Dear Salvation Army – Letters From Prison

Life in The Salvation Army is always unique and eventful. There is something new each day, and these “somethings” can be good, and they can also be not so good. This ministry and mission that we engage in here in our Army is truly frontlines and gap ministries. It is with this “gap” ministry in mind that I tell you this story:

I had been feeling very discouraged in serving in The Salvation Army recently.
The busyness of this appointment had begun to frustrate me – far too many reports to complete, too much desk work and not enough human contact in mission. I had been fighting with policy, rules, regulations…all of the tedious hoops we all have to jump through as Officers in a very far-reaching Army. Have you ever been there? Feeling bogged down by stuff and instead of pursuing mission you find yourself pushing paperwork? That’s where I was when something connected and resonated in me through our soup kitchen and social services…

Our soup kitchen is a thoroughfare to many who are in need, some by choice, others by crisis – all are looking to fill their bellies while sipping on cups of hot coffee and sharing in conversation. This is a safe haven to a large number who are either living on the street, crisis poverty or habitual poverty. All are welcomed here, and in a very practical sense, the gap is tended by stalwart soldiers and friends of this army.

I recently received a letter in the mail that was not an ordinary letter. On the front of the envelop, in bright crimson stamped lettering it read: “Inmate Mail”. I was intrigued, what could it be about? So I carefully tore the envelop open and inside I found a hand-written note on a blue lined page. This individual, now inmate, wrote her letter addressed to: “Dear Salvation Army” (How fitting I thought). First she expressed deep gratitude for us being there for her even when she was hurting herself with the abuse of alcohol and drugs. She was a meth addict and because of her addiction she committed some crimes and ended up being incarcerated. She continued to describe her dire situation of homelessness and utter hopelessness. She was more imprisoned outside on her own then she is now. Her letter ended with these words: “Because of your soup kitchen, food pantry and your clothing donations, I was able to survive. Your church gave me life everyday – Thank you for showing me, loving me, and sharing with me the love of Jesus Christ.”

My Dear Salvation Army, this is what our existence is about! This is who we are! We must mind the gap! We must tend the very gates of Hell in order to pull hopeless people like this one from total self-destruction. We cannot sit by and watch when no one else will help. Action must be taken daily! Sometimes we might even feel as if what we do has no effect in our community, and then letters like this appear at our doorsteps. If I can be honest with you, I have felt defeated many times in my attempts to reach people for Christ. I have felt the sting of rejection as the gospel has been presented. I have heard the laughs and the words of mockery. Perhaps, like me, you needed some reassurances that what we do still matters…IT DOES!

ONWARD:
Let me, for what it’s worth, offer these words of encouragement and direction:
-Keep Fighting the good fight!
-Do not give up on doing these good works for those you serve!
-This movement and mission IS making a difference!
-Even though you may not always see it, God sees your faithfulness and you must find your reward first in HIM.
-Do everything without grumbling and complaining (Philippians 2:14a) – (I am preaching to myself first and foremost)
-Every effort for service should be done with love, kindness and grace – you never know whose life you will reach, so be consistent and faithful to God in your service!

The Salvation Army doesn’t exist for the purpose of maintain status quo and pushing paperwork – it exists so that people like this inmate who wrote this letter might find Christ. This Salvation Army exists to be a lighthouse to a turbulent sea full of lost people struggling to get to shore. This Army exists so that homeless people and pariahs in society might also have a chance to meet their Savior. The words of General John Gowens still ring in my head when he said, “Mind the Gap!” We must still call others to mind this gap…and we must be vigilant in our mission as the Lighthouse shining out into the waters of desperation, depression, addictions, abject poverty and all the other ‘gaps’ that exist that would claim all who fall into them.

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

*Disclaimer: The opinions and thoughts expressed here are the opinions of the writer of pastorsponderings and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and thoughts of the Salvation Army, reader discretion is advised.*

March 7, 2017 0

Dear Salvation Army – 5 Truths About Sacrificial Living…

We are an army that is non-sacramental – I believe this, but we must actually embrace and preach/teach the necessity for real, authentic sacrificial living its soldiership. Without this crucial component of sacrificial living, we will have not only rejected ritual observations of the Church by way of communion and other such practices, we will have neglected the true essence of Christ himself (who was without sin, yet suffered and died for us). If we are to be Holy as He is Holy, we must become like Him in every way – which includes sacrificial living. The season of Lent is upon us, and although we do not practice much of the traditional Church practices within Lent, we would be remiss if we did not explore this extremely important topic of Sacrificial Living.

But First let us clarify what Sacrificial Living is not:
It is NOT:
-A great display and sanctimonious actions for others to see you and know your piousness and holiness.
-A ploy for promotion or power play for position or status.
-A means to compete with other soldiers and prove who is “holiest”
-A means to fool the world – but you can’t fool God.

If any of the above mentioned motives for Sacrificial living exist within us, we must eliminate them from our hearts and reconsecrate ourselves before God!

