Happy New Year! Does anyone know why I would wish you a happy New Year today? Today is the beginning of Advent. In traditional liturgical churches, advent is the beginning of the church year where we celebrate the first coming of Christ and celebrate the hope that is in his anticipated return. Now often at New Year there are all kinds of year-end quizzes; so I thought that I would put a little tongue-in-cheek quiz together for us based on our text today, Mark 13:32-37.
read and try the quiz @ http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/mark-1332-37-hope-for-happy-new-year.html
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
John 3:16-21
I truly believe that God gives us all we need to know in this life from our experiences and even creation itself (cf. Ro 1:18-24) and indeed there will still be a time when every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Ro 14:11, Philip 2:10) and then some, some who believe in the Lord and obey His commandments will go off to spend eternity with Him[5] and some, some who deny Christ (Matthew 10:33) and do not obey His commandments (John14:15), some who simply refuse His love will go off to the hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth (Mathew 25:31ff). This is sad.
This is particularly sad because we know that God loves us. Verse 3:16 says that He loves the entire ‘Kosmos’.[6] He loves us so much that He laid down His life for us (John 15). God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten, his only natural, his only sired Son to die so that we may live.I can’t imagine how much this must hurt God that some of us do actually perish. I am a parent. Many of us are parents here. Think about this scenario for a moment...
The house across the street is on fire; there are children asleep in that house. Your child is able to save them. Your son or daughter – your ONLY son or daughter can reach them so you encourage her “…Go, go, go! Save those people.”
Your daughter goes. She goes. She suffers every peril in that burning house that everyone else in there is suffering (Cf. 1 Cor 10:14; Lk 4). There is the smoke – the deadly smoke, there is the fire, and there are the falling beams. She is successful. She gets to where the children are. She can see them. She is able to make an opening in the wall. She points them to the way out. She yells for them to walk through the opening in the wall. She has made a clear path so that all of the kids can be saved - and then she dies. Your daughter dies so that all these kids can be saved. Your child dies so that none of these kids need to die but – here’s the kicker: the children did not want to be saved. They died. She died so that they could be saved but – on purpose – they died. They did not need to die but they chose not to walk through the opening. They chose to die. Your daughter dies for them and they all die anyway; they refused to be saved.
This is what it is like for God when our loved one’s reject Him. He sent His son to this earth that is perishing. He sent His Son to this house that is on fire – and His Son died so that we may live but yet some still refuse His love for us and some still reject His Salvation. He sent Jesus not to condemn us to burn in the eternal house fire but to save us but like those children some of us refuse to obey Him and walk to safety. Some of us simply refuse to walk through that opening that Jesus died to make. John 3:18: “Those who believe in Him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already…” of their own accord because, 3:19, “people loved darkness rather than light.”
But today for those of us here I want to share the good news of John 3:16-17. Sure the house is on fire, sure Jesus died, but we, as long as we are still breathing have the opportunity to walk through the hole in the wall that He created through His death and resurrection. We can walk through the wall from certain death to certain life. All we need to do is believe in Him, obey Him, and walk through that wall to eternal life with the Father because “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only [begotten] Son, so that everyone who believe in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Thursday, November 27, 2008
There is still time...
Q: What is this?
..
.
.
.
.
.
A. a Christmas kettle.
There is still time to sign up for a Christmas kettle shift or two in both Nipawin and Tisdale...
Michael
http://www.sheepspeak.com/
The USA is kicking off their kettle campaign tomorrow...
Tomorrow, multi-platinum recording artists and international stars, Jonas Brothers, will kick-off The Salvation Army’s 2008 Red Kettle Campaign in the USA with a live, nationally-televised halftime show performance during the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game. Coverage begins on the Fox network at 3:15 pm CST. Jonas Brothers will also be hosting their own virtual red kettle for one week beginning today.
You might want to check it out.... we did our kick-off in Nipawin at the Co-op (-:
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Do we have a responsibility to take care of the poor?
Nipawin Journal
January 2008
Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'"
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:13-26).
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”
Canada is one of the richest nations on earth; one in six Canadian children live in poverty.
Do I have a responsibility to share my wealth with those who are poor? Yes.
January 2008
Little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbour as yourself.'"
"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:13-26).
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).”
Canada is one of the richest nations on earth; one in six Canadian children live in poverty.
Do I have a responsibility to share my wealth with those who are poor? Yes.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Poverty X 2
From http://www.cbc.ca/
Poorer Canadians are more likely to enter hospital for health problems such as child asthma, mental illness and diabetes, including potentially preventable conditions, according to a report released Monday.
read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/24/poor-hospital.html#articlecomments
From http://www.thestar.com/
Ontario will have to spend at least $6 billion over the next five years to make a dent in the province's "stubbornly high" child poverty rate of almost 12 per cent, advocates say.
read more: http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/542244
---------
Want more?
Related CBC Links:
Gap found in kidney disease treatment for aboriginal Canadians
Canada slow in combating child poverty: report
Reduce overcrowded housing to slash TB rates, native leaders urge
'Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale': report
From The Star's (Toronto) War on Poverty site:
http://www.thestar.com/poverty
Other Related Links
Reducing Gaps in Health: A Focus on Socio-Economic Status in Urban Canada, CIHI (in .pdf format)
Poorer Canadians are more likely to enter hospital for health problems such as child asthma, mental illness and diabetes, including potentially preventable conditions, according to a report released Monday.
read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/11/24/poor-hospital.html#articlecomments
From http://www.thestar.com/
Ontario will have to spend at least $6 billion over the next five years to make a dent in the province's "stubbornly high" child poverty rate of almost 12 per cent, advocates say.
read more: http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/542244
---------
Want more?
Related CBC Links:
Gap found in kidney disease treatment for aboriginal Canadians
Canada slow in combating child poverty: report
Reduce overcrowded housing to slash TB rates, native leaders urge
'Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale': report
From The Star's (Toronto) War on Poverty site:
http://www.thestar.com/poverty
Other Related Links
Reducing Gaps in Health: A Focus on Socio-Economic Status in Urban Canada, CIHI (in .pdf format)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
The John 3:16 Man
There was a time to when it seems that you couldn’t turn on a sporting event even without seeing someone hold up a sign that said ‘John 3:16’ on it. Do you remember that? Has anyone seen that? Do you know the story about how that got started? I ran across a version of this event by Dr. David Wendel when I was doing my research. He says:
A man tried to make his mark on society by attending sporting events, getting on camera, and holding up a sign that said, "John 3:16". The fellow's name is Rollen Stewart, whose story is told in a documentary titled, "The Rainbow Man/John 3:16", made by San Francisco filmmaker, Sam Green.
Steward had problems and it seems Stewart's problems started during his childhood. His parents were alcoholics, his father died when he was seven, his mother was killed in a house fire when he was 15 and that same year his sister was strangled by her boyfriend. Rollen got into drag racing in high school, married his girlfriend, and opened a racing shop. Then his wife left him, he sold the shop, moved to the mountains, became a marijuana farmer, tried to grow the world's longest moustache, and watched a lot of TV.
In 1976, hoping to gain some attention, he had the idea to become famous by constantly popping up in the background of TV sporting events. So, putting on a rainbow-coloured wig and carrying a battery powered TV to keep track of the cameras, he would wait for his moment, then jump in to the camera frame-smiling and giving a big ‘thumbs-up’. It didn’t work.
But in his depression after the 1980 Super Bowl, he had a conversion experience while watching a TV preacher in his hotel room. At which point, he began showing up at sporting events wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "Jesus Saves", and holding that now famous sign which reads, "John 3:16". Later accompanied by his second wife, he spent his time traveling to sporting events around the country, living in his car, existing on just savings and donations. All in all, he figures he was seen at more than a thousand sporting events – Until his wife left him because he supposedly choked her for holding up a sign in the wrong location; his car was totalled by a drunk driver, his money ran out, and he wound up homeless in L.A.
