Communiqué. The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Fellowship Corps. Banias Waterfall, Israel

Transcription

1 May/June Communiqué The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory Fellowship Corps Photo CC BY 2.5 Pikiwiki Israel Banias Waterfall, Israel

2 Dear Friends, Christian greetings from the Fellowship Corps. In this issue of the Communiqué we will look briefly at two women who played significant roles in preaching the good news about Jesus, and influencing their listeners in making personal decisions about Him. I am referring to the woman from Samaria and Catherine Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army. Both women experienced life-changing encounters with the living Christ and then devoted themselves to telling others about Him. Even though these women lived 1,800 years apart in very different times, cultures and places, their responses to Jesus have been recorded for future generations. The gospel of John, chapter four, relates the meeting of the Samaritan woman and Jesus at Jacob s well, near Sychar in Samaria. As for Catherine Booth, many books and papers have been written about her and how she lived her life fully surrendered to the will of God. Both women made an impact on those they met, and for generations afterwards. One woman who would have known their stories well was our own General Eva Burrows who also experienced the life-changing power of a life lived for Christ. On the next page is a summary of the tribute to General Burrows life from this territory. Enclosed with your Communiqué are two booklets that commemorate the life of General Eva Burrows: the Service of Thanksgiving and the Commemorative Tribute. My thanks go to the Editorial Department and the Territorial Executive Office for supplying copies for the members of the Fellowship Corps. God bless you, Donna Bryan (Major) Fellowship Corps Secretary Fellowship Corps Secretary Mission Resources Department The Salvation Army PO Box 479 BLACKBURN VIC 3130 Phone: (03) donna.bryan@aus.salvationarmy.org 2 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

3 General Burrows General Eva Burrows was promoted to glory on 20 March 2015 from Melbourne. She was 85 years old. General Eva was world leader of The Salvation Army from 1986 until 1993 and the second woman in history to act as General. The current General, Andre Cox, stated: We give thanks to God for the life, inspiration and leadership of General Eva Burrows. Her life influenced the lives of countless people to shape The Salvation Army across the world. I salute a true servant of God! Eva Evelyn Burrows AC was born in Newcastle on the 15th of September 1929 as one of nine children. She completed High School at Brisbane State High and went on to study a Bachelor of Arts (with majors in English and History) at The University of Qld, graduating in A year later she began training as a Salvation Army Officer, which she continued for the rest of her life with appointments all around the world including Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, Great Britain and Australia. General Eva was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) on Australia Day 1986 In recognition of service to the temporal and spiritual welfare of the community and to social justice as the world leader of The Salvation Army. In 1994 the AO was upgraded to Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). On 1 January 2001 General Burrows received a Centenary Medal for service to the Australian community. In retirement, she was an active hands on worker at The Salvation Army 614 Project in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which caters specifically for the homeless and marginalised people of Melbourne city. Commanding Officer Major Brendan Nottle said of her: General Eva Burrows was the absolute epitome of what it means to be a true Salvation Army Officer. She was deeply interested and passionate about every aspect of people s being, no matter what level of society they were from. Anyone that met her always felt valued, respected and deeply appreciated. On meeting her, they were always filled with hope and reminded that they are never forgotten and always loved. (Source: Burrows/#sthash.BBKF4IOh.dpuf) Many Thanks to those members who have generously sent in donations to cover printing and postage costs for the Fellowship Corps. Current printing and postage costs are $1.50 per booklet. Please note: Song numbers in this Communiqué are from The Salvation Army Song Book, Fellowship Corps Communiqué 3

4 Celebrating 150 years of The Salvation Army: Will & Kate: The story of William and Catherine Booth A delightful picture-book biography of the Founders tells how two ordinary children grew up to do extraordinary things for God. Author: Dawn Volz Illustrator: Chris Green Cost: $12 plus postage Available from Salvation Army Supplies Railway Road, Blackburn VIC 3130 Phone: (03) NEW 4 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

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6 all to Worship Invitation to the Thirsty Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 6 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

7 Isaiah 55 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure for ever. New International Version - UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicized, NIV Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Fellowship Corps Communiqué 7

8 Songs of Praise In that day you will say: I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you. Isaiah 12 (NIV -UK ) 8 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

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10 C atherine B ooth a powerful preacher/teacher 10 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

11 If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present. Catherine Booth was a powerful preacher/ teacher and together with William Booth, her husband, they gave themselves fully to proclaiming the Gospel message: that in Jesus Christ alone there is salvation for all who repent of their sins and believe that Jesus is the Son of God. No influence was more helpful than the continually increasing part taken in the instruction of Salvationists by Mrs Booth. By word of mouth and in her writings she urged devotion to the principles on which the movement had been founded and counselled out and out aggressive action for the achievement of its purpose. While the General was more particularly and fully occupied with the ever-increasing demand for organization and direction of the forces, Mrs Booth, being less bound in this respect, was able to give more attention to addresses and writings. Source: Page 27, History of The Salvation Army Volume Two by Robert Sandall, Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd, Fellowship Corps Communiqué 11

