Dear Salvation Army, Selling Your Soul For Relevancy…

It is one thing to be culturally relevant in our worship settings:
-For the music to be relevant to the demographics of our congregations.
-For the messages to be relevant to our target audiences.
I’m not saying relevancy is wrong…we need to be relevant to some degree!

But…

could there ever be a point at which we sell our souls for the sake of relevancy?
How far is too far?

How far do we go in order to reach our local cultures yet do not lose our souls in the process? There is no denying that The Salvation Army is needed and has the capacity to do wonderful things as we strive to help people in need. We mustn’t lose this in any transformational process. We cannot lose our identities as an Army of Salvation for the sake of “fitting in”. Booth wasn’t so much concerned with “fitting in” as he was concerned with meeting human needs in Christ’s name. He even worked with politicians to change labor laws and make working conditions safer for people by building a match factory. Booth wasn’t about merely “fitting in”, he (Catherine too of course) was about making a difference in people’s lives while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wearing a uniform doesn’t quite allow any of its Salvationists to “fit in”…but they are certainly identifiable, and these elements which make us stand out can help us to be a light in a seemingly dark world. We have the capacity to help transform lives with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. Our main goal should never just be about relevancy. This isn’t the main principle of what we do and who we are (or vice-versa). The principle can still be summed up in one of our oldest slogans “Soup, Soap, Salvation!” We were formed to go for souls and go for the worst. We are united under one God, One Salvation, One Hope for the whole world. We cannot water this down, but we can offer hope, love, support and grace one spoonful at a time.

Dear Salvation Army, have we sold our souls at times for relevancy?
Are we doing it right now?

Sometimes I fear that we chase the almighty dollar more than we chase after the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes I think that we fear what other entities including governments will do to us if we boldly proclaim the name of Jesus Christ in our programs and in public places.

Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t an army of Salvation anymore but rather more of an army of convenience and platitudes as long as no one is offended by the gospel.

Sometimes I wonder if we have lost a step in this march because of it.
Sometimes I wonder if we have been chasing after the approval of other people instead of the approval of God.

Sometimes…

If this has ever or is the case…then we need repentance.
If this is the case in our personal ministries we need to seek reconciliation and a realignment of priorities and holiness.

To the faithful and to the upright…show us the way!
Be examples to the rest of us.
Help us when we have gotten so focused upon pleasing the world around us that we have strayed from our first love.
I am not casting any blame upon anyone more than myself in this entry of Pastor’s ponderings today. I have felt this conviction within my heart. These are personal and yet public because perhaps, just perhaps there are others out there who feel the same way.

Join me, pray with me, pray for me…and I will pray for you as well.
We are not alone in this fight…we never were.
We are an Army, fighting side by side and with the power of the Holy Spirit who can and will provide us His strength and guidance along this dusty rugged path.

“Give me one pure and holy passion.
Give me one magnificent obsession.
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You.

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you”

(by MARK ALTROGGE)

Something more of the Army to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

October 20, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army – The Pathway Of Duty Is Agony Sometimes!

It is not our Salvation that keeps us Holy. It is but a component of this saving grace. It isn’t our intellect that saves us either. It is the work of Christ and the continuing fellowship of the Holy Spirit within us. We are but instruments of His peace, His love and His encouragement.

Times of Trial And Wounding:
There will be times when we are accused, slandered and wounded while serving Christ. I am not saying that we look for the opportunities to be persecuted or wounded, but they will indeed come our way if we are living out kingdom priorities as kingdom people!

There will be some who will stand in our way.
There will be some who will betray us along the pathway of duty.
There will be some who will laugh when we face out trials and wounds.
Some, even unknowingly, are ambassadors of hell as they entertain and execute malicious attacks on those who are faithful.

I am not saying we are perfect by any means.
We are all faulty, we are all in need of a daily washing of God’s grace upon us. Yet, if we choose to walk this narrow path and are led by the Holy Spirit, we will face opposition, persecution and wounds along the way. It is inevitable.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

I’m sorry, what was that?
Pure Joy? In the midst of trials of many kind?
That doesn’t sound like a joyful or fun opportunity does it?

Yet pain comes to us.
Faith produces greater faith and reliance on God, but the side-effect in this “growth process” (for lack of a better term) is that we will experience discomfort, trials and hurt along the way.

No Pain, No Gain…
I’m not a glutton for punishment, really I’m not…but I do know that there is a desired outcome to this “faith” thing. We wish to be more like Christ is every way! Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as afragrant aroma” (NASB)

Becoming an imitator of God will take a journey through pain and suffering. Why? Because our fallen world won’t allow it to happen. Because our fallen, old sinful selves and habitual wanderings will trip us up. Because imitating God and becoming like His son Jesus will take immense sacrifice…sometimes more sacrifice than most of us realize at the beginning of the journey.

We will suffer at the hands of others.
We will suffer at the hands of ourselves at times.
We will experience discomfort and even pain at the lengths in with we are called to sacrifice!

Without pain we will not gain our freedom within His holiness!
It sounds sadistic doesn’t it?
It’s not. It simply is.

Your Path Right Now…
How is the pathway of duty right now for you?
Are you experiencing any discomfort along the way?
Is it because you have had to make sacrifices?
Is it because you are at times alone in your convictions?
Is it because you have faced (or you are currently facing) persecution and ridicule from others and felt the sting of it?

We are soldiers of Christ.
We have been set apart for His holy purpose!
We will find ruts in the road. We will find agony, bruised shins, and distressed hearts at times along this journey.

