Fast for Change 2010 challenges Christians to consider why so many in the world are hungry and then to act in solidarity and love. Developed by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank—a partnership of Canadian churches (including The Salvation Army) and church-based agencies working to end hunger in developing countries—the event seeks to:

• increase and deepen the involvement of Canadians in efforts to end hunger
• support partnerships and activities to reduce hunger on an immediate and sustainable basis
• influence changes in public policies necessary to end hunger

On World Food Day—October 16—churches across the country will join together to fast, pray and reflect on what is required to produce the food that we rely on for our physical health. It is a time to consider what impact our daily activities have on agriculture and the production of food. Images of fertile vineyards, cultivation and agriculture permeate the Bible, but Jesus’ command to “feed the hungry” is not a metaphor.

A resource kit is available to help individuals and churches plan for meaningful participation in Fast for Change. Register at www.fastforchange.ca.

“We look forward to working with Crossroads on this significant project,” says Captain Mark Hall, Territorial Youth Secretary for Canada and Bermuda. “We believe it’s important to be creatively connected to today’s children’s culture in order to engage and empower kids to live godly lives. Crossroads will help us do that.”

The Ready To Serve curriculum is the first media-based curriculum for kids produced exclusively for The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has engaged Crossroads and its own team of educators to create a modern adventure-style, faith-based curriculum for kids age 7-10 years. The resource will be available for use in churches across North America in September 2011, and will feature weekly in-class lessons as well as a daily at-home, web-based resource for young families.

“Engaging kids at all stages of their faith with large and small group activities, in a safe and trusted teacher-friendly format, using original video segments, exciting music and culturally relevant Bible lessons is the best way to interact with our young people in these times,” says Bruce Stacey, Chief Content Officer at CTS and liaison to The Salvation Army development team. “It is also important to The Salvation Army and to Crossroads that we encourage kids to continue what they learn on Sundays with at-home follow-up.”

The Salvation Army is developing a dedicated website that will include a safe on-line gaming world, music videos, Army Trivia, and other activities to reinforce the faith and values lessons learned in class each week. Together these components will help children grow in their faith and hopefully model their values to others.

First-century Christians living in the Roman Empire were like a little island surrounded by a sea of paganism. This made the relentless pursuit of the truth all the more important. Christianity, like Judaism, is a religion of the Book. It embraces and impacts the total person, and a true Christian experience arises out of an ever-growing faith response to doctrinal truth and the teachings of Scripture. Through the written Word, the Holy Spirit witnesses to the living Truth—the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke described that determined search for truth in the first Christians as they “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (doctrine) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread (meals together) and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Today, Christians must practise the same devotion to truth in order to discern, demonstrate, declare and defend an authentic Christian faith.

The recent publication of the revised edition of The Salvation Army Handbook of Doctrine is a key achievement. It is a superb tool for introducing Salvationists to such foundational truths as the authority of Scripture, the creation of Heaven and earth, the Triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), fallen humanity and the remedy for sin through Christ’s atoning work. It also examines the process of salvation in detail, including repentance, faith, justification, regeneration, assurance, ongoing transformation (sanctification) and resurrection from the dead.

The chapter entitled A Salvationist Understanding on the Church is one of the best in the book. Included as Appendix 5 is The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ, also published separately in 2008 (see below), the most extensive statement ever made on our place in the Church. Discussion of the Army’s non-practice of sacraments enlarges our perspective on baptism by the Spirit and “the real presence” of Christ (Holy Communion) without the use of the traditional symbols of bread and wine.

While changes to the wording of 1998’s Salvation Story are minor, new sections of the book add considerable scope. These include study notes, an official exegesis of the 11 doctrines and a section entitled For Further Exploration. This is The Salvation Army “doing theology” at its best—engaging in meaningful interaction with theologians and Christians, past and present, to articulate and apply theological truths for the 21st century. These explorations and the appendices are the greatest strength of the revised handbook.

