A word of challenge for your church...

I love what God is doing these days through his people. I read stories of new initiatives, new welcoming communities, new cafes, intercultural communities of faith growing from the ground up... There's a lot to be thankful for!  

Though, if I might be so bold, I want to offer a warning/challenge. And I write this not just for pragmatic Salvationists who will read this, but any follower of Jesus who will listen.

But before I get to my main point, I think about the beautiful opportunity we have to live out the gospel through "Word and Deed". We speak about the transformative power of Jesus found through his death and resurrection. And we live lives of compassion and grace to a world that is torn between light and darkness. The mission of reconciling the world back to its creator, is a grand, incredible mission. We seek that lives be transformed by Jesus and whole communities are radically altered because of a new life found in Christ.

What the people of God are doing in these days, is creative and ambitious. I cheer you on. We celebrate the fruitfulness we are beginning to see.

Though, if I might be so bold... I want to share something. 

Here we go, are you ready for this?

Do we love the mission more than the God of the mission? Do we spend more time talking about what we do, rather than the Jesus we serve? Do we point people to our new ministries, more than we point them to Christ? 

I want to caution us. [And caution myself just as much as you]. We are not called to worship the mission. We are called to worship God, out of whom all mission flows. We do missional things, because the love of Christ compels us. 

I wonder whether we are in danger of getting it all a little upside down. 

I want to suggest something that is possibly a little provocative. And remember, I don't speak authoritatively on behalf of my denomination or anyone else for that matter. 

I think it's easier to share stories of doing things, rather than actually sharing the gospel. I think at times we lack courage to share about Jesus Christ, and so we fill our communication channels with stories of busyness and mission. 

And so I wonder whether we are in danger of getting it all a little upside down. To use theological language, our Missiology is informed by our Christology. In all that we do and all that we envisage and all that we pioneer, we must make Jesus central. He is the one who heals the blind. He is the one who raises the dead. He is the one who takes a poor lost soul upon the streets and gives them hope. He is the one who graciously offers salvation to the least of these. Without Christ, we don't have mission.

It's not about us. It's about him.

God, forgive us when we've made it about us, when it all needs to be about Christ. You deserve the glory. You deserve all the praise. Anything we get to partner with you in, is an absolute privilege and we're so thankful.

Jesus, you are Lord. And we put YOU as the focus of all we do and acknowledge you are the reason for our very existence. 

Salvation Army: Stop Holding On!

There's a stirring of God's spirit upon The Salvation Army in these days. There's rumblings of change and a Godly, holy discontent rising up among many, who want the best of all God wants for this movement. 

Though, there's a warning in all this. We need to stop holding on. Let me write that again: We need to stop holding on. Let me explain:

This Easter I gave the microphone to a 28-year old young man to preach about Jesus on Good Friday. He spoke eloquently about the death of Jesus, the freedom that is found in his name. He spoke of the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), and that because of his response to Christ, today he would be in paradise with the Lord. 

On Easter Sunday, my oldest daughter, who is 15 years old, joined Major Jo Brookshaw on the stage and helped paint an incredible painting of freedom found in Jesus. She was bubbling inside, because of the thought of being used by God in ministry, to impact many lives.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: "Okay, what's your point?"

My point is, that as a leader, I made a conscious choice to not hold on. To give the next generation a go. To pass on the baton and have someone younger step up and use their gifts for Jesus. 

We need to raise up the next generation. We need to empower, equip and release the next generation to reach people with the powerful, life transformative gospel of Jesus Christ. 

But I fear, that some of us are still holding on.

We're holding on to fear of the future. 

We're holding on to the 'ways things have been'.

We're holding on to naïve hope that the glory days will come back and it will look like it used to look.

We're holding on in vain that the Army will sound like it used to sound.

We're holding on to the form and not the faith.

We're holding on tightly to the orders and regulations that made the Army what it became.

But, friends, I feel like I'm preaching to someone right now. If there's one thing you and I need to hold on to... If there's one thing that is most important and most critical, to hold on to and not let go of... it's Jesus Christ.