5 Truths About Sacrificial Living:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

Sacrificial Living Requires Consistency
“But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” 1 Samuel 15:22

We cannot simply declare that everything we do in the corps will be the place of my sacrificial living – NO! It is all or nothing. God doesn’t want our sacrifices in one area while other areas of our lives are still not surrendered. That’s like saying to your spouse, “I will be faithful to you in this city, but I can’t promise anything when I leave this city.” How can we love the Lord with all of our hearts when we compartmentalize our relationship to Him? If we are to be soldiers of the faith who are daily living sacrificial lives, we have to subject ALL of our lives under the sovereign, perfect rule of Christ. Consistency is not easy, and there will be constant struggles to bring these areas of our lives under control. But rest assured we have One who is with us – The Holy Spirit!
Sacrificial Living Takes Work
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” –Romans 12:1.

If we are to be consistent in our declaration of sacrificial living – we have to mean what we declare – and this takes work! We have to roll up our sleeves, so to speak, and intentionally, moment by moment surrender our wants and desires to God. We have to declare Thy Will be done, instead of my will. The work done on our knees in prayer before the Almighty will set the momentum going forward. If we neglect this spiritual discipline of prayer, we will jeopardize our entire sacrificial existence. This is a merging of our identities with that of Christ’s. When we do this, we are essentially saying “I want to be Imago Dei” I am not just imitating Him, I want to be Him in every way. There will be moments of stumbling. We will experience great stress in temptation, because surely the Father of Lies will begin to see how dangerous His people will become to his devious plans on earth. We will experience adversity, days of defeat, weakness – but these are only symptoms of us dying to our old-self.
Sacrificial Living Is An Outpouring of Holiness

“And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” -Acts 2:44-45

When we declare our desire to be ~~like~~ Christ in every way, our crosses will be carried, and our path will be set. It sounds paradoxical, but while we experience great sacrifice and discomfort, we will at the same time experience great peace too. Sacrificial living is not the end result, no this is the outpouring of our longing for holiness in all that we are as Children of God. This is more than just words uttered. This is something on a molecular level – changing us from the inside out. I believe something metaphysical happens when we make it our goal to be Christ in our hearts, minds and soul. You know that when you have been married for a long time – you and your partner take on the mannerisms of each other…sometimes you even begin to resemble one another. Holiness lived-out with the greatest of intentions and devotion will produce men and women of God who deeply resemble Christ in every way. -This is what Sacrificial Living looks like and is the evidence of a commitment to Holiness on the deepest of levels. Dare I say, but we as an Army have yet to even scratch the surface of real, tangible Holiness amongst its ranks. We talk a good game, but I fear we are no where near it yet.
Sacrificial Living Has No Room For Ego

“And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” -Acts 4:32

There’s an old phrase that perhaps you know, it goes like this: “Absolute power corrupts absolutely”…even in the Army there is a hunger for power, whether it be in our corps and local officer positions or the Corps Officer, Divisional Officer, Territorial Officer…and so on. Power is a dangerous vice. Authority is necessary in any Church, Movement or Mission, but the hunger for power and man’s authority can corrupt all of the above. In fact, this is what Satan hopes will happen to any adversary of his: that they become bogged down by their own egos and blinded by their own ambitions and thirst for imagined power. You might say, “but we are The Salvation Army – we have no power.” – every organization, movement or Church has many places of authority and assumed places of power. What we do with those roles, how we conduct ourselves if we become stewards of such positions determines not only the course of our Army, but the depth of our sacrificial living. There is no room for ego in sacrificial living! “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” -Psalm 51:17.
Sacrificial Living Must Be Evidenced In Our Soldiers & Officers!
“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ…” -Philippians 3:8

If we are truly a Holiness movement – then we must act like it! We must eliminate every element of back-biting, gossip, slander, ego, power-plays, Church politics that elevates one over another, personal vendettas and all other kinds of selfishness! Somewhere along the way we left the call for holiness in a pulpit sermon and lost our way. We will not move or correct any kind of mission drift that is egocentric if we are not really actively engaged in sacrificial living. Let’s stop talking a big game, and putting on a big show as we tout our Holiness Movement member’s cards (I’m being facetious)…let’s drop the pretenses. If we want to see an Army on the move and if we long to save souls, then we first have to start with our own. I am not questioning our salvation, I am questioning our depth of Holiness and Sacrificial Living. Let’s practice what we preach…and perhaps for some of us, we need to fall in love with God all over again in reconsecration. I love this army, but without soldiers, officers and adherents who are living sacrificially, and committed to the great commission of saving souls and making disciples, we could face extinction a generation from now.

Something more for our Army world to Ponder today.

*Disclaimer: the thoughts and opinions expressed here are the writer’s thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army. Reader discretion is advised.*

March 2, 2017 0

Dear Salvation Army, Is This Mission Drift?…

It has happened in numerous conversations.
There has been the lament of decisions made, and the ripples that flow from those decisions moving outward growing ever larger and larger.
Could it be that in some places in our Army world that we are experiencing a floundering of our mission? How can we recognize this mission drift in our ministries and in the larger army?

