Dear Salvationist, Why Rank Doesn’t Matter…

“One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgments men pass on each other. The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office he has held, but only the quality of his deeds and the character of his mind and heart.” -Samuel Logan Brengle

I am not wishing to pick a fight – not my intention.
I am not shaking my fist at “the establishment” either.
But…I do think Brengle was right – when it’s all said and done your rank, your position in life, your amazing accomplishments mean absolutely nothing. It won’t matter if you were a General, a Major, a Colonel, a Captain, an Adherent (I am purposely putting this in a nonsensical order)…it will not matter at all. You could have been a Divisional Commander, or just an A/V sound booth guy on Sunday Mornings – it all won’t matter.

Why Rank Doesn’t Matter:
Because like this life…
like your current cellular phone…
like the computer you use at home or at work…
like the food in your refrigerator…
IT. IS. ALL. TEMPORARY.

What we do with these temporal things and titles, however, is what truly matters.
If we lord over others because someone has given us authority – then we are certainly unwise with these temporal things.
If we squander our time and our talents, we too are unwise with that temporal thing or gift.
If we are good stewards of what and where God has placed us, however, and we live for Him in and through all things – we are wisely using these temporal things.

What we do matters.
How we live matters.
Where God places us matter.
Our Attitudes, Pride, Humility, Love, Hate, Generosity or Greed – It all matters.

Dear Salvationist:
Just because you wear a uniform doesn’t necessarily mean you are God’s soldier. It boils down to your heart, and where you stand with your Savior.
Despite the facade, even the uniform (duh) will not save us.
Dare I say some become Officers or Soldiers because of the assumed power it provides them. It is simply a tool to misuse and abuse. I am confident that this is not the majority of us, but be mindful of the snakes and vipers sometimes posing as Soldiers (even in our Army). We still live in an imperfect world though now as Kingdom people we can bring hope to those seeking.

We all must be sober of thought and honest with God.
In other words “check yourself, before you wreck yourself”.
Rank and Power in our world will fade – they will mean nothing when we stand before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…though, what we do with what we’ve been given WILL matter.

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.…” Psalm 24:3-5

Should there be ranks and order in our Army? Of course…I’m not talking at all about anarchy…but what I am talking about is something deeply personal for all of us. Are our heart and motives clean? Are we living for God or are we living for ourselves? Is there work still needing to be done in our lives? Changes needing to be made in our attitudes and our hearts? This is an ongoing mission…with an ongoing need for personal holiness.
I am only scratching at an itch that begs to have the whole salve of the Holy Spirit upon it. Without Him we can do nothing.

When it’s all said and done, the heart of our mission and our purpose will be evaluated by the Most High. This isn’t said to scare us, but rather to provide us a reality check.

So…how are you doing?

Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory.

January 15, 2016 6

Dear Salvationist -Watch Your Mouth!

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29

The Holiness Movement is far from dead.
We, as Salvationists, have within our veins more than the figurative colors of red, yellow, blue…we have the image of Christ within our hearts. Not to say that other Christ-followers do not, or that we are better than anyone else, but this message, this pondering is primarily for Salvationists in our world today.

We face difficulties in our communities and in our culture which makes it hard to be truly set apart for God. The lure of many things comes knocking at our doors and begs us to participate, to comprise, to ignore this calling. Is it possible to look so much like the culture that our effectiveness in mission is compromised? Is there a line that begs and pleads alluringly to be crossed? What of our attitudes, our hearts, and our speech? Do these go hand in hand with our lifestyles, with our mission?

There isn’t a time clock that we punch when we accept this holy mission of Christ’s. We are either all in or not at all. We don’t wear the uniform to the corps but once it’s off at home we become someone else, with a different set of life rules. We are beckoned to “go into all the world…” We are asked to “take up our crosses” and follow Christ. If we are to imitate Him in every way (Ephesians 5:1), then this includes what we say.

Confession:
I can be cynical at times (That’s not a shock to some of you).
I always joke that I have the spiritual gift of sarcasm, but sometimes that sarcasm takes a very harmful turn. My speech isn’t always as it should be. Words can become barbs that are razor sharp that can cut to the heart of people faster than any blade could ever penetrate. I know this of myself. I make no excuse of this. Does that mean I wish to continue to the live my life in a verbal rut? Of course not!

Dear Salvationist
Do you have the deep desire to continue to grow in Christ?
Is there, within your heart, the Spirit’s pleading to become more than you are right now?
Are we settling for the verbal ruts, the bad habits, the inexcusable behavior? Do we make excuses and/or rationalize these away in order to make them more palatable and accepted? I can tell you truthfully that you will never really know peace within your heart as long as you continue to reside where the Holy Spirit does not want you to reside – in regards to ungodly habits and behaviors that are contrary to your covenant or promise to Him.