Do you need to come the well of refreshing again?
He is able to refresh and restore you!
He is able to replenish your spent reserves.
He can and will carry you when necessary.
He wants to encourage us today and to spur us onward even in the midst of persecution, suffering and the onslaught of those who would see us destroyed because of this faith.

Be bold.
Be strong.
For the Lord your God is with you today! (Joshua 1:9)

Carry on and know you are loved, encouraged, and supported by the Father himself!

-Just something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

October 15, 2014 2

Dear Salvation Army – Motivational Leadership Vs. Coercive Leadership

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams

A long time ago…I was in a meeting with a particular leader and a discussion about the usage of funding came up. It had been a cordial meeting to begin with as a group of us gathered in the meeting room with this leader. One particular person spoke up about the allocations of funds and voiced concerns that we had little knowledge of where or why our funds were being cut and siphoned from our local programs. Further voices also chimed in until this particular leader cut the conversation off by pounding his fists on the table and declared “enough, you will do what you’re told. This isn’t up for discussion anymore.” This was my first experience with coercive leadership…and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I mean no disrespect, but I have served under some very capable leaders who didn’t have to “pull rank” in order to get the message of their leadership across. They led through conviction, encouragement and decisive, yet compassionate grace…dare I say at times, this “gem” of leadership is quite rare in any organization…yet so desperately needed!

There is a time and a place for everything…or so Ecclesiastes says (and often misquoted). We must recognize that there are times when the authoritative style of leadership is necessary. We do operate within an organizational system modeled after the military after all. That being said, let’s look at two very specific styles of leadership that is often represented in our army still today.

Motivational Leadership Vs. Coercive Leadership

“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” ― John C. Maxwell

Motivational Leadership:
When done correctly this style of leadership can be the most effective means of communicating mission and vision. Motivational leaders don’t have to go around declaring their authority and pulling rank. They are respected because they are right there in the trenches with those they lead. It takes real courage and energy to be a motivational leader. It is often the harder of the two because it can demand more of our effort and time. Leading in this manner, one engages in their subordinates by showing them the way to success through encouragement while still holding them accountable. There are still outcomes to be accomplished but striving for these outcomes becomes a team lead journey where all are important and often times the leader is in the back prodding their subordinates along through encouragement and praise…picture the “little train the could” as it declared “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can“. Only within the motivational leadership style it isn’t about leadership saying “I think I can” but rather “I know YOU can!”

Other elements of Motivational leaderships include – active participation along side those they lead, recognition and praise when missions and tasks are accomplished, and lastly (less used because of the prior elements) motivation through strictness (discipline). When all else fails, the last resort (not the first) is discipline and accountability. We should not begrudge this element of motivational leadership or even its existence. We all need prodding from time to time. When the other elements of this style of leadership is exhausted and there is no other recourse, this “last resort” must be employed.

When subordinates come to this outcome through one who is a motivational leaders, it can be hard to accept, though the respect of such a leader should motivate the subordinate to get back on track in the hopes of accomplishing the team effort and desired goal(s).

In comparison:
Coercive Leadership:
Coercive leadership is forceful, demanding and often times requires others to do that which the leader themselves would not do. This style of leadership may be more effective in the short term, but in the long term may cause dissension, bitterness, attrition of the “team”, and could ultimately result in loss of vision and mission.

The “iron fist” is much easier to employ. One leads with fear. It takes less time to lead in this manner. A coercive leader can simply declare “you will do what you’re told” but this isn’t motivational, rather it is leading through fear as the primer or surrogate for motivation. This style of leadership isn’t about positive reinforcement. Dare I say it isn’t about developing good leadership for the future either. It is about “having it your way” as a fast food chain has famously turned into a slogan.

What About Us, Dear Army?
What kind of leaders do we aspire to become in our ministries?
Perhaps this topic scratches the surface of some tender areas within us. We chafe at this. Perhaps we cough nervously and look to cast a blaming glance upon others…but it does come back to us too. Leadership requires soldiers and officers of all kinds. We guide the vessel, which is this army. We can implement change within our leadership. We can set the precedent and the need for change. We do not have to lead out of a coercive leadership model any longer. It might be the easy route but what is the trade off? The trade off is that we can and will lose people that we lead along the way.

Dear Army, in order to make more disciples…in order to make more soldiers and further equip future leaders in this army, we must become the kind of leaders that others aspire to emulate and become themselves. We must set the standard all the while motivating, encouraging and strengthening those we lead. Only then will we be able to look upon the generations coming after us and pass on the mantel of this great army of salvation!

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

October 14, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army: Why Quality Is Better Than Quantity

Jesus had more than 12 disciples…yet many left Him. (John 6:66)
Did Jesus call each one of these “AWOL” disciples? No.
Some joined the band later during the rise of Jesus’ popularity. But Jesus wasn’t looking for popularity. He hadn’t come to be lauded and complemented. He hadn’t come to start a Roman incursion. He came for so much more. He taught that purpose to His disciples, those with whom He confided in and hand-picked for such an important calling.

Dear Salvation Army, why is it that we feel it necessary at times to place quantity of soldiers and officers above quality? I don’t think anyone intentionally does this. I do not think we rush out and pick people off the street and throw uniforms on them just so we have “numbers” the next time the General or anyone else important in our Army comes to town. But we do see success within our Army as something of a quantitative thing don’t we?

