Take the “Wear Your Uniform” Challenge
Physician-Assisted Death: Legal, But is it Right?
“Cerebral Palsy Doesn’t Hold Me Back From Serving God”
THE VOICE OF THE ARMY
May 2016
Salvationist.ca
Welcome to Canada
Syrian refugees rebuild with the help of The Salvation Army
June 24-26, 2016 | London Convention Centre, 300 York St., London ON
CONDUCTED BY Commissioner Susan McMillan (Territorial Commander) FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016 Welcome Meeting, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2016 Commissioning & Ordination, 7 p.m. SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2016 Celebration Worship Service (open to the public), 10 a.m.
Visit Salvationist.ca for a complete list of events (including children, youth and outdoor events).
CONTENTS
Salvationist May 2016 • Volume 11, Number 5
12
Departments
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5 Frontlines
Visit salvationist.ca to add your comments and read web-exclusive articles
8 Perspectives New Beginnings by Lt-Colonel Lee Graves
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24 Spiritual Life The Sound of Silence by Major Dave Grice
26 Cross Culture 27 People & Places 30 Salvation Stories Saved for a Purpose by Chad Lees
Columns 4 Editorial Crossing Borders by Geoff Moulton
16 Ties That Bind Telling Tales by Major Kathie Chiu
25 Herstory Reclaiming Feminism by Lieutenant Kristen Jackson-Dockeray
Features 9 Welcome to Canada After escaping civil war, a Syrian family rebuilds with help from The Salvation Army by Kristin Ostensen
12 Art of Compassion Creative expression brings healing to clients at Bermuda’s Harbour Light by Pamela Richardson
14 Digital Overload How to avoid the pitfalls and temptations of life online by Nancy Turley
17 Journey to the Summit Training and equipping leaders is a strategic priority by Major Brian Armstrong
/salvationistmagazine Like us on Facebook for photos and updates. Interact with our community of 27,000 fans @Salvationist Follow us on Twitter for the Army’s breaking news. Use hashtag #SalvationArmy for your own updates and photos Cover photo: Vince Talotta/ Toronto Star
Read and share it! May 2016
FAITH &
faithandfriends.ca
frıends Inspiration for Living
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18 The Uniform Challenge Do you have what it takes to wear your faith? by Brandalyn Musial
20 A Matter of Life and Death Why The Salvation Army won’t support physician-assisted death by James Read
22 Our Daily Bread The radical economic implications of depending on God by Donald E. Burke
APOCALYPSE NOW The X-Men Face Their Greatest Threat Yet
Two OneSouls,Invitation, Three Hearts
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A Mother and Her Tea Biscuits ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL NINJA WARRIOR?
See page 29 to find out
Salvationist May 2016 3
EDITORIAL
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Crossing Borders
Facebook friend recently shared a graphic entitled “The Cultural Iceberg” that helped me understand immigrants and refugees in a whole new way. Words were written at the top of the iceberg, such as language, dress, holidays and food. Labelled “easy to see,” these are the things most of us think about when we meet someone from a different culture. Hidden beneath the surface, however, was the bulk of the iceberg: family roles, beliefs, humour, core values, work ethic, concept of justice … and the list went on. These “difficult to see” aspects of people’s lives are even more important, but impossible to appreciate until we get to know them. Unfortunately, too often we fill in the gaps with our own biases and assumptions. I’m encouraged when I look at my Salvation Army congregation and see the ways immigrants and refugees are embraced. We host regular English conversation classes that have been an entry point for people looking for community. Other Army programs across the territory offer orientation for newcomers on everything from taxes to transit. These are all great initiatives, but on their own they are not enough. We view Canada as a welcoming society, but statistics show that only one in 10 immigrants are invited into a native Canadian’s home in the first five years Salvationist
is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory André Cox General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel Jim Champ Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Production Co-ordinator, Copy Editor (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 May 2016 Salvationist
after their arrival. It’s easy to offer food, clothing or assistance on neutral “turf,” because we can leave when it’s done. But asking people into our homes takes it to a whole other level. We begin building real relationships with them—and that takes commitment. Yet Jesus says when we do it for others, we do it for him: “I was a stranger and you invited me in” (Matthew 25:35). In this issue of Salvationist, read our exclusive interview with one Syrian refugee family helped by The Salvation Army (page 9). They have escaped unimaginable conditions to rebuild in Canada. While their situation is now safer, it is anything but easy. Getting here was just the first step. Adjusting to our society and mourning what they left behind is a lifelong journey. We pray that war will cease and the conditions in their home country will stabilize. In many ways, the Army is providing meaningful support in the crisis. Through our thrift stores, we have established a national voucher program to provide clothing for Syrian refugees. In the past three years, more than 75 Syrian refugees have been sponsored through family-linked private programs. Corps across the territory are preparing to sponsor more with the assistance of Paula Marshall, territorial headquarters’
Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.
immigrant and refugee services liaison. As individuals we can get involved, too. Paula urges, “Look at who is coming into your community and be a friend.” If we want to live out our Christian mission, we must not just wait for people to come to us. We must be willing to cross some borders ourselves. GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Mission
The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. Salvationist informs readers about the mission and ministry of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. salvationist.ca facebook.com/salvationistmagazine twitter.com/salvationist youtube.com/salvationistmagazine instagram.com/salvationistmagazine
FRONTLINES
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Australian Territories to Merge Under Canadian Leaders
ffective January 1, 2019, The Salvation Army’s two Australian territories, Australia Eastern and Australia Southern, will operate as one territory, the Australia Territory. This decision was reached following a lengthy, exhaustive review involving Salvation Army leadership, officers and soldiers in Australia, advisory board input from both existing territories, the administrative expertise of retired Canadian officer Colonel Glen Shepherd and, finally, consideration by the International Management Council at International Headquarters, under the chairmanship of General André Cox. The process of bringing the territories together will begin on June 1, 2016, under the leadership of Canadian Commissioner Floyd Tidd, who will be the inaugural national commander; Commissioner Tracey Tidd will be national president of women’s ministries. The commissioners, who were previously chief secretary and territorial secretary for women’s ministries for the Canada and Bermuda Territory, are currently territorial commander and territorial president of women’s ministries for the Australia Southern Territory. “This is an important milestone that will further enhance the Army’s ability to provide life-changing social and spirit-
ual services to the people of Australia,” says Commissioner Floyd Tidd. “I am delighted yet humbled by my appointment and ready to meet the challenge to ensure we strengthen our ability to provide services around the country.”
From left, Comrs James and Jan Condon, TC and TPWM, Australia Eastern Tty; Commissioner Brian Peddle, Chief of the Staff; and Comrs Tracey and Floyd Tidd
North Toronto Community Church Relocates
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In the meantime, the corps is renting space at St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church a few blocks away. Hundreds gathered to mark the occasion as Captain Jeff Howard, corps officer, preached on Abram, who built an altar at Shechem in response to God’s promised blessing (see Genesis 12). “We invited the congregation on Sunday to come forward and place a small stone on the holiness table,” says Captain Howard. “It was a way of ‘build-
ing’ altars of our own, to signify that God has spoken to us, moved in our hearts and worked in our lives in this place. We declare our trust in him and believe he will be with us as we move forward into the future.” Colonel Mark Tillsley, chief secretary, closed the meeting with a rousing “hallelujah windup” as the Army flag was paraded around the sanctuary. The congregation joined in fellowship for a final meal and a time of reminiscing.
Salvationists enjoy a meal together at North Toronto CC
Colonel Mark Tillsley shares a moment with 18 current and former corps officers, many of whom now worship at North Toronto CC
Photos: Major John Murray
n Sunday, February 28, the North Toronto Community Church congregation gathered for the last time at its 7 Eglinton Ave E. location. After 100 years of ministry, the Army is moving to a temporary location to make way for a Light Rail Transit (LRT) line that will run through the north end of the city. The Salvation Army has reached an agreement with Metrolinx, the company constructing the LRT, to rebuild a new Army corps building on the same spot once the new transit line is in place.
Salvationist May 2016 5
FRONTLINES
Coldest Night of the Year Raises Funds
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n February, people across Canada braved chilly weather to participate in the Coldest Night of the Year walking fundraiser for homelessness. Several Salvation Army ministry units participated in the event in 2016. In Yellowknife, the walk raised more than $21,000 toward renovating the kitchen at the Army’s men’s emergency shelter. It was the third year that the shelter was a part of the event. “It was great to see people from the community come out and participate and raise money to support the shelter,”
says Lieutenant Dusty Sauder, executive director, Yellowknife—Northwest Territories Resource Centre. “The kitchen renovations are so needed.” The 49-bed shelter, which is the only men’s shelter in the city, operates at or near capacity. Its kitchen prepares lunch and supper daily for local people in need of a meal. In Langley, B.C., the walk raised more than $20,500 for the Army’s Gateway of Hope, which houses an emergency shelter, transitional housing program, community meal program and
Participants raised $9,000 for Ridge Meadows Ministries
The money raised by walkers in Yellowknife will support renovations at the local Army shelter
Women’s Day in Montreal
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n International Women’s Day in March, The Salvation Army’s Quebec divisional headquarters in Montreal wanted to honour women and recognize their contribution to the well-being of our society. Accompanied by Telus volunteers, headquarters staff distributed hundreds of flowers to passersby in various places around Montreal, with the goal of reminding women of their worth and value. Volunteers and staff also visited the Army’s l’Abri d’Espoir, a shelter for homeless women, to offer a flower to each of them in recognition of their strength and courage.
Sally Ann brightens a Montreal woman’s day with a flower
6 May 2016 Salvationist
many more services. Participation was strong as 225 people and 19 registered teams walked the five- or 10-kilometre route. In nearby Maple Ridge, B.C., walkers brought in more than $9,000 for the Army’s Ridge Meadows Ministries, which will support various programs the Army offers in the community. Meanwhile, in Salmon Arm, B.C., participants brought in nearly $40,000, which will be equally divided between The Salvation Army and the Second Harvest food bank.
Mjr Brian Venables, DC, Quebec Div, helps with flower distribution for International Women’s Day
NEWS IN BRIEF New Trailer for Chilliwack, B.C. The Salvation Army in Chilliwack, B.C., has received a 33-foot trailer worth $80,000 from a generous donor. This trailer is equipped with freezers, fridges, a cooktop stove, two ovens and four deep fryers. This new equipment will allow the local emergency disaster services team to provide faster assistance to Chilliwack and other communities in need. Bedding Drive in Wiarton, Ont. The second annual Wiarton, Ont., Salvation Army bedding drive took place in February, collecting quilts, blankets, sheets and pillowcases. This year’s drive gathered enough bedding for approximately 80 families. A considerable amount of bedding was distributed to homes at Neyaashiinigmiing, a First Nations reserve (formerly known as Cape Croker).
FRONTLINES
Booth University College Holds Lecture Series
Winter Youth Retreat Offers Fellowship and Fun
A Dr. Donald Burke, president of Booth University College, introduces Dr. Joel B. Green
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innipeg’s Booth University College held its second Earl Robinson Memorial Lecture series in late February. This year’s guest lecturer was Dr. Joel B. Green, dean of the School of Theology and professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. The theme of the series, which included three lectures, was The Call to Be Human: God’s People Reflecting God’s Image. Green also spoke at Booth’s weekly chapel service. “All of Dr. Green’s presentations merit a listen, but for me his account of Christian conversion as presented in Luke-Acts was the most masterful,” says James Read, associate professor of philosophy and ethics at Booth and executive director of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre. “Dr. Green’s lectures were rich, deeply biblical presentations that argued for a genuine understanding of what it means for us to be human,” adds Roy Jeal, professor of religion at Booth. “Our humanity and health are properly understood as a wholeness of the entire being, body, soul and spirit. Green’s ‘slow’ reading of Scripture invited deep thinking and a desire for faithfulness.” To access the video collection of Green’s lectures and additional information on the Earl Robinson Memorial Lecture series, visit boothuc.ca/lectures.
