Dear Salvation Army – Officership: Are We Settling For The Willing But Not The Able?

In a continuation of the conversation yesterday –
https://pastorsponderings.org/2014/07/10/warning-dear-salvation-army-we-are-losing-our-young-people/

Perhaps another discussion could be broached within this specific topic…Officership.
It might sound raw and perhaps it may sting a little but here goes…

We have probably all witnessed the struggle our Army has had in some regions of the world recently to recruit and commission able bodied Officers. As the “World for God” extends into new communities and frontiers we find more and more that we are running low on willing and able personnel to fill these appointments.

Questions we must ponder on this issue:
Why are we so short on soldiers to fill our ranks as future officers?
What can be done to continue to “fill the world with glory” and still produce quality officers to boldly proclaim the name of Christ? Are we out of touch with younger generations? Could it be that the uniform is to blame? Are there just more opportunities now that weren’t there before to other generations?
Are we losing quality soldiers in our Army who could be future officers because new opportunities outside of the Army in other ministries and even vocations takes them away?

Secondly, has it become quantity over quality?

All too often I question if we as an Army have pushed too hard to produce in quantity new red trimmed Officers while at the same time we have failed to adequately prepare them for the work ahead. I question whether this push has elevated some who are willing but might never be able to fulfill such a calling. Please don’t misinterpret that statement to sound pretentious or arrogant, but perhaps at times we do settle for the willing over the willing and able to meet certain “quotas” of officers in territories. I also do not want to short change the work of the Holy Spirit here within this “calling”. I know full well that the Holy Spirit can and will call those to lead in our Army but within our methods of recruitment towards potential future officers are we forcing results?

Sometimes there is this atmosphere of panic in the Army. Perhaps it is never spoken but it is felt when the list of accepted candidates comes out and for some reason it seems rather small (compared to other “more bountiful years”). Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying and I don’t wish to imply anything negatively here, but there is a perception of numeric success even within these lists of potential future officers. It makes me question if at times our push for more and more candidates creates a notion that Officership is for everyone, when it is in fact a calling not specifically a profession. I don’t mean to elevate this position above anything else within our Army because everything serves a purpose, but when we commission some who really weren’t called but simply signed up because it was convenient or pushed upon them…are we selling ourselves short? Are we really being faithful to God? Will God honor this sort of selection? To be fair we must recognize that this isn’t always the norm…but have certain territories hit the panic button in recent years?

Wrong Reasons For Becoming An Officer –
(Erroneous Ones As Well)
#1 Free House
#2 Free Vehicle
#3 The Pay
#4 The Adventure of Moving
#5 Pressured into it
#6 No Other Prospects of Employment
#7 Always Wanted to Wear Red Trim

There are many more wrong reasons why some want or have become officers. Some on this list may seem silly to you, but I have heard some of these rationales from real people. Granted in some territories the concept of becoming an Officer may seem like a safe, comfortable choice of vocations. Many fail to recognize the demands of such a calling. The life of an Officer is not glamorous or flashy. It is not easy at times. Sure there are blessings associated with the calling to become an Officer but there are burdens as well. <<This is why I will probably NEVER be asked to become any kind of candidate secretary>>>…I do not want to sugar coat the ministry of our Army.

Honorable Reasons For Becoming An Officer –
#1 You have felt God’s calling on Your Life to make this decision.
#2 This isn’t “plan B” but a passion to serve the Lord as an Officer.
#3 You have strong desire to serve other people from every walk of life.
#4 You are prepared to serve in the good times and in the not so good times.
#5 You have a passion for holiness and are currently responding to God’s prodding on your life.

There are more honorable reasons for becoming an Officer but these are just a few the spring to mind while in this conversation.

TWO WARNING SIGNS:
For Territorial, Divisional, & Corps –
Beware of pushing people into “the ministry” of Officership. We all recognize the need to fill appointments and to have sufficient personnel on the field…but perhaps at times we have to trust in the Lord more than we do. We have to trust that He is going to provide the right people for the right appointing. This doesn’t mean we don’t put that call out for more candidates, it simply means that perhaps we wait a little longer on the Lord to provide willing AND able Men and Women for this sacred duty.

For Soldiers & Potential Candidates –
Beware of jumping too quickly into a full-time ministry as a Candidate or potential Officer. Pray in earnest for the right direction. Pray for God to reveal to you His path for your life. I am not discouraging anyone from becoming an Officer but make sure your decision to “sign up” is for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Talk it over with family and friends and talk it over with your Corps Officer. We need Officers in our Army but at the same time do not sell yourself short or sell the Army short and settle for being willing but not able to fulfill such a arduous calling.

