In all honesty, are you a Pharisee?

So it's leading up to Easter at the moment (obiously), and Easter is a really important time for me - because it's when I rededicated my life to Christ three years ago. Now granted, I wasn't away from Jesus long... He has this habit of not leaving you alone! But I did blame Him for the spiritual abuse I experienced - which is silly because frankly, it wasn't His fault and grieved Him just as much as it grieved me! But I digress...

I've been thinking about Easter, an in particular Lent. Our Self-Denial appeal has fallen at the same time as Lent this year, and so as a church we've been encouraging people to give the money they save from what they give up to The Salvation Army's work in developing countries. Now I'm a big fan of the Self-Denial appeal - or more likely what it was once called - OWSMS (One Week Salary on Missionary Sunday) - as I believe that for the average-church-goer, it's a good opportunity to force them to think about the third world. I love that.

Personally, I don't actually give One Week's Salary on Missionary Sunday - instead, I give money throughout the year to various devleoping country projects. For me, I find this works - and means that I end up giving more than I would at OWSMS... this will probably change as I marry and have children, but while I am single, it means that I "deny" myself throughout the year, and remain focussed outside of my own little bubble.

I guess my biggest gripe at the moment, is people who give the money for Self Denial, and think that's it. That they've done their good deed for the year, and that is that, they are a good Christian. The rest of the year, they can ignore the needs of the poor and broken, because they've given their weeks salary and so the poor and the broken are looked after. Now as I said - I love the Self-Denial appeal, and honestly believe that it does serve a wonderful purpose in forcing people to look at their privaleged lives. My problem actually lies when these people look at their privaleged lives, make their donations, and then get into their nice cars, drive to their nice homes, and buy their $2000 Prada handbag. Now there is nothing wrong with having nice things. That's not what I'm saying. But do we really NEED $2000 handbags? Do we really NEED $100 shoes? Or diamonds? Or the best stereo or ipod or gameboy or the rest? And do we actually believe that when we have all those things, God is impressed with our one weeks salary on missionary Sunday?

Perhaps rather than looking at comparing ourselves to the Disciples - we should start comparing ourselves to the Pharisees? Ouch right? Harsh huh? But is it a little bit fair? I mean, they genuinely thought they were Holy and Religious people, but Jesus came and tried to turn that thinking upside down. Those disciples - they gave up EVERYTHING to follow Jesus - ALL their worldly goods, their homes, their families, their friends, their jobs. But the Pharisees lived a seemingly religious lives - absolutely giving their 10%. Perhaps giving more. But their lives did not reflect a life of servanthood and sacrifice. I admit - there are times in my life that I am a Pharisee, not a disciple. But I want to change that. I don't want to be a Pharisee. I want my heart to break for that which God's heart breaks. And the reality is, God's heart - it breaks for injustice.

Isaiah 58 is one of my favourite passages in the Bible. I love The Message Translation of it (though the New Living and NIV are also good) where it says:

1-3 "Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell my people what's wrong with their lives,
face my family Jacob with their sins!
They're busy, busy, busy at worship,
and love studying all about me.
To all appearances they're a nation of right-living people—
law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask me, 'What's the right thing to do?'
and love having me on their side.
But they also complain,
'Why do we fast and you don't look our way?
Why do we humble ourselves and you don't even notice?'

3-5"Well, here's why:
"The bottom line on your 'fast days' is profit.
You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
won't get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I'm after:
a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
a fast day that I, God, would like?

6-9"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'


I believe that when we, The Salvation Army, get it right again - when we have an Army FILLED TO THE BRIM of Justice fighters, of people who understand the Upside-down Kingdom - then we will see revival, breakthough and churches bursting at the seams. But until we get that right, we'll continue to struggle along - constantly trying the latest fads but not actually seeing all that much eternal growth.

So my question to you - Do you want to be a Disciple or a Pharisee?

A time to fight and a time for peace...

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days, after a great meeting with a lady who's offered to mentor me in the lead up to my going to College. I have three different mentors - one for professional purposes, one who I'm yet to meet with but who will be for personal/spiritual mentoring and now one for my journey to Officership.

