Thank God for John!

It's too long since I've posted and what better way to return than to be positive!

I just felt the need to place on record (before as many people as possible) my sincere thanks to John Gowans for his contribution to the song book. Since the end of January we have been out of our hall (due to planned maintenance) and are not due to return until the end of April.

All of the songs we normally use, apart from the songbook, are only available via projection and our projector is ceiling mounted not portable. We've been worshipping in a lovely URC church hall and have only been able to use SA songbooks for worship. (I didn't want to waste paper printing off songsheets every week).

We have three new converts in our corps family, two are recovering alcoholics, one of whom has only been out of detox for two weeks, in looking for songs I have constantly found myself returning to those penned by retired General JG! He came to give us life - someone cares - kneeling in penitence - if you want it it's yours - there is a message - there's no other name - knowing my failings - how much more - who is it tells me what to do... and so I could go on.

Some poets take simple things and make them complicated whilst others, like John Gowans, take complicated things and make them simple!

Thank God for John!

Grace and peace, A

Dartford Corps 122 years old today!

This weekend we celebrated our 122nd Corps Anniversary. Malcolm and Stephanie Jones led Sunday worship. On the Saturday all the Corps sections praised God and entertained the troops!

The Saturday night included the debut performance of our new YP Band!

Thanks to Xander for the following 4 1/2 minute highlights video! Let's aim (unless Christ returns before then) for another 122 years!

God bless Dartford, God bless the Salvation Army - Amen! Love and prayers A

War is declared!

The way of holiness continues to be travelled and my consecration remains (by God's grace) intact. However, the bullets have been flying. The fighting has been constant - literally a moment by moment wrestle with the enemy.

Dartford has become a definite front line and we are all on red alert.

The fighting is undoubtedly tough and intensely demanding yet in an unexpected kind of way exhilarating and deeply fulfilling.

I have rediscovered the truth that there is only one way to take ground and advance on the enemy's territory and that is clad in the armour of God with the name of Jesus on your lips, bathed in the blood of Jesus and obediently trusting his command to 'attack'

Recent enemy activity promises a great time of spiritual refreshing and even revival of that I am sure. If we were no threat to the devil then he would treat us with the contempt we deserve. So let me remind him, as the Captain of God's Army in Dartford, as the Lord's anointed in this corner of Kent, in the name of Jesus Christ take your leave for we mean to win and by God's grace 'we never, never will give in!'

Yours under Christ, set apart for the lost, in the Army forever! Hallelujah!

8 days after 08.08.08.

So it's 8 days after the 8th of the 8th 2008 and it's been a mixed week.

Back to work (if you can call Officrship work - maybe I should say back to service). I love my job and feel that Officership is a great privilege. Having said that I have struggled this week to get out of holiday mode! Everything that needs to be done has been done but I'm not sure I've got out of 2nd gear yet.

There is an exciting couple of months coming up at Dartford - especially the centenary celebrations of the Dartford Disgrace on September 13th (the imprisonment of the CO and others for preaching in the open air) and of course two days before that the arrival of reinforcements in the form of Xander Coleman on September 11th (hallelujah - thank you Jesus!).

The following contemporary newspaper report gives a taster of what we're celebrating on the 13th.

"In defence of the Salvation Army - wild scenes on the streets of Dartford

There was a massive and fervent response to the arrest of Dartford's Salvationists. A defence committee was formed to co-ordinate the protest campaign. Public meetings of protest attracted large crowds; protest marches were held and banners, slogans and posters appeared all over the town.

Banners declared 'IMPRISONED FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE'; 'DEFEND RELIGIOUS AND PERSONAL LIBERTY' and 'WE DEMAND LIBERTY TO PREACH CHRIST'. 15,000 people gathered at Dartford Station to welcome home the prisoners when released from jail, two of them still wearing their prison uniforms bearing broad arrows.

During the course of the exuberant celebrations the Dartford police were stoned and pelted with rotten fish heads and bad eggs. Hooligans used the occasion to vent their spleen on the local constabulary. Dartford's Superintendent Poole was pelted for four hours. Policemen were stoned to the station. There were violent speeches at the Drill Hall - a torrent of rancorous abuse."

Let's 'do or die for Jesus'

Love and prayers

A

Courage brother it is still God's will to save our nation!

