introspection at the cost of all else. Our frame of reference is how to survive and how to keep us all happy.

If we set our eyes outwards, we become obsessed with reaching the last, the lost and the least and transformation happens in the life of people. It also shapes us because we've looked at the call of Jesus, applied it as the priority for our existance.

With a nod to Steve Chalke, we must be careful to let our vision of Jesus and his mission to shape our mission so that we can best win the lost by all means possible. It is that vision of Jesus and mission that then shapes our ecclesiology (how we organise ourselves and what we think we are). We get it the wrong way...we let how we see ourselves as Army shape our mission, which then affects what we say and how we present Jesus. Lets turn that on its head.

The chart flows like this:

Vision of Jesus and his call to us -> How we do mission -> Shape of Church

Not this:

How we do 'church' -> how we do mission -> what we say about Jesus

Is the world not too big? No....not if you start where you are. You see, if we all do that, we'll have the world won by Tuesday (which even gives time for training and equipping!)

Here is a definition of salvationism you may or may not have come across: "The Salvation Army is a revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus." Chew on that.

I believe that the world mus be won, that we must lift our eyes up from ourselves and look to the harvest field which is ripe and awaiting labourers. Get yer boots on.

Affirmations #2: Holiness

2. I believe that we should (and can) be holy

There is much confusion around about holiness, the arguements have been well rehearsed. Our tenth doctrine is a gem, straight out of the pages of scripture. It speaks of a possibility, a promise, a hope, a certainty...both now in our current experience and perfectly when all things come to pass.

How to be holy: ask Holy Spirit to convict of sin, confess and repent of sin, we become dead to self and alive to Jesus. You might have to speak to some people and mend things. We ask to be kept from temptation (as Jesus suggests) and for Holy Spirit to fill us. He will be thorough, you know. Now that all our junk is gone, the fruit of the spirit already in us is free to display itself in our life and we're a fit vessel for Holy Spirit to inhabit...it is free to blossom simply because the opposites have been hacked down. Holiness is about more than behaviour....this dying to self is about putting to death all that is contrary to the Spirit. Its a truly significant thing. Hatred turns to love, greed to generosity, fear to faith, lust to self-control, etc etc

This experience, this place, can be maintained by God through our co-operation with him, keeping the connection well open. When you get off your knees, its pretty safe to say that sin has been dealt with. When there is no sin, the Spirit has full reign. We are holy, not only in name and calling, but in reality.

What do I do if temptation comes? resist it...take every thought captive and submit it to Christ. You see, God gives us all we need for a life of godliness...he gives us the ability to resist all that comes our way and won't allow us to be tempted more than we can bear.

What about sin then? Well, sin is when we choose to be disobedient...chances are if you're enjoying the above experience and then temptation comes along, you'll be well aware of it. You have the choice then whether to deal with it, resist it, straight away or play with it. We sin because we entertain it long enough for us to give in, NOT because God isn't able to keep that which we've committed to Him.

So, does this holiness mean I'm 'perfect'? Depends what ya mean by perfect. You have the capcity to sin, we will only be sinlessly perfect in heaven. But Christian perfection (did you know God commands you and me to be perfect?) is refusing to knowingly sin against God. So, God not only commands holiness, he makes it possible. Thats how good he is. And once he's done, he can maintain it in you.

Personal confession time: I fail. I disobey God way more than I should. But here is the thing...its not because God isn't able to keep me or that living in a state of holiness is not possible...its because too many times I refuse to let God have his way. I'm not proud of that at all. However, I'm not trapped by an inevitable cycle, I'm free in Christ. I can testify to long periods of time when I've been without sin. I thank God for his grace and mercy, but I don't take it for granted and I certainly don't want sin with all its short live pleasures and futile indulgence.

Almost impossible to cover all aspects of this in one blog, but covered most of the basic ground points I hope.

The big question we need to ask is 'Lord, are my hands clean, is my heart pure?' (cf Psalm 24). Looking for a good place to start? Try Psalm 51...it will help you get praying.