“Get On With It!”
Perhaps the panic button has been hit a time or two in various territories, but I also know that there are some very godly men and women leading the charge to recruit and to commission new Officers of The Salvation Army. It is not a glamorous lot, but it is a vital role to play. Are you willing AND able? For soldiers and officers who are neither willing nor able I would advise you do one of two things – Pray for the Lord to restore your ministry and passion for the lost souls in your communities and get on with it or get out of the way so that others may rise up and take your place. This may sound harsh, but if we do not have holy sanctified officers or future holy sanctified officers rising up we will have lost our mission and vision as an Army. God forgive us if we lose sight of His purpose for our lives and for the hope of restoration to the lost. Get on with it!

I never thought I would be discussing this today…but praise the Lord for His leading! Something further for our Army to ponder.

July 11, 2014 6

WARNING…Dear Salvation Army, We Are Losing Our Young People!!

“Pasadena Tab Youth Chorus at IHQ”

It is a common scenario: An Officer family moves into an inner-city or even rural appointment and finds little to no adult role models that they can trust to instruct their children. In a similar situation a married couple joins the Army corps to serve and to help but also finds little by way of adult, spiritually mature, role models to guide their children while at the corps.

Yes, it is a parent’s job to train their children up (Prov 22:6) but are we lacking strong, spiritually mature leaders within our corps today to assist in this? Is it detrimental to children of Officers as well as families coming into corps who encounter this problem? Where have all of the godly Local Officers and Saintly Sunday School/Corps Cadet teachers gone? Admittedly many of them have been promoted to glory after decades of faithful service…but the question remains why aren’t others stepping up to lead? Where have all the saints gone in our corps?

I have heard from a number of faithful local officers as well as Corps & Divisional Officers who share this sentiment. What are doing wrong? Why are we losing so many pillars only to have no one to take their place?

Edification of our Youth:
We mustn’t neglect this portion of our ministry! As an Army, we are losing young people in droves as they become young adults because there is little keeping them at our corps. This is one of the biggest threats facing our modern Army world. Who will step up to lead them? Who will hold them to godly standards? How can we stave off such a tremendous loss?

We need strong local officers! We need discipled leaders! We cannot settle for warm bodies in Sunday School classes solely because they “show up”. This is an epic crisis. It might not be felt currently in some of the larger metro corps where leadership is in abundance, but drive a few miles away to one of the younger supporting corps or further out into some of the rural communities and this crisis will become more and more evident.

An extension of this crisis begins to reveal itself in local officers, who are spiritually mature, who are there to help serve, who have children at the corps and are beginning to question if, perhaps, it is time to find another ministry to belong to because the edification of the youth (and specifically their children) is sadly vacant due to the lack of leaders.

Are we doing something wrong?
Have we lost a step?
Can we recover from this?

Solutions:
It is certainly not my intention to criticize or direct any blame without attempting to offer some kind of solution or corrective steps. I will be the first to admit that I do not have all of the answers here, but I do want to begin asking these very important questions. What I do know is that if something isn’t done to help local officer families and Officer families, a large portion of the next generation will be lost to the Army…and it has already begun.

We have territorial and even divisional events to send our children to, but coming home to a corps that lacks the kind of leaders our children are seeing at the divisional or territorial level can be debilitating and discouraging. It is rather telling of the quality of leaders we may have when we have to employ our teenagers to teach a class because none of the adults are equipped or mature enough to handle this responsibility.

Solution #1 Discipleship, Discipleship, Discipleship!
For years we have done our corps a disservice by not adequately discipling our adults and youth properly. Jesus instructed and lived out model discipleship to His followers. Officers and currently leaders need to continually think of who will replace them when they are gone…who will follow in their footsteps? Who will carry on the legacy? Who can WE train up? We must invest our time in those who need to grow and have the potential to become leaders so that future generations will have someone to look up to and emulate within the corps setting.

Solution #2 Divisional and Territorial Support
A few years ago the Eastern Michigan Division created a program called “The Ambassadors Program”. What this program did was take young adults and send them out into corps that needed young leaders and role models within their youth programs. They helped conduct lessons, tutored young people during after school, played sports with them in gymnasiums, in essence they became mobile young adult disciples and role models. We need more mobile young adult discipleship programs that are sent out into these frontline ministries and rural corps to help with the mission! We need to consider such opportunities as a two-fold solution. (1) The young people being sent (Ambassador or Disciple what ever you call it) are learning how to become strong(er) leaders of our Army by actively participating in ministry as a divisional missionary! They learn through hands-on training and it is a trial by fire. (2) The youth that these Ambassadors/Disciples are instructing and taking under their wing begin to see active and loving leaders who are committed to the Lord and have a passion for what they do! This is the kinds of role models our young people in problematic corps (where leadership is vacant) need.

There are probably many more solutions out there to help with this crisis. My hope is that in writing this and sharing my frustration and fear others will begin to offer ideas and share further solutions. We are losing our youth in the Army. We can probably all share in the blame. Beyond the “blame game”, however, we need to get up, we need to mobilize and begin developing leadership networks to help properly instruct our youth once again so that we do not lose another generation and their parents who are currently testing the waters of other ministries.