Perhaps the first question we should ask ourselves is this: What is our mission as an Army? Have we strayed from that mission? And if the answer is ‘yes’, then perhaps we have indeed become castaways on mission drift.

I read a fascinating article recently from The Gospel Coalition by Matt Smethurst, he was interviewing authors Peter Greer and Christ Horst who wrote the book Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities and Churches. In this interview, Smethurst asked Greer and Horst “Why is “mission drift” such a problem for well-intentioned Christian ministries and charitable trusts?”
Their answer really hit home with perhaps some of the issues our Army faces currently. Here is what Greer and Horst had to say:

Through our research we confirmed that mission drift is a pressing challenge for every faith-based organization. The zeal and beliefs of the founders are insufficient safeguards. There is no immunity, no matter how concrete your mission statement is. Or how passionate your leaders are. Or how much you believe it could never happen to you.

Relatively minor decisions, when compounded by time, lead organizations to an entirely different purpose and identity.

Did you catch that?
Mission Drift is a challenge for EVERY faith-based organization…and I believe we are facing this imminent threat every day within our Army. We are not immune. We are not above this danger. As a matter of fact, I believe that the chief danger in our Salvation Army today is mission drift within social programs, recreational programs and all other would be programs that are become increasingly devoid of any spiritual emphasis or initiative. We have become professional outsourcers and imagined “the lost” would come banging down our doors on Sunday…yet they aren’t and our corps are dying…and we are riding wave after wave of mission drift.

When asked about money, Greer and Horst had this to say:

Q: How does money tend to factor into the mission drift equation?

“Through hundreds of hours of interviews with Christian leaders of organizations of all varieties, donor influence was identified time and again as a leading cause of drift. With almost any donation there are “strings attached.” In some instances donors—often corporate donors or government funders—will place prohibitions about how overtly Christian an organization’s work can be. Historically this restriction was perhaps most evidenced in Andrew Carnegie’s university funding, which disallowed “sectarian institutions” from receiving funding. Many colleges—including Brown and Dartmouth—cut ties with their founding Christian denominations to be eligible to receive Carnegie’s millions.”

Has money played a part of our possible mission drift in the Salvation Army?
I would say if it hasn’t, then the temptation has surely been there…and some may even rationalize “well, we will figure out a ‘work-around’ for our mission to continue as we accept these monies…” and yet the funds come and the implementation of missional, intentional Christ-centered programming gets tossed or put on the back-burner because regulations and guidelines must be followed. Is this danger truly happening to our Army? Is it subtle and sometimes unnoticeable? All it takes are small, seemingly innocuous decision to take place in order for the drift to start. Could it be happening in your corps? Your Division? Your Territory?

I certainly do not want to paint a doom and gloom, “let’s second guess every decision being made” – type of conversation. But I am pondering whether we have already begun to drift away from our primary purpose for being an Army? Later on in the interview, Greer and Horst said this, and I believe this describes my fear of mission drift in our army:

We chose the word drift intentionally. It has the image of slowly, silently, and with little fanfare carrying you away to a new destination. It’s not dramatic, and yet anyone who’s spent time on a boat of any size knows it happens.

It’s clichéd, but the moments of greatest temptation occur when you least expect it. We’ve felt the tug of secularization most when we’ve been enjoying seasons of growth. It’s so easy for success to cloud drift. But it’s always there. As Christian leaders, we must daily commit ourselves to protecting and celebrating what matters most in the institutions God has entrusted to us.

PONDER THIS:
So here is my pondering to you, Dear Army: How do we even notice mission drift when it happens in our big Army? And secondly, how do we course correct if our Army is Titanic and it takes all of us to turn the ship around? Can this be done? What are some of the indicators of mission drift that you see? Would loss of constituents be an indicator? Would leadership disconnect be another? Would program not missionally based also sound alarms? What kinds of safe-guards can we put into place to help us avoid this trap? How might we course correct?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments and concerns.
Something more for our Army to ponder today.

Source:
Smethurst, M. (2014, March 10). The subtle danger of mission drift. The gospel coalition.
Retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-subtle-danger-of-mission-drift

*Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions written here are not necessarily the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army. Reader discretion is advised.*

February 21, 2017 6

Dear Salvation Army, 3 Smart Strategies To Army Mission…

Dear Salvation Army Soldier & Friends, our mission doesn’t exist without those that push the mission and strive to see it succeed! Without soldiers and friends working so tirelessly together in an effort to meet human need in Jesus’ name, we will fail and our efforts will be in vain. With that being said, we serve more than just the army ranks. For officers come and officers go, and our appraisal of those wearing red may increase or decrease depending on the character of each. But collectively we are the army. But without Christ at the head of our army we will be without direction and hope.