It’s 2:27am and I’m in Dartford Salvation Army Hall in the middle of an all night of prayer. The Computer’s been left on and logged onto the internet so that people can send emails, look up quotes, search the bible, play midi files or whatever they feel led to do.

I’ve just stuck pins in a map of the world a pin in Melbourne (prayers for Steve, Danielle and Xander) a pin in Sydney (Prayers for Andrew Stringer and his clan) a pin in Vancouver for Jonathan and Olivia – I’ve prayed for all you guys!

We’ve just prayer walked Dartford High Street, picking our way through the drunks (who all look too young to be out at 1am let alone out drinking.) I knelt down outside a busy pub, on the very spot where 100 years ago this year 3 Salvationists were arrested and sent to prison for preaching the gospel. Together with my friends we reclaimed Dartford for Jesus and spoke out against the strongholds of alcohol, gambling and prostitution which so obviously hold the town. Jesus was with us and we sensed the heavenly hosts twitch with excitement, swords at the ready and eager for battle!

I have such an overwhelming sense tonight that God is so ready to act. Already in Dartford we have felt those big heavy splashes of rain that precede a storm – revival is on its way – I feel it in every spiritual cell of soul.

You know we have some Officers in the UK who think we’re living in the last days, a time when the bible predicts decline and apostasy – so they’ve given up on evangelism! They tell me that we are the church of Laodicea. I disagree – I violently disagree! We are the church of Sardis and God (hallelujah) has not completed his work in us yet!

God can do immeasurably more than all we could ask or even imagine – how? by the power that’s at work in us. I was reading the Soldier’s covenant earlier and the Officer’s covenant – you know if every soldier and every Officer got up tomorrow morning and kept their promises it would transform our Army overnight – in fact I reckon that if only a tenth did that we could conquer the world for Christ within a year.

Friends, we must pray, fast, repent, fight for social justice, become a voice for the silent and make the invisible visible. We must once more make Isaiah 58 our benchmark then we could again rise like the sun and rebuild the broken places.

Comrades – let’s do it!

No more compromise or excuses no more measuring ourselves against each other. Let’s measure ourselves against God’s word and then when we realise how poor we are let’s allow God to make us rich, when we realise how weak we are let’s allow God to make us strong and then let’s conquer the world for Jesus.

The Salvation war still rages, reinforcements are needed, give everything you have , surrender all and do or die for Jesus.

“Courage my brother it is still the will of God to save our nation” (GSR)

The Matrix (no not that one!)

In the UK Territory we have something called a ‘Qualitative Questionnaire’ that is used to produce a ‘qualitative matrix’ (nothing to do with the film!) This matrix is supposed to show you whether a Corps is static, in decline or growing.

On the whole the questionnaire is a good document because it forces you to sit down and statistically analyse the performance and spiritual health of the Corps.

The period covered by the questionnaire I have just completed covers the six month period before we arrived and the 10 months that we have been here and the results are really quite encouraging.

You’ll have to forgive me if the following sounds a bit like I’m reading from a ‘bank balance sheet’ but that is the way the questionnaire is designed to work. It certainly isn’t meant to be self praise either – there is a lot of room for improvement and in terms of evangelism we haven’t really started yet.

During 2007/08

More than 25 people have attended worship for the first time and 7 have subsequently attended worship more than 6 times (and they are still attending)

In the last 10 months we have seen 21 new people (or lapsed attendees) start to attend the family worship service on a Sunday morning.

During this time 4 people have come to faith.

30 plus people have shown a noticeable increase in there passion for the Lord in the last 12 months.

The Mercy Seat (which hadn’t been used since 2001) has been used 31 times in the last 10 months.

In the same period 9 people have become friends, 2 adherents, 1 a soldier, and there are 3 recruits about to start recruits classes. In the same time we have seen 5 Junior Soldiers enrolled and have 2 JS recruits currently going through classes. In addition 9 Junior Musicians have been enrolled. We have seen the band resurrected and a Singing Company formed.

On the financial front, fund raising has gone up by about £1000 per month.

During the same time over 20 people have started to use their gifts or engaged in new areas of service within the Corps.

Now this is hardly revival! But maybe it is those first few heavy splashes of rain that fall just before a storm breaks. It's not just happening at Dartford either, I’ve also heard of other Corps where similar ‘splashes’ are being felt.

Will it become revival?

