Meet Evangeline Booth AKA “The Commander” (1865-1950)
Friday, September 30, 2005
Eva Cory Booth, the seventh child of William and Catherine Booth, was born on Christmas day of 1865. It was the same year that her parents had responded to God's call to minister to the poverty-stricken people in the East End of London. From the first, this variant, red-haired daughter promised great things.
Loudly outspoken against cruelty to animals, she early devised outreaches to the people of the slums. An early effort was a doll hospital, and in her early teens she was going about in the slums with her sisters, preaching and identifying with the poor. Looking for a way to get closer to others in the East End, she put on a tattered dress and joined the flower girls on the steps of the fountain in Picadilly Circus. Later she would enthrall audiences in this attire as she gave her dramatic presentation billed as "Miss Booth in Rags."
Though William had agreed to the marriage of her sisters, Eva was convinced by her father that it was not in her best interests to marry. William had felt that such a strong personality as hers could best serve the cause as a single officer. However, she adopted four children, one of whom, Pearl, became an officer.
When World War I began, Evangeline launched a project, which, while only intended to help the war effort, did more to bring The Salvation Army into a position of prominence and respect than any other. Handpicked men and women officers (only men not of gun-bearing age) were dispatched to the front to render selfless and cheerful assistance wherever needed. These people, especially those known as the "Doughnut Girls" came to symbolize the work of the organization. Money poured into the coffers to expand an effort, which had been begun on a borrowed $25,000. This was the point at which the Army in the U.S. saw the end of ridicule and brickbats.
In 1896, Booth ordered Eva to Canada—a great responsibility which she handled well. That same year, she traveled to New York and with her persuasive oratory; she kept most of the officers from joining her brother Ballington when he formed his own organization, the Volunteers of America.
In 1904 she was given command in the United States. At this time, on the advice of friends, she changed her name to Evangeline. She was an excellent athlete and played several instruments. In fact, many of her songs are sung in the Army today (SASB 237, 288, 486, 830). Becoming an American citizen for business reasons, she remained a staunch American patriot all her days, and often used the flag to emphasize her dramatic presentations. Among her honors, Evangeline belonged to the Order of the Founder and received the U.S. Government's Distinguished Service Medal.
As National Commander, Evangeline instituted many changes, including the division of the country into four territories. On November 11, 1934, Evangeline became the Army's fourth general. She left America on the highest crest of love and popularity she had ever known, and retained her American citizenship. She then retired to her home in upstate New York until she was promoted to glory in 1950.
(Compiled and edited from the USA National Headquarters Website and the International Heritage Centre Website)
Posted By: Eric at 1:20 PM : Link : 0 Comments
From the Front Page of Today’s Wall Street Journal
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Along Battered Gulf,
Katrina Aid Stirs
Unintended Rivalry
Salvation Army Wins Hearts,
Red Cross Faces Critics;
Two Different Missions
By CHAD TERHUNE
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
EAST BILOXI, Miss. -- The town hall meeting last week started like a church revival, with more than 200 Katrina survivors singing "Amazing Grace" under a big red tent on a football field here.
The opening prayer asked the Lord to strengthen hands, feet and minds for the rebuilding ahead. Then city officials and residents counted their blessings, thanking the dozens of volunteers who had arrived here after the storm and the donors who had sent money and supplies. People in the crowd saved their biggest applause for the Salvation Army.
"They were the only ones here in the beginning," Eula Crowell, 57 years old, said after the meeting. She lost her house to the massive storm surge that inundated East Biloxi, where many of the city's poorest people live. For the past month, she has relied on the Salvation Army for water, hot meals, groceries and other basic goods. The group also gave her $50.
The Salvation Army has the biggest presence among the nonprofit groups and churches helping out at East Biloxi's Yankie Stadium, the hub of local relief efforts. Volunteers live in tents on the football field -- "Camp Bayou," as some call it. In the parking lot, volunteers unload pallets of water, apple juice, canned goods and diapers. Last week, the Salvation Army began passing out boxes of cleaning supplies.
The American Red Cross was mentioned at the meeting too, but in a different way. "We want to know where the money is," Ms. Crowell said when she cornered a Red Cross official who attended the gathering. "All these people across America are giving money over the TV. I would tell them to put it back in their pocket."
Across the hurricane disaster zone, stretching from Alabama to Texas, an unexpected and unintended rivalry has developed between the two nonprofit organizations most closely associated with the aftermath of calamity. Here in some of the poorest parts of Mississippi and much of the Gulf Coast, the Salvation Army is drawing praise for its swift arrival in the most distressed areas and clearly winning the hearts of desperate residents. To some people here, the Red Cross, under growing criticism for letting bureaucratic hurdles slow down aid in the disaster area, suffers by comparison.
The Salvation Army is helped by its military-style structure, which is designed for rapid mobilization and which puts a premium on training people in advance to deal with disasters. It can draw on more than 65,000 employees in the U.S., nearly double the paid staff of the Red Cross.
The Salvation Army's daily work in permanent shelters with the homeless and poor and with people trying to put their lives back together after an apartment fire or years of alcohol and drug abuse helps too. The organization's focus on alleviating human suffering in the name of Jesus Christ resonates in this section of the Bible Belt.
Lightning Rod
The Red Cross, the world's dominant relief group, is naturally a lightning rod for criticism. Among aid groups, it stands out for its international reach, breadth of services and fund-raising prowess. The organization has raised nearly $1 billion in donations since Katrina hit, representing about seven of every 10 dollars given for hurricane relief, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The Red Cross has been more ambitious than any other organization in the Katrina aftermath, dispatching 163,000 staff and volunteers to shelters and aid centers. Many are volunteers working in a disaster for the first time and armed with only a few hours of training. Several volunteers at the Baton Rouge River Center, one of the largest Red Cross shelters, quit over the disorganization they saw there. Others were sent home early because they couldn't handle the work emotionally, according to volunteers there.
Charlotte McGee of Harvey, La., has slept in the Baton Rouge River Center auditorium for three weeks along with four daughters and four grandchildren. "Everyone in here I talk to is complaining about the same things. These volunteers just treat us like crap," Ms. McGee said. "We don't want to be here, either, but if you didn't volunteer for the right reasons, then go back home."
