Here we go again... my my!!

Well, it seems that it's been a significant amount of time since the last time I wrote a blog.  So much has happened, and frankly, it would take me three years to catch you all up.  I essentially stopped writing a blog, because frankly, I didn't see much point.  But it seems that every man and his dog gets to give their opinions these days, and I'm sick of having facebook conversations that can at times be limiting (nobody wants to read a long facebook status) so I thought I'd start blogging my thoughts again.

Over the coming weeks, I'm going to be looking at the messages we send young women.  This is an area that I have always been passionate about, because I was raised by parents who believe that being a woman shouldn't be something you're judged for.  My mother has been accused of being a staunch feminist - and I would say that rather than a feminist - she's more someone who believes in TRUE equality for people - regardless of their sex.  She has fought battles openly within The Salvation Army - along with many other strong and intelligent women - for issues such as not having to wear hats (particularly since the men didn't have to), equal pay (rather than the pay scale couples used to have), wearing trousers rather than skirts as part of the work uniform and many other "seemingly menial" battles according to those around these women at the time.  She isn't a feminist in as much as she doesn't believe women are BETTER than men, she just believes that we are all created equal in the sight of God.  Incidentally, so does my father.  This is a man who looks past gender and rather judges someone on what they are bringing to their field of experience.  It grieves my dad when he sees women get overlooked for positions of leadership based purely on them being a woman.  It upsets him when women are treated with disrespect by the media and by other people - particularly when that woman is in leadership.  A friend of mine told me recently that the thing that she loved most about my dad is that "I don't think he even notices that I'm a woman" - I think that says two things - one, that this is an issue that is bigger than we realize (because why should anyone notice that you are male or female in business, they should look at your skills) and two, that to him it doesn't matter either way - male/female - you are just a person to him.  As their daughter, I've been raised in an environment where I was told I could be anything and anyone I wanted to be, as long as I treated people with kindness and respect. I was given a voice around the table, and my voice was valid.  If anyone else was around the table and disrespected me or my mother or my sister for their voices - they were swiftly put in their place.  As a result, I always knew I was valued for my contribution, and my intellect, and so I struggle when people overlook me or do not allow my voice to be heard.

I say this, because I need to precursor my next few posts - which will be both a criticism of both the current political AND media climate about women, and an encouragement to the many young women I work with and others that stumble across this blog. 

Quite frankly, whilst I'm open to "debate" - make sure your arguments are not in any way shape or form misogynistic or sexist, and that they are not personal attacks - because if they are they will not be published.  If you don't like what I have to say, and have no real intelligent argument against it, don't read.  If your argument is intelligent and not personal but is of a different opinion to mine - it will be published and I will respond.  It's quite simple - this is my view, not The Salvation Army's, not somebody elses - mine, and mine alone.  So whilst I'm happy to debate with people, if you are looking for something "official" - then do some research elsewhere.  The next week or so will purely be my thoughts.

I look forward to sharing (venting?!) more!

Blessings to all xo

Turned a Whiter Shade of Pale

Well as most of my “readers” and friends would know, I’ve been really sick for months now. I recently found out I have a disease of my thyroid, and was told if it was left untreated I could have died. My heart scare helped me realize how right that is, as your entire body reacts to this disease. And I’m very lucky, and I might add, blessed that it was diagnosed when it was. Because it was at the bad end of the disease, heading towards dangerous apparently, according to other sufferers of this illness.

One of the symptoms/side-effects of this disease is massive anxiety. And I can’t even tell you how hard it is to literally feel like the room is closing in on you and that there is impending doom. This is the most recent symptom to me (as if all the others weren’t bad enough, I’m walking around pale as anything!!) and I’d like to say it’s one that as a Christian I can overcome, but so far prayer is not taking this anxiety away – it’s physiological not psychological.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how dark this world is for some people. What a horrible place to be, to not have hope for the future. What a horrible place to be to not know that there is a God who loves you and will look after you. What a horrible place to be not knowing where you will go if you were to die tonight.

I kind of joke with people about my disease, partly that’s a defence mechanism, but partly it’s because I know how blessed I am to be in a place where the future is in control, God has His hand upon me, and even if the worst happened, I know exactly where I’ll be.

Throughout this health saga I’ve experienced, I’ve also come to the conclusion that Jesus is the only one I’m going to cling to. Friends and family may fail you. Your health may fail you. Your job most certainly will at some point. But Jesus, wow, Jesus will never fail you.

Praise God for that! :)

Conservatively Liberal!

You know, there are many labels that we're given. Tall, short, fat, thin, lazy, hard-working, smart, dumb. So many labels. Some labels are good and others bad.

As Christians, we carry labels also - hypocrite, compassionate, "good"... or labels like "conservative" or "liberal" or "fundamentalist" or "zealot". Oh how often I've been stuck with a label in a derogatory manner. And those labels sometimes "stick" and cause me to question who I am.

My friend and I see the world through very different eyes, and yet he is probably one of the people I most respect. I always get the giggles when we're in class together because we come at the same point from completely different angles and yet most often agree with each other on the main point. He will always fight from a Scriptural perspective, I from a justice perspective, and yet at the end of the day we agree.

In class on Monday the discussion was centred around "Evangelism" and "Social Action" - and it became evident that a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. My friend and I of course got massively defensive about our point of views, and it dawned on me at the end of the day, we were arguing the same point, and it was vastly different from the point of those sitting in the middle of the argument!

My friend made the comment that we both fight from a point of our experience and our strong views. He made the observation that he is a liberal conservative and I am a conservative liberal. And there lies the truth...we may see the world from different perspectives, but at the end of the day, it is our strong views and life experience that brings us to a point of agreeance - that and Scripture which forms the foundation of our views and experience.

I've often been called a "liberal" in a very derogatory manner, however, my dear friend has helped me come to a point where I am proud to be called a "conservative liberal". My passion, my experience and my strong opinions form who I am.

Another friend recently told me not to be like all the other girls who "dumb themselves down" in order to be liked. I don't ever want to do that. I don't want to change my views out of fear of being labelled a "liberal" or a "fundo" if I disagree with the liberals! I am who I am. And all the passion and fire I have makes me who I am. And that's a pretty good person to be! :)

Goodbye my friend...you have been the one, you have been the one for me!

Well last night I said goodbye to a friend for a long while. And for the first time in my life, I realized the value of "grown up" relationships. You know the type - where you talk about things maturely, not make some dramatic scene.

My friend is an amazing person. He is wise and compassionate and loving and very kind. But he is so unsure of himself and so unable to see the brilliant man I, and I assume so many others see. And I was actually able to tell him that, without fear that he was going to read into it, or think I was a fool. I'm sad that I won't get to see him for a long time. And saying goodbye to friends is really hard. I know that whenever God allows our paths to cross again we will pick up where we left off with a whole lot of life stories to tell inbetween. And I know that he knows he can contact me whenever he needs to.

But what last night did was drive home to me what one of my recent blogs talked about - the value of telling people what they mean to you. Saying goodbye to someone often prompts you to say what you need to say, but we shouldn't wait until it's time to say goodbye. I should have told my friend what I thought of him before we had to say goodbye!

What a blessing friends are. While I've been sick I've really noticed what a blessing friends can be - the chats, and visits, and chocolate, and flowers, and food and hugs - have all helped see me through. But beyond that, friends are the people who know who you really are and choose to love you.

So from now, let's not wait until it's time to part ways before we thank people for the part they play in our lives. To remind them that they are put in our lives for a purpose and a reason. That they are the people God has chosen for you.

Is There Anyone Out There..Cos it's gettin' Harder and harder to breathe!

It's been an interesting few weeks. My health continues to deteriorate, and with it comes a bit of depression - you know the whole "Everyone is out there having fun and I'm cooped up in the house" sort of depression. Nothing too bad, just a bit meh you know?

My Training Principal sent me an email today to find out how I was going, and asked the question - "How's your soul?" Before I started at Training College, that question would have scared me, I mean what is the right answer?! But the longer I've been at College, and have come to expect that question from our TP, the more I realize honesty is the best policy on this one.

So I guess right now my soul is clinging desperately to a God who I know can heal. A God who is so much bigger than any issue we might face. A God who looks at me and says "Sarah your soul is fine, you're going to make it!" And the more I cling, the more at peace I become with where my soul is at. I'm assured of a Saviour who leads me through all things and will never leave me or forsake me...and because of that, I'm free.

Am I happy with my life as it currently is? No, of course not! I don't know anybody who given my situation would say they are truly "happy". But I am saved, and I am free. I refuse to let this illness, or the pressure from others to just "get better" (trust me I really really would love to!) get me down.

Whilst over the past few weeks I've been finding it hard to breathe (literally at times) I am assured that this will one day all be part of my testimony. I know that there's someone "out there" within my reach who's helping me to fight, even when it feels as though my body is losing the battle, I know my soul i s not. And one day this will be able to say to others "I faced darkness once before, and the fear that closed in on me each day, but I made it and so will you." I'm trying to focus on the light...

