Greater Things - a Basement Hymn

 Here's another lofi, basement recording of a hymn - with words by Albert Orsborn (1866 - 1967) and music by myself. You'll have to excuse the fact that I managed to cut off my head for most of the video. 

But you didn't come here to look at me anyway, did you? 

What a work the Lord has done
by his saving grace;
let us praise him every one,
in his holy place.
He has saved us gloriously,
led us onward faithfully,
yet he promised we should see
even greater things.

Greater things. Greater things.
Give us faith, O Lord, we pray
faith for greater things. 

Sanctify thy name, O Lord,
by thy people here.
For the altar or the sword!
Save us from our fear. 
When the battle rages fast;
help us in the fiery blast,
let us not be overcast. 
Prove thy greater things. 

Every comrade, Lord, we pray,
thou would richly bless;
lead us forth into the fray,
one in holiness.
One in faith and harmony,
one in perfect charity;
then we know that we shall see
even greater things. 

Stressed, but not Distressed

I've told family and friends, I've told work mates and employees, I've told FB friends and acquaintances, but I haven't said anything about it here on the blog yet...

So, here's the announcement:

After 18 years as Officers in The Salvation Army, my wife and I are resigning. We remain Majors Carter only until June 25th, after that, it's just plain ol' Jeff and Mikey. Our plan is to stay in here in town for the sake of our children and our sanity. This is a good thing.

Though everything (and I do mean everything) is up in the air right now (find jobs, find a house, find a vehicle, find myself...) we feel at peace with the decision we've made.

We meet with a realtor friend tomorrow to discuss the housing market.

I've applied for work as 1) fork-lift driver 2) art program coordinator, 3) newspaper editor, 4) manufacturing assembler, 5) general laborer, 6) media assistant for the Sac and Fox Tribe of Iowa, and, and, and, and ...

Mikey had a great interview yesterday.

We're desperate, yes, but not frantic. We're stressed, yes, but not distressed. We're happy. The kids are happy. And, the cat and the dog are, for the most part, getting along.

Dr. Cornel West on Reconciliation at The Salvation Army

Dr. Cornel West recently spoke at a Salvation Army conference for young adults. This is a video of his address:

What Did He See? (Sermon - Matthew 3: 16)

Then Jesus appeared – coming from the soft, green hills of Galilee down to the Jordan River valley, to the river – which was not much of a river, not more than a stream in many places. He came to be baptized by John. But John objected, “I should be baptized by you.” Jesus insisted, “Let this be done to fulfill all the demands of righteousness.”

So he was passed through the baptismal waters and God was with him (Isaiah 43:2). He went down into the waters that were at the same time embryonic and chthonic - a symbol of both his new life as a prophet and his coming death. As Jesus was immersed in the swirling, muddy waters of that narrow stream, he closed his eyes and held his breath. He felt the firm press of John’s hand, holding him under for a timeless fraction of a second, then raising him up again. The water streamed from his hair, down his face and beard. Jesus sputtered for air, wiped his eyes and looked up toward the sky. And suddenly the heavens were opened.

“Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down
- in your presence the mountains would quake…” (Isaiah 64:1)

And what, besides the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, did he see when the sky was ripped open? What did Jesus see when the One “who created the heavens and spread them out” (Isaiah 42: 5) now ripped them open? What visions did he see? Matthew’s gospel does not say – not specifically. But I would like to hazard a guess.

In that moment, as he stood up from the river with the water pouring from his face as the heavens were opened for him, I think he saw the brilliant, blinding light of billion dimly burning wicks. (Isaiah 42:3) I think that he saw the Kingdom of Heaven in all its righteousness, in all its varied splendor and in its many forms of suffering.

He saw “the masses of men live[ing] with their backs constantly against the wall…the poor, the disinherited, the dispossessed” (Thurman 3). He saw the tired, the poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of a thousand teeming shores, and the homeless who are tempest-tossed from one place to another, never able to settle or find a home.  (Lazarus)

He saw the widows and orphans of every unjust war. He saw the massacred innocents, the displaced refugees, the frightened and the terrorized. He saw the helpless and the powerless and the desperate.

He saw women weeping and little children going hungry. He saw men going to prison, in and out, in and out. He saw drunkards and poor lost girls upon the streets and dark souls lost without the light of God. (Booth) He saw walking lepers and lurching bravoes from the ditch. He saw the dribs and drabs of drug fiends with pale faces and minds still ridden with corrupted passions, and soul-powers frail. He saw vermin-eaten saints with mouldy breath, and the unwashed legions of the ways of death. (Lindsay)

He saw people lingering in, and dying from illnesses that could easily be treated and cured if not for the greed of powerful and wealthy men. He saw hungry children. He saw mothers and fathers out of work. He saw the illiterate struggling to fit in with the rest of society. He saw the immigrant struggling to speak a second (or third) language along with the people of their new country. He saw the mentally ill and the learning disabled. He saw the lonely elders in nursing homes and sterile hospital rooms.