Have we been going about this all wrong?
Could it be that instead of sheer numbers and all of these “Corps growth” initiatives we must first focus on the ones we already have in our pews who are undiscipled and unequipped for the battle? We serve many individuals who are marginalized and wounded by life. Some might be incapable of ever achieving the standards of “Christianity” that other churches expect of their parishioners. I have heard it said that the church is an emergency room for the sinner. It should be a place of triage and shelter for the broken and the imperfect. We serve many in our Army who not only need the spiritual emergency room but also long-term spiritual care! Some may never walk upright within the spiritual realms of leadership. Some may only crawl towards incremental spiritual achievements in their lives because they have been crippled by sin, shame and/or other spiritual, emotional and physical wounds in their lives. Can we accept them for who they are, where they are and mark these limited steps of growth? Are we patient enough to develop these wounded soldiers with grace, love and at times looooooooooooong-suffering? Or are we so focused on getting “others” more “capable”, desirable people into our corps buildings? We, unintentionally, stick up our noses at the uneducated, spiritually inept and broken cases already before us.

I don’t mean to make this an indictment because I too would wear a crown of guilt in this witch-hunt of pointing fingers. I too have walked the fine line of measurable growth and statistically accomplishments while unintentionally leaving the spiritually crippled of the corps in my dust. Shame on me. Forgive me.

What I’m Not Saying:
I’m not saying don’t seek out others to bring into your corps.
I am not saying don’t work to improve the spiritual conditions of your corps.
I am not saying don’t preach holiness and hold the standards high for all who come to the corps.

What I am Saying:
-Don’t forget those that God has already placed in your corps and on your ministry pathways.

-Don’t lose the emphasis on teaching and discipling your vital few who come week in and week out.

-Don’t lose heart when you look at statistical sheets and only see the same numbers associated with the same faces.

-Love your corps members even if they are incapable of loving you back (as hard as that may be).

-Be the very best representation of Christ to your corps, in your leadership and in your living examples.

-Don’t wait for more educated, better looking and polished people to come through your doors. Focus on the ones that God has placed within your ministry right now to love and to lead.

Why Quality is Better Than Quantity?
When we become satisfied and confident with loving and serving the few we take off the burden of false success driven ministry concepts. It’s not about packing your corps building to the brim every Sunday morning. It’s not about attempting another evangelistic ploy to rope the unchurched into your doors.

When we begin to love and to focus our attention upon those we already have within our corps (the “quality“, no matter how far from quality we may view our corps members) we will begin to truly love them, appreciate them, long to better disciple them, and serve them as Christ would the Church. When we focus our attention on the “few” and feed them spiritually, the love and “curb” appeal of our corps will become all the more evident in our communities.

We get it all wrong some times in our attempt to become like other churches. We look over the ministerial fences and long to be like “that” church that boasts 400 or more members on a Sunday. But the truth is we aren’t THAT church…we were never called to be THAT church. Our ministry and mission as the Army is very, very unique. Our mission will contain more elements of serving wounded soldiers day in and day out and maybe, just maybe we will see incremental or phenomenal life improvements both physically and spiritually. I am not discounting the work of the Holy Spirit here, He can and will perform miracles, and we must be diligent and faithful to His calling. Yet in other occasions we must also not give up on soldiers and corps members who never seem to move from their one position of initial conversion.

We know there is more to be had within the realms of spiritual growth and holiness for our corps members…but sometimes it may take a lifetime for that corps member to achieve this understanding as well. DON’T GIVE UP ON THEM! DON’T QUIT OR LOSE HOPE!

**Yes, fight for the weak, the hurting, the lost.
**Yes, keep up the evangelistic methods within your communities.
-But don’t forget to employ quality love, support and leadership to the few as well!

Just something more for our Army world to ponder today.
To God be the glory!

October 13, 2014 0

Encouragement For A Soldier’s Heart…

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“Mama said there’ll be days like this
There’ll be days like this mama said” -(by Luther Dixon & Willie Denson)

Are you having one of THOSE days?

Our Troubles…
Our frustrations and troubles within this world look vastly different from the early church and that of Jesus’ disciples. Yet, this verse is for you and for me today. All too often we engage souls in these ministries that we are responsible for. All too often we hear other people’s problems and they become ours. It becomes a shared burden. We provide care, support and guidance to many within our flock. We feel the burden of these cares, and sometimes they weigh heavy on us.

Other times our troubles come by way of our calling. Sometimes the ministries we have been called to or placed in suddenly become a “dry and thirsty land” with very little by way of encouragement, support and hope. Sometimes instead of a passionate, flowing river of a numerically “successful” ministry we face a slim trickle of moderate or rare numeric success which makes us ponder the questions: “am I cut out for this?” and “what have I done wrong?“…and we face discouragement, disillusionment and even depression.

Still, on other occasions these troubles come by way of outward pressures in our communities or individualistic persecutions. Perhaps we face false teachers, or we must confront immorality within our church and when we do, we’re blasted as “judgmental” and shouted at with curses and graceless comments such as “how dare you, what gives you the right?” We question if we should have just let sleeping dogs lie but in our hearts we know it was the right thing to do and we did so with grace and love. Still…troubles from without and from within have left us wounded and discouraged.

About That Peace?…
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after telling them of not only His pending death but also of their pending troubles in the world…but there was hope. There is always hope in the Father. There is always hope in the Son. There is always hope in the Holy Spirit who guides us on this path. Have you ever heard the phrase “keep the main thing the main thing?” It alludes to the need for keeping the principle of our mission at the forefront of our minds.