That will all depend on the holiness of the participants, if holiness is pursued, obtained and maintained then revival will be the natural outcome.

As I have always said, holiness will prove to be the Salvation of the Salvation Army!

Hallelujah!

Reinforcements and cold hard cash!

Last Sunday at Dartford we enrolled a new Junior Soldier (John Machan our first male JS for 12 years!) and commissioned 9 Junior Musicians. Reinforcements in the great Salvation war - hallelujah.

Normally the Corps has 3 War Cry stands a week (hopefully rising soonto 4) 2 of these stands I do on my own and the other is shared with a soldier at the Corps. This week due to circumstances beyond my control we had to cancel 1 of these.

These stands deliver 4 main benefits to the Corps:

• They are an opportunity for evangelism
• They make the Army visible
• They povide me with 7 hours of static 'prayer walking' (how about that for a classic oxymoron!)
• They raise money for our growing community relief programme.

Cancelling 1 stand left us down about £100 for the week. Lo and behold a man walked into the hall this morning and donated £200 - so we're now £100 up! God is good - Hallelujah.

"No retreating, hell defeating..."

Love and prayers

A

Yesterday's Army for today?

My good friend Carol Young sent me some material recently that came out of an ‘all night of prayer’ she had attended. Some of it was for private consumption and some I am sure will find its way into the public domain via her blog (The Old Wells).

However, in a discussion afterwards, on the phone, she mentioned that (I think it was a quote from a book) the Army’s early success was directly related to the fact that it perfectly reflected the needs of the day.

Last night I was walking down Dartford High Street thinking about today’s needs and what a Salvation Army that met them might look like.

Dartford High Street is pedestrianised with a kind of cobbled effect road service. The shops are mainly made up of cheap cafes (what we in the UK call ‘a greasy spoon’) betting shops and pubs. We also have the obligatory ‘Primark’, a bingo hall, two amusement arcades (slot machine parlours) and two pawnbrokers. The people that walk up and down the High Street are primarily poor (though not as poor as some in the UK) and many of them look harassed and lost.

In Dartford (as in the wider UK) gambling, teenage pregnancy, violent crime, prostitution are all rife and on the increase and alcohol costs less than bottled water - it is very easy to get seriously drunk in Dartford for less than £3.

It would seem that in spite of new technology, sexual liberation, sexual equality, human rights legislation and political correctness, post modern Britain doesn’t actually look that different from how it looked 140 years ago.

So I’m going to attempt an experiment in consecration – that sounds less sincere than it ought to – I’m not playing games here, what I’m about to do I have been prayerfully considering for some time.

It seems that the primitive Salvationists in their attitude to things like worldliness, Sabbath keeping, evangelism, fighting for social justice etc actually got it about right.

Now I have a copy of O&R’s for Field Officers 1908, an early doctrine book, a copy of ‘Heathen England’, a Salvation Soldier’s Guide, Cadet’s Lessons and countless other instructive books from those early days.

I’m going to attempt to live my life as I would have been expected to live it if I had been a Salvationist about the turn of the century. I’m not looking to utilising old methods (unless they still work) but I do want to recreate that primitive spirit that enabled our pioneers to be so completely focussed in what they did.

I’ll use this blog to let you know how I get on.

Love and prayers

A

Revival has come to Dartford!!!

Last Sunday Revival came to Dartford! However, this wasn't Revival in the Pentecostal sense. On this occasion Revival was the name of a Christian from Zimbabwe who had come to the meeting to be the witness at the dedication of a little baby girl - Vanessa (also from Zimbabwe).

In fact we had over 50 visitors all of whom heralded from that troubled country. It was a fantastic meeting and our African visitors certainly added to the occasion in a memorable and stirring way.

It was grteat to have Revival with us but not as great as it would have been if this blog entry had been about the arrival of that more familiar form of revival.

I've been thinking a lot about revival and it seems to me that there are three common denominators within the church which can be identified during times of revival.

The first is the fact that Christians during times of revival believed that salvation was important - they believed that the converts they made were actually being saved from a fate worse than death. They believed in heaven and hell and therefore as a consequence there was a compassion and urgency about their evangelism.