If I could wish for three books to form the basis for instructing, informing and inspiring the “faith and practice” of all Salvationists, the revised Handbook of Doctrine would be number one. Number two would be Cadets Bible Outline, which I have now used for 40 years to guide me in understanding the overarching story of Scripture. The third would be The Salvation Army Song Book, which helps us to study and apply Scripture and theology in a worshipful and easily memorized fashion. The eventual publication of a new song book will enrich our access to this great treasury of inspired poetry. In the Wesleyan tradition, we embody our theology in our songs and gain much instruction and inspiration from singing our faith.

The Handbook of Doctrine provides a foundational guide for the spiritual formation of Salvationists. If we use it wisely, we will be healthier as a church, holier as Salvationists, and more helpful in declaring and discussing our faith with others.

Lt-Colonel Wayne Pritchett is the divisional commander of the Ontario Central-East Division. The Handbook of Doctrine is available through Salvation Army Christian Book and Supply Centres or can be downloaded free at www.salvationarmy.org.

The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ: An Ecclesiological Statement
Issued by International Headquarters in 2008, this short booklet, published in English, French and Spanish, helps Salvationists understand our place among the many church denominations, para-church bodies, church councils and other Christian groups that exist around the world.

The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ: Study Guide
A companion to the ecclesiological statement, this newly released book is intended for personal and group spiritual development. Available in English, French and Spanish, the guide offers discussion questions, prayer ideas and opportunities for personal sharing as it enables exploration of Salvation Army beliefs and covenant.

Interestingly, Paul replied with his own question, “Who are you, Lord?”

During the next three days, as he suffered from blindness, Paul mulled over the situation. Why was he persecuting these followers of Jesus? What was he afraid of? What did he hope to accomplish by destroying them?

Coupled with this were his misgivings about Jesus. Was he really alive as his followers claimed? Was he truly God? If so, what chance did Paul have in fighting against him?

He wouldn’t be given clear-cut answers, but he would receive what he needed: someone who would accept him as he was. Ananias, a follower of Christ, was instructed by God to “go to this man, because he is praying.”

Paul realized he did not have answers. He had to look beyond his own limited capacities, and his questions led him back to God. He brought his doubts to the One with the answers. He went from fighting to praying.

Instead of giving pat answers, the Lord gave Paul the response he really needed. He sent someone to restore his sight and to lead him into a new relationship with God through Jesus. Paul would never see things the same way again.

Of course Ananias was apprehensive about approaching Paul, a man notorious for his persecution of Christians. But God helped Ananias see Paul not as the man he had been, but as the man he was becoming, a man who could bring Jesus to the Gentiles.

Paul must have shared with Ananias the questions that weighed so heavily on his mind. Despite all of his education and religious training, Paul could not figure out what God was doing. All he could do was bow before him and ask for mercy.

Ananias, filled with the Spirit of the Lord, placed his hands on Paul, and the Bible says the scales fell from Paul’s eyes. From that day forward he saw everything in a new way and became instrumental in the development of the Early Church.

In his writings, Paul posed many new questions, and the radical change that had taken place in him also led others to examine their beliefs. As he began to share his new way of thinking, however, people were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on the name of Jesus? Hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

I suspect their questions led them to think more deeply about what they believed, and about what had brought such a transformation in Paul. These questions fostered them on their own journeys to faith in Christ.

Paul’s story is a reminder that questioning and honest searching can help us see God in a new light. Doubt is not the opposite of faith; fear is. So let’s not be afraid to pose our questions—to God and to each other. We may find ourselves radically changed.

Colonel Eleanor Shepherd lives in Montreal. Her new book, More Questions Than Answers: Sharing Faith by Listening, is available from Salvation Army Christian Book and Supply Centres or online at salvationarmy.ca/store.

Faith & Friends interviewed Monique in Montreal.

“Suffering can help us heal and be restored, and brings us closer to God,” says Monique Lepine

Why did you write this book?
Writing allowed me to turn the page on all the relationships that had been put on hold. I got in touch with many people who had spent time with my family and me over the years. I went to visit École Polytechnique for the first time and I met with the police officers who had conducted the investigation. They were all very helpful. I felt that God was guiding me through the process.