Only people living at the Baton Rouge shelter could apply for emergency financial aid there. Volunteers say that rule frustrated many other storm victims who walked in seeking help and got a flier instead urging them to keep calling a busy toll-free number. The Red Cross pays out $360 for a single person to $1,565 for a family of five or more.
The Red Cross acknowledges that its phone lines have been overwhelmed. It is expanding its phone bank operations, hoping to process up to 40,000 financial-aid claims per day.
A spokeswoman for the Red Cross says the disaster is so massive that complaints and glitches are inevitable. And with more than 100,000 volunteers in the field, some inevitably won't be up to the job. "We were challenged like never before" by Katrina, said Devorah Goldburg, spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Washington. "I think we rose to the challenge. We know we are not perfect. We are asking people to be patient with us."
Lisa Burbridge, an East Biloxi resident whose home was flooded, said she had no luck over the phone so she waited more than five hours at a Red Cross financial-assistance center on Saturday, Sept. 17. But it never opened that day. Late that evening, a police officer got on a bullhorn and told people waiting to go home empty-handed. "There is no organization from the Red Cross," said Ms. Burbridge. She has depended on groceries and other donated goods from the Salvation Army for the past month. "Thank God for them."
Both the Salvation Army and the Red Cross say they don't see themselves in competition and that the need for hurricane relief far surpasses the capability of any one organization. Salvation Army officials declined to comment on the Red Cross at all. Ms. Goldburg of the Red Cross said: "We think it's great the Salvation Army is out there. ...Our missions are a little bit different."
No one doubts that the Red Cross has touched many lives for the good in recent weeks. This past weekend, the organization housed 120,000 people in nearly 500 shelters across the country, split about evenly between people who evacuated for Katrina and Rita. The Red Cross is housing another 300,000 in hotels and has given 530,000 families some form of financial assistance.
The Salvation Army, founded in 1865 in London and best known for its bell-ringing santas soliciting donations to red kettles outside stores between Thanksgiving and Christmas, is both an evangelical Christian church and a major relief agency. It adopted a quasimilitary command structure in 1878, and today it still uses uniforms and military ranks for its 3,700 "officers," who are also ordained ministers. It has an additional 62,000 employees at its 9,000 Salvation Army centers around the country, which usually hold weekly worship services.
Tight Budget
Outside management experts have credited the Salvation Army with operating efficiently on a tight budget. That reputation has served it well as it took on a larger and larger role in disaster response since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and the Northridge, Calif., earthquake two years later. Now that immediate assistance has been given, Salvation Army employees are beginning to work with residents on their long-term needs for housing, furniture, employment and help with utility bills and other financial issues.
"We do this extremely well because we are already there 365 days a year serving the poorest of the poor in these communities," said Maj. George Hood, national community relations secretary for the Salvation Army. "We are serving many of the same clients, but now they don't have homes."
The Salvation Army estimates it has helped about 500,000 storm victims in the past month by serving 4.3 million meals and handing out groceries, store vouchers, mops and buckets and other essential goods. It has rotated a team of about 12,000 employees and 28,000 volunteers into the field on two-week stints, drawing on donations of $185 million so far.
No Transportation
In East Biloxi, where many of the African-American, Hispanic and Vietnamese families had no cars or lost them in the storm, Ms. Crowell said she had no transportation to reach the closest Red Cross financial-aid center about 10 miles away. Many of the roads remain impassable, and traffic is painfully slow.
Brian Fern, an American Red Cross official on assignment from Muncie, Ind., looked Ms. Crowell in the eye after the town hall meeting and said, "I understand ma'am. We are stretched. We are stretched. We will have a site in East Biloxi soon. But I don't know where yet."
Frustrated that the Red Cross hadn't shown up, local math teacher Susan Turner took matters into her own hands. She became a Red Cross volunteer and began taking down people's information for cash payments under a small white tent in East Biloxi. "The Red Cross didn't do anything for us. They know they are in trouble just like FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency]," Ms. Turner said.
Late last week, nearly 100 people waited on folding chairs for their turn to apply for cash grants. Ms. Turner drives the paperwork each afternoon to the closest Red Cross center and retrieves the checks about two days later. She began passing out some of the first checks over the weekend.
Daniel Jackson, 59, was grateful Ms. Turner was there to fill out his application. He was set to receive $965. "We lost everything we got," said Mr. Jackson. His car was destroyed by the flooding. He says he needs money to pay his bills and to buy clothes for his 16-year-old daughter and himself. His wife is in a Biloxi hospital with lung cancer.
The Red Cross says it has struggled to have a presence in some of the hardest-hit areas because there are few buildings left standing with adequate space and parking for the large number of storm victims expected to show up. That was the challenge in East Biloxi.
"We are not in every neighborhood we need to be. We are in every neighborhood we can be," said Laura Howe, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross in Mississippi.
This week, a month after Katrina flattened most of East Biloxi, the Red Cross hoped to finally open a financial-aid center here. But the opening has been delayed.
Posted By: Eric at 9:26 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Portions from Rob Bell’s book, “Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith”
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
…the writers of the Bible go to great lengths to describe God as being with no edges or boundaries or limits.God has no thingness because there’s no end to God.
Or as the question goes in the book of Job: “Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”
It makes sense, the, in a strange sort of way, that when Moses asks God for his name, God replies, “I am.”
Doesn’t really clear things up, does it?
Moses is looking for a being he can wrap his mind around.Is this the god of water or power or soil or fertility?All the other gods made sense; you could understand them—who they were and what they did and what they stood for.But this God is different.Mysterious.Unfathomable.
“I am.”
The name’s origins come from the verb to be, so some read it as “I will be who I will be.”
Others suggest it should be read like this: “I always have been, I am, and I always will be.”
Perhaps this is God’s way of saying, “If your goal is to figure me out and totally understand me, it’s not going to happen.Even my name is more than you can comprehend.”
Later Moses says to God, “Now show me your glory.”
Which is our way of saying, “I need more.I need something I can see.Something tangible.”