It is my prayer that we keep our eyes ever on Christ as we dole out our policy and mission steps in our world. Dare I say that there have been times when policy and administrative decisions have not made sense and/or were not made with Christ in mind at all. Such moments in our history, I would hope are few and far between and I am instead given over to the notion that we ought to pray for each and every leader that is appointed to lead this Army. I cannot imagine the enormity of such a mantel, yet it is thrust on many who would deem themselves quite unworthy of it. But, beware to those who think they deserve such a mantel, even power and leadership in our army can corrupt. So pray in earnest for one another so that we do not fall into such a temptation of pride, ego and personal ambition.

Here are three smart primer strategies to our Army mission. There are more subtopics and conversations to be had within this pondering…after you read these starting points, why not tell us what YOU think and what we can add to this list!

1. Leaders – listen to the “Boots on the ground!”

I cannot stress how important it is for leaders of all positions to listen to those who are actively engaged on the ground in the fight!

There are certainly Church roles that we possess in our movement, some are appointed and gifted in: administration, some in pastoring, some evangelism…and so on, yet we all must do our very best within the positions that we have been given to glorify God and to edify and encourage each other! Leaders who simply dictate and dole out policy but rarely listen to the boots on the ground will eventually be resented and our mission will become bogged down. Take the time to listen to those who see the need every day! Sometimes we as leaders have to have the guts to admit when the plan we plotted isn’t working and perhaps there is a better, more effective way. Swallow your pride and adapt! This goes for every position of leadership from the corps setting all the way up!

We cannot afford to have polarizing visions when we should all be seeking to remain mission minded and focused. There’s no time for that! Leaders who listen and then lead have a better chance at successfully navigating and accomplishing their objectives in mission! If leaders only dictate from their offices that are tucked away from mission we will fail because administration can only meet mission when it has its ear to the ground and a heart to serve in the capacity of servant-leader. Enough with the old guard of “my way or the highway” brass! Yes be strict on mission-mindedness but compassionate on leading and shepherding! Be a shepherd first and listen!

2. Boots on the ground – Pray for and love your leaders, trust them and then engage in the spiritual warfare while befriending the lost!

There’s no time to jostle about and deciding which leader you will follow or trust. There is too much at stake, too much to lose in forward progress as an army! If we spend too much time worrying about the internal workings of our army, we will lose sight of those we are entrusted to serve and love! Bring the mission of the lost into focus – make it your priority to keep this mission going! Be the gate keepers of Hell so that no one slips by you and into that place of ultimate depravity! Stand as the bridge builder who brings hope to your community! Worry less about what others (even leadership) might think and more about what God might think with our inactions! Get on with it!! Fight on and be the voice for those without one. The very progression of our army depends upon the movement of these vital infantry boots! You will stand knee deep in the muck and mire of people’s sin and sadness. You will witness the hopeless single mother who is struggling to put food on the table, or the children who come to your program that you know are currently living in awful places and conditions. You must take action!

Love those who lead you. Trust that God has placed them there to help you accomplish this mission together! Pray for each other and for those who will come knocking on your door in search of help! We cannot progress the good news of Jesus Christ and bring hope to a dying world if we are not first Holy people who are taking up our crosses and following Him! We cannot look like the world and act like the world. We are set apart to do mighty things, we cannot lack anything especially faith that God will pave this path for us!

3. Look outside “The Bubble”!

Lastly, do not get bogged down in your own bubble that you become ignorant of how God might be working in our world! Be in-tune with Him! Do not live in your corps buildings and your Divisional or territorial offices and forget to peer out the windows and walk the streets! God is not static and He does not want us to become static! Look beyond what we have already accomplished! Don’t just maintain and do the same things over and over again especially if these things (or programs) are not bringing people to Christ any longer! Explore, study, become students of knowledge and strategy! Read!! There is this notion that any organization and mission can become so internal that it’s almost incestuous in developing its methods of mission, evangelism and mission. Break this mold! Take risks, and don’t be afraid to fail – even a hundred times (or more)! We cannot live in our Army bubbles and expect people to come to us! We have to go to them! We have to think outside the box (or corps). We have to stop living in the past or the glory days all the while missing countless opportunities to make history and break new ground! If we expect revival we have to make revolution happen in our army!

I think sometimes what keeps us in our bubbles is the fear of what leadership might do if we try new things that don’t necessarily “look Army”. Is there fear of reprisal and punishment for not maintaining the status quo? Perhaps it’s time to pop the bubble!
Perhaps it’s time to refocus and realign our motives and mindsets on the mission of this world-wide movement! But we cannot do that unless we become risk-takers and break the bubble comfort and tradition.

Something more for this Army to Ponder…now, tell us what YOU think by leaving comments and questions below or in your discussion feed! I can’t wait to hear from you!