Like our tithe, like our commitments to God – if we continue to only give Him a portion, we will never be truly satisfied living within His will. What is God’s will for us? Read Micah 6:8 again “He has shown you, oh man what is good and what the Lord requires from you. To live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Watch Your Mouth!
Be mindful of your mission field.
Be aware of how ungodly speech corrupts your heart and those around you.
What kind of speech am I talking about? Not just profanity and course language, but (and more importantly) unkind words towards others, Gossip of any kind, malicious-hate fueled speech. Words that do not build up but instead destroy. Soldiers of this Army; more importantly Soldiers of God do not act this way…should not act this way! Watch your mouth…it can build souls and help them become more Christ-like, or it can burn the heart and fuel it into hatred towards God…that is how helpful or harmful your words can be.

Questions to Ponder Today:
How can I change my patterns of speech?
Do I recognize those moments when my words become barbs and are used as weapons?
What is the Holy Spirit instructing me to do within my actions and my use of speech?
What kinds of changes do I need to make right now?
Have I settled for where I am right now or am I willing to grow through the direction of the Holy Spirit?

Something more for our Army to ponder on today.
To God be the glory!

January 14, 2016 5

Dear Salvation Army, Short Changing Tithe?

This is a pondering that attempts to meddle – I’m sorry.
I was asked by one of our readers to do a pondering on this topic…it’s a good one. It is a rather relevant one too, isn’t it? If we were truly honest with ourselves (and no one else) – we might admit that there are times when we take our resources and our blessings for granted.

Individually
In a world, currently that is consumed with who will win the next Powerball lottery jackpot, we don’t often fathom what we already have to be a true blessing…because we crave more.

I do not mean to step on anyone’s toes today, any more than I am already stepping heavily upon my own – and this hurts. But I can confess that I have, at times, neglected to give the Lord the best…instead I’ve given Him what’s left. Why would we do such a thing? How could we neglect the Author of Life our first fruits? Life does happen. Bills sometimes pile up. Children, like vacuums, suck the dollars right out of your wallet. But are those just excuses sometimes? Am I just attempting to rationalize my spending or my haphazard, inconsistent giving? -Yes.

You might say that I’m being hard on myself…perhaps I am. But who ought to take responsibility for what we do or don’t do? Will anyone else take that blame from me? Is it someone else’s fault when I short change God with my tithes of time, talent and treasure? Of course not.

Corporately
I am not shifting blame, please don’t take it that way.
I wonder sometimes if, as leaders, we set the bar higher for others and yet that bar suddenly doesn’t apply to us? Does this happen? Are there times (in any organization and/or church) when leadership decides these are the guidelines for those under them, but those same guidelines do not apply to the administrators of those same guidelines? Do double standards apply to financial giving from Administration to Subordinates? Does this happen from IHQ/THQ/DHQ/Corps? I certainly hope not, this is not necessarily my experience.

Where does financial accountability play into this?
How important is it to be consistent from Administration all the way down to volunteer and soldier/adherent/attendee?

Let me give you my opinion on this subject – Accountability matters from the top down, and from the down to the top. We must be accountable with the big things, we must also be accountable with the small things regardless of rank or lack there of.

Back To You And Me
We can not, however, afford to look over the fence at anyone else other than ourselves when it comes to being good stewards of the things God has given to us to take care of. We are accountable first to God, then to those He has placed above us. What we do with our time, talent and treasure matters. How we spend any of that – matters. Who we are in and out of church or the office – matters. There isn’t a time clock that we sluggishly punch each day then get home and take off our masks to become someone else. We are His – that should be our identity.

Questions to Ponder:
I find it very interesting that other “churches” (and I know we’re not specifically a church) support the ministries they do through tithing…It is equally interesting that most Salvation Army corps cannot fully support the ministries they do in their communities, let alone World Services through tithing alone…is that a good thing or bad thing? Is it because many of our corps members do not have the financial resources to consistently tithe? (this could very well be the case)

Have I, or am I (on a personal level) short changing God in my tithing?
Am I building MY kingdom here with stuff, trophies of my accomplishments, hoarding my resources…is this who I am?
Are there areas of my life where self-denial is lacking?
Can I be honest with myself and with God when it comes to my tithing habits?
Are there other places in the world that could use my financial contributions?
Do I give consistently to World Services?
Do I give consistently to my Corps?
Do I care about poverty in my world? What can I do to help?
Do my contributions matter?
Am I giving enough? Is it Net or Gross Pay?

There is much to discover and ponder in this topic today…I hope the shoe prints on our toes fade…then again, maybe not.

Something more to for us to ponder today!