God’s response?He tells Moses to go stand on a rock, because he’s going to pass by.He explains to Moses that no one can see him and live, so he’ll cover Moses with his hand (God’s hand?) as he passes by, and then he says, “I will remove my hand and you will see my back.”
The ancient rabbis had all sorts of things to say about this passage, but one of the most fascinating things they picked up on is the part about God’s back.They argued that in the original Hebrew language, the word back should be understood as a euphemism for “where I just was.”
That’s the closest you are going to get.
If there is a divine being who made everything, including us, what would our experiences with this being look like?The moment God is figured out with nice neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God.We are dealing with somebody we made up.And if we made him up, then we are in control.And so in passage after passage, we find God reminding people that he is beyond and bigger and more.
The truth about God is why study and discussion and doctrines are so necessary.They help us put words to realities beyond words.They give us insight and understanding into the experience of God we’re having.Which is why the springs only work when they serve the greater cause: us finding our lives in God.If they ever become the point, something has gone seriously wrong.Doctrine is a wonderful servant and a horrible master.
Posted By: Eric at 4:03 PM : Link : 0 Comments
For Those Of You That Read The War Cry
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
This picture of Cathleen and I was a joke. I can't believe they printed it.
Posted By: Eric at 2:29 PM : Link : 1 Comments
I'll Fight Fest Photodoc
Monday, September 26, 2005
Posted By: Eric at 12:36 PM : Link : 1 Comments
Meet Samuel Logan Brengle (1860-1936)
Friday, September 23, 2005
As a young man Samuel Logan Brengle's zeal for the Lord was evident, quickly gaining him notoriety and popularity as a preacher. However, Brengle turned down a prized offer to pastor a renowned church and opting instead to fulfill his calling as an Evangelist he joined the ranks of The Salvation Army. Upon Brengle's first day General William Booth promptly assigned him to a long term duty of cleaning boots in a dingy cellar.
Brengle's pride was greatly bruised, and wondering if he had made the right choice asked the Lord, "Am I a fool?" As quick as he asked, the answer came, as he saw in his mind Jesus kneeling and washing the disciples’ feet. Years later Brengle wrote: "It was the best training I could have had. I was practicing humility. That experience put a key in my hand to unlock the hearts of lowly people all round the world for the next forty years!"
For Samuel Logan Brengle, the only religion worth having was a "red hot religion" ignited by the unquenchable fire of the Holy Spirit.
"What is that fire?" Brengle wrote. "It is love. It is faith. It is hope. It is passion, purpose, determination—utter devotion. It is singleness of eye and a consecration unto death. It is God the Holy Ghost burning in and through a humble, holy, faithful person."
Brengle was well-known as a minister to The Salvation Army's officers and soldiers in the United States. Joining the Army in 1897, Brengle served 30 years. He believed that those who seek God "burst into flame," when they first touch Him and they can bring those "left out in the cold" to His light.
Brengle wrote, "Holy fire kindles in every soul that lives with Him," believing that as we seek God's fire we become "burning and shining lights" in a cold and dark world.
He saw The Salvation Army corps as a place where men and women, compelled by the Spirit, could gather to pray for the lost without concern for comfort or convenience, no matter the time of day or night. To Brengle, the corps was a sacred place from which the love and power of God could be communicated to all--entire cities might be energized and "lit up" by the prayer of soldiers who had "caught the flame."
Brengle eventually went on to become one of the most highly effective and powerful evangelist's of his time. In 1896 Brengle wrote a book entitled, "Helps to Holiness," which to this day is considered one of the great classic works of Christian literature.
(Compiled from the USA National Headquarters Website and ariseandwalk.com)
Posted By: Eric at 10:59 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Testify!
2 Timothy 1:7-8 says:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…”
Just wanted to give you a heads up that tonight at the prayer and praise meeting (7pm Mt. Greenwood Corps) there will be a time of testimony. Be prepared to share what the Lord is doing in your life. (And remember, when giving a testimony it is important to “get to the God stuff” ASAP.) Testify!
Posted By: Eric at 9:54 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Poland Official Launch Weekend
Thursday, September 22, 2005
23 – 25 September 2005
The Salvation Army will invade Poland—it’s 110th country—this weekend. Newly commissioned Moldovan officers, Captains Andrei & Olga Iniutochkin, will continue Army expansion as they are officially installed on Sunday in Warsaw, Poland. The weekend festivities will feature a Brass Ensemble from the Exeter Corps (United Kingdom) and a Project Warsaw Gospel Choir.
In the neighboring country of Lithuania, the Army has been at work since 1998. This work has been supervised by the Germany Territory. It is now time to give Army presence in that country greater official recognition. The Germany Territory will therefore be known as the Germany and Lithuania Territory.
These developments take the number of countries where The Salvation Army is officially at work from 109 to 111!
Please pray:
-For Captains Iniutochkin & their son, Sasha: that God will grant them abundant wisdom, courage & strength as they begin their service in Warsaw
-For Captain Susanne Kettler, a great officer I met in Lithuania last summer. Pray for her ministry, her family and her corps. (She has an amazing ministry and to my knowledge is the only officer to have a Corps that meets at a garbage dump).
-For the first soldiers: that they will feel the Lord confirming their desire to serve in The Salvation Army
-For new contacts: that the Lord will open many doors as we minister on the street
-For the Gospel Choir: that many young people will accept the invitation to come & sing, and that they will be challenged by the witness of The Salvation Army through music
-For new recruits: that the Lord will touch the hearts of those already attending our meetings, and lead them to membership in The Salvation Army
Posted By: Eric at 1:21 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Final I’ll Fight Fest Update
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
If you are going to attend read the entire post.
-The prayer and praise meeting starts at 7pm on Friday at the Mt. Greenwood Corps. Make every effort to be on time. (Mapquest it: 11355 S. Central Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60655-3415). We will eat pizza after the praise and worship meeting on Friday.
-We have a slight change in the itinerary for Sunday. We WILL NOT attend/participate in the Pontiac Corps worship service. There were many conflicts such as the opening of the Korean Corps that require us to return early. We hope to leave at 8am and return to Mt. Greenwood sometime around 1:30pm.
-Bring your money ($30) on Friday and give it to me.