Feeling harassed and convinced that the end was near, he then set off a string of bombs in a church, a Christian bookstore, a newspaper office, and other locations. He sent out apocalyptic letters warning of the end time and compiled a hit list of preachers. On September 22, 1992, Rollen, the man who brought the gospel in John 3:16 to the American sports fan, believing in the Rapture, that it was only six days away, and wanting to make a big media splash, he took a maid and two labourers hostage in an LA airport hotel, and demanded a three-hour press conference. Instead, the police threw in a grenade, kicked down the door, and Rollen is now serving three life-sentences for kidnapping. [1]
As Paul Harvey would say…now you know the REST of the story.
---
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-316-21-for-god-so-loved-world.html
---
[1] The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel. "John 3:16" Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.February 17, 2008: http://www.saintlukes-cs.org/sermons/sermons-2008/Lent_II_08.shtm. Note I have only edited it very slightly here for stylistic purposes.
A man tried to make his mark on society by attending sporting events, getting on camera, and holding up a sign that said, "John 3:16". The fellow's name is Rollen Stewart, whose story is told in a documentary titled, "The Rainbow Man/John 3:16", made by San Francisco filmmaker, Sam Green.
Steward had problems and it seems Stewart's problems started during his childhood. His parents were alcoholics, his father died when he was seven, his mother was killed in a house fire when he was 15 and that same year his sister was strangled by her boyfriend. Rollen got into drag racing in high school, married his girlfriend, and opened a racing shop. Then his wife left him, he sold the shop, moved to the mountains, became a marijuana farmer, tried to grow the world's longest moustache, and watched a lot of TV.
In 1976, hoping to gain some attention, he had the idea to become famous by constantly popping up in the background of TV sporting events. So, putting on a rainbow-coloured wig and carrying a battery powered TV to keep track of the cameras, he would wait for his moment, then jump in to the camera frame-smiling and giving a big ‘thumbs-up’. It didn’t work.
But in his depression after the 1980 Super Bowl, he had a conversion experience while watching a TV preacher in his hotel room. At which point, he began showing up at sporting events wearing T-shirts emblazoned with "Jesus Saves", and holding that now famous sign which reads, "John 3:16". Later accompanied by his second wife, he spent his time traveling to sporting events around the country, living in his car, existing on just savings and donations. All in all, he figures he was seen at more than a thousand sporting events – Until his wife left him because he supposedly choked her for holding up a sign in the wrong location; his car was totalled by a drunk driver, his money ran out, and he wound up homeless in L.A.
Feeling harassed and convinced that the end was near, he then set off a string of bombs in a church, a Christian bookstore, a newspaper office, and other locations. He sent out apocalyptic letters warning of the end time and compiled a hit list of preachers. On September 22, 1992, Rollen, the man who brought the gospel in John 3:16 to the American sports fan, believing in the Rapture, that it was only six days away, and wanting to make a big media splash, he took a maid and two labourers hostage in an LA airport hotel, and demanded a three-hour press conference. Instead, the police threw in a grenade, kicked down the door, and Rollen is now serving three life-sentences for kidnapping. [1]
As Paul Harvey would say…now you know the REST of the story.
---
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-316-21-for-god-so-loved-world.html
---
[1] The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel. "John 3:16" Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado.February 17, 2008: http://www.saintlukes-cs.org/sermons/sermons-2008/Lent_II_08.shtm. Note I have only edited it very slightly here for stylistic purposes.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
John 3:16-21: For God so loved the world...
Tomorrow's sermon is ready: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/
Like A Hawk...
Last night Sarah-Grace and I went to see the Nipawin Hawks hockey game. Last night at the game the Kinsmen donated over 600 items for the Christmas hampers and the Lions collected over 330 toys for us to give to the kids.
The toy event is called the 'Teddy Bear Toss'. After the home team (the Hawks) scores its first goal, everyone throws a teddy bear onto the ice for The Salvation Army to give to kids in need - it is quite a thing. It is great! Well after the first period 3 goals had been scored (none by the home team) and after the second 7 had been scored by the opposition but the Hawks were still not on the board - and the Teddy Bears still not on the ice. With the Flin Flon bombers adding to their lead well into the third period, people were beginning to wonder if The Army would get the toys tonight; we thought we were going to have to comeback to the next game (which wouldn't be so bad...) but then we finally scored a goal.
Sarah-Grace, on the Hawks goal: "see Daddy, I told you the good guys always win in the end." And in a way, I guess we did... And in a way (eternally speaking) I guess she is also right (-:
During the first intermission, while we were loading the food in the car and were commenting on the fact that the Hawks might not score a goal, S-G told me, "Don't worry if we don't get the teddy bears - they are just 'things'. Nobody really needs things. We have the food. It will be okay..."
How true...
Like A Hawk...
Last night Sarah-Grace and I went to see the Nipawin Hawks hockey game. Last night at the game the Kinsmen donated over 600 items for the Christmas hampers and the Lions collected over 330 toys for us to give to the kids.
The toy event is called the 'Teddy Bear Toss'. After the home team (the Hawks) scores its first goal, everyone throws a teddy bear onto the ice for The Salvation Army to give to kids in need - it is quite a thing. It is great! Well after the first period 3 goals had been scored (none by the home team) and after the second 7 had been scored by the opposition but the Hawks were still not on the board - and the Teddy Bears still not on the ice. With the Flin Flon bombers adding to their lead well into the third period, people were beginning to wonder if The Army would get the toys tonight; we thought we were going to have to comeback to the next game (which wouldn't be so bad...) but then we finally scored a goal.
Sarah-Grace, on the Hawks goal: "see Daddy, I told you the good guys always win in the end." And in a way, I guess we did... And in a way (eternally speaking) I guess she is also right (-:
During the first intermission, while we were loading the food in the car and were commenting on the fact that the Hawks might not score a goal, S-G told me, "Don't worry if we don't get the teddy bears - they are just 'things'. Nobody really needs things. We have the food. It will be okay..."
How true...
Friday, November 21, 2008
Huricane Ike Relief
I had the opportunity yesterday to speak with the Rotary club about our Hurricane Ike Relief effort:
It was 90 degrees down there; it isn't that here:
Reminder: Christmas Hamper Registration is next week...
Monday 12-4pm in Tisdale
Tuesday 10am -12pm in Nipawin
Thursday 1-3pm in Nipawin
Thursday 1-3pm in Nipawin
Don't forget to sign up for a kettle shift or two as well : kettle@sheepspeak.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008
'The Lord's Supper'
The Reformer Ulrich Zwingli had an important stance on the Lord’s Supper in specific and on the sacraments in general. His position on the Lord’s Supper was one of the primary things that drove the wedge between himself, the established church, and his fellow reformers. Zwingli disliked the term ‘sacraments’ stating, “I wish the Germans never let this word get into their theological vocabulary”[25] for it caused a great source of division between the Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anabaptists and others (this is not unlike some early Salvationist arguments). Zwinglian historian, Jacques Courvoisier points out that, in contrast to the aforementioned three groups, “to Zwingli, a sacrament is thus a kind of induction or pledge. To receive it is to enlist in Christ’s forces, and to receive in return a token, a reminder, that one must not yield but remain faithful.”[26]
Zwingli in Baptism, Rebaptism and Infant Baptism argued that baptism and also communion are merely outward signs that were given to us ‘as a concession to our frailty.’ It cannot take away one’s sins as no outward sign can possibly do this anymore than an outward sign can confirm faith because faith does not come from outward signs; faith comes from God. It is rather like a pledge of allegiance of sorts.[27] Zwingli remarks in a statement on baptism that he could equally apply to the Lord’s Supper, “The man who receives the mark of baptism is the one who is resolved to hear what God says to him, to learn the divine precepts and to live his life in accordance with them.”[28]
Ulrich Zwingli’s theology of baptism and communion continued to develop the more he studied and after 1525 it became linked with his understanding of covenant. Whereas he had previously argued that the observance of baptism was a covenant between the Christian and his (her) fellow Christians, he now argued that God had one covenant with humankind and the sacraments were symbolic of that covenant. As circumcision was nothing more than a symbol of this covenant that ‘God would be the God of his chosen people and they would be his people’ in the Old Testament so is baptism and communion, as circumcision’s contemporary cultural-religious equivalents (cf. The Apostle Paul’s writing on circumcision) in the New Testament era and beyond.[29]
Zwingli being the first of the Reformed Theologians had a great influence through Bullinger (1504-1575), his successor, over John Calvin (1509-1564). Though Calvin’s shadow often hides Zwingli from popular recognition, parts of Calvin’s theology certainly sprung from Zwinglian roots with some notable exceptions: one of these exceptions being the Lord’s Supper. Calvin and Bullinger reached a compromise on the Lord’s Supper: they decided (against Zwingli’s position) that it was not purely symbolic. The Salvation Army’s official stance however is closer to Zwingli’s than Calvin’s or Luther’s or Wesley’s. In the most recent ecclesiological statement (2008) was included the claim, “we maintain that no external observance can rightly be said to be essential to salvation or to the receiving of divine grace”[30]
Calvin did not see communion as purely symbolic but he did not go as far as transubstantiation or even consubstantiation; Calvin “in the 17th chapter of the fourth book of the institutes, disputes the catholic and Lutheran formulae of a divine presence enclosed in the Eucharistic species, insists on the communicant’s participation in the Risen Body which is in heaven.”[31] This is a step closer to Wesley’s later understanding than Ulrich Zwingli’s previous one of a purely symbolic nature.