Disclaimer: The opinions and thoughts expressed in Pastorsponderings.org are the expressed opinions and thoughts of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 13, 2016 8

Dear Salvation Army, The New Song Book

You know, as they say, “Out with the old, in with the new”…but a part of me is feeling a little melancholy about this one. I can still remember the old song book, now twice removed. It has been put to pasture years ago, but for a few still lingering upon shelves of Salvation Army libraries or others who feel sentimental like me. I remember how that book smelled. Its pages were crisp and contained many of the songs I grew up singing. Some of those songs are still intact, reprinted with a new paint job and a new format inside this new song book. (Phew that was a lot of “news“) Some of the old songs, will inevitably have to wait for another resurrection, until some of us sentimentals grow older and find we really do miss seeing those lyrics among the pages of a Salvo Book.

Nonetheless, I do like this new edition…it is growing on me. (Although, I realize that I too am not always amenable to change.)
The segregation of the chorus section is no more. Newer, more singable chorus are now included. The creators of this edition even took the time to incorporate scriptural referencing as well as thematic messages…it’s a Holiness meeting (and other meetings) preparer’s dream to have this new tool within these pages!

From a corps perspective, soldiers by and large, enjoy seeing this new song book among the pews. I wonder if most soldiers, adherents and attendees feel the same? I would be curious to know other people’s thoughts and first impressions of this new song book as it hits the pews around the world.

For Me:
It’s still growing on me. It’s going to take some time as I put my long goodbyes away for “old red” and begin to feel the inevitable present-tense of this new tool in songbook form.

There are other, more pressing issues to ponder about…but for just a moment I had to find time to ruminate on the passing of another song book, besides I’m going to miss seeing those red bound books in the pews…perhaps that’s just me.

What do you think of this change?
Is it good, bad, kind of the same? Tell us what YOU think.

Something more to ponder today.

Disclaimer:
The views of pastorsponderings.org are the writer’s thoughts and opinions and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army.

January 11, 2016 33

The Gift Of Giving (Gary’s Story)

Perhaps you have stopped at a fast food restaurant and gone through the drive thru, or you have stopped at a toll booth only to discover someone has “paid it forward” as the clerk cheerfully tells you “The car ahead of you paid for yours”. It’s a surprising feeling isn’t it; experiencing someone else’s generosity? Perhaps for some of us, it’s a little humbling. For others it reinforces the need to give back.

The gift of giving truly is the meaning of Christmas.
We stop to recognize the ultimate gift that was given to humanity – Christ Jesus. Perhaps in some small way we can give back to our communities and to specific people. Giving isn’t always natural…sometimes it needs to be forced, sometimes we need a little convincing.

There is no need to convince Gary though, he has been giving to our Red Campaign this Christmas season in a manner of his time and talent. Gary has been bell ringing for The Salvation Army of Evansville for as much time as he can give this year. Some days, it is a whole day’s shift from 10 am in the morning, until it gets dark outside. He has been vigilant, dependable and a constant feature at one of our Walmart locations. Every evening when the red kettle driver picks up Gary’s bucket, you can rest assured it is a full bucket of much needed funds.

There is something else about Gary you should know, other than his generosity of time and talent. For those two vital assets alone are truly commendable and honorable. But there’s something more about Gary – something that would shake the very fabric of our lives and quake us to the core and make us evaluate everything that we hold dear and consider important in life – Gary has terminal Leukemia.

His doctors have given him roughly nine months to live. He could be doing anything with his precious time that he has left. He could be crossing off things on his bucket list, and perhaps he is. He could have gone home and wallowed in self-pity – no one would have blamed him. Yet, Gary is paying it forward in such a way that lives will be touched and changed. Gary is so much more than just a bell ringer at yet another red kettle campaign. Gary is giving more than just another few hours at a random kettle location. Gary is giving of himself. This is his gift. This is his moment to shine.

I wonder if we’re all capable of giving as Gary is giving today?
I wonder if we could simply give without terms or conditions, and just give of ourselves regardless of the circumstances of our lives? I recognize that life isn’t always perfect, I’m also pretty sure there has never been any promises that life is fair and perfect from the start. Many of us have bruises and scars to prove just how unfair and imperfect life can truly be.
BUT the gift of giving truly MUST transcend our circumstances and conditions. We shouldn’t ever say “well I couldn’t give because the moment just wasn’t right…” well, let me ask you when will the moment ever be right? (and I’m speaking to myself right now) We can’t continue to make excuses in life – it doesn’t matter where we’ve been or the hurts we’ve endured – how we come out of those moments truly will define us.

Gary is testament to a defying circumstances.
He has touched my heart in a way that I am forever changed.
His gift is so much more than eight hours out at a Salvation Army kettle stand. Despite his circumstances, Gary is displaying what living life should look like.

Do you have time to give? Then give it.
Do you have talents to give? Then give it.
Do you have treasure to give? Then give it.
Don’t make excuses, don’t hold back, don’t squander it or hoard it.
Our gifts come in many shapes and sizes…what we do with these gifts matters!