-Did your parent fill out the permission slip? Make sure you have it for Friday! (Get your permission slip from your Officer or Youth Pastor).
-Showers are only available at the Pontiac Corps. Bring shampoo and a towel if you want. We’re soldiers aren’t we? Let’s rough it!
-We’re sleeping on the floor both Friday and Saturday night, make sure you have a sleeping bag and pillow, they WILL NOT be provided.
-The forecast predicts rain on Saturday (72 degrees, 40% chance of rain). Bring a poncho/umbrella. The festival is outside.
If you have any questions email Eric_Himes@usc.salvationarmy.org or call (773) 205-3689
This is going to be a great weekend!
Grace,
Eric
Posted By: Eric at 11:20 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Love (John & 1 John 3:16-20 Remix)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (John 3:16, 1 John 3:16)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (John 3:17, 1 John 3:17)
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (John 3:18, 1 John 3:18)
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. (John 3:19, 1 John 3:19-20a)
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (John 3:20, 1 John 3:20b)
Posted By: Eric at 11:39 AM : Link : 0 Comments
WHEN I MET MAX
Monday, September 19, 2005
During my freshman year of college I rebelled. Though I was a Christian and many people loved me, I alienated myself from my family, my Christian friends and my church. Isolated from the good influences in my life, I followed my desires while rejecting Christ. I was lonely and played games with Christ; hoping He would pursue me but having no intention to submit to His love. As Ephesians 2:12 says, “In those days [I was] living apart from Christ… [I] lived in this world without God and without hope.”
That summer I ran away to the Ukraine. During the school year I applied, and was mercifully accepted as, a member of The Salvation Army’s Summer Mission Team—an outreach group of six Christian peers—that traveled to the Ukraine. From June through August, 2001 we ministered in the cities Kiev, Donetsk and Kharkov. We worked with children, the homeless, rehab patients, the elderly and visited mental asylums.
We began the first youth program for the Kiev Lighthouse Corps; a church of marginalized, homeless Christians, strategically placed amongst a half-dozen, dilapidated, Soviet-era housing complexes. The church leaders were eager for us to start working with the youth of their neighborhood. Our approach was simple: each day we would go to a playground, throw a Frisbee, sing some songs, do a craft and love over seventy impoverished children.
That’s when I met Max. He was a reckless 6-year-old; who ran at full speed, threw dirt, started fights, pinched and kicked his way through our youth outreach. He was as adorable as he was mischievous. I took it upon myself—as the martyr of the group—to watch and distract him while my team members took care of the rest of the children. I wanted to show Max a better way. I wanted to be his friend and break him of his rebellion. I thought the best way to do this was to tire him out. So for three days I followed, pursued and chased him around the crowded cement playground. He was having the time of his life, knowing he had my attention and pretending not to care. He would not be easily broken.
On the fourth day, after a few hours of running around, Max slowed down. He sat in the dirt, gasping for breath. He was finally tired. With a feeling of accomplishment I walked over to Max, scooped him up and placed him on my hip. Then I said a very ordinary phrase in Russian, Ya tebia liubliu, meaning “I love you.” I was surprised to hear Max reply with an extraordinary phrase in his native language, Ya tebia liubliu. I didn’t even have a moment to appreciate what had happened when Max turned to me, smiled and spat in my face. I did the best thing I could; I put him down and walked away.
I think about the Ukraine everyday. It was a great spiritual watershed moment in my life. I was tired. Tired of the isolation and loneliness I felt in my rebellion. I was lonely and isolated because I had rejected Christ right when I needed him most. I was a prodigal son avoiding a faithful Father. “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved [me] so very much, that even while [I was] dead because of [my] sins, he gave [me] life when he raised Christ from the dead.” (Ephesians 2:4). And now when he holds me in His arms I can just smile and say “I love you.”
Posted By: Eric at 8:54 AM : Link : 1 Comments
READ me! its long but very important!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
i posted on the prayer wall a while ago to pray for a 24/7 prayer event, its called CUP (corps united in prayer).
while on the band of survivors mission we all dedicated God an hour a day. a week into this we saw amazing results. we wanted to keep that spirit and fire going so we decided take a day for each corps every week to pray the 24 hrs.
i can tell you that before we began God was already moving and since we've started God's been moving immensely!!
i would love to hear of any corps that is interested in participating in praying 24 hours. you would get a specific day in every week to let your fellow soldiers sign-up to pray for an hour. its amazing what God is doing and i encourage you to participate and experience the same.
also,
the elgin corps will be in need of volunteers any or all saturdays in october to help them deep clean. the salvation army is a huge family and that is why i come to you for help. this corps has been neglected and set aside for a very long time but the time has come when it will soon rise again! (can i get an amen!?) there are a couple of kids from the elgin corp that will be helping out, but its not enough.
we'll have food, drinks, music and it will run from 3p until 6p.
it'll be fun and maybe you'll see people you havent seen since CBLI?
if your interested in one or both of these events let ade know at chicachina@sbcglobal.net asap.
thank you all so much!
Posted By: Anonymous at 3:26 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Portions from The Soldiers Manual; or Piety and Practice
Friday, September 16, 2005
by Ballington and Maud B. Booth, 1889.
…Our profession is a very high one, and, the higher the profession, the more conspicuous the inconsistency of a life which does not correspond with it. The whiter the garment, the more visible the stains of blotches; just so, dear comrade, with a soul that has been washed white with the blood of Jesus, the stains of some little fault, allowed to mar its whiteness, will stand out even more conspicuously than in the soul of one who professes not to have known the cleansing power of Calvary’s stream. “Walk as children of light.”
The first and foremost necessity to the successfulness of the Salvationist’s life is piety—godliness.
We don’t believe in profession. We despise talk, if it only talk, and we believe that in God’s Army He only wants men and women whose lives, in their every detail, are consistent and true.
I.—GODLINESS IN PRIVATE.