Affirmation #1: Doctrines

1. I believe the doctrines of The Salvation Army

One thing I like about Salvation Army doctrine is that its short and to the point...doesn't beat around the bush and are as simple or as deep as you are able or want to explore. They are memorable, can be recited without having a 100GB memory stick stuck in yer brain. Some would say that 9 and 10 are controversial, and certainly back in my bible college days, I seemed to have a lot of discussions about them seeing as 60% of the college were more calvinist. I've not problem with either of them, having studied them closely.

The doctrines begin with a clear cut declaration of the authority of scripture and our firm adherence to the Word before moving on to speak about the nature of God and the 'person' of the Lord Jesus. Our great and full salvation is then expounded and then the great holiness doctrine comes in at number 10. Then the great final doctrine which cadets love to hear echo around big auditoriums after they recite them at commissioning.... "punishment of the wicked, (echoe) wicked (echo) wicked!"

Long term readers of the blog will know I'm not too much of a fan of 'generous orthodoxy (read 'liberalism') and I believe there is much danger in dumbing down or watering down. Salvation Army orthodoxy is belief in our 11 statements. I think there is lots of room for different perspectives and aspects, and the doctrines certainly aren't exhaustive (not much on spiritual gifts, end-times etc) and you'll notive that there is much room for divergence in secondary areas, such as the second coming, but on the essentials, such as salvation, we're clear cut. So, its the case of really firm at the core for the essential stuff, leaving 'space' with the other stuff.

I've used the doctrines publically in a corps context as a corporate act of declaration of faith...it works well like that. They are short enough and easy enough to use them like that. Read with enthusiasm and meaning, they are very affirming of faith. I've done preaching series on them and even used them in evangelism. The doctrine on what is needed for salvation is a great but simple sentence which will keep any evangelist in the clear when trying to use some sort of map for explaining the gospel and shows wonderfully the trinity's involvement in salvation.

"We believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and regeneration by the Holy Spirit are necessary to salvation."

But yes, we are in days when any form of doctrine is criticised by the new generation. I don't even to pretend to understand the problem. Maybe they see it as being narrow minded or boxed in...hey, lets get some perspective...our doctrines are simply a list of beliefs that unite The Salvation Army internationally and draw us back to the scripture.

Yeah, I believe in the doctrines of The Salvation Army.

Firm

A couple of days ago Stephen Court blogged a list of nine affirmations he found somewhere on someones blog, I think. He didn't quote, so I can't either. Here they are:

1. I believe the doctrines of The Salvation Army;
2. I believe that we should (and can) be holy;
3. I believe that we should (and can) win the world;
4. I believe that lots of people are going to hell forever (some who never got saved, and some who lost their salvation);
5. I believe that signs and wonders and prophetic and deliverance will play a big role in winning the world;
6. I believe that charismatic cell-based Christian communities are the most effective means of accomplishing mission today;
7. I believe that God can do something unprecedented with The Salvation Army.
8. I believe that The Salvation Army is a revolutionary movement of covenanted warriors exercising holy passion to win the world for Jesus.
9. I believe that covenant is the only hope of avoiding the international fragmentation of The Army within 20 years.

They are an excellent summation of salvationism. I'd want to add something about our call to the poor - the lost the last and the least, but otherwise great. Actually, they are in essence a good summary of all the good stuff that has been coming Stephen himself for the last decade, its the emphasis of every faithful salvationist and I hope that people would hear those things under my ministry.

Those nine little sentences evoke hope, faith, vision and joy and are just an excellent reminder of what I, as a Salvation Army officer, am about.

In this last year or so, you've probably noticed, I've had some serious doubts and concerns, not about God or my faith, but about my calling and more specifically, my calling as a Salvationist. No doubt they are from the enemy, trying to divert me off track. However, God - gracious, faithful and merciful as he is - has used this last year in a serious time of solidifying and confirming...not to mention shaping and refining. I maybe needed it again just to confirm that resolve of my heart.