Something more to ponder today.

December 22, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army – Matters Of The Heart

Dear Salvation Army,
What we do day in and day out matters in our world.
Don’t ever forget why we do what we do.
If we ever lose sight of this relationship that we have with Christ, His Holy Presence with us, I fear we will lose our way completely!

This work is arduous.
This work is often without reward – we don’t seek rewards or earthly recognition…do we? The mission we have been given is to provide hope, to show others the way to Christ, to instill the deep need for Holiness in our corps and in our lives. We are, at times a gateway for those who have never set foot into a church, let alone those who have never left the door open to a Christ that cares.

The Salvation Army doesn’t exist to feed ourselves, it should never be an organization sold out to the almighty dollar and the stipulations assigned to those funds. Sometimes when compromise happens, one wonders where our “walk by faith” went? We aren’t in this mission to merely survive…we will thrive and be faithful in all seasons including those in which we struggle.

Programs & Lies We Buy…
If all we do is programs and our hearts remain at home, we will have a soul-less building devoid of people seeking spiritual growth, holiness and this new creation we are to become. Sometimes I fear we settle for what is instead of what could be…or what SHOULD be. Soldiers, in essence we listen to the lies of the Great Deceiver when we buy into the acceptance of where we are right now and that we are incapable anymore of growing in the grace that Christ offers. We convince ourselves that we aren’t good enough to receive entire sanctification, or we must become biblical scholars to get there. We make every excuse in the book to NOT change that we run the risk of becoming stagnant and meaningless. This is exactly where Satan wants us to remain. If we remain here, we are no longer fit to be called an Army of Salvation, but instead the Army of Stagnation. This is pretty harsh, because I believe we buy the lie that we cannot grow, or that we are limited in our growth. I believe we stunt our growth and the workings of the Holy Spirit when we don’t allow Him access to EVERY corner of our hearts, minds and lives.

Discipleship of the Heart…
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

We need to understand that what our corps do – matters.
What WE do as Soldiers in and out of the buildings we frequent MATTERS! This matter of the heart – means that we are living intentional lives both for the benefit of other believers and future seekers of Christ, as well as for our spiritual growth and development.

Dear Salvation Army Soldier,
Be teach able.
Allow not only the Holy Spirit to instruct you in continual growth, but also other believers in the faith. Do not allow your hearts to become hardened. Do not become stiff necked people, who reflect more of the Pharisees of old than Christ himself. When we lose sight of whose reflection we ought to emulate, we will have lost our reason for being an Army of Salvation.

Be Intentional
The words your choose, the friends you empower, the content (both visual and literary) you consume, the attitude you have around your community…IT ALL MATTERS. If you cannot recognize the need for continual spiritual growth in your life, then beware. We cannot become an army of arrogance and ignorance in regards to the matters of the heart.

Be Holy.
In word and deed – be holy. Strive to be Christ-like.
Don’t take the short cuts, don’t sell out your faith or cheapen it in anyway. Recognize that what you do on Monday through Saturday is just as important as what you do on Sunday in the Holiness meeting…it just might be more important.

This message is for Adherents, Soldiers, Officers, Commissioners as well as the General. It MUST be a matter of the heart. We cannot only rely on “the law” to prop up what we do – we must first be HIS, and from that everything else must flow. How is your heart? Have you been guilty of listening to the lie? Have you sold your need of Holiness short? Is it incomplete? Are you stagnating right now in your faith journey? Perhaps this is my wake call…perhaps this is yours. It is a matter of our hearts. Forget all the programs that we throw around to “attract people”, forget all the “doing” that we are good at…it means absolutely nothing if our hearts are not completely His.

Something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory.

*Disclaimer: the thoughts and opinions express on Pastorsponderings are the writer’s own thoughts and opinions and are not necessarily the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army.*

December 1, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, Are You Missing Out?

It is that time of year again – Thanksgiving meals to host, Red Kettles to send out, toys to collect and pick up, volunteers to appreciate and direct…the list goes on.

If you go to The Salvation Army and/or are employed by The Salvation Army, (Officer/Employee/otherwise) you know just how hectic this time of year can become. There are moments when there isn’t enough hours in the day to get what needs to be done completed. We can become harried, worn out and sometimes short-fused.

Sometimes we tend to dread this season of Christmas because we are so very busy. Don’t get me wrong, it is a wonderful thing that we do for people in our communities, but it does come at a cost. We can become jaded by what we do so much so that we lose sight of why we do it in the first place. Sometimes we lose out on precious opportunities because our noses are firmly planted to “the grind”.