There is a danger of not always living in the same spirit which we rose from the penitent-form the night that we became recognized followers of the Man of Sorrows. How real Jesus seemed at that hour! How felt was His presence! How ardent was that love that sang “I will follow Thee, my Saviour,” and what a longing and zeal for the welfare of the souls of men possessed our very being! The pages of the Bible that night seemed to have a new light shed on them, and whereas they were once tedious to read they then became almost an essential of life. Now we think that the same spirit and love and zeal should ever exist in the private heart-experience of every soldier, save that as years and months roll over them, it should become intensified and more and more part of their being. To maintain piety of heart and communion with God,
1st. The soldier should separate himself from the world’s sins and pleasures.
Do not allow your soul to be contaminated by the influence of the world. It is not only sin, folly and outward rebellion that God censures, but even the countenancing of it or association with it. In the days of the children of Israel, not only was a dead body considered unclean, but the man and woman who touched it. So, if you want to be pure, you must not touch or handle the unclean thing. Some say that their associations are such that it is utterly impossible for them to cut loose from worldly practices and associations. God’s only answer is, that given in days of old to His people, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, God or Baal.” You must be out-and-out for God, or your soul piety will have but little chance of surviving longer than a few weeks.
“Be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.”
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.”
2nd. The soldier must remember that his Bible is an essential to his spiritual growth and piety.
It is a very sure index that a man’s soul is not where it ought to be if his Bible is laid by unmarked and unfingered, to be brought out only on a Sunday or on special occasions. Salvation soldiers should be Bible-lovers and Bible-readers. We do not mean in the sense in which many read it, simply as a sort of study, translating its prophecies by their own judgment or the judgment of others, or comparing and analyzing and explaining the inspired Word which, we hold, can only be rightly understood by an inspired soul. It must be read in the spirit. An officer once very truly said, “The Bible should be read in the light of the same lamp by which it was written.”
You should read the Bible always remembering that you are but a little atom of dust compared to the great and mighty God who dictated it, and that it is your place to accept and believe His Word in the spirit, and that it is only thus that you can understand it, for it is impossible for the human mind to understand the Divine, unless it has been filled and inspired by the Divine Spirit.
Read your Bible on your knees, and remember that it is not the number of chapters you read which will benefit you, but the amount of blessing you receive from the portion, however small, that God brings beneath your eye.
3rd. To keep in touch with God a Salvation soldier should be a prevailer in prayer.
Again, it does not lie in the length, or wording, or power of the prayer, but in the grip of God, ordained by the faith of the one who prays. There is no reason why you should not enter into God’s presence, touch His very heart, and receive in return the answer to your prayer in a minute and a half or two minutes. It is a mistake to think that only those people who have the time to spend hours on their knees every day can be considered in close touch with God. All Salvationists, however much or however little time they are able to spend alone with God, should live always in the spirit of prayer—“continuing instant in prayer” all day long, able to turn and open their hearts to God at any minute of the day, that, when most tempted and tried, they may ever receive just that which their souls need. Remember that prayer will ever prove your greatest help to piety.
Posted By: Eric at 2:38 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet Eliza Shirley
Thursday, September 15, 2005
The first successful work in the United States rested on the shoulders of a 17-year-old girl.
In the spring of 1879, the newly named Salvation Army in London was so small that all the workers knew each other personally. Eliza Shirley, then 16, joined the Christian Mission and was appointed as an evangelist at one of the "stations." At first, her parents, Amos and Annie Shirley, were not sure they approved. Shortly thereafter, Amos, an experienced silk weaver, left for America and found a position in Philadelphia.
When he sent for his wife and daughter, Eliza did not want to leave the Army behind. However, her father's description of the ungodliness he found in America convinced her that the Army was needed. She called on General Superintendent William Booth and asked permission to start the work in America.
By then, she had been commissioned a lieutenant and was doing well in her home corps, Coventry. Booth was not sure the U.S. was ready for opening, and reminded her that leaving would be a breach of her pledge. However, he softened enough to say that if she were unable to resist, she could go with his blessing. Further, if she were successful, he would give her work official recognition. Captain Elijah Cadman, her superior officer, presented 100 penny song books to take with her.
By the time they reached Philadelphia, her mother shared her desire to begin Army work. They walked the streets looking for an affordable meeting place, finally settling on an abandoned chair factory. The family worked together to clean it up and get it ready for the opening meeting. Posters announced the appearance of "Two Hallelujah Females." Though they didn't have any standard uniforms, drums, or any of the glitter that attracted crowds, people flocked out of curiosity to their open air meetings. Eventually, the police told them they couldn't gather on the street any more. They found a vacant lot several blocks away, but afterwards no one followed their march to the hall.
Providence arrived in the form of a tar barrel fire set by some boys on their lot. When the Shirleys saw the lot filled with people watching the firemen, they proceeded with a meeting. Their trophy was Reddy, the worst drunk in the area. When the people saw Reddy march to the hall, they followed to see what they would do with him. News of Reddy's conversion reached not only the local papers, but up and down the coast.
Shortly after this incident, the Shirleys opened up another hall in West Philadelphia. When Amos's employer told him he had to choose between his job and the Army, he chose the Army.
General Booth's reply to the American success was the promotion of the Shirleys to captain and the promise to send George Scott Railton to the country to take charge.
Amos met with a fatal accident not many years later, but Annie and Eliza continued in the work. Eliza returned from a rest trip to England with a new husband, Captain Philip Symmonds, had four children, and lived well into her eighties. Retiring in Chicago, she became an ardent fan of the Chicago Cubs. As Eliza was on her deathbed, the Cubs were in the final games of the World Series. She drifted in and out of consciousness, alternately praying and asking how the Cubs were doing. When word came that Eliza Symmonds had been promoted to glory, there was a moment of silence in the stadium in honor of this gallant lady.
(Taken from the USA National Headquarters Website)
Posted By: Eric at 4:03 PM : Link : 0 Comments
I’ll Fight Fest Update!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
If you want to attend I’ll Fight Fest, it’s all up to you. Hassle your Corps Officer/Youth Worker/Parent to make it happen!