Zwingli, however, argued the purely symbolic stance with passion. This was the key contribution to his split with Martin Luther: they broke over an understanding of Christ's role in the bread and the wine of communion. Their break was irreconcilable. Intermediaries could not bring them together. Both men rejected transubstantiation. Luther preferred consubstantiation (“a word that Luther never used [meaning] no change in substance, but an addition of the elements of the body of Christ.”)[32] Zwingli, as has been stated, moved towards the idea of the Lord’s Supper as purely a symbolic act, rejecting the ‘real presence’ all together.[33] In 1526 Zwingli wrote the German treatise, A Clear Briefing About Christ's Supper, in which openly attacked any idea of the real presence of Lord in the supper before going on to defend his purely symbolic understanding.[34] The rift between them continued unmended. “Not even Zwingli’s death at Kappel appeased his opponent: it was merely the removal of another fanatic. Zwingli resorted to the sword and received his just reward. Worst of all, Luther proclaimed, Zwingli was no fellow Christian.”[35] This was a serious issue for both men.
Specifically addressing the Lord’s Supper, Zwingli had argued that when Jesus is recorded as saying, ‘this is my body’ as it relates to the sacrament, the word ‘is’ can and should be translated ‘signifies’. Zwingli, who generally rejected the authority of the church fathers, draws on Augustine, Tertullian, and Origin’s arguments to make this point.[36] He further cites John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is of no avail” claiming that this text renders impossible all views of eating the flesh (including but not limited to ideas such as transubstantiation and consubstantiation). He cited from 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, the phrase, “we many are one bread and one body”, to argue that by eating the bread we are merely binding ourselves to an oath rather than consuming Christ in any practical way.[37] Communion like Baptism is a sign, a symbol, and therefore is neither necessary nor necessarily useful. Near the end of his life, he only administered the Lord’s Supper a maximum of four times each year.
read more: http://sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
Zwingli in Baptism, Rebaptism and Infant Baptism argued that baptism and also communion are merely outward signs that were given to us ‘as a concession to our frailty.’ It cannot take away one’s sins as no outward sign can possibly do this anymore than an outward sign can confirm faith because faith does not come from outward signs; faith comes from God. It is rather like a pledge of allegiance of sorts.[27] Zwingli remarks in a statement on baptism that he could equally apply to the Lord’s Supper, “The man who receives the mark of baptism is the one who is resolved to hear what God says to him, to learn the divine precepts and to live his life in accordance with them.”[28]
Ulrich Zwingli’s theology of baptism and communion continued to develop the more he studied and after 1525 it became linked with his understanding of covenant. Whereas he had previously argued that the observance of baptism was a covenant between the Christian and his (her) fellow Christians, he now argued that God had one covenant with humankind and the sacraments were symbolic of that covenant. As circumcision was nothing more than a symbol of this covenant that ‘God would be the God of his chosen people and they would be his people’ in the Old Testament so is baptism and communion, as circumcision’s contemporary cultural-religious equivalents (cf. The Apostle Paul’s writing on circumcision) in the New Testament era and beyond.[29]
Zwingli being the first of the Reformed Theologians had a great influence through Bullinger (1504-1575), his successor, over John Calvin (1509-1564). Though Calvin’s shadow often hides Zwingli from popular recognition, parts of Calvin’s theology certainly sprung from Zwinglian roots with some notable exceptions: one of these exceptions being the Lord’s Supper. Calvin and Bullinger reached a compromise on the Lord’s Supper: they decided (against Zwingli’s position) that it was not purely symbolic. The Salvation Army’s official stance however is closer to Zwingli’s than Calvin’s or Luther’s or Wesley’s. In the most recent ecclesiological statement (2008) was included the claim, “we maintain that no external observance can rightly be said to be essential to salvation or to the receiving of divine grace”[30]
Calvin did not see communion as purely symbolic but he did not go as far as transubstantiation or even consubstantiation; Calvin “in the 17th chapter of the fourth book of the institutes, disputes the catholic and Lutheran formulae of a divine presence enclosed in the Eucharistic species, insists on the communicant’s participation in the Risen Body which is in heaven.”[31] This is a step closer to Wesley’s later understanding than Ulrich Zwingli’s previous one of a purely symbolic nature.
Zwingli, however, argued the purely symbolic stance with passion. This was the key contribution to his split with Martin Luther: they broke over an understanding of Christ's role in the bread and the wine of communion. Their break was irreconcilable. Intermediaries could not bring them together. Both men rejected transubstantiation. Luther preferred consubstantiation (“a word that Luther never used [meaning] no change in substance, but an addition of the elements of the body of Christ.”)[32] Zwingli, as has been stated, moved towards the idea of the Lord’s Supper as purely a symbolic act, rejecting the ‘real presence’ all together.[33] In 1526 Zwingli wrote the German treatise, A Clear Briefing About Christ's Supper, in which openly attacked any idea of the real presence of Lord in the supper before going on to defend his purely symbolic understanding.[34] The rift between them continued unmended. “Not even Zwingli’s death at Kappel appeased his opponent: it was merely the removal of another fanatic. Zwingli resorted to the sword and received his just reward. Worst of all, Luther proclaimed, Zwingli was no fellow Christian.”[35] This was a serious issue for both men.
Specifically addressing the Lord’s Supper, Zwingli had argued that when Jesus is recorded as saying, ‘this is my body’ as it relates to the sacrament, the word ‘is’ can and should be translated ‘signifies’. Zwingli, who generally rejected the authority of the church fathers, draws on Augustine, Tertullian, and Origin’s arguments to make this point.[36] He further cites John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is of no avail” claiming that this text renders impossible all views of eating the flesh (including but not limited to ideas such as transubstantiation and consubstantiation). He cited from 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, the phrase, “we many are one bread and one body”, to argue that by eating the bread we are merely binding ourselves to an oath rather than consuming Christ in any practical way.[37] Communion like Baptism is a sign, a symbol, and therefore is neither necessary nor necessarily useful. Near the end of his life, he only administered the Lord’s Supper a maximum of four times each year.
read more: http://sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Question...
2 Corinthians 13:5-7: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are living by faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ is in you? – unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test. I hope that you will find that you will not fail.”
Reading this made me realize that we have not had a test in a while – so in the spirit of Disneyworld from where we have just returned I have a little riddle for you.
Show pictures of Captain Hook and other Pirates.
If you saw a ship like this with a crew of men with hooks for hands, pegs for legs, and patches over their eyes ....What do you think would be on their flag?
check answer here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/amos-32-therefore-i-will-punish-you.html
Reading this made me realize that we have not had a test in a while – so in the spirit of Disneyworld from where we have just returned I have a little riddle for you.