Secondly, believers during times of revival are obsessed with saving the lost! They didn't have any other interests apart from soul saving. They didn't go to the theatre or watch football or spend time at parties - all their time was given to the task of getting people saved. This obsession of course was directly linked to the first point above - if people died without knowing Christ then there was the possibility they had gone to hell. Believers in times of revival work with the same committment and sense of urgency that people would work to rescue someone from a burning building - the consequences (both for themselves and the lost) of apathy and laziness were unthinkable.

Finally, revivals seem to happen when the church appears to be on the brink of collapse. Healthy churches don't appear to be visited by revival (if you follow my drift). Because of this widespread apostasy revivals seem to start with just a few people for whom points 1 and 2 above are true.

Well the good news is that the third criteria we (in the West at least) seem to possess in abundance. I guess revival (not the one from Zimbabwe) will come to Dartford when a few of us have discovered the first two.

Plenty to think about....

Love and prayers

A

Could do better!

Three quarters of a year at Dartford and things have gone well. However, there is a deep and disturbing dissatisfaction in my heart.

If I’d been appointed here in 1887 instead of 2007 then my nine months here would have been considered a failure – Railton would have sacked me for sure! Where are the new converts, recruits and soldiers? Whe re is the revival?

People have been saved, the Corps has grown, finances have been stabilised, property has been improved, the programme tweaked and good relationships with the lost established – But is my commitment and passion really worthy of Christ’s suffering and death?

It is too easy to judge our achievements by those around us, to measure our performance against the achievements of the contemporary church, but when we set the benchmark as Acts 2 or Whitechapel 1880 our efforts receive their proper score!

I’m quite sure that Dartford has not been disappointed with their new Officers and I’m also confident that the other church leaders in the town are pleased with the new Army incumbents, maybe even those on the edge of society might be prepared (in an odd sober moment) to express gratitude for our arrival. But beyond the expectations of others how do I personally assess my performance since last July?

I’d probably give myself 2 out of 10. Why such a miserly score? The reason is that God looks on the heart and not on the outer man. I’ve certainly worked hard and put in some long hours but my heart still backs away from the ultimate location that God is trying to take it.

Last week at our Divisional Children’s camp the kids were asked to put the following things in order of importance: TV, family, God, Church, bible, prayer, football, leisure time, friends and money. Now if I was going to look at the last nine months and do that exercise honestly then the outcome is shown below. I’ve worked this out on the basis of the time committed to them and the passion that they generate within me (I’m discounting the time I spend working as an Officer because that’s my job):

Football, Family, TV, Prayer, Bible, Friends, Leisure Time, Money, God.

Now some might say that I’m being a bit harsh on myself, but how can I really put God anywhere other than last if I consistently disobey him? God is leading me (or trying to lead me) further along the path of holiness but I am struggling to follow him. If I were happy with a compromised contemporary understanding of holiness and if I were happy to compare my achievements with those around me then perhaps I’d be comfortable putting God first.

I read the following this morning in my personal devotions:

“The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honour high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)

It’s all about covenant – if I keep my part of my covenant then God can do “abundantly more than all I could ever ask for or even imagine” if I don’t then things stay as they are.

I wish I’d been born 150 years ago because then I’d be getting this kind of message three times a week and my spiritual ambitions would be considered normal.

Is this not the personal holiness we need to reclaim if we are to be truly effective again?

Love and prayers

A

Climbing up the golden stair to glory in a uniform!

So uniforms and old style SA worship pose a serious barrier to making friends and winning the lost – at least that seems to be what everyone is telling me at the moment.

This morning I had a half an hour conversation with Neil the station supervisor (I sell the War Cry every Tuesday at the station between 6 and 9). Later in the same day I had an in depth conversation with Tony who owns the sandwich bar at the end of our road and last week I chatted for an hour with Jim who runs a clothes stall opposite my War Cry pitch at the market. I wouldn’t have had any of these conversations without the introduction provided by my uniform. All three of these working class men wanted to know about the Army, what we do and why we do it. They asked about Christ and our motivation.