What do you mean when you say in the book that you wanted to turn the page on your role as a mother?
My daughter, Nadia, committed suicide a few years after Marc took his life. As a single mother, I devoted nearly 30 years of my life to my children, and suddenly I found myself alone. I had to reorganize my life.

I loved my son and daughter a great deal. They made their choices, and it’s been extremely difficult to accept. But I know that when God judges people at the end of time, I will have to be accountable for my actions, not my children’s.

What is your relationship with God?
Before I got married, I sought God and became a nun. I dedicated my life to Him, but after experiencing some disappointments, I left the religious community and turned away from God. I knew Him with my head but not my heart. After my divorce, friends made me see God in a different light and I began reading the Bible every day. That was in 1981, and I’ve never stopped. It took me a long time to understand God’s salvation and to feel loved by Him, but I succeeded.

Can you describe your healing process?
I cried my eyes out! Many times, at night, I’d wake up with terrible anxiety attacks. But eventually I felt the presence of the Lord and found peace again. I never abandoned the Church, and I believe that the prayers of my brothers and sisters in faith helped me heal. Without faith, I wouldn’t have survived.

For 15 years, I was afraid of being recognized. To introduce myself in public was an important victory for me, as if the shame and guilt I had been carrying all these years dissipated. By this very fact, I’ve made peace with Marc. I accepted that I am his mother in spite of what he did. In order to find healing, I had to forgive him.

Since the tragedy at École Polytechnique, I consulted many psychologists. I worked on my emotions, particularly the anger, fear, shame and guilt. I read a great deal on these subjects and took a closer look at my life. Today, I still bear a scar, but the wound has healed.

How do you explain Marc’s actions?
Marc never shared his feelings or his problems. And one day, he blew up. I could never have imagined he would do such a thing.

In hindsight, I realized he must have suffered a great deal emotionally. I asked myself if the anger he felt toward women was not directed against me. If I had my time over again, I’d try to make him confide in me or in someone else the feelings he was repressing.

What did suffering teach you?
Suffering taught me to reflect, not to carelessly pass judgment on people, to be attentive to the afflicted, to pray more, to live in the present and to be humble. Suffering is not an end in itself, nor is it a permanent condition. Suffering can help us heal and be restored, and brings us closer to God.

What is the central message of your book?
If I was able to overcome adversity, others can, too. I think my book can inspire hope. We must be able to dissociate ourselves from those who are the cause of our suffering. On many occasions, people have said I was courageous. Courage is, first and foremost, being able to go forward in spite of our fears. And God gave me the strength and courage to confront mine.

A Mother’s Heart

In Aftermath, Monique Lépine comes to terms with her son’s infamy and the horrific events of two decades ago
Reviewed by Christine LeBlanc

On December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at École Polytechnique in Montreal. As events were unfolding that night, Monique Lépine, a nurse and mother of two, had an impulse to ask her prayer group to pray for the mother of the mass murderer. She had no idea she was praying for herself.

Aftermath is not the story of Marc Lépine. It is the story of his mother, Monique, who for years tried to distance herself from her son’s infamy by concealing her identity, grief and shame from the outside world. She decided to speak out after the 2006 Dawson College shooting in Montreal, so that people “could truly understand what happens in the heart of a mother when she learns her son is a murderer.”

Life-and-Death Decision
Monique lived a rigid life at a Catholic boarding school and became a semi-cloistered nun at the age of 20. She then began her studies in nursing. Disillusioned with Catholicism, she eventually abandoned the Christian faith and entered what she calls “the adult world.”

In the aftermath of the École Polytechnique tragedy, Monique barely clung to life. Therapy helped assuage the grief, but it was a defining moment with God that turned her life around. On a day she felt particularly burdened, Monique experienced God in a very tangible way:

“Who makes your heart beat?” I heard Him ask.

“Lord, I want to live, but only if I can devote my life to serving You!”