In Jesus we find our way as a people of God. In Jesus we find our purpose, our calling and our mission. The work of God will always look different in the next generation. I mean, we know that right? We don't worship like they did in the 1st Century synagogue in Ephesus. The style of our gatherings don't look like the desert fathers of the 3rd Century. Our service to God doesn't look like Calvin or Luther in the days of the reformation some 500 years ago. 

I believe so strongly, that God is raising up a spirit-filled, innovative, holy people once again, who seek to lead people to Jesus, make disciples and reform the very fabric of society that they work in.

So by all means. Hold on...

But make sure it's to Jesus Christ.  

If you are bold enough to pray with me... Let's pray:

Dear Jesus, 
We want to hold on to you. We want to fix our eyes on the author and perfector of our faith. Nothing else satisfies our soul. No outward expression of faith, can compare to the inward power of your grace and mercy upon our lives. Our hearts are set upon you Lord. Change us. Empower us. Give us wisdom in these days, as we navigate being a Jesus-people in an ever-changing world. We love you Lord, and we pray fill us afresh with the presence of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

The People's General - A New Tribute to General Eva Burrows

I was sitting around a table on the tenth floor overlooking the city of Melbourne. I was privileged enough, as a cadet in those days, to be sitting next to General Eva Burrows. There was always something special about that hand of hers that would reach out and touch your arm. You felt cared for, supported, uplifted and inspired all in one simple gesture.

Other Salvationists have their memories. For me, it's the treasured email my wife Jo and I received after the birth of one of our children. From General Eva Burrow's perspective, it would've taken a couple of minutes; a few lines of text. But for me, it was a retired world leader, taking a few moments to congratulate us, and offer a prayer of blessing. Once again a simple gesture that brought joy to my heart.

I remember the times I would see her at large Salvation Army gatherings, and she would not miss a beat; she'd look over and mention one of my children's names and ask how they were. She'd remember what corps we were serving at and ask, 'How's Craigieburn going?' A simple gesture.

The date was May 2nd, 1986, when the first Australian-born woman was elected General of The Salvation Army. During the next few years General Eva met with Presidents, including President Ronald Reagan, President Fidel Castro in the Caribbean and President Daniel T. arap Moi of Kenya. She preached about Jesus right across the nations, from Canada to India, and South Africa to the Pacific Islands, in her homeland Australia, and of course, across the countries of Africa that she loved so dearly.

There are many aspects of the life of General Eva Burrows that are worthy of a mention.

Firstly, her resilience. Commissioner John Clinch said of her, 'I have seen her on more than one occasion sitting at her desk following a heavy and demanding period away, grey-faced, bone-weary, head in hands, completely drained. Most people would need a week or two to recover. But one good night's sleep and she is back on the job, full of vitality...'  

She was passionate about renewal. In Henry Gariepy's biography, General of God's Army: The Authorized Biography of General Eva Burrows, she says, 'God has shown me that I must emphasize our need for renewal in The Salvation Army. God seems to have said, 'You've tackled several administrative challenges, you've done quite a lot of clearing away of the organizational problem; now it's time to center down and focus on the great issue of renewal within The Salvation Army and on the mission for which I called it into being.'' She had a deep passion for Christ, and always sought to raise up leaders, care for the vulnerable and make disciples for the sake of the Kingdom of God. 

Thirdly, there was a deep passion for relationships. When General Eva walked in the room, there was something about her demeanor, her smile, her way of connecting that made you feel at ease. You felt cared for. You felt like it was ok for you to be in the room. You didn't feel power-plays happening. You were welcome. Even with thousands of relational connections across the globe, General Eva Burrows remembered your name, she genuinely cared and the love of God was present when she was there!

General Eva Burrows was intently focused on reforming organisational structures and the brokenness of society. Whether it be standing in the queue with black South Africans at the local South African Post Office as a silent protest against apartheid, speaking up about unity at a conference in Melbourne (I was in the room and everyone went silent when she spoke), or standing up for the sanctity of life by writing to the Prime Minister of England, or sitting with the poor and vulnerable on the streets of Melbourne in her retirement years. She believed The Salvation Army had a rich heritage and a clear mission to care for the most broken across our societies. 

The People's General lead by example, and on this International Women's Day 2024, I want to pay tribute. One thing I've realised, just by writing these few paragraphs, is the power of one particular thing...

All it takes is one small gesture to impact someone's life.