Our Principle: The message of Christ (Messiah), the message of the cross, the message of salvation, of resurrection, of hope, of reconciliation, of love, and victory over sin and death.

When we keep “the main thing the main thing”, we realign ourselves with God and turn away from the problems of this world. Not that the problems of this world aren’t important, but rather, The Author of life itself takes His proper place in our priorities. From this place of understanding we then can look around our world and truly see how things are and how they could be. This is when we begin to see the world through the eyes of Christ because we are striving to live for Him alone. This is holiness. This is surrendering ourselves at the foot of the cross and then picking up our own crosses to follow Him.

Peace? What Peace?
Carrying our crosses and following Him (Matthew 16:24) doesn’t sound “peaceful” does it? Pain still exists. Hurtful accusations, slander and suffering will still occur. How could THIS be peaceful? One might ask. Perhaps “peace” means something differently than what we initially thought it to mean. It is certainly not the absence of conflict in our lives; for there is still conflict. It is not the absence of adversity, discouragement or suffering either; for we still encounter these on our path as well. Then what is this peace that Christ provides to us if it is not the absence of conflict? It is an eternal peace. A peace that transcends this temporal, mortal existence. It is a peace that alleviates the burdens of our former self as we embrace the image of Christ. It is a peace that resides in our lives because His Holy presence brings us assurance and hope. It is a peace that still passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7) yet conveys to us that we are not alone and we will overcome because He has overcome.

Dear Soldier…
Are you in need of that peace today in your life?
Are you facing discouragement, hopelessness and pain? You aren’t alone. You do not have to carry this burden by yourself. There is One who can provide you with this peace. Perhaps there is some realignment that must be done in your heart today. Perhaps we must go before the Father again with a penitent heart. Perhaps it is a simple yet constant prayer of “Lord use me and allow me to see evidence of You in my life.”

Be encouraged today! We are not alone. We are not abandoned. We are overcomers because Christ has overcome the world. Allow this peace to evident in your life today!

Something more to ponder today. To God be the Glory!

October 6, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army – Friendly Fire!

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” -Winston Churchill

The Apostle Paul had to confront Peter…it wasn’t pretty, yet necessary. Confrontations still occur in the Church (big C)…sometimes it’s necessary, sometimes it is personality conflicts, sometimes it’s just plain sinful.

Questions: How can we tell the difference? How do we know when we’ve been a victim of friendly fire and what can we do about it?

It’s the painful memory of getting stabbed in the back.

Thoughts like “I thought you were my friend“, “I guess I finally see your true colors“, and “how could you? How could I be so blind and dumb?” run through your head but it still doesn’t eliminate the hurt and ache of the heart. It could take years for that sort of pain to finally fade away. Friendly fire causes hurts that no enemy could ever inflict because friends are closer, friend should be trusted, friends should have your back…not stab it.

Call me a cynic, but I’m no longer as naive as I once was. Friendly fire happens, and it is most definitely not absent from the church, let alone this army. When it happens we run the possibility of losing trust, every last bit of remaining trust in others including fellow comrades in this fight.

To the offenders of “Friendly Fire” –

Before You Pull The Trigger
What will it benefit?
Who is your target?
Why?
Is it motivated because of pride, power, ambition, a need to be right?
Is it motivated by righteous indignation? Will it help or hinder the mission of Christ?
Is it necessary? What will the fall out be? Have you prayed about this? Is this really what God would have you do?

This isn’t Black and White…
There is no simple answer here.
We cannot chalk every instance of “friendly fire” up to someone being right and someone being wrong. Pride and even arrogance sometimes plays a part in these tragedies. Wrong motivations tainted with pride, arrogance and rage should be called what it truly is – SIN.

Let’s face it, friendly fire can be an amazingly effective tool used by the Father of Lies to divide and conquer God’s people. Far too many incidents of friendly fire have been executed with ill intentions towards another part of the body of Christ. Brothers and Sister in Christ, THIS CANNOT BE! We cannot allow ourselves to be taken in by such a sickness. We are all sinners saved by grace, there is no one, no not one (Rom 3:10) who is perfect or holier than another saint in this Army. We are all still in need of redeeming and of this unmerited grace. We must come to the well of holiness daily…even moment by moment. When we fall victim to friendly fire whether we are the perpetrator or the one being shot, we reflect more of the world than we do of Christ.

Righteous Firings?
Yes. These do and should happen from time to time. Spiritual discipline is both scriptural and necessary if done correctly. They must be conducted with every ounce of grace and love that is humanly possible. But remember this: we are in the salvation and restoration business not the firing squad of judgement and damnation.

Disagreements and Personal Difference Of Opinion?
Yes. We are uniquely created. We possess various opinions and view points. We all grew up in many different home life scenarios and our worldviews have been shaped by these experiences. We will not always see eye to eye with each other on a vast realm of topics from politics, sports teams, favorite books, genres of music, artists, even practical thoughts on what “worship” looks like. We are all different…yet we are all unified by one amazing source of hope, liberation and love – Christ Jesus. Will we disagree from time to time? Absolutely. We will probably attempt to avoid these disagreements. We will probably squabble about our view points and sometimes struggle with the need to always be right…yet…be mindful of our unifier. Be mindful of our foundational cornerstone. Be mindful of how unique and diverse this body of Christ truly is.