Just before Christmas a family of asylum seekers from Sri Lanka were referred to us by a local charity – we did the Army thing and gave them a food parcel and toys for the children. They started to come to the meetings. We haven’t seen them for a couple of weeks because they’ve moved house – some distance from the hall. On Sunday they turned up at 10:30 for the holiness meeting – they’d left home at 8:45 and walked with a baby and a toddler for an hour and forty five minutes just to get to the meeting! We sang ‘I’m climbing up the golden stair to glory’ and I preached on ‘living in the light’ – I’m certain they understood very little (if anything) but when we all marched around the hall behind the flag to the strains of ‘We are living in the light of God’ they joined in, smiled and clapped along with everyone else! Next week we’ve arranged to pick them up :-)

What attracts people to the Army is the love that God the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts. Our problems aren’t external (structure / administration / methodology / tradition) they’re internal. Inconsistencies in doctrine, moral compromise, laziness, apathy, self reliance (or worse still reliance on the latest money spinning church growth model to seep out of Wesley Owen) it is this that makes us ineffective. God’s love transcends tradition and methodology and continues (where we allow it) to make the incomprehensible comprehensible just as it did at Pentecost.

Mad Kev went to heaven before me?

'Mad Kev' was part and parcel of Dartford, to the casual onlooker he appeared homeless but he actually had his own flat. His bearded demeanour and matted hair gave the impression that he had no family but he actually has a couple of nieces. To say he liked a drink was an understatement, he lived his life in a constant state of inebriation. You could have a conversation with Kev but no a very coherent one. The last time I saw him was Thursday last week, I was selling The War Cry outside McDonalds and he donated 11p. He told me (as he had done before) that when he was in prison he 'got religion' and that the 'blood of Jesus flowed through his body' . He took a paper and said 'Maybe if I read this it'll spark something off in my mind'. On Saturday morning Kev died in the back of a police car on his way to hospital, apparently he'd been beaten up - by whom and why is a mystery - he had nothing and offended no one.

Where is 'Mad Kev' now - has Jesus judged him to be a victim of the evil one and welcomed him into heaven, was the 'religion' Kev got in prison sufficient to carry him through to the kingdom. Perhaps his faith, though not strong enough to free him from drink, was enough to save him.

As I prayed for Kev and others like him (we have a few in Dartford) I remembered the words of Jesus "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did." I hope that in spite of his bondage to drink that Kev believed and consequently is now enjoying a sober and blessed eternity.

Of pigeons and people...

Yesterday morning, as I left the hall, I noticed a rather ragged looking pigeon who had obviously (either temporarily or permanently) lost the ability to fly. It was nervously trotting around the edges of the road with an almost resigned look on its face. Two passing women showed a momentary interest in the bird, mumbled some sympathetic comments and walked on.

An hour later upon my return sure enough the pigeon had become (like the parrot in the famous Monty Python sketch) an ex-pigeon. All that was left was a scarlet feathery patch deeply impregnated into the tarmac.

I immediately though of the following scripture verse:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.” (Matthew 10:29)

If God winces when a vermin ridden pigeon bites the dust how does he feel about the many residents of Dartford who live in darkness and misery day by day, how does he feel about the elderly, homeless and lonely who struggle on isolation from the rest of society?

Finally, I thought, how does he feel about me and my efforts to win such people? Sure I help those who come to the hall but the sad fact is that most of those who need God’s help don’t come to the hall – but like the pigeon they wander around, helpless and resigned to their fate.

I’m at Officer’s retreat – I don’t do retreat very well but I am finding the time extremely valuable – lots of quality time alone with God. My prayer is that when I return to Dartford tomorrow God will lead me to the ‘flightless pigeons’ of this world, the marginalised and alone and that he will give me the words, the compassion and the skill to bring them into his kingdom. For his name’s sake – Amen!

Commitment 2008

Yesterday was 'Committment Sunday' in the UK Territory and at Dartford we had an excellent meeting with a wonderful and comprehensive response. Numbers were low due to a few people being away and the imminent arrival of a baby!

Used the rich young ruler as a model of failed commitment. Here was a man who 'only lacked one thing'. Pointed out that when we think about commitment we tend to ask the question "what must I do" whereas God wants to talk about ownership - "who owns you?" It's not about 'doing' it's about being' (nothing original here). As my CSM mentioned later 'we're human beings not human doings'

We used the following songs:

• 'Come now is the time to worship',
• 'Oh thou God of every nation',
• 'There is a message',
• 'I surrender all'
• 'Lord I make a full surrender'.

Also played Keith Green's 'You love the world and you're avoiding me' half way through the sermon.

