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SALVATIONIST Essential reading for everyone linked to The Salvation Army// www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist 8 December 2012 // No. 1376 // Price 60p // Also available digitally Pages 6, 12 and 13 CONTENTS 3. FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR 6. and 12. & 13. 4. PAPERS This week’s quotes from the papers and picture caption competition 5. – 11. & 19. NEWS Canada and Bermuda // West Scotland // France and Belgium // Driffield // London // Banbury // Murton // St Mary’s Hayling Island // Burnley // Wollaston // Willenhall // Margate // Paignton // Southampton Sholing // Bristol Bedminster // West Cornforth // Cambridge Citadel // Enniskillen // Hadleigh Temple // Govan // Hawick // Colchester Citadel // Dunstable // Malvern // Tunstall // Southsea // 5. THQ // South Woodham Ferrers // 12. & 13. CAROL CONCERT PHOTO FEATURE 14. YOU’RE IN THE ARMY NOW In from the cold 14. REVIEW R Christmas Fantasia: The Music Of Andrew Wainright 15. BIBLE STUDY Advent of preparation 16. & 17. NEW COMMITMENTS 8. 11. 18. & 19. ANNOUNCEMENTS Army people, engagements and tributes 20. REVIEW R5Hawking, Dawkins And GOD 21. – 23. ADVERTS 24. THROUGH THE WEEK WITH SALVATIONIST 2 Salvationist 8 December 2012 FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR new CD that features John Polkinghorne in conversation HOW NOW, with gifted evangelist John Young. The CD, entitled Hawking, Dawkins And GOD, is a wide-ranging review of Polkinghorne’s life and faith, with particular reference to BROWN COW? his response to the New Atheism. Talking about Richard Dawkins, for example, IN the book The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night- Polkinghorne says: ‘He’s very polemical. He’s trying to win time, by Mark Haddon, the 15-year-old narrator (who has an argument rather than see the truth... and in doing that Asperger’s syndrome and is a keen mathematician) tells one he likes to set up straw men. [His book] The God Delusion of the three ‘jokes’ he understands. It goes like this: has more assertion than argument in it.’ ‘There are three men on a train. One of them is an The problem is that seeing the truth about faith is as economist and one of them is a logician and one of them is tricky as estimating the number of cows in Scotland and a mathematician. And they have just crossed the border what colour they might be if our only evidence is gleaned into Scotland… and they see a brown cow standing in a via a fleeting glance through the window of a speeding field… train. ‘And the economist says: “Look, the cows in Scotland are Unfortunately, we still ‘see through a glass, darkly’. But as brown.” the Advent season continues to lead us to our celebration of ‘And the logician says: “No. There are cows in Scotland of the birth of Christ, we should pray for understanding and which one, at least, is brown.” for the ability, humbly, to accept the simple truths of the ‘And the mathematician says: “No. There is at least one gospel – to realise how much we cannot see and to trust cow in Scotland, of which one side appears to be brown.” that Christ came as the light for our darkness. ‘And it is funny because economists are not real scientists, Scripture gives us hope: ‘The true and because logicians think more clearly, but mathematicians light that gives light to everyone was are best.’ coming into the world.’ I have written ‘jokes’ in inverted commas to indicate that, while you won’t die laughing at this extract from Haddon’s book, it might give you pause for thought. Science and religion are often in the newspapers these STEPHEN PEARSON days. And regularly they are depicted as being at odds with one another. This is simply not true. For many years now, The War Cry has carried a series of interviews in which Major Nigel Bovey talks with eminent scientists who are also sincere Christians. If you have missed these, you have missed out. One of Major Bovey’s interviewees was John Polkinghorne, a former professor of mathematical physics at Cambridge University. He is also an Anglican priest. He probably would like the above joke. On page 20 this week, Salvationist carries a review of a SALVATIONIST DTP OPERATOR The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity Denise D’Souza – (tel) 020 7367 4896 number in England and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. TERRITORIAL HEADQUARTERS GRAPHIC DESIGNER 101 Newington Causeway, Jonathan Carmichael – (tel) 020 7367 4883 London SE1 6BN THE SALVATION ARMY (tel) 020 7367 4890 ADMINISTRATOR FOUNDER (tel) 0845 634 0101 Stella Merino – (tel) 020 7367 4881 William Booth (fax) 020 7367 4691 ADVERTISING (email) [email protected] GENERAL (tel) 020 7367 4883 (web) www.salvationarmy.org.uk/salvationist (email) [email protected] Linda Bond MANAGING EDITOR DISTRIBUTION TERRITORIAL COMMANDER Stephen Pearson – (tel) 020 7367 4891 Salvationist Publishing and Supplies (Periodicals), Commissioner André Cox ASSISTANT EDITOR 66-78 