So my question is to you, given what you are facing right now - all the trials life throws at you... how's your soul?

Who are you? Who who who who?

Have I told you my life is kind of like CJ Craig’s on the West Wing. I feel my whole life has been about helping others put a positive spin on the things they have done with their lives. Ever there with a smile, and the strength to weather the storm. The strong, stable woman everyone depends on in a crisis, the friend who loves no matter the situation. And that’s a good thing, it’s a very good thing. It’s her special gift to give people, granted for a short time ( a term)… but it’s hers and she gives it willingly.

But then there’s the regrets she has…the things she has done that were just “not her” things she has nobody to apologise to but herself. Compromises she has made for the “greater good” or for the fulfilment of other peoples happiness. People she’s neglected, friends she’s lost, mistakes she’s made. Silences she had when she should have spoken out, or times she should have kept silent. These things she carries close to her heart. These things are often the source of the pain she carries that nobody else understands.

I told a friend recently you can’t have pleasure without the pain. And the more I’ve been getting into the West Wing, I can see that in CJ’s character. For the most part she’s a very happy person… but consistently her happiness is founded upon making others happy. And it’s sometimes been at the expense of her happiness.

I’ve been rather sick for a while now, which most of my friends know. It’s been awful, and I’m very very much over it. The doctors think they may have found something, but it has involved more blood tests and most likely will involve at least one specialist. Hopefully I will know on Tuesday what is going on. What it has done is enable me to think…way too much time to think these past two weeks. It’s made me think about who am I really? Am I really the sum of my mistakes? Am I really the sum of the happiness others have because of the storms I’ve helped them weather? Am I so much more than that? Who am I really? And what is it that I have to offer?

Over the past week or so, I’ve thought heavily about some of the decisions I’ve made over the past few years…and how they’ve affected the woman I see myself as. One in particular has changed how I think of myself, and at the time I made it, I really thought it was the right choice, that it would help bring a lot of happiness, and for a short while it really did. But the pleasure comes with a lot of pain too right? And I look back now and there is a lot of pain there…but the thing is, I’m not sure I wouldn’t make the same decision again if I had the chance. It bought a lot of happiness to others, and a lot of happiness at the time for me. Looking back, I wonder whether the others will see the happiness it bought them, and the cost it was to who Sarah is as a person?

I live by the “forget regrets or life is yours to miss” philosophy of life. And forgiveness comes strongly to those who seek it. So I do not regret the decisions I’ve made…they’ve led me to the place I am now, and the woman I am each day becoming.

But reflecting on this these past few weeks has helped me to realize, there are things still left unsaid to some people, things that I don’t think should be left unsaid. Doors left to close, windows yet to be opened. Whatever may become of these conversations, I say “let it be”.

We must not leave things unsaid to those we care about. When was the last time you told someone you loved them? I’m not talking about your kids (I hope you tell them every day) or your partner, I mean the people who have changed your lives. There’s someone I know who has changed my life and I’ve never told them, I’ve never thanked them, or told them just how much I love or care for them.

So, this next season for me, will be about saying what needs to be said. Closing the doors for some. Opening the windows for others. And I’m excited by the possibilities that will bring.

Every decision you make shapes who you are…the good and the bad. You need to allow God to show you the ways in which those decisions have shaped you and how He will use them to make this world a better place. Just like He has been showing me.
Bless you my dear friends, bless you a lot! Xxx :-)

Resting in the Saviours Arms

Today is a struggle. I’m overwhelmed with fear that I know is not of God. 

I am thankful that God is in control, which was confirmed to me when I opened Lotus Notes and found today’s bible verse was:

 

Today's Bible Verse - Proverbs 29:25

“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”

 

I praise God that as I trust in Him, He will keep me safe!! Hallelujah!

ICES Discipleship Principals

Today's Training Principal Lecture was Part One of a Two-Part series on "Discipleship".

Most, if not all Christians would state that discipleship is a crucial aspect of the Christian journey. However, few would state that they feel they have been discipled well, or that they themselves know how to disciple others.

Captain Stephen Court (our Training Principal) read the following quote, and I (as well as many of my fellow Ambassadors) believe it holds the key to effective for and by Salvationists:

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

From this quote, we were challenged to come up with an acronym that would suggest the key discipleship principles for Salvationists as according to General Booth.

ICES is the acronym we came up with.

I = Intentional - General Booth met with these new converts weekly, in order to disciple them.
C = Counsel - General Booth counselled them in the difficulties they were experiencing.
E = Encourage - General Booth encouraged them to persevere.
S = Show - General Booth showed them how to do the work they had undertaken.

This is a simple and yet effective way to disciple those in your sphere of influence. Be intentional in discipling those you wish to invest in, do life with them - counsel, encourage and show them how to get the job done. Then, encourage them to replicate this with people in their sphere of influence, people they will disciple.

Leader or Manager?

One of the very fortunate things about being a Cadet in the Australia Southern Territory is that you have access to one of the world’s greatest leaders – General Eva Burrows.  General Burrows was a significant leader not just for The Salvation Army, but her influence was used worldwide – not in spite of her being a woman – but because she was a woman.  I know many non-Salvationists, and indeed non-Christians who admire General Burrows and the way in which she was able to achieve for Women and as a woman.

General Burrows ran our Christian Leadership A class last week at College.  I took copious notes, and will gladly share those if you email me or ask me for them.  But I want to focus on one thing that she talked about, which challenged, affirmed and inspired me in my leadership.

She quoted a retiring Admiral from the American Navy who said:

“The Trouble with the American Navy is there are too many managers and not enough leaders.”

General Burrows stated that the difference between a leader and a manager is that a leader sets a vision and inspires and influences people to follow that vision, whereas a manager aims to maintain and control.  She said that Stephen Covey states that:

“Managers are people who do things right, Leaders are people who do the right things.”

That got me thinking – I have served under many Officers who are “managers” in The Salvation Army.  Even some who felt as though they were setting a vision, were in fact actually just managing their team to an outcome.  True spiritual leaders have been harder to come by.

True leaders are servant-hearted.  They look to Jesus for an example of how to lead, and find that Jesus in modelling leadership to His disciples, got down on His knees and washed the feet of His followers.  Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer. To be a true leader, we need to follow Jesus. We need to pray, we need to humble ourselves and serve others.  And we need to trust that God who places a vision in our heart will equip us to bear fruit through that vision.  

I believe, that the trouble with The Salvation Army today is that there are too many managers and not enough leaders.  But I truly believe that is changing.  I believe there is a renewal of spirit in the Army and that God is refreshing the vision for The Salvation Army. 

I believe our best days are ahead of us, not behind us. 

I believe that the Emergent view – that focus not on God being found in the Corps building, but in serving our community with the love of God, actively spreading the Good News (not to grow our Corps Sunday meetings, but to grow the Kingdom of God )– is going to bring about a  new revolution in The Army that takes us back to the numbers of transformations seen in early days. 

Why do I believe this? Because each day I am in community with 25 other Ambassadors of Holiness and a Training College filled with staff who are challenged, challenging and inspired to bring about God’s Kingdom on earth – and the early vision of The Salvation Army – To Win The World For Jesus! 

37 people have come to know Christ as a direct result of Ambassadors of Holiness & College Staff being motivated by that vision, and following Jesus’ model for leadership since we started College this year.  But we’re believing for more.

Are you going to be a leader? Will you buy into this vision? Or are you happy to continue managing?

Is it time to call a spade a spade?

We’re currently doing the Hands that Heal training in sex-traffiking in preparation for the Brothel Chaplaincy ministry some of us female Cadets are about to take up.

Perri (our dear friend, and great trainer!) was talking about how we need to call these things for what they are. So instead of saying Sex-worker, we need to say Prostituted Person or Victim (thanks to Estelle & Captain Steve Court for pointing out the difference between prostitute and prostituted person). Instead of saying “client” we need to call them “Perpetrator”. This goes against a lot of my social work training – where we’re taught to use “politically correct terms”. It’s a challenge for me, but I have been thinking a lot about this, and I honestly think it’s important to do this.

The terms we use today have totally “normalized” what sex-work is. IT’s made it as though what is happening is okay – and whilst at no point would I EVER judge a woman who has wound up in prostitution, I do think that by normalizing it, we make out that it’s okay that there are people who are willing to pay for sex – who are willing to devalue the life of another for their own personal gratitude.

Just after I started thinking this through, I caught the last 5 minutes of a TV show called ‘Secret Diary of a Call Girl’. It’s essentially about a call girl and her life. It seemed to have quite a “positive” message at the end of this show – that the decisions this girl had made, cost her greatly in relationships – that she was unable to keep a relationship as a result of her line of work.