Don’t Miss Out!
Here are a few things that I have learned thus far whilst being an Officer, and before that, an Officer’s kid at this time of year:

1. Look up from time to time.
Don’t become so focused on stats and figures and logistics that people get lost in the shuffle. Look up, look into people’s eyes, take a precious moment (not the porcelain figurine) away from the busyness and look up at those around you.

2. Take a minute break – unplug for a short time.
It sounds preposterous to “take a break” during our busiest season, but step outside. Go get a cup of coffee. Do something for ten or fifteen minutes (even an hour if you can afford to) that gets you away from the noise and responsibilities. This is sometimes called “self-care”. It’s maintenance for the mind, soul, body. Breathe.

3. Listen.
Again, it sounds funny to say this when we have some many people wanting a moment of our time, but learn to listen…to the right things at the right moment. The Lord DOES place people on our path that edify and encourage us (sometimes those we least suspect), and He also puts certain people on our path that we can help share His hope with. Put down the planner, put down the pen, take your eyes off of the Christmas data entry on the computer…and just listen.

We have a distinct opportunity to reach new believers during this time of year. Sure, there are those few who are “Seasonal Christians” who only come at Christmas and Easter, but there are also some deeply impactful moments that one can have with people who are desperately searching for something meaningful in their lives. We know that Christ is the answer – and we (if we are listening) can spur on those deeply spiritual moments.

4. Intentional Worship
Not only should we anticipate the business of this season, we should also anticipate God’s Holy Presences in our worship. Worship isn’t exclusively what we do on Sunday mornings either. Worship can take place while we drive bell ringers out to their sites – and the conversations that we engage in while in that van. That van can become a sacred space, as sacred as any penitent form or altar.

Let’s face it, we’re all familiar with certain “catch-phrases” or cliches associated with the Christmas season. There’s one particular cliche’ spoken often around this time of year, and it goes like this “Wise men still seek Him” – I’m not one to use these tired phrases, but we DO need to be intentional in our worship of the Most High. There needs to be personal preparation before we come before Him. We ought to check our motives, attitudes, grudges, conflicts at the door and navigate the deep, personal waters of our hearts. We must set aside these sacred spaces within our hearts in order to ensure we aren’t people with divided hearts. We do not want to miss experiencing His presence because we are too busy or too consumed with STUFF.

Questions to Ponder:
Are You Missing Out?
Are you so busy that you actually dread Christmas?
Are Sunday services and other worship opportunities merely a afterthought?
How can you make this Christmas season count?
-There’s nothing specifically special about one specific day, but more people are open to Christ during this time of year.

What would happen if we listened more intently?

Don’t miss out on experiencing His Holy Presence or the opportunity to make a lasting impact on someone’s life because you find yourself too busy at this time of year. Be intentional, be aware and be His Ambassador of grace and peace.

Something more to ponder today!
God Bless You!

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed on Pastorsponderings.org do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Salvation Army and are the sole property of Scott Strissel. Thanks for reading!

November 24, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, Identity Crisis or just “More than a Church”?

“We are an army of soldiers of Christ, organised as perfectly as we have been able to accomplish, seeking no church status, avoiding as we would the plague of every denominational rut, in order perpetually to reach more and more of those who live outside every church boundary.” (Commissioner George Scott Railton)

No church is perfect.
No Christian witness is flawless.
No song we sing can ever compare to the Holiness of God.

Dear Soldier of The Salvation Army,
I don’t necessarily see our mission and identity as completely “Church”.
Yes, we celebrate the resurrected Christ.
We recognize Jesus as the Son of God; the only way to eternal life and the source of salvation to the world; but this good news cannot be contained within four walls of a church building can it? No! We are called to go out into the world. Our mission as The Salvation Army is about being faithful to going out into our communities. It’s not just about feeding and clothing the poor, but this is a starting place!

We should represent the most welcoming aspect of “Church” in our communities to those who truly will “come as you are”! Many that we have the opportunity to reach will be unchurched, uneducated in “church etiquette”, and having little to no practice in biblical understanding. Some will know, but life has often times robbed them (whether through conscience choice or beyond their control) of their dignity, hope and joy. Yet, because of our mission, we have the capacity to welcome them into our buildings and provide for them more than just a morsel of food, but something more substantial – living water, and living bread.

We Are Not Perfect!
This organization is NOT perfect, it does have its flaws, it’s politics, its issues, as do we all as individuals.
There are numerous social issues we MUST fight for, however, that begs us to put these faults and imperfections aside and get back to work within our mission. If we can first get past the fact that we are flawed, we are imperfect even within our uniforms, we can make a more rapid response to the plight of people all around us.

We MUST be humble!