If you are planning on attending I’ll Fight Fest here’s some information you should know:
-Cost: $30.00 for Food, Gas, IFF Ticket. Make checks out to The Salvation Army
-Schedule:
-Friday 9/23 7pm Praise Night and Overnighter at Mt. Greenwood Corps
11355 S. Central Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60655-3415
-Saturday 9/24 7am Depart for Michigan
12:30-6pm I’ll Fight Fest
8pm Stay at Pontiac Corps
-Sunday 9/25 11am Morning Worship at Pontiac Corps
6pm Arrive Home
-What to Bring:
1. Bible
2. Two changes of clothes, toiletries, pillow and sleeping bag (pack light!)
3. Money for souvenirs/t-shirts/cds
-What to Know:
1. You must have a permission slip signed by your parent in order to attend (get permission slip from youth pastor/youth worker/chaperone)
2. Camera, radio, cell phone or any other valuables are brought at your own risk.
Please call Eric Himes at 773 540-1534 or email Eric_Himes@usc.salvationarmy.org if you have any questions!
Posted By: Eric at 3:00 PM : Link : 1 Comments
A Visit To Hammond-Munster
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Yesterday I went to the Hammond-Munster Corps to visit their new youth director Jon Bukiewicz. I really have the sense that God is going to do great things in that Corps. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that and mention a new website that Jon made for the kids for the youth of Lake County, Indiana called SA Outbreak. Check it out.
Speaking of websites…you may also be interested in a SA UK website called Council of War. It’s still under construction but has some good SA articles.
Posted By: Eric at 10:44 AM : Link : 0 Comments
SA Dodgeball
For all of you that are interested: A new season of SA Dodgeball begins this Thursday (9/15) at the Oakbrook Terrace Corps (1 S 415 Summit Villa Park, IL 60181-3906). We will play from 7-9pm. The first night is free, after that it's a buck ($1.00).
Posted By: Eric at 10:26 AM : Link : 0 Comments
The Light of the World is Jesus
Friday, September 09, 2005
Alec Knight grew up in the East End of London, spending his time in bird fighting, boxing, betting, drink and public-house songs, a leader in any group he joined. Confronted by open-air meetings, he organized a Skeleton Army and attacked. He was gravely disturbed when, after hitting a Salvationist, he was told, “God bless you, my brother!” Converted, he became a mighty antagonist for God. He wrote the following Fight Song, it is not included in the Song Book today:
The Light of the World is Jesus
by Alec F. Knight
I once was very worldly, the same as many more;
But since I’ve been to Jesus He’s saved me I am sure;
And if you’re only willing to give up all your sin,
My Savior now is waiting, I’m sure, to take you in.
The light of the world is Jesus;
The light of the world is Jesus;
And if you come to Him, He’ll cleanse your soul from sin;
The light of the world is Jesus.
You want to be made happy, and you wish to be free;
You wish to go to Heaven, I’m sure, the same as we;
And Hell, you would not share it, you would its terrors feel;
Then if you’ll come to Jesus, His true light you shall see.
The light of the world is Jesus;
The light of the world is Jesus;
And if you come to Him, He’ll cleanse your soul from sin;
The light of the world is Jesus.
I have my little troubles, I have my trials too;
But I am very thankful I’ve One to take them to;
He never does deceive me, but tells me what to do;
And if you’ll only trust Him, He’ll do the same for you.
The light of the world is Jesus;
The light of the world is Jesus;
And if you come to Him, He’ll cleanse your soul from sin;
The light of the world is Jesus.
Story and song taken from Combat Songs of The Salvation Army compiled by Howard and Sallie Chesham, 1965.
Posted By: Eric at 6:18 PM : Link : 0 Comments
We cannot invent, create, produce or direct the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Repent.
Pray.
Let go.
Posted By: Eric at 9:50 PM : Link : 0 Comments
METROPOLITAN DIVISON HURRICANE RELIEF BULLETIN
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
The Metropolitan Division is supporting the disaster relief efforts both in the south and here in the Chicago-area. Here is a brief overview of activities.
*Since last Wednesday (August 31st), the Disaster Services Center in Elk Grove Village has served as command central. Volunteers have staffed the phone bank seven-days-a-week, from 8am until 8pm. Primary among their activities is handling “health and wellness” inquiries from those seeking to locate missing loved ones and friends in the disaster areas. The calls are relayed to SATERN [Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network] members [amateur radio operators] for reply and response. The center has received more than 41,000 calls.
*The EDS center also is taking calls regarding needed services, donations and other offers of help. Area companies have provided volunteers to assist with the phone bank operations.
*Last Thursday (September 1st), Colonel Grindle participated in a news conference with Congressman Danny Davis regarding hurricane relief assistance.
*On Friday (September 2nd), EDS dispatched the “Big Truck” to the disaster area at the request of the Southern Territory. The 40 foot by 24 foot vehicle is a communications and command center. It will be deployed in the disaster as determined. The departure of the truck was covered as part of a news conference conducted by Colonel Grindle. In addition, a $100,000 disaster relief donation was presented to the Colonel by Exelon.
*Memos and “donation slides” were sent to Chicago television public affairs directors, seeking support for the Army’s monetary needs for disaster relief.
*John Cruickshank, publisher of the Chicago Sun Times, has offered public service support. Ads were created and sent.
*The Division’s development department has contacted various sources to obtain support items for disaster survivors coming to the Chicago area.
*Divisional command and social services department have put into place an operational plan to provide services to disaster survivors already in the area and to those being evacuated to Chicago. This includes canteen services, social workers, material assistance, clothing, etc., and when required, housing and shelter. The division has mobilized more than 500 officers, employees and volunteers in response to disaster relief needs.
*The Salvation Army has prepared Camp Wonderland as a site to receive and house up to 600 disaster survivors. We are awaiting word when, and if, evacuees will be sent to camp.
*Major David Dalberg, disaster services director, will appear on a WLS Radio public affairs program, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, September 7th.
Posted By: Eric at 5:45 PM : Link : 0 Comments
Meet Joe “The Turk” Garabedian
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
He was tall, impressive, and built like a prize fighter. Often considered rude or even obnoxious, he did not follow the rules. Though never in charge of a corps, he opened doors through which others could follow in a more conventional way.
He was born Nashan Garabed, or Garabedian, in Tallas, Turkey, to Armenian parents. His father died when he was three, but his mother saw that he had a Christian upbringing. At 17, he set out to work with his brother as a shoemaker in Boston. On the way to the U.S., he saw some Salvationists being attacked on the streets of London, and though knowing no English, he stepped in as their bodyguard.