Show pictures of Captain Hook and other Pirates.
If you saw a ship like this with a crew of men with hooks for hands, pegs for legs, and patches over their eyes ....What do you think would be on their flag?
check answer here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/amos-32-therefore-i-will-punish-you.html
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Ploughshares
Breaking the War Cycle
Project Ploughshares is an ecumenical agency of the Canadian Council of Churches established in 1976 to implement the churches' call to be peacemakers and to work for a world in which justice will flourish and peace abound. The mandate given to Project Ploughshares is to work with churches and related organizations, as well as governments and non-governmental organizations, in Canada and abroad, to identify, develop, and advance approaches that build peace and prevent war, and promote the peaceful resolution of political conflict.
"and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4)
This was in my e-mail in box:
HELP BAN CLUSTER BOMBS - SIGN THE PEOPLE’S TREATY
As a member of Mines Action Canada (MAC), Project Ploughshares is supporting MAC’s campaign to ban cluster bombs. We are sending you this email today to ask you to sign the People’s Treaty to help urge the Canadian government to sign The Convention on Cluster Munitions on December 3, 2008 in Oslo that will prohibit the use, stockpiling, transfer, and production of cluster munitions. To get more information and to sign the People’s Treaty, go to http://www.minesactioncanada.org/peoples_treaty/index.html.
Earlier this year the Canadian government, along with more than 100 other governments, endorsed the final text for an international convention banning cluster munitions. By adding your name to the People’s Treaty you will be delivering a call to Canada and other governments to sign the Convention and make the ban on cluster bombs a reality. “All governments serious about protecting civilians in armed conflict will sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo on December 3 and ratify it without delay,” says Thomas Nash, Coordinator, Cluster Munitions Coalition.
Please sign the Treaty by November 30th. Thank you.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Scriptures
Wesley put a strong emphasis on the scriptures: “I want to know one thing - the way to heaven, how to land safe on that happy shore. God Himself has condescended to teach me the way, for this very end He came from heaven; He hath written it down in a book. O give me that Book! At any price, give me the Book of God. I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri!”[14] A very significant means of grace that Wesley claims is hearing, reading and meditating upon the ‘Book of God’, the scriptures. He opens this part of the discussion in his sermon, The Means of Grace, by reasoning through scripture that “Our Lord’s direction, with regard to the use of this means, is likewise plain and clear. ‘Search the scriptures,’ saith he to the unbelieving Jews, ‘for they testify of me.’ (John 5:39) And for this very end did he direct them to search the Scriptures, that they might believe in him.”[15] He further reasons from the scriptures and tradition that the Bereans received accolades from the Apostle Paul for searching the scriptures (Acts 17:11-12) and Timothy for meditating on them since he was young (2 Tim. 3:15). Noting that all scripture is given by God (2 Tim 3:16-17), he reasoned that the scriptures are infallible and thus profitable for each of us to engage[16] and indeed as “a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day-star arise in your hearts.’ (2 Peter 1:19)”, if we want to share in this experience Wesley argues that we should search the scriptures as a means of grace.[17]
The scriptures were of the utmost importance to all of the Reformers. Zwingli was no different. He, like Wesley, certainly understood them as inerrant. Ulrich Zwingli produced the first German Bible, the Zurich Bible, which he made with Leo Juda (1524-29) and this Bible was one of five major sources for the Coverdale Bible (1535).[18] This is significant. Zwingli held a strong belief in the central role of the Bible in Christian belief and practice and as such he made it available to the German-reading public. In his work, On True and False Religion, Zwingli states that the true source of all religion is the Word of God. “The Reformation as a whole was based on this principle, at least in the Reformer’s intentions and any study of Zwingli’s theology ought therefore to begin with his understanding of the Word.”[19]
Wesley, as we have shown, assigned a very important role for the Bible in his understanding of the means of grace. Even so, Zwingli held a more prominent role for the scriptures than did Wesley. Zwingli insisted that the scriptures – not reason, not experience and certainly not the traditions of the Church fathers – was the only master, teacher and guide. He held the extreme flank of the Sola Scriptura line. He proclaimed in his sermon, Of the Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God, “there is no law or word that will give greater light to the inward man than the Word of God.”[20] He insisted that the word of man must always be subject to the Word of God rather than the other way around[21] as he perceived was happening in his day and could certainly be argued is happening still in ours. He dismissed non-Biblical writers with scorn but when he quoted them, as he was apt to do, he acknowledged that the wisdom of God could even be shown through the ungodly.[22] Humankind can only come to know God and oneself through the Word of God; it is the Word of God, Zwingli claimed, which sets us apart from the plants and the animals.[23] More than any other churchman of his day, Ulrich Zwingli, truly did believe in Sola Scriptura.
Like Wesley and Zwingli, The Salvation Army holds a very important role for the scriptures in our theological tradition. The first of our eleven doctrines reads, “We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” We hold that they are the primary authority, the ‘final court of appeal’ for the Christian that supersedes all other claims and that “as we search the scriptures, we enter into dialogue with them and experience the transforming power of the message.”[24]
The Salvation Army, like Wesley and like Zwingli, reserves a central place in our understanding of how we engage the Lord through the Word of God. While John Wesley did not ascribe to the same extent as Zwingli to the most radical version of the Reformation’s rallying call of Sola Scriptura, as was shown, Wesley clearly held that reading, hearing, and meditating on the scriptures was a very significant, and indeed one of the primary means of grace.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
The scriptures were of the utmost importance to all of the Reformers. Zwingli was no different. He, like Wesley, certainly understood them as inerrant. Ulrich Zwingli produced the first German Bible, the Zurich Bible, which he made with Leo Juda (1524-29) and this Bible was one of five major sources for the Coverdale Bible (1535).[18] This is significant. Zwingli held a strong belief in the central role of the Bible in Christian belief and practice and as such he made it available to the German-reading public. In his work, On True and False Religion, Zwingli states that the true source of all religion is the Word of God. “The Reformation as a whole was based on this principle, at least in the Reformer’s intentions and any study of Zwingli’s theology ought therefore to begin with his understanding of the Word.”[19]
Wesley, as we have shown, assigned a very important role for the Bible in his understanding of the means of grace. Even so, Zwingli held a more prominent role for the scriptures than did Wesley. Zwingli insisted that the scriptures – not reason, not experience and certainly not the traditions of the Church fathers – was the only master, teacher and guide. He held the extreme flank of the Sola Scriptura line. He proclaimed in his sermon, Of the Clarity and Certainty of the Word of God, “there is no law or word that will give greater light to the inward man than the Word of God.”[20] He insisted that the word of man must always be subject to the Word of God rather than the other way around[21] as he perceived was happening in his day and could certainly be argued is happening still in ours. He dismissed non-Biblical writers with scorn but when he quoted them, as he was apt to do, he acknowledged that the wisdom of God could even be shown through the ungodly.[22] Humankind can only come to know God and oneself through the Word of God; it is the Word of God, Zwingli claimed, which sets us apart from the plants and the animals.[23] More than any other churchman of his day, Ulrich Zwingli, truly did believe in Sola Scriptura.
Like Wesley and Zwingli, The Salvation Army holds a very important role for the scriptures in our theological tradition. The first of our eleven doctrines reads, “We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” We hold that they are the primary authority, the ‘final court of appeal’ for the Christian that supersedes all other claims and that “as we search the scriptures, we enter into dialogue with them and experience the transforming power of the message.”[24]
The Salvation Army, like Wesley and like Zwingli, reserves a central place in our understanding of how we engage the Lord through the Word of God. While John Wesley did not ascribe to the same extent as Zwingli to the most radical version of the Reformation’s rallying call of Sola Scriptura, as was shown, Wesley clearly held that reading, hearing, and meditating on the scriptures was a very significant, and indeed one of the primary means of grace.
read more: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Greater love has no man ...
Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.