During the appeal, pointed out that anything less than 100% leaves us 'going away sad' (even when we've managed to keep all the commandments from our youth up!) Kept in with the theme of 'Hope 08' by pointing out that 100% commitment (i.e. holiness) is our only 'hope' and the only 'hope' for Dartford - 'if we want to see revival in Dartford it will cost us everything!'

Meeting over ran by half an hour but out of a congregation of 36 including (ten under the age of 15) 34 came and knelt at the Mercy Seat in an act of rededication. That's 94.4% - the two that didn't come forward were my 11 year old daughter who was manning the 'toddlers corner' at the back of the hall and a 93 year old soldier who didn't kneel at the Mercy Seat but did take a pack of 'Hope 08' commitment cards with her.

A great encouragement and bodes well for the future!

Love and prayers

A

Getting old...

I went to bed early last night as I was tired. However, tiredness isn’t always enough to send me to sleep! So I decided to watch a documentary on TV (always has a soporific effect on me!).

The programme was about the history of ‘light entertainment’ and covered the period from ‘Billy Cotton’s Bandstand’ right through to the current day. As I watched the section that dealt with the 1970’s I suddenly realised how old I was! This year I shall be 47 and if I retire at 65 (which I won’t!) then I only have 18 years working life left.

Where has the time gone? We have been at Dartford now nearly 6 months and it seems to have gone by in a flash. This year my son Ben gets married (I can remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday!)

I struggle with growing old – not from a vanity point of view – I’ve no desire to hang on to my fading youth! I struggle because of the time I have wasted. I sometimes think that is why I am such a driven man – I have so much lost time to make up for.

As I enter my 47th Year the promise below is the one that I am going to cling to, it comes from Joel Chapter 2 and is just prior to the promise of Pentecost.

“23 Be glad, O people of Zion,

rejoice in the LORD your God,

for he has given you

the autumn rains in righteousness.

He sends you abundant showers,

both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain;

the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm

my great army that I sent among you.
26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am in Israel,

that I am the LORD your God,

and that there is no other;

never again will my people be shamed."

I have a feeling that the church is about to enter a time of reaping, I think today’s Christians are called to ‘bring in the sheaves!’ May God bless us and make us fruitful and may we see the ‘years the locusts have wasted’ restored.

Hallelujah!

Love and prayers

A

Dartford Dispatches

It’s a long time since I’ve had the time to blog.
If there is another vocation out there that crams as much into one month as Salvation Army Officership crams into December I’ll eat my cap!

Incredible things have been happening at Dartford – God has been picking off individuals like a sniper. We have seen no conversions to date but God is definitely preparing the ground. We have seen the power of holiness transform lives and it is indeed an amazing thing to behold.

On a practical front we‘ve got building works starting on Friday – all funded from within the Corps. We also have a new sound system and AV rig going in before our carol service at the end of the month. We’ve also got a quote coming in for a new fitted kitchen. We haven’t applied for any external grants or funding - this is all being paid for out of existing funds and money generated by new fund-raising started up in the last 3 months.

Our sale of work this year raised £2481 (our Corps budget anticipated £400) this incredible total included one single cash donation of £1000 – this came not from a Salvationist but from a lady who simply ‘admires the work of the Army in Dartford’ (an admiration that began long before we arrived!)

Last week our band played in the High Street for the first time in 16 years! Later on the same day we carolled at Bluewater shopping centre – unable to get any help from surrounding Corps - we followed the lead of Gideon and went in the strength we had! Nobody at the Corps could believe that Dartford band had carolled – let alone at Bluewater!

We took our Corps flag to the High Street and also to Bluewater – I noticed it’s got a few moth holes in it – should we get another one or should we let the old one enjoy a new season of outreach and open-airs before we promote it to glory? Booth Tucker visited Dartford (where his daughter was the CO) back in 1920’s – it’s quite possible he marched behind the moth-eaten flag – I think we’ll give it another season of warfare first!

On Sunday a family of political asylum seekers from Sri Lanka who we had given a food parcel to earlier in the week came to the meetings. They didn’t understand a word that was said or sung but they understood (and responded to) the love that was shown to them.

God’s hand of blessing is quite clearly upon us and I am certain that 2008 will bring even greater blessings including the onset of revival!

Watch this space.

A brilliant soul-saving idea!

The contemporised words of GSR (see previous blogs) have set my mind racing.

The other day I was prayerfully considering the plight of the unsaved and their obvious discomfort (at least until they’ve been converted) in ordinary Corps meetings.