I am sincerely in a place today where I can thank God for it all.

Like Stephen said when he posted them, there are some who don't sign up to this for whatever reason, either through ignorance or through determined objection, perhaps. We can't always do much about the determined objectors, but there is certainly great purpose in teaching and instructing those who just haven't heard salvationism described in these ways.

It is my hope, over the next nine blogs, to take each statement and just give comment. Hope you'll tune in and wade in with your tuppence.

Back from hols

All rested, refreshed and all the other 're' words after a wee holiday, we're now back at the helm. So good to be back (not that the holiday was bad, its just good to be back!)

Spent the week in a place I used to go as a child. In lots of ways, lots of bad memories about the place. But actually, part of the reason for going (for me) was to redeem them. I wandered round that place and thanked God that he's changed me. I'm in a different place, in Jesus. Best place to be. I thoroughly recommed this. Going back to places you've once been and testifying to yourself about the change God has made is such an encouraging experience. Go do it (if you need to).

In other news, we had a great Easter celebration at Torry...our first monthly celebration, a gathering of our cells/groups/people. Was a great little crowd and just thank God for it. Not long until the next one! Yup...good steps forward, praise God.

Missional Salvationists Update

Just a note for those interested in the 'Missional Salvationists' group. We intended to use shapevine.com because it offered a good variety of media opportunities, however, its not seeming as if its quite up to coping with the numbers of people wanting to join the group! So, we're going to use the facebook group for the main 'hub' of the group as well as other sites for hosting documents/files and good old youtube for teaching videos.

We will be starting in full after Easter and my little holiday after Easter with 'gospel for the poor.' For now, there is a 'primer' on Primitive Salvationism...a discussion on a document written by Captain Stephen Court which can be found online (in both JAC and Primitive Salvationism website) from the link on the facebook page.

I hope in time to include some video teaching from some other folks, not just little ole me.

Head over to facebook, search for Missional Salvationists, and join up before it all kicks off in full.

Going for Souls

We've been teaching the 4 points to pretty much everyone linked with our corps here. I keep going on about it, I know, but this is by far one of the best ways I've come across so far in equipping everyday folks for their witness. Its 'power to the people' - something which doesn't always happen very easily! For the 'evangelist' types it seems simplistic and maybe not th most effective method, but for people who aren't majorly gifted in the evangelism dept, its great.

Tonight we shared with with our Kids Alive kids, gave them one of the little bands (which they were well chuffed with) and was just great to hear them go out the door sharing the gospel with each other! Lord give us what we need to nurture those seeds and see them bear great harvest for the Kingdom!

There are only a few of us in our corps. We're going all out in sharing the gospel in these next couple of weeks leading up to Easter. We're praying that boundless salvation will flow. We're praying that the Holy Spirit will come and cement the Word we share and produce the fruit (godly sorrow that leads to repentance -2 Cor 7:9-11). We're pressing for souls because there is nothing more important. There are other things that are important, but still, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? (Matt 16:26; Mk 8:36; Luke 9:25).

Some of you will find that this gospel makes more sense to the poor. Why? Some of these guys have a lot of fertilizer in their lives! It truly is good news to the poor as opposed to the rich young ruler who walked away sad. Camel, needle, eye.

Remember the last, the lost and the least, in your sharing.

Missional Salvationists

So, I'm trying to pull together people interested in doing a bit of online community learning which will hopefully help Salvationists to come together for online encouragement and teaching, encouragement in mission and service through their local corps.

The plan is fairly simple. I'm going to present some sort of short video talks on an aspect of Salvationist mission. I'll be coming at it from a bit of a 'primitive salvationist' angle...the only angle I know well! There will also be some suggested reading for each segment. I'll then prepare a list of questions to get us going and then we wade in on the discussion forum. We'll lean on some SA101, 201, and 301 teaching plus whatever else seems relevant.