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pproximately 70 youth aged 12 to 25 made their way from all corners of the Maritime Division to take part in the annual winter youth retreat in Truro, N.S. The theme of the weekend, The Walking Dead, prompted youth to think about their relationship with God and, at the end of the retreat, surrender to him. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for youth to come together to build new friendships, share in God’s love and learn from others,” says Captain Lisa Hillier, divisional youth secretary, Maritime Division. Guest speakers Major Keith Pike, territorial youth secretary, and Major Shona Pike, secretary for candidates, led participants through a weekend of renewal, prayer and reflection. They encouraged the youth to be alive in their relationship with Jesus and shared how small acts can have a ripple effect to create large-scale change. With a focus on fellowship and camaraderie, youth took part in various activities, including an instalment of Maritime’s Got Talent. “There was a wonderful showcase of talent,” says Captain Hillier, “and it was a lot of fun.”
Youth from across the Maritime Div attended the annual winter youth retreat, the theme of which was The Walking Dead
Pembroke Youth Centre a Success
ne year after its launch in March 2015, The Salvation Army Pembroke Youth Centre, Ont., is thriving with various programs and activities for youth aged 12 to 18. The centre offers a welcoming, non-judgmental place where youth can find mentors and socialize with their peers. “Some of our youth are in the care of Family and Children’s Services and some come from low-income families with various challenges,” says Amanda
Wilson, program co-ordinator. “We have youth that say they don’t really fit in at school or are bullied and this is where they feel most comfortable. “Some hang out here because they don’t want to be at home alone and they spend 25 to 30 hours a week here.” Wilson works with a number of other agencies and organizations, both public and private, to give youth an opportunity to take part in learning activities, sports, camping and mission trips. Every day after school there are snacks and
activities for youth, including music lessons, art, homework supper club, Fuel Christian group, teen girls group and Friday-night drop-in Chill Night. On a given Friday night, between 30 and 60 youth hang out at the centre, listening to music and playing games. “Thanks to the help of a number of volunteers, college placement students and various partnering organizations, the youth centre has been a success,” says Wilson. “It has become a very important part of the community.” Salvationist May 2016 7
PERSPECTIVES
New Beginnings Rebuilding lives and hope in Haiti
Photo: Yves Montoban
BY LT-COLONEL LEE GRAVES
Salvationists and members of the community cut the ribbon to open the new Salvation Army primary health centre and social services office in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. From left, Mjr Jean Laurore Clenat, a representative of the public health department, Dr. Danielle Prosper Justafort, Synnove Orsness, Mjr Anne Kristine Herje and Lt-Col Lee Graves
8 May 2016 Salvationist
Clearly, The Salvation Army’s decades of faithful programs and ministry were foundational to bringing hope to multitudes of people. Beyond celebrating the construction of new buildings, what impacted me most significantly was observing the strength-based approach of investing in
Lt-Colonel Lee Graves is the secretary for business administration for the Canada and Bermuda Territory.
Photo: Mjr Brenda Murray
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t is winter in Haiti—cool by local accounts at 28 C. For those of us from Toronto, it would be hot in our summer wear; it’s even more suffocating in our formal serge uniforms. We are here to participate in the official opening of the Salvation Army primary health centre and social services office, exactly six years after the devastating earthquake that killed 250,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage to the country’s infrastructure. January 12, 2016, signalled a new beginning as we celebrated the opening and dedication of these newly constructed, seismically engineered structures, which will offer programs integral to the community. The reconstruction was made possible through funding from the international community, including a significant amount from the Canada and Bermuda Territory. Reconstructing buildings is less challenging than reassuring a shattered people. Though faced with natural disasters and human-made economic crises, the resiliency, grace and gratitude of the Haitian people was inspirational.
people through education. We travelled to Fond-des-Nègres to participate in a graduation ceremony for 200 young adults who had successfully completed vocational training in the areas of electrical, plumbing and agricultural skills, through a program funded by the Canada and Bermuda Territory. As they walked across the platform in their colourful gowns, it was thrilling to greet them and present their graduation certificates, to the applause of friends and family. The work of our world missions department is regularly highlighted in the pages of Salvationist. This small team ensures that financial support is used to improve the quality of lives and build community all around the world. They travel tirelessly to impoverished countries, partnering with local leadership to equip people with new skills and the means to build a better life. Philosophically, they start from a place of strength, not poverty. The Haiti redevelopment project is a prime example of how The Salvation Army works in partnership to achieve sustainable results, supporting programs designed by local participants. For the last three years, I have had the privilege of working closely with this department, and have been blessed by their depth of commitment to others. They embody Isaiah 58:10: “Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon” (NLT).
A graduation ceremony in Fond-des-Nègres, Haiti, for 200 students who successfully completed vocational training through a program funded by the Canada and Bermuda Tty. Close to 1,300 people have benefitted from the program
Mohamad Alamour, front, and his wife, Hadeel, holding their child, Yaser, 2, are shown with some of their family members: Waed and her children Masa, 6 months, and Zain, 4 (red dress); Housam, 12 (yellow top); Sarah, 8; Afnan, 12; Byan, 10; Toka, 9; Shahad, 12; Ausama, holding Joman, 2; Mohamad, 10; and Najieh (seated)
Welcome to Canada After escaping civil war, a Syrian family rebuilds with help from The Salvation Army the town is effectively gone—bombed to rubble by government forces. In 2005, such devastation was unimaginable. It was six years before the Day of Rage protests were staged in March 2011, calling for democratic reforms. Seven years before the International Committee of the Red Cross officially declared the situation to be a civil war in July 2012. Yet even
in 2005, Mohamad felt a growing sense of unease. “The situation was stable, but it was stable under a dictatorship,” he says. “There were no free elections; if you spoke against the government, they could arrest you.” Choosing Canada in part because of its reputation for multiculturalism, Mohamad, an engineer, came as a skilled Salvationist May 2016 9
Photos: Vince Talotta/Toronto Star
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hen Mohamad Alamour immigrated to Canada from Syria in 2005, he never expected that war would one day force his family to join him. Mohamad left 11 brothers and sisters, as well as his parents, in his hometown of Khirbet Ghazaleh; his wife, Hadeel Almously, left a family of nine. Today,
BY KRISTIN OSTENSEN
worker. He and Hadeel settled in Toronto and were saving to buy a house, building a new life as all semblance of stability crumbled back home. As the fighting escalated, their families’ options dwindled and they fled Ghazaleh, joining millions of Syrians in a desperate search for safety. Seeking to sponsor them as refugees, Mohamad feared it would take years to bring their families to Canada, if they made it at all. But with the help of The Salvation Army, Mohamad and Hadeel have brought 15 family members to Canada—and there are more on the way. “Nobody Can Survive There” A town of about 25,000 people in southwest Syria, Ghazaleh is situated on a major international transit route leading to Jordan. In the spring of 2013, the town became the site of a strategic battle between the regime and the Free Syrian Army, who controlled the town and the highway. After a ferocious two-month assault, the rebels lost and the town was mostly destroyed. “Even now our village is totally occupied by the regime,” Mohamad explains. “They’ve made it like a military base. They do not allow anybody to go inside. So we don’t know what happened to our houses, if they’ve been burned or demolished.” Mohamad’s family had left the town only a few months earlier, when the regime first began to bomb Ghazaleh, taking various routes toward Jordan. Several members of the family first went to nearby Gharea in search of safety, but conditions there were poor. “There were electricity shortages, and not enough food and water to go around—everything was very expensive,” Mohamad says. “Nobody can survive there.” Most of the family crossed into Jordan in January and February 2013, when the borders were still open. But Mohamad’s brother, Ausama, and his family remained in Gharea a few months longer, with devastating results. “He had three children—one son and two daughters,” Mohamad shares. “One day his son was playing outside when a government airplane came and dropped a bomb. He was too close and he died, right in front of them.” Crossing Jordan When the first members of Mohamad and Hadeel’s families entered Jordan in 10 May 2016 Salvationist
“We are trying to gather the whole family, because we don’t want to leave everybody to be scattered all over the place,” says Mohamad
2013, there were about 142,000 Syrian refugees in the country. Since then, that number has ballooned to 640,000 registered refugees—just a fraction of the 4.8 million refugees outside Syria today. Hadeel’s brother, Loae Almously, his wife, Waed, and their one-year-old daughter, Zain, were among this first group. They initially stayed at a refugee camp, but left because of dire conditions. Only about 20 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in the camps, which have been described by observers as inhumane. “Living in Jordan is not easy,” says Loae, “because you are not allowed to work, or to get a residency there. They are threatening the people all the time with deportation back to Syria if there are any issues.” Mohamad’s mother, Najieh, was among those deported to Syria. She and his father left Jordan briefly to visit one of Mohamad’s brothers in Saudi Arabia and she was refused re-entry. “They took her to the border and literally threw her back into Syria,” says Mohamad. Loae and his family spent two and a half years in Jordan before they were given visas to come to Canada. But they were relatively fortunate—early in their time there, Loae found a job with the Jesuit Refugee Service, a Catholic NGO, helping other refugees. Meanwhile, Mohamad started investigating the refugee immigration process. “I went to many organizations, but they were asking the impossible,” he says.
“Some of them said I needed a business to sign on as a guarantor, but I couldn’t find any. Some asked for so much money.” Finally, in the third quarter of 2013, Mohamad was connected with The Salvation Army through a colleague from the Syrian Canadian Council. “Mohamad didn’t know much about the process, so we sat down and went through the whole way that it works,” says Paula Marshall, immigrant and refugee services liaison. “I asked her many questions about the forms and Paula was very helpful,” he says. “We completed the forms, and then she revised them and submitted them.” At the end of 2013, Mohamad filed his first applications for a brother and brother-in-law, expecting a long wait. “I told them it would take one to two years,” he says. “But about five months later, they were called for interviews and they came in September 2014. They were very happy.” A Better Future Mohamad’s mother and Loae’s family were next to arrive, touching down in Toronto in June 2015. After two and a half years in Jordan, they were eager to leave, but the journey had its own complications. “At the time, Waed was eight months pregnant, and we were afraid they would not allow her to get on the plane,” says Loae. Thankfully, she was cleared for travel and the journey, though tiring, went ahead as planned. One month later, Waed gave birth to Masa, a baby girl. “It was very hard,” Waed reflects. “We used to get the help from our community—they support the woman during the pregnancy and after giving birth,” adds Loae, “but we found ourselves here, alone, going to the hospital, doing all these things. But Mohamad and Hadeel helped us in many ways, so it was better.” While Loae initially worked a number of survival jobs, he now has a job doing settlement counselling at a local community centre. “We live in peace and we have good opportunities,” Loae reflects. “Our daughter is now in school, which is wonderful. She’s very happy in school. In Jordan, many people don’t get the chance for a fair education. “It’s better here,” he continues. “We have the chance to begin our life again, to have a better future.” Ausama and his family were next to
Settled and Thriving Now observing the civil war from afar,
The Salvation Army’s Response to the Syrian Crisis
Paula Marshall, immigrant and refugee services liaison, explains how the Army is providing assistance nationwide, and how corps and Salvationists can help.