With a renewed Christian faith, Monique has found a hope and purpose for her life. She has learned that “the ability to rise above the grief, horror and tragedy, and to love life passionately, is not an innate skill, rather it is one acquired through daily practice.”

Aftermath reads like a fast-paced, occasionally heart-breaking novel. Monique’s journey back from the abyss is remarkable, an uplifting example of how a close relationship with God can mean the difference between life and death.

Or it used to. Lately, I’ve started taking the extra few minutes it takes to head specifically for The Salvation Army thrift shop located not far from my home. Considering that I am religious in my laziness and incorrigible in my agnosticism, this is a big deal.

In the past, I often ended up at another thrift shop, which is a block or two closer to me and qualifies in my books as a good enough cause. But the disincentives started to accumulate.

The other thrift shop has no 24-hour drop slot, so when it’s closed, donations pile up outside in disorderly lumps. These lumps attract people looking for a better deal than even the store itself can offer—which means that after hours, there are usually several shadowy characters lurking in the drop-off area. I call these folks “shadowy” because that is literally how they appear. The outside of the store is poorly lit. Combine that with the graffiti on the shutters and the place gives off a vibe that is positively uninviting.

Marni Soupcoff

On the other hand, The Salvation Army thrift shop, which is just a minute away on the same street, is neat and brightly lit after hours. There’s no graffiti, but there is a 24-hour drop slot, which probably explains the absence of junky piles and uninvited junk sifters eyeing you suspiciously.

Recipe for Success
While it’s true that these circumstances alone were enough to put me off that other thrift store and on to The Salvation Army—one feels vulnerable alone at night with only an overstuffed bag of Superman pyjamas for protection—there’s more to this story. I also started to think that the differences between the stores are no coincidence. They are a reflection of the way the two organizations approach their charitable work. The people at the other thrift store are doing their job. The people at The Salvation Army are on a mission.

The Salvation Army is what political types like to call a “faith-based organization.” Normal people would call it a Christian church. Its explicit mission statement is to “share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world.” Members are motivated not by a paycheque or a public-service requirement or even a vague sense of helping out, but by a passionate belief that they are doing God’s bidding by empowering the poor.

It’s no wonder, then, that they’re more likely to do the little things that make a big difference: removing graffiti as soon as it appears, making sure the drop-off area is clean and well-lit.

This kind of pride in detail is self-perpetuating and infectious. Graffiti artists are less likely to target a place that looks well cared for and bright. People are less likely to chuck their donations on a sidewalk that is clear of debris and where there’s an easy alternative available.

Whether The Salvation Army is, in all cases, a more effective organization than others, I am in no position to say. What seems obvious, though, is that many religious charities have a more driven and dedicated workforce simply by virtue of who they are. That’s a recipe for success.

The National Post, February 23, 2010.

Sherri Golisky outside the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre

“When I do, I often find a real need for healing—and Christ has the power to heal. That’s the hope I carry with me every day when I go to work.”

Called to Serve
Golisky wasn’t raised in The Salvation Army or any church at all, for that matter. As a teen musician in her high-school band, a few of her Salvation Army friends invited her to some corps events.

As it happened, Golisky’s mother had just died, and the 18-year-old had a conversion experience where the presence of God came to her in a very powerful fashion.

“I experienced a sense of great hope and strength in a time of loss, and that life-in-death paradox was brand new to me,” Golisky recalls. “I knew at that moment that Christ was true and from that point on, things changed for me forever.”

Golisky needed to find a church that matched up with her beliefs.

“The call to serve almost came naturally, as did the belief that I needed to share hope in the darker places,” she says, “and so The Salvation Army was a perfect match to that call.”

While completing a master of divinity at St. Michael’s College in Toronto, Golisky interned at the Philip Aziz Centre, a home-hospice program in Toronto. “That was my first taste of chaplaincy, and I loved it!” She subsequently went on to chaplaincy training in various downtown Toronto hospitals.