In Boston, he felt the need to travel the country. It wasn't until he reached San Francisco that he saw more of these spirited, persecuted Salvationists. Protecting them was his pleasure. Though at first he could not be a member (because of his smoking and drinking habits), he passed out tracts in his shoe shop and gradually heard more of what they were trying to do. He changed his name to John, which later became "Joe the Turk." Captain John Milsaps convinced him to change his ways, and he became converted.
Joe's shoe shop became a colorful religious center, and he constantly thought of new ways to attract attention. Then he gave up his shop to work full time for The Salvation Army. He was made a captain shortly after helping the Army begin work in Los Angeles.
Novel methods always had a place in his campaigning. He wore a turban or fez with his uniform, which usually was bright red with a gold braid. When the district officer was transferred east in 1890, he took Joe with him. For the rest of his career, Joe traveled the country as a representative of the Trade Department, preaching and exhorting others to repent along the way. When the town of Macomb, Illinois, was in the grip of a crooked mayor, Joe ran him out of town and took over until the people could hold an election. In another town, he saw a mob about to lynch the corps officer and braved the crowd to put the officer safely on the train.
In city after city, Joe would be arrested for disturbing the peace. However, when brought to trial, he would be acquitted by the juries. Town ordinances forbidding open air meetings toppled in his wake. He boasted of being "jailed 57 times for Jesus."
In later years, Joe carried a large umbrella decorated with slogans and pictures of the Booths. To the wonder of his audiences, little light bulbs made it glow in the dark. If a goat cart suited his purpose, he would form a mini-circus and parade into town to gain attention. Many a host found linens and walls decorated with his rubber stamp, "Jesus Saves."
After 38 years of adventurous service in the ranks of the Army, he retired in 1925. He was promoted to glory in his New York hotel room in 1937. Thousands called "Joe the Turk" their spiritual father.
(Taken from the USA National Headquarters Website)
Posted By: Eric at 11:34 AM : Link : 0 Comments
Boundless Magazine
You simply must check out Boundless Magazine, a Salvation Army online magazine that comes from Canada. These guys used to put out The Edge but that went under and was reborn as Boundless Magazine. It’s very cool looking, very interesting and very helpful. Check it out.
Posted By: Eric at 9:49 AM : Link : 0 Comments
THE EYES OF MY ENEMY
Friday, September 02, 2005
I’ve been thinking about how we Christians are often permissive in accepting “grey areas” in our lives. Music, television, obsessions with celebrities and sports, clothing, art, sexual purity in dating, bad jokes, hobbies, violence in the media, politics, what we eat and drink, nationalism and rebellion as “a right of passage”. We even overlook things that are not grey at all: divorce, greed, self-ambition, rejection of the Holy Spirit, Hell. The term “grey area” is misleading. An appropriate term would be “weak sin” an even more appropriate term would be “sin”.
So, we’ve got an unofficial list of “grey areas” that we think we deserve and we’re not willing to give them up. We would need to come across a whole forest of burning bushes in order to give them up. We have scales on our eyes.
Last night I saw a movie that many of you may have seen. I sat and enjoyed myself; watching celebrities that I will never meet—but who I know more about and am more interested in than the majority of the people at my Corps—use crude humor, foul language and disgrace the covenant of marriage as they slept with whatever woman they could get their unmarried hands on. I sat and laughed and loved it. I have seen far worse movies than this one and I have tricked myself (or had been Tricked) into thinking that I deserve this kind of entertainment, even thinking that it is a “necessary” part of life.
God wants us to rest and give Him our burdens. This is true. Does rest = entertainment? When comparing God to the Enemy I realized that God does not entertain. God: loves, blesses and shows us His beauty. God creates community and fellowship, inspires us in worship and awes us in creation. God holds us, comforts us and calms us down. God gives us rest. He does not sit us down and tell jokes. He does not crowd us in a smoke-filled bar and play music. He does not make us stand in line and wait for Him to sign His book. He does not invite us to sit on a couch and praise a (largely unsaved) group of athletes or talk excitedly about the latest Hollywood hook-or-breakup. God does not do these things. So who does?
The problem is we don’t really hate our Enemy, the Devil, Satan, Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub, the Tempter. We think of him as a high school bully, if we avoid him, if we ignore him, if we give him what he wants he’ll leave us alone. This is not true. Our struggle is not against a bully but “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11-13). Our struggle is not against a fictional character but against a real being, a thief that “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:9-11). We are not fighting a myth. Our Enemy is real.
I do not condemn the grey areas (to declare guilty; to kill), I condone them (to forgive, pardon or overlook). That’s the problem, isn’t it? In the very least, if you or I as Christians said, “Because this (grey area) is questionable, I will not do it” wouldn’t we all be better off? Our Enemy hates us because he hates God. Though they are not equals the Enemy tries to contradict everything God does. The Enemy puts Hate vs. Love, Wrong vs. Right, Curses vs. Blessings, Isolation vs. Community, Fear vs. Hope. The Enemy distracts you from God.
We can get away with a lot as Christians, can’t we? The reason there are “grey areas” at all are not because they aren’t specifically spelled out in the Bible but because we really don’t fear God. We know Jesus. We know what he did on the Cross. We think that we can do what we want, come to a crisis point and always ask for forgiveness and repeat this cycle at our leisure. If 2 Corinthians 6:14 says that “light [has no fellowship] with darkness” what fellowship does light have with grey?
Are these areas even really grey? Think about it, not from God’s perspective (because you know Him) but through the eyes of our Enemy. What does your Enemy want you to do? Does he want you to watch that movie? Does he want you to tell or laugh at that joke? Does he want you to obsess over your wardrobe, your favorite sports team or your music? If you are willingly doing what your Enemy wants you to do, is he really your Enemy?
“5…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:5-11).