This is a season of remembrance in the Church. In Canada and other nations that fought in World War One it has been a time to reflect on the sacrifice of our soldiers, and our citizens who lived during that era and the times of conflict since. This is a time to reflect upon sacrifice as in a few very short weeks we are going enter into the advent season where we will remember the coming of Jesus as a small child and look forward – very soon - to His return in power. He lived, sacrificed and died for us, his friends.
Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-159-17-greater-love-has-no-man.html
This is a season of remembrance in the Church. In Canada and other nations that fought in World War One it has been a time to reflect on the sacrifice of our soldiers, and our citizens who lived during that era and the times of conflict since. This is a time to reflect upon sacrifice as in a few very short weeks we are going enter into the advent season where we will remember the coming of Jesus as a small child and look forward – very soon - to His return in power. He lived, sacrificed and died for us, his friends.
Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13.
read more: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/11/john-159-17-greater-love-has-no-man.html
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The Army and Hockey Night in Canada
from an e-mail:
Hockey Night in Canada !!! The Salvation Army Cariboo Hill Temple Band will be playing "O Canada" for the opening of the game TOMORROW - between Vancouver & Toronto - televised for the world to see - at 4pm PST (note the time change since people in Ontario have to go to bed early on Saturday evenings). PLEASE let someone post this on YOUTUBE -
Hockey Night in Canada !!! The Salvation Army Cariboo Hill Temple Band will be playing "O Canada" for the opening of the game TOMORROW - between Vancouver & Toronto - televised for the world to see - at 4pm PST (note the time change since people in Ontario have to go to bed early on Saturday evenings). PLEASE let someone post this on YOUTUBE -
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wesley and prayer
“The central theme of Wesley was always heartfelt prayer. He said that prayer is the lifting up of the heart to God. All words of prayer, without this, are mere hypocrisy. Whenever therefore thou attemptest to pray, see that it be thy one design to commune with God, to lift up thy heart to him, to pour out thy soul before him… In advocating extemporary prayer in the morning, Wesley said: ‘consider both your outward and inward state and vary your prayer accordingly.’”[7]
Wesley claimed “all who desire the grace of God are to wait for it in the way of prayer. This is the express direction of our Lord himself.”[8] As evidence for this he reasoned as follows citing relevant scriptures: citing Matthew 7, he reasoned that as we ask we will receive (vv.7-8) and that the Lord will give good things to those who ask him (vv.9-11). Drawing on Luke 11 and 18 he developed this further to claim that the Lord will specifically give us the good things for which as we ask (11:13), especially if we are persistent (11:5-9, 18:1-5); and Wesley referenced Matthew 6:6, James 1:5 and James 4:2 to point out that praying and waiting on the Lord in faith is a command expressly mentioned in the scriptures.[9]
As well as applying reason to the scriptures he expanded his argument to include the tradition of the early Christians arguing in favour of prayer as a chief means of grace citing Acts 2:42: “they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the Apostles, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” and claiming that as such this was taken for granted in the early ‘apostolical church.’[10] He also claimed the experiences of any who have called upon the name of the Lord in prayer and returned the argument to James 1:5 to confirm that when we ask in faith we do receive, he states that “from this scripture, therefore, as well as those cited above, we must infer, that all who desire the grace of God are to wait for it in the way of prayer”[11]
read on: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
Wesley claimed “all who desire the grace of God are to wait for it in the way of prayer. This is the express direction of our Lord himself.”[8] As evidence for this he reasoned as follows citing relevant scriptures: citing Matthew 7, he reasoned that as we ask we will receive (vv.7-8) and that the Lord will give good things to those who ask him (vv.9-11). Drawing on Luke 11 and 18 he developed this further to claim that the Lord will specifically give us the good things for which as we ask (11:13), especially if we are persistent (11:5-9, 18:1-5); and Wesley referenced Matthew 6:6, James 1:5 and James 4:2 to point out that praying and waiting on the Lord in faith is a command expressly mentioned in the scriptures.[9]
As well as applying reason to the scriptures he expanded his argument to include the tradition of the early Christians arguing in favour of prayer as a chief means of grace citing Acts 2:42: “they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the Apostles, and in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” and claiming that as such this was taken for granted in the early ‘apostolical church.’[10] He also claimed the experiences of any who have called upon the name of the Lord in prayer and returned the argument to James 1:5 to confirm that when we ask in faith we do receive, he states that “from this scripture, therefore, as well as those cited above, we must infer, that all who desire the grace of God are to wait for it in the way of prayer”[11]
read on: http://www.sheepspeak.com/Michael_Ramsay_History_TSA.htm#Wesley1
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Old Quote - Army Barmy
In was reading some old armybarmy today and I ran accross this -
Good quote from Aaron at www.armybarmy.com:Friday, November 23, 2007
Napolean...
Napolean Bonaparte was inspecting his Revolutionary Army in Paris when he came upon a soldier whose name was also Napolean. This soldier was actually well known among the ranks for his cowardice. Napolean Bonaparte stopped in front of the cowering soldier, looked him straight in the eyes, and said:"Soldier, either live up to your name, or change it!
"We are The Salvation Army. We should either live up to our name, or change it.
Grace,
Aaron
-good quote
Good quote from Aaron at www.armybarmy.com:Friday, November 23, 2007
Napolean...
Napolean Bonaparte was inspecting his Revolutionary Army in Paris when he came upon a soldier whose name was also Napolean. This soldier was actually well known among the ranks for his cowardice. Napolean Bonaparte stopped in front of the cowering soldier, looked him straight in the eyes, and said:"Soldier, either live up to your name, or change it!
"We are The Salvation Army. We should either live up to our name, or change it.
Grace,
Aaron
-good quote
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
TSA EDS Front and Centre
The Nipawin Journal
Volume 72 Number 43
October 22, 2008
October 22, 2008
by Tyler Clarke
FRONT PAGE:
NIPAWIN MAN HELPS PEOPLE THROUGH TEXAN WASTELAND
A post-apocalyptic nightmare of a world surrounded one local man this month, as he spent 1.4 days helping Texans wade through the destruction of Hurricane Ike.
Nipawin Salvation Army Captain Michael Ramsay was one of 12 people the church deployed to the Texas Galveston Island in order to feed,clothe, and spiritually help people affected by Hurricane lke, the third costliest hurricane in American history.He returned Oct. 10.
"It's amazing the faith of the community, how they get drawn together," he said of the people he assisted during this rough, often homeless time.
When he arrived in Texas Sept.26,almost two weeks after Hurricane Ike struck the island Sept. 13, people were just coming back home to their destroyed homes, and were piling up belongings that were now garbage onto their front lawns, so that large jawed machines could pick it all up.
"I think that was difficult for a lot of people," Ramsay said of people watching all of their belongings being loaded into the trash. "It wasn't so much the things, but the memories attached to them that was difficult."
The power was out, the water, sewer; and phone systems were down. As such, food couldn't be cooked or eaten, so a top priority involved the Salvation Army mobile canteens.dishing out food, water and ice.
Although there was an evacuation order, and people were given plenty of warning, many remained in their homes. ln the United States, 96 people were killed and 202 are still missing. As such, there were a lot of people grieving over lost loved ones. Ramsay talked to one man whose brother died,as a result of staying behind.
Ramsay heard a story of another of a man about 20 who decided to stand on the beach as the storm approached. He also died during the hurricane.
One of the more uplifting stories Ramsay has to share about his time in Texas involves a 12-year-old boy who lived in a low income apartment with 10 other people. As a mobile canteen passed through his neighborhood, he decided to join them and volunteer with the Salvation Army. He was handed a T-shirt in order to make him feel more a part of the team, and joined them in their relief efforts.
"He came to faith and got to know the Lord, which was big for me, being a minister," Ramsay said. "He was really keen on turning his life around... Hopefully he continues on this path separate from drugs and violence."
A miracle Ramsay heard of while in Texas took place when a group of Salvation Army volunteers were handing out food to people in need. After feeding all of an estimated 800 people that approached their mobile canteen, they noticedthe container was supposed to feed only 91.