What kinds of practical assistance does the Army offer refugees?
Our main national response is clothing vouchers. They are available for any refugees, not just those from Syria, and they’re valid at any Army thrift store. On a local level, each corps is going to have a different response. For example, some refugees may need furniture, others may need help with school registrations. Where there’s a need, corps are filling it.
The Army is a sponsorship agreement holder. What does that mean? We have a contract with the federal government to do private sponsorship. We co-sponsor refugees, working with family members, community groups, churches and the like. We vet our cosponsors, making sure that they can handle the financial liability and the
Loae and Waed find it difficult to be optimistic about Syria’s future. “At this time, it seems like we will never return, because now there is no hope that we’ll get our country back,” says Waed. “Even if the war ends, it will take many years to build the country again.”
“We had some hope when we were in Jordan that the situation would get better in Syria, and that we would go back,” adds Loae. “But we feel now that this is the perfect place to live. Canada is a country that respects human rights and our desire to live, work and make better chances for ourselves.” Meanwhile, the family in Canada
continues to grow. In addition to the 15 members already sponsored through The Salvation Army, Marshall notes that four more applications are in process. Another six family members have come to Canada as government-sponsored refugees. “We are trying to gather the whole family, because we don’t want to leave everybody to be scattered all over the place,” says Mohamad. “They come here and it’s good for us and our children. We can help each other.” Now surrounded by loved ones, Mohamad is grateful for the Army’s assistance. “This would not have been possible without Paula’s help,” he says. “Paula was very nice. It was an easy process with her.” “These people’s lives have been completely changed, and it’s an honour to be part of that,” says Marshall. “I’m so excited to see how they’re getting settled here, and how they’re thriving.” “It was sad when we left the country. Not everybody was thinking about leaving; we have been forced to leave,” Mohamad says. “But it’s good that we are gathered again in Canada. It lifts our feelings.”
practical aspects of sponsorship. If they fall short in some places, we find ways to help them. We also form settlement teams to support the people when they arrive. We monitor the settlement and make sure the refugees are being taken care of properly, that they don’t have any concerns.
from sponsorship, there are governmentassisted refugees arriving across the country. They don’t have sponsors here in Canada, so they’re going to need people to help them get oriented to Canadian life. Look at who is coming into your community and be a friend. Ask them how you can help.
“We have the chance to begin our life again, to have a better future”
How can corps get involved?
If they want to sponsor refugees, the first thing would be to take an inventory. What resources do they have in the corps? Housing? Furniture? Do they have the “people power” to help as needed? What resources are available in their community? I think a lot of corps would be amazed at what they actually have. Once they’ve taken an inventory and prayed about it, they should start thinking about the kind of family they can support. Then they can contact me and I’ll walk them through the whole process.
Photo: Timothy Cheng
arrive in September 2015, while Hadeel’s brother, Yaman, and his family came in December. Most of the adults are already working and all of the children are in school. “It’s nice,” says eight-year-old Sarah, Mohamad’s daughter. “I like having my cousins and grandmother in Canada.” “My brother-in-law’s daughter and my brother’s daughter are the same age as Sarah, so she has more friends,” says Mohamad. “Before, she did not speak a single word of Arabic, but since her cousins came, she started to get our language back. Now she speaks Arabic.” The transition to Canada has been more difficult for the older children. “They had friends back home, or in Jordan, so they have to build relationships with new friends,” says Loae. “And they don’t know the language, or they are still learning English, so that’s another difficulty.” “It’s very hard for Ausama’s children, who are 10 and 12,” says Mohamad. “When they hear loud sounds, they are scared, because of the bombs. It will take them some time to forget.”
What about individual Salvationists? If they have a group of five people who want to sponsor, they can do it on their own (see www.cic.gc.ca/english/ refugees/sponsor/groups.asp). Aside
Paula Marshall
Salvationist May 2016 11
Art of Compassion Creative expression brings healing to clients at Bermuda’s Harbour Light
wasn’t sure what to expect walking through the front door of Bermuda Harbour Light, but the warm welcome I received had nothing to do with the sunshine outside. This is a place where good things are happening to deserving people, where caring staff are making a difference in the lives of others. Harbour Light is located in the heart of Hamilton, the island nation’s capital, a beautiful harbour city famous for its shops, museums, galleries and international business connections. But even in such an idyllic place as Bermuda, people can fall victim to alcohol and drug addictions as they struggle with the challenges of daily living. Visual Expressions My assignment was to observe and write about the art therapy class taking place that morning at Harbour Light. The long table in the centre of the room was cov- Chandra-Lee Bascome, business manager for Bermuda Div’s social services, joins residents from the ered with drawings, pencils and markers, Harbour Light to prepare the meal for a special prayer breakfast with the Army’s international leaders and I immediately recognized the eight during the Boundless Bermuda divisional congress men sitting around the table. The previous weekend we had all attended the Boundless sion when the clients were asked to draw Bermuda divisional congress with General a picture expressing “Refusal skills I use André Cox and Commissioner Silvia Cox, today in recovery. Refusal skills I need to the Army’s international leaders. It was use in recovery.” good to see the clients again. As they stood “Honesty, patience and anger are the to shake my hand and say hello, we were main ones I’m working on today,” says one joined by the class instructor and things client as he stands to present his artwork to got underway. the group. He has drawn pictures of facial Art therapy uses creative materials to expressions and people that represent him help clients visually express their emotions losing his temper, an issue with which he and experiences in their journey of recovstruggles. One of the images depicts an ery, particularly those who have difficulty incident when he and another client had verbally expressing themselves. Artistic ability is not required, a confrontation. The situation could have escalated into a and whether it’s drawing a picture, creating a collage or some physical altercation, but because of the progress he has made other artistic project, the men are free to express their feelings at Harbour Light, it was diffused. in a safe environment under the guidance of a counsellor. Sharing the thoughts behind his picture and then receiving honest and open feedback from his peers—all of whom are at Honest and Open varying stages of their personal journeys to recovery—make Today’s class is led by Augustina Ibegbuna-Raynor, program this an effective and therapeutic activity. director at Harbour Light, and continues from a previous ses“You need to put your hands up and just surrender,” remarks
Receiving honest and open feedback makes this an effective and therapeutic activity
12 May 2016 Salvationist
Photo: Pamela Richardson
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BY PAMELA RICHARDSON
one of the men. “You are showing lots of progress in anger management.” “You have the power to change,” says another. “You have to put the bully aside.”
2 /2016
“The men often join us for worship,” explains Major Bruce Jennings, corps officer at North Street Citadel, who happily reports that four of the men have recently been welcomed as adherents. “And our corps sergeantAdvocating for Others major, Rosemary Phillips, who is the In addition to art therapy, the staff chaplain at Harbour Light, has become provide a wide range of supports and a mother figure to many of the clients.” services, such as anger management, During the General’s visit to relapse prevention, a 12-step class, life Bermuda, the men from Harbour Light skills, Bible study and drug education. featured prominently throughout conAs the program director, Ibegbunagress events as they contributed vocal Raynor handles the day-to-day operitems under the leadership of Major ations of the program, supported by From left, Augustina Ibegbuna-Raynor and Beverly Daniels Jennings, and prepared and served the an addictions counsellor, a life-skills are committed to serving those who turn to The Salvation meal for a special prayer breakfast with counsellor, residential workers and a Army for assistance in Bermuda. “They deserve to be the international leaders. treated with dignity,” says Daniels chaplain. It is this intimate joining of minis“Counsellors are responsible for tries that Daniels believes must be at intakes and assessments, crisis intervention, family and relathe centre of everything they do. “We are dealing with people tionship intervention, community outreach, individual and who have been through a lot of pain,” she says. “If we do not group therapy, and so much more,” says Ibegbuna-Raynor. have the mind of Christ as we encounter them, even with the “They advocate for our clients.” best of intentions, we will be less than compassionate, less As a residential addiction centre with 10 available spaces, than respectful. These people have dignity, and they deserve Harbour Light offers a six-month to one-year program. “The to be treated with dignity.” typical stay is 12 months,” explains Ibegbuna-Raynor, “but As the men at Harbour Light bravely face the road to recovthis can be extended due to individual needs.” ery that stretches ahead of them, they can be assured of the support, guidance and assistance of the Army community Respect and Dignity that surrounds them. Beverly Daniels, a Salvationist who attends Cedar Hill Corps, is “I’m never going to be perfect,” a client concludes, “but I the executive director of community services, giving oversight strive for it every day.” to all social services programs operated by The Salvation Army in Bermuda. These include Harbour Light, a community lifeTo purchase your copy, skills program, emergency housing, street feeding program, visit store.salvationarmy.ca, e-mail thrift store, bank, annual Christmas assistance program Takefood time with the Father daily orderdesk@can.salvationarmy.org or and emergency services, springs into action for as youdisaster meditate uponwhich his Word phone 416-422-6110 today! hurricane relief as needed. For the e-book, visit amazon.ca. Ask Jesus toisinterpret his Word services than For Daniels, there more to community and speak to your heart meeting the physical needs of those who come to the Army for assistance. It also means living outSpirit the principles of integrated Open yourself to the mission—a seamless blending of the Army’s social programs as he brings inspiration with the expression of Christ’s love that is at the core of what the Army raisedof up be. on prayer, and for this edition Thiswas year Words Life to is focusing ‘The Purpose Prayer’. An example ofofthis integration is evident in the connecOurhave Old Testament readings take us through 1 and 2 Kings, well tions that been made between the residents atasHarbour as Nehemiah and Ecclesiastes. In the New Testament we look at Light and theGospel corpsand family at Hamilton’s Citadel. Mark’s the middle section of the North Gospel ofStreet John, then
words of life
The Salvation Army Change Islands Corps, N.L.
May we be enriched as we come before God each day in prayer – realising that prayer, indeed, changes things!