Then I had this brilliant idea!

Why not have a special meeting dedicated to the unsaved, somewhere they would feel comfortable, somewhere where they could hear the gospel in a way they understood, maybe free coffee and doughnuts – who knows? Whatever works best!

Then I thought but how would I get the unsaved to come in? I’d have to go outside and find them, I’d have to round them up, chase them down, invite them to come back to the hall!

Brilliant – I could see the whole thing taking shape in my imagination.

Then a little voice inside my head (or maybe my heart) said – “So you’re going to have a salvation meeting preceded by an open-air?”

There truly is nothing new under the sun!

Love and prayers

A

PS The picture is an early SA open air meeting in Dartford! (about 1908)

Heathen England today!

I've been updating the language in GSR's 'Heathen England' (An eye witness account of the the birth of TSA was first published in 1877). I'm hoping that the ammended text might be suitable for publication.

It is amazing just how much of what GSR reports is relevant to today - people say that the world has changed but in truth it hasn't. I was walking down Dartford High Street on Market day and the scene would have been one GSR would have recognised. Perhaps the Gin Palaces have been replaced with 'greasy spoon' cafes and amusement arcades but the place is essentially as it was 100 years ago (right down to the modern equivalent of the Pawn Shop!)

Below is a taster from the updated 'Heathen England' taken from the opening of chapter 2.

"WHY AREN’T PEOPLE INTERESTED IN CHRISTIANITY?

Why is it that while so many churches are putting up new buildings, collecting more money, holding more services and social events (including special youth services) and thinking seriously about evangelism that the noticeable gap between Christians and ordinary people is still so great?

Part of the reason is that many Christians won’t admit (or can’t see) that there is a problem. Just stand and watch a large congregation leaving a popular Church on a Sunday evening. Watch the well dressed, comfortable, happy people. Look at their smiles as they say "Good evening" to each other. Their cheerful chatter sounds as happy as the whistling of the birds in the woods. They’ve had a great time — an inspiring sermon, a good crowd, powerful praise, perhaps they’ve even had a prayer meeting with seekers at the Mercy Seat.

Now look at the gang of youngsters who are walking by. Just a quick glance tells you they have had nothing to do with Jesus today. They are as smart as the others; but they are not the slightest bit interested in Christianity. Neither is that man with the cigarette[1] in his mouth, who guides his wife and child through the crowd of ex worshippers. He prefers to take his wife out somewhere else on a Sunday rather than go to church. The big rough men who follow him, angry at the people in their way, show their hatred of both Christians and the church in the way they swear and curse as they push their way through.

The pastor and his congregation, indeed everyone who has been in that church feels no discomfort at the thought of those who stayed outside. The simple truth is that such a thought never even crossed their mind.

[1] The original word here was ‘meerschaum’ which was a soft white mineral used for making pipes or cigarette holders."

love and prayers

A

Holiness enjoyed

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day!

Yesterday I arrived in the High Street to sell The War Cry; I went to a café in the town centre. The café is frequented by those people who Booth and Railton would have called ‘working men’. However, these men and women don’t work but survive on an assortment of benefits. I thought it would be good ‘presence evangelism’ to sit with them in full uniform (model C, cap and all).

As I ate my ‘special breakfast’ I overheard a conversation between two of the staff and it became apparent that one of them was a victim of quite terrible domestic violence. Before leaving I introduced myself and offered to do everything we possibly could to help. One of the things that came out of the conversation, was the fact that this lady who probably gets paid ‘cash in hand’ and earns no more than about £400 per month had no phone and had spent the previous night, alone, awake, surrounded by broken glass, terrified and unable to call anyone for help. Later in the day Tracey returned and gave the lady a phone with credit loaded onto it and telephone numbers for local and national support groups. With the phone was a postcard with all our activities listed and our contact details.

Later in the day, whilst collecting, a family of 7 approached me and asked ‘when’s your place open, when can we come and ask questions?” Yesterday was our ‘Pantry’ when we open our hall to the public and sell meals, drinks, snacks and cakes. I arranged to meet the family at 12:30 at the ‘Pantry’. It turned out that the matriarch who was registered disabled and the only child still living at home (a son aged 25 – also disabled) had received 56 days notice the day before, by their landlord, to vacate their home. Two vulnerable people, scared, confused and facing homelessness with no one to turn to but The Salvation Army - all it took was a quick call to the relevant Council department and all fears were allayed, accommodation was offered and an interview at the ‘housing’ was arranged.