Golisky naturally gravitated toward working with youth. As a member of The Salvation Army’s Corps 614 in Toronto’s Regent Park, where she continues to attend, she early realized that she enjoyed working with the young, and chaplaincy matched up with that passion.

“Working in the inner city made me realize how many kids get off to a rocky start,” says Golisky. “I want to help them see that Christ can be relevant in their lives.”

Planting a Seed
As a part of The Salvation Army’s correctional and justice services, Golisky has a full schedule. Three days a week, she divides her time between The Salvation Army’s Cuthbert House in Brampton, Ont., and The Salvation Army’s MacMillan Centre in Milton, Ont., two open-custody facilities for young men. There she facilitates Bible discussion groups and chapel services.

Two days a week, Golisky represents The Salvation Army at the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton, a secure-custody facility run by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services, that houses both male and female offenders. There, she leads a program for young women and connects with youth on an individual basis.

The average age of the youth she ministers to is 16-17, but those in her care could be as young as 12 and as old as 20. The crimes range from murder to assault and petty theft.

One young man she met with wanted nothing to do with God or the Bible. Golisky simply sat and talked to him. Eventually, she was able to ask him why he was so hostile about the subject and he finally admitted that he had never actually learned about God’s love.

By the end of the conversation, the young man requested a Bible and in the days before his court appearance, he prayed with Golisky for the first time in his life. “He felt God with him,” she says.
Golisky never found out what happened to the young man. “But I hope I planted a seed,” she says.

Breaking the Cycle
It’s through such informal encounters that Golisky has seen the important connection between the institutional work she does and community support.

“I share God’s Word and I do what I can while the youths are in the justice system,” she states, “but their communities need to embrace them upon their return. Often, we’re held back by fear of the masks that teenagers wear. We need to get past those fears and help give them a sense of worth and purpose, value and belonging. We all have a responsibility.”

Golisky also likes to quote a saying: “Hurt people hurt people.”

“It’s a vicious cycle,” she explains. “Without Christ’s healing—true and lasting healing—old wounds will fester. If a person is hurt, they’ll end up hurting others. My goal is to help break the cycle.”

Golisky hopes one day to continue her studies in theology, but for the moment she feels privileged to be doing the work that God has called her to do.

“I see what I do as one small part of God’s bigger picture,” she concludes, “taking care of young people and inspiring hope.”

This was just a reflection of the numerous discussions that have happened across the territory in recent years. At Symposium 2008, Salvationists articulated the need for The Salvation Army to be “intentional about discipling its soldiers and members.” Delegates proposed that the Army should provide “resources and encourage mentoring,” and that through discipleship, Salvationists and members “articulate their plan for spiritual growth and holiness.”

Through the recent Territorial Young Adult Research Project commissioned by territorial headquarters, Salvationist youth expressed a desire for authentic discipleship that would “take place in the context of meaningful relationships. Young adults are looking to be in discipling relationships that are characterized by genuine care, interest and transparency. This includes being given opportunities to serve according to their gifts and passions.”

Whether young or old, Salvationists want to engage in dialogue on important matters of faith. Their voices call out with a searching for authentic discipleship. They counter the warning of Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy when he writes: “The most telling thing about the contemporary Christian is that he or she simply has no compelling sense that understanding of and conformity with the clear teachings of Christ is of any vital importance to his or her life, and certainly not that it is in any way essential.”

There is emerging awareness that as followers of Jesus and soldiers of Christ, we must wholly embrace this discipleship journey. The early Christian’s declaration that “Jesus is Lord” was more than a verse in a song or a greeting ritual. The statement clearly identified that Jesus was not merely one god among many, nor was he subordinate to the rule of Caesar. For the first followers of Christ, the declaration that “Jesus is Lord” affirmed their decision to identify Christ as their personal Lord, no matter the outcome. The task for authentic Christ followers—including each one of us today—is to strive to bring every aspect of our lives under his lordship.