100th Anniversary July 8-10, 2016
With Majors Clyde and Helen Guy Celebrating 100 Years of God’s Faithfulness! Congratulatory messages/letters may be sent to dwayne_ledrew@can.salvationarmy.org WOL May-Aug Cover 2016.indd 2
THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER
Major Beverly Ivany holds a BA in English and a Bachelor of Music, as well as a Masters Degree in Theological Studies. She and her husband David have served in various appointments with The Salvation Army in their homeland, Canada. Beverly is the author of Kid Talk, Teen Talk and Mentorship. She is also an accomplished musician.
may-august 2016
Paul’s insightful Letter to the Romans. Each weekend we zero in on a psalm or proverb, as well as a song for inspiration and reflection. Our guest writer for the Pentecost series is Major Florence Pamacheche from Zimbabwe.
may-august 2016
THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER
15/10/2015 21:42
Salvationist May 2016 13
How to avoid the pitfalls and temptations of life online
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esterday I walked to the bottom of our driveway to get the mail. Once again it was filled with sales flyers, political ads and a few bills. Nothing personal. I lamented how long it had been since I’d received a handwritten letter from anyone. I realized that, while my mailbox remained empty, my e-mail inbox was full. Yet, there was nothing personal in my inbox. It was all workrelated information, requests, expectations and updates with the occasional devotional or notification that I was tagged in a Facebook photo. My inbox is a daily reminder of the “tyranny of the urgent” and the lack of personal connection that plagues our society today. 14 May 2016 Salvationist
BY NANCY TURLEY The rise of the Internet has made 21st-century life busier, more hectic and demanding. For example, in 2000, the average person spent 2.7 hours per week online. By 2012, that number had increased to 38 hours per week. Moreover, in 2012, 188 billion text messages were sent each day, 25 billion apps were downloaded and more than a trillion YouTube videos were viewed. Today, Facebook has 1.6 billion monthly active users, while Twitter has 305 million. The average person now spends eight hours and 41 minutes on electronic devices each day. And these numbers continue to grow. The Internet and portable devices can play a healthy role in our world
today. The Internet is home to a wealth of information and resources, most of which is free to anyone with an Internet connection. It also provides a fast, simple avenue for communication with others, making long distances much shorter. However, as the Centre for Technology and Internet Addictions has stated, “the very nature of the internet lends itself to overuse and abuse, encouraging behaviours that are counterproductive, isolating and disruptive to ourselves, our families and our communities.” One area where negative impacts are most apparent is the realm of social media. Rather than connecting us with others, Facebook can, in fact, be an anti-
Illustration: © vladguk/shutterstock.com
Digital Overload
social network. Social networks have a tendency to encourage self-promotion as users attempt to create a public persona that will impress others. Many people spend countless hours keeping up their Facebook façade. Our society’s obsession with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other realms of self-promotion has created a “selfie world” where we are constantly concerned with how others view us. This fixation on self-image not only feeds narcissism, but also results in negative mental health outcomes. A recent study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found a link between Facebook use and depression, due to the effects of “social comparison.” As we see others brag about their accomplishments, travels and family successes, our
own successes are diminished and our failures amplified. When we put our lives on display for hundreds of “friends,” our focus on cultivating genuine relationships is often diminished. Virtual relationships can desensitize us to real people, undermining the value of the physical presence of friends. Distracted by our lives online, we lose our ability to hear the voices of those around us. For Christians, the lure of the online world poses a significant threat to our spiritual life. Collecting followers can become more important than following Christ. Instead of being Christ-centred, social media encourages us to be self-centred. Research has shown that technol-
Online Safety: Guidelines for Parents In addition to posing potential threats to our mental and spiritual well-being, the Internet can be a dangerous place for children. Here are some tips for keeping your children safe: • Teach your child never to give personal information over the Internet, such as their name, address, telephone number, password, parents’ names, the name of any club or team they are involved in, the name of their school or their afterschool job. • Teach your child to avoid chat rooms and websites (e.g. Chatroulette), which can be used by sexual predators. • Limit your child’s instant messaging to an approved friend list. Regularly check your child’s list to ensure that it has not been altered. • Place your computer in an area of your home where you can easily supervise your child’s Internet activity. If you allow your child to have a webcam, place it in a public area of your house. • Know how your child is spending their time online. Regularly ask your child about their online friends and activities. Roleplay with your child various dangerous scenarios that they could encounter online.
• Use parental controls and/or filtering or monitoring technology that block access to harmful sites and activities, such as pornography. • Spend time online alongside your child and establish an atmosphere of trust regarding computer usage and online activities. • Monitor the amount of time your child spends on the Internet, and at what times of day. Excessive time online, especially at night, may indicate a problem. Remind your child that Internet use is a privilege, not a right. • Do not permit your child to have an online profile containing personally identifiable information or pictures of themselves. • Instruct your child never to plan a face-to-face meeting with someone that they have met online. • Watch for changes in your child’s behaviour—for example, mention of adults you don’t know, secretiveness, inappropriate sexual knowledge or sleeping problems.
ogy affects our ability to be alone and silent, but it is in silence and solitude that we nourish our relationship with God. In this way, the digital world robs us of our “God space.” It is time for us to examine our relationship with technology and ask, How does my pursuit of holiness inform how I act online? Here are some guidelines for establishing a Spirit-led digital presence. Be humble. Instead of using social media as a tool for self-promotion, use it to point people to Christ. Be real. Who you are on social media should reflect who you are in real life. Practise moderation. Set limits. Maintain a healthy balance in your life (see sidebar for suggested boundaries). Stay accountable. Once you set your limits, tell a trusted friend or family member. If you are married, be open and transparent with your spouse about your online activities. Avoid the appearance of evil. Engage in people ministry. Social media will never replace face-to-face relationships. Invest in those around you. Learning to disengage from the online world will allow us to engage more deeply with God and those around us. It is time to reclaim our real lives and our real relationships. Nancy Turley is the territorial abuse advisor for the Canada and Bermuda Territory.
Setting Digital Boundaries • Don’t check your smartphone until after morning devotions. • Refrain from going online after 9 p.m. • Don’t check or talk on your phone when spending time with friends or family. • Take a digital fast on Sundays. • Refrain from using digital gadgets at mealtimes. • Limit checking e-mails or texts to once an hour. • Pray daily for God to help you become a good steward of your virtual life.
Salvationist May 2016 15
TIES THAT BIND
Telling Tales Stories help us understand ourselves and God
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love stories. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother reading to me. I could hear the deep voice of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood and see the house with three bowls of porridge, three chairs and three beds in Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I pictured Goldilocks falling asleep in the bed that was “just right.” When the books were finished, I’d beg her to make up stories. And when those were finished, I’d ask for stories about her life. Where did you live? Who were your friends? When did you and Dad meet? What was the boat you came to Canada on like? My mom loved stories, too. As a child, the only time it was difficult to get her attention was when she was reading a book. Just as she encouraged me to love books by reading to me, I have done my best to pass on my love of stories to my children. They love to read and watch movies, and tell the most amazing stories themselves. Humans are great storytellers. We love to retell old stories and spin new tales. We get hooked on soap operas. When I finish a book, I almost feel disoriented because the story is still with me and the real world seems strange. My husband isn’t a fan of books, but loves watching movies and takes every opportunity to see them on the big screen. If the kids are looking for a gift for him and don’t know what to get, they can always fall back on movie passes and know that he’ll be delighted. 16 May 2016 Salvationist
We draw on the stories of Scripture to inform our faith For me, gift certificates from a bookstore are always a safe bet. The latest scientific research—in psychology, neuroscience and evolutionary biology—shows that telling stories is part of what makes us human. Dr. Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University, did an analysis of 86 brain scans, and concluded that the network the brain uses to navigate relationships with other people overlaps with the network that helps us understand stories. We use stories to help us understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
Studies also show that stories make us more empathetic. Mar collaborated with several other scientists and reported that people who read fiction seem to be better able to empathize with others, to see the world f rom their perspective. He found the same result in a study with preschool-aged children. The more stories they heard, the keener their theory of mind (the ability to recognize that others have beliefs, desires and perspectives that are different than theirs). It’s fascinating to discover the way God has made us. Is it any wonder, then, that the primary way our faith has been communicated to us is through stories? Our ancient ancestors passed stories from one generation to the next until they were finally written down. The early Christians cherished the writings of their beloved disciples. We draw on the stories of Scripture to inform our faith and values. We read them to our children and pray they will grasp the hope of the gospel, and that the values of God’s kingdom will take hold in their hearts. The God that created us knows how to draw us into his big story of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. What a great story to tell our children. Major Kathie Chiu is the corps officer at Richmond Community Church, B.C. This is her last column and we are grateful for her contribution.
Photo: © kevron2002/Depositphotos.com
BY MAJOR KATHIE CHIU
DEPARTMENT
Journey to the Summit Training and equipping leaders is a strategic priority
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n September 2016, leaders of the Canada and Bermuda Territory will gather at Booth University College in Winnipeg for a territorial leaders’ summit, to give focused attention to the leadership development needs of our territory. The goal of the leadership development strategic priority is to ensure that The Salvation Army has well-equipped officers, employees and volunteers to lead us into the future. In The Path of Least Resistance for Managers, author and business consultant Robert Fritz challenges us to pause and evaluate our current situation, so that our strategy is based in reality and has well-thought-out, actionable steps toward our goals. At this point in our journey, we are evaluating and analyzing our current reality, with the support of many expert voices both inside and outside the organization. Our goal for the leaders’ summit is to present a path forward in leadership development, based on discoveries and insights learned along the way. Here are five of the insights we’ve identified so far: 1. T here is no one-size-fits-all program for developing leaders. Therefore, leadership development must be a shared responsibility between The Salvation Army and its officers, employees and volunteers. The uniqueness of each person’s learning style requires flexibility in our strategy, and should include both formal and informal learning
methods that simultaneously address individual development as well as organizational needs. 2. L earning and development must be results-based. While learning for learning’s sake is admirable and should be encouraged, our strategic priority is to develop leaders for The Salvation Army’s varied and complex ministry units. We are committed to ensuring that our learning and development produces the desired outcomes necessary to equip individuals to lead. 3. Current leaders must make developing the next generation of leaders a priority. If we are going to develop the next generation of leaders, current leaders must coach and develop others, even in the midst of their heavy leadership load. 4. A culture of learning and development must be modelled throughout the organization. The complexity and rapid change of leadership needs in all areas of The Salvation Army’s work necessitates ongoing learning and development. The Salvation Army is committed to a culture of learning and development and will work toward making this a cultural norm. If managers want employees to engage in learning and development, they need to show that they, too, are actively pursuing their own development. Similarly, if divisional and territorial leaders want their
officers to embrace learning and development as a cultural norm, it must be modelled. 5. Foundational leadership practices. The last stop along the journey to the summit is to acknowledge there are some nonnegotiables that are foundational to who we are, namely, an emphasis on spiritual, emotional and relational intelligence. We’ve got a long journey to the summit and there is much more to be discovered along the way. So far, we have reflected on the fact that we need to be focused, flexible and foundational. As the appointed champion for leadership development, I invite you to join us as we continue our journey to the leaders’ summit, both through prayer and suggestions, so that together we can move toward our goal to have the very best officers, employees and volunteers equipped and trained to lead The Salvation Army into the future. Major Brian Armstrong is the leadership development secretary for the Canada and Bermuda Territory.
You can read more about the seven strategic priorities at salvationist.ca/ strategic-priorities. Salvationist May 2016 17
Photo: © blas/stock.Adobe.com
BY MAJOR BRIAN ARMSTRONG
The Uniform Challenge Do you have what it takes to wear your faith?
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BY BRANDALYN MUSIAL
have a confession to make: I am proud to be a Salvation Army soldier, but I’ve always had an issue with the uniform. I’d only acquired one to make my role and presence clear when I was on church business, not because I loved wearing it. I’ve struggled with it on a few levels. It’s pretty bland compared to my closet full of colourful and interesting items. The uniform isn’t comfortable—and it’s cold in the winter. I’ve never been clear on when and how to wear it. But last year’s Boundless 2015 congress in London, England, changed how I view the uniform.