Anyway, we were talking about people who are constantly looking for a fight. You know the type - they generally know very little about the subject they want to debate, but with that little bit of knowledge they want to fight everyone who disagrees with them. I guess it's true what they say "A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing". I was saying that there is someone I know who constantly takes the opposite view to me, and I'm wondering whether it's deliberate now, because whenever the person looks as though they are losing the debate - they claim spiritual warfare is happening. Man that annoys me, more than I think anything else does. I've been lamenting to my father about this, as he's a wise man, and I always like to double check my facts were straight just in case I was wrong and let the "personal" get in the way of the facts - something I have learned over time is a downfall of mine - and when that happens, I need to take my slice of humble pie and apologise. Anyway, upon checking my facts were actually straight on this issue, I continued to lament to Dad about it, and he said "Sarah, you've got to learn that you can't win with some people. They'll just never admit they are wrong."

I discussed with my mentor what she would do in this sort of situation, and her comment was "Well on issues of theology, views and opinions are always different aren't they? So that's the same in life. But when people claim spiritual attack because they know they are losing an argument, you need to call them on that, that is just not biblical, and you need to constantly go back to the bible and ask them what they think the bible says about this topic - and ask them for actual scriptural references."

This is a skill I'm going to have to learn. You see, one of my great strengths is that I stand up for what I believe in, one of my great weaknesses is that I don't back down when people (particularly Christians) make questionable remarks in arguments. There is a time for fighting and a time for peace, but when do you know for sure when is the right time for what?! I guess it comes down to grace. Always grace.

So over the next few months, I'm going to be praying for grace. Grace to know when to speak up and when to remain silent. Grace to allow people to believe what they want to believe and not force my opinions on them. Grace to keep growing with God, and not be happy with just a little knowledge lest I become like those that annoy me with their knowledge! :) Grace grace grace, always grace.

Please keep me accountable to that!! I give you my friends, the permission to do so! :)

Jesus Loves Gay People

I want you to watch the video below. It is a tribute made for Lawrence King, a 15 year old boy who was killed by a classmate for being gay. Please watch this video, it only goes for a minute or so.



If you're unsure of what happened to Lawrence King, he was 15 years old, and gave a Valentines Day card to a boy at his school that he liked. This young boy responded to the card, by beating Lawrence to death.

It is NOT okay to hate gay people. It is NOT okay to allow your children to believe that it's okay to treat gay people with anything but love. It is NOT okay for you to infect your children with your dislike of homosexuals or their lifestyles. Why?! Because they don't have the capacity to differentiate dislike for a lifestyle and dislike for a person. They do not have the capacity to differentiate that when you say you hate gay people, or that gay people deserve to go to hell or whatever other things you are telling your children, it doesn't mean that they should take matters into their own hands.

And if you believe that what happened to this kid was okay...or that your hateful words do not in some way contribute to such hate crimes - let me give you a harsh reality. JESUS LOVES GAY PEOPLE. Let me say that again... Jesus LOVES gay people. And if Jesus loves them...we are also called to love them. If we do not, we are sinning. If we infect this world and our young people with our small minded opinions of what is right and wrong, we risk more and more things like this happening.

Christians NEED to stand up against injustice. Jesus grieves the death of Lawrence King. Jesus grieves that a young boy could be filled with such fear over getting a Valentine from someone of the same sex, that they murder the giver. Guess what people?! As Christians, it is our DUTY to bring love into this world, to be Christ's hands and feet in a damaged and broken world.

Whether you believe gay people are right/wrong/saint/sinner does not change the FACT that JESUS LOVES THEM...

I'm sick of seeing celebrities giving messages that CHRISTIANS should be giving. It's time to stand up people. To love unconditionally. To bring grace and peace into a dark and broken world. To see people as they could be, as Jesus sees them, and then love them unconditionally AS THEY ARE - without judgment or condemnation. If you can't do that, you need to sit down and read your New Testament - and all the teachings of JESUS.

My heart and prayers go out to the families involved in this tragedy, and I pray that you will use it as a wake up call to ACT to bring love and peace in YOUR community.