By primitive salvationist, I mean primitive as in 'pertaining to the original; according to the initial pattern." Primitive Salvationism has been defined as 'charismatic-flavoured mission-focussed heroism.' Ideally, the word 'primitive' shouldn't have to be in there at all, and maybe it doesn't, but I am sure I'm not the only one who believes that we need to capture again our reason d'etre.

I hope you'll join in and find it helpful.

Rough list of topics: mission to the poor, ministry by the Holy Spirit, holiness, salvation, spiritual warfare, evangelism, social justice, mission shape, covenant, soldiership, community transformation etc

Search for teh group on Facebook.

Our Little Maréchale!

This time three years ago we were awaiting the 'soon' arrival of our daughter, Ceitidh (Katie). Happy Birthday Ceitidh! We already had in mind at that point that she'd be called Ceitidh, not so much in the fashion of General Catherine Booth, but Katie Booth-Clibborn (la Maréchale), daughter of William and Catherine.

At the age of 22, she was taken to Paris by her mother and left there with a small group of equally young women to introduce L'Armee du Salut to France.

Within a week she was “sworn at, jeered at, and pelted with stones and mud …” But her incredible tenacity and sincerity of purpose gradually won through. They nicknamed her “La Capitaine” at first … and then “La Maréchale” (the Marshall).

The first meetings in Paris were in a dingy building in a rough quarter, where, as the police sergeant remarked, “they have got in that crowd half the cut-throats of Paris”. Yet these hardened men were dazzled by the innocent and dedicated zeal of the young ladies pressing upon them a gospel which their religion-hating culture had denied them.

After no result from exhausting effort a Christian lady advised Katie to return to her mother in England. The reply came, “If I cannot save France, I can die for it!” Young Catherine won her first convert by going to an old washer-woman at the back of the meeting, hugging her and telling her how much she loved her.

With the assistance of a dozen other young women under her remarkable leadership – ever in the forefront of the battle for souls – the Maréchale planted the Salvation Army also in Switzerland, Belgium and Holland.

As time went on, Katie's path changed course, leaving the Army, but remaining an ardent soul-winner.

When I dedicated my Ceitidh to God, I chose to surrender here entirely to the Lord. I pray that she will follow Him all the days of her life. I pray that she wil be part of a revolution generation in our midst who will comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforatable. My little Maréchale! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

2020 Vision

Some years ago, there was a lot of hype about 2020 vision in this territory.  The idea is that 2020 is a number that symbolises perfect vision, but also reminds us of the fact that statistical decline shows serious consequences for the SA UKT by the year 2020.  There isn’t much about this at all in the recent years.  No idea what happened.

However, having had those thoughts about the whole 2020 thing, imagine my surprise when I came across a new initiative by the South Queensland Division, Australia, through facebook.

Their vision, spearheaded by the Divisional Commander, is to see a life giving Division with 60 Mission Centres – liberating lives,transforming communities, advancing God's kingdom. 

The group on facebook shows signs too that people are taking the challenge seriously and that its producing focus and results to, so early.  This is a great example of clear, inspiring and empowering divisional leadership.

I hear too much of decline.  I hear too much about hopelessness, so much in fact that I got sucked into beginning to believe it.  If this thing called the Salvation Army is to be true to God in these next ten or so years, it really needs to stand up. 

What a vision…60 vibrant Mission Centres – liberating lives, transforming communities, advancing God’s Kingdom.  Great thing is that I really picked up that the division were doing so much to facilitate it to through provision of training, encouragement and vision casting.  I’ll be watching with interest.

Meantime, what a vision to consider – vibrant mission centre – liberating lives, transforming communities, advancing God’s Kingdom.  Amen!   Amen?

Five Year Review

I guess I've had a bit of time now to process the 'process' of my five year review in London last week. I thank God, first of all, for the encouraging input of those who were 'assessing' us. Thanks too, to those who were involved who read this blog. I still don't know the results, although I can't perceive any conditions that might be put upon our continuing in officership.