From the Word:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

“I (Paul) appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:13-14

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8

Warning:
Be careful dear fellow soldiers in this great army of Salvation. Love each other. Be the best representation of Christ to your fellow comrades in this fight as you can be! Reflect Christ not only in the corps halls but in your daily lives. Pray about certain things like pride and arrogance in your life. We all struggle with these emotions and temptations from time to time. Take care to lift each other’s burdens up before the Lord in prayer. Think first before you pull the trigger on any kind of harmful action upon a fellow soldier, officer or adherent. Don’t allow Satan a foothold in this fellowship. Don’t become divided because of selfish desires or ambitions grounded in this fallen world. Instead be a source of hope and love. Rise above any and all malicious intent or evil action. Take charge of your life first and be led by the Lord in both word and deed. Live above any influence that is contrary to the lives that we are called to live as children of God.

Avoid friendly fire…forgive those who shoot you. That seems impossible, yet we hold the power to display Christ or the power to display our old ways of living…it’s our choice to make.

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

October 3, 2014 1

Dear Salvation Army – Two Roads Diverged…

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;”
(Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken)

Do you know what an intersection is? It is a point at which two or more things intersect, especially roads…and in our case within The Salvation Army and every other Church, Movement, Organization – these “roads” of intersection represent one’s motivation for “signing up” or joining, our reason for remaining and our reason that we don the red trim and we call ourselves “Officers”.

I’m a picture kinda guy.
By that I mean I see things within snapshots or photographs. How things appear or ought to appear. If I can boil down the essence of something it can help me to process what I have seen and allow me to understand it. Are you a picture person too?

A colleague of mine posed this question to me and I thought I would ponder it, write it down, scatter its ashes around and piece the puzzle back together again…here goes.

The Question: “What are the intersections between being “employed” and being “deployed” in the context of a SA Officer?”

As I considered this question over and over again, it is assumed that there are multiple entry and exit points to such an intersection (e.g. “intersections”). Automatically I envisioned this picture of a four way intersection out in the country, a sapphire blue canvas sky, where all four roads diverged and then carried on their way out into the dusty, sunlit horizon.

I have written on a similar topic before – “Why I Quit Being Employed By The Salvation Army” but that was personal…to me this posed question is like a scientific dissection of sorts. We must take it slowly and layer by layer…again I’m thinking in pictures here.

To help us all understand and gain a clearer picture of this intersection of employment and deployment, we must take it picture by picture…and hopefully we can then decide what these intersections look like to us and where they lead.

The Intersection of Employment:
Within this pathway comes little by way of true passion for The Salvation Army and the mission. I will already assume someone will erroneously take this to mean that all “employment/employees” are the target of this dissection, but it is indeed not the case. I am speaking of primarily Officership of The Salvation Army and possibly potential future Officers.

Some would treat this “calling” as a place to gather a paycheck, a safe place to reside and bide their time until retirement or something better comes along. Others within the “employment” path would hinge all of their identities on their rank, their position, the power. Some who either consciously or subconsciously view their position within the Army as “employment” and attempt, at all cost, to climb the corporate/organizational ladder. When this ideological view point (either by intention, circumstance, or unintentional means) occurs the passion for one’s calling and the intention of fulfilling the Army’s mission and that of Christ’s great commission goes out the window. God forbid we find ourselves there, but if we do I pray that it becomes the crossroads to either realignment and course adjustment or an exit from the mission of The Army.

Do not misunderstand me here, I do not mean to say this is an easy fix nor can it be summed up simply with nice pretty pictures of a country intersection. It is certainly a complicated matter to discuss. Much should be done within one’s own personal time of soul-searching and a diligent prayer life. But…if we are simply employed by This army of salvation and we no longer possess the desire to serve the lost in Christ’s name, and our heart no longer belongs to its mission, then perhaps it is time to consider moving on. I do not say this lightly, but we cannot afford to become so top heavy with administrators while the well runs dry with salvation servants humbly willing to serve anywhere regardless of power, position and pride. (This is a gut punch to even my own ego and pride)

We ought to recognize that though we are an organization we are also a movement and a church (Cue the dissenters out there, sorry a continued discussion for another time). That being said, though structurally we possess the infrastructure of every other “top-down” organizational blueprint, we are an Army of Salvation hell bent of pull lost souls from the fires of hell and standing up for those without a voice. Therefore, all of Salvation Soldiers are called to serve and all are called to be holy and to possess within them a heart for Christ which extends outwardly towards others.

The Intersection of Deployment:
This is the seldom traveled route. I have long stood upon such a crossroads. I cannot conceal this or hide the fact that there have been times that I have taken a detour, driven for a mile or two on the route of employment…looked guiltily in the rear view mirror as dust plumes engulfed and temporarily obscured my view of the path that I knew I should have traveled a little while longer upon…

It should be noted that it is far easier to travel the employment route. It is far easier to sleep at night having put to bed the mission of the army, when lights have been extinguished in the tidy offices, and after the corp’s doors are locked and the parking lot has emptied. When we have compartmentalized what we do from 9 to 5 from who we are “off the clock”. This route paints a smoother road to travel on. To become “deployed” often takes us upon the rougher roads, with numerous potholes and disturbing setbacks. We face other people’s pains, heartaches and regrets. We come face to face with failure because we risk much and are willing to “go the extra mile” down this seemingly deserted road.

The path is littered with blown tires and wounded travelers. It resembles battle and war and often takes us to many a dark place where the lost are aimlessly wandering seeking guidance and direction.