*Disclaimer: The thoughts and opinions written on Pastorsponderings are not necessarily the thoughts and expressed opinions of The Salvation Army, reader discretion is advised!*

February 10, 2017 3

Dear Salvation Army: Is The Holiness Movement Dying? Then Perhaps This is Why…

“I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God’s creational intentions.” John Wesley

Dear beloved Army,
This holiness movement used to be so much grander than it is today.
Are we a dying breed?
Is this movement more of a nod to a bygone era?

More and more, we find that Holiness is being preached less and less, and even more troubling is that holiness is not being lived out or made into something real and tangible for the world to see. The notion of being set-apart is both vital and necessary for the purpose of entire sanctification. Being set-apart means that we wash the feet of those who have only experienced religion with strings attached. For we are not a religion, we are a movement that preaches about this holy relationship we can have with the Almighty! We are a movement (or at least we used to be) that lived out holiness and preached it from our pulpits. If this is missing in our corps and in our witness then perhaps we have lost a step and are no longer a moving, passionate movement…but instead could it be that we are static and floundering about trying to define our identity apart from Holiness?

Have We Forgotten The Power Prayer?
General Frederick Coutts once said: “To pray together is to be shielded from evil, not only from the perils which beset the body, but also the dangers that assail the soul”
Coupled with this near extinction of the Holiness movement, have we lost sight of the power of prayer? Has prayer, and prayer meetings become a thing of the past in our corps? I am sure that some will write me and proclaim that their corps still holds prayer meetings, this is wonderful news to hear, but for every one corps that proclaims this, there are most likely three or four more that will admit to its vacancy. Have we stopped praying for one another? Have we relinquished this vital weapon of spiritual warfare? An Army no longer on its knees in prayer is an army who ill-equipped for the battles ahead. How can we march out into the streets and boldly proclaim “the world for God” when we have not been earnestly praying for each other in our corps buildings as we individually engage in spiritual battles no one is willing to talk about let alone confront?

I believe that if that we are to experience a revival again as a movement, it will only come when we begin to take our prayer lives more seriously. This spiritual discipline is vital to both the corporate worship setting as well as the personal one done in those private moments. Let me ask you this, how often to you pray for your fellow soldiers and officers? How often do we lift up our concerns before the Almighty and continue to wait on Him? In our fast paced lifestyles we have grown impatient and we lack attention to prayer. We need more prayer warriors in our Army and less prayer worriers. We need authentic, vulnerable moments in our pews as much as we need real, genuine times of solitude in our homes devoted to prayer.

The disciples, post ascension, waited on God…only when they waited and prayed and longed for His presence were they able receive His holy presence and go out and proclaim the resurrected and transformational Christ!

Somewhere along the line did we get ahead of Christ?
Did we leave Him in our upper rooms? Did we rush out to do good works and forget to bring Him with us? We can certainly fix the brokenness of physical needs through charity and social work, but we cannot bring the cure to sin-sick habitual living if we ourselves have forgotten about the need for entire sanctification in our corps and in our lives. The uniform means nothing if we do not first have this yearning to become the very image of Christ in our living and in our breathing. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

So let me ask you this: Is the Holiness movement dead?
Is it on life support in our army?
Or is it thriving in your “neck of the woods”?
If it is indeed thriving, please tell us about your experiences!
I would never presume anything about your corps, and I am not saying anything other than what the Lord is convicting me of in my own life right now.
It is my belief that if we are not continually laying our all on the altar in full-surrender to Christ, and if we are not giving ourselves continually to the discipline of prayer – we will in affect have sounded the death-knell of this Holiness movement.

Dear Salvation Army, if we have been asleep to these disciplines, I pray we wake up and shake off the polarizing agendas and the distractions and get on with being Holy…from this act we can then do this holiness through the mission of our movement.

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

*Disclaimer: These thoughts and opinions are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of The Salvation Army. Reader discretion is advised.*

February 3, 2017 3

Dear Salvation Army, Kingdom Building or Empire Building?

Dear Salvation Army,
is our mission still for souls?
Are we stubbornly standing between souls condemned and the gates of hell itself?
Are we still the voice calling out for justice when all other voices are silent or too broken to speak? Can we boldly declare in faith that “we’re going to fill, fill, fill the world with glory?”

Dear soldier, no matter who you are, no matter what rank you hold, no matter if you hold a position of power and prominence or you simply come to your corps hall on Sundays – we are all equally vital not only to The Salvation Army, but to this mighty Kingdom building process that the Holy Spirit is doing in our world today! This require faithfulness and diligence on our part. If we merely offer lip service to God and don’t believe that He will provide the way, then we already defeated. Where ever your ministry is located in our world, without faith, hope and love we are doomed to only good works which isn’t enough! No, we must still be willing to storm the forts of darkness. We must be prepared to stand firm even when the ground of culture and morality erodes at our feet. We cannot lose ground and cave to becoming complacent or comfortable. Our calling has never been one of apathy but empathy, compassion and grace.