You've no idea how much I needed the assurance coming from that few days. Sometimes you fight on and you wonder if anyone 'gets' what you are trying to do and be. I guess after a difficult year of internal stuff, I'm gradually getting to the place where I feel that I am becoming ready to step up to the plate more and more. It annoys me that I had to step back in the first place!

We've had a great breadth of experience in our 5 years of officership and another 3 in corps leadership on top of that. It has shaped our life. We have a strong sense of God preparing us, not just for the now, but for the tasks and appointments yet to come.

It was refreshing too that although the process has been designed by someone assessing officers as 'pastors and administrators', new leaders taking over this years process realise they must do more than that. I sense a gradual change at that 'higher level' of a change in mindset from officership as a 'jack of all trades' to officership as a route of service for leaders expressing an aspect of Ephesians 4 ministries.

Good too to hear some thinking about how officer training should look. I reflected back to the group that training college prepares officers to lead the status quo. William Booth College needs to be a place where leaders are trained. There is the difference between training effective leaders and training people to fulfil a organisational role. I look forward to the day when WBC becomes a leadership college as opposed to an academic institution. Our movement needs that positive shift.

Happy St Patricks Day!

St Patricks Breastplate - warfare prayer

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.


I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

All in a day's work

Armybarmy blog carried a neat little section the other day on the Salvo work day. It attempts to split the day up into 9 x 2 hour segments, allowing for 6 hours sleep. It goes as follows:

1. work up - rations
2. work around - family
3. work out - food/exercise
4. work in - study
5. work into - disciple
6. work outside - evangelise
7. work through - communications/decision-making
8. work ahead - strategy/planning
9. work over - personal (errands/chores/relax)

We had a jolly good go at this and found it a bit unworkable when keeping to the letter of the law, so to speak. However, when keeping to the 'spirit' of the advice its a cracking framework for ministry.

Not sure how it works, necessarily, for the Salvo who's working a nine hour day, but certainly for the likes of me its a good pattern.

It can be split into four helpful blocks for each day, which I've entitled 'Share', 'Live', 'Grow'. In this, you have a loose framework which is flexible in line with how the day pans out and recognises that every day is different. In my plan, you get 7 hours sleep, which is closer to what we need based on the majority of medical advice. Here are the three headings and a rough guide as to how they might be broken down. There is still plenty of room for discipline here as well as giving flexibility for those who need it.

Sleep 7 hours

Share (7 Hours)
- 3 hours planning/strategy/communications/decision making.
- 2 hours discipling
- 2 hours evangelising

Live (6 Hours)
- 2 hours family
- 2 hours food/exercise
- 2 hours personal (errands, chores, relaxation)

Grow (4 Hours)
- 2 Hours Rations (bible/prayer)
- 2 Hours Study

In case you are wondering, I have 'stolen' the extra one hour sleep from planning/stragegy/comms/decision making...Stephen suggests 4 hours for all that. I actually think two hours a day of all this would be sufficient, but I guess that depends on your appointment. If thats the case, add it on to evangelism or prayer.

So yeah, give it a go. Lets see what we can achieve. By all means, give Stephens pattern a go first, it may work exactly for you. Or maybe if your the personality type that can't cope with highly sheduled days this more flexible approach might suit you better.

The aim of this though, is effective Kingdom working. We do this stuff because we want to be effective in our service and increase our availability to the Lord.

Let me give a word of challenge, however, especially to any officer friends who may be reading - how balanced is your ministry? Are you creating time for the stuff that 'really' matters as opposed to what seems urgent?

If all this stuff is important, we will be willing to make the changes in our shedules to make sure it happens. May need a bit of working out, but its necessary, isn't it?

My APEST test results...

I did the APEST test again this evening and noticed a subtle shift from EA (evangelistic apostle) to AP (apostolic prophet)...interesting. Evangelist is still a close third. I recommend the test to you.