Dear Salvation Army, this is the road less traveled because it is not easy, it is not desirable, it is not glamorous…and yet to journey upon it is to imitate how Jesus walked and lived. To be frank, it is saying “to hell with prestige, power, image, perceptions…and to hell with pursuits of selfish gains”, while saying “yes to humility, holiness, selflessness and Christ-like gains.” It is whispering a prayer chorus in our hearts “to be like Jesus this thought possesses me, in spirit and in deed, like Him I’ll be“; while reclaiming, from selfishness, that swampy quick-sand, getting our feet stuck kind of battle ground which is located in our minds and causing a spiritual paralysis and a stubbornness of will.

Questions for us to ask and answer within ourselves:
-Am I traveling upon the road of employment or deployment?
-Am I thriving upon the intersection of power, comfort, complacency?
-Why do I serve within this Army?
-Am I currently traveling upon the right road in my life, in my spiritual walk, in my Officership?
-Is it my life-long mission to be like Jesus and to serve and live for Him?
-How does this effect everything else I am and what I do?

I know there are other callings in life.
I recognize that The Salvation Army isn’t the only path to serve the Lord within.
I also understand that sometimes we will not always see eye to eye with policy and leadership…yet where does that leave us? Where are we going? Why do we do what we do as Officers…and even Soldiers?

“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
(Robert Frost)

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

October 1, 2014 0

Dear Salvation Army – A Word From General William Booth

“And now, comrades and friends, I must say goodbye. I am going into dry-dock for repairs, but the Army will not be allowed to suffer, either financially or spiritually, or in any other way by my absence; and in the long future I think it will be seen – and I will not be here to see – but you will, that the Army will answer every doubt and banish every fear and strangle every slander, and by its marvelous success show to the world that it is the work of God and that The General has been his servant.” (Excerpt from Booth’s 83rd Birthday Speech at Clapton Congress Hall. From: “Farewell to the Founder” by R.G. Moyles pg 6.)

General William Booth was in poor health at this time (1912), he was nearly blind and could feel his body slowly giving out. Though he initially started with these farewell remarks, he concluded this speech with the now very famous quote: “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go into prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight – I’ll fight to the very end.”

Questions For Our Army Today:
-To what depths and lengths are we willing to fight?
-Can we confidently say that in uniform and out of uniform that we would fight to the very end for the marginalized, the poor, the outcast, the sick and the dying?
-Are we still up to the challenge or are we just dead weight clinging onto life?

Last week we explored a prophetic quote by Booth (see earlier posts: Part I & Part II)…If a nearly blind man could plainly see the direction of our Army and the constant need for God’s reliance, are we able to see this need as well?

Let me expound here for a moment. It doesn’t matter if you’re a soldier of the Salvation Army or not. What matters most is if you will serve the Living God first and foremost. If we clear away the other concerns and focus on this relationship first, all other issues will then become so much clearer. With that being said, Dear Salvation Army how goes the fight? Are we still equipped to “banish every fear” that we encounter? Are we brave enough to “strangle” every slanderous word that we and others face? Can we still win the world for Jesus? Is that in our power? No! But it is in the power of the Holy Spirit, who is mighty to save!

A Jump Start?
Sometimes I feel that we all need to good swift kick in the backside from time to time. We need to be reminded of our motivation. We need to prompted to “go on in victory”. We also need to be reminded that we are not alone in this fight. We are an Army, not on a renegade solo mission. We need each other to stand beside us. We need the encouragement of leadership. We need the mighty arm of the Lord to spur us onward. Without Him we can do nothing. Without Him we fall flat on our faces in failure. I believe we have been ordained by the Lord to serve those within our world. I truly believe our founder felt this way as well. William Booth didn’t quit or surrender in his day even in the midst of failing health. We shouldn’t quit either in this daily, even moment by moment endeavor. If we must be reminded of anything here it is that without the constant need for holy living in and through us we can lose our way. Holiness is the key. A disciplined life is our road map. A world for Christ is our goal.

Fight on dear Army, we are saved to save and to serve Him while reaching out to all who have lost their way; all who have given up hope in this life; all who need to see and experience Godly love and compassion in our world. Fight on!

September 30, 2014 5

5 Reasons Ministries Fail In The First 5 Years…

I grew up in “the ministry”. My parents served faithfully for over 40 years in ministry. I seemingly followed in their footsteps upon hearing God’s calling for my life. Since that time I have spent the last 15 years in ministry in positions such as youth pastor, church manager, worship leader and a full time pastor (Salvation Army Officer). I have seen ministries come and go in that process. I watched some wonderful ideas seemingly crash and burn, while other evangelistic ideas that I thought would never work stand the test of time.

Within my span of being “in the ministry”, please allow me the opportunity to highlight some reasons ministries fail in the first five years:

5 Reasons Ministries Fail In The First 5 Years:

1) The “Blue-print” Transfer Ideology:
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” ― Dwight D Eisenhower

Within this church-growth ideological vein comes the preconceived notion that if something works in one community, it will undoubtedly work in another. This translates into moving an evangelistic plan or possibly key “event” from one functioning church location to another. Some of the factors that can be easily overlooked in this kind of “Blue-print” transfer, however, can include specific community demographics, the leadership factor, and adequate planning. This leadership ideology and “idea” transfer can lead to failure in a ministry. Just because something worked in one location doesn’t always mean it will transfer successfully into another completely different ministerial environment. This shouldn’t be taken to mean that we shouldn’t try these ideas, but before plunging headlong into such a campaign, do the research, ask the questions, count all of the variables.