Posted By: Eric at 2:13 PM : Link : 0 Comments
I am compelled to share with you a portion of “Aggressive Christianity” (the original Catherine Booth version) that I read today:
Thursday, September 01, 2005
“It seems to me that we come infinitely short of any right and rational idea of the aggressive spirit of the New Testament saints. Satan has got Christians to accept what I may call a namby-pamby, kidglove kind of system of presenting the Gospel to people. 'Will they be so kind as to read this tract or book, or would they not like to hear this popular and eloquent preacher. They will be pleased with him quite apart from religion.' That is the sort of half-frightened, timid way of putting the truth before unconverted people, and of talking to them about the Salvation of their souls. It seems to me this is utterly antagonistic and repugnant to the spirit of the early saints: 'Go ye, and preach the Gospel to EVERY CREATURE'; and again the same idea--'Unto whom now I send thee.' Look what is implied in these commissions. It seems to me that no people have ever yet fathomed the meaning of these two Divine commissions.
I believe we of The Salvation Army have come nearer to it than any people that have ever preceded us. Look at them. Would it ever occur to you that the language meant, 'Go and build chapels and churches and invite the people to come in, and if they will not, let them alone'? 'GO YE.' If you sent your servant to do something for you, and said, 'Go and accomplish that piece of business for me,' you know what it would involve. You know that he must see certain persons; and run about the city to certain offices and banks and agents, involving a deal of trouble and sacrifice; but you have nothing to do with that. He is your servant. He is employed by you to do that business, and you simply commission him to 'Go and do it.' What would you think if he went and took an office and sent out a number of circulars inviting your customers or clients to come and wait on his pleasure, and when they chose to come just to put your business before them? No, you would say, 'Ridiculous.' Divesting our minds of all conventionalities and traditionalisms, what would the language mean? 'Go ye!' 'To whom? 'To every creature.' Where am I to get at them? WHERE THEY ARE. 'Every creature.' There is the extent of your commission. Seek them out; run after them, wherever you can get at them. 'Every creature'--wherever you find a creature that has a soul--there go and preach My Gospel to him. If I understand it, that is the meaning and the spirit of the commission.
And then again, to Paul He says, 'Unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.' They are asleep--go and wake them up. They do not see their danger. If they did, there would be no necessity for you to run after them. They are preoccupied. Open their eyes, and turn them round by your desperate earnestness and moral suasion and moral force; Oh! it makes me tremble to think what a great deal one man can do for another! 'Turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.' How did Paul understand it? He says, 'We persuade men.' Do not rest content with just putting it before them, giving them gentle invitations, and then leaving them alone. He ran after them, poor things, and pulled them out of the fire. Take the bandage off their eyes which Satan has bound round them; knock and hammer and burn in, with the fire of the Holy Ghost, your words into their poor, hardened, darkened hearts, until they begin to realize that they are IN DANGER; that there is something amiss. Go after them. If I understand it, that is the spirit of the Apostles and of the early Christians; for we read that when they were scattered by persecution, they 'went everywhere, preaching the Word.' The laity, the new converts, the young babes in Christ. It does not mean always in set discourses, and public assemblies, but they went after men and women, like ancient Israel--'Every man after his man,' to try and win him for Christ.
Some people seem to think that the Apostles laid the foundations of all the churches. They are quite mistaken. Churches sprang up where the Apostles had never been. The Apostles went to visit and organize them after they had sprung up, as the result of the work of the early laymen and women going everywhere and preaching the Word. Oh! may the Lord shower upon us in this day the same spirit! We should build churches and chapels; we should invite the people to them; but do you think it is consistent with these two commissions, and with many others, that we should rest in this, when three parts of the population utterly ignore our invitations and take no notice whatever of our buildings and of our services? They will not come to us. That is an established fact. What is to be done? They have souls. You profess to believe that as much as I do, and that they must live forever. Where are they going? What is to be done?
Jesus Christ says, 'Go after them.' When all the civil methods have failed; when the genteel invitations have failed; when one man says that he has married a wife, and another that he has bought a yoke of oxen, and another that he has bought a piece of land--then does the Master of the feast say, 'The ungrateful wretches, let them alone'? No. He says, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.' 'I will have guests, and if you can't get them in by civil measures, use military measures. Go and COMPEL them to come in.' It seems to me that we want more of this determined aggressive spirit. Those of you who are right with God this afternoon--you want more of this spirit to thrust the truth upon the attention of your fellow-men.
Oh! people say, you must be very careful, very judicious. You must not thrust religion down people's throats. Then, I say, you will never get it down. What! Am I to wait till an unconverted, godless man wants to be saved before I try to save him? He will never want to be saved till the death rattle is in his throat. What! Am I to let my unconverted friends and acquaintances drift down quietly to damnation, and never tell them about their souls, until they say, 'If you please, I want you to preach to me'? Is this anything like the spirit of early Christianity? No. Verily we must make them look--tear the bandages off, open their eyes, make them bear it, and if they run away from you in one place, meet them in another, and let them have no peace until they submit to God and get their souls saved. This is what Christianity ought to be doing in this land, and there are plenty of Christians to do it. Why, we might give the world such a time of it that they would get saved in very self-defense, if we were only up and doing, and determined that they should have no peace in their sins. Where is our zeal for the Lord? We talk of Old Testament saints, but I would we were all like David. Rivers of water ran down his eyes because men kept not the Law of his God. But you say, 'We cannot all hold services.' Perhaps not. Go as you like. Go as quietly and softly as the morning dew. Have meetings like the Friends if you like. ONLY DO IT. Don't let your relatives, and friends, and acquaintances die, and their blood be found on your skirts!!!”
Posted By: Eric at 4:13 PM : Link : 0 Comments
HOW YOU CAN HELP AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we have an overwhelming need to secure volunteers to answer phones at:
Emergency Disaster Services
1000 Pratt Ave.
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007
· Volunteers can work one or more of the following shifts:
8am–12pm
12pm-4pm
4pm-8pm
· On-site training will be given to everyone who participates
· If you are interested in helping answer phones at our Emergency Disaster Services, please contact Sandra Williams at (773) 205-3330, or Tina Gulley-Augustus at 773-205-3525, you can also send the following information to metvolunteer@usc.salvationarmy.org:
Name
Contact Number
Available Date(s)
Available Shift(s)
Someone will contact you immediately with additional information. Please remember to clear your volunteer commitment with your supervisor.
Posted By: Eric at 2:57 PM : Link : 0 Comments