As we work out this submission to God’s will and direction in our lives, we may find value in accessing various discipleship programs and resources, as well as teachers and mentors. We need to remember, however, that being an authentic disciple of Jesus ultimately requires us to make him the central influence in our lives. Our journey must focus on the person and work of Jesus. This means that we must take the Gospel accounts seriously and thoroughly examine his messages, commands and example. What did Jesus say? What did he do? How did he go about doing and saying these things? What does he expect from us today?

Authentic discipleship is not all about us. It comes down to the primary purpose and objective of the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:16-20). As my friend suggested, “It’s about one thing.” We are to make disciples and teach them to obey all the commands Jesus has given us. This includes sharing biblical truth with people to help them accept Christ as Saviour and to be his obedient and lifelong followers. This commitment should result in an increasingly biblical lifestyle, as we abandon our previous lives shaped by the world’s value system.

Authentic discipleship is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and involves mature Christians sharing the journey with others as they follow Christ. These disciples reflect the life and character of Christ in their everyday lives and provide an important example to Christians and non-believers.

Now is the time to rethink your commitment to Christ as Lord. Submit to the transforming and sanctifying work of the Spirit in your life. Count the cost of living under his lordship as he commands. Live as salt and light and be a transforming influence in your community. Embrace the privilege of being “partners in the gospel” by sharing in deep journey, commitment and accountability. Explore the degree to which the life of Christ is reflected in the daily details of your life.

During these summer weeks, seize the opportunity to wrestle through the tough questions as you seek to be an authentic follower of Jesus. Look up from that cup of coffee. It’s about one thing. Are you saved? Serving? And truly following Jesus?

Colonel Floyd Tidd is the chief secretary of the Canada and Bermuda Territory.

Profound Tensions
From early in the history of the Church, Christians have had difficulty knowing what to do with the Old Testament. They have perceived profound tensions between the Old Testament and the New Testament. As read by many Christians, the Old Testament characterizes God as holy, just and wrathful, and the New Testament characterizes God as loving, forgiving and gracious. Attempts to bring these two characterizations together often run aground. An example of this fundamental tension has been the simplistic and misleading contrast between “law” (Old Testament) and “grace” (New Testament). The old chorus, “I am not under law, but under grace,” reinforced the dichotomy between the testaments.

This caricature of the Old Testament as “law” and, therefore, superseded by the New Testament’s “grace,” is not new. In the second century, the problem of the Old Testament reached a crisis point when the theologian Marcion advocated abandoning the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. Although the views of Marcion were condemned as heresy, the place of the Old Testament in Christianity has remained problematic for many. A latent Marcionism has crept into our thinking, truncated the Christian canon and given the Old Testament second-class status.

Definitive Guides
There are two observations that should give us pause when we dismiss the Old Testament in this way. First, in the time of Jesus and the Early Church, the books of the Old Testament were the only Scriptures available to our ancestors in the faith. There was no New Testament, although by the end of the first century the letters of Paul were in circulation and, together with the Gospels, later formed authoritative guides for the life of the Church. However, in the Early Church, the emerging New Testament did not replace the Old Testament (except for Marcion and his followers). Rather, the two testaments stood side by side.

Second, as Salvationists, our first creedal statement 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.” Notice that this statement does not differentiate between the two testaments; both are affirmed as having been given by God’s inspiration and together they form the definitive guide for Christian faith and practice. Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament on its own functions as Scripture in the full sense of that term.

“But,” you might ask, “why does it matter whether we read the Old Testament and make the effort to understand it?” I would offer four reasons.

1. A Reliable Witness. In the marvelous wisdom of God, the Scriptures of both the Old Testament and the New Testament provide a reliable witness to the long history of God’s love for and commitment to the world. When Jesus, in John 3:16, is quoted as saying, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,” the love of God for the world is not presented as something new. It is found at the very beginning of the biblical story. In the act of creation itself, God expressed a deep devotion to the world. When God persisted in the divine care and provision after the disobedience in the Garden of Eden, we find evidence of God’s concern for the world. When God invited Abraham to venture into an unknown future in faith, this call was founded in God’s deep commitment to the world. Story after story in the Old Testament reflects God’s persistent, suffering love. Without this broader perspective, we might assume that it was only with the coming of Jesus that God suddenly began to love the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. The incarnation, life, suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus are the culmination of an already long history of God’s sin-bearing love for the world.