Something else for the Army world to ponder today.

July 10, 2014 18

Dear Soldier, Just Quit, You Can’t Possibly Win…

World Cup – Brazil Vs. Germany

I watched the World Cup yesterday and witnessed what many are calling the worst lopsided game in World Cup history. It started off quite competitively. Each team was passing and pushing the football into each other’s territory, and then something happened. First the German team scored one goal, and then another…and finally another all within the first twenty nine minutes of play. Before the first and even second goal, the Brazilian soccer team were running and fighting for the ball, they were pressing and forcing plays…then it all changed.

Before the third goal there was fight in their eyes, they were serious about playing the game, and more importantly they were still serious about winning. But…by the third goal, that “fight” look in the eyes had completely evaporated. The effort to press and to win had dissolved as well. The camera panned into the mostly Brazilian crowd and there were tears and weeping, shock and dismay, sadness and grief. It was visually epic, yet disheartening as well. They had been a team with such promise and now they were floundering around, lost, defeated and numb.

The game ended with a historic defeat of 7 – 1. But the game was truly over before halftime. I knew it and so did those watching in the stands. It was all in the eyes. The fight was there, and then it was gone surrendering itself to sunken hearts and defeated souls.

So what does this have to do with Salvation Soldiers? What could football possibly teach us in The Salvation Army? Here’s an epiphany that I had while watching this historical match – Satan would love nothing more than for Soldiers of the Army to capitulate, to pack it in and to walk away from this spiritual battle that we wage. In fact he attempts to convince us everyday to “just quit because there is no way of winning.”

the “fight” had left the fan’s faces as well…

Has the fight gone out in your eyes?
It was a very sad moment when I knew that it was all over for Brazil. That fight had gone out in their eyes. Conversely, I have seen soldiers who seemingly walk around having lost the fight in their eyes. Dare I even say that there are Officers in our army who walk around having lost the fight in their eyes too. Perhaps, at times, we have bought this lie from the father of lies. Perhaps we have encountered an obstacle in our ministries and we have failed miserably. Perhaps we barely salvaged the burning wreckage that is our pride and dignity but we have little else to show for our efforts.

There have been times in my ministry that I have felt the burning sting of defeat because soldiers and fellow comrades of the cross have walked away surrendering their uniforms and even their faith. How it hurts the very heart of God when our ranks buckle under such adversities. Has the fight ever gone out in your eyes? Are you nearing that point right now? Perhaps the pressures of appointment has taken its toll on you. Perhaps it seems that the enemy is winning and you were never capable enough to handle this battle. Perhaps you, as a soldier, have witnessed officers come and officers go and the corps never seems to get any larger and a community still seems unreached.

Is it really about us winning?
Is that all that matters in our army? Have we solely hedged our bets on statistical success as we lean covetously looking over the fence at other ministries who are booming and exploding with numeric success? Are we walking around with vacant stares singing the old battle songs of our army while the “fight” in our eyes is strangely missing? Have we lost a step as we utter the words to “keep in step all the time”? It was never about how good we look in our uniforms. It was never about how one man and one woman founded such a movement.

It has always been about faithfully allowing God’s holy presence to prod and to prompt us into action. It has always been about God’s glory and never about our glory! It was always about God’s victory, not our victory, though we share in His mighty triumph. Somewhere along the way, perhaps we lost that fight in our eyes because we lost sight of Him. Perhaps somewhere along the pathway of duty we became so focused on “meeting human needs” and worrying about public perceptions that we forgot the “in His name“. I don’t mean to say that human needs are not important but if we do these workings without the passion and fight of Christ behind them, we might as well become just another charity without mission and heavenly aim.

I have seen that look in those footballers eyes in many places in our army. I have seen them in local officers who have served faithfully for years yet question if they have ever produced enough fruit for the kingdom. I have seen them in the tired eyes of officers who, after long days of raising money at Christmas kettles, come into corps where a spirit of dissension and sin has become rampant. I have witnessed that look in the eyes of battle weary employees who wonder how many more days they can make it as the need never seems to find an end. I have even seen that look in the eyes that stare back at me in the mirror from time to time.

Oh dear Soldier…do not buy the lie from the father of lies!
Don’t allow his cunning words and slippery speech to invade your hearts. There will be days when we see defeat. There will be moments where we feel like packing it in. We may even consider walking away from it all…but don’t. For what really matters is faithfulness first to our God, no matter where and with whom that takes us to. Are you prepared to fight on despite the opposition’s tauntings? Are you ready to get back on your knees and wage a spiritual battle that involves more than just our human gifts, abilities and talents? The battle truly does belong to the Lord! If you have exchanged the victorious look of a soldier for that of defeat then get back your knees! Without our humility, supplication and penitence we will be nothing more than a hollow uniform taking up space in a slowly diminishing corps hall.