He saw the “wretched of the earth,” all the disreputable people piled on top of one another in crowded slums and barrios and ghettos, living in shacks squeezed tightly together in a world with no space, famished and hungry for bread, meat, shoes, coal, and light, crouching and cowering on their knees. (Fanon 4 – 5)

He saw all of the people, in every part of the world, who are “tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression,” who are “tired of being flung across the abyss of humiliation” and tired of experiencing the "bleakness of nagging despair” (King “MIA Mass Meeting”)

He saw “the slow, the suffering, the quick, the dead” (Rice) He saw nuns and priests assassinated in South America, and black American prophets gunned down in Harlem and in Memphis. He saw husbands and wives struggling to keep their love for each other alive. He saw children used and abused and pushed into prostitution.

He saw the poor and the poor in spirit. He saw the gentle. He saw those in mourning. He saw the hungry and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He saw the merciful and the pure in heart. He saw all the struggling peacemakers living in a world of war. He saw the persecuted and the oppressed, the abused and maligned. (Matthew 5: 3 – 12)

He saw the gentle ones – the crushed reeds and faltering wicks – struggling to keep the flame of faith alight. He saw the blind and captives in prison and the ones living in dark dungeons without light (Isaiah 42: 3, 7)

He saw them in the east and the west, the rich and the poor, the despised, the distressed (Gowans #1011) a huge number of them, impossible for anyone to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language, standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb (Revelation 7: 9). He saw the serried ranks of countless millions - billions of children, women, and men unknown and unnamed by history – but known, and named, and loved by his father in heaven. And he saw the against-the-evidence hope for triumph over evil (West 35) in each of their lives.

He saw all of this but did not balk at the pressure, he did not recoil from the demand, or hesitate at the thought of countless, inevitable failures along the way, or the long, long delay before full and final glory. He did not grow faint and would not be crushed until he had established justice and righteousness on the earth (Isaiah 42: 4)““Oh it is hard continuing believing, continuing loving, continuing resisting all that opposeth! We are subject to be weary of well doing” (Bunyan 193). He knew that “the time may be long, the obstacles great, and the chance of success dim,” but he knew that, “the servant continues to perform his mission, conscious of his election and calling and endowment” (Coffin 466).

Coming up out of the waters of the River Jordan, Jesus saw all of this and he knew what he had to do. He knew what he would do: he would be the Servant of the Lord. He would give his life in service to all of these, and in this way fulfill all the demands of righteousness.

Booth, William “While Women Weep – I’ll Fight” - this may be one of the apocryphal quotes, something the founder of The Salvation Army never actually said, but is very much in line with all that he did and said in his life. 

Bunyan, John. “Christian Behavior.” The Practical Works of John Bunyan Vol. VI.

Coffin, Henry Sloane “Isaiah: Exposition” The Interpreter’s Bible Volume V.  Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. 1956. Print.

Fanon, Frantz. “On Violence” The Wretched of the Earth. Trans. Richard Philcox. New York, NY: Grove Press. 1963. Print

Gowans, John and John Larsson. “They Shall Come from the East” The Salvation Army Songbook. London. The Salvation Army. Print.

King, Martin Luther. “MIA Mass Meeting” Holt Street Baptist Church, Montgomery, Alabama: 5 December, 1955. Speech. 

Lazarus, Emma. “The New Colossus” 1883. 

Lindsay, Vachel. “General William Booth Enters into Heaven” General William Booth Enters into Heaven and Other Poems. Doylestown: Wildside Press. 1913. Print. 

Rice, Tim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. ”Hosanna” Jesus Christ Superstar. 1970. 

Thurman, Howard. Jesus and the Disinherited. New York: Abingdon – Cokesbury Press. 1949. Reprint Boston, MA: Beacon Press. 1996. Print

West, Cornel. Prophesy Deliverance! Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 1982. Print.

I’m Dreaming of Red Kettles – What a Wonderful World

I’m tired of Christmas (and it’s not even Christmas yet). I’m tired of the red kettles. I’m not resting at night because even then I’m still out with my kettle.

Saturday night I dreamt that I was playing my guitar at a red kettle just inside the doors of the mall. I was playing what sounded like a Huey Lewis and the News cover version of Joey Ramone’s version of What a Wonderful World…

As people walked past and dropped in their donations, I considered whether or not it would be too cold to have church services on Sunday morning… A real concern in central Iowa winters when the temperatures drop below zero and the roads get icy. Our mostly older congregation has a difficult time with those kind of days. And I don't want them to get sick or hurt.