Riding the trains, normally quiet commuters would initiate conversations, asking who we were, where we were going and what the uniforms meant
Photo: Timothy Cheng
A Boundless Experience When I arrived at the O2 Arena in London to pick up my registration package, my heart was in turmoil to see all the uniformed Salvationists there. Tomorrow, I will lose my individuality, I thought. I’ll look just like everyone else. I’ll just blend in. (And when have I ever “just blended in”?) I’d don my uniform for the day’s events and activities, doing what I was expected to do, not because I wanted to. But a funny thing happened when I started wearing my uniform on a daily basis. Riding the trains, normally quiet commuters would initiate conversations, asking who we were, where we were going and what the uniforms meant. People asked us about our beliefs and the work of The Salvation Army, and shared with us their stories and beliefs. We were engaged by store clerks, shoppers and postal workers. It was surreal. Equally unique was being able to identify fellow Salvationists, in the streets, stores, trains and restaurants by their white shirts and distinctive shoulder tabs. What a precious experience! When congress concluded, my husband and I packed our 18 May 2016 Salvationist
uniforms neatly in our backpacks as we prepared to spend our last few days seeing some of the English countryside. Our post-congress experience was a contrast to the previous five days, however. Now, we rode trains where no one engaged us in conversation, we entered stores and restaurants where no one asked who we were, what we believed or about The Salvation Army. The Army faded into the general population. We no longer stood out, and we couldn’t identify fellow Salvationists. We truly felt as if something was missing. It was now much harder to reach people and interact on a lessthan-superficial level. Change Your World! Since coming home, I’ve made more of a point of wearing my uniform outside of the times when I’m performing a specific Salvation Army activity. I can see now great value in the uniform, in being able to be visibly identified as different—God’s people on an earthly mission. I no longer feel I need to wear the uniform because it is expected. I wear the uniform because it enhances my ability to connect with people. I believe The Salvation Army is starting to lose its recognizability in our communities and that many people don’t know that, first and foremost, we are a Bible-believing, ministryfocused, salvation gospel outreach. But what if they could see us? What if we were visible daily in the grocery store, school and mall? What if the doors of communication were opened because of how we dressed, and people readily knew that we were people they could talk to, cry with, pray with and ask questions of? I’m the first to admit that the uniform isn’t the most comfortable item in my wardrobe, but I now believe that there is
Brandalyn Musial and her husband, Jesse, with three fellow Salvationists at Boundless
value to wearing it more often. I would like to put out a “uniform challenge” to my fellow uniform-owning Salvationists: Will you join me in choosing to wear your uniform more than you are required to—or inclined to? Will you choose to put it on one day a month when you are not going to church or a community outreach event or to your Army job? Will you wear it on a normal “day off” to the grocery store, school and mall? Will you choose to stand out as one of God’s people, visible in your community? I don’t think that wearing our uniforms will change the world, but it might just make a difference in our local community outreach. Will you accept my uniform challenge? Brandalyn Musial attends Mount Arrowsmith Corps in Parksville, B.C.
Practising Spiritual Disciplines A Spiritual Life Development Focus, Canada and Bermuda Territory
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UPWARD DISCIPLINES
Download bulletin inserts, one-page study guides and other resources. A new discipline to explore every month! Find out more at SASpiritualLife.ca
EVANGE LISM
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N DO I 1. Write APPLY down a IT? The Bible few strateg ies at all timestells us to be can share on how you ready to share the gospel especially gospel 2. Decide the (see if they on one in their Don’t simply1 Peter 3:15). of those strateg efforts are rejected wait for . Even you might opport the start sharing ies and unity not see though result, find opport to come—go the end 3. Review and have your effort unities Christ promis your to share. been enoug just might and continu results ed that someo will not h for you e to ne to surren be alone evange life to Christ. equipp but fully lize der ed Be certain their efforts and the to accomplish are always your Holy Spirit, this, love and you, will rooted living compa in not let ssion. you downin (see Acts Don’t 1:8). your own give up. Focus Initially on , people what God testimony about uncom can fortabl Want to e evange be life. Practishas done in your learn lizing, evangelism? more on ing it regula help it flow natura rly will Download lly. www.saspirour full guide ituallife.ca
OUTWARD DISCIPLINES
ONWARD DISCIPLINES
Solitude
Prayer
Self-Denial
Evangelism
Confession
Scripture
Service
Tithing
Sabbath
Worship
Hospitality
Guidance
Slowing • Silence • Listening
Accountability • Self-Examination
Resting • Health • Trust • Community
Submission • Obedience • Presence
Soul Food • Meditation • Convictions
Holiness • Set Apart • Priorities
Simplicity • Fasting • Missional
Servanthood • Others • Supportive
Sharing • Relationships • Thankfulness
Proclaiming • Witnessing • Testimony
Giving • Investing • Kingdom-Building
Mentors • Life Goals • Discipleship Salvationist May 2016 19
A Matter of Life and Death Why The Salvation Army won’t support physician-assisted death
20 May 2016 Salvationist
the disease was not crippling. She did not want to take her own life just then. However, anticipating a future in which she couldn’t commit suicide independently, she wanted her physician to be free from criminal prosecution if he later hastened her death. The Supreme Court agreed. In so doing, they said that others like her should have the same legal protection— others who were suffering “grievously” from “irremediable” medical conditions and for whom any treatment would be “intolerable”; others who, like this woman, are adults able to consent to and refuse medical treatment on the basis of their reasoned assessment of the alternatives. The court said that people who were “vulnerable”—vulnerable to coercion and manipulation—and people who didn’t have the capacity to make informed decisions about their own care needed to be protected. No one should be allowed to legally hasten their deaths. But the court judged that Canada was smart enough and well-governed enough to protect those who needed protection, while still allowing physicians to end the
lives of people, like the woman with ALS, at their request. The Supreme Court said they would delay the impact of their ruling, but in June 2016, physician-assisted death will be legally permissible everywhere in the country as a constitutionally protected right. New Law Since the court handed down its judgment, federal and provincial legislators and civil servants, colleges of physicians and other health providers, panels of experts, assisted-death advocates and religious leaders—including the leaders of The Salvation Army—have engaged in intense debate and deliberation. Everyone expects there will be new laws and professional regulations in June, but what will they be, and will they be the same everywhere in Canada? A committee created by the new federal government, comprised of members of Parliament and senators, has said that the conditions articulated by the Supreme Court should be treated as a floor, not a ceiling—recommending that
Photo: © michaeljung/stock.Adobe.com
W
hether we like it or not, it is now legal in Canada for physicians to terminate the lives of patients under certain circumstances. The time to oppose the legalization of physician-assisted death has passed. The question before us now is how we relate to the new reality. In February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the laws preventing assisted suicide were “overbroad.” The court said that prohibiting physicians from ever granting the request of patients who wanted to end their lives infringed on the patients’ constitutional rights. One of the two cases on which the court based its decision concerned a woman who had developed ALS (sometimes called Lou Gehrig’s disease). The disease would eventually cause her to lose control of her muscles, and, unless something else intervened, she would suffocate when her lungs could no longer inflate. Her body would give way, but not her mind. She found the prospect agonizing. When she appealed to the court,
BY JAMES READ
hastened death be allowed for children as well as adults, and for people who are no longer mentally competent, as well as for those still competent. Further, in their view, nurse practitioners and some other professionals, as well as physicians, should be legally permitted to hasten death. Whether the committee’s recommendations will be accepted is presently unknown. Even if they aren’t, Canada’s laws regarding the hastening of death will be among the most “liberal” in the world. And it will be necessary for those who think they are bad laws to find ways to live with the reality. If you are a physician you should be protected on two grounds. One is the professional obligation not to practise outside one’s area of competence. (Just as not all doctors are trained to perform brain surgery, only certain physicians will have the requisite training to properly hasten death.) The other is the legal right to opt out on the grounds of personal conscience. Nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals will probably have similar protection. Right of Conscience But what about hospitals, hospices and long-term care homes? Will they be granted protection, too? This matters to The Salvation Army because it owns and manages several such institutions across the country. In late 2014, General André Cox strongly affirmed, “There will be no change in our theological beliefs or in our positional statements. The Salvation Army will always be pro-life. There will be no change in our values and there will be no change in principle.” The Salvation Army has long argued against assisted suicide and euthanasia. Although death is not to be resisted at all costs and although people deserve excellent management of pain and suffering, we should not resort to physician-assisted death. On this basis, The Salvation Army asserts an “institutional right of conscience” that physician-assisted death will not be performed in its health-care facilities. Some people seem to think that opting out on grounds of conscience is being a bad sport—a power play to try to win something that was lost in the courts. If you are paid from public funds (as doctors and hospices are), you are obligated to go along, the argument goes. The one
who pays the piper calls the tune. This is misguided and fa lse. Conscience is at the heart of identity. Adults know that if they do certain things, they betray themselves. They will have sold out. When we go to our doctors, we want to know whether we can trust them. We want to know whether they really stand for anything. If physicians sway with the winds of opinion or kowtow to wealth, they are not to be trusted. Commissioner (Dr.) Paul du Plessis is a specialist in palliative medicine. He is married to Commissioner Margaret, who lives with dementia. Last year, Paul shared his “credo” with me. He says, “Relationships should endure even when they are stormy. They should survive loss of cognitive function, social skills and graces, changes of bodily function, behaviour, appearance or hygiene, and when feelings of attraction give way to the reverse, even of revulsion. When we care for another it is to serve Christ (see Matthew 25). With chronic illness and long-term care, this is not a one-off event, but requires ongoing commitment.” These are not only convictions; they are identity statements.
A Salvationist conscience seeks to provide “dignityaffirming care” Imagine if this man were to be asked to help terminate someone’s life, at their request. I don’t think he could do it. If he did, two people would die—the patient and himself. It’s similar for The Salvation Army’s presence in hospices and nursing homes. The Salvation Army is not there for the sake of money or prestige, but because of the convictions that define it. To betray those convictions would undermine its very raison d’être. And so it must seek an “institutional conscientious exemption.” Dignity and Worth Does this mean that patients and residents of Salvation Army health facilities cannot ask for assisted-death? No. Importantly, no. The professionals in Salvation Army facilities, who are wise and experienced in end-of-life care, have heard these kinds of requests long before
the change in law. They know how to explore what lies behind such a request, and they have the skill to address the pain, suffering, loneliness and assaults on dignity that occasion it. Experience shows that few people who ask for their lives to be ended persist in asking when these symptoms are properly attended to. Winnipeg’s Dr. Harvey Chochinov is a world-renowned expert in end-of-life psychology. In a study published in The Lancet, he concluded that “how patients experience themselves to be seen by their health-care providers, is the most ardent predictor of sense of dignity.… Dignityaffirming care refers to the multitude of ways that health-care providers convey appreciation, respect and kindness to their patients … You are a whole person and deserve my time, my respect and my care.” It is not because of what The Salvation Army is against that it will not provide physician-assisted death, but because of what it is for. It is for the recognition of the worth and dignity of every person. The Salvation Army believes that every person is created in the image of God and loved by God. Even so, as Dr. Chochinov’s studies reveal, people can feel their lives are without worth and dignity unless they see in someone else’s eyes that they deserve respect, care and attention. Palliative-care programs are designed to do just that for those with terminal illness. Hospice staff strive to alleviate otherwise irremediable suffering. They create an environment free from the attitude that the dying should die faster. And, in a host of other ways, they show the dying that they still matter. A Salvationist conscience seeks to provide “dignity-affirming care” to others, too. Those who aren’t imminently dying need the holistic embrace of palliative care just as much. Those who, like the woman who brought her case to the Supreme Court, are steadily losing the capacities that mainstream society says make living worthwhile. And those who are poor, disabled, weak or chronically in pain. It is an outrage that our country is prepared to approve of physician-assisted death as a constitutional right while so many Canadians still lack the assurance that anyone thinks their lives are even worth continuing. Dr. James Read is the director of The Salvation Army Ethics Centre in Winnipeg. Salvationist May 2016 21
Our Daily Bread
The radical economic implications of depending on God
22 May 2016 Salvationist
found themselves in the wilderness. It didn’t take long for the boisterous praises of Exodus 15 to turn into bitter complaints about the lack of food and water. “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread” (Exodus 16:3 NRSV). Freedom might be a good thing, but empty stomachs trump freedom. In Exodus 16, God responded to the complaints of the Israelites by sending manna, bread from heaven, to cover the ground each morning. The Israelites were given strict instructions about how to “harvest” the manna. First, each Israelite was to gather only enough manna for that day (that is, daily bread).