Soldiers of our Army…get back into the fight! Pray in earnest for His victorious might! It has never been about what we can do, but what the power of the Holy Spirit can do through selfless servants of the cross! Do not give up, do not listen to Satan’s lies, face Christ and embrace His victory! Look into the enemies eyes and declare “the world for God!”

Something more for the Army world to ponder today, to God be the glory!

Article is also available here – http://salvationist.ca/2014/07/keep-the-fight-alive/

July 9, 2014 0

A Slow Death In The Church…

Some churches die suddenly because of disagreements, immoral behavior, and financial ruin. It is a tragedy when God’s bride falls victim to sin, arrogance and pride. What should have been a beacon of light to those still wandering in the darkness without hope has become a victim of the father of lies and to sin. It truly is a tragedy!

There is another kind of death in the church. It is a slow agonizing death, the kind that begins with seemingly harmless words, behind the back comments, and half truths that go unchecked or verified. The idle, never edifying chatter of assumptions and sometimes made up notions. It is a coward’s conversation because very rarely do those suggestions fall directly on the ears of its intended target.

On the topic of gossip and the tongue:
“…Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.…” -James 3:4-6

Confession:
I have been both a victim and at times a proprietor of this deadly vice. When this harmful drug of choice enters the church it (sometimes it has already been in your church for years and years) can lay waste to integrity, honesty and even our moral compasses. How damaging and hurtful gossip, slander and biting words can be to fellow believers in Christ. Brothers and sisters, we ought to know better yet why do we allow this sort of thing to continue? Why allow it to remain? I have been deeply wounded at times because of the words of other Christians…and dare I confess, a time or two I wished I could have withdrawn the words that flew swiftly from my tongue and past my lips before I could catch them.

How devastating such a small thing can truly be.
Is there a cure? Some sort of remedy? Can we stave off this infection before it consumes and kills us? Gossip slander, and malice WILL kill the Church slowly, agonizingly yet just as deadly as the instant immoral failings. This cancer of the verbal kind can be treated…it can be stalled, maybe even cured.

The Remedy:
Here are a few verses to remind us of this remedy –
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels; they go down into the inner parts of the body.” Proverbs 26:20-22

Don’t allow these embers to burn. Don’t linger in the company of those who wag their tongues and scorch the earth with their words. Such thinking and speaking are never edifying to the body of Christ and with it the church will die a slow death. Think on the edifying things. Remain true to our calling. Do not become bogged down by the negative thoughts and words in regards to others. Be a source of hope, light, goodness and grace to fellow believers as well as those who have yet to believe. We ARE the body of Christ…so start acting like it.

I have been equally guilty of this slow death…have you?

Prayer: Dear Lord, forgive us when we have failed you and fallen victim to the trappings of a loose and slanderous tongue. Forgive us when we have hurt You and those You have created in Your image through gossip and thoughtless words. Guide us on the pathway of right living and right thinking so that we can be a more effective source of Godly love to the world around us. Help us to serve You through our thoughts, words and deeds. Restore us, renew us and make us Holy. -Amen.

Something else for us to ponder today…

July 8, 2014 1

Being a Single Officer, Is It More Difficult than a Married Officer?

I have to admit, I have never been a single officer. So why write this? I have friends who are single officers, I have heard of some of their difficulties and frustrations. I can sympathize, and begin to recognize that I had no idea that being a single officer was that challenging. Admittedly the life of a Salvation Army Officer is, by the nature of the ministry, challenging in and of its own right, but ministering alone has its own set of blessings and frustrations.

Together with a few of my single Officer friends, we set out to create a brief “Single Officer survey” just to gauge the perceptions and experiences of other single Officers. We wanted to know if some of the experiences my friends have had along the pathway of duty resembled that of others serving in the same capacity.

Perhaps the question lingering in the title of this article cannot be answered. Perhaps it isn’t even about which is more difficult but rather “Are single Officers considered as valuable to The Salvation Army as married couples?” I do not ask this question to be condescending or insensitive but rather because the perception is (which is not always true but instead felt)that single officers are simply not considered as valuable.

The Survey Questions and Results

Results and Interpretation
One must be careful how one interprets such data, and we simply want to be fair and objective. Is there sufficient data to support the concerns of many single officers? Yes. What can be done? Perhaps listening to these strong voices, these leaders who have answered God’s call for their lives and, many times without the support of a partner, have led well within many types of ministries.

Question 1 – “Have you ever been sincerely affirmed as a single Officer by someone other than a friend?”
The affirming statistic here is that nearly 55% of those within this survey felt that they had in fact been sincerely affirmed as a single officer. Perhaps the affirmation came from another officer, leader, or soldier but regardless of where it came from the majority (albeit a small margin majority) of our single officers are being affirmed.