So, thinking I might actually be able to use this to strengthen my prep work for this ministry, I jumped online and watched a few episodes of the show – and it really really upset me! For one thing, it not only normalizes prostitution and the men who pay for sex – it actually GLAMOURIZES it! I am quite concerned about this being seen as a “good option” for people who want to make good money. The danger of “normalizing” prostitution is that it:
(a) devalues those who are forced into this work – either because they are traffiked, or they feel it is their worth, or they have addiction problems etc.
and
(b) it makes it okay for men to exploit women for sex – for them to commit adultery with another woman (because surely it’s not adultery if they pay for it – WHAT?!?!)

One of the lines the character said at the beginning of the first episode was that she didn’t get into it because she was “touched” by some relative or something along those lines.

The thing is – I’ve met and become friends with a fair few prostitutes in my time. Not ONE of them started working because it was a “good” option. Every one I have met is an abuse victim – either sexual or physical – and prostitution is either what they think they are worth (their worth is in offering sex to men) or it’s a way of regaining power – they own their body.

One of the social workers I worked with in the past was a “madam” in a brothel, and she told me that every girl she ever worked with had some form of abuse in her life. That “normal” girls don’t “choose” that line of work – because it is often degrading and lonely work.

I’m not saying that 100% of girls who become prostitutes are abuse victims – but this show makes out like it’s “normal” for a girl to choose to work as a prostitute for money – and those girls are the minority not the majority.

So whilst this TV show does attempt to show some of the “darker” sides of prostitution – it still normalizes it – it still says that it’s okay – and the fact of the matter is that it’s not. It’s not ok to degrade someone by paying them for sex. You are a perpetrator, not a “client”. It is not okay to think your worth is to sell yourself for sex. You are worth so very much more than this.

I’m working on my language – but the truth of the matter is this – God loves each and every one of the women that we are about to start ministering to. He longs for them to know their worth, that He created them for a greater purpose and that He longs to bring them to a fullness in themselves. There’s no condemnation in Christ’s eyes, only love and a desire for so much more for their lives. So as we go in to these brothels, the message I’ll bring is “You are beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out. God is with you” (Luke 1:28 – The Message).

So from here on in – I’m going to call a spade a spade. I’m going to de-normalize prostitution. Not out of judgement of the women involved – but out of pure concern that society thinks that this is okay – which I’m fairly sure grieves the heart of God.

What’s in a Name anyway?

 

So I’m sitting in theology at the moment, we’re talking about the different names of God.  (I’m not on the internet, I have this really handy thing called Windows Live Writer – download it, it’s live blogging at it’s best!) It’s an interesting one, because in our limited language skills we would never be able to fully and adequately describe all of who God is.

 

When talking to Abraham, God names Himself YHWH (or Yahweh), which translated means “I am” (or “I am who I am”).  We are learning that Jewish people do not mention the name YHWH, because it is the holiest of holy names.  Wow! Imagine having something SO holy you couldn’t even mention it! They got around this by talking about Jireh (God who provides), Rohi (The Lord is my Shepherd), Shalom (The Lord is peace). 

Also, in Bible times, the Jewish people would use the word “El”, the common word of the day that was used to describe the gods.  So God becomes El-Shaddai (God of the mountains – or the Almighty God), El-Roi (the God who sees), El-Olam (God of eternity or the eternal God). 

 

Each of these names have a story to them.  For example, Jireh – God who provides – was the name that Abraham used for God after He spared Isaac from being sacrificed (Genesis 22), God is a God who provides.  Or El-Roi – was the name Hagar used when she was sent away by Abraham & Sarah after the birth of Ishmael – and she cried out to God who saw her – thus – the God who sees.

We were challenged to think about what words we would use to describe God.  For me, I guess it would be most in-line with Hagar – to me, God sees me, for what I am, who I am – but beyond that – God loves who He sees.

What would be the names you would use to describe God – who is God for you? Is He the God who cares? The God who sees? The God who challenges? If you had to name God – what would the name be that you would choose?

Black Saturday

Well it’s been a while since I wrote.  Partly it’s because I’ve known what I’ve wanted to cover, but not really known how to say it.

The tragic events of Black Saturday are at the forefront of so many people’s minds, even now, over a month after they happened. It’s hard to find someone in Victoria who hasn’t either lost a loved one, or know of someone who has.  I guess that’s what happens when at least 210 people lose their lives and over 7,000 people are left displaced.

The Salvation Army Training College sent us Cadets out to serve in the various Relief Centres around Victoria.  This was an absolute privilege and the frustrating thing was how limited we were in the help we could offer.

That brings me though to what I want to write about.  The most frustrating thing of all of it for me, was how many times I heard various volunteers say “I did this” or “I did that” or “I got to…” like there is some badge of honour for the work that was being done.  The flip side of this was the people who would complain “I was only folding clothes” or “I didn’t even meet a survivor of the fires, I was stuck cleaning all day!” 

We should not put our hands up to help at these things if at the end of the day it is about me feeling like a good person.  It’s not a matter of glamour people – or something to write home about – something to brag about.  Naturally everyone wants to help in times of crisis, but at the end of the day – it’s not about you. 

God calls us to love and serve.  Sometimes that service will involve folding clothes, other times it will involve sitting with a survivor who is struggling to make sense of what has just happened. 

Let’s remember, at the end of the day – it’s not about us – it’s about loving and serving those who lost everything – no matter how “glamorous” our part in that was.

To Be Holy...

So today we had a rehearsal for our Welcome to Cadets on Sunday afternoon. Basically it's a celebration of the people in our Session and their decision to follow God's call to become Salvation Army Officers. It's kind of a big deal for the Army world.

Anyway, we were singing our Sessional Song - an awesome song written by Marty Mikles, and Brian Hogg was conducting us and urged us to really listen to the words. He commented on one of the lines that says "May our lives be the reflection of who You are", and he got us to think about the word THE being used there where usually people would say A. May our lives be THE reflection of who Christ is. WOW! Not some namby-pamby glimpse of the reflection of Christ, but THE reflection.

The song has been written to inspire and challenge the Ambassadors of Holiness. We're called to be holy, as Christ is holy. That's quite a challenge. If it's achieved, our lives truly can be the the reflection of who Christ is.

So over the next two years, that's what I'm praying for... I'm praying that I will be able to be the reflection of Christ. That when people look at me, they have an encounter with the Saviour of the world.

Suck It Up Princess!!!

Okay so I've just gotten through my first week of classes at Colelge - granted they are Orientation, but to be honest, I've been blessed every step of the way. There's not been one day or one thing we've done that's made me go "ugh" and even the "house duties" (cleaning) isn't all that bad... when you know why you're here and you have CHOSEN to have a good attitude about things, it really does make a difference.

For example - we've been given the "Stoke It Up Challenge" which basically is our Training Principal's way of getting us (a) working as a team and (b) to challenge ourselves out of our comfort zone. Some of you Australia Southern guys will know that this challenge caused quite the "outrage" a few years ago when it was first given, and people were annoyed or frustrated or scared or whatever to take it for what it is. Yes there are some things on the challenge that are said kind of in jest - but kind of not - things like using Phillips Airways (ie teleporting yourself) because lets face it - if any of us had the faith to actually do it - we totally would! Some people are offended by the suggestion we can raise the dead... I question why? Jesus did, the disciples did, the bible says that we can do all things Jesus did - so why be offended? Has anyone I know seen anyone raised from the dead? No! But something tells me that these things are on the list, not because it would be cool to see them happen - but as an exercise in testing our faith. Do we really believe what the bible says about what we can do? And if so, do we have the faith to act on it even if it means we "fail"?

There are a few people who have been a bit negative about the activity. I just simply don't see why! I think it's a good thing to get us working as teams and getting out onto the streets doing things to stretch us, our faith and our experience of God.

I will admit that tonight I was taken WAAAAYYYYY out of my comfort zone...like ridiculously so! My friend Rachel and I took the challenge to the streets of St Kilda tonight, and tried our hand at street evangelism. Neither of us are really keen on this form of evangelism, basically as we don't feel we are very good at it. We went and asked God to stretch us... and stretch us He did! We chatted to a few people who were happy to say hi but that was it, a man who chatted to us for a while about his ailments but wouldn't allow us to pray for him, and a Salvo guy I'd known from my childhood.

We were starting to lose a bit of faith in the activity and I'll admit I was starting to feel a bit negative when three things happened:
1. I was reminded gently in my spirit of the nickname we'd come up with for the challenge (to challenge those who were negative about it) - that being the "Suck It Up" challenge - and I said to myself "Suck it Up Princess - do the task"...
2. My friend Rachel said to me "Maybe this is a test of our faith and perserverance".
3. Not long after that, we met a man who initiated the God conversation after we introduced ourselves! He was 99.9% sure there was a God he just needed PROOF. So we chatted to him for ages, sharing our testimonies and talking about what we believe. Then we got to pray for him!! What an awesome God we serve! A God who is ever wanting to show up for us when we start to doubt ourselves!

So my new message to myself is Suck It Up Princess!! You can't be a warrior princess if you are too scared to get out of your comfort zone.