2) A Lack Of Vision & Planning
“Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer possibilities by the narrowness of their vision.”
― V.S. Naipaul

This goes hand in hand with doing the above recommendation of doing the research! What are the needs of the community that you minister in? Who is your target audience? Why is such a ministry needed? How will it be executed? What are the outcomes of success? (meaning, how will you know that this ministry has reached its potential and succeeded?) In order to prevent failure of any new ministry these (and more) questions need to be answered. It is one thing to have a brilliant idea and have a “pie in the sky” vision…it is a completely different thing to execute that idea with precision and proper planning. This shouldn’t be taken to mean that we ought to be planning everything to death and the need to micro-manage, but it does mean that some forethought must be put into any formation of a new ministry.
Here is a simple SWOT analysis link that could help you if you are planning to begin or revitalize a ministry: SWOT Analysis Tool Worksheet

3) A Polarized Leadership Vision/Lack Of Stable Leadership Team
“A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences.”
-John Maxwell

These two vital issues can cause a ministry to fail in the first 5 years or much, much sooner. What happens when the senior pastor doesn’t share the same vision as the church board or council? What happens if the youth pastor or the worship leader cannot catch the vision of the senior pastor? These polarizing views of what the mission should be can cause a ministry to crash and burn. Without a clear vision (as listed in #2) that is shared by all of the leadership team, the ministry will the run the risk of failing gloriously. Coupled with this sharing of the same vision, is the crucial component of possessing a stable group of leaders. Without the team, “super pastor” will fail. Without the “core group” who do the initial grunt work to get a ministry off of the ground, it can become next to impossible to succeed in something new. The “core group” must possess the same shared vision and should be willing to not only work together to accomplish great things, but ought to be fervently in prayer and in support of one another to do “all things in Christ who strengthens me (you, us, the team)…” -Philippians 4:13. The fastest way to fail in a ministry is to possess a murky, vague vision while possessing an unstable, sub-par team to execute this new, fuzzy ministry poorly.

4) Rigid Iron-fisted Leadership Model
“If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” ― Jeff Bezos

Once the vision is caught and the plan is executed within the realms of a new ministry, there is a tipping point that can occur that will either make or break any and all potential future success. The tipping point begins and ends with the need to adjust, change and become flexible without compromising the overall mission and vision. Do we, as church leaders, possess the ability to be both firm within the vision while maintaining an element of flexibility in outcomes? I would venture a guess that “flexibility” is often the most difficult element to maintain when striving for success in ministry. Things can and will change in the team environment. Strategy needs to be re-tooled to offer better chances at succeeding. Often times pride and stubbornness have caused ministries to fail miserably. The evidence of true leadership is the willingness to let others lead from time to time. True leadership allows for adjustments of the plan and letting go of the Iron-fisted grip while maintain and upholding the vision and the intended outcomes. If we, as church leaders, allow our pride and stubbornness to blind us to the necessity of flexibility and adjustment mid-stride in the execution of the plan, then we will inevitably fail.
Note to self (and perhaps this applies to you as well): Wake up, it isn’t about me…it’s about the mission!

5) No “Next Level” Plan..
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” —John Maxwell
Once the new ministry is off the ground, and flexibility allows for course adjustments and moderate re-shuffling and successful outcomes are reached what happens next? One of the crucial needs of the church is to recognize when a plateauing of a ministry is taking place and a plan to take things to the “next level”.

Corporate Examples:
Samsung and Apple (among others) are corporations that are notorious for providing the “next big thing” when it comes to portable technology such as telephones and tablet/computer devices. They stage public media day events to attract world-wide attention and get people interested in their products…and people keep coming back for more. Why do people come back for more? Because these companies know how to make things relevant, marketable and desired. They do the “next level” really well.

A Word Of Caution:
We must be careful here to identify with “business models” because our motivation isn’t centered on financial gains and success in this way, but the principle of how it is done can assist us in planning the “next level” within our church ministries.

Tools for the “next level”
* Re-visit the vision of the present ministry.
Ask questions such as: –Is it still working?
–What should we do differently?
–Have we met our yearly outcomes?
–What can we do better this next year?
–Are we reaching the targeted audience?
–Do we need to re-tool our leadership base?
–Do we need different teaching materials?
–Can we write new materials?
-Are we meeting the needs of our community?

These are just 5 reasons that ministries fail in the first 5 years and some tools to help us stave off the “crash and burn” hall of fame awards.
Do the research.
Spend money and time on a quality core team around you.
Plan, plan, plan…but be flexible!
Look to the future, prepare for the “next level”…and get ready to execute it well!

-Just something more for us to ponder today!

September 29, 2014 2

Dear Salvation Army – Highway To The Danger Zone? Pt. 2

“I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” -General William Booth

Yesterday we explored the first part of this quote by General William Booth “Danger Zone” Part 1 – “…religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance…”

Today we will explore the last portion of this seemingly prophetic quote. I would like to note however, that General William Booth is not the end all and be all of what it means to be a Christ-follower. I don’t mean that to sound disparaging or diminish what He and Catherine were able to accomplish in their ministry as co-founders of The Salvation Army. I simply wish to state that although I believe this statement to be true and even prophetic William and Catherine were far from perfect themselves. They did their best, they were good stewards of what God had given them, although I personally find their militant, staunch treatment of their children and officers to be lacking at times in compassion and forgiveness…but I digress. (See this article for further discussion on the Booth Family: A Good Father?)