On the flip side over 36% of those within this survey felt that they had not received affirmation from others around them including fellow officers, leaders and soldiers. I do not believe that this statistic supports a longing for personal “pats on the back” or a few “atta boys” but rather something many churches and organizations struggle with in terms of affirming and encouraging those that serve within its ranks.

Prescription: Whether you’re a department head, leader or otherwise take the time to listen to the needs of single officers. Really listen. We recognize the sheer number of officers on the field outnumber leadership within DHQ’s and THQ’s but Officers need to know that they are cared for and loved. Constant expressions of hope, encouragement and shepherding is desired by all Officers regardless of marital status. Within the Central Territory there are currently a small number serving within the “pastoral care” department…this is such a vital department to officers that it begs the question “why aren’t there more pastoral care officers for the territory?” Perhaps this isn’t true for other territories but we do need to re-examine how we shepherd our officers from both the territorial and divisional levels. We have to admit though that our Army is improving from the structural staunch leadership (almost militant) models of yesteryear, though we still have room to improve.

Question #2 – What Blessings Do You See in Single Officership?
Here are list of some of the answers –
“to concentrate fully on ministry”
“freedom from other commitments and time flexibility”
“responding to the will of God and being faithful to his call”
“being called to be like Jesus, totally free to focus on ministry”
“When it’s a busy season, such as at Christmas, it’s nice not to have to worry about a family and be able to focus soley on my job…”
“I was able to concentrate on ministry with no obligation to spouse or children. I was able to use my free time in a very “selfish” way — all I had to worry about was myself. Frankly, one great blessing of single officership is that the Army has structured a number of “rewards” (ICO, Brengle, commission memberships, etc.) so that there is single representation — so if I had remained a single officer my chances of going to ICO would have been much higher than they are now that I am married.”

Question #3 – “What challenges do you see in Single Officership?”
Here are a list of some of the answers –

“It’s all a challenge. It’s difficult to be everything to everyone and expected to be good at it all. People assume that because I’m single, I don’t need ‘family time’ or ‘me time’.”

“1.Have nobody to share the good and bad news etc. 2. And share the work”

“Loneliness, pigeon holed into certain types of appointments. Also single officers are moved at a higher rate than married officers and are convenient ‘plugs’ when there is a breakdown, I had 4 appointments in my first 5 years of officer ship due to this.”

“Even though I am smart enough, I am talented enough, I am responsible enough, being a single officer isn’t “good enough”. What I mean by that is I don’t run big corps on my own, have seminars just for singles that actually address some of my issues, and I am not heard. I had officers in Officer Care and Development ask me at an Officer’s Councils what my needs were. I told them and they forgot! By the time my TOI rolled around a year later the very same officers said they had never heard about these issues before when I addressed them again with another fellow, single officer.”
“Moving more, work alone, treated different than married officers”

“I have had challenges in people seeing me as an adult. My current DC is the first DC I’ve had so far in my officership that treats me like an adult. Having the title “associate” instead of a CO with the fellow officers at the appointment, causes you to be less of an officer (no matter what policies and pocedures says), working along side officers that say, “You’re my kids age” (this is never good). It’s hard to get away from the office many times because people assume you have nothing better to do, so it’s expected you work. Fellow officers who preach sexual purity from the pulpit and then make fun of you to your face for it. It’s frustrating to be told to go find young families when growing a corps, when I don’t relate to them at all. And it’s difficult to do marriage counseling or family counseling. Not having someone to vent to or to bounce things off of.”

Question #4 – “Do you feel the Army spends an equal amount of time teaching others about single Officership as they do with Married Officership?”

Over 80% of those polled within this question responded “No”. This is a telling statistic. We are not out to criticize or attack our Army, just the opposite, we love our Army. Can we improve and help those who feel this way? Absolutely “Yes”. Perhaps there is a stigma, unspoken as it may be, in the Army and the attitude towards single officers. I have heard the hurtful gossip directed at Single Officers, and I’ve confronted it when I’ve heard it. Sometimes people assume that because someone is single and an Officer that there is something “wrong with them“. There is also sometimes an assumed notion that just because a person is a single officer they are less equipped than a married couple…which is usually baseless and wrong. Can we work towards better education in the Army when it comes to Single Officers? Short answer: Yes.

Question #5 “Do you feel Single Officers are pigeonholed in certain appointments?”

Nearly sixty-six percent polled felt that Single Officers were in fact pigeonholed to certain appointments because of their marital status. Assuredly we can see some of the reasoning for certain appointment changes – the expenses of relocated a Single Officer over a married couple is less, as mentioned in question 2 there is more flexibility, and perhaps this makes Single Officers “more portable”. These may be some of the reasonings for certain appointment decisions but is there a way for Leadership to break these molds and pigeonholing? I believe we are improving within this area, albeit slowly. There is still room for much improvement. It would be easy to chalk this survey up as just a bunch of officers complaining and make the comment “why can’t they just be faithful and obedient?” For in many minds being obedient to Army leadership equals being obedient to God…which I disagree with. Sometimes decisions are not made because of God, but because of convenience and less “ripples” in a move cycle. These are not the grumblings of Single Officers and myself, these are perceptions and experiences.