But my song and my deliberations were interrupted. Suddenly a torrent of some foul, blue-green, antiseptic fluid began gushing from my nose, spraying down my shirt, and all over my guitar.  That's when I woke up.

What a wonderful world…

A Photo of My Father

My friend, Scott , shared this photo of him (on the left) and my father (on the right) playing thier horns at the Salvation Army red kettles in Evansville, Indiana. I must say, this is a great photo of my dad. Probably the best one ever.

Shake Your Money Maker

This is, by no means, an official Salvation Army red kettle slogan - but I think it's funny. It's funny, but not as good as a previous one that I shared.

If you would like to contribute to the fundraising efforts of the Salvation Army in Newton / Jasper County, Iowa you can use this convenient link to my on-line kettle.

Bell Yeah!

The other day I shared a Salvation Army Red Kettle "Fighting Hell" poster that some described as "edgy."  I thought it fit very well with the Salvation Army's "Storm the Forts of Darkness" kind of theology and practice.

Since then, someone has shared with me a photo of stickers that were given to donors at Salvation Army red kettles - in the Kansas City area.

If you'd like to contribute to the Salvation Army of Newton / Jasper County, Iowa you can do so with this link (or use the link to find the Salvation Army unit nearest to you.)

Fighting Hell

If you would like to donate to the Salvation Army of Newton / Jasper County, Iowa you can do so via this link. You can also use the link to find and donate to the Salvation Army unit nearest you.

Should Jesus Have Been Disappointed?

I included this thought as a tag to yesterday’s Biblical Limerick post, as an afterthought linking back to a previous limerick. But I think it is a question that is worth a little more than a casual postscript to something as lowbrow as a limerick, so I’d like to draw it out a bit.

In Luke 17: 11 – 19 we have the story of Jesus’ encounter with a group of 10 lepers. Jesus cures them and sends them away to report their cleansing to the priests who could restore them to their places in the community. Of the ten, one came back to express his thanks. And this one was a Samaritan. “Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they?” (Luke 17: 17 New Jerusalem Bible)

I’ve heard many a sermon and Sunday school lesson on the theme of these thankless lepers. And last night (providentially, perhaps) I found, the following lines in a book of poems by Commissioner Irena Arnold (an officer in The Salvation Army) – it’s not especially noteworthy poetry, but it does illustrate the tone of those multiplied sermons and Sunday school lessons.

Nine men sought Christ in their trouble sore,
Forgetting Him when their pain was o’er.
Nine men with joy to their homes returned,
They all were healed, but their Healer spurned.
Accepting all that their Savior gave;
His loving kindness, His power to save,
                But none of them gave thanks.

-from “Only One Gave Thanks” (Arnold 229)

But if we read the story of the thankless lepers while keeping in mind the parable that Luke recorded just a few verses prior perhaps we would be compelled to ask Jesus, “Why did you expect to be thanked?”

In Luke 17: 7 – 11, Jesus is recorded as telling a brief parable: “Which of you with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him, when he returned from the fields, “Come and have your meal at once”? Would he not be more likely to say, “Get my supper ready; fasten your belt and wait on me while I eat and drink. You yourself can eat and drink afterwards.” Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all that you have been told to do, say, “we are useless servants: we have done no more than our duty.” (New Jerusalem Bible)

If the good servant (or slave in other translations) shouldn’t expect to be thanked for doing his duty, should Jesus have been disappointed in the other nine lepers who did not stop to thank him?

Arnold, Irena. More Poems of a Salvationist. Harpeville: GA. Tyler and Company. 1945. Print.

To Be Divisive Like Jesus

To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me,
in every thought and deed
this is my aim, my creed.
To be like Jesus!
This hope possesses me;
his spirit helping me,
like him I’ll be.
(Gowans and Larsson)

I am sometimes accused by a few of my fellow Salvationists (members of The Salvation Army) of being “divisive” and a “troublemaker” -in part because I have argued for a more affirming position towards LGBTQI people. I don’t think it’s true. I really don’t think of myself as a trouble maker or as a rabble rouser. I am not trying to cause division – in fact I have argued (and continue to do so) for unity within The Salvation Army despite our differences.

But if (and that is a big if) my accusers are correct, and I am divisive, I am still far less divisive than Jesus. Perhaps I just need to try harder to be more like Jesus.

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! … Do you think I came to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12: 49 – 53 NIV

Gowans, John and John Larrson. “To Be Like Jesus” The Salvation Army Songbook. The Salvation Army, London. 2015. Print

Salvation Army Officers Attitudes towards Same Sex Relationships – Survey Results

Back in May I had a conversation online with several of my co-religionists, fellow members of The Salvation Army. In that conversation it was suggested that as many as 10% of Salvation Army officers would be supportive of same sex marriage. Some friends were shocked, and even outraged, that that high of a number was bandied about. For my part, I suggested that if we are in line with other Evangelical Protestant denominations, that the percentage is likely higher, around 36%. 