Back on the streets a young ‘Goth’ decked out in black with numerous piercings had been eying me for some time with suspicion. I remembered Commissioner Hunter’s advice to ‘collect eyes as well as money’ and smiled at him every time he looked my way. Eventually he came and made a donation and walked off reading The War Cry. Two smart grammar school boys and a businessman also took War Crys – all because the ‘special one’ (Jose Mourinho not Jesus!) stared menacingly from the front cover. What a great evangelical tool the War Cry is.

Whilst I was out with The War Cry, Tracey at the ‘Pantry’ (along with an amazing band of hard working and tireless volunteers) had fed 5 homeless men, spoken to another about a more permanent solution to his predicament and distributed sleeping bags. There are a lot of homeless men in Dartford, most of them with drink or drug problems. Comfort, succour and advice was given and of course the gospel was shared in a very matter of fact way.

On my way home I popped into our local ‘Turning Point’ office, introduced myself and expounded the benefits of working together. In spite of the fact that I was very up front about our evangelical objectives the staff seemed very keen and the idea of a mutually beneficial partnership seemed positive to all.

As I trudged back up ‘West Hill’ towards he quarters I felt elated, nothing really special had happened on that Thursday but it had been a truly wonderful day. I felt so fulfilled, so complete, I was so happy and content I wanted to cry. As I walked and praised God so a tingle began to move across my body, a warm glow from the soles of my feet up to the crown of my head. It was a truly spiritual experience, as real as if someone had laid hands on me and prayed. A little voice deep within stole a phrase from the old song book and said, ‘Andrew this is holiness enjoyed!’

"We are an Army mobilised by God!"

I recently read a really exciting account of churches working together, people getting saved, wonderful scenes of divine refreshing. However, this comment, posted by a Salvation Army Officer, had a sting in the tail. The last sentence contained the following comment "uniform is almost a thing of the past" .

On Thursday, whilst collecting in the High Street in Dartford, I had conversations with 5 drunks (all positive - though one began quite aggressively). One lady with mental health problems (who I had helped previously in the week) stood with me for 5 minutes and sang the praises of The Salvation Army. My uniform makes me visible, vulnerable and always available. I also had a conversation with a fellow minister from 'Churches together' who was out shopping; I doubt he was accosted by any drunks?

I love wearing my uniform and I am hardly ever out of it (even on those rare occasions when I limit it to a t-shirt with a red shield on it.) When I am out and about in my parish I want everyone to know who I am and what I stand for. When I pick my daughter up from school parents approach me for advice and help. The other day a man collecting trolleys in a supermarket asked me about TSA and we ended up talking about Jesus and Salvation.

People who would quickly forget me walking past their shop remember the uniform. Some people may mistake me for a traffic warden or a security guard but at least I look different and stand out. Whatever people associate the uniform with anywhere else in the country - in Dartford it is associated with practical love, evangelism and social justice. I sometimes wonder why we as an Army are so quick to surrender what other churches would quickly take up if given the chance – we have a traditional right to carry out loud and intrusive street evangelism, we are welcome in pubs and clubs with Christian tracts, we are free from the restraints of rites and ceremonies, we have a recognisable uniform.

I am all for ecumenism and I would be equally happy to be the Officer at a Salvation Army Church as I am to be an Officer at a Salvation Army Corps but please, please, please let’s not lose The Salvation Army bit. I’m happy to be a Christian, I’m blessed to belong to the body of Christ, I'm overwheled by the generosity of salvation, but I am so glad that God called to me to serve as a covenanted Officer in The Salvation Army rather than a pastor in 'Pioneer', ‘Icthus’ or the ‘New Frontiers’ (great though those churches are). Being a Salvationist for me is the icing on the cake!

We don’t need another 'Pioneer', ‘New Frontiers’ or ‘Icthus’ because we already have those effective and growing community churches within the body - but we do need a Salvation Army! We have a denominational witness to deliver to the rest of the body, we have a prophetic role to play. Let's give all we possibly can to the body and take all we need but not at the cost of diluting our own God ordained brand. Let's not forget our accountability.

Yours set apart, by Christ for the lost, in the Army

A