Very often the life of a Salvation Army Officer can be changed in a moment. We need to have the most flexible of schedules because things happen in life, and often those 'things' can have immediate impact.
Yesterday, following my interview on AM1230, I had a meeting with the family of Nellie Rowley. These kind of meetings are always interesting because, though on a morbid subject (the death of a loved one) they often turn out to be enjoyable times of remembering. Sometimes I am asked to conduct the funeral of a person I don't know which means I have to understand something of the person I will be talking about. But in the case of Nellie Rowley, I was able to participate in a conversation about her life, her quirks and her strengths. Then, with that meeting fresh in my mind, I went home to ponder what I should say about this lady and her Lord in Fridays funeral.
Last night I had opportunity for a different kind of pastoral care as our whole family went to support one of our young people as he played basketball. It was a close game that his team lost in the last seconds. The interesting thing was that, neither prior to nor after the game, would he acknowledge my presence. We were with his Mom, and she was very glad to see us but for this boy, there was a fear of looking soft in front of his friends. However, I know it meant something to him that he had people cheering him on so, despite his lack of enthusiasm, I feel it was an evening well spent.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
New Life
As I sat around the bed of Nellie Rowley just minutes after her body breathed its last, and shared a most intimate few minutes with her family, I was as convinced as I had ever been of heaven. That body looked so vacant and so useless, and I knew in that moment that Nellie had simply departed her physical body and was now enjoying a celestial body. Blind for the last 15 years of her life, she can now see, and the body that had caused her so much pain is now perfect, and she is in the presence of the Savior she loves so dearly. We will surely miss her because she is worth missing, but Nellie has never been better off than she is now. To Nellie I say, 'well done thou good and faithful servant.'
I had the distinct privilege of speaking on air with Ted Schubel this morning. Ted has a true sense of community and sees his on-air work as a service to our area. He allows me to come on air once a month, and give me a chance to talk about all that's happening at The Salvation Army. This morning I was able to talk about Camp Happyland, our local community need and, most importantly, to educate people on The Salvation Army as a Church and I truly appreciate that.
I had the distinct privilege of speaking on air with Ted Schubel this morning. Ted has a true sense of community and sees his on-air work as a service to our area. He allows me to come on air once a month, and give me a chance to talk about all that's happening at The Salvation Army. This morning I was able to talk about Camp Happyland, our local community need and, most importantly, to educate people on The Salvation Army as a Church and I truly appreciate that.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Salvation Saints
Through my years with The Salvation Army, there are a few people who have literally impacted me. These are people who live their lives honestly and properly, often despite adversity and challenge.
There is Sid Whitmore, a man held prisoner by the Japanese in WWII whose testimony was always in the way he lived his life and the consistency of his Salvationism. There is Jock Wallace whose primary role at the Coventry City Corps of The Salvation Army was Welcome Sergeant (greeter), a man who always had time for the young boy that I was, and who affected many lives due to the pure consistency of his walk with Christ. Bryn and Myrtle Sutton continue to minister, yet their impact on the young Mike Harris was attained by the measure of their character and their selfless dedication to others.
In recent days, I have to add Nellie Rowley to that list, a lady I met a little over 5 years ago and who is now lying in a hospital bed ready to meet her Lord. Nellie has never been rich, she has never been in a position of power and authority, she has never asked for much, but she has dedicated everything to God through her family and The Salvation Army. In the short 5 years that I have known Nellie, she has always been honest, sometimes disagreeable, but always supportive, always loving and always consistent.
As I sit beside her bedside with her family willing her to get better, I ponder my motives in desiring her to recover. Its about me, its about missing her, its about the fact that The Salvation Army is a better place when she 's in it...yet I have consistently preached of our reward being in heaven. There is no doubt in my mind that Nellie's reward is simply waiting for her, so who am I to will and pray her out of it. And there lies the greatest paradox we face as Christians...to pray in faith for healing while believing in paradise as our eternal reward.