Question #6 “Who do you feel gains more respect (in general) on the field Male Single Officers or Female Single Officers?”
This statistic was almost even – Male Single Officers – 37%, Female Single Officers – 32%.

Responses to this question:
“Because female single officers tend to be a dime a dozen.”

“Fewer single men”

“People tend to listen to male leaders more than female – assertiveness in a woman is seen as a negative thing but for men it’s seen as good leadership”

“I think if you do your job people will show you respect”

“both are equal in my many years as a single officer”

“As a Single male officer, I was always asked in private If I was was a Homosexual because I was not married.”

Question 8 (I’m skipping 7, you can read the results for yourself)
“What could the Army do to better include Single Officers? “

Responses:
“Stop highlighting them as ‘single’ officers. That puts people into a box of single or married. Why not just refer to all of us as ‘Officer’ so as to not make anyone feel separated or singled out?”

“I think the army is making improvements and i am being realistic i do understand that when you have a married couple it’s pretty much your getting two for one, but I think that better things are yet to come in this area just like so many others things that have changed through out time. i also that marrieds without kids can be put into this pigeon hole as well”

“You should show me the same care you would as a married officer and don’t move me around all the time, because you wouldn’t do that to married officers. Give more opportunities to serve in ministries where marrieds cannot. And don’t just shuffle us around because you have NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH US”

“Resource us!”

“Find us a mentor or friend or someone that we can call when we feel like we have no one else to turn to, and teach us that it is always OK to call them, and what we say or feel won’t affect our future appointments.”

“Have conferences for singles and other opportunities just like married people. Show us we matter too!”

“Better pastoring (could be true for all officers, though), and not just an occasional bone thrown by a DC’s wife. What I experience and hear from my other single friends is that there is no one to listen to us when we need to share what’s burdensome. Married people have a spouse to share some of the burden, someone who can at least listen at the end of the day/week/minute and say “yeah, that sucks,” but singles (in my experience) don’t often have another officer who listens and supports.”

Question #9 – “What opportunities do you have as a Single Officer that you wouldn’t have normally?”

Response:

“I feel as if I have less opportunities as a single officer, not more.”

“I think sometimes you get to make your ministry what it is. I love to visit with people. To just sit and listen to them, laugh with them, pray with them-I have more time to do that as a single person because I am assisting, to have that ministry.”

“A lot less because so there are so many one starred events that I have to go to”

Question #10 – “As a Single Officer do you feel that you have a voice in the Army? “

Positively over 52% of those polled felt that they do indeed have a voice within the Army. Less than 20% felt adversely. This should be considered a good thing. Less Single Officers feel as if they are not heard. This does not contradict earlier questions within this survey it simply reinforces perhaps an area that the Army is fulfilling to some respects. As Officers, decisions made in a Corps are the Corps Officer’s decision regardless if it be a single Officer or married Officer. Leaders within ministries have voices. The real question begs to be asked though, are the right leaders listening to these voices? I believe we are making strides in the right direction…but we’re not there yet.

What I have learned as a Married Officer within this study:
I thought I knew the struggles of all officers…turns out I didn’t. My single Officer friends have helped me glean some very helpful knowledge here. I have learned a great deal as an individual.

Secondly, I have learned that we still have room for improvement within our Army. I didn’t realize that some of my fellow sojourners as Single Officers felt this way. That there are stigmas associated to the perception of Single Officership. I have learned that in some cases a single Officer feels out of place and are treated quite differently than a Married Couple.

Lastly, I have gained a source of deep respect for Single Officers out there who fight the good fight and have answered the call of Officership. You are truly leaders in your own right! You are strong people and I pray that you continue to be emboldened to use your voice, to lead, to change the world and the Army world so that the Mission of Christ is furthered. Thank you for sharing these concerns, hopes, blessings and challenges with us!

Something for the Army world to ponder today.

July 7, 2014 6

Devotional Pondering: Stumbling in The Darkness or Dancing in the Light?

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7 NIV)

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. The idea that not only has God saved us through His son Jesus but that in Him there is no darkness. We can learn a lot within this one passages. We can understand that fellowship with us is one of God’s desires. We can understand also that if we aren’t walking towards His light while He seeks to make us right through Jesus, we are still in the dark.

Have you ever attempted to stumble around in the dark in a place that you are visiting for the first time? It’s a little disconcerting. It’s pitch black, you are unfamiliar with your surroundings, and now you are trying to walk in this inky blackness…I will admit it’s a little frightening. I’ve done this and it’s very unsettling to have your arms outstretched and feet tenuously reaching for that next step, and the whole time you are hoping you don’t trip over something and fall.