However, no one I spoke to could recall an official survey of Salvation Army officers on the issue. And my curiosity was piqued. So put together a very brief survey that I hoped would help provide something like a realistic description of the number of Salvation Army officers who are supportive of same sex relationships.

Below are the statistical results of my survey, as well as the comments I received within the survey itself, on my blog where it posted, and on Facebook where it was shared.

I received 187 responses. The only question in the survey that could not be skipped / left blank was #6

As it turns out, the percentage of Salvation Army Officers (at least of those who took this survey) is a fair bit higher than that 10% that was bandied about in our conversation. This isn’t to say that this survey is a full and complete picture. I realize that it is limited and in some ways flawed. But I think that it does point us toward the fact that there is a greater support for LGBTQI relationship within the Salvation Army than is generally recognized.

I should also say that some of the comments I received were a little bit hurtful. Read them below.

A couple of important qualifiers:

This was not an official survey; it was not sponsored by any territory or division. It is personal research only.

For the purposes of this survey I only solicited responses from active / retired Salvation Army officers and cadets. This is not because I'm uninterested in the opinions of our many fine soldiers, adherents, former officers, clients, and etc. It was only to keep this initial fact-finding survey simple, clear, and easily defined. This also why I limited the survey to one substantive question. I considered adding more questions about the reasons why people side for or against but, again, I wanted to keep this initial survey as simple and uncluttered as possible.

The survey was anonymous. Names were not requested and those that were supplied will not be shared.

Question 1 – What Is Your Age?

18 – 20                  0.54%                    1

21 - 29                   9.68%                    18

30 – 39                  23.12%                  43

40 – 49                  24.73%                  46

50 – 59                  25.27%                  47

60+                         16.67                     31

Question 2 – Are You Male or Female?

Male                      58.92%                  109
Female                 50.54%                  75

Other                    0.54%                    1

Question 3 – In What Territory Do You Currently Serve / Reside?

United States Central – 44
Australia – 40

United States Southern – 17

United States East – 16

United States West – 16
UK - 13

Canada / Bermuda 10
New Zealand / Fiji - 8

Norway – 2
Germany – 2

South Africa – 1
France / Belgium – 1
Italy / Greece – 1
Sweden – 1
Finland / Estonia – 1

Question 4 – What Is Your Rank?

Cadet                    3.85%                    7
Lieutenant            17.58%                  32
Envoy / Sgt.         1.10%                    2
Aux. Capt.            0.55%                    1

Captain                 31.87%                  58

Major                    43.96%                  80

Col. / Lt. Col.        1.10%                    2
Commissioner       0%                         0
General                  0%                         0

Question 5 – Do You Believe Same Sex Intercourse within the Bounds of a Monogamous and Loving Marital Relationship To Be Sinful?

Yes                         53.47%                  100
No                          42.25%                  79
I Don’t Know         4.28%                    8             

Survey Comments (All comments are cut and past exactly as I received them.)

I personally have no issue with monogamous homosexuality, and struggle with the seeming biblical condemnation of this practice.

Certainly think we must be accepting and gracious and loving to those struggling with this issue

No matter how many times you try to say you have a new interpretation of scripture t doesn't change what scripture says. Very clear one man one women.

God designed marriage to be between one man and one woman. Monogamous unmarried heterosexual relationships are just as sinful.

I believe that the Bible answers this question. No holds barred.

Just one question? I was ready for a marathon of question answering.

The Army needs to move into the 21st century. I feel a sense of frustration and shame when I am with my gay friends, many of whom are clergy and chaplains.

I was brought up to believe that is is a sin, however the more I read and look into this myself the more I am convinced that within marriage it is not a sin

This survey is flawed since it is from an officer of a liberal / progressive officer is sending it out on his blog. A blog that is followed by the minority of officers of the same persuasion. Hence a small minority, already bent towards this idea, and doing all they can to make it seem like many others support it. Why not post it on traditional, conservative, evangelical Salvationists sites...like Primitive Salvationists and see what the results would be

You need to leave the Army.

I do not believe that same sex intercourse can not exist within the context of a marital relationship, since I don't believe that same sex marriages have God's blessing. So, if they aren't actually married, than any sexual activity is sinful

I think the last question should exclude the word "marital" since acceptance of that status within homosexusl relationships is what you're trying to survey.

I would assume if someone is 'married' they would be having sex.

Read your Bible, God is against it! What does what we think matter.