12 Song 447 O Jesus, Saviour, Christ divine, When shall I know and feel thee mine Without a doubt or fear? With anxious, longing thirst I come To beg thee make my heart thy home, And keep me holy here. O God of pentecostal fame, Can I not have that living flame Burning where er I go? From sin and self and shame set free, Can I not lead lost souls to thee, And conquer every foe? What is there that I will not give To have thee ever with me live A conquering Christ within? My life, my all, this blessed day Down at thy precious feet I lay, To be redeemed from sin. I can, I do just now believe, I do the heavenly grace receive, The Spirit makes me clean. Christ takes the whole of my poor heart, No sin shall ever from me part My Lord who reigns supreme. William Booth ( ) The Salvation Army 12 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

13 Fellowship Corps Communiqué 13 Sunset on the lake of Siwa Oasis, Egypt.

14 Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, Will you give me a drink? (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. Sir, the woman said, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock? Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I won t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water. He told her, Go, call your husband and come back. I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have 14 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

15 had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true. Sir, the woman said, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem. Woman, Jesus replied, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. The woman said, I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us. Then Jesus declared, I, the one speaking to you I am he. The Disciples Rejoin Jesus Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, What do you want? or Why are you talking with her? Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Meanwhile his disciples urged him, Rabbi, eat something. But he said to them, I have food to eat that you know nothing about. Then his disciples said to each other, Could someone have brought him food? My food, said Jesus, is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don t you have a saying, It s still four months until harvest? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying One sows and another reaps is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor. Many Samaritans Believe Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman s testimony, He told me everything I ever did. So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world. John 4:1 42 (NIVUK) Fellowship Corps Communiqué 15

16 Jesus talks with the Samaritan Woman and many Samaritans believe through her testimony. Jesus is at the heart of worship and this is demonstrated in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Going Deeper From Words of Life by Major Beverly Ivany John 4 God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth (v 24). In her conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman explained the Samaritan way of worshipping God on the mountain, as instructed by Moses years before: When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings (Deuteronomy 11:29). All they wanted to do was be obedient; to express their love and thanksgiving to God, and to give him honour and praise for who he was. Jesus responded by saying that worship is not about sacrifices given in certain places, but rather worshipping in spirit and in truth. We are reminded of some other Old Testament verses: The multitude of your sacrifices what are they to me? says the Lord. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them (Isaiah 1:11,14). Jesus told the woman that worship must come from the heart. The Samaritan woman knew of the coming of the Messiah; once he came, he would explain everything to her and her people. The hour had come; and the time was now. Jesus simply said: I who speak to you am he (John 4:26). The renewal for worship began in the presence of Jesus. When we worship him with all our heart and are led by the Spirit, this is true worship. It is to be reflected in our daily life in all we say and do. 16 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

17 Prayer All my heart I give to you, Lord, day by day. Help me always to worship you in spirit and in truth. Major Beverly Ivany Reflection Questions God used the woman s testimony to great effect. Are you willing to be used in the same way? Do you ever have difficulty in believing the words of Jesus? The following song, 351, was written by Albert Orsborn. According to the 1989 edition of Companion to the Song Book of The Salvation Army, the words are based partly on the story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob s well, near Sychar. In the April 1981 Musical Salvationist, this same song was called The Well is Deep and it was accompanied by this note: As Christians, this journey is one that we are all familiar with from thirst to the life-sustaining water of life. We need to let others know that this water of life is freely available to all; it is a deep, boundless ocean of love that can redeem the whole world. Bill Young Photography Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) Fellowship Corps Communiqué 17

18 Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress Online Collection 18 Fellowship Corps Communiqué

19 Song 351 Life is a journey; long is the road, And when the noontide is high Souls that are weary faint neath their load, Long for the waters, and cry: Chorus The well is deep and I require A draught of the water of life, But none can quench my soul s desire For a draught of the water of life; Till one draws near who the cry will heed, Helper of men in their time of need, And I, believing, find indeed That Christ is the water of life. Life is a seeking, life is a quest, Eager and longing desire; Unto the true things, unto the best, Godward our spirits aspire. Life is a finding; vain wand rings cease When from the Saviour we claim All we have longed for, solace and peace, And we have life in his name. Albert Orsborn ( ) The Salvation Army Fellowship Corps Communiqué 19

20 B enediction Chorus 16 Jesus said: He who comes to me shall never, never thirst again; Jesus said: He who comes to me shall never, never thirst again; Come ye who still are dry, Come and drink a full supply. Jesus said: He who comes to me shall never, never thirst again. Freeimages Every effort has been made to acknowledge original sources and copyright owners. If there has been any oversight, the publisher of this Communiqué will endeavour to rectify and acknowledge ownership in future issues. 20 Fellowship Corps Communiqué