Walking in the darkness of sin is also very unsettling. I was there…I’m sure you were as well. It’s a kind of blindness. It holds you captive and at times it feels as if you are shuffling your feet with arms outstretched as you wander around in the darkness.

Notice again the last line of this passage – “…and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin”. Can you imagine again for a moment shuffling in this terrifying darkness hoping to not trip and fall -eyes are useless…and then suddenly THE LIGHT is there to show us how and where to walk. It says Jesus can and will purify us from ALL sin…not a segment, not a limited run and then back into the darkness of sin, NO ALL SIN!! What a blessing that is to hear! What an assurance to us that we never have to wander around in the darkness searching with shuffled feet anymore…ALL sin means exactly that ALL!

Are You Still Wandering In The Darkness?
You don’t have to suffer the darkness of sin any longer.
You don’t have to suffer the dread that accompanies the darkness any longer. You don’t have to suffer the loneliness and emptiness any longer. Jesus paid it all for us. He suffered and died for us. He comes to us in our darkness and our struggling and illuminates our feet and our path and He shows us where to walk within His light.

Stop Acting Like You’re Still In The Darkness If You Know Christ!!
Secondly, to those who already know Jesus and that of His wondrous redemption and light, remember at YOU have been redeemed and start acting like it! Remember it! Share it with others! His light has illuminated your world, your path, your life…so shine! Don’t become consumed by the darkness any longer! Don’t allow the father of lies to trick you into thinking it never happened or maybe that you’re not redeemable…you, me, all of us are God’s children who He desperate wants to save and have fellowship with daily…even moment by moment.

-Just another think to ponder today

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank your for sending your son Jesus into my dark world to save us. Help me to see your light in my life. Help me to see evidence of your glory on this path. Walk beside me and illuminate my feet. Keep me from the dangers of the darkness today. Help me to shine through you so that others might see and find you as well! Lord I loved you. -Amen!

July 1, 2014 0

Devotional Pondering – “I have to sacrifice WHAT???”

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

Just the idea alone of sacrificing or giving up something in our lives, at times, seems preposterous. Why would we ever want to sacrifice anything…it’s an honest confession, and a shared sentiment with many. Sacrifice can be a hard thing to do in our lives which often include more excess and over-excess rather than “less”. I’m sure you have heard the phrase “less is more” and in the case of the Holiness this certainly fits, at least in the practical physical sense.

Question: What are we willing to sacrifice in order to have a closer relationship with God?
Perhaps the idea of giving up something physical in your life bothers you. Perhaps knowing that the Lord requires this in order to help you grow seems hard even harsh. Let me ask you this – what consumes your day? Is it your job? Is it your pursuit of more stuff? Are you living beyond your current means? I don’t mean to pry but honestly mammon or the pursuit of stuff has ~~almost~~ become our worldly false god especially in the Western world. We see a new commercial on T.V. for the biggest and nicest car and we crave it. We go to a friend’s house and they show off their new 60′ television with all the new features and we covet it. Mammon – this pursuit of stuff has a way of choking our spiritual lives to death.

I’m not saying money or things are inherently evil, not at all. Some of these things are necessary items and can be used for good…but if it becomes our obsession, then perhaps we have placed things and “stuff” above God.

Sacrifice requires something from us. Sacrifice in the spiritual sense means we are willing to think more about our relationship with God and less about our own selfish wants and desires. Sacrifice is more than just a way of life it has to become a thought process and a lifestyle.

“he (Jesus) humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” -Philippians 2:8 (NLT)

If we are to become holy in our lifestyles, attitudes and actions, then we have to emulate the very attributes of Christ who became death, took death from us, and in so doing redeemed us. Humility, in the spiritual sense, goes hand in hand with becoming a living sacrifice for God and for the people around us (regardless if they are good or bad).

Prayer: Dear Lord, show me what a living sacrifice looks like. I have, at times, filled my life with pride, arrogance and things that attempted to replace you. Forgive me of this, help me to see the threat of mammon in my life and guide me in your truths…lead me Lord. I long to be like you, help me to see how I can become humble in spirit so that I may be your witness to the world around me. Help me to see others through your eyes and guide me in your truths. -Amen.

June 30, 2014 0

Devotional Pondering: “Sharing in the Father’s Passions”

I was in a guitar store recently with my youngest son. Going to the guitar store is kind of my personal kryptonite…I love it. I love the smells of the new guitars. The gleam of the new varnish on the dark mahogany acoustic bodies. I love the sounds of plucking fresh strings, it’s like…well, music to my ears.

Okay, I digress…

I was in this guitar store with my 6 year old, very impressionable son, and I was explaining and showing him the various styles of guitars. I was in My glory there in that store. I was reveling in this passion. I was excited to hopefully share this passion with my son. Then I handed him a guitar to hold. I showed him how to correctly hold it. How to strum it. The guitar looked huge in his tiny arms…yet it made me smile. There I was sharing one of my passions with my son.