Profile for Apostolic + Prophetic

The Apostle Prophet is motivated engage great causes - no matter where it may take them. The AP is one who knows what needs to be done, and will mobilize others to engage in mission. The AP is not the most politically sensitive type and can put people off Their sense of urgency and vision makes up for their lack of political savvy. The nature of the AP is to see the world through a relative black ad white mentality. The motivation of the Apostle Prophet is to further the message of God’s kingdom through an urgency of the immediate tasks and large strategies.

Primary: 1 Apostolic: 43
The uniqueness of Apostolic leadership lies in the ability to pioneer new, innovative and mission minded works. This leadership style has the ability to oversee the development of apostolic works. Apostolic leadership has a unique sense of being sent, prepared specifically for a purpose. In a leader, he or she has an internal sense of urgency for the future, an awareness of the needs of tomorrow. Apostolic leadership seek opportunities to engage causes of significance larger than themselves. The mindset of the Apostolic is often trans-local, larger and more encompassing than the immediate. Apostolic leadership is the guardian of the organization’s DNA, or identity of the community and cause. He or she is an entrepreneur, a groundbreaker and strategist seeking to initiate an organization or individual’s purpose, service, or mission. The Apostolic leader impacts communities through extension. Apostolic leaders need to sense movement and change. The Apostolic influences by ensuring that Christianity is transmitted from one context to another, from one era to another.

Luke 10:1,3;

Characteristics:

* Visionary thinking and motivation
* Comfortable crossing boundaries - intellectual, social or cultural
* Entrepreneurial interests to build communities of faith
* Starting something new is energizing
* Pioneering new endeavors
* Strategic decision maker
* Innovative approaches and solutions
* Uncomfortable with the status quo
* See things holistically, part of larger system
* Understands multiple dynamics and components
* Deep relationships at a distance, in outside networks
* Need to move occasionally to pursue a new thing

Impact: Extension, the one who is sent.

* Cast vision to those around you. Do not be afraid to let your passion and excitement ignite others lives. Listen to the questions and comments of others. Often, these elements will identify details needing to be integrated into your message, providing greater clarity. Do not fear over-explaining why certain people, organizations and resources are necessary to stabilize the vision.
* Those nearest to you are likely to have an apostolic or prophetic mindset. Ask them to help explain and provide strategy for the vision. They are unlikely to know how to accomplish the vision. Allow them to inspire others toward understanding. Recruit and release other like-minded individuals to seed the vision within the structure of the movement.
* What you see as needed to further a missional cause may not be immediately seen by those near you. Envision within the local church, explaining themes for annual meetings, events, financial campaigns, and individuals. Depending on your mindset, some apostolic leaders serve best by inspiring people one at a time or to large groups.

Primary: 2 Prophetic: 33
The genius of Prophetic leadership is the ability to discern the spiritual realities in a given situation or community. This leadership style communicates the elements of the spiritual realities in a timely and appropriate way. Prophetic leadership’s main concern is to further the mission of God’s people and communities. The Prophetic has an innate sense of knowing the mind of God on issues concerning growth and transformation. As a leader, he or she is concerned that changes made today are needed to progress into the future. The Prophetic leader seeks integration between spiritual realities and immediate need. He or she is a questioner, freely disturbing the status quo and challenging individuals and organization to move in a different direction. He or she may probe individual or group awareness to solicit further questioning, all to gain clarity. The Prophetic leader impacts communities through integration. Prophetic leadership influences others by truth - telling, not afraid of speaking in a tension with the dominant way of thinking and practice.

John 1:6-8;
“6.There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7.He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8.He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.”
James 1:21-23;
“21.Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22.Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23.Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror; 24.for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they look like.”