At this point you sit back and acknowledge that God is in control. He is the author of all things, He is the Creator of life, and He has chosen the day we will die. In the meantime we will sit by the bedside of Nellie Rowley and thank God that she came our way, and left a remarkable impact on the lives of so many.
There is Sid Whitmore, a man held prisoner by the Japanese in WWII whose testimony was always in the way he lived his life and the consistency of his Salvationism. There is Jock Wallace whose primary role at the Coventry City Corps of The Salvation Army was Welcome Sergeant (greeter), a man who always had time for the young boy that I was, and who affected many lives due to the pure consistency of his walk with Christ. Bryn and Myrtle Sutton continue to minister, yet their impact on the young Mike Harris was attained by the measure of their character and their selfless dedication to others.
In recent days, I have to add Nellie Rowley to that list, a lady I met a little over 5 years ago and who is now lying in a hospital bed ready to meet her Lord. Nellie has never been rich, she has never been in a position of power and authority, she has never asked for much, but she has dedicated everything to God through her family and The Salvation Army. In the short 5 years that I have known Nellie, she has always been honest, sometimes disagreeable, but always supportive, always loving and always consistent.
As I sit beside her bedside with her family willing her to get better, I ponder my motives in desiring her to recover. Its about me, its about missing her, its about the fact that The Salvation Army is a better place when she 's in it...yet I have consistently preached of our reward being in heaven. There is no doubt in my mind that Nellie's reward is simply waiting for her, so who am I to will and pray her out of it. And there lies the greatest paradox we face as Christians...to pray in faith for healing while believing in paradise as our eternal reward.
At this point you sit back and acknowledge that God is in control. He is the author of all things, He is the Creator of life, and He has chosen the day we will die. In the meantime we will sit by the bedside of Nellie Rowley and thank God that she came our way, and left a remarkable impact on the lives of so many.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Who's to blame?
On Wednesday mornings my wife gets up good and early to go to her Rotary club meeting. (A poor mans Kiwanis meeting!!) Occasionally she will bring one of our three children with her, a treat that each enjoys. This morning Michael, our 8 year old son, was the lucky child, a decision my wife made last night. When I went into my 9 year old daughters room this morning she was very grumpy. She made that clear to me by her pursed lips and firmly folded arms which were her way of saying, "ask me why I'm mad" I obliged to which she responded, "I'm mad at Michael. He said he would let me go to Rotary but he still went with Mom."
As she was preparing to leave, I had heard Michael say to Christi (my wife) "Hope really wants to go to rotary, I think she should go instead of me." Mom said , "No. Hope is not ready and the clothes I have put out are not nice enough." So Michael went with Mom.
I explained this to Hope, an explanation that did not satisfy her. Later, on our way to my wife's office where I was dropping Hope and Christian (our 5 year old) off Hope said, "I'm going to get Michael!" "Why", I asked. "Because he said I could go to Rotary and then Mom wouldn't let me". "So why are you upset with Michael" I asked, "It seems that you should be upset with you Mom" "No. I'm mad at Michael"
That exchange made me think about how we get stuck in mindsets and attitudes. To a staunch Conservative, the best policies offered by our Democratic President will always be wrong, just like the best offered by President Bush was always wrong. Each side has it in their head that right or wrong doesn't matter...if the opposing party came up with it, it is my job to disagree with it. I feel the same has happened with Christianity. So many people view us as uneducated, extreme, delusional, hateful...but, no matter what good Christians do, our opponents have it their heads that there is something very wrong with us. So what do we do.
The great thing about Scripture is that it has the answer to all of life's difficult questions, and this question is best answered by Jesus when He says, "...if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies". It doesn't matter who you are or what you think, this agape love, if truly shown by all Christians, would revolutionize the world and its ethics. The problem, however, lay in the first 6 words of that quote...if you are willing to listen. The message here is that this command would involve a dramatic change in the way people live their lives, and many are not willing to make that change. Jesus, however, is saying if you want to change the world, you first need to change yourself.