A Word Of Warning To Empire Building:
Dear soldier, I will also caution you that if you come to this army seeking notoriety, position, power and to establish and build your empire, these efforts will severely damage our mission as a movement. This is not a platform for showboating or ego stroking. This army should never be about climbing the ladder of corporate success or vying for places of authority…and yet I fear it has happened and currently does happen. Some will contend that these are isolated incidents, but it boils down to matters of the heart and depth of our surrender to Christ himself. John the baptist even declared about Jesus – “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) And when the disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest disciple – Jesus pointed to the little children and told them “…For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)

Jesus had a way of turning common practice on its head.
Perhaps as an Army need to do this from time to time; to buck trends or notions of common practice in order to experience full surrender and lead with compassion and grace.

Dear Soldier, if you are currently building an empire – perhaps it’s time to seek repentance and reconciliation or depart this movement altogether. This may be strong words to read, but you are not helping to spur on this movement, you are attempting to subvert it with selfish ambitions and sinful pride. Either humble yourselves or you will be humbled by God. I say these words first to myself and then to anyone else this may apply to. Without the constant and compassionate correction of the Holy Spirit how can we ever expect to grow and mature into this faith? And what is this faith, but a transformation of our selfishness into selflessness and the image of Christ in and through everything that we are and do.

The Charge:
Lastly, let me encourage you.
Each and every one of you are important to God’s kingdom.
Don’t ever forget this. Regardless of how human leadership has treated you in the past whether within the Army or from outside (for we know that all forms of leadership has its flaws and imperfections but for the King of kings and Lord of Lords) YOU. MAKE. A. DIFFERENCE! You matter!! Do not listen to anyone who only has criticism or harmful things to say to you that does not help build to you up. Surround yourself with encouragers who will challenge you to be all that you can be for Christ Jesus. Live for Him. Die to self, and know that we serve a mighty army that is so much bigger than any one person, name or rank. We have to get serious about making disciples in our Army. We have to tear down walls of division and bring reconciliation to our corners of the world.
Do not become overwhelmed in this work that you do…one day at a time, one heart at a time…when we are faithful to Him, He will provide the strength and wisdom that we require in order to march on. Stand firm, Dear Soldier…Stand firm.

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

Disclaimer: “The thoughts and opinions expressed here are not necessarily the thoughts and opinions of The Salvation Army, but are that of the author of this blog, reader discretion is advised.”

January 26, 2017 2

Dear Salvation Army – 4 Ways To Ignite Passion In Ministry

Dear Army,
I must admit that there are times when I am battle-weary.
I have become drained, burned-out, and feel that any impact I can make is not enough.
Dear Soldier, have you ever felt this way when serving the Lord through this army of Salvation? You are not alone. Perhaps we need some helps along the way. We cannot do battle alone, we were never called to be solo soldiers, individual super-soldiers doing everything on our own – No! The stronger we are together, the more impact in this world our service for Christ to others can be!

Today, here are 4 ways to Ignite (or perhaps re-ignite) Passion In Ministry!
Here’s a top four count-down:

4) Read, and Keep On Reading!
Challenge yourself to pick up more books on tough spiritual concepts. Read about the spiritual journeys of other Christians and Soldiers. This will give you insight into how Christ has been working and is working today! Be a reader of more than just fiction books. I say this because I really love fiction novels, and perhaps some characteristics in those fiction books can help, but in order to stretch yourself, become a reader and student of other Christians. Read the writings of Samuel Logan Brengle and General Frederick Coutts. Read Bonehoeffer, C.S. Lewis, N.T. Wright, Thomas Cahill amongst others. Do not limit your literary choices to just the Salvation Army world, expand your reading. In so doing, you will find hope, joy and passion of serving the Lord! A little warning too: you will also see where we as an Army can do better and greater things, so reader beware!

3) Stop The Monkey Work And Serve!
In The Salvation Army (and any other organization or movement) there seems to be endless paperwork, reports and office work to do. I think there is more than two certainties of Death and Taxes, there is also Monkey work. I do not say this to be critical or disparaging, I say this because it is true. We can become so bogged down by monkey work that we never really leave our offices and we stop seeing the mission of why we do what we do. Stop the monkey work for a day…get out of your office or your cubical and serve others. Do so in small and large ways. Take the time to use your hands for others instead of pushing paper…that will still be there when you get back. When we serve, there is something cathartic about it. There is something heartwarming. We have made contact with someone other than on an email or social media thread – we have touched the heart of someone in need. We looked them in the eyes, and was able to help in some small way. This can be done by even talking to people. Many just need someone to talk to, someone to be there and just listen. If you want to ignite or re-ignite the passion, stop the monotony of monkey work and help serve!