"Lots of people recognized miracles in their lives. People were counting their blessings," Ramsay said. "Thereare always miracles in the midst of suffering."
Ramsay, who has been in Nipawin for the past year and a half with his wife and two kids, has received training for these kinds of harrowing situations, having taken courses in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Calgary, and Nipawin. He's worked in downtrodden urban areas as well, such as in Winnipeg's North end and Vancouver's downtown East side.
"Canada's been emphasizing our training and I have specific training," he said on why he was chosen by the Salvation Army as one of the dozen Canadians sent out to Texas during the first 14-day deployment.
The duration was only 14 days, so as to fit Salvation Army policies. People often end up working long days, sleeping little, and not realizing just how tired and burnt out they become. They can work themselves ragged, and then want to continue working beyond the 14 days.
During this time, volunteers sleep in cots housed within giant tents that hold hundreds of people.
"It wasn't so bad, but I guess you're so tired after long days and 90 degree heat that you just fall asleep," Ramsay said.
For the first four to five davs, Ramsay worked out of the back of the mobile canteen dispensing food, water, and ice, as people were wading through 90 degree heat. During this time, about 75,000 meals were dispensed daily. He also helped people with spirituhl care, something he devoted much of his time to in the nine to 10 days in Texas that followed."
All this with emotional ancl spiritual care helped them with the transition" back into their ravaged homes, Ramsay said.
Most of the work involved listening to people's stories, and "really listen and celebrate the miricles shared with you."
When he left the island after the 14 day volunteer term a few restaurants began to reopen, giving people a dining option rather than the Salvation Army. Although things were beginning to look up, Ramsay said a lot of work still has to be done, and a lot more volunteers will be required.
On future deployments, Ramsay said he's good to go. The miracles he witnessed are one motivating factor, in addition to helping people in need. One message that was solidified in this adventrue, and one he tried to pass on to people in Texas, was to stop and think of the miracles in life, then the good can bring you through.
Dr Was - November 12
Job 37-38 and 1 Corinthians 12
more scripture and comics from the world's first comic liturgy: http://drwas.blogspot.com/
www.sheepspeak.com
more scripture and comics from the world's first comic liturgy: http://drwas.blogspot.com/
www.sheepspeak.com
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Remembrance Day
Canada's Hundred Days
Canada's Hundred Days refers to the last 100 days of World War I, from 4 August to November 11, 1918. During this time period, the Canadian Corps of four divisions fought several battles against approximately one quarter of the Imperial German Army on the Western Front, all with decisive victories.
Along with the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, Canada's Hundred Days cemented the reputation of the Canadian Corps as a tough and professional fighting force amongst its allies and foes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
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JUST WAR - FROM ARMYBARMY
Read Aaron Whites blog of Saturday, November 10, 2007 - In Time for Remembrance Day... It is a very good look at the question of 'is war ever just?' www.armybarmy.com/blog.html
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THE SALVATION ARMY, A PRESENTATION BY THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM
"It would be easier to forget one's name than fail to remember the times without number when the Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend."
- General Harry Crerar (Former Commander of the First Canadian Army, Second World War)
Read more: http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/index_e.html
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November 9, Let us not forget
The day Canada honours the sacrifices of the First and Second World War and Korea is also the anniversary of a battle that saved the country from an American invasion during the War of 1812. And as the First World War slips from living memory into pure history, how Canadians have marked the other Nov. 11 from our military heritage -- the 1813 Battle of Crysler's Farm -- offers a sobering glimpse of the future of remembrance.read more: http://www.havelock-viha.com/FPNov11AmericanInvasion.html
November 8th - The Great War
Ephesians 6:11-1311Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Read whole chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=56&chapter=6&version=9
A TOUCH OF HOME: The War Services of The Salvation ArmyDuring the First World War (1914-18), the Canadian Salvation Army's overseas activities were part of the much larger effort organized by British Salvationists. The latter established over 200 recreational huts (often no more than tents), 40 rest homes, and 96 hostels, all staffed by more than 1200 volunteers. The Canadian SA sent five military chaplains to the front and helped operate well-equipped huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels...Read more (PDF): http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/sallyanneng.pdf
at 9:31 PM
Is War Ever Just?
Article from the Nipawin Journal: http://www.sheepspeak.com/is_war_ever_just.htm
Winston Churchill on The Salvation Army
Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "Where there's a need, there's The Salvation Army".Is it as true in the 2000's as it was in the 1940's? I believe so. Let's keep it that way - and more! - mr
Canadian TSA in the World Wars (Part 1).
In 1914 the Army shared in the national tragedy of the sinking of The Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence. On board were more than 120 Salvationists, bound for an international congress in London. Most of them, including the national commander and members of the Canadian Staff Band, were drowned. The Staff Band was not re-formed until 1969.
Canada's involvement in the Great War of 1914-1918 saw the appointment of the first Salvation Officer as a chaplain in the Canadian armed forces, and the donation of five motor ambulances to forces serving overseas. At the end of the war, military hostels were opened in Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Toronto, and other cities, for returning soldiers.
All of this demonstrates the unique ability of The Salvation Army to respond to urgent needs...It also reflects the ingenuity, efficient use of resources and a genius for improvisation, which the organization's quasi-military structure fostered. It showed government that in most things the Army could get the job done with greater efficiency and at less cost than almost any other agency, and at the same time it forged a bond of trust between the people of Canada and the 'Sally Ann', a trust that continues to this day...
The onset of World War II found the Army accompanying Canada's armed forces overseas not only as chaplains but as the operators of Maple Leaf Clubs, providing rest and relaxation for the troops. By the end of the war there were clubs in Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and India. They were mostly staffed by Salvation Army Auxiliaries, some of them as young as twenty years old. They provided a taste of home, with Canadian cooking, mail forwarding and social activities, including dances and short term accommodation. On the home front at the end of the war, Salvationists at Canadian ports welcomed the 'war brides' of Canadian servicemen.
Read more: http://www.salvationist.ca/about/history/
The Salvation Army - From the Canadian Department of National Defence website:
The Salvation Army and the Propagation of the Faith:The central mission of the Salvation Army is evangelism. The Army exists to spread the Word of God through its distinctive methods of outreach to the world. The Church and its members do not hesitate to reach out to the poor and the abandoned, to help all toward salvation.Read more: http://www.dnd.ca/hr/religions/engraph/religions29_e.asp
Soldiers of the Cross (TSA WWI & WWII Australia and New Zealand
In April 1915, at a little-known beach in Turkey named Gallipoli, two legends were created. The first was the courage of the Australian soldier: the second was the wartime service of the Salvation Army.
Read more: http://www.anzacday.org.au/spirit/cross/index.html
THE HISTORY OF THE SALVATION ARMY (USA) IN WORLD WAR I
The Salvationist stands ready, trained in all necessary qualifications in every phase of humanitarian work, and the the last man will stand by the President for execution of his orders.-Evangeline Booth, National Commander, April 1918
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/salvhist.htm
at 3:38 PM
In the Lead up to Nov 11 - The Salvation Army Position on World Peace
The Salvation Army believes that the plan for creation is that all people shall live in a harmonious relationship with God. It acknowledges that only within this relationship can perfect peace be fully known, and that this peace transcends the circumstances of this life. Greed, selfishness and injustice, however, have entered human lives and often result in conflict and, at times, armed aggression.Therefore, in the light of the Gospel and in obedience to the one who declared, "Blessed are the peacemakers," The Salvation Army through its ministry around the world confronts the poverty, injustice and the inequalities that so often give rise to disharmony and unrest, and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding between peoples of all races, ethnic origins, socio-economic backgrounds, religions and cultures.Recognizing the appalling character of modern warfare, The Salvation Army urges nations to eliminate all weapons of mass or indiscriminate destruction and divert those expenditures into measures that will benefit society, and especially into providing services that promote the welfare of the poor, suffering or disadvantaged, and bring about a more just society.The Salvation Army is ready to work, alone or in partnership with others of goodwill, to bring about an end to armed conflict and to promote reconciliation between opposing factions. It also undertakes to extend in Christian love its practical care to those who suffer because of war, civil unrest or other forms of violence, without discrimination except on the basis of the need being met and its capacity to meet it.The Salvation Army calls upon all within its influence - members, friends and fellow Christians - to pray for peace, to love their enemies and to work for the betterment of society, witnessing to God as the source of lasting peace and to a right relationship with God as the only path to perfect peace.