As she was preparing to leave, I had heard Michael say to Christi (my wife) "Hope really wants to go to rotary, I think she should go instead of me." Mom said , "No. Hope is not ready and the clothes I have put out are not nice enough." So Michael went with Mom.
I explained this to Hope, an explanation that did not satisfy her. Later, on our way to my wife's office where I was dropping Hope and Christian (our 5 year old) off Hope said, "I'm going to get Michael!" "Why", I asked. "Because he said I could go to Rotary and then Mom wouldn't let me". "So why are you upset with Michael" I asked, "It seems that you should be upset with you Mom" "No. I'm mad at Michael"
That exchange made me think about how we get stuck in mindsets and attitudes. To a staunch Conservative, the best policies offered by our Democratic President will always be wrong, just like the best offered by President Bush was always wrong. Each side has it in their head that right or wrong doesn't matter...if the opposing party came up with it, it is my job to disagree with it. I feel the same has happened with Christianity. So many people view us as uneducated, extreme, delusional, hateful...but, no matter what good Christians do, our opponents have it their heads that there is something very wrong with us. So what do we do.
The great thing about Scripture is that it has the answer to all of life's difficult questions, and this question is best answered by Jesus when He says, "...if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies". It doesn't matter who you are or what you think, this agape love, if truly shown by all Christians, would revolutionize the world and its ethics. The problem, however, lay in the first 6 words of that quote...if you are willing to listen. The message here is that this command would involve a dramatic change in the way people live their lives, and many are not willing to make that change. Jesus, however, is saying if you want to change the world, you first need to change yourself.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Independence Day
Although a little late (today is July 7th) I thought I would muse on this most significant of American holidays, though the most insignificant for this Englishman (lol)!! So, on July 4th 1776 the colonies were no longer 'dependent' upon Great Britain. Of course this 'dependence' meant that the colonies had no representation in Parliament, so the British made significant decisions for a part of its empire that was expected to comply...but comply they did not. History tells us of the unjustness of this treatment, and a successful revolution was the result. I wonder if Parliament regretted its decision not to give the Americas a voice and, had they done so, how different might things have become?
We are all dependent upon God. Paul, Peter, James & Jude all introduce themselves as Servants of God in their letters. Jesus is continually described as a servant of the Father, and we are all subject to His rule. He made us and He rules us and we must be His servants. There is, however, one significant caveat...choice. Choice allows us to become independent of God, to go our own way, to do our own thing. Our ability to think and reason means that our ethics become individual ethics and everybody creates their own version of right and wrong. Of course we have a legal system and the "big" sins are universally considered wrong. But there are many Biblical sins that, through our Independence from God, had become muddied and confused. We say promiscuity is OK, but sexually transmitted diseases are the consequence. We have parties and showers to celebrate the pregnancy of teen girls, while they often bring a Fatherless child into the world and the probability of the mother getting a good education has dropped dramatically. We have taken prayer out of schools and then wonder why there is a growth in gangs and shootings and why violence prevails, while the level of education falls behind that of other developed countries. Is this the cost of Independence?
Today, as I said before, is my opportunity to muse. The USA's Independence from England was the right thing to do. The mother country was not concerned about the best interest of its colonies, so the colonies rebelled. God, however, does have our best interest at heart. He even sent His own Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sins, so great is His concern for us. We need a call to Dependence because, if we continue to rebel against God, we are offering our allegiance to another master who doesn't care about us and who will lead us to perish.