2) Take Your Sabbath.
I have said this before and I will repeat it again, because I feel convicted about this. Perhaps you will disagree with me, that is your prerogative (thanks for your opinion, now here’s mine). Sunday mornings, if you are the officer or local officers and you have an active role in leading ministry – you need more than just that service to be your Sabbath! Yes, worship is impactful. Yes, connection and fellowship is vital. But Sabbath is more than just a worship service. Sabbath is resting in the presence of God. I would venture a guess that many do not spend enough time in solitude with God. Jesus took time away from His disciples. He went apart from them and communed with the Father. We too must find this type of Sabbath – even if it is for an hour or half an hour. Take your Sabbath, rest, recharge and re-ignite your passion! If you don’t it’s like never charging your cellular phone, it will be dead soon enough and useless. Stay connected to the Father. Pray often, let those prayers become constant conversations and make a concerted effort to take your Sabbath.

1) Friendship – Comradery- Accountability
Soldiers, you need fellowship. When we see eye to eye, laugh and even cry together bonds for friendship and relationship deeply develop. Do not take this for granted. Some have assumed this permanent soldier of solitude position and they find it to be a very lonely place. Rest assured, we need you! We need your fellowship. Make it a vital intention and priority to spend time with friends and fellow soldiers. Do not take these moments for granted. Together in fellowship we can face many things head-on. We are stronger together and weaker apart. Find friends and peers that you can trust to hold you accountable too. This ought not become laborious or a class, if it becomes that then it can lose its special-ness, and feel more forced. But find the friendships that make you laugh, challenge you, and makes you want to keep going in this Army! Sometimes these friendships might not even have an Army connection, and this might provide a fresh set of eyes and broader perspective on things. Friendship cannot be over emphasized here, especially when you are on the front lines in this army! We need each other to reignite our passions and purpose! Hold fast and make this a priority!

These are just four suggestions to help ignite passion into your ministry (again).
They are not placed in an order of importance mind you, feel free to use these and without a doubt there are other means to do this!

YOUR TAKE: What are other ways in which we can ignite our passion in this ministry & mission? Ponder with us, leave your comments here, we want to hear from you!

Something more for this Army world to ponder today!

**Disclaimer: The views and thoughts expressed here are not necessarily The Salvation Army’s view and thoughts, but the writer of this Pondering. Reader discretion is advised.**

January 12, 2017 2

Dear Salvation Army, Is It Time For A Uniform Update?

Dear Salvation Army,
I see an inconsistency and I’m wondering if you see it too.
I have been to some divisions and locations where uniform wear is enforced almost militantly and there has been a real lack of grace when someone falls out of line. Flipping the coin, so to speak, I have also witnessed in other areas of the country and world where the uniform is stressed less, and I would imagine not “policed” like others clearly are. I have even witnessed territorial and some divisional officers in other places being publicly photographed in “Army” polos and other “not full-uniform” wear, or in casual uniform wear.

I am most certainly not criticizing this practice, nor am I railing against the uniform, but I wonder if a shift has begun in what the army deems as “appropriate uniform attire”? It most certainly is not universal anymore, and I am rather happy to see women being able to “buck the trend” and wear suit pants instead of polyester skirts if they so choose. Is this also a trend that will continue until suit pants are considered for full uniform for Women? Some might consider the staunch supporters of the full uniform wear to be old fuddy-dutties or too stiff in a swiftly shifting organization. I am not so sure about that either. But I do wonder if we should consider a universal change given the fact the times have changed as have styles of most of the world’s militaries -from which we were modeled after. I might sound a bit progressive here, but why haven’t we adapting and changed yet? Is it that hard to do so? Beyond the rationale “this is what it is” can we clearly articulate why it is so difficult to change it?

Questions to Ponder:
Is full uniform still practical?
What purpose does it serve to the world around us? Do they see and understand what it is we are wearing and why? Do we simply wear it because it is what we do?

Beyond these questions, and the practical applications of uniform wear, can or should the Army be pursuing modern updates or allotments? Has this already begun? Perhaps I serve is a moderately more conservative part of the Army world than you, and you are already seeing this trend…help us out and tell us about it! Historically uniform wear was cost effective to many who could not afford certain “richer” clothing, but the uniform costs today have gotten more expensive, tunics ranging from $200 – 300…these uniforms are not cheap and that historic purpose, at least in my “neck of the woods” is now obsolete.

Someone will inevitably write me (and probably criticize me…again) and say, “But you’re missing the point, there are far more pressing matters to address” to which I would say you are correct…but then why do we spend so much time on the emphasis of uniform? Others might argue that it is our witness as those who are Saved to Save (or Serve, which ever you like) and is represented in our obedience to the uniform…quite right, but it goes deeper than that doesn’t it? We aren’t necessarily obedient to the “Uniform” we are first and foremost obedient to God and then from Him all other forms of obedience flows. One wonders if the uniform is a detractor or an attractor for others to join our ranks? I am not saying that I hate this uniform, please do not take that from what I am saying here, I am merely wondering to what end does our uniform wearing take us? Why do it? Who are are impressing? The General? Our Leaders? God? Of course I am being facetious here, I know why we wear it…but is this a general consensus? Or is it part and parcel to something deeper, more lasting within us? Can you tell me its purpose? And do YOU believe this purpose is lived out in your use of the uniform?