Second, if they had some left over at the end of the day, they were not to keep it. Any attempt to store or stockpile the manna would fail as it became rotten. Third, on the sixth day of the week, they were to gather enough manna for two days. Surprisingly, manna kept over for the Sabbath would not rot. Finally, on the seventh day, the Sabbath, they were not to search for manna. The Lord had already provided enough bread on the previous day. With these provisions in place, Israel received its daily bread. The Yearning for More This story is often interpreted as a test of Israel’s willingness to obey God’s commands, and, to some extent, it is that.
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T
he Lord’s Prayer includes the petition “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 NRSV). I have usually interpreted “daily bread” as our requirements for physical survival—food, shelter, drink. Our petition, then, is that God would be faithful in providing the basic necessities of life. But on further examination, I have found that this request has a rich background that casts it in a different light. The expression “Give us this day our daily bread” takes us all the way back to the early history of Israel at the time of the exodus from Egypt. Having escaped from Pharaoh’s service by crossing the Red Sea (see Exodus 14), the Israelites
BY DONALD E. BURKE
But it’s about more than the arbitrary requirements of a demanding deity. Probing more deeply, the story prompts such questions as: Would the Israelites be willing to trust God enough to live within the boundaries that he established? Would they be able to live out that trust in a concrete way by risking starvation if they only gathered enough for one day, and the manna did not appear tomorrow? Would the Israelites be willing to trust that the manna given on the sixth day would be sufficient for the Sabbath? When we pose these questions, the narrative provides us with a great opportunity to explore the challenges presented by our insecurities and our distorted human need to assume responsibility for our lives. Why is it so hard for us to trust God’s provision? Jesus exposes the same issue shortly after the Lord’s Prayer when he exhorts his followers to observe carefully the birds of the air, which don’t sow or harvest (see Matthew 6:25-34). They don’t worry about tomorrow’s food, but rather trust their heavenly Father for today’s food and drink. If the Father provides abundant “daily bread” for them, would God do less for us? Learn from the birds, is Jesus’ plea. When understood in this way, the petition for daily bread is both a prayer to our heavenly Father and an affirmation that daily bread should be enough. When we return to Exodus 16, we find that, of course, there were those who did not follow God’s explicit instructions. Some gathered more manna than they needed and tried to keep it for the next day, building a stockpile just in case the manna did not come as promised. But, as predicted, the leftover manna rotted and filled with worms. Then there were those who couldn’t resist the urge to gather the bread on the Sabbath. Who needs Sabbath rest when manna may be sitting just outside the camp? Wouldn’t it be wasteful to leave it on the ground? Shouldn’t they take responsibility for providing their own food, in case God failed to provide it? Wasn’t that the responsible—if not the human—thing to do? The story in Exodus 16 recognizes the inevitability of the Israelites’ surrender to the temptation to gather more, and, at the same time, shows that even after the stunning events that led to their liberation from slavery, the Israelites still did not fully trust God. Having today’s bread was not enough.
An Alternative Community While this is one layer of meaning in the manna story, I think there’s another. The issue explored in Exodus 16 is what kind of community Israel would become. The Lord called Israel out of Egypt to be an alternative community. They were not freed from bondage to Pharaoh merely to have a chance for economic success or even religious freedom. They were not liberated from Egypt’s tyranny to reproduce another little Egypt, in which the powerful and wealthy could lord it over those who had little power and few resources. No, Israel was to become a community in which there would be a broad distribution of resources and power. In Israel, no one was to have too much; no one was to have too little (see Exodus 16:17-18). The manna provisions were a concrete expression of this vision. But if some Israelites were able to gather more manna than they needed to store the excess for future use, this would plant seeds of social and economic
Why is it so hard for us to trust God’s provision? class distinctions that would elevate some Israelites over others. The reign of human greed would quickly establish itself, in an emerging disparity between those with much and those with little. Those with stockpiles of manna would be motivated to build “bigger barns” in which to store the surplus (see Luke 12:13-21). Over time, the rigid pyramid of power that characterized Egypt, and from which God had liberated Israel, would simply be reproduced in Israel. There would be a few who controlled the market on manna, and the many, who would become utterly dependent on them and subject to their manipulative power. The only difference between Egypt and Israel would be that a new group of Israelite tyrants would replace Pharaoh at the top of the pyramid. Over time, this is what happened in Israel. By the time the prophets Amos, Micah and Isaiah appeared, Israel had become a community rigidly divided along socio-economic and political lines. The abusive practices that sustained Israel’s economic and social structure
in the eighth century BCE had been entrenched in law. What was legal had little to do with what was just. As a result, for many, life in Israel was not so different from the lives of their ancestors under the tyranny of Egypt. Israel had become indistinguishable from Egypt or any other tyrannical, corrupt society. Israel had abandoned its vocation to be an alternative community. The prophets of the eighth century BCE railed against this perversion of Israel’s identity. In light of Israel’s history, it becomes clear that God’s instruction to the Israelites in Exodus 16 to gather only their “daily bread” had, at its heart, a concern for the kind of community Israel would become—a community characterized by trust in God for his daily provision, rather than seizing the initiative to hoard for tomorrow. In this concrete way, Israel was to be a community in which trust in God’s provision trumped the human insecurity that drives us to hedge our bets by building “bigger barns.” Israel was to be a community with values alternative to those of Egypt, values that were expressed not only religiously but economically, socially and politically. The manna provisions in Exodus 16 were a way to cultivate this different kind of community. Enough is Enough Returning to Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer is placed within the Sermon on the Mount. Taken as a whole, the Sermon on the Mount is a charter of sorts for a new community centred on the lordship of Christ. Within this context, when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he was concerned about what kind of community the church would become. The petition “Give us this day our daily bread” is not simply a selfish request for God to give us food to fill our bellies. It is much more! With the manna narrative in the background, it is a statement that the church should be a community in which enough for today is enough. Period. The rest can be shared with those who have less (see Matthew 6). Imagine what a difference it would make to how we live and witness in our world if churches accepted our daily bread with thanks, and shared the surplus with those who have little. Dr. Donald E. Burke has served as the president of Booth University College since 2006. He will step down at the end of June 2016 to return to teaching full time. Salvationist May 2016 23
SPIRITUAL LIFE
The Sound of Silence Building relationship with God through solitude
E
arly on a Saturday morning, I packed a lunch for the day ahead. I was looking forward to spending time in prayer, silence and solitude during a half-day retreat. For the past year, I had been part of a Navigator discipleship program, meeting weekly in a small group. As the retreat approached, some members of the group wondered how we would fill the time. Our leader reassured us that when we finished the retreat, we would want to do it again. As I arrived at the retreat location to begin my time of solitude, I was side-tracked by the thought of lunch. I glanced into my bag, only to discover that I had neglected to tighten the lid on my water bottle. My sandwich was sodden. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t concentrate. And then I felt ashamed that I had allowed the loss of my lunch to distract me. I asked the Lord to help me overcome my frustration, and soon I was deep in meditation on God’s Word, seeking his focus for the day. I spent time in his presence, waiting, listening and worshipping. I did finish the day wanting more. The Discipline of Solitude The pace and demands of life can be overwhelming. One of the ways we can silence the noise is through the prac24 May 2016 Salvationist
tice of solitude—intentionally getting away from everyone and everything for a while to be alone with God. Solitude helps us strike a balance between doing and being. It’s important to stop doing and just be in God’s presence. Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray (see Luke 5:16), modelling the importance of this discipline. Here are some suggestions for how to incorporate silence and solitude into your life: Book a date. Schedule it on your calendar like any other activity—if you wait for the right time, it won’t happen. Choose a place. Any location where you can be alone, such as a retreat centre, church or prayer room, will work. Go with no agenda other than to be in God’s presence. Slow down. It’s normal for it to take some time for your mind to slow down. Find a comfortable position and breathe deeply from the diaphragm several times until you begin to relax. Then focus on something such as a verse of Scripture, the names of God or a spiritual phrase. As you spend time with God, the issues of life will eventually begin to melt away. Expect distractions. Recognizing that distracting thoughts will come can help us prepare for them. Start by turning off your cellphone. If you are using a tablet to read Scripture, determine ahead of time that you will stay away from all other programs. If you
lose focus, gently bring your thoughts back to God. Confront fearful thoughts with the truth of God’s Word. Manage thoughts of things to do by writing them in a journal. Rest. If you get sleepy, it’s OK to take a nap. Just use a timer to get back on track after your sleep break. Start small. Begin with a couple of hours. Over time, you will see this discipline grow in your life. Solitude has created an environment for God to speak to me. As my mind is quiet before God, the Holy Spirit has guided the inclinations of my heart to be in harmony with his Word. Solitude has been instrumental in managing my anxiety. When I have been overwhelmed with worry, Jesus has reminded me that he has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (see 2 Timothy 1:7). Spending time in God’s presence has revealed how unwavering his love is for me. Major Dave Grice is the divisional secretary for spiritual life development in the British Columbia Division.
