2 8 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 CHALK FARM CORPS SUNDAY NEWSLETTER We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4: 19-21, NIV) It can be hard to love some people but everyone needs to be loved. We are reminded that God first loved us (1 John 4: 19, NIV). Recently the wording of The Salvation Army Officers Covenant was changed from; ….love the unlovable to: ….love the unloved. It is a good change of word because no one is unlovable! God loves all people and desires them to live by love for themselves. Jesus was once challenged to explain what was required of us. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 37-40, NIV). Basically Christian practice then is to love God and love others. Unfortunately many people have chosen not to receive God’s love for themselves and our fallen world hosts much evidence of it. Hatred is a mutually destructive force at work. I suggest it is most sad when a professing Christian chooses hate over love and forgiveness. When stationed in Norther Ireland I recall a once faithful soldier relinquishing to me his Soldiers Covenant. After much soul searching he had chosen hate over love. This hate had consumed and crippled him – and had dragged him into a life he knew was not compatible with Salvationism. I remember after giving a prayer he went away so sad. As we work toward Easter we are each faced with the challenge to choose love for God and love for others supremely. A beautiful Song in our old Songbook, based on 1 Corinthians 13, has the chorus: Love stands the test, love gives its best; Love planned our life’s course designedly blessed; Love won in the garden, love climbed the green hill; Love will live on for love stands the test. Joseph Buck (1889-1945) To consider: Have I received God’s love knowing He first loved me? Is there anyone I need to hand over to God – asking for the grace to choose love over hate? Ponder again Jesus’ supreme act of love in going to the cross for your forgiveness and restoration to God’s side. Captain Michael J Kinnear, Commanding Officer Zambia Richard and Heidie spoke about the significance of a traditional brazier - a small charcoal stove. This was used when there was no electricity. Richard and Heidi would come home to find that someone had prepared a stove and left it on the doorstep, meaning that they could get their own fire going quickly and cook dinner. How can we be a brazier for others? How can we be doorstep deliverers of kindling fire? How can we be an encourager and a helper of others? Pray that we can spread the fire to each other in a relationship of mutuality. St David's Day You may have noticed the daffodils coming out. Monday is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and each year falls on 1 March, the date of Saint David's death in 589 AD. The feast has been regularly celebrated since the canonisation of David in the 12th century, by Pope Callixtus II, though it is not a public holiday in the UK. Traditional festivities include wearing daffodils and leeks, recognised symbols of Wales and Saint David respectively, eating traditional Welsh food including cawl and Welsh rarebit, and women wearing traditional Welsh dress. Cities and towns across Wales including Cardiff, Swansea and Aberystwyth put on parades throughout the day. Work with the Homeless Captain Michael joined the Camden Rough Sleeping COVID Response Team with Camden Council and attended Thursday's meeting chaired by the Head of Safer Camden Network. Homeless are now part of a priority cohort to receive the vaccine. Chalk Farm Corps contributed to a Global Report produced by the homeless support charity ‘NEXT MEAL’. We are also listed within their homeless app as a place people can get a meal. The report can be viewed at: www.nextmeal.co.uk. The Salvation Army Employment Plus have recently been successful in gaining a new contract that covers all 32 London boroughs and aims to support people affected by homelessness into Education, Training and Employment. This is an ESF funded project that is also supported by the Mayor of London’s fund. It is a really great opportunity for us to support more people and hopefully do some of that work once restrictions are lifted. Into the Wild Prayer Resource Into the Wild Prayer Chapter 10: Wilderness wanderings – learning to trust and obey is sent out with our newsletter. Thoughts and reflections on this prayer series can be shared on our Into the Wild Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/606114346772568 A Zoom gathering to follow up on Chapter 10 hosted by the SA prayer network team will be held on Tuesday 9th March 7.30 – 9.00 pm. If you are not already signed up and you’d like to receive the zoom link and regular updates on the ‘Into the wild’ journey sign up here: www.eepurl.com/g26lob World Day of Prayer on Friday 5 March ‘Building on a Strong Foundation’ Women of the Republic of Vanuatu (located in the South Pacific Ocean) have prepared this year’s service. The black and white sandy beaches, coral reefs with coloured fishes, lovely birds, fruits and nuts in the forest, all make the islands a pristine environment but they are vulnerable to frequent tropical storms, earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis and active volcanoes. Women, men and children of all ages are called to ‘Build on a strong foundation’ and live in unity, love and peace in the context of ethnic and cultural diversity like Vanuatu and so many other places around the world. A service will be live streamed on the St John’s Bromley website www.saintjohnsbromley.com at 10.30 am on Friday 5th March. Youth band and Choir concert on YouTube Be encouraged by young musicians of the Territorial Youth Band and Territorial Youth Choir in this online concert: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EOGTT3IzWI The concert includes pieces from this year’s online event and from the 2019 final festival. Prayer Loving Father, today we give you grateful thanks for every answered prayer and boldly declare nothing is impossible for you. We thank you for the good news that COVID 19 hospital admissions and death rates are falling. In the news this week an eminent medical research professor stated that COVID vaccines are nothing short of a miracle, wow Lord, we give you the glory for the miracle of the vaccines, the speedy roll out program and all those engaged in making it possible. We give thanks for all those involved in the government of our nations within the United Kingdom and Ireland and in the UK for the ‘road map’ out of lockdown announced this week which brings us cautious hope. Please give wisdom and strength to all in government as they seek to balance economy and keeping us safe. Help us to remain persistent in our prayers for all who serve and suffer and grieve in these days, those in our own nation and around the world. Amen This is me: David St. George Sadly folks I’m not as musically or religiously gifted as those whose life story you have had an insight into in recent months. I suppose I boil religion down to what’s right and that what is not. You have already heard from dedicated Lionel; cornet playing Miss Caddy and lovely lady Maureen in recent weeks. They deserve the highest of praises for all they do. Me, with blank days for weeks and time to reflect, I’ve been able to go through all my faults. I’ve been; nifty; selfish; inconsiderate; bullying; emotionally cruel; flash; boasting; a sacksful of lies with deceit; crimes and a violent drunkard. With lots of next-day regrets and apologies I’ve tried to make amends and repair damage, but perhaps there has been too much? If St. Peter should stop me at the gate and begin to unwind the long list on a roll of wallpaper I shan’t be upset or surprised. I know I’ve been a very naughty boy! Those rotten things I’ve done still haunt the back of my mind and shame me. I will never repeat them and have, in recent years, tried to improve. I’ll never reach the achievements of your writers like Lionel and Beatrice, Richard, his wife and two daughters, Eleanor Caddy, (so talented at cornet and cooking, etc.), or the remarkable warrior Maureen Gray with the very hard knocks she has had over the years and yet still with a bright outlook. As I head towards my 80th year, and with bucketloads of time to remember, I’m trying to play catch-up to remedy mistakes. I don’t intend to beg or buy forgiveness. My radical views on people, politicians, do-gooders like many in the S.A., drug pushers, killers, etc.