There has to be a way of expressing one's sexuality and of developing intimacy without crossing that line. Jesus and several of His close friends were single and celibate and lived rich and fulfilling lives.

There is no question about this. The 10% needs to get in line with the scriptures.

Do we no longer reverence a holy God? Isn't His Word, the Bible, clear on such matters? OR are we shaping scripture to our will rather than being transformed by It to God's will?

Bit of a loaded survey, you would get a better insight of peoples view if you included things around relationship, marriage and the like

While I believe there is a biblical structure to marriage, we hurt our christian message when we spot out our hateful speech. America is a country based on freedom. We need to allow for those outside our viewpoint. Just because I may not agree with gay marriage doesnt mean I dont believe they dont deserve rights. Dont we all ha inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our job as Christians is to love and share Christ's love.

Thank you!

I would welcome a biblical debate to enrich the conversation

I have told my gay son that as long as he loves Jesus with all his heart mind and soul, then God will be his judge, not us.

Interesting wording of the last question, almost like there is an agenda. Only God can sanction marriage and He did, between Adam and Eve. No where in Scripture is a same sex marriage ever endorsed. Not one mention of a loving same sex marriage, not a hint. There are however plenty of references prohibiting same sex relationships, even to the point of calling them an abomination and declaring that those who practice them will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jeff, why are you so bent on trying to send people to hell? Why would you do anything but lovingly warn them about what Scripture says? Is it a family member? A friend? Or even a personal struggle? Total depravity means we're all born broken in some way, including our sexuality but this is exactly why we need to be reborn. God heals, Jesus saves, and the Holy Spirit empowers and convicts. Please, please, please, stop playing with people's eternity.

For me the issue is faithfulness, whatever your sexuality

I am still working my way through all of this. One of the hardest things about trying to figure it all out is to watch people who have an opinion being hateful to others who have a differing opinion. This is not a safe topic to discuss and I think many people just avoid it all together.

The attempts to push this in the Army is apostasy within the ranks by people who need to get saved.

I have an aunt who is in a same sex civil union. And friends who are single officers who are gay.

All same sex relationships are sinful and go against God's word.

Marriage is for one man and one woman. All same sex intercrorse is a sin. All sexual relationships outside marriage is sinful. The bible is very clear about both.

I believe in marriage equality for all.

The bible is clear on this...read leviticus,,,god does not sway on this and nor should we...if we do then we are saying gods word is flawed

I believe strongly in God's pattern and design for marriage and human sexuality. I also take our first doctrine seriously and hold to the "Scriptures of the Old and New Testament" as "the divine rule of Christian faith and practice." This belief is in the context of 'grace and truth' as demonstrated by Jesus.

I would like the Salvation Army to carry out same sex marriage in my Territory (it is legal in civil society). We cannot support same sex relationships and then refuse to bless them.

1Tim 1:10

Marriage is between a man and woman only.

Scripture is clear and unwavering on this matter. The "new,ma curate" interpretations are both incorrect and misleading. To approve marriage equality in relation to same sexual activity would be an abomination.

I believe Marriage is the Union of one man and one woman. But I do not see their sin any different from unmarried hetero sex

You're freaking awesome and I'm glad you put this together. 

#IAmTheTenPercent

It is about time for change to happen!

I also believe that same-sex couples should be able to marry, also that they should be able be part of the church in leadership and officership.

Blog Comments

Apparently Soldier is not a rank or position whose opinion you respect. Should an Officer come to our Corps and preach same sex marriage they would be frog marched off the pulpit, out the front door, with a swift kick to the seat of their pants as a farewell.

Amen! Any officer that preaches a false gospel will be cast out in our corps.

NEVER

I suppose there is no way to verify whether those that fill out this poll are actually officers. At best the evidence it pulls will be conceptual, and at worst completely false information.

The survey is timely and needed but I believe the substantive question focuses too much on the physical behaviour than the bigger issue of acceptance and inclusion. There is as much diversity in the LGBT community about sexual practices as there is in hetero-normative relationships. The issue for many LGBT is not about what they do in the bedroom, but how they live their lives and are accepted by society and the church. I know a number of Christian gay men who choose not engage in penetrative sex. This includes a number of salvationists and officers who identify as gay who are no longer part of our fellowship because they have been told they are welcome.

This is what you do with your time?

Facebook Comments

The survey is merely an invitation to entertain the idea of compromise with evil. That is probably why our leaders have not considered it.

Thanks, I'm really interested to see the response.

My Bible is very clear on the issue of sex. The only sexual orientation God approves is that between a MARRIED MAN AND WOMAN! Sorry if this offends anyone. Thank goodness I have never been asked to perform a wedding for a same sex couple, but on the basis of my own understanding, I would have to refuse.



