Loving my tradition.

Over the past year I have spent a lot of time with some great people from the Anglican Church (and a few other denominations) through my Arrow Leadership course and local ministers meetings. This has lead me to think more openly and clearly about the denomination I am part of. Things that I am still tying to get my head around about the SA include; Leadership, uniform, appointments, structure, mission, training, abstinence form alcohol, traditions, certain theological areas and what defines us as the SA. My main frustration is that the conversations regarding these areas usually, as a good friend said last week, happen around a coffee table and never get any further (whilst we were having coffee). I am inclined to agree. How do I work through these things if I feel I can't be honest that I may think differently to what has gone before. I don't have the answers or even think that I am right but would at least like to explore them in a productive way that will release me and ultimately enhance the wider SA. I guess I have a lot of questions and they don't seem to have anywhere to go. Yet, I am passionate about the Salvation Army's story from its early life in the East End of London to the way it responds to emergencies all around the world today. William Booth asked the right questions and responded with some innovative and exciting answers creating a culture of mission. We have a wonderful history that can serve to inform and energise our present. I have seen the SA at work in different countries and in different context, the diversity is beautiful. Embracing this is key to growth and developing our thinking around the issues mention. Many leaders form other denominations have such a high regard for the SA, I must not undermine that by simply moaning about the things I dislike or want to change. Churches are complex organisations but surely we need to find a way to embrace what has gone before without living there. All questions have answers. But we have to ask the questions to get the answers. Matt

Finding Christ..........

"It's easy to see Jesus in Jesus people but we are called to see Jesus in everyone, even our enemies or people not like us" Rob Bell

I heard this quote whilst walking the streets delivering envelops for the Salvation Army annual door to door collecting. The money raised goes towards our Social Services in the UK. For some this is fills them with dread for others (like me) they quite enjoy it. The SA is involved in some great work throughout the UK from hostels to charity shops, Addition projects to working with prostitutes.

In contrast, this week I have also come in to contact with a family of 7 (mum and 6 children) who have fled a difficult situation and been housed in a council home. They have very little, the child have not been given school places yet and they were over the moon with the 2 bags of clothes and a football that I delivered yesterday.

Immediately, the quote from Rob Bell lept into my mind. It is so easy for me to "do my Job" and not get emmotional or attached to people and their needs. It is easy for us all to hide behind the SA and the "good works" that it does. We need to go beyond that and see everyone as Christ would, we need to get out of the comfort of our church buildings, even our own homes and be prepared to love those we find.

Matt