More position Statements:
Abortion Artificial Insemination & In Vitro Fertilization Capital Punishment Environment Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide & Advance Health Care Directives Family Gambling Gay & Lesbian Sexuality Human Diversity Marriage Pornography Poverty & Economic Justice Sabbath Substance Abuse Sunday Observance World Peace
They died for us
Remembrance Day (a poem of sorts...)
They didn't die for freedom of speech
They didn't die for freedom of expression
They didn't die for the right to vote
They didn't die for democracy
They didn't die for capitalism
They didn't die for human ideologies
They died for us
John 15:13 reminds us that Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Canada's Hundred Days refers to the last 100 days of World War I, from 4 August to November 11, 1918. During this time period, the Canadian Corps of four divisions fought several battles against approximately one quarter of the Imperial German Army on the Western Front, all with decisive victories.
Along with the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele, Canada's Hundred Days cemented the reputation of the Canadian Corps as a tough and professional fighting force amongst its allies and foes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada
-------
JUST WAR - FROM ARMYBARMY
Read Aaron Whites blog of Saturday, November 10, 2007 - In Time for Remembrance Day... It is a very good look at the question of 'is war ever just?' www.armybarmy.com/blog.html
-------
THE SALVATION ARMY, A PRESENTATION BY THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM
"It would be easier to forget one's name than fail to remember the times without number when the Salvation Army was, in truth, our comforter and friend."
- General Harry Crerar (Former Commander of the First Canadian Army, Second World War)
Read more: http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/index_e.html
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November 9, Let us not forget
The day Canada honours the sacrifices of the First and Second World War and Korea is also the anniversary of a battle that saved the country from an American invasion during the War of 1812. And as the First World War slips from living memory into pure history, how Canadians have marked the other Nov. 11 from our military heritage -- the 1813 Battle of Crysler's Farm -- offers a sobering glimpse of the future of remembrance.read more: http://www.havelock-viha.com/FPNov11AmericanInvasion.html
November 8th - The Great War
Ephesians 6:11-1311Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Read whole chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=56&chapter=6&version=9
A TOUCH OF HOME: The War Services of The Salvation ArmyDuring the First World War (1914-18), the Canadian Salvation Army's overseas activities were part of the much larger effort organized by British Salvationists. The latter established over 200 recreational huts (often no more than tents), 40 rest homes, and 96 hostels, all staffed by more than 1200 volunteers. The Canadian SA sent five military chaplains to the front and helped operate well-equipped huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels...Read more (PDF): http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/sallyanneng.pdf
at 9:31 PM
Is War Ever Just?
Article from the Nipawin Journal: http://www.sheepspeak.com/is_war_ever_just.htm
Winston Churchill on The Salvation Army
Winston Churchill is quoted as saying, "Where there's a need, there's The Salvation Army".Is it as true in the 2000's as it was in the 1940's? I believe so. Let's keep it that way - and more! - mr
Canadian TSA in the World Wars (Part 1).
In 1914 the Army shared in the national tragedy of the sinking of The Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence. On board were more than 120 Salvationists, bound for an international congress in London. Most of them, including the national commander and members of the Canadian Staff Band, were drowned. The Staff Band was not re-formed until 1969.
Canada's involvement in the Great War of 1914-1918 saw the appointment of the first Salvation Officer as a chaplain in the Canadian armed forces, and the donation of five motor ambulances to forces serving overseas. At the end of the war, military hostels were opened in Winnipeg, London, Kingston, Toronto, and other cities, for returning soldiers.
All of this demonstrates the unique ability of The Salvation Army to respond to urgent needs...It also reflects the ingenuity, efficient use of resources and a genius for improvisation, which the organization's quasi-military structure fostered. It showed government that in most things the Army could get the job done with greater efficiency and at less cost than almost any other agency, and at the same time it forged a bond of trust between the people of Canada and the 'Sally Ann', a trust that continues to this day...
The onset of World War II found the Army accompanying Canada's armed forces overseas not only as chaplains but as the operators of Maple Leaf Clubs, providing rest and relaxation for the troops. By the end of the war there were clubs in Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and India. They were mostly staffed by Salvation Army Auxiliaries, some of them as young as twenty years old. They provided a taste of home, with Canadian cooking, mail forwarding and social activities, including dances and short term accommodation. On the home front at the end of the war, Salvationists at Canadian ports welcomed the 'war brides' of Canadian servicemen.
Read more: http://www.salvationist.ca/about/history/
The Salvation Army - From the Canadian Department of National Defence website:
The Salvation Army and the Propagation of the Faith:The central mission of the Salvation Army is evangelism. The Army exists to spread the Word of God through its distinctive methods of outreach to the world. The Church and its members do not hesitate to reach out to the poor and the abandoned, to help all toward salvation.Read more: http://www.dnd.ca/hr/religions/engraph/religions29_e.asp
Soldiers of the Cross (TSA WWI & WWII Australia and New Zealand
In April 1915, at a little-known beach in Turkey named Gallipoli, two legends were created. The first was the courage of the Australian soldier: the second was the wartime service of the Salvation Army.
Read more: http://www.anzacday.org.au/spirit/cross/index.html
THE HISTORY OF THE SALVATION ARMY (USA) IN WORLD WAR I
The Salvationist stands ready, trained in all necessary qualifications in every phase of humanitarian work, and the the last man will stand by the President for execution of his orders.-Evangeline Booth, National Commander, April 1918
http://www.worldwar1.com/dbc/salvhist.htm
at 3:38 PM
In the Lead up to Nov 11 - The Salvation Army Position on World Peace
The Salvation Army believes that the plan for creation is that all people shall live in a harmonious relationship with God. It acknowledges that only within this relationship can perfect peace be fully known, and that this peace transcends the circumstances of this life. Greed, selfishness and injustice, however, have entered human lives and often result in conflict and, at times, armed aggression.Therefore, in the light of the Gospel and in obedience to the one who declared, "Blessed are the peacemakers," The Salvation Army through its ministry around the world confronts the poverty, injustice and the inequalities that so often give rise to disharmony and unrest, and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding between peoples of all races, ethnic origins, socio-economic backgrounds, religions and cultures.Recognizing the appalling character of modern warfare, The Salvation Army urges nations to eliminate all weapons of mass or indiscriminate destruction and divert those expenditures into measures that will benefit society, and especially into providing services that promote the welfare of the poor, suffering or disadvantaged, and bring about a more just society.The Salvation Army is ready to work, alone or in partnership with others of goodwill, to bring about an end to armed conflict and to promote reconciliation between opposing factions. It also undertakes to extend in Christian love its practical care to those who suffer because of war, civil unrest or other forms of violence, without discrimination except on the basis of the need being met and its capacity to meet it.The Salvation Army calls upon all within its influence - members, friends and fellow Christians - to pray for peace, to love their enemies and to work for the betterment of society, witnessing to God as the source of lasting peace and to a right relationship with God as the only path to perfect peace.
More position Statements:
Abortion Artificial Insemination & In Vitro Fertilization Capital Punishment Environment Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide & Advance Health Care Directives Family Gambling Gay & Lesbian Sexuality Human Diversity Marriage Pornography Poverty & Economic Justice Sabbath Substance Abuse Sunday Observance World Peace
They died for us
Remembrance Day (a poem of sorts...)
They didn't die for freedom of speech
They didn't die for freedom of expression
They didn't die for the right to vote
They didn't die for democracy
They didn't die for capitalism
They didn't die for human ideologies
They died for us
John 15:13 reminds us that Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The General's Pastoral Letter #10
KINDNESS
Dear Fellow-Salvationists,
Greetings in the name of Jesus!