Proud of our Heritage!

I am currently reading our fearless Territorial Youth Secretary, Captain Dave Collinson, and my friend Nealson Munn's book 'INSANE' - it is essentially a modern day look at the history of The Salvation Army...and it is a brilliant read. I couldn't recommend it more highly!

It is getting me so excited, to look at the rich heritage in which us Salvos come from. I'm not going to go into all the stories, because in reality a lot of us already know them. What I am going to say is this - my resolve to be part of this amazing church and organization for the rest of my life has been strengthened by being reminded of our heritage by this book.

I was talking to a friend of mine last night, and we were chatting about The Salvation Army, and how being part of The Salvation Army is unlike being part of any other church. She grew up in Sunbeams, and has known Salvos throughout her life, but has never actually attended the church. She commented that there is something different about us Salvos, she can't quite put her finger on it though. I tried to explain what I think she was meaning, and without wanting to offend anyone, I'm going to try to explain here also.

Being a Salvo *IS* different to being from any other church. There is something different, a stronger connection perhaps? I don't think you really truly understand it unless you were born into The Salvation Army, or you were converted in the Salvation Army. Maybe you do - but I think there is a difference when The Salvos have been your only spiritual home, or your first spiritual home. Unlike other churches - such as the AOG's, the Baptists, the Anglicans, the Uniting Church, the Catholics, etc., The Salvation Army are truly international. I'm not talking about being in other countries - all those churches are - I'm talking about being truly CONNECTED internationally. In no other church I've been affiliated with (Baptist & Non-denominational Anglican-ish), have I heard them talk about what is happening in Corps overseas, or has anyone cared who the overseas pastor for such and such a church is. Yet in the Army, even today, we read of who has been appointed as Commissioner here, or Chief Secretary there. When you turn up to an Army corps, anywhere in the world, you are home. You are welcomed in. You have something in common. We all share a common mission, common values, common uniforms, common songbooks and common theology. Whilst we express these things in a uniquely community appropriate way, at our core, we are one big happy family.

We have held onto our mission and our calling (mostly, though of course there are some hiccups along the way) for our entire existence, internationally. We remain "One Army Under God". I could not imagine not being intricately linked to people all over the world, or not knowing what is going on in the next church over, let alone the next church after that. Salvos do know what's going on - we share conferences, youth events, camps, and sporting teams. Being a Salvo isn't just about where you attend church, but who you are as a person.

When I left the Army for that period of time (the time I call being a spiritual refugee!) I could not find even remotely that which I felt in the Army. Sure there were successful youth groups and amazing teaching at the churches I could attend - but they were all so... I don't know... Isolated amongst themselves? Individual? I don't know what it was, but the feeling was disconnection with a wider vision.

I love that when I put on my Army uniform (well t-shirt at the moment, uniform to come when I can afford it!! haha!), I cease to be Sarah Eldridge, and stand there as a member of The Salvation Army. I am defined by the Red Shield, the crest, the uniform, and my heritage. I stand there and people know that I am safe. That I am a follower of Jesus. That I will do what I can to serve them as Jesus would. What other church can truly state that for it's individual members?

THIS is why the uniform is important. THIS is why remaining with the structures we have in place, no matter how frustrating they may be, is important. THIS is why the band, and the timbrels, and the sunbeams, and the guards, and the junior soldiers and the senior soldiers is important. Because they connect us with that rich heritage of ours - and it's something we should be proud of not shy away from.

I can't wait to be an Officer within this Army. I can't wait to serve and do my part. I can't wait to stand before the Candidates Board, and tell them about how I want to be a truly international officer, like those of old, who were sent wherever to do whatever the Army needs me to do. I am so excited that God has called me to Officership. I was scared, but I'm not anymore. Because God has called us to be something different, and to do something different, and we need to remember that!

Bring on the future I say, because if the past is anything to go on, we have some amazing stories yet to be written! It's INSANE! :)




PS. You can purchase INSANE from Salvo Supplies, if you want to know where, let me know! It's only $10 and well worth every cent of it!