Officers & Soldiers, no matter what rank you are, no matter how long you have served, no matter how “high” you go up in the structure of our Army – know this: we do not serve as soldiers in this Army to attain rank and position. This should never be our aim and first pursuit. Unlike the world around us, our mission for Christ is about winning souls, serving souls, and caring for the lost, sick and afflicted. We cannot afford to become sidetracked on fame, rank, power, position or anything that would entrap us. The father of lies would love for us to become entangled in this game of church politics and army power wrangling…because if we do become ensnared in this, we become limited within the scope of our mission and its success.

The disciples of Jesus even argued about this very thing.
They wrangled about who would be the greatest disciple.
They tried to show off, look better, be more attentive to Jesus…it wasn’t what Jesus wanted from them.
So Jesus set them straight:
^“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. ⁴⁸Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:46-48)

Dear Soldiers, we must be completely humble.
None of us should think we are greater than our fellow soldier.
We need each other and so we too must humble ourselves.
“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

No, we do not have an identity crisis in our Army…we simply have to recall what our identity is and should be for future generations! The structure of this Army is to get beyond Church walls, beyond Church boundaries, politics, policy and procedures and to reach into our communities toward those who have been rejected by everyone else. We must reach into our communities for those who are disparaged, discouraged, disillusioned, drugged out, pimped out, drunk, condemned, and without all hope.

So, what is your identity as a soldier of this army?
Are you humbly serving as a soldier of Christ?
Where is He sending you?
What is holding you back?
Who in your community is the fallen and rejected?
Can you go to them?
Will you show them love and grace and offer them hope?

Dear Salvation Army, let’s keep up this fight!
We are not finished yet!
Our calling still stands – His Holy Spirit will guide us!

Something more for our Army to ponder today!

Disclaimer: These postings and ponderings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Salvation Army.”

September 22, 2015 3

Dear Salvation Army, 5 Ministry Life Hacks That Can Improve Your Ministry

You’ve seen all of the life hack ideas out there.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were Ministry Life Hacks? Well, there are.
I’ve done a little digging on the web as well as thought of some realistic ministry hacks on my own.
I should point out though that ministry hacks are necessarily short cuts or a means to short change your ministry…it still takes hard work and determination, but perhaps we should be thinking smarter about the way we do things instead of making it harder when there could be a simpler way.

5 Life Hacks That Can Improve Your Ministry
These might be some obvious and/or not so obvious to you.
The key in our ministries is to be relateable, realistic and holy.
How do we do these things?
-Consistency
-Be Real
-Be Honest
-Be Available
You get the point.
Anyway…here we go…

1. YouTube Mini Webisodes
Here’s a hack within a hack –

Your corps could do these type of videos in your services as well…it’s really very simple.
You might also consider doing these videos instead of your regular “announcement time”.

Most smart phones these days are affordable and relatively easy to navigate.
The world becomes closer to your fingertips and using it for the right reasons makes all the difference. We ought to take advantage of these media platforms. It’s really not hard. The hard part is adding content to places like YouTube that people will actually watch and/or be interested in. Make sure the videos you post are well thought out, planned and creative. YouTube channels are free. You can add one yourself with just a google e-mail account. With the use of a smart phone you can now upload simple webisodes and/or informational content to your YouTube channel. You don’t have to have a big budget on video editing equipment to get your message out to the masses. Experiment and give it a try for yourself!

2. Keep And Sync Your Lotus Notes Calendar to all your (approved) devices
(Or Google Calendar)
Again, the nice thing about modern technology is that you can organize your life.
I have a confession, I’m not the most organized person in the world, in fact I’m far from it.
I need this kind of help on a daily basis in order to keep track of my schedule and calendar of events.
You can use IBM’s Lotus Notes Calendar and have it synced to your phones…it works!
If you’re more of a web-based calendar person, you can use google calendar (Note: I really don’t work for google, seriously, it just stuff that I’ve found through trial and error that works).

Maybe you’re like me and you’re unorganized and you need help.
Try using a calendar for a month…stick with it. Any new habit has to be formed and it takes time.

3. Media Saturated Social Media Posts

Image of male touching virtual icon of social network — There will undoubtedly be someone out there who will say (and comment) “*Well, what about just using the Bible and preach the gospel, we don’t need all of this stuff!*” If that’s the case then don’t use all this stuff. This is just a means to make our ministry smarter, better prepared and sharper.

If your corps/ministry uses social media then use it well!
Put your phones to use by taking photos of events and posting them.
Put thought provoking content on you Corps facebook page, twitter account, tumblr and any other media platform you may use. Keep your corps members engaged through out the week. If your sermon on Sunday can spill over onto your website or social media page then do that! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay connected and be a source of hope and challenge to your corps members and community!

It’s really taking the quote “Why should the devil have all the good music” and bringing it into the modern generation. Why should the devil have all the good media content (other than the occasional “if you love God then click ‘like’ if you don’t then ignore” dumb posts you see sometimes on places like Facebook)?

