I’ve been reading the Articles of War that I signed more than 20 years ago and feel shocked that I was so willing to make such a big commitment at the tender age of 14 (well almost 15)! Casting my mind back I don’t think I ever understood the reality of what it could mean for my life, and I’ve certainly failed to live up to them over the years.
Here in Latvia I often find that my language skills can often be a barrier to successful communication as my Latvian is poor. Also the language itself does not always have a good word for what we are trying to say, for instance ‘integrity’ has no direct translation that I’ve discovered. This issue spreads over to the commitment that our TSA Soldiers make here. The translation of the Articles of War don’t say “I will…”, but rather “I will try to…”!
In one way the difference is positive as it confirms our knowledge of our humanity and without God’s help are not able to always succeed at the commitment we’ve made. On the other hand, I fear that it ultimately engenders a defeatist attitude. “I will try to…” suggests that you already know you will fail and means that people can’t fault you if you do! You can’t be held accountable as you clearly said that you will only “try to” do something.
I saw a variation of this post on Chris’s Blog and couldn’t resist.
If you want to see this blog without all my ramblings click here
Today it seems that there is no end to the paperwork! All I seem to have done since I started the new job is read information, write up reports, send letters and move paper. Not only is it very frustrating but at the moment it feels like there is no end in sight.
Part of the reason for accepting this position was the fact that I may get to put into place new ideas for how The Salvation Army in Latvia can do make its mission more effective. At the moment though it feels like all I’m ever going to do is push paper!
Tomorrow morning I’m off out of Riga to Skangal (Children’s home and school) where there is a seminar for employees and volunteers of The Salvation Army here in Latvia. This is the second time we’ve run this half-day training and I have the job of talking about Salvation Army history. I’m really happy about this as I love the history of my church.
As I’ve looked over my notes this evening, I’ve been thinking about how this history impacts on the current Salvation Army. We have various voices from around the world pushing for radical changes that will either make The Salvation Army unrecognisable from its roots, or who want to take us back to an age that may not ever have existed.
For me I love the passion of the early day Salvationists, and wonder why this passion seems to have been lost. For most of my 36 years I’ve plodded along as a Christian with a few high points of strong passion, but the majority of the time I’ve not really been that passionate. The stuff I’m reading at the moment is starting to change that and I see ahead a process that will transform my thinking, something that I want to happen.
One thing is for sure though! I want to be more like the early day Salvationists with their passion for the lost and those in need, than the many apathetic Salvationists I’ve come into contact with over the years!
Today it has been snowing almost non-stop and at least 4 or 5 inches have fallen and its still coming down. Everything outside looks like one of those old fashioned christmas cards and the only thing missing is a little robin sat on a sprig of holly!
The children from Patverums have been enjoying themselves out in the snow doing the things kids do best. Tomorrow we’ll take Sian out in it and I’m pretty certain that she will be almost knee deep trying to throw snowballs at us (although normally they just end up being handfuls of snow).
One of my favourite secular authors is Terry Pratchett and, despite him being humanist, I sometimes find stuff that speaks into my own life! In one of his books I found the following:
“If I thought there was some god who really did care two hoots about people, who watched ‘em like a father and cared for ‘em like a mother … youwouldn’t find me just being gen’rally nice in the hope that it’d all turn out right in the end, not if that flame was burning in me like an unforgivin’ sword. And I did say burnin’…’cos that’s what it’d be. You say that you people don’t burn folk and sacrifice people any more, but that’s what true faith would mean, y’see? Sacrificin’ your own life, one day at a time, to the flame, declarin’ the truth of it, workin’ for it, breathin’ the soul of it. That’s religion. Anything else is just … is just bein’ nice.”
Here a humanist writer has written something that all Christian’s should understand. Why are we satifisfied to sit in our often empty churches and be ‘nice’ instead of getting out there and communicating the gospel?
Jesus is the “Stone that causes men to stumble and the rock that makes them fall” (Isaiah 8:14
), yet all too often we try to clear up the stones in the path of people so that they won’t stumble over us and be offended by us. Why? Instead we should be pushing on in the attack (note the American English equivalent “offensive”) and start fighting for the Lord of Lords and King of Kings!
Just been browsing a few blogs and seen Steve’s blog and took the quiz he has in a past post!
You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God’s grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.
| Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan |
|
86% |
| Emergent/Postmodern |
|
82% |
| Charismatic/Pentecostal |
|
64% |
| Neo orthodox |
|
61% |
| Classical Liberal |
|
46% |
| Fundamentalist |
|
46% |
| Reformed Evangelical |
|
43% |
| Roman Catholic |
|
36% |
| Modern Liberal |
|
29% |
What’s your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com |
As a lifelong Salvationist I can’t say I’m that surprised by the result but it’s nice to know!
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