NOTE - this post has be edited since it was first posted. One line of data in question 3 was omitted and has been corrected. -TJC.

Blame the Officers

In the Salvation Army we like to praise God for his many blessings, and it is right that we should. We are thankful and acknowledge that if our corps (local congregations) are growing, if our soldiers (church members) are on fire for Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit – that it is the work of God, his gift and blessing to us.

But…

If the corps attendance is not increasing, it is (obviously) the fault and failure of the officers (pastors).

It could be that God is working out some vast eternal plan that does not include numerical growth at this time. But no. Just ignore those pesky verses (like Job 1. 21) that suggest that the Lord gives and takes away.

It could be that churches everywhere, of almost all Christian denominations are struggling with declining attendance, and despite the prayers and efforts of the officers, numerical growth remains elusive…

But yeah, let’s just blame the officers. That’s easier.

Retirement Remarks for My Parents

My parents, Majors Loren and Janice Carter, are retiring after 92 years of combined service as Salvation Army officers. They asked me to speak at their retirement service - no pressure, right?!

***

Now I have the chance to get my revenge for all the times my father used me as a sermon illustration... I'd like to welcome you to the roast of Majors Loren and Janice Carter.

It’s more than a job, more than a career; being a Salvation Army officer is a calling. There are other jobs and careers with fewer frustrations and higher levels of compensation. There are few tangible, visible, real rewards from a life of service as a Salvation Army Officer. We discharge our duties without the expectation of earthly recompense. We do not amass personal fortunes (not, that is, if we are doing it correctly.) We do not have monuments erected to our memory. We do not build buildings emblazoned with our names. We serve, and toil in relative obscurity. Few will ever notice or regard the multiplied hours we’ve spent as chauffeurs for young people and church janitors. Few will ever notice or thank us for the time we’ve spent cleaning toilets and preparing budgets.

There is, as the song says, “joy, joy, joy in the Salvation Army” (say it with me: “try and find it.”)  There is Joy perhaps, but there is little in the way of tangible, visible, real reward. What can we point to to say, “I did this”? In a hundred years, what evidence will remain that we were here? Our work is largely invisible and interior. Unseen. It can, at times, feel discouraging. It can be disheartening to look back over a lifetime of service only to ask, “What have I accomplished? What have I done?” We might even wonder, “Has it all been worthwhile? Have I achieved anything in all those years? Have I had an impact at all?”

But unseen, interior, and invisible is not immaterial, and is not insubstantial.

Every young person taught to play a horn, every hungry family fed, every family given a Christmas gift, every senior citizen comforted in a care facility, every prisoner visited in jail, every sermon that is preached (even the ones ignored by the officer’s eye-rolling-teenaged-son), every life that is touched has an infinite, unseen, rippling effect. The future is set and reset, and unsettled again with every act of service, even the unregarded, unrewarded ones. Holes in the very time/space fabric of the universe are repaired as great kingdom of God on the march is proclaimed and put into practice and vigorous action by faithful Salvation Army officers.

Serving as both corps officers and officers at divisional headquarters in seven different commands across the Midwestern states of the United States of America- through 92 years of combined service, Majors Janice and Loren Carter have been good and faithful servants; they have been “Undaunted” “Light Bringers.” And we can know that-even if there are few tangible, visible, real rewards for their service-countless lives have been blessed by their faithfulness. And those already countless lives have each one, spread that blessing to innumerable others. They are a great, uncountable crowd of witnesses.

We can, with God say to Majors Loren and Janice today: “well done good and faithful servants.” I realize that it may be somewhat premature to quote from that particular chapter and verse, as we often reserve it for Promotion to Glory (funeral) services; I hope they’ll forgive me and trust that I’m not just getting anxious. It’s my niece K. who has been referring to Loren and Janice’s retirement as their funeral… But they have been faithful in their service, even in the small things, faithful even with small rewards; they have been faithful and their reward will be great.

Our founder and first General said, “Making heaven on earth is our business.” It’s what we are called to do, and for 92 combined years my parents have done just that. At camp, in nursing homes, in 15 passenger vans, at disaster sites and pot-luck dinners (and sometimes those are indistinguishable), on street-corners, in quiet hallways and noisy gymnasiums - they have been faithfully making little bits of heaven in the here and now world. They have been proclaiming the good news of Jesus to the desperate, the lonely, the poor, and the afflicted. They have lifted the fallen, healed the injured, and comforted the disturbed. They have grieved with those in mourning; they have celebrated with the joyful. They have consecrated marriages and solemnized funerals.