Being innovative in your ministry doesn’t mean selling the truth of the gospel out.
I. Am. Not. Saying. That. (But someone will certainly accuse me of this today…just watch)
What I’m merely suggesting is we ought to use the tools that we have at our finger tips to get that message out more and in a more accessible and visible way.

4. Be Prepared!
It’s really not a new life ministry hack.
Do you remember the old Colonel or Major that used to tell you “keep an extra sermon in your bible just in case” THIS STILL APPLIES! Preparation is King! Always have a message to speak. Be creative, be innovative, be prepared! It’s so much more than the Boy Scout motto. It ought to be the Christ-follower’s motto as well!

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter 3:15)

Maybe put down the tv remote and refrain from watching another hour of programming.
Maybe put aside that video game that you’re totally immersed in.
Maybe get up a little earlier each morning and get some spiritual preparation under your belt by spending time in prayer and meditating on God.
Maybe put aside any other distractions that might get in the way of your preparation as a minister/Officer/Soldier/Evangelist/Worship Leader/Corps Sergeant Major/YPSM (the list goes on)…

Maybe read a challenging book about the Christian faith.
Maybe do something that stretches you.
Do whatever prepares you to engage our world and those we have the privilege to minister to.

5. Connect with Corps Members Through Intentional Social Events.

If food is the way to a man’s heart, then social events are the way to your corps people’s hearts.
How else will we connect on a fellowship level if we don’t intentionally schedule events that will allow us to “let our hair down”? All families, singles, divorcees, seniors, middle agers, young adults crave some sort of social connection other than Sunday morning worship times. Don’t skimp of the fellowship times because you think it’s a frivolous waste of time. Schedule. Connect. Don’t make it all about some sort of additional bible study time. Don’t be afraid to have some fun with your corps members. This allows them access to you as a person and not just their officer or local officer. Be real. Make the attempt. This ministry life hack is the grease to the ‘cohesive body of Christ’ cog.

These are a mere five suggestions to help improve your ministry.
Do you have additional suggestions? Comment below and share with us your insight!
Join the conversation, that’s what these ponderings are all about!

Something more for our Army to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

September 2, 2015 0

Dear Salvation Army, 5 Difficult Questions That Most Christians Will Avoid

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Today I want to open up a pondering like no other.
It’s a pondering that can often be difficult because no one seems to want to talk about it.
Many Christians will skirt around these topics and tend to avoid it at all cost.
This…is just the tip of the iceberg, and perhaps a book ought to be written about it (hmmm perhaps I will).

I’m tired of ducking this conversation, pretending as if everything is fine and we never struggle at all.
I’m tired of pretending to be something we’re not…humanly perfect in every way, shape and form.
If we, as an Army, want to move on, if we want to progress forward – we have to talk about the topics we often shy away from.
Let’s start today:

5 Difficult Questions That Most Christians Will Avoid:

Doubt (Is God Even Real?)
What do we call the Apostle Thomas? That’s right, “Doubting Thomas“. Why? Because he dared to expose the fact that he had doubts and he questioned the testimony of others. He finally gets his wish, Jesus shows him his nail pierced hands, feet and stab-wounded side and Thomas believes. Is it a sin to doubt? No. Is it a sin to question? Absolutely not.Let’s dispel that myth today about doubting. We ought to be asking all sorts of questions about God, about the Bible, about life. It’s not a sin to be inquisitive and demand more proof. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 even says to “test everything and hold onto what is good.” So let me relieve some guilt in some of you today, it’s okay to have your doubts from time to time. Pray about those doubts. Ask God for some further evidence, and/or for Him to reveal Himself to you. I do not believe the time for Godly revelation has passed. If we doubt, then seek out the answers. Don’t settle for simple answers of merely “having faith”…push back and test these things for yourself. Faith isn’t about believing what your parents or grandparents believe…it’s not familial in that way, it ought to also be a personal ideology of belief. If we do not have a foundation there, then we really don’t have a lasting foundation at all.So News Flash, don’t beat yourself up over the fact that you encounter doubts in your life. Sometimes within those moments of doubting we begin to seek out the answers on a deeper level, and we begin to get serious about establishing a personalized faith that lacks any of the frilly phrases and meaningless jargon we sometimes find in Church.
Sexuality (Pornography and other addictions)
Sometimes questions about sexuality and specific sexual addictions are swept under the rug in the church and family. It’s never talked about, and so it becomes this type of “hush, hush” conversation.We are sexual creatures, God has created us this way. Sex is good. (yes I said it, SEX IS GOOD!)
It is for creating offspring but it is also for our enjoyment. The problem, though is that we never talk about pornography and sexual addictions which isn’t only prolific within culture, but it is prolific even in the church. This is an often unspoken, private struggle, and rightly so, but we ought to recognize that the Church should be a source of honest, candidness when it comes to struggles and temptations of the sexual nature.I do recognize that addictions of any kind ought to be treated by professionals, but that doesn’t negate the responsibility of the Church (and we as an Army) to have honest conversations about its real existence among our ranks. It does exist. It is a real struggle for many, and we cannot simply cover it up and pretend it doesn’t effect us. I believe that if we are honest, this type of temptation is more prolific that we give it credit for. It doesn’t even have to be pornographic images from adult websites either, it can be things we have seen on television or read in the pages of books.