Denington Road, Denington Industrial Estate, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHING SECRETARY Major Jane Kimberley – (tel) 020 7367 4892 Wellingborough NN8 2QH (tel) 01933 445451 Major Leanne Ruthven EDITORIAL ASSISTANT (fax) 01933 445415 Laura Barker – (tel) 020 7367 4893 (email) [email protected] EDITORIAL ASSISTANT A registered newspaper published weekly by The Salvation Army Kersten Rieder – (tel) 020 7367 4894 (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army and printed DTP DESIGNER by Wyndeham Grange, Southwick. © Linda Bond, General Colin Potter – (tel) 020 7367 4895 of The Salvation Army, 2012. Salvationist 8 December 2012 3 PAPERS THIS WEEK’S QUOTES FROM THE PAPERS SUPPORT FOR RE IN SCHOOLS INTENSE REACTIONS CONTINUE There is widespread public support for Days after the women-bishops vote, the teaching Christianity as part of Religious Education in schools, according to a new reactions show no signs of diminishing in survey – though teachers are often nervous number or intensity, even though they contain about doing so. predictably few new ideas. What has been The YouGov poll commissioned by Oxford unexpected is the degree of astonishment University’s Department of Education expressed by the general public. This was found that 64 per cent of adults in England partly at the C of E’s inability to get its act agreed that children need to learn about together, despite years of debate, but largely, Christianity in order to understand English history; 57 per cent agreed it was needed it must be said, at the suggestion that there to understand the English culture and way might be something about women that of life and 44 per cent said they thought disqualifies them from a particular post. that more attention should be given to From an editorial in Church Times such teaching. Methodist Recorder BELIEF IN THE AFTERLIFE MORE COMMON THAN FAITH IN GOD BISHOPS RESPOND WITH SADNESS More people born after 1970 believe in life OVER SYNOD VOTE ON WOMEN after death than in God, according to new BISHOPS research… Disappointment, frustration and dismay reign Nearly half of respondents to a survey supreme in nearly all of the reactions from Anglican carried out… by the University of London’s bishops following the General Synod’s rejection of Institute of Education said they believe there the motion to approve women bishops. is ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ life after death, Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev James Jones said: ‘Sadly the negative vote is a blow both to the outgoing compared to just 31 per cent who said they Archbishop of Canterbury and to the incoming believe in God… Archbishop. I fear the next decade will envelop the The findings also showed that 12 per cent Church of England in a mist which will make us more found themselves believing in God ‘some of and more hidden from the rest of the world whom the time’ and another 14 per cent said they God has called us to serve.’ believe in a ‘higher power’. The Church of England Newspaper The Tablet PICTURE CAPTION COMPETITION A New Forest pony stops to listen when Ringwood Band carols at Brockenhurst. Send your suggested captions for this picture by email to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Picture caption competition’, or by post to Salvationist, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. A selection of the best captions will be printed in Salvationist next month. 4 Salvationist 8 December 2012 NEWS General returns home to lead meetings and receives honorary doctorate CANADA AND BERMUDA GOD’S word was uplifted and people responded to the prompt- ing of the Holy Spirit when General Linda Bond returned to Canada to lead rallies in Newfoundland and Toronto. Salvationists enthusiastically greeted the General at a public rally in St John’s, Newfoundland. More than 700 people crowded into the sanctuary of the Mary Queen of Peace church to welcome the General and to join in worship. Territorial leaders Commissioners Brian and desire to accept the challenge of strong, to Erik Leidzén’s ‘The represented by graduates of the Rosalie Peddle (pictured with God’s word. The outpouring of Invincible Army’. institution. ‘She is committed to the General) and divisional God’s Holy Spirit and his Rebecca Minaker testified to the history, theology and mission leaders Lieut-Colonels Wayne anointing upon his servant, the her life-changing experience as a of The Salvation Army,’ he said. and Myra Pritchett supported General, were unmistakable. delegate to the first International Following the conferring of General Bond. Two days later, in Toronto, College for Soldiers session in the honorary doctorate by St John’s Temple Band, Trinity excitement and anticipation London, UK, and thanked the Stephanie Ling, college chancel- Bay South Corps Worship Team, filled the theatre at the Metro General for her support of this lor, the General addressed those and St John’s Citadel Songsters Toronto Convention Centre as new venture.