2. Corporate Salvation. When read in isolation from the Old Testament, the New Testament is often interpreted as being solely about individuals’ salvation. The danger is that salvation can become a private affair, the result of a personal relationship with God without any reference to others. We can become so focused on the salvation of individuals that we lose sight of the fact that not only is life lived in community with others, but salvation is found in community with others. When we read the Old Testament together with the New Testament, we learn that God worked through the life of Israel as a community. The work of God within the lives of individual Israelites built and shaped Israel as the people of God. The biblical drama in both testaments is focused on God’s effort to forge a faithful human community. This is true even in the New Testament. After all, Paul did not travel from city to city converting individuals; he founded churches, that is, communities of believers. The Old Testament, properly read and understood, can help to deliver us from the trap of an individualized, isolated and self-absorbed perversion of the gospel.

3. The Roots of Our Faith. I am convinced that reading the Old Testament provides us with a depth of understanding, and ultimately a depth of faith, that reading the New Testament alone does not. The Old Testament gives us the opportunity to dig more deeply into the roots of our faith so that we are able to stand firm in the long haul of our Christian walk. For example, the Psalms are a rich resource for faithfully finding our way through the triumphs and tragedies of life. The stories of Saul and David teach us about the ambiguities of power and the challenge of discerning God’s will in the particularities of our world. The stories of Cain and Abel and Jacob and Esau speak to inevitable questions of jealousy and entitlement. The Book of Deuteronomy outlines what a community under God should look like. Ecclesiastes addresses the barrenness of a secularized, affluent lifestyle that is confronted by the reality of human mortality. The prophets Amos, Micah and Isaiah emphasize that the quality of community life depends on how we treat our most vulnerable members. I could go on, but the basic argument is that our neglect of the Old Testament deprives us of the rich resources that are available to strengthen and deepen our Christian faith.

4. The Full Voice of Scripture. By not listening intently to the witness of the Old Testament, we fail to hear what I call “the full voice of Scripture.” It’s rather like listening to only the cornets in a brass band or the violins in an orchestra: you may hear the melody, but you lose the rich, fully developed sound of the entire band or orchestra. If we only read the New Testament, or even if we further truncate our Scriptures to include just the Gospels and one or two of Paul’s letters, we may hear some of the “melody” of the biblical witness, but we deprive ourselves of the rich sound of the larger canon of Scripture that provides depth and texture to our experience. Why would we want to do this? Is it little wonder that the Bible holds such a lowly place in the lives of Christians? When we shorten the Bible, the result is a barrenness that extinguishes our thirst for the fullness of God’s wisdom and guidance.

I don’t mean to suggest that understanding the Old Testament is always easy. But when we fail to provide good resources for its understanding, or fail to make the effort to include the Old Testament in our devotions, study, worship and preaching, we are taking the easy road that keeps us from finding the fullness of life that is our inheritance as Christians. That’s why I am profoundly grateful that our ancestors in the faith kept the Old Testament as part of the Church’s rich heritage and proclamation.

Dr. Donald Burke is president and professor of biblical studies at Booth University College in Winnipeg.

Tips for Reading the Old Testament

There is no doubt that reading the Old Testament—or the New Testament for that matter—can be daunting. Here are some suggestions:

1. Choose your starting book carefully. Begin with stories in Genesis or 1 and 2 Samuel. Alternatively, you could pray the Psalms as you read them. Another easy entry point is a book of the prophets, such as Amos. Stay away from Leviticus!

2. Focus on one book at a time. Choose one Old Testament book to read carefully and regularly for at least a couple of months. It’s better to know one book well than to try to read too much, too quickly, and learn little.

3. Read slowly. Understanding the Bible does not mix well with speedreading. It may take a few days or weeks to read even one chapter and to have it sink in deeply.

