Battle Ground

On Friday we were on the brink of a major spiritual breakthrough in our prison group. Today we came in to hear that the church service on Sunday had been very disruptive and when we went to get the group from the wing some of our keenest lads had gone to work or to educatioin. The lads that came were tetchy, silly or argumentative. In middle of the afternoon I had to deal with a very complex and delicate situation with a prisoners family that is still unresolved and which took me out of the group.

We are not surprised. We are in a battle for souls and this kind of thing has happened before. We could back off or we could up the prayer. You know what option I want to choose. So all you prayer warriors out there please will you just keep on praying.

God bless

Carol

Hotchpotch Blog

This blog is a bit of a hotchpotch of things so forgive me if it is a bit all over the place.

Hayley, our youngest daughter is back safe and sound from her inter-railing trip around Europe. She has had a wonderful time and I am so glad I didn't listen to the people who told us we shouldn't let her go.

We did a school assembly about the Bible this morning, which went well until the headmaster had to go and follow up what we said with a politically correct statement about the Koran having wonderful stories in it as well. It might have but its not the word of God, which was the while point of our assembly. Aaaaagh!

Last week I was totally inspired by the story of Marie Ozanne in Flora Larson's book "My best men are women." Having been stationed in the Channel Islands I don't know how I missed hearing about this courageous saint.

Whilst stationed as a Salvation Army officer in Belgium, WW2 broke out and Marie had to return to her native Guernsey, where she reported for duty and was given responsibility for St Sampson Corps.

But then Guernsey was invaded and Salvation Army activities were forbidden. Marie, however simply continued her pastoral duties in full uniform. Every Saturday afternoon she stood in the market place reading her Bible and talking to anyone who dared to stop and listen. The authorities confiscated her uniform so she continued her ministry in civilian clothes and set about learning German because the invaders needed God too.

Marie who was a trained teacher was asked to teach in school but even though it would have made life easier for her she declined the offer, feeling that all her time and energies must be consecrated to her calling as an officer.

On one occasion someone vandalised a public monument and it was announced that unless the guilty one confessed all the islanders would be punished. Marie wrote to the occupation authorities and offered to die in the nameless ones place to save her fellow islanders from punishment. This was refused. She was horrified to hear constant screams from the internee camp where prisoners underwent floggings and torture. Marie went and protested and asked to speak to the camp commandant. Eventually she was such a thorn in the side of officialdom that she was sent to prison herself. From her cell she wrote encouraging messages but her health was failing and she died in February 1943 aged 38.

Interestingly today whilst sorting through some papers I came across a quote from the April 1983 Soldiers Armoury which said, "It is tragic when a Christian destined to be a king among ment, adopts a guise of ordinariness because he fears the consequences of Christian distinctiveness."

Marie Ozanne was certainly not guilty of this and I pray that we won't be either.

God bless

Carol

Prayer Alert

Please will you pray for the 8 young prisoners in our chaplaincy Quest Group. We have had an amazing week with them. On Wednesday they poured out questions about everything from "Is it remotely possible to wait to have sex and remain faithful to one person for life?" to the dangers of the occult and freemasonry, and "Where do you go when you die?" Their questions revealed the absolute confusion they are in about spiritual and moral issues. It is like someone has used their minds like a mixing bowl in the kitchen, poured in a wide variety of ingredients and then scrambled them up.

But they are so hungry for meaning and hope they all returned on Thursday. My fellow chaplain Becky put on a really long, old fashioned video of the life of Christ and they sat and watched it with intense concentration. At the end there is a prayer of committment, which they were so intrigued by they insisted it be rewound so they could listen to it again.

They were back on Friday for another session, in which we had some light-hearted fun but also read the whole of Psalm 139, and had some deep discussion about heaven and hell. (Thankfully nobody from the politically correct brigade was listening in! ) As we were watching a worship video, the presence of God was all over them. The Holy Spirit, I am convinced was touching something deep in them. It would have been great to have prayed with each of them then but it was "bang up" time and we had to take them back to their cells.

We have decided that next week we are going for a time of worship, a short message and an appeal. Please, please will you pray for God to protect them, keep them hungry and meet with them. Please also pray that we are led by the Spirit to handle this his way.

God bless

Carol

Fighting on enemy territory

Yesterday I posted a quote from General George Carpenter that said, "Defensive warfare has less to recommend it to the Salvation Army than anyone. We were raised up to fight on enemy territory. Our organization is built upon the commando system, mobile, quick in action, suitable for small groups without dependence upon elaborate equipment."

Graeme Smith, in his comment on the quote quite rightly saw it as supporting the use of small groups in mission. As someone who loves the cell model or ward system as a strategy for reaching and nurturing people in the faith I am delighted to find backing for it from the archives of Army history.