They may not be renowned musicians but they taught me the joy of music, how to read music, and how to play a horn. They are not leaders of great grass-roots social justice movements, but it was Loren and Janice who lit the fire of a burning social conscience within me. They are no great theologians with divinity degrees, but they taught me of God’s unbounded love, and there is nothing greater than that. If only one life had been affected by their ministry, as the Jewish people say during the Passover celebration, Dayenu “It would have been enough.” If only one person had been changed for the better, "Dayenu" - it would have been enough.

But I am not the sole recipient of their devoted ministry; they have ministered to thousands and thousands of individuals and each of those thousands has gone on to touch a multiplied many more – a great multitude that no one can count, from many nations and languages. And that great crowd of witnesses to their ministry can stand before the throne of God, singing out in a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

I know that you will stand with me today, and with God our Savior to say to Majors Loren and Janice Carter: “Well done good and faithful servants.”  Thank you for all that you have done for the Kingdom of God.

Salvation Army Officers Attitudes Towards Same Sex Relationships - An Unofficial Survey

In a recent online discussion among some of my fellow Salvationists, it was suggested that as many as 10% of officers would be supportive of same sex marriage. Some friends were shocked, and even outraged that that high of a number was bandied about. For my part, I suggested that if we are in line with other Evangelical Protestant denominations, that the percentage is likely higher, around 36%. 

However, no one I spoke to could recall an official survey of Salvation Army officers on the issue. And my curiosity was piqued. So I have put together a very brief survey that I hope will help provide something like a realistic description of the number of Salvation Army officers who are supportive of same sex relationships.

A couple of important qualifiers:

This is not an official survey; it is not sponsored by any territory or division. It is personal research only.

At this time I am only soliciting responses from active / retired officers and cadets. This is not because I'm uninterested in the opinions of our many fine soldiers, adherents, former officers, clients, and etc. It is only to keep this initial fact-finding survey simple, clear, and easily defined.

This also why have limited the survey to one substantive question. I considered adding more questions about the reasons why people side for or against but, again, I wanted to keep this initial survey as simple and uncluttered as possible.

The survey is anonymous. Names are not requested, and if given will not be shared with anyone.

I will leave the survey open until July 31, 2016 and share it as widely as I can so as to get as wide and (hopefully) representative sample as possible. I will post the results of the survey here in August.

Thank you for taking the time to answer this simple survey.

If the embedded survey below doesn't work for you, try this direct link. -

Create your own user feedback survey

All Things To All - My Covenant

As an officer and ordained minister in The Salvation Army I have made a covenant with God to live the whole of my life in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Salvation Army Officer’s covenant, signed by all officers reads:

CALLED BY GOD
to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as an officer of The Salvation Army

I BIND MYSELF TO HIM IN THIS SOLEMN COVENANT
to love and serve him supremely all my days,
to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life,
to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends,
to maintain the doctrines of The Salvation Army, and, by God’s grace, to prove myself a worthy officer.

This is a broad and reaching covenant – it covers the whole of my life but without being rigidly specific. This is the what, not the how. The how, the application of this pledge is variable and adaptable. It has to be because as an officer of The Salvation Army I am moved (with some frequency) from city to city and from state to state, and because in my role as a Salvation Army officer I come into contact with people of all sorts – business women, city officials, homeless transients, migrant workers, students, immigrants, single fathers, and et cetera. How I work to love and serve God, how I preach the gospel changes in each new situation.

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law—that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law toward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9: 19 – 23 NRSV)

The message does not change but the method does. To some I preach. To some I teach. To others I listen or counsel. To one I will offer correction, another I will affirm. To one I will give a ride to work, another a box of food– but the intent is always the same: to demonstrate in some way the love and grace of God as demonstrated to me through Jesus of Nazareth.

But there is a danger in this “becoming all things to all men” thing.  There is pressure on us to be all things to everyone – to satisfy every and all of their expectations of us, and as the poet John Lydgate said, “you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” [i] It’s just not possible.

When I attend a Salvation Army event, I put on my uniform and wear it proudly. When I preach, I make it a point to quote from the King James version occasionally for the gentleman in my congregation who thinks that the King James version of the Bible is only one worth reading.  We sing both old hymns and new songs in our worship service. These are all adaptions to various groups. But if, in my effort to share the gospel and love of God to some who are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with the uniform of the Salvation Army, I wear jeans and a t-shirt instead, I will displease those in my denomination who insist that “the uniform is appropriate for every occasion.” If, in my attempt to share the gospel with those who are disaffected by the Church or wary of traditional preaching, I try to reach them with movies about Jesus like The Last Temptation of Christ or Jesus of Montreal, I will offend my Divisional Commander[ii] because those movies are considered controversial.[iii] Even the Apostle Paul, who gave us this “all things to all men” model, found himself in conflict with some on all sides, from Jews who did not approve of his ministry to the Gentiles and from Gentiles who did not understand his Jewish background. 