4. Find a good study guide. Choose a solid biblical commentary to help you understand your Old Testament book. If you have difficulty identifying one, e-mail dburke@boothcollege.ca for a recommendation.

5. Be patient. You won’t learn everything about the Old Testament in a month or a year. But if you persist, you will find that God will speak to you and shape you through these important biblical books.

Resources for Further Study
• Thomas W. Mann, The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch
• Bruce C. Birch, Hosea, Joel and Amos (Westminster Bible Companion)
• Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary and Praying the Psalms: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit
• Eugene H. Peterson, First and Second Samuel (Westminster Bible Companion)

This summer, I spent three weeks at The Salvation Army’s Beaver Creek Camp in Saskatchewan. The title of this blog comes from the buttons given to the children who attended the music camp held while I was there, but the statement holds true for all the children who attend Salvation Army camps—as well as for those who work with them.

I’m grateful for those people who make the camping experience possible for the children, whether it’s volunteers at the music camps or employed Christians (either youthful or young in heart) who see spending a summer at camp as counsellors, maintenance workers or cooks as an open door of opportunity to interact with children from a wide range of backgrounds. They seek to show the campers that there is a God who loves them by the facets of love that they demonstrate, such as patience, kindness and, yes, self control—especially when dealing with the difficult behaviour of some of the children.

During the music camp, I led a drama elective with students of ages that ranged from eight to 18. It was a great learning experience for me. Because of the wide range of understanding of what the word “drama” meant, we worked with a simple, yet effective, concept that I had previously seen performed effectively in another context.  The play was entitled “The Body of Christ,” based on Paul’s illustration in 1 Corinthians 12: 12 -27. The script was minimal and allowed for a measure of improvisation by those involved, and sought to convey with a good measure of humour that every person in the Church is important and has a valuable contribution to make. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the accompanying photograph of the conclusion of the play says it all!

In seeking to impress on the students the need for them to perform to the best of their ability in order to get the message across to their peers, I was very mindful of the circumstances to which some of the children would be returning.  I knew they would find it very difficult to remain faithful to commitments to Christ made at camp. Because of my interaction with them at meal times, and on other occasions during the week, I had been graphically reminded of the enormous challenges some of them would face in returning to their home circumstances, as several of the children did not come from Christian homes.

I was reminded of this again when sitting in on one of the Bible sessions of one of the adventure camps that followed. The children, aged seven to 12, were invited to write on a piece of paper what troubled them.  I was privy to some of the things that the children wrote since they asked me to help with their spelling, and my heart ached as I became aware of some of the things that concerned them—heavy loads for such small shoulders to be bearing.

All of which brings me back to the title.

Day after day, I saw the love with which all the camp staff and volunteers sought to help the children to see just how valuable they were by affirming specific qualities that each one of them possessed, and thus building up their self-esteem.  I also saw how they helped the children to see that small as some of them were, each one was special to God, and each one could be used by God to make a difference in the homes and schools to which they would eventually return.

I couldn’t help but think that in doing so, they were following the example of Jesus himself, either consciously or unconsciously.

I have returned home reflecting on the enormous value Jesus placed on children when, in a day and culture when children were not often affirmed, and in a situation when even Jesus’ followers did not “get it” and wanted to shoo them away (Mark 9: 13-16), Jesus said: “Don’t ever get between these children and me.  These children are at the very centre of life in the Kingdom … Then gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.”

I have learned much from my time with the children and those who work so lovingly with them, and with a renewed awareness that who I am really does make a difference, too.

What meaning does the phrase “Who I am makes a difference” hold for you? For the rest of summer, perhaps it can mean that you will commit to pray for all involved in Christian camping ministries?

Colonel Gwenyth Redhead is a retired Salvation Army officer. She and her husband, Robert, have held a wide variety of appointments in the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. However, her passion has always been to encourage others in creative responses to God through writing of scripts, stories, articles and lyrics (mostly to Robert’s music). She has two daughters, Joanne and Corinne, and rejoices that they, too, use the creativity God has given them in ministry.