We are all dependent upon God. Paul, Peter, James & Jude all introduce themselves as Servants of God in their letters. Jesus is continually described as a servant of the Father, and we are all subject to His rule. He made us and He rules us and we must be His servants. There is, however, one significant caveat...choice. Choice allows us to become independent of God, to go our own way, to do our own thing. Our ability to think and reason means that our ethics become individual ethics and everybody creates their own version of right and wrong. Of course we have a legal system and the "big" sins are universally considered wrong. But there are many Biblical sins that, through our Independence from God, had become muddied and confused. We say promiscuity is OK, but sexually transmitted diseases are the consequence. We have parties and showers to celebrate the pregnancy of teen girls, while they often bring a Fatherless child into the world and the probability of the mother getting a good education has dropped dramatically. We have taken prayer out of schools and then wonder why there is a growth in gangs and shootings and why violence prevails, while the level of education falls behind that of other developed countries. Is this the cost of Independence?
Today, as I said before, is my opportunity to muse. The USA's Independence from England was the right thing to do. The mother country was not concerned about the best interest of its colonies, so the colonies rebelled. God, however, does have our best interest at heart. He even sent His own Son as a sacrifice to atone for our sins, so great is His concern for us. We need a call to Dependence because, if we continue to rebel against God, we are offering our allegiance to another master who doesn't care about us and who will lead us to perish.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Different kind of day
Well, my bags were packed, my sermon prepared, my morning devotionals ready and all with no place to go. I sat at home most of yesterday awaiting confirmation that it was OK for me to go to Camp Happyland - one of my favorite places - and connect with about 40 teenagers. But it was not to be. Without going into too much detail, please pray for the camp, the counsellors and the children. Sometimes things happen that are simply beyond our control, and this is the case...so my day became a different kind of day.
Once I got word it was mid afternoon, so my wife and I collected our three children and set off for Kings Dominion, our local theme park. It was interesting as I watched my three children and their approach to rides. For Christian, our 5 year old, nothing is scary. He wanted to ride on the Dominator and Volcano, but we explained that his little frame was too small so, undaunted, he rode everything he could. Hope, my only daughter and oldest child, had a determined courage about her. On a previous visit she had apparently conquered her fear of heights and went on every roller coaster she could - much to Daddy's delight. Incidentally, Dad also noticed that not many people his age or older still ride the big coasters. Their loss! Michael, however, continued to be choosy. He rode most coasters, but not the volcano. The Ferris Wheel was too high for him and, though he rode it, his head was firmly planted in Mom's lap when at its highest point. All in all it was a good evening.
Since my children were small we have prayed for virtues. For Hope we pray for wisdom, peace and joy, for Michael we pray boldness, holiness and joy and for Christian discernment, evangelism and joy. If you ever choose to pray for my children, these are virtues we request you offer on their behalf. Note, however, that joy is requested for each one. It is great to look back on many family occasions, and yesterday being one of them, where we had a time of sheer joy. Yes, the day I expected turned out very different, but what a joy it turned out to be.
Once I got word it was mid afternoon, so my wife and I collected our three children and set off for Kings Dominion, our local theme park. It was interesting as I watched my three children and their approach to rides. For Christian, our 5 year old, nothing is scary. He wanted to ride on the Dominator and Volcano, but we explained that his little frame was too small so, undaunted, he rode everything he could. Hope, my only daughter and oldest child, had a determined courage about her. On a previous visit she had apparently conquered her fear of heights and went on every roller coaster she could - much to Daddy's delight. Incidentally, Dad also noticed that not many people his age or older still ride the big coasters. Their loss! Michael, however, continued to be choosy. He rode most coasters, but not the volcano. The Ferris Wheel was too high for him and, though he rode it, his head was firmly planted in Mom's lap when at its highest point. All in all it was a good evening.
Since my children were small we have prayed for virtues. For Hope we pray for wisdom, peace and joy, for Michael we pray boldness, holiness and joy and for Christian discernment, evangelism and joy. If you ever choose to pray for my children, these are virtues we request you offer on their behalf. Note, however, that joy is requested for each one. It is great to look back on many family occasions, and yesterday being one of them, where we had a time of sheer joy. Yes, the day I expected turned out very different, but what a joy it turned out to be.
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