… an Army that believes that God’s best work in us is in the future not the past.
It’s great to look back and enjoy the warm memories of that which has gone before. Many people will look to their childhood for please reminiscences, other to their early days of married life, still others to a great experience of the last few days. It all involves looking back
It is so easy to look at the past through a rose tinted rear view mirror!
That is not to say they weren’t great times and that the memory of them gives us hope and anticipation for the future. However, in Kingdom terms, the best is always yet to come both in our worship and service and our eternal hope.
We may look to the past in celebration of what God has done, and we may take it as the preliminary sketch of all that he is to do in the future – not that he will repeat the same thing over and over but that our God, who moves seamlessly through time will show us His dramatic presence in the future as he has in the past.
Last weekend saw a group of 45 Salvationists attending the latest discussion in the Scotland Mission Strategy process – a process that very clearly not only looks ahead but places that future in the hands of Him who is timeless. What an exciting prospect it is to think, dream and plan for what God is going to do in and through us.
If we do not believe that our best days are ahead, what are we saying about our God? That he peaked too early? That He made a mistake? Not one bit of it! As I look at the volumes of Salvation Army history formally lined up on the bookshelf I heartily believe that these will serve as a ‘foreword’ to the work that God is yet to do through us.
Our history tells that we do not rest on our laurels, our faith tells us to ‘press on towards the prize’ (Philippians 3:14). Our best days, because they are His days, are yet to be.
Monday 21 November 2011
Sunday 13 November 2011
What sort of an Army? (9)
… an Army that is unafraid to be seen in it’s uniform.
I recently ordered a new logo jacket. It was not for me it was for my wife however seconds after placing the order I realised that I had ordered a mans jacket for someone who is definitely not. The style and cut would be all wrong; the size would be way too big. In short it would be an ugly representation.
It reminded me that a short time ago someone defended their not wearing a uniform because ‘it’s ugly’. Yes, from a design perspective it may be considered not fashionable, it may not have a flattering cut or be cut from a cloth that we would choose but it singles us out as individuals with a purpose and a point to our living.
Because the cross has been sanitised by it’s adoption into jewellery culture, what is one of the most ugly forms of torture and death is now seen as fashionable and acceptable – in fact, probably for the majority of people who wear a cross it means, nothing other than as a fashion accessory. It is an ugly thing that has been made acceptable.
Therefore we need to review why we are wearing our uniform – and what guise that uniform takes. With the extensive provision of red shield garments, with the diverse programmes we are now engaged in there is no reason not to wear some form of appropriate uniform, regardless of what ministry we may be engaged in.
In so many parts of the world where others fear to tread the wearing of the Salvation Army uniform still gives confidence of safe passage and ministry provided, in times past when people were martyred for the wearing of their uniform, for a community that is struggling to deal with it’s own identity are we prepared to be anonymous in declaring that we are saved to save and to serve?
Be unafraid – be uniformed.
I recently ordered a new logo jacket. It was not for me it was for my wife however seconds after placing the order I realised that I had ordered a mans jacket for someone who is definitely not. The style and cut would be all wrong; the size would be way too big. In short it would be an ugly representation.
It reminded me that a short time ago someone defended their not wearing a uniform because ‘it’s ugly’. Yes, from a design perspective it may be considered not fashionable, it may not have a flattering cut or be cut from a cloth that we would choose but it singles us out as individuals with a purpose and a point to our living.
Because the cross has been sanitised by it’s adoption into jewellery culture, what is one of the most ugly forms of torture and death is now seen as fashionable and acceptable – in fact, probably for the majority of people who wear a cross it means, nothing other than as a fashion accessory. It is an ugly thing that has been made acceptable.
Therefore we need to review why we are wearing our uniform – and what guise that uniform takes. With the extensive provision of red shield garments, with the diverse programmes we are now engaged in there is no reason not to wear some form of appropriate uniform, regardless of what ministry we may be engaged in.
In so many parts of the world where others fear to tread the wearing of the Salvation Army uniform still gives confidence of safe passage and ministry provided, in times past when people were martyred for the wearing of their uniform, for a community that is struggling to deal with it’s own identity are we prepared to be anonymous in declaring that we are saved to save and to serve?
Be unafraid – be uniformed.
Thursday 3 November 2011
What sort of an Army? (8)
… an Army that recognises that worship is not a Sunday experience but a way of life.
Last week we considered that variety in worship is crucial within the Salvation Army ( and I daresay in the broader Christian Church as a whole).
This week I would ask us to consider two things:
That worship is something that happens as a gathered congregation.
That worship is something that happens because we are a sent people.
As a gathered congregation the act of gathering, of consciously setting aside time to spend with others of a like mind, or at least an enquiring mind, is worship. We have said inwardly to ourselves and to God Himself ‘You are worth giving this next period of time to, to concentrate on your goodness, to open my heart and mind to your leading and to open my mouth to magnify You – and this in the presence of my peers’. We give time, and therefore worth, to the things that are precious to us.
Clearly this does not have to happen on Sunday alone – any day of the week can be the setting of gathered worship – in truth we have numerous expressions in West Scotland of this very thing. The post-modern age allows us to consider such things as options rather than radical departures from tradition.
When we finish our gathering we then re-enter ‘His world-our mission field’ but the worship should and must continue. As we go about our daily lives, the mundane and menial, our work tasks and our social life this too is worship. The business deal, the conversation, the cup of coffee with colleague or friend all must have the same intentionality as the gathered event. We must give worth to our living because in doing so we are acknowledging the one who has given us life. Our living in the presence of God, we may call it holiness, is a direct influence on those around us and an act of worship in itself. In fact we may argue that it is purer worship because it has that additional impact on non believers.
Our day to day living, accidentally and intentionally is our worship – every day.
Last week we considered that variety in worship is crucial within the Salvation Army ( and I daresay in the broader Christian Church as a whole).
This week I would ask us to consider two things:
That worship is something that happens as a gathered congregation.
That worship is something that happens because we are a sent people.
As a gathered congregation the act of gathering, of consciously setting aside time to spend with others of a like mind, or at least an enquiring mind, is worship. We have said inwardly to ourselves and to God Himself ‘You are worth giving this next period of time to, to concentrate on your goodness, to open my heart and mind to your leading and to open my mouth to magnify You – and this in the presence of my peers’. We give time, and therefore worth, to the things that are precious to us.
Clearly this does not have to happen on Sunday alone – any day of the week can be the setting of gathered worship – in truth we have numerous expressions in West Scotland of this very thing. The post-modern age allows us to consider such things as options rather than radical departures from tradition.
When we finish our gathering we then re-enter ‘His world-our mission field’ but the worship should and must continue. As we go about our daily lives, the mundane and menial, our work tasks and our social life this too is worship. The business deal, the conversation, the cup of coffee with colleague or friend all must have the same intentionality as the gathered event. We must give worth to our living because in doing so we are acknowledging the one who has given us life. Our living in the presence of God, we may call it holiness, is a direct influence on those around us and an act of worship in itself. In fact we may argue that it is purer worship because it has that additional impact on non believers.
Our day to day living, accidentally and intentionally is our worship – every day.
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