Later that day…

We were out on an errand at another store (no guitars in sight), and my son looks up at me with his big blue excited eyes and says “Dad, when are we going back to the guitar store so that I can pick out MY guitar?” At this point if was smiling ear to ear, my son wanted to learn, he had caught the gleam in my eyes and wanted to share in my passion for music and now he wanted his own guitar to play.

I was a proud Father.

Guess what? God is a proud Father too…of you and me.
He wants so desperately to shares His passions with us, His love for the world, His joy in creativity and music, His artistry…and He revels and smiles broadly when the lights finally go on in our eyes and we begin to catch just a glimpse of THAT passion of the Father.

He longs to share with us His love and passion…are we catching it? Is it in our eyes and our hearts? Do we possess a fraction of the Father’s passion in what we do, in who we are…in Whose we are? He stands there beside us ready to share it with us. He longs for us to capture His glimmer. He smiles broadly when we ask Him to teach us, to be with us, to lead us…are we?

Prayer: Lord, I am Your child, teach me. Here I am, show me. Lord grant me a glimpse of your glory, your love, your passions for the world around me…ignite these passions In me and allow me to revel in Your presence today. Inspire my heart, soul, mind and body to love and serve you today. Father I love you. -Amen.

June 29, 2014 0

Finding Freedom…stop the madness!

What are you
Enslaved to?

What holds
You
Captive?

So many victims…
so many chains.

Enslaved to the things we own…
or is it the things which own us?

what is it that is clasped to your life
threatening to drown you?

How the pressure builds and builds
and
builds.

What holds us back, keeps us chained
refrained and sometimes
Insane?

Wouldn’t you rather be
set free?

To find relief.
from the grief,
the chaos
this burden?

I don’t want to lug this anymore…
To push and pull
and never improve this lot…

Why would we EVER
be satisfied with this?
When there is real Peace
real Hope
real Life
real Freedom  …

BUT…
The burning question is…

Why do we still live like we are still enslaved

still imprisoned
still chained…?

Something to ponder today…and find freedom, live freedom, be freedom for others still blind and chained.



June 24, 2014 0

Devotional Pondering – A Hard Truth: His will isn’t always our will!

“May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” -Matthew 6:10

Many times, if we’re honest, our prayers contain a very personal aspect – our will. There are certain things that we pray for that we want to happen, outcomes and accomplishments, dreams and aspirations. Often times we want God to answer our prayers in the manner that suits us. Sometimes He answers the way that “we hope” He would answer, while other times His answer isn’t what we expected.

When we submit ourselves to Him, we are making a conscious attempt of complete surrender – come what may. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. We call it “the Lord’s prayer”, and yet we should understand that Jesus was modeling how prayer should be. Sure the words are important but so is the attitude in which we say those words. The Lord’s prayer isn’t a “magic” saying either, it is not the only way to pray, but it models for us the type of prayers that should leave our lips and hearts.

The Danger
Taking our will out of our prayers might cause us some anxiety. Our will is sometimes (in my case very, very, very) stubborn. Our will is probably the last ounce of our old selves that remains within the face of complete surrender. The will of God, however, can be dangerous to our personal dreams and aspirations because He might call us elsewhere…but...if we chose to accept His will over ours, He provides us with something far better than we could have ever hoped and dreamed of.

We serve a dangerous God.
That doesn’t mean that He sets out to cause us pain or discomfort, but God calls us and prompts us to this attitude of complete surrender. Faith is blind sometimes. When we utter the words “Your Will be done” we have released our self-chosen pathways, our wants and our often selfish wishlists in life, which we have clutched tight-fisted and unwavering in resolve. His will is not always our will, but can we face a simple truth that releases us to see this dangerous God? That truth – He knows better than we do. He can and will guide us. He wants to lead us. He is prepared to help us on this journey of Holiness, but we must utter those four, sometimes frightening, words – YOUR. WILL. BE. DONE.

Confessions:
I still struggle with those words…do you?

Sometimes I find myself fighting against His will. I think that I know better and so I pray my will into things, people and aspirations once again. I take back that which I had surrendered to Him. I take back my trust in His leading. I take back my faith and choose my will over His..do you find yourself here as well? I believe God wants us to honestly inventory our lives. I believe He desires an honest relationship with us and we must actively decide whether or not those four words are true of us. Are they true of you today?

-Prayer: Dear Lord, I confess that I have not always prayed and surrendered to Your will. Forgive me when I have taken You for granted and that of Your love. Teach me to trust you more deeply. Show me how I can live within Your will more fully. I know that You long for a deeper relationship with me, guide me, break me, melt me, mold me again. -Amen.

June 23, 2014 0