So I guess this pondering is two-fold:
1) Should the Army consider adapting and updating the uniform universally (understandibly there are certainly culture issues at play here as well)?
2) What is the spiritual benefit to the use of Uniform in our witness to ourselves (Ecclesia) and to the world around us? To the last point, the uniform is certainly recognizable to some places of our world and to the poor and downtrodden.

What do you think?
Tell us your thoughts, concerns, gripes, Ideas, convictions…let’s hear it!
Ponder with me on this if you will!

Something more for the Army world to ponder today.

January 4, 2017 40

Dear Salvation Army Officer: I Need Rest!

With six more days (if it’s still Monday when you read this) until the craziness of the Christmas season screeches to a halt, the life of an officer never seems to end. There are still kettle goals to be met, Christmas distributions to clean up after, and countless logistical issues to oversee.

Officers don’t of course do this alone, teams of wonderful employees and volunteers help (we really couldn’t do this without you!!) I don’t wish to ever minimize anyone’s efforts during this time of Christmas – everyone works so hard.

As an officer I know how often I have climbed into bed bone tired and sore with many things yet to accomplish and left for the following day. It is exhausting work and I pray we never miss the point of it all. I pray that we never forget the real reason that we celebrate Christmas – because all of this busyness can certainly consume the Christ-mas if we allow it to. Have we begun to dread this holiday, this advent season? Have we become workaholics and have we placed this about our worship of the Almighty? Most likely not, but there is certainly the danger here. We want to succeed in our goals, we want to work hard and accomplish much…but is God present in all of these goals and in our striving for success?

A song recently pulled me up short, and caught my attention.
The refrain that struck a chord in my heart was this:

“I need rest, I need rest
Lost inside a forest of a million trees
Trying to find my way back to me
I need rest”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w60V7lLY2bs

These lyrics are from a song by Jason Gray entitled “Rest (the song of the innkeeper)”
It describes the busyness of life, getting caught up and seeking the rest amidst all of the chaos .

Dear Officer – You need rest…do you find it? Are you seeking it?
Has the work become your god?
Do you dread Christmas and everything it brings?
How can we avoid the dread and the misaligned religion of work instead of relationship with God?

I pray you find it even as you finish this Kettle season, or hectic social service season!
I pray that as December 25th arrives you can embrace the birth of Christ once more with fresh abandon and awe. Merry Christmas to you all!

God bless you!

December 19, 2016 3

Giving At The Red Kettles: Gary’s Story…

I recently listened to a Ted Talk about time management, and in that Ted Talk the speaker inferred that it is not about having enough time to do things, it is all about our priorities in life. If something is important to us, that becomes a priority, while other less liked tasks will become a non-priority.

Many of us will claim that we don’t have enough time in the day, but perhaps the real question is: what do we make a priority in our lives? Here at The Salvation Army, our priority during this insanely busy season is to provide food, toys, clothing, and a warm safe place for people in need, and so we set out to accomplish this by raising much needed funds at our Red Kettle locations. This vital campaign helps us ensure that no one goes hungry or without a Christmas in our community. This is daunting task, because it requires hundreds and hundreds of hours of manning a red kettle location during cold winter days by generous volunteers and additional hired bell ringers.

I would like to share with you an amazing story of generosity by one such volunteer. His name is Gary, and he has made bell ringing one of his priorities in life in order to help people in need. Despite fighting an epic battle of cancer in his life, last year alone Gary came out and rang the bell for The Salvation Army for over 60 hours during the month and a half long Red Kettle Campaign…and he’s back again this year to do the same!!

Gary has made it his mission to not only overcome his own personal health crisis, but to help others by ringing the bell at the red kettle. “I really love doing this, and I know that I am making a difference!” Gary said, as he stands all bundled up at the entrance of his local Walmart store. He never stops ringing the bell while we talk, each clang of the bell is another accomplishment in his life. You can hear him from the back of the parking lot, and every time Gary is out ringing that bell, you can rest assured he is smiling and welcoming shoppers warmly in the hopes that they will give…and give they do. His smile is infectious as is his personality. His priority? To help people in need despite his own daily health challenges. Gary could’ve stayed at home after being diagnosed, no one would have blamed him. He could have simply fought for his own life, that would certainly be understandable, but Gary has risen above his own mountainous challenge in order to tackle the challenges of others…by ringing that bell.

Gary’s story personifies for us the true meaning of Christmas.
It reminds us that giving is far better than receiving…that generosity and selflessness can touch the hearts of many by simply being willing and available to serve. The world needs more Garys in it.
It is so much more than just ringing a bell, it is the very heart of God living and becoming hands and feet in a very tangible way towards others. It is the countless acts of kindness shown to people when no one else is watching. It is giving God our very best instead of what is left over.

So let me ask you what are your priorities this Christmas?

December 19, 2016 0

Category: Salvationism