For Further Reading: • T he Sacred Way by Tony Jones • Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton • Other Voices by Major Christine Faragher
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BY MAJOR DAVE GRICE
HERSTORY
Reclaiming Feminism When half the church is sidelined, our mission suffers
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BY LIEUTENANT KRISTEN JACKSON-DOCKERAY
W
hen I was in university, someone asked if I considered myself a feminist. The question stunned me. I had never really thought about it. The label didn’t quite fit; somehow it felt frumpy and constricting. I don’t remember how I answered the question then, but I know how I answer it now. I am a feminist. This statement often elicits more questions, usually along the lines of, Are you bitter? Are you angry? Do you hate men? These questions push at the edges of why I am a feminist. I am a feminist because I believe that women are people. At the core, feminism simply means that the dignity, rights and responsibilities of women are equal in importance to those of men, and we refuse discrimination. That’s it. I am a feminist because I love Jesus Christ, and he championed the dignity of women. One of my favourite examples is the role that women play in the resurrection narrative. The first witnesses of the Resurrection were women. The first people to preach the good news of the Resurrection were women. Jesus sent a woman to tell the disciples the good
For the sake of the gospel, women must speak, teach, pastor and prophesy news: he is risen. I think that Jesus was a feminist, too. I am a feminist because it is 2016, and some people still try to explain away my gifts and calling. At a lunch meeting for ministers in my city, I am the only woman in the room. My husband still hears whispers about whether a woman has a place in the pulpit, a place at this table. My gifts and passion are openly debated, because they are not enough. As if my worth and dignity were not determined the day I was created in the image of God. In Bible studies and conferences, I have been smothered nearly to death by proof texts that make me feel as if I have it all wrong. As if I’m wrong about my calling. As if I’m wrong about God’s
movement in my life. This is one of the many reasons why I am a feminist. I believe that God is on the move, and I want to move with our God. I am done wasting my time with debates about what women should and should not do. I am done because I know warrior women who are creative, who are leaders in their churches, who God has gifted for ministry. Women who are called by the Holy God. And I am not about to get in the way of God’s anointing. I am done because I have already seen the life-giving answer to the question of women in leadership in my friends, colleagues and the women who have gone before me. This movement of God has scriptural, traditional, experiential and spiritual justification. Our big and awe-inspiring God is on the move. He is at work in this, his world, and we have been invited to come along. We have been invited to participate with all that we are and all that we have, leaving everything on the altar. Carolyn Custis James, author of Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women, writes, “When half the church holds back—whether by choice or because we have no choice—everybody loses and our mission suffers setbacks.” For the sake of the gospel, women must speak, teach, pastor and prophesy. For the sake of God’s kingdom, we must demonstrate the already and notyet redemptive movement of God. So that the church can surprise, amaze and intrigue the world. So that the church can offer a foretaste of what it means to be made in the image of God, intended for wholeness within the body of Christ. Then we can each say, I am a feminist— not because it is 2016, but because this, my friends, is Jesus, and this is what the kingdom of God looks like. Filled with men and women who are living out their gifts and callings, announcing that Jesus is resurrected, death has been defeated and God is on the move. Lieutenant Kristen Jackson-Dockeray is the corps officer at Niagara Orchard Community Church, Ont. Salvationist May 2016 25
CROSS CULTURE
IN REVIEW Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious BY DAVID DARK For many people today, the word “rel i g iou s” h a s nothing but negative connotations. It suggests closemindedness, brainwashing and even violence. It’s no wonder that some Christians have tried to escape the term. Yet David Dark, Christian author and professor of theology, argues that it’s not that simple. In his latest book, Dark defines religion as the controlling story in which people are blessed and cursed to find themselves. According to Dark, your religion is what you do with yourself, your resources and your passions. Dark writes, “If what we believe is what we see is what we do is who we are, there’s no getting away from religion.” Dark’s book calls readers to make their religion the story of their life. In doing so, he suggests, we can eliminate the “sacred/secular” divide and reclaim the idea of being “religious.”
Slow Kingdom Coming
Last Days in the Desert
BY KENT ANNAN We pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Yet, there is still too much suffering in the world. How do you stay committed to working for justice when God’s kingdom can seem so slow in coming? Kent Annan, author and co-director of Haiti Partners, a non-profit focused on education, understands the struggle. He admits, “Over the past 20 years, I’ve succumbed to various failed shortcuts instead of living the freedom of faithful practices.” In Slow Kingdom Coming, Annan shares practical ways for individuals, churches, charities and communities to participate in thoughtful justice. As he writes, “The five practices in this book can help you find the freedom to handle what you can and what you’re called to—and then handle it well.”
DIRECTED BY RODRIGO GARCIA Following several faith-based film releases this year, Last Days in the Desert of fers a new portrayal of Jesus, depicting his temptation in the desert. While staying true to the spirit of the biblical account, Last Days creates a fictional story in which Jesus (Ewan McGregor) is not alone in the desert, but encounters a family living in a small, isolated camp. While he is staying with the family, Jesus is visited by Satan—also played by McGregor. As he joins the family in their daily activities, Jesus perceives emotional distance between the father and son. While he tries to help the family overcome their tensions, Jesus must also come to grips with his relationship with his own Father. After premiering to positive reviews at the Sundance Film Festival last year, Last Days hits theatres on May 13. Read our full review at salvationist.ca.
Practices for doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly in the world
IN THE NEWS Vatican Approves of Oscar-Winner Spotlight Since its release last year, Spotlight has won many accolades for its portrayal of The Boston Globe’s investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic church in the United States. While the film does not show the church in the best light, the Vatican was among the first to praise Spotlight after it picked up the Academy Award for best picture in February. Writing for L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s semi-official newspaper, Lucetta Scaraffia notes that Spotlight “is not anti-Catholic, as has been written, because it manages to voice the shock and profound pain of the faithful confronting the discovery of these horrendous realities.” At the awards ceremony, Spotlight producer Michael Sugar made a direct plea to Pope Francis, saying, “It’s time to protect the children and restore the faith.” Reacting to this statement, Scaraffia wrote, “The fact that a call arose from the Oscar ceremony … should be seen as a positive sign …. There is still trust in a faith that has at its heart the defence of victims, the protection of the innocent.” 26 May 2016 Salvationist
Televangelism Comes to Netflix Among its various original programs, wh ich spa n t he genres, Netflix is adding a new type of content to the mix: Christian sermons. The online video streaming Joyce Meyer shares a sermon in her new Netflix service now offers series, “Winning Life’s Battles” programming from four popular Christian pastors: Ed Young, Steven Furtick, Andy Stanley and Joyce Meyer. Religion News Service reports that Young spearheaded the effort to get this type of content on Netflix. “I believe if Jesus were on planet Earth today in the flesh he’d be on Netflix,” he said. Young’s series, called “Fifty Shades of THEY,” includes five episodes. Sermons by the other pastors include “#DeathToSelfie” with Furtick, “Starting Over” by Stanley and “Winning Life’s Battles” with Meyer. Netflix did not provide many guidelines in terms of content, but asked the pastors to avoid promoting products or inviting viewers to make donations.
PEOPLE & PLACES
ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—The young people at St. John’s Temple enthusiastically participate in junior soldier renewal Sunday, supported by their corps officers, Mjrs Rene and Wanda Loveless, seated left and right of Erika White, children/youth ministry director.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L.—Seven young people publicly declare their commitment to Jesus Christ by being enrolled as junior soldiers at St. John’s Citadel. They are, from left, Micah Perrin, Charles McGann, Andrew Elliott, Daniel Denny, Shealyn Pretty, Alek Andrews and Joel Peddle. Celebrating with them are, from left, Beverly Noseworthy, preparation class instructor; Mjr Valerie Wheeler, CO; Nicholas Hillier, holding the flag; JSS Denise Rideout; and Tracy Mayo, youth director.
WINTERTON, N.L.—Lower Trinity Corps celebrates its 15th anniversary since the amalgamation of the corps in New Chelsea, Hant’s Harbour and Winterton, N.L. Weekend events included a gospel concert, a special supper with a cake-cutting ceremony and an old-fashioned Salvation Army meeting. Marking the occasion are, from left, Mjr Jean Bridger, CO; Mjr Marilyn Shirran, DSWM, N.L. Div; Ruby Leawood; Margaret Short; Audrey Thompson, chairperson of the anniversary committee; Mjr Bruce Shirran, AC, N.L. Div; and Cpt Glenn Bridger, CO. WINTERTON, N.L.— Bandsman Emerson Pitcher receives a certificate recognizing 75 years of service to Salvation Army banding, first at Winterton Corps and continuing at Lower Trinity Corps following the amalgamation of Winterton, New Chelsea and Hant’s Harbour Corps. From left, Mjrs Bruce and Marilyn Shirran, AC and DSWM, N.L. Div; Emerson Pitcher; and Mjr Jean and Cpt Glenn Bridger, COs, Lower Trinity Corps.
LONDON, ONT.—From left, Jen Doak, community justice worker at the Army’s correctional and justice services location in Goderich, Ont., receives the 2015 Employee of the Year Award from Julia Parker, executive director, correctional and justice services—London.
WINTERTON, N.L.—Lower Trinity Corps commissions four new local officers. From left, Perry Norris, corps treasurer; Jean George, corps secretary; Bertha Norris, bandmaster; and David Thompson, corps sergeant-major.
GANDER, N.L.—The ranks at Gander Citadel are reinforced as three junior soldiers are enrolled. Proudly displaying their Junior Soldier Promises are, from left, Kayla Bungay, Alexis Bungay and Sydney Hartle. Supporting them are, from left, JSS Mary Bungay; YPSM Tina Stryde; Rod Lane, holding the flag; and Cpts Ashley and Sheldon Bungay, COs. Salvationist May 2016 27
PEOPLE & PLACES TORONTO—Lakeshore CC rejoices in the growth taking place as a senior soldier and two junior soldiers are enrolled, an adherent is welcomed, a senior soldier is reinstated and a colour sergeant is commissioned. Back, from left, Mjrs Chris and Tina Rideout, AC and DSWM, Ont. CE Div; Janice Roberts, acting JSS; Katie Wilson; Heather Goundry; Colin Sealy; Patricia Gifkins; and Lts Mary and Samuel Tim, COs. Front, from left, Emma Ries-Boxil and Benjamin Tim.
BUILDING A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD “Let us get ready and build...”Joshua 22:26a
TRITON, N.L.—Two new local officers join the leadership team at Triton-Brighton Corps. From left, CSM Howard Bridger; newly commissioned ACSM Tammy Fudge; Gilbert Roberts, holding the flag; newly commissioned CCMS Marie Roberts; and Cpts Lynette and Steven Barrett, COs.
Ontario Men’s Camp
with Colonel
Lindsay Rowe
Friday, June 3rd to Sunday, June 5th, 2016 Jackson’s Point Camp Son registering with his father SAVES 50% on his registration fee. Register 8 or more men from one Corps/Ministry Unit and receive $100 rebate. See your CO or Ministry Unit leader for more details.