Characteristics:

* Questions what has become normative
* Disturbs common thinking and practices
* Agitates for positive change
* Desires learning for purposes to influence
* Discerns the message of Truth
* Seeks to ensure an authentic response to Truth
* Core issue is one’s relationship with God
* Urgency felt now, in the moment, “this must happen.”
* Comfortable dismantling the present for future hope
* Deep compassion for the cause of the people
* Inspires all people to respond to God’s message
* May communicate creatively to get message across

Impact: Integration, the one who knows.

* You have great faith in what you believe, explain these beliefs with others. Your precise knowledge of what God calls us to do will encourage and assure people who naturally question or are indecisive. This encouragement and assurance leads others to confidence, faithfulness, obedience and influence.
* As a person who boldly communicates God’s truth, be aware of how strong your message can become. Ask those you trust for help with word choice, delivery and timing. The right message at the wrong time may easily be ignored. This may result in people getting tired with the persistence of the same message.
* You feel great ownership of the message God has given you. Think of ways you can communicate this message beyond words. How can you serve as a way to encourage their greater commitment? Then, commit yourself to serving in places that reflect your passion.

4 points

As you might know, we're using the four points as a focus for our Easter outreach this year. Last week, we gave our wee cell group that meets in our place on a Sunday evening a band/bracelet thingy with the four symbols on. It was just a blessing tonight to hear of the stories of how the folks were able to share the gospel so simply and plainly with not just one or two people, but tens of people this week.

For the hard core evangelists out there, that might not seem very much. But what we're talking about here are some quiet unassuming types who would have found it incredibly difficult otherwise. This is a great tool to empower people to share. I recommend it again to you.

Take Action

On Saturday 28th March, thousands will march through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20, ahead of their 2nd April summit on the global financial crisis.

It's set to be a massive event, with over a hundred organisations involved and thousands of people expected on the streets calling for:

JOBS - Decent jobs and public services for all
JUSTICE - End global poverty and injustice
CLIMATE - Build a green economy

The Salvation Army wants to get as many supporters as possible to the event so please click the link below to find out how you can get involved!

If you can come please email lucy.aitkenread@salvationarmy.org.uk - it would be great to see you there.

Also be sure to tell your other friends on Facebook about it and spread the word - through your status updates, profile pictures and other way you can get the word out there!

Thanks

The Salvation Army International Development (UK)
www.salvationarmy.org.uk

Can't believe my eyes

I find this site more difficult than I can possibly find words for.

I've written on this issue several times before. It is seriously worrying and the website above is sad proof that there is a lack of understanding amongst our soldiery about what is spiritually beneficial and spiritually detrimental.

I pray that the Lord will enlighten the 'brothers' caught up in this affair and restore them to Himself without deception.

Fasting

Great article here by Lt-Col Janet Munn on Fasting. Good reminder.

New Campaign

I'm thinking about starting a new campaign....what do you think? ;o)

Missional weight

Things are progressing well on our front. I'd say its a steady advance. We're also becoming slimmer in some areas to enhance our effectiveness. Its like taking the extra pair of boots out of your backpack to make you a bit lighter on your feet. This is an important thing to do. It may be that as you walk along the road, you'll find something that you really need to pick up and put in the space that you're old boots once occupied.

In Salvation Army terms, we often find it traumatic to stop doing a thing. We see it a sense of failure (espeically when it comes to a musical section perhaps - and I don't say that without quaiilification, as we've experienced having to do that!) and don't often see any benefit from not doing a thing.

There was a timely reminded on armybarmy blog in the last couple of days with regards to 'limitation.' Essentially, SC was saying that the missionary situation in our world means that there is never a shortage of work to be done. Of course. We do know the reality, however, in that whilst the mission needing doing in the community is not limiting, sometimes our corps environment is. I believe thats where leaders in particulr have to be strong in helping corps discover a strong sense of mission.

Lighter isn't essentially weaker. It can often mean that its easier to respond, easier to act, easier to adapt and adopt. Having said that, if being weighty is acheiving the results, then thats the main thing. I think there is a firm who have 'Just do it' as their mantra...not a bad one for us.