The Army is filled with kind people. I meet them in person everywhere I go. I receive a steady stream of letters and cards from them. Kindness is a wonderful thing. It blesses the recipient in simple but profound ways, and it pleases the Lord who smiles upon the kindness of the giver.
So this Pastoral Letter is a small but heartfelt celebration of kindness and of kind Salvation Army folk right around the world.
God is closely interested in kindness. We know this because the Bible tells us that kindness is a fruit that grows when the Holy Spirit implants it into our personalities. Galatians 5:22, 23 lists nine fruits of the Spirit, with kindness named as the fifth in this list. It comes in the middle of the list, as though it is the hinge on which the other eight balance.
However, even though kindness is central to the list, it cannot outshine the fruit of love which is mentioned first before all the other fruits. Love (the love shown to us by Christ and gifted to us by him) is the fertile soil from which all the other fruits grow. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 we read that love is kind. Love and kindness are inextricably linked in the teaching of the Scriptures. One Christian writer, the great Dr Sangster, has said that Christian kindness is ‘love in its smaller manifestations’.
Pause to think of the small but effective acts of kindness that have come your way recently. Think of the people who have performed these actions and take time to thank God for each person, perhaps adding a prayer that you also will receive the grace to go on being a kind person too.
Kindness is not about indulging other folk and giving them all they want. Rather it is an attitude that leads to practical actions that meet another’s needs. It is often a hidden thing, done in secret and not for self-glorification. God sees it all and that is sufficient.
The Bible is full of statements about the kindness found in the heart of God. Let me list some of the references and encourage you to look them up for yourself: Luke 6:35 (‘he is kind’); Nehemiah 9:17, Joel 2:13, and Jonah 4:2 (all King James Version: ‘slow to anger, and of great kindness’); Psalm 117:2 (KJV: ‘merciful kindness’). This divine kindness is seen at its fullest in the nature and character of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was full of love and this often expressed itself in acts and words of kindness. The same happens when we too are filled more and more with the love of Jesus.
Because God is kind, the Bible exhorts us also to be kind. Romans 12:10 speaks about being devoted to one another and about brotherly love. Ephesians 4:32 tells us to be ‘kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ Actions and words of forgiveness are a very great kindness. In his letter to the Colossian Christians (3:12) Paul reminds them that they are ‘God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved’ and therefore they should ‘clothe’ themselves with kindness. This image of being dressed all over in kindness is a very powerful one. Paul here also links kindness with its close cousins – compassion, humility, gentleness and patience. I know many Salvationists, and those beyond our ranks too, who exemplify these qualities. They are foundational to the holy life and result from the blessing of a clean heart.
Finally, we note that in 2 Peter 1:7 the Bible sees a close intimacy between godliness, kindness and love. True godliness results in kindness, and this draws upon divine love for its very survival as an attribute in our redeemed personalities.
Because of all this I rejoice and celebrate with each of you God’s pouring out upon us of a measure of the Holy Spirit fruit of kindness. May this blossom, bud and grow into ripe and mature fruit in each of our lives.
I thank God for you all, keeping you daily in my prayers, as does Commissioner Helen Clifton. Thank you for the kindness of your hearts and the kindness of your actions day by day. Let the whole Army flow over and over with holy, Christlike kindness.
I commit you to the perfect love of Christ.
Shaw Clifton
General
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Let us not forget
The day Canada honours the sacrifices of the First and Second World War and Korea is also the anniversary of a battle that saved the country from an American invasion during the War of 1812. And as the First World War slips from living memory into pure history, how Canadians have marked the other Nov. 11 from our military heritage -- the 1813 Battle of Crysler's Farm -- offers a sobering glimpse of the future of remembrance.
read more: http://www.islandnet.com/~havelock/FPNov11AmericanInvasion.html
read more: http://www.islandnet.com/~havelock/FPNov11AmericanInvasion.html
"The Great War"
Ephesians 6:11-13
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Read whole chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=56&chapter=6&version=9
A TOUCH OF HOME: The War Services of The Salvation ArmyDuring the First World War (1914-18), the Canadian Salvation Army's overseas activities were part of the much larger effort organized by British Salvationists. The latter established over 200 recreational huts (often no more than tents), 40 rest homes, and 96 hostels, all staffed by more than 1200 volunteers. The Canadian SA sent five military chaplains to the front and helped operate well-equipped huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels...Read more (PDF): http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/sallyanneng.pdf
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Read whole chapter: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=56&chapter=6&version=9
A TOUCH OF HOME: The War Services of The Salvation ArmyDuring the First World War (1914-18), the Canadian Salvation Army's overseas activities were part of the much larger effort organized by British Salvationists. The latter established over 200 recreational huts (often no more than tents), 40 rest homes, and 96 hostels, all staffed by more than 1200 volunteers. The Canadian SA sent five military chaplains to the front and helped operate well-equipped huts, canteens, rest facilities, and hostels...Read more (PDF): http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/salvationarmy/sallyanneng.pdf
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Canadian Christianity, The Sun, and The Salvationist on Voting
I found this article in the Vancouver Sun linked from Canadian Christianity.
It addresses the fact that the New Conservative Party's attack ads were responsible for driving Canadian participation in the recent election down to record low levels:
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/thesearch/archive/2008/10/23/pollsters-conservatives-attack-ads-hurt-voter-turnout-and-democracy.aspx
The ads were bad. They certainly did not make me want to vote (for any candidate who would authorize such disgusting ads anyway - but how and if I voted will have to silent in this venue).
Related: You may wish to read Dr. Read's article in the latest Salvationist where he asks the question, "Would Jesus Have Voted?"
The answer is "no" - but there is more to it than that... read the article.
It addresses the fact that the New Conservative Party's attack ads were responsible for driving Canadian participation in the recent election down to record low levels:
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/thesearch/archive/2008/10/23/pollsters-conservatives-attack-ads-hurt-voter-turnout-and-democracy.aspx
The ads were bad. They certainly did not make me want to vote (for any candidate who would authorize such disgusting ads anyway - but how and if I voted will have to silent in this venue).
Related: You may wish to read Dr. Read's article in the latest Salvationist where he asks the question, "Would Jesus Have Voted?"
The answer is "no" - but there is more to it than that... read the article.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Sunday's Sermon
So we will be looking at Amos 3:2 "You only have I known (chosen) of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for your iniquities."
God is like any loving parent. He knows his children and He holds them accountable.
If you would like to do some pre-reading, you are welcome to read a related paper at http://www.sheepspeak.com/OT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#therefore%20I%20will%20punish%20you
God is like any loving parent. He knows his children and He holds them accountable.
If you would like to do some pre-reading, you are welcome to read a related paper at http://www.sheepspeak.com/OT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#therefore%20I%20will%20punish%20you
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Just War from last year
The Nipawin Journal ran an article on Just War in November of 2007. I wrote itwith more in depth research and comments on http://www.sheepspeak.com/
Click on the articles page.
Further thoughts and discussion will appear on this page over the next week as well as a link to our Remembrance Day address...
John 15:13 reminds us that Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Happy Belated Reformation Day!
Happy Reformation Day!
October 31st is tha anniversary of Martin Luther nailing up his 95 Thesis. Here they are if you would like to read them in Latin or in English: Amore et studio elucidande veritas hec subscripta disputabuntur Wittenberge, Presidente R.P. Martino Lutter, Artium et S. Theologie Magistro eiusdemque ibidem lectore Ordinario. Quare petit, ut qui non possunt verbis presentes nobiscum disceptare agant id literis absentes. In nomine domini nostri Hiesu Christi. Amen.
Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95th-lat.html
Out of love for the truth and from desire to elucidate it, the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and ordinary lecturer therein at Wittenberg, intends to defend the following statements and to dispute on them in that place. Therefore he asks that those who cannot be present and dispute with him orally shall do so in their absence by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Read more: http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html
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