110th Corps Anniversary East Toronto Citadel Theme: Be Thou My Vision June 4-5, 2016 With Colonels Mark and Sharon Tillsley Ontario Central-East DYC and DYB For weekend details or to send greetings, please e-mail lisa_brown@can.salvationarmy.org
GAZETTE INTERNATIONAL Appointments: Jun 1—Cols Mark/Julie Campbell, CS-in-charge/TSWM (additional responsibility), Australia Eastern Tty; Col Graeme Rigley, CS-incharge, Australia Southern Tty; Comrs Floyd/Tracey Tidd, NC/NPWM, Australia; Mjr Anne Wimmers, GS, Hong Kong and Macau Cmd; Jul 1—Cols Johnny/Eva Kleman, TC/TPWM, Sweden and Latvia Tty, with rank of comr; Cols Patrick/Anne-Dore Naud, TC/TPWM, Finland and Estonia Tty; Comr Marie Willermark, TC and TPWM, Germany, Lithuania and Poland Tty; Aug 1—Lt-Cols Nahashon/Zipporah Njiru, CS/TSWM, Ghana Tty; Lt-Cols Samuel/ Philomina Oklah, CS/TSWM, Kenya East Tty; Jan 1, 2017—Cols Mark/Julie Campbell, NCS/NSWM, Australia TERRITORIAL Appointment: Mjr Alan Hoeft, assistant executive director, New Life Centre, Sudbury, Ont., and divisional emergency disaster services director, Ont. GL Div (additional responsibilities); Mjr Karen Hoeft, executive director, New Life Centre, Sudbury, Ont. GL Div; Mjr Betty Lessard, Le Phare, Montreal, Quebec Div; Cpt Sandra Ross, chaplain, Belinda’s Place, York Housing and
28 May 2016 Salvationist
Supportive Services, Newmarket, Ont. CE Div; Mjr Paul Wood, executive director, Hamilton Community Resource Centre, Ont. GL Div (additional responsibility) Promoted to glory: Mjr Wilburne England, from St. John’s, N.L., Feb 27
CALENDAR Commissioner Susan McMillan: May 1-4 Territorial Executive Conference/ Territorial Leaders’ Conference, JPCC; May 5-6 National Advisory Board, Toronto; May 7 Mother’s Day breakfast, Suncoast Citadel, Goderich, Ont.; May 13-15 B.C. northern women’s rally, B.C. Div; May 19-22 10th anniversary of U.S.A. Western Territory Band, Long Beach, California; May 26-30 divisional women’s retreat, Edmonton, Alta. & N.T. Div Colonels Mark and Sharon Tillsley: May 1-4 Territorial Executive Conference/ Territorial Leaders’ Conference, JPCC; May 6-8 Aboriginal roundtable, Beaver Creek Camp, Prairie Div; May 20-23 anniversary celebrations, Labrador City/Wabush, N.L. Canadian Staff Band: May 19-22 10th anniversary of U.S.A. Western Territory Band, Long Beach, California
PEOPLE & PLACES
TRIBUTES TORONTO—Effie Marie Ball was born in Bell Island, N.L., in 1923, to Richard and Fannie Mercer as one of 14 children. Early in Effie’s life, the family moved to Glace Bay, N.S. At the age of 18, she travelled to Toronto for work and lived with her Aunt Annie and Uncle Tom Moulton, on Lisgar Street. The family attended Lisgar Street Corps where Effie caught the eye of a young band member named Arthur Ball and they were married in 1946. Through 52 years of marriage, they were a loving couple, faithful servants and dedicated Salvationists. Effie served as a cub pack leader, songster sergeant, directory teacher, Sunday school teacher and corps hostess. A special time in Effie’s life was the 21 years she spent as the chief housekeeper at Toronto’s Meighen Lodge helping seniors and planning THQ and DHQ Christmas parties. In 1975, Effie and Arthur felt the call to officership and served as auxiliary-captains at the Army’s seniors’ home in Prince Edward Island. After Arthur’s promotion to glory in 1998, Effie continued her strong example as a loving mother and Salvationist. Left with cherished memories are Effie’s son, Charlie (Joy); daughter, Susan (Bill); six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and friends. WINDSOR, ONT.—Wilma Lillian Paterson was born in 1936 to officer parents, Major and Mrs. Arthur and Lillian Robinson. She accepted Christ as a young child and served with her parents and siblings Bill and Betty in corps in Ontario and Nova Scotia. Settling in Windsor, Wilma married George Watts in 1957 and they were blessed with two daughters. She served at Walkerville Corps, Ont., Windsor Citadel and South Windsor Citadel in a variety of positions, including as young people’s sergeant-major, songster, league of mercy secretary, Over 60’s co-ordinator, Sunday school teacher, corps cadet leader and band member. The league of mercy was her calling for many years until 2000 when she felt called to serve in Latvia, which she did on three occasions. Wilma was devoted to the Lord and continued to witness until her promotion to glory, telling others that her bags were packed and she was going “home.” Wilma was predeceased by her husband, George Watts; second husband, Samuel Paterson; son-in-law, Uriel Domb; and sister, Lieutenant Betty Wilson. She is survived by daughters Victoria Watts and Elizabeth (BJ) Domb; grandchildren Sarah Lorenz (Kevin), Michael Watts (Rachel), Gabrielle Domb, Arielle Domb and Michael Domb; great-grandchildren Teddy and Alex Lorenz, and Greyson Watts; and brother, Bill Robinson. VICTORIA—Major Harry Hickson was born in 1926 in Dalston, England, to John and Mary Hickson. During the Second World War, at the age of 15, Harry was an apprentice motor fitter for military vehicles. He entered the army as a driver mechanic and then served with the Royal Navy. In 1949, Harry immigrated to Brandon, Man., and undertook psychiatric nurse’s training at the Brandon Hospital for Mental Diseases. He worked for nine years as an infirmary nurse and as the hospital recreation director for 14 years. Harry married Hazel Ellen Morden, a registered nurse, in 1952, and in 1960, they began attending Brandon Citadel. Together with their three children, they entered the College for Officer Training in Toronto in 1963, in the Proclaimers of the Faith Session. They served as corps officers in Dunnville, Hamilton and Strathroy, Ont., and in Prince George, B.C. Harry served for 17 years as a federal prison chaplain in Kingston, Ont., Victoria and Chilliwack, B.C., before his final appointment at Victoria Harbour Light. In retirement, Harry ministered online through spirit lifters. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Major Hazel Hickson; daughters Melody (Robert) Ringheim and Maureen (Larry) Derbyshire; and son, Marshall (Karen) Hickson.
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DEER LAKE, N.L.—Louise Margaret Burton (nee Francis) was born in Norris Point, N.L., in 1954. She was a home league member, which she attended regularly and enjoyed very much. Louise was predeceased by her husband, Glen; father, Stanley Francis; parents-in-law Charles and Louise Burton; brother-in-law, Charles Burton. She is survived by her mother, Beatrice Francis; children Shannon and Lisa; grandchildren Jasmine, Charlie and Brea; siblings Gloria Francis (George), Nina Mezhinska (Dimi), Jim Francis (Angela) and Jennifer Payne (Henry); nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. SURREY, B.C.—Lt-Colonel Bruce Halsey was born in 1928 in Winnipeg, the eldest of three children. He entered the training college at 18 and spent a year after commissioning as a cadet sergeant before serving in corps appointments. In 1955, Bruce married Catherine Morrison, an officer nurse, and they welcomed four children. Bruce and Cathie served in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Boston, Philadelphia and Ottawa. He obtained his MSW and devoted most of his officership to social services where he compassionately assisted thousands experiencing life’s difficulties. In the late 1980s, Bruce was appointed government liaison officer in Ottawa where, at the invitation of the Soviet embassy, he led a Canadian team to the Soviet Union to explore the possibility of reopening the Army’s work. Later in his career and into retirement, he was a chaplain at Vancouver Grace Hospital and Vancouver International Airport. During his last years, Bruce battled dementia and other physical ailments with dignity and courage. Predeceased by Cathie, his wife of 57 years, Bruce is remembered by sisters Cherie (Vince) and Fairie (Murray); children David, Gordon, Donald (Denise) and Joanne (Andrew); grandchildren Esther (Matt), Dionne (Mike), Donna, Bradley (fiancée Kate), Lauren, Andrea (Timothy), Caitlin, Isabel, Amy and Marissa; and great-grandson, Lincoln. BURNABY, B.C.—Jean A’Bear (nee Simpson) was born in Sydney Mines, N.S., in 1940 as the fifth of six children of Salvationists John and Agnes Simpson. As a young person, Jean moved with her family to Ontario and attended the Army in Sarnia and Oakville. In 1960, Jean entered the training college in the Soldiers of Christ Session and in the spring of her second year, she was sent to London, Ont., where she met Geoff A’Bear. They married in 1963, served as officers for 14 years and raised four children. On leaving full-time ministry, Jean worked as a medical transcriptionist for more than 35 years. She loved the Lord and was a faithful soldier of Cariboo Hill Temple. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, sewing, baking, photography and travelling, and had a deep love for her family. Predeceased by siblings Florence Genovy, Alice MacDonald, Jim Simpson and Major Wally Simpson, Jean is sadly missed by her husband, Geoff; children Ruth (Maciu) Macanawai, Kim (Richard) Mayberry, Margaret Selwood and David (Jane) A’Bear; nine grandchildren; sister, Marie (Bob) Smith; sister-in-law, Major Lorraine Simpson-Leonard; nieces, nephews and extended family in eastern Canada and England. CAMBRIDGE, ONT.—June Jones was born in Birmingham, England, in 1943. She was invited to a service at the South Yardley Corps by a friend, and it was there that she began a lifetime of service as a band member and young people’s sergeant-major. Immigrating to Canada in 1972, June continued her dedication to God and the Army in Galt/Cambridge serving in the corps bus ministry, and as a primary Sunday school teacher, league of mercy secretary and songster. Her love of people was a gift. Everyone was special to June, particularly children. June was employed by the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario, from where she retired. Her amazing smile was infectious. June is missed by her many nieces and nephews in England and Canada, and long-time friend, Mona Haskell, retired songster leader. Salvationist May 2016 29
SALVATION STORIES
Saved for a Purpose Having cerebral palsy doesn’t hold me back from serving God BY CHAD LEES
W
hen I was born, 11 weeks early, t he doc tors didn’t think I was going to make it. As I struggled for life in the neonatal intensive care unit, my parents prepared for the worst. The day after I was born, one of my lungs collapsed and I went into cardiac arrest. My life should have been over. But the unexpected happened. My heart started beating again. I believe God saved me, literally and spiritually, on April 30, 1996—that he brought me back to life because he has a plan and purpose for me. I was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects movement and muscle coordination. I use a walker and wheelchair to get around. Although there have been things I wanted to do, but couldn’t, such as play baseball, I’ve never been angry about my disability. My family has always said, “If you can’t play a sport, be one.” But I can get in the pool and swim. I started swimming when I was five and soon joined the Penguins Aquatic Club, a swim team for athletes with physical disabilities at the Y.M.C.A. in Kingston, Ont., and competed for many years. In 2014, I qualified for the 50-metre backstroke and competed at the regional level. Easter Seals Ontario, an organization that helps children with physical disabilities, has also played a big part in my life. For three 30 May 2016 Salvationist
Lees competed with the Penguins Aquatic Club in Kingston, Ont., for many years
“My faith is the most important thing in my life,” says Chad Lees. “It’s what keeps me going and gives me a positive attitude, because I know I can go to God for anything”
summers, I attended Camp Merrywood on Big Rideau Lake near Perth, Ont., where all of the activities—canoeing, kayaking, sailing—have been adapted. I was able to be a kid, with no barriers. From a young age, I was interested in Bible stories and wanted to know more about God. My grandparents planted the seed of faith and it just kept growing. In high school, a friend told me about Kingston Citadel. I didn’t have a church home at the time, so I visited one Sunday morning. I felt an immediate connection and knew it was the right place for me. Everyone was so welcoming and I’ve made many friends. Our pastors and ministry leaders go above and beyond to make sure I am able to participate in activities and programs. I attend services on
Sundays, the youth group on Wednesdays and Saturdays and the young adult ministry on Sundays. Kingston Citadel has become my second home. On June 8, 2014, I was enrolled as a senior soldier. It was a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey. I wear the uniform with pride, knowing I’m part of the Army’s mission to bring the lost to Christ and serve those in need. Being a soldier means I have made a commitment to God to be faithful in prayer and service, to support our corps and the community. When I volunteer on the kettles at Christmas, I know I’m making a difference. My faith is the most important thing in my life. It’s what keeps me going and gives me a positive attitude, because I know I can go to God for anything. Whether
I’m worrying about something as small as a school assignment, or something major, I remember that God is with me and will help me in any circumstance. Everything will be done according to his will. It’s not about me—it’s about his will for my life. Last fall, I was able to attend Converge, an annual youth conference at Jackson’s Point Camp, for the first time. It was amazing to see youth groups from across the Ontario Central-East Division come together for a weekend of fun, worship and spiritual growth. The message of the guest speaker, Sid Koop from Truth Matters Ministries, really stood out to me—especially on Saturday night. You could feel the presence of God in that place. He spoke about how we live in a broken world, but there is hope in Jesus. Our world needs the healing that Jesus can provide. I don’t know exactly what God’s plan is for me, but my goal every day is to share this message by showing love through my actions. I want to be part of the healing.
of academic advisors are faculty members
Salvationist  May 2016  31
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