But actually it wasn't that aspect of the quote that really grabbed my attention but the call for Salvationists to invade the devils kingdom rather than simply try and ward off his attacks.
Interestingly, during the same research into Army history during WW2 I also came across Albert Orsborn's assessment of the SA in Great Britain during the war years.

" In the Salvation Army, I speak only for the British Isles we fought a long rearguard action against the devil. There was no question of revival or advance. We were concerned to try to hold our forces together, despite disintegrating influences of war and immediate post-war years.
Our musical sections had been decimated. Even our women soldiers who are so faithful in all forms of voluntary service, were taken up with war-time activities in national undertakings. Interest among the public in spiritual things was at its lowest for many years. Many of our younger officers, starting their vocation between the wars, laboured in vain to win converts. Not for them the crowded halls, the lively street meetings, the stimulating opposition, the crowded Mercy Seat of our earlier days. They were cast in the role of God's unheeded witnesses that he might be justified when a backslidden generation came to judgement."

Perhaps if we had heeded the rest of Carpenter's advice below we might not still be obsessed with survival than taking new territory for the kingdom.

"We must have fire in our hearts to drive us out, to sing, to speak, to pray with a zeal that commands attention and a love that cannot fail!"


What will it be in 2007? Fighting on enemy territory or just a rearguard action?

God bless

Carol

Keep Mobile

I came across this, whilst doing some other research. It is from the desk of General George L Carpenter in the War Cry - 18th April 1942

"Defensive warfare has less to recommend it to the Salvation Army than to anyone. We were raised up to fight on enemy territory. Our organization is built upon the commando system- mobile, quick in action, suitable for small groups without dependence upon elaborate equipment. We must not forget this, nor allow circumstances to drive us into our buildings when we ought to be outside."

God bless

Carol

Lethal Weapon

I'll explain the heading in a minute.
So far we have had an excellent holy week. The singing at our Palm Sunday meeting was spine tingling. We don't have a large congregation but wow did they give My Jesus I love thee some wellie. It was much better than the musically excellent choir from St Paul's I was listening to this morning on the radio. It's Easter sunday and they had about as much passion as a wet lettuce!

Through the week we have had our Resource Centre prayer room open. It was lovingly prepared by Jo, who based it on the sayings of Jesus from the cross. Photos were taken and when I get them I will post them. This picture is the outside of our Resource Centre. As you can see its an insignificant little place but hours of prayer were offered from this little room this week that reached out around the world.



We also squeezed into the prayer room for our Good Friday meditation. The Holy Spirit ministered, as we listened to the song "Written in red" And then it was out onto the High Street for the walk of witness that Alan felt convicted to organise. He decided last year that he was going to walk down the High Street on Good Friday carrying a cross. If nobody joined him that was OK but he felt he should do it. As it happened over 80 local Christians joined in.

The cross was too big to go into the car so it had to be carried to the starting place for the march, for a short distance through pavements filled with shoppers. We tried to do this as safely as possible and no-one was bumped but at the crossing, someone said, "You want to watch what you're doing with that, it's a lethal weapon!"

And now I'm off to get ready to celebrate the fact that that lethal weapon, ended up destroying sin and Jesus alive.

We are an Easter people and hallelujah is our song!

God bless

Carol

Terrible Mother

I am beginning to feel that I am a terrible mother.

On Monday our 18 year old daughter is setting off to travel around Europe by train, on her own!



I've left a gap for the sharp intake of breath every one seems to have when I relate this information. There then follows an incredulous, "Aren't you worried? or "I don't know that I'd let my daughter do that!" One person followed up her comment of "She's brave." with a series of horror stories about abductions!

I also smiled slightly yesterday however at the reaction of the mothers in the parents group I run. They all said that they would not sleep if their daughter was going off on a trip alone and if they did they would have nightmares.

I found it rather ironic because what they would see as normal teenage behaviour for a young girl really would horrify me. I would be far more worried if my daughter was spending all her hard earned cash binge drinking. I would be far more worried if she was going on an 18+ holiday to Majorca. I would be far more worried if she was obsessed with her weight. I would be far more horrified if she was contemplating moving in with her boyfriend, which all of them did when they were her age or younger. I am more concerned about the fact that she didn't agree with me that the bingo game at the pub quiz she went to was gambling!

Actually I am full of admiration for our Hayley and have confidence in her mature, common sense attitude.

I think the difference between me and some of the parents, is that my concern for her is really about what might attack her mind and heart than the physical dangers of travelling alone. And those attacks and pressures have been and will more intense in the work place and at uni than during this trip.

Nevertheless I am not naive and we have put all kinds of safeguards in place for her, like booking accommodation in advance, contacting my cousin who lives in Germany and linking her with a number of SA centres on her carefully planned route and insisting that she phones us every day. And of course first and foremost committing her to God and praying for her every step of the way.

So what do you think?

God bless

Carol