Sex is good, but we need to confront the marring of these important displays of affection by the sin nature and the distortion of sexual reality that pornographic addiction provides to our culture and to church. We cannot simply pretend it doesn’t exist and close our eyes to its existence.
If I work harder, will I become perfect? (Works+Success=Spiritual Crowns)
–The Desire To Be Perfect By Outcome based performances –
If I just sing “O Boundless Salvation” well enough…
If I just wear my uniform better…
If I do more around the corps and show others how good I can be…
If I play in the band every Sunday…
If I
If I
If I….
Don’t get me wrong, these are great things to do within our corps and our ministries, but if we believe that doing all of these things in the right order will win us crowns, and that’s all we’re doing it for, then we’re sorely mistaken.Sometimes I fear that we have this notion that doing STUFF will make us successful in the Kingdom of God. We tend to believe: All that this Army is really about is adding more to the ranks. -False.
All that we do is good works so others will pat us on the backs. -False again.
We cannot become humanly perfect…that isn’t our goal.
The Pharisees even wished to impose this on the Jews in their day, and they themselves were merely law enforcers but not law abiders. Holiness is not the same thing as human perfection. When God says to us “Be holy as I am holy” what did He mean? Is holiness about doing STUFF? No! We have to first believe and have faith before the outpouring of evidence (Works/Stuff) can be seen.So stop stressing over wearing your uniform better, or performing at a better level…these things might be important at some point, but God first looks at your heart…so how is your heart?
Is This Authentic, am I Realistic?
(putting on the “Christian coat”)
Layered on top of all of this is the “Christian Coat”.
It’s what we do to pretend everything is okay.
It’s for appearances. It’s for other people to see. It’s a facade. It’s not real. We sometimes think to ourselves, if my Corps Officer or Divisional Officer or Pastor could see how it really is at home, they would be horrified.
We have this concept in our minds that we must act a certain way in church in order to “look the part”. The sad thing is – it’s all fake, and what we’re really doing is holding true fellowship and authenticity at arms length. We aren’t really allowing others to see how it really is with us. We wear masks, we pretend everything is normal and holy at home, when it’s anything but normal and holy.Are we embarrassed?
Are we afraid our fellow Christian brothers and sisters will judge us? -Yes. I’m no fool in this either, I know how cruel other Christians can be…and it really ought not be that way. We put up these barriers and wear masks because we’re afraid how we will really be treated if others knew how it really was with us. So we wear the tunic…we put on the Christian coat…but it’s all surfaced, it’s all phony.Listen, forget what those judgey Christians are going to think.
Who are you going to honor in your authentic faith – Man or God?
In the long run who matters most? It’s a crying shame that we have to protect ourselves from other “Christians”, but maybe if we started to take off these masks and these “Christian coats” true revival and true fellowship will once again take place. Sometimes the best way to get rid of fake, judgmental “Christians” is to be real and honest and genuine. So, take off that coat.
What Do I Do When My Family Implodes?
Lastly today, what do I do when my family implodes…believe it or not Christian families struggle just as much with rebellion and issues as non-Christians families. We sometimes have this false notion that just because our families go to church we will be insulated from some of these issues. Guess what? They still exist. They still can effect our families. We get so embarrassed about how other Salvationists, how other Christians will react if they only knew we’re barely surviving at home…Can I be honest with you? Families do implode from time to time. Families will not always agree from time to time. It might be a full out battle once in a while (and some of you are saying “once in a while, try all the time!)…I think if we go back to being authentic and real, and vulnerable with one another, we would find that there would be more common ground that we ever realized. Sure, there will be the occasional sour, judgmental church goer who is more pharisee than Christian, but we would also find other authentic believers who just want someone to listen to their heartaches and the pain they are going through with their kids and/or families.I dare you to take a risk and to share your burdens with other believers…but choose wisely, find believers who will listen, who will love, and who will challenge you for the good.

These are just five difficult questions to ponder today…many times we’d like to shy away from such discourse, but I believe it’s vital to ask the question and to find the answers when they can be found.
Do you have feedback or questions of your own? We welcome your comments and questions. Let’s dialogue together a little longer on this subject.

Something more to ponder today!
To God be the glory!

Special thanks to my wife, Shanais Strissel who helps me clarify and inspires me in these ponderings!