But Paul wasn’t trying to please everyone. And neither am I. It would be a foolish attempt anyway. The goal is to love and serve God by living a life devoted to the gospel. My covenant is not with The Salvation Army, not with the General[iv], not with my Divisional Commander-my covenant is with God. And I do what I do (and what I do varies from appointment to appointment and from person to person) in order to live a life devoted to sharing the gospel and helping those in need.

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[i] Though the quote is often attributed to President Abraham Lincoln, he only adapted it from Lydgate.

[ii] Something like a Bishop in other denominations.

[iii] In the end, I respected my Divisional Commanders conscientious scruples and chose other movies, even though I thought he was mistaken.

[iv] Our international leader.

The Dangerous Aid of The Salvation Army

I have said on several occasions, to the consternation of some of my fellow denominationalists, that if I am a socialist (and I am) I learned my socialism not from reading Karl Marx, but from reading the Hebrew prophets, and the Gospels and from the founder and first General of The Salvation Army, William Booth. Often this provokes sneers of derision and snorts of disbelief, "the Salvation Army is NOT a socialist organization" I am told.

And perhaps it isn't any more but early on in its history The Salvation Army was certainly moving in that direction. I found the following quotation from the co-author of the Communist Manifesto in my reading today:

Blood and Fire

Does It Matter How the Preacher Dresses? No.

Recently an opinion article from Churchleaders.com was shared with me and some of my friends and colleagues; we were asked to share our thoughts about it. So I did, briefly. But I thought I might expand upon my thoughts for a wider audience here in the blog.

In the article “Does It Matter How the Preacher Dresses?” Joe McKeever encourages pastors to “turn up the dial a notch” and not be sloppy in their dress. For McKeever this seems to mean wearing a suit and tie – the accoutrement de rigueur for ministers (Protestant ministers, anyway. McKeever’s post says nothing of those pastors whose traditions would see them dressed in an alb, chasuble, or phelonion…)[i]. Ministers, according to McKeever, should dress up to “inspire confidence” in their congregations.

“It’s time for the preachers to look and act like the adults in the room.” McKeever says. “Quit following the kids and start showing them proper respect for the Lord’s house, the Lord’s service and the worship of the Lord.” Ministers have to look respectable and show “proper respect for the Lord’s house” or else be condemned and despised in the hearts of people like McKeever and David’s wife, Michal. (2 Samuel 6:16)

But I’m not terribly impressed by McKeever’s article. The whole dressing up, suit and tie thing doesn’t impress me the way it seems to impress him. The whole argument reminds me of the controversy over beards within Christian history. Clement of Alexandria called the beard "the mark of a man," and said, "it is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood." But the Council of Aachen in AD 816 required monks to shave every 15 days. Both beards and beardlessness were held up by various factions as the mark of Christian respectability. Who was right? Depends who you ask, I guess.

I’m also not impressed by McKeever’s argument that dressing up (in a suit coat and tie) inspires confidence so it must be a good thing. “It’s why the presidential candidates are wearing suits and white shirts and ties. … Inspiring confidence,” he says, but we know how much respect and confidence politicians inspire in us these days, right? Besides: crooks, con artists, and used car salesmen dress up in a suit and tie for exactly the same reason. Hitler wore a suit and a tie, too. So what? Good people dress up and look nice. Terrible people dress up and look nice. The suit and the tie is not a mark of respectability. Looking good does not mean being good.

I’m guessing that the itinerant preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, who-unlike the fox with his den and the bird with her nest-had no place to lay his head (Luke 9:58) probably looked a lot like the “hitchhiker just in from a day on the highway” that McKeever sneers at in his article. In fact, Jesus probably had no beauty or majesty to attract us…nothing in his appearance that we should be inspired by him. (Isaiah 53: 2) Yet he inspired the people to follow him. Not because he looked like he had authority, but because he taught with authority. (Matthew 7:29)

I’m not especially inspired by suits and ties (or by the Salvation Army uniform, for that matter, even if it is the accoutrement de rigueur of my particular denomination). I’m inspired to confidence by people who prove to be honest and caring. One of the most influential ministers in my life wore polo-shirts, shorts, and black socks and sandals – not an outfit to inspire confidence… But I trusted that man more than most; I trusted him because he was good man-not because he looked like a good man.

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[i] His article also seems to be geared exclusively to male ministers since he never mentions skirts, dresses, or pant-suits…)

Biblical Limericks: Not in This Army

Once Jesus made wine for everyone
with a Eucharistic overtone,
but, unfortunately,
in William Booth’s Army
this text can be a forgotten one.

John 2: 1 – 11

(The Salvation Army is an alcohol-abstaining, non-sacramental denomination.)