I only wish to point out that though I believe Booth hits the nail on the head with this quote he also, like all of us, was imperfect and fallible. To point this out simply means that we all still struggle with life and temptation, but as children of God we are all called for a higher, holy purpose.

Politics Without God.
I must be careful here so as to not offend anyone. What I take this to mean is this: I believe all authority on earth has been allowed to exist by a sovereign God who holds ultimate authority over everything that He has created. Any political system in our world, no matter how good or bad, falls under God’s sovereignty. As children of God and as Salvationists we are called to be proactive in our outreach to the marginalized, the outcast and the poor. Presenting Christ’s grace and compassion even through social and political pressure on governmental bodies. Booth worked closely with certain political leaders to improve human labor conditions in Victorian England. Defending those who have no voice should be part and parcel with our identities as not only Salvationists but as Christ-followers. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in...whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.‘” (Matthew 25:35, 40)

Today, injecting God into politics is a touchy subject, but there are many worthy causes to fight for. For example, the blight of human slavery and sexual trafficking in our world is often an unseen but active evil that causes many innocent to suffer and die. Currently, The Salvation Army has called for an International Day of Prayer (Click on hyper link)for the victims of Human Trafficking. Here are additional resources that we can use to help fight this crime upon humanity: IHQ Resources

There are many other ways in which we can include our faith in Jesus Christ within our local and national political platforms. We should, first of all, be diligent in prayer as we ask the Lord for guidance and wisdom before we take any kind of action. Be discerning and wise. Take a stand to help the innocent and defend the marginalized. Do it with intent and love. Show respect for every political leader regardless if you like them or not. Living a holy life means that we are to conduct ourselves as imitators of Christ. Be mindful that we ought to take action in our world and to be proactive in such vital causes, not because ingrained family-learned political alignings but because we care for others and wish to “win the world for Jesus”!

Heaven without Hell
I do not wish for we Salvationists to consider Satan to be equal to the goodness and sovereignty of God. There is no equality here. No ying and yang. God has already claimed victory over sin and death through the blood of Jesus Christ. Yet we still live within a fallen world. There is certainly evil in our world. All we have to do to see it is turn on the nightly news. We live in uncertain times. Yet I believe that when Jesus stated the kingdom of heaven is here, He didn’t just mean that He was the kingdom, but that we could live as kingdom people in the here and now! There is real hell on earth for many people still today. There are also consequences for rejecting God…but it is our choice to choose Him or reject him which brings upon our personal and even eternal hell. I believe that God does not want to punish His creation, and so He extends His grace far beyond any kind of grace mankind can comprehend or imitate.

Our 11th doctrine of The Salvation Army is probably the hardest for us to grasp when it comes to us viewing God’s grace along side with that of God’s judgement:

“We believe in the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, in the general judgment at the end of the world, in the eternal happiness of the righteous, and in the endless punishment of the wicked.”

There are positive and negative consequences to the choices that we make here on earth. How we live our lives makes a difference. How we conduct ourselves within the knowledge and practice of holiness contains eternal consequences. I would like to state here also that we should be careful in how we judge others.

“”Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

This doesn’t mean that we do not hold each other accountable within our faith. We ought be be diligent in this which must be represented and enacted with love and care of our fellow soldiers and officers and adherents.

Is eternal separation from God His desire? NO!
Is it possible to choose to live without God? YES!
Are there eternal consequences to such a choice? YES!
Heaven and Hell? Yes…but I am convinced that these eternal “destinations” are not truly how we see Heaven and Hell depicted in our society today and through representations of it by various Romantic and Renascence authors.

Hell exists just as Heaven exists here and now. In how we live, in what we choose in this life, and in whom we serve.

Heaven = a life lived for God, devoted to God and paved for us by Christ alone, also an eternal destination which is eternal life lived with Christ.
Hell = choosing to reject God, devoted to selfish desires alone and paved for us by hatred, rebellion and sin. Eternally speaking – separation from God and an eternal life lived apart from Christ.

There is so much more to discuss within this topic of heaven and hell. I believe General Booth states this correctly. It is human nature to want to view God as completely merciful and gracious and loving while choosing to reject any kind of consequence to unfaithfulness and open rebellion towards Him. I believe this is specifically directed first at the Church and The Salvation Army. How can we ever expect win the world for Jesus if we cannot place Him first in our lives in all and through all that we do? Secondly, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Keep the standards high in OUR living just as God’s children are to be salt and light, a city on a hill to be seen what godly living looks like. Again, we cannot afford to live and preach wishy-washy watered down versions of the message of the cross. Redemption, love and salvation are available to the whosoever, and it is our duty as an Army of Salvation to continue to bring the lost to Christ through the power of The Holy Spirit.

Was this quote by General William Booth prophetic? I believe so.
Are we, as The Salvation Army, called to this higher, holy calling? Absolutely!

Dear Salvation Army Solider
– Keep the banner high!
-Keep Christ at the center of all that we do!
-Keep striving to live and be holy just as Christ was indeed holy.
-Shine the light of God’s holiness throughout the world.
-Do not lose the fight in your heart – Christ has already claimed this victory for all who would seek Him.

Something more for our Army to ponder today. To God be the glory!
Do you agree? Do you have something more to add? Let’s continue this conversation together! Responses and feedback are always welcome. Please add your comments and responses below. Thanks for reading!

September 26, 2014 3

Category: Salvation Army