I challenge you to do the same...find something you're not so sure about and do it!! God will be faithful, even if the lesson is perserverance! :)

Blessings to you all xoxoxxo

I'm Talking to the (Wo)Man In The Mirror

Man, God's really been kicking my butt about a few things lately. About a massive sin I've been trying to hide. The reality is that I can't hide it anymore, becuase it's hurting me and it's hurting others.

That sin is caring more about what some people think of me than I do about what GOD thinks of me. That sin is believing the lies that have been sewn in my heart, lies that I'm too much and not enough all at the same time. Lies that if people really knew me they wouldn't like me. Lies that I'm not worthy to be an officer, or a Christian, or anything of value.

The funny thing is, I spend half my life speaking TRUTH into young girls lives. Telling them what their worth is, that Christ loves and believes in them, that Christ thinks they're highly favoured, that they are enough, that they can do anytihng Christ requires of them with His strength. But when I look in the mirror I realize that I haven't been believing that truth for myself.

The biggest problem is, that the enemy has been using so many different ways to "confirm" the lies to me. Friends telling me I'm not a good enough friend, friends totally changing the way they look at me - if they even look at me anymore, people talking behind my back, people distancing themselves from me. Some of these are very real, written in black and white, some are my interpretation of something that perhaps isn't really even happening... perhaps the other persons side looks totally different, I honestly wouldn't know because I'm too caught up in believing the lie the situation has confirmed to me.

Tonight, that happened. And as I was lying in bed just now, the lines from that Michael Jackson song sprung to mind "I'm starting with the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways, And no message could have been any clearer, if you wanna make this workd a better place, take a look at yourself and then make the change"

So to the woman staring back at me in the mirror...and perhaps to the man or woman staring back at YOU in the mirror.

You are worthy.
You are enough.
You are not too much.
People do know the real you and they like you.
You are a daughter (or perhaps for you son) of the most High God.
You are reedeemed and forgiven.
You are highly favoured.

I'm going to try to stop trying to be who everyone else wants me to be, and remember who Christ wants me to be. I'm going to try to stop worrying that my friends don't like me, or stressing over petty arguments with people. I'm gong to make ammends when I am wrong, and seek forgiveness. But I'm going to let go when I am right. There's no need for justice, that's God's business. I'm going to start listening to what God thinks of me, and the truth in that.

And for some of the girls I've been chatting to about this - I want you to do the same! - we'll pray the simple prayer every day until it becomes such a part of us that we don't even have to question it anymore:

God,
Forgive me for caring more about what others think of me than what You do.
Help me to realize my worth in You.
Help me to help others realize their worth in You.
Thank you that in Your eyes, I am enough, I am worthy, and I am loved.
Amen.

Daughters of the King....

This one goes out to the boys who read my blog. And it's going to be harsh, and I don't apologise.

I am sick to the back teeth of all the sexist innuendo that seems to dominate the boys club in most groups. I'm not surprised by it, but I'm sick of it. I'm tired of all the "girls should be in the kitchen or the bedroom" jokes - they're simply NOT funny. I'm most disappointed when I hear these jokes, and this attitude coming from CHRISTIAN men. It's not very Christ-like boys and it HAS TO STOP!

We often joke in our group that "words have power" but you know what, it's not a joke, words really do have power. And I'm starting to witness a few of the younger girls I'm in close relationship with be stripped of their worth by guys that think they are being funny. NOT ONCE did Jesus EVER make a woman feel like a second-class citizen. NOT ONCE did Jesus EVER encourage men to shame a woman - in fact if we look at the story of the woman caught in an adulterous relationship and in danger of being stoned to death, Jesus went TOTALLY against the grain and defended her stating that "He who is without sin cast the first stone" He then goes on to tell her that He doesn't condemn her and she is to go and sin no more. (you can read this in John 8:1-11).

To say it's just "boys being boys" is not a good enough response in a Christian circle. I'm sorry boys, but it's just not good enough. For some guys it is just a joke, and they totally and utterly respect women, but for some, and I'm seeing this increasingly, it actually goes deeper than that. They're actually disrespecting the women in their lives in other ways - perhaps treating them as a sexual object, dismissing their opinion, treating them as second class, or stripping them of any real value or worth. This is dangerous ground, and it's time those of you men who know your GODLY place in a woman's life started standing up and fighting this attitude!

I'm so thankful to God for placing some amazing men in my life. I have some men who not only value and respect me, they actually go out of their way to remind me of my worth, of my value to them and to Christ. Men like my father, go out of their way to let the women in their life feel valued and supported. They seek their advice, and appreciate their giftings. I could name at least a dozen good Christian men like that, men that walk so closely with Christ, the idea of degrading a woman doesn't even cross their mind. I have indeed been very blessed in my life with such men!

So I'm on a new rampage - if you're a Christian man in my life, or in the life of any of the girls I am in contact with watch out - it's time to start remembering that the women in your lives are Princesses, they are daughters of the MOST HIGH King... and you are to respect, love and value them accordingly. Be prepared for quoted scriptural passages, and well thought out and theologically checked arguments if you even try to disrespect one of these Princesses.

And to all my sisters out there - learn your worth, learn you are highly favoured by the Creator of the Universe, learn that you have a valid voice...and use it to demand the respect YOU deserve!

Be blessed xx

Plastic Fantastic?!

Okay, so I've got another bee in my bonnet. It's something I've been speaking with a few friends about, and something that my dear friend - the other Sarah E - has noted on facebook...and that's the phenomena of the "Fake" person.

I'm so over people being complete chameleon's... you know, changing who they are depending on their environment or who they're with. No obviously, we show slight changes in personality around different people. I know I'm definately more "myself" with some of my friends, than I am with others. I know that I'm definately more quiet and reserved in my opinions and feelings and views around some groups of people. That's not what I'm talking about at all, because truth be known, my friends wouldn't look at me in another group and say "Who is she?!"

No what I'm talking about is when someone is completely different. Perhaps they are a mature Christian person who you call upon for advice, and then you see them acting in a way that both disappoints you and calls you to question whether they really are someone you can trust to give you advice? Or perhaps someone is really nasty to you when you're alone or in one group, but then acts as though they are your best friend when you are with another group. I think they're as bad as each other to be honest.

I am loving the movie "Twilight" at the moment, and in one scene, Bella turns to Edward and says "Your mood swings are giving me whiplash"... and THAT's what I'm talking about. The sort of "fake" that makes you question whether they are actually your friend or not.

You see, God calls us to be honest and real. To be true to ourselves and who HE has called us to be. Friends who you need to change in order to impress, are not really friends. And that's the hard reality I've learned this last few weeks. A dear session mate and close friend of mine, Sare, gave me a really good way to assess whether you are being fake or not. She said that you should think of the most holy person you know, someone who you really truly respect and love, and think about whether you would act the same way you are acting in front of them. I'd take it a step further. When I'm with my friends, I like to imagine Jesus is sitting next to me and watching my behaviour and I can see Him right there - would I be saying and doing the same things I am now?! Would I be childish? Or nasty? Or moody? Would I talk trashy? Would I disrespect other people?

The answer is and should be no.

Holiness Unto The Lord

So, I'm officially accepted as a Candidate for Salvation Army Officer Training in the "Ambassadors of Holiness" session for 2009. What a journey this has been so far, I can only imagine what lies ahead!

The excitement builds with each new session mate added to the list - there are 24 of us now in the Australia Southern Territory session. 24 people who will live, study and serve together for 2 years. 24 people who will grapple with what it means to be a Salvation Army Officer, and moreover, what it means to be an Ambassador of Holiness. I'm excited by the prospects for our group. Already there are some deep friendships developing, and whilst I of all people know that community living is hard (been there, fought that! haha!), I also know that at the essense of every true community is a deep friendship, affection and love for each other. I sense we're already developing that before we even make it to training! Praise God!

Salvationists of old would use the statement "Holiness Unto The Lord", and I've been thinking about what that means... I know the journey ahead of me is going to be tough. I am well aware of that. But as I strive towards holiness, I aim to bring others into a relationship with a Holy God, a God who longs to help them lead a holy life.

I leave you with a passage I'm meditating on at the moment, I'll probably write more about it in the coming weeks/months, but for now, I leave you with it for your consideration.

"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." .... You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply and with all your heart."
(1 Peter 1:13-16 & 22)

If you wanna be my lover...

You gotta buy me a ring! lol! For the record... this is not about sex, so you can stop reading if that's what caught your eye!

Now, can I just say at the outset, this is not an Agony Aunt column, I'm not asking for advice on how to snag a man, or anything like that. This is simply my thoughts, prayers and observations about relationships. Take it for what it's worth, it's just something I'm working through.

Over the past few months, I've been seriously thinking about relationships, and what it is I'm looking for within one. I guess it's natural to be thinking of such things before Training College, because - well lets face it - the pool of available men just got a whole lot smaller - or as I like to say "more refined!"

Within looking at what it is that I'm searching for in a partner, I've been praying a lot. One of the things that has really struck me is that I actually have a great desire to be a "biblical wife", which is not literally a Proverbs 31 woman (spindling clothes, being up before dawn to take care of everyone, meeting merchant ships etc.,) but to be someone for whom the needs of her husband and children are taken care of with love and grace. So I started reading all the instructions on what it means to be a biblical wife, and a passage that really struck me was in Ephesians Chapter 5:21-33:

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands
And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of his body.

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Wow right?! That's what I'm looking for. I totally want to submit to my husband, I totally want to be someone who treats her husband with the love and respect he deserves as the head of the household... but the thing is, he's got a massive job to do there - he's to love me as Christ loves the church - laying his life down for it. WOW!

So I was pondering that a bit (and talking to a million people about it), and what that all means. I truly believe that a biblical marriage starts from the first date. That respect and love and honour has to be there from the beginning of the relationship. Which for me means, I want the man to make the first move. If he wants me to submit to him, he must show the biblical authority he's been given in our relationship... and a lot of guys have MASSIVE issues with my ideas about this. They don't think it should be the man that makes the first move, which for me is a big thing.

So I was praying about this a bit (okay, so I was lamenting on this a bit!) and I woke up early one morning with statement in my mind, which I know was a "God thing" for me (this is how I recognize God's voice) - "Sarah, you deserve to be pursued!"

I deserve to be pursued. I will know the man I am to be with because he will pursue me. He will love and honour me and lay his pride down in order to actually say "I choose you, you are someone I want to explore what it might mean to be in a covenant relationship with" (not literally those words lol - more "hey Sare, wanna give us a go or what?" would be sufficient! lol)... and it will start from the first date. I truly believe, he will look over at me one day and see my spiritual beauty (the one talked about in 1 Peter 3:1-6). And he will act upon that.

The thing is, I was talking to a friend the other day and he said "The problem for us guys is, we don't know when a girl even likes us anymore - you're so confusing". So within that idea of a woman submitting to her husband as to the Lord, and a husband being to a wife as Christ is to the church - I began to think. What if I first need to say to that man that I want him to pursue me. I mean, I had to accept Christ into my life, I had to invite him in. So is that all that's needed? Perhaps I don't make it obvious enough to these amazing spiritual men around me that they are great, they are awesome, they are definately someone I would want and allow to pursue me!

Relationships are just so difficult, so hard to manage!

So, "If you wanna be my lover"... you've got to know that in God's eyes - I deserve to be pursued, and that my hearts desire, is to be a biblical wife! And a word of advice for all you fellas out there - be a man, look for the spiritually beautiful woman, and pursue her! She deserves it, and you will be blessed for it! If she doesn't accept your advances - don't give up, think yourself lucky that when you pursue the "right" woman, it will all have been worth it!

Okay - enough sappy junk, I'm back to work! lol

Holy is as Holy does!

Wow, wow, wow is all I have to say!

I've had the absolute honour of spending a few days this past week in both worship and ministry with some of my (hopefully!) future fellow Ambassadors Of Holiness. And to be honest, for the first time in my ENTIRE life, I feel more than happy - I feel content!

It's a great feeling to be "released" from the stuff that you hold onto isn't it?! On Thursday night, I headed in to ACC, and whilst Commissioner Joe Noland was great, I actually got more out of some conversations I had with one of my future session mates. He & I have been going through some similar stuff, and it made me realize that there is an enemy out there who must be shaking in his boots, because he's throwing all he possibly can to trip us up!

I started to get a little excited by this idea, and on Friday I spent a lot of the day praying that God would give me an opportunity to spend more time exploring what that might be. So on Friday night, I returned to ACC, and again was sitting with a future session mate. Both of us have a strong call to international service in The Salvation Army, and both of us have a strong feeling that our session will see many of us serve overseas. After the service, I spent some time in conversation and prayer with him, and felt a real sense of peace that God has already gone before me, and prepared the way... so I need to FEAR NOT!

After ACC, a group of us went out for dinner, with some friends, and as I looked around the table, I realized how much my friendship group had already changed in the past six months or so, and was going to change in the future. I looked around and saw my future... and the future was exciting!

On Sunday, James & Sarah Thompson came to run our new service "Laos" (more about that in another post), and for the first time, I got an opportunity to actually MINISTER alongside some of my future session mates, with Sarah leading worship, Simon playing in the band & James preaching. WHAT AN AMAZING NIGHT! Earlier in the day James had told me that Janet Munn had prayed "God we want you to show up and show off!" and we had a real sense that God would do that at Laos that night... and you know what?! HE DID!

I've never been in a more Holy-Spirit filled meeting in all of my life. People were genuinely moved by the Spirit of God, healed and released from their physical, emotional and spiritual pain and baggage. It was quite simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'm often quite nervous about leading anything, but I felt with those three by my side, I could literally do anything, because I felt the presence of God working in and through them, and I didn't fear anything! We prayed with and for each other, and that's all we needed.

So today... I'm glad to say that I genuinely do trust that God is in control of my life and my future. I know that He is calling me to be an Ambassador of Holiness with those amazing people, who will challenge & inspire me and who will walk this journey of ministry with me the rest of my life. And the thing is... there's even more of them out there I feel exactly the same about!

So in the words of my favourite song from my not-so-favourite-but-still-rather-fond-of musical "Fame" -


"Bring on tomorrow, let it shine! Like the sun coming up on a beautiful day, it's yours and mine...we can make a difference, it's not to late... bring on tomorrow! I CAN'T WAIT!"

(Ok Theatre Geek...I know it... whatever, God made me that way! lol!)

Go together like a Horse and Carriage

As you can tell, I’m kinda on a “Salvation Army” distinctive rant at the moment. I think it’s probably because I’m passionate about our Army. I’m passionate about the movement we were, and the movement we are called to be. I’m concerned about some of the present trends and practices, and I’m reflecting on what I believe about them – keeping in mind that as an Officer in The Salvation Army – in the future, I will be in a position of leadership, at the very least (though I think it’s the most!) at a local level.

One of the things I’m really concerned about is the almost complete isolation of our Social Services and our Corps from each other. There are many amazing integrated ministries across our Territory, but at this stage, not every Social Service/Programme is attached to a Corps. More concerning for me though, is that not every Corps has aligned itself with a Social Service/Programme.

William Booth quoted many times the importance of having both, though I’m sure he never had in mind the split we have at the moment. Booth proclaimed “Soup, Soap, Salvation!” in that order… and was quoted as saying “But what is the use of preaching the Gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive?” You see, yes, we were indeed called to be a Christian Movement, to spread the love of God to everyone we meet, to share the message of Jesus, and to bring people into the Kingdom. There was always, and should always, be a leaning towards the poor and marginalized within our community.


Booth also warned against becoming purely a Charity when he stated:
“To get a man soundly saved it is not enough to put on him a pair of new breeches, to give him regular work, or even to give him a University education. These things are all outside a man, and if the inside remains unchanged you have wasted your labor. You must in some way or other graft upon the man's nature a new nature, which has in it the element of the Divine.”

Corps & Social, Social & Corps…they go together, the are not separate entities. When we look at Jesus ministry, did He ever say “Well today, I’m all about building my church, let’s leave the work of healing the sick to the doctors, and serving the poor to the social workers, I’m called to build the church!”…. NO!! (“TEN THOUSAND TIMES NO!!”) Jesus constantly and consistently led His disciples to the poor, to being on the move, serving community after community, person after person, exactly where they are at. Not expecting them to go to a fully established service with professionals, or to come to a church and act as they should, in order to be accepted. No! It was quite the opposite… Jesus went out, and served people where they were at, and in turn, those people became followers of Him. So if we are truly honestly Christians (which is to say we are FOLLOWERS of Christ) then we are called to do likewise… to serve people and love them exactly as they are… and in turn, to trust that their Saviour will fill them with the hope they need to fight their battles and demons. How can we do that, when we are so comfortable in our churches?

Now I’ve worked in both Corps & Social, I see the value in both. I love both. I am able to see that one cannot, and must not exist without the other. I’m tired of Salvationists whinging and moaning that our Social Centres are staffed by non-Christians. To those that do, I say… where are you? Have you gone and studied, to become qualified in a field, so that you might serve our Social Centres? The buck has to stop with someone… can it stop with you?

We are so quick as Salvationists to judge the Army, but often, I find, we’re not overly quick to do anything about it! If you are an accountant, are you working for the Army? If you’re a teacher, are you working for the Army? If you are a social worker, are you working for the Army? How about if you are a cook, or a cleaner, or a receptionist? Because we’re desperate for all those roles, and whilst Salvationists are not getting trained up and working in them, we’re having to employ non-Christians. Perhaps if you can't work for the Army, you've got a few hours a week to help out at one of our Centres? You have no idea how much that would bless the staff!

Those of you who are qualified and are working for the Army, are you being a true expression of Salvationism within your job? Are your co-workers respecting you because you are giving above and beyond your job’s requirement? Or do you slack off and expect to cut corners because you’re a Salvo? This isn’t a judgement, I know many many BRILLIANT Salvationists who are serving God by using their skills and giftings by working for The Army. But sadly, many of our Social Centre managers have not such a great idea of Salvo’s working for The Army, and it had to come from somewhere. These are questions I ask of myself constantly in my work. When I turn up to work at welfare or in housing, am I a good example of The Salvation Army, not only to the clients, but also to my colleagues? Because if I’m not, I’m part of the problem not the solution!

And in our Corps… when someone from one of our Social Centres come along, do you introduce yourself? Do you offer to get them a coffee, or lend a listening ear? Do you sit with them, and explain what’s going on in our Services? Or are you expecting others to do it? You see, if we truly want to see our Corps grow, we need to start asking these tough questions of ourselves. We were not designed to be a middle-class church, we were created and formed to be a movement showing the love of Christ by serving others.

We’re a hard core movement… are you ready? Are you willing? Would you lay down your life for it? Because the Army needs militant Salvationists… it needs people who are going to say “Here I am Lord, take ALL of me”, because without those Salvationists, we’re nothing but a happy clappy church or a charity… the future is in our hands… decisions need to be made… I’ve made mine… have you?

I leave you with a challenge from our Founder, General William Booth in 1910 (most of you know it already, and some bits are possibly misquoted, to which I apologise):


“I am glad you're enjoying yourselves. The Salvationist is the friend of happiness. Making heaven on earth is our business. "Serve the Lord with gladness" is one of our favourite mottos. So I am pleased that you are pleased.

But amidst all of your joys, don't forget the sons and daughters of misery. Do you ever visit them? Come away and let us make a call or two.

Here is a home, six in family. They eat and drink and sleep and sicken and die in the same chamber.

There is a drunkard's hovel, void of furniture, wife a skeleton, children in rags, father maltreating the victims of his neglect.

Here are the unemployed wandering about seeking work and finding none.

Yonder are the wretched criminals, cradled in crime, tracking in and out of the prisons all the time.

There are the daughters of shame, deceived and wronged and ruined, travelling down the dark incline to an early grave.

There are the children, fighting in the gutters, going hungry to school, growing up to fill their parents' places.

Brought it all on themselves do you say? Perhaps so, but that does not excuse our assisting them. You don't demand a certificate of virtue before you drag the drowning creature out of the water. Nor the assurance that a man has paid his rent before you deliver him from the burning building.

But what shall we do? Content ourselves by singing a hymn, offering a prayer or giving a little good advice?

No, ten thousand times, no.

We will pity them, feed them, reclaim them, employ them. Perhaps we shall fail with many -quite likely. But our business is to help them all the same and that in the most practical, economical and Christ-like manner.

So let us haste to the rescue for the sake of our own peace, the poor wretches themselves (seen as the children) and the Saviour of us all.

But you must help with the means. And as there is nothing like the present, who in this company will lend a hand by taking up a collection?”

What on earth IS a COMMUNITY Church?!

Okay, so whilst my soapbox is ready for a work out, I thought I'd cover the next little gripe I have at the moment.

It's still in line with the whole "forgetting who we are in order to be more 'relevant'" line of thought. It's a question about the current trend in changing our name from Corps to Community Church - or in some cases just becoming a Community Church and dropping name of The Salvation Army all together!!

Why oh Why oh Why oh Why?! Seriously?! I did a bit of a vox pop of some of my (for want of a better word) non-church going or non-believing friends. The two questions I asked was "What do you think when you hear the words Community Church" and "What do you think when you hear the words The Salvation Army".

To the first the answers were:
"boring and irrelevant", "doesn't fit into my life", "hypocritical and outdated", "money hungry", and the most concerning I think were "judgemental" and "abuse".

To the second:
"You silly!... kind", "caring & compassionate", "tamborines and marching bands haha, nah they do great work with people", "my favourite organisation to give money", "always there to lend a hand", and "great...no awesome".

When I asked whether they knew that The Salvation Army was also a church - they all said yes, when I asked if they knew that before they knew me, all bar 2 said they did. So I investigated a little further, I said "So if you think that the church is (insert their word here) and you know that The Salvation Army are also a church, why do you think that church is (insert their word here) but The Salvation Army is (insert their comment)?"

These were the answers:

"Oh yeah we know you're a church, but you're not like that Hillsong one", "Yeah but we figured you're a church there to help people, not hurt them", "Well I dont' know what's different but you are", "Guess I never thought about it much", "Because you take the bible seriously and the others dont? Who knows!" and a "hmmm...dunno".

(*** I need to note that some of these friends were people that I went through my leaving the Army stage with, so even knowing what I went through, that's their comments - I think that in itself speaks volumes!)

So if this is just a vox pop of a group of friends that I know...what does the general public in your community think?

A friend of my father's, who worked for a PR firm, once did a focus group for The Salvation Army and found that according to it and their research, The Salvation Army had a 97% approval rating with the general public. 97%! That's huge! So why on earth would you want to make yourself a Community Church when the so many non-believers see the Church as either money hungry, judgemental or irrelevant, but the general public approves of The Salvation Army?! If you're trying to make yourself more "seeker friendly" just drop the Corps (which I disagree with), and be The Salvation Army in your community!

But in reality - are we doing it for the non-believers, or are we doing it to bring ourselves in line with other churches? I fear that, we are actually doing to be in line with other churches. We want to be seen as worthy. We want to be seen as just as good as the church down the road, not to compete for unbelievers but to compete for locals that are looking for a new church! But should we exist for the already believers?! Not that they don't deserve a church, but should we be working hard to win them over?!

I'm going to blog next about the Church vs. Social Program issue we've got at the moment, but should not our Corps exist to minister spiritually to the people we see through our Social Centre doors each week? To strengthen and support our Social Centre staff and Chaplains? To prepare our Soldiers for a week of ministering to the needy in their workplaces, their streets, and their places of study?

A few of the comments on my blog stated the dwindling Sunday attendance numbers over the past 10 years... I agree, it's a big issue. I find it interesting though to note, that in the past 10 years, we've been "losing our distinctives" in order to be like the other churches... Hillsong have been at their peak in the last 10 years yeah? We started dropping our old music (which I'm not saying doesn't need to be updated) in favour of "worship bands" playing their music - and yet our numbers aren't increasing like Hillsong's are, they're decreasing - why?! Because WE ARE NOT HILLSONG. WE ARE NOT THE BAPTIST CHURCH. WE ARE NOT THE UNITING CHURCH. WE ARE NOT THE AOG Church. Or any other church for that matter. WE ARE THE SALVATION ARMY.

When were our numbers at an all time high?! When our Soldiers and Officers were out serving the needy in our communities. When new Corps were opening weekly in the darkest suburbs of our cities and nations. I'm not waxing poetic about our history here... it just seems common sense to me that we started to see a dwindling in numbers the second we started focussing on our "church" and not enough on our "community"... so if you want to be a Community Church - I commend you - but don't start with a name change - start with being active and present in your Community. Start serving the poor and lost and lonely and needy in your community. Start being THE SALVATION ARMY - and you'll see numbers increase. Need more evidence? Check out the ever-growing work of the 614 network internationally, Brunswick Salvos, Shop 16 in Reservoir, Ingle Farm in South Australia, Street Level in Sydney - and countless other Corps who are actively going after serving the people they come in contact with. They are seeing ever growing "bums on seats" on a Sunday! Seems to me something works there!

I leave you with a Florence Booth quote... it's a part of a quote I plan to blog entirely about one day... something to make us all think about...

She said "Do not imitate the Church. Let your great aim be to raise an Army that shall glorify God by fighting His battles.”

The Times They Are A Changin'?!

I’ve got a couple of things to get on my soapbox about at the moment, so over the next week or so, I’m going to be exploring/venting/discussing these. I am interested in your opinions on it, but I’m saying at the outset that if you become abusive in any way shape or form towards anyone personally, your post will not be published.

So, let’s begin with The Salvation Army as it currently stands in worship on a Sunday. I (and many others) believe that the things that make The Salvation Army distinct and unique seem to be the very things many are fighting against and getting rid of.

For instance, let’s look at the Songsters – some of our Corps are busy trying to build the best worship band they can, at the cost of Songsters (or choir), with many of our songster groups closing down entirely. The same is happening with our brass bands, our timbrels and many other groups that have been successful ministries for many many years. And there is a rather loud group – which I’d like to think were in the minority, but are so loud they seem to be the majority – that say “good riddance! They’re irrelevant – let’s move on!”… But should we move on from what is tried and tested to work within our movement? Why are we getting rid of them? Is it because they are irrelevant? Or is it because they don’t seem to be as cool as what the church down the road has?

Now before we go on – I need to say that I am a great fan of modern worship songs – not such a great fan of the big mega-churches idea of worship songs – but a big fan of worship songs nonetheless. For instance – the work of the Soteira guys is brilliant – and Nathan Rowe and the team are an absolute asset to the Army. So as you continue to read, I ask you keep that in mind.

For those who argue our old ministries are irrelevant, I want to tell you a story about this weekend at my Corps. We were blessed by a visit from The Salvation Army Ringwood Corps Vocal Praise group (read songsters). This group sang many “oldie but goodie” songs, some of which had been arranged with a more contemporary feel, taking many of us back to some of our best Army memories. They also sang some great up-tempo gospel songs. And through their ministry, and that of their Corps Officers, Majors Colin & Di Corkery, a member of our congregation, a local man from our community, who has been battling the storms of life for some time now, was deeply moved. So deeply moved, he requested prayer and spent a large amount of time with our Officer praying and exploring faith issues. He joined the group for lunch and the afternoon concert where he enjoyed the ministry of the South Barwon Corps Band and the Ringwood Corps Vocal Praise group. Not relevant?! Seemed pretty relevant to him!

Whilst we’re on the “not relevant” bandwagon – let’s have a look at some trends in Australia & the Western world’s “non-church” cultures:

· With recent hit TV shows such as “Choir of Hard Knocks” & “Battle of the Choirs”, Community Choirs across Australia are experiencing an increase of numbers of people joining. So if the Songsters aren’t relevant, why aren’t Corps establishing a “Community Choir?” By merely changing the focus slightly from being a tool for enrichment in our meetings, they can become an Evangelistic tool, and in the same way continue to enrich our meetings!
· Each year, there is a National Brass Band Championships – this competition is not dying out with age! In fact bands such as the “Tramways Band” are seeing increasing numbers of young people join. Schools are using brass players in swing bands, orchestras and the likes. The Salvation Army once held the monopoly on the “best” brass players in the state, and perhaps even in the country – a monopoly that is lost now as more and more of our Corps Bands close. Kids are still learning brass at school, there is still the demand, but we’ve missed the boat. Not relevant?! Not appreciated more like it. Bring on the Melbourne Staff Band’s visit to South Barwon later in the year, I CAN’T WAIT!
· Timbrels – a hotly contended topic within The Salvation Army. My personal opinion for you Salvos out there is that unless you are a bando – or a former timbrel player – I’m not interested in your comments that Timbrels are irrelevant. Now there’s always been a “love/hate” relationship between the timbrels and band in our Corps – but even some of the most hardened “bando’s” who taunt that timbrel players are talent less and useless – will often when pushed admit it is in jest and that The Salvation Army has suffered a great loss by losing part of our culture. Interestingly enough, many of the “mainstream” churches are starting tambourine groups, some of which even call them “timbrel groups” and whenever I am out with friends and tell them I’m a Salvo, the first question I get asked is “Do you play the tambourine?”. Anzac Day – the old diggers in Geelong were teary when they saw the timbrel girls back. Not relevant?! Not appreciated.

Do we need to move with the times? Absolutely! Do we need to do church exactly the same way all the mega-churches and other local churches in our community model? Absolutely not!

It’s time we reclaimed some of our uniqueness and embraced it for what it is. It’s time we stopped trying to be cool in the eyes of whatever the latest church fad is (and let’s face it they change every two minutes!) and start doing what it is that we’ve done so well for so many years… let’s take back our culture and make it relevant. For if we don’t,… we’re no better than the other Community Churches out there… but that’s for another day!

Who Are The People In Your Neighbourhood?

Have you ever done something not overly good for you and NOT QUITE learned your lesson from it? I mean you thought you learned your lesson, you thought you'd never be in that situation again, but sure enough...round it comes again, and you look back and say "OH...THAT was the lesson I was supposed to learn!!"

I'll explain more.

At the moment I'm doing my Pre-College Course for Salvation Army Officer Training next year. It's actually not a bad little course (STACKS of reading though!!) as it gets you to really look back on some situations that have happened in your life, that have shaped you into the person you are today, and reflect upon them.

It's come at a really timely stage for me (don't they always) as the very first reflection was about "way closing". In the exercise you are to think about times in your life that the "way" has closed for you, no matter how easy or painful it was, and what you learned from that about yourself.

For me, I immediately started to think of some of the stuff that's happened in the last 2 months, and how that has reflected back on some stuff that happened a couple of years ago. I remember being really down a few years back, and an incredibly wise woman of God saying to me "Sarah, I believe you are unhappy because you are not with your people!" We talked a little more about that, and I kind of understood what she meant (or so I thought). Essentially, I was working with some upper-working/middle-class Christians, and was trying to impart my love and passion for working with homeless, broken & marginalized people onto them. I was pouring all my efforts, somewhat fruitlessly at times, on trying to get THEM to see what an amazing gift it is when you can put aside what the world deems as success, and meet people who are in need of love & friendship right where they are at - as their equal, not as their "worker" or the likes. For some, they really got it, but I was so focussed on the few that didn't, that I was burning out fast!! So when I was told that I wasn't with "my people", I knew she was right.

It took a little while, but I ended up back working with homeless & marginalized people, and I was once again, happy and inspired. So inspired, I returned to working with The Salvation Army, again in an upper-working/middle class area, thinking that all my issues before would be different now because there are broken people in every community. And there are broken people in every community. But again, I started getting that inner-frustration that comes when you are trying and trying and trying to make things happen, and they're just not. I kept telling myself that it was all par for the course, and to "suck it up", and deal with it. But I was trying to fit a square peg (me) into a round hole (my job). I was trying to become the super-kids worker, the one that was able to do everything and who loves it all and is happy all the time. But deep inside, my heart was tugging me back to issues of justice, to being back with "my people".

This past two weeks, I've finally learned my lesson. The lesson is that I'm genuinely happier when I'm in a place where I'm meeting with people who are from all walks of life, but mostly, I'm at my happiest when I get to journey with people for whom life is really tough. I've started working at Bellerine Street, which is The Salvation Army's material aid centre in Geelong. I'm loving getting to know some of the people that come in, and I'm loving being able to chat with people and learn more about their journey, as well as sharing some of mine.

Last Sunday night, I went to Northside Salvos, and can I just tell you, I felt so... inspired afterwards. I had a great chat with a woman who was sharing how tough life has been for her, who has battled abuse and addiction for most of her precious life. We were chatting about the honesty of the streets, and how we constantly crave that genuine relationship, where people are upfront about their stuff. Where if they like you, you know it, and if they don't... you know it! We shared quite a bit that night, and it was great to be able just be in that space again.

Please don't get me wrong - when I talk about being with "my people" I'm not trying to own or patronize them in any way. I don't think I can fix them...if anything they fix me. It's genuinely easy for me to sit in the brokenness. Mostly, because I can't hide from my brokenness in the midst of it. Because when I sit with someone who's opening up their heart and life to me, warts and all, there is a beauty in the honesty. Because there is hope in the midst of hopelessness. But mainly, because I meet Jesus there. In the brokenness, in the pain, in the tears, but mostly, in the laughter and the joy that comes with genuine relationship. What a gift I get given each time.

Please don't read that I have any problem with people who struggle with living or ministering in the "marginalized" communities (man I wish there was a different word to use), or who believe their calling is to the middle class. I'm just simply saying that for me... when I read "the Word became flesh and blood moved into the neighbourhood"(John 1:14), I know that my neighbourhood is not the middle class.

I have learned my lesson - the people in my neighbourhood, the neighbourhood I want to live in - the neighbourhood I'm called to live in, created to live in - is filled with homeless people, beggars, abuse victims, the mentally ill, the hungry but mostly people who are broken and clinging to hope - just like me! :)

Father Abraham....

So... there's some big news, many of you would have heard by now, but I felt I should blog about so as to dispel any rumours that may arise.

Last Monday, I resigned from my position as the Youth & Children's worker at The Salvation Army Torquay. I did not do this in anger or hurt, but because I really felt that God was calling me on from there. This is a hard concept for many people to understand, but it was something I felt I had to do.

This is how it came about.

In Febuary, I felt called by God to be a Salvation Army Officer. More than that, I felt that I needed to go in 2009. For those who don't know, there is a long process you need to go through before you can go to Training College, there are assignments, forms, fundraising and about a million other little things that need to be done in your preparation. If I was planning to go to College in later years, I could have done all of these things at Torquay, however, as a church plant, who have limited team members, and a constant flow of events, programs and the likes, to get all this done, and be the person solely responsible for the development of Youth & Children's programs, I just couldn't do it in 10 months.

Also, things have been growing so rapidly over the past few months, new ministries and programs need to be established, but I don't feel it's fair to start new things, when someone else is going to be coming into my job in 6 months. So I started to feel as though, perhaps, now is a good time for someone to come in and take the ministry to the next level. That I've planted the foundations, but it was time to hand over and allow someone else to cultivate and harvest.

About 3 weeks before the Candidates weekend, I was feeling the pressure of trying to get things done, and how it was all going to happen. I spoke to a few of my mentors about it, and we were praying through options.

I went into Candidates Weekend unsure of what to do, or what God was requiring me to do. I still felt unsure right up until the Sunday morning when the Commissioner spoke and told this amazing story about the lessons a man learned from trying out the trapeze. It's kinda a long story but the shortened version is that he learned three lessons:
1. In order to get there (to the other side), you need to leave here (where you are standing).
2. You need to decide let go of your safety and security in order to get there. (changing from one swing to the other)
3. You don't have a lot of time to make the decision.

As he spoke, I just knew, God was saying "Sarah do you really trust me?" and of course you say "yes Lord", but that pesky God of ours asked again, and I had to admit that I don't trust God with every part of my life, only the small things. A friend confirmed that by asking whether I'd listened to what had just been said. Then I spoke to someone who's mentoring me a bit at the moment and she said "Yes I've felt that for a little while", and then finally, a good mate said to me "Sarah I feel as though God's asking me to remind you of Abraham and Isaac".

I knew what that meant. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove that he trusted God with every aspect of his life (in case you don't know the story - God comes through right at the last hour to stop the sacrifice!). I believe God is asking the same thing of me - sacrifice my comfort and security of a job, in order to show that I believe God when He says He will provide all my needs. It's a lesson I need to learn - that God will indeed take care of me if I hand my entire life over to Him.

So as painful as it was to tell the kids on Sunday, and as hard as it will be to say goodbye to the great friends I've made in Torquay, I need to do this, because it's what God is asking me to do.

God's already provided some interesting job options to explore. I don't know where they will lead right now, but they're there, and I'm trusting God's got the next step in store already!

So that's my story - I'm going to be an Abraham, and make a sacrifice for Him.

But I carry with me the love and good times I've had during my time at Torquay Salvos! I know I'll be a better officer because of it.

What's Your Flavour?

So I've just done this test for the second time. And no surprise, I've ended up being Emergent/PostModern. What does surprise me, is that even though I've been involved in more Pentecostal/Charismatic experiences, it still doesn't rate very high on my theological experience table.

I think that the Church needs all types of Spirituality. I really believe that. So whilst this Emergent/Postmodern attitude states that "You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well", I don't entirely agree with that. I do feel alienated from many forms of Church, but that's not necessarily just the older forms. Actually, if I had my choice of going to a High Anglican church or a Pentecostal Charismatic church, I would choose the High Anglican church any day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I think in our desire to be "more modern, more trendy", we've actually lost a lot of the sacred traditions which ground us.

I actually think that a lot of the more modern churches have "missed the mark" in relation to what the modern culture needs or wants. Take my tradition for example - The Salvation Army has lost many of the traditions which have made us who we are today. Over the Red Shield weekend, I was given the opportunity to chat with many older people for whom The Salvation Army was incredibly significant. One couple recounted the days when they would follow The Salvation Army's band and timbrels through the streets of Richmond, back to the church, and end with a "pie floater" together in community. They told me they miss hearing the band, and questioned whether the timbrels still exist. I told them that they do, not in a lot of corps, but in a few around the traps. Their comment "That's a shame, it's the most distinctive thing about the Army, it's what we loved about them". But people tell me all the time, "oh but it's not relevant anymore!"... isn't it? Really? Why then is the first question any of my not-yet-christian friends ask me "Wow, the Salvos, do you wear a uniform? Do you play in the band? Do you play the tamborine?" when I tell them that yes I wear uniform, my dad plays in the band and I do play the Timbrel - they don't tease me - THEY LOVE IT! They ask more questions, they want to know more. Still in this day and age, people connect with us on that level. So why do we run from it? Why don't we do Open Air meetings anymore? Because some other tradition told us it was no longer relevant?

I guess what makes me "emergent/postmodern" is that I truly believe that being in relationship with people - from all walks of life - from all faith traditions is not something to shy away from, but something to embrace and use to enrich our own faith experience. It is through our relationships and our dialogue with people that we can truly connect with Christ in the now, in the today, in the moment.

Perhaps the most "Emergent" idea I have - is that if The Salvation Army is to truly walk in it's calling and anointing from God... it needs to go back and look at what we did really well pre-1980's, and try and regain some of that, yes in a modern setting, but to get back and do it!! It's time! I'm over trying to be like the other churches, we're not a church, we're a movement... so let's move!

So what's your flavour? What is your theological perspective? But more importantly - how can you use that to enrich The Salvation Army or your local church?

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 75% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Neo orthodox 64% Modern Liberal 54% Classical Liberal 43% Roman Catholic 36% Charismatic/Pentecostal 32% Reformed Evangelical 29% Fundamentalist 25%

When I'm Old & Gray...

Over the past week, I've really stopped to think about how blessed we are to have older people in our lives. I've always really valued the older generation - my grandparents generation, for what they have to offer us, and for the service they have provided for many many years.

On Monday, I attended two funerals. The first was for a friend's grandfather. His name was Peter, and he was such an amazing God-fearing man. Peter attended our Community Dinners each month, and to be honest, although he was old, you would never have known it for his energy and passion he brought with him. Peter was not only an amazing God-fearing man, he was also a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. In a world where "real men" are hard to find, Peter modeled what a "real man" should be. I am better for knowing him. He will be greatly missed.

The other funeral was for a wonderful woman, Nan, from my parent's Corps - South Barwon. Nan was a faithful servant of God, and though she had lived a hard childhood, later in life, she became a humble servant at The Salvation Army South Barwon. Nan was one of the first people I spoke to at South Barwon, and always greeted me with a smile, and would hold my hands in hers as she spoke to me. She will be so greatly missed not just by me, but also by my mum and the Corps.

This week, I also got some pretty bad news about my grandfather. He's really not well at the moment. I've always been a bit of a Grandpa's girl, and was the only grandchild to ever work for him in his fruitshop. Our times together at the shop were not always fun, but they always started and ended with a kiss and a cuddle from Grandpa. That's the stuff I remember. Grandpa's really not well at the moment, and he probably will not be able to be operated on. It's so sad to see him this way. He's in a lot of pain, and the reality of "old age" has hit him physically - unfortunately for him, he's still young in his mind, so it frustrates him no end. On Wednesday, my sister, niece & I went to spend some time with Grandpa & Grandma, and boy did we have fun. I love hearing Grandpa's old stories. He told one in particular about my great-Grandfather which deserves a blog all of it's own.... so that's a to be continued... Suffice to say, I'm blessed to come from such a rich heritage of Salvationists & Salvation Army Officers, and that heritage has not only shaped who I am today, but also the type of Officer I hope to be.

So - what are we to do with our heritage? Will we continue it or will we change it for future generations? When I'm older, what stories will I tell my grandkids? What will I leave them that they'll tell their kids? I pray, that as I get older, I will draw on the experiences of those who have gone before me. I pray that I grow stronger in my faith, that I grow deeper in my love for God and for people. I'm going to lean on the promise of God that:



“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4

How about this week, you take the time to listen to a story from someone of the older generation? Let's start to draw on their experiences, and use them to help us grow.

To My Anon Friend...

I'd like to take a moment to thank the person, (I assume is the very same "Anon" who posted on my "Faith or Fear" blog), who sent me a package to work today warning me against the Jesus Christians.

I have read the information you both gave me and the website you posted, and I do appreciate your feedback and input. I would have preferred if you actually told me who you were, but I understand that perhaps you've had bad dealings with people in the past so probably don't want me to know who you are. If it is that you are a friend of mine and are concerned with how I would react if I knew it was you sending me this information, please know, I would have taken your guidance with much grace, love and appreciation.

I need to state that at no point am I promoting the Jesus Christians - I do not feel they are a movement people should necessarily get involved in - and they are certainly not a movement I'd care to get involved in. The point of the blog was not that we should all go out and join the Jesus Christians. For one thing, I don't actually like that they are not attached to a church - I believe that the only way to "fix" the Churches problems is from the inside, not the outside. I also do not support their donation of one of their kidneys to people on the waiting list as a way of true membership, or whatever their take on it is. My kidney will stay very much in place, unless one of two things happen - I die, and my organs are donated (my wish) or my mother may need it one day, in which case I will gladly hand it over.

The point of the blog was not at all about heading out and joining the Jesus Christians - or that they are a model I feel we should copy. Instead, I was commenting on two things:
1. How great it is to "break bread" with people from different faith beliefs and different theological backgrounds. That evening, there were many things we disagreed on, but the one thing we definately agreed on was that the world needs Jesus, and the message Jesus gives - a message of love, forgiveness, grace, and truth.
2. That spiritual warfare is happening everywhere, and that we have our choice - choose faith or choose fear. I'm still going to choose faith. I'm still not going to fear being "spiritually attacked" because I choose to sit with people of other faith backgrounds, or other socio economic backgrounds, or with mental illnesses or the likes - because I believe that I hold the light of Jesus in my heart and that the light will extinguish the darkness. I'm choosing faith. Every day.

So thank you for your concern. Thank you for taking the time to research and send me information. I'm assuming you're a Salvo since you sent it to my office and knew my job title, so I will say - I believe The Salvation Army is the only movement I'm going to ever want to be part of - fear not... I'm not going anywhere! :) I just enjoy meeting people from all over...and as far as I'm concerned, everyone